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I Love You Phillip Morris - Unrated
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December 22, 2009
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N/A
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Extract - R
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December 22, 2009
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N/A
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Father of Invention - Unrated
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December 21, 2009
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N/A
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Casino Jack - Unrated
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December 21, 2009
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N/A
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Avatar - PG-13
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If this is what the future of cinema looks like, I hope someone invents better 3D glasses. After 160 minutes of digital 3D, my head is throbbing. I also hope the future of cinema comes with more organic-looking films that place greater emphasis on writing. James Cameron's ultra-expensive epic boasts insanely detailed visual effects, but ultimately they fall short of the scope I expected. More than anything, this movie proves that technology hasn't progressed far enough to make something like this look convincing. The vision and the imagination behind it is what's exciting, and it's great to see someone write an original screenplay for something like this. However, that screenplay is also bogged down in Cameron's most painful dialogue to date, and a plot so heavy-handed it will make even the most accepting moviegoers cringe. I wanted to be absorbed in this film, to enjoy it as a piece of mindless escapism. But its attempts at humor fell flat, and I began to resent its feeble attempts at connection and ultimately I pulled away altogether. There are genuinely striking moments, and I guess it's blowing the masses away... but I'm beginning to feel more and more separated from the movies that everyone falls in love with.
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December 21, 2009
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N/A
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sex, lies, and videotape - R
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Steven Soderbergh's masterpiece is a thoughtful dissertation of relationships, a subject which he explores with great insight and sensitivity. The power of this film isn't due to one particular component, but to the marriage of all its strengths. The acting is uniformly superb, Soderbergh's direction is enticing and graceful, and the screenplay is downright brilliant. This is one of the great contemporary films to be released in America.
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December 20, 2009
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N/A
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Black and White - R
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December 18, 2009
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N/A
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Mr. Nobody - Unrated
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December 18, 2009
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N/A
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Sleuth - R
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Films like this pull me farther away from trusting the judgment of critics. As someone who saw this before seeing the 1972 version, I was thoroughly impressed. From what I understand, it's not intended to be a faithful remake of the original film version anyways. According to critic Roger Ebert (one of the few whose opinion I always respect), it's a total re-imagining. As it exists, it's a technically polished work that boasts excellent performances and a cerebrally demanding script. Kenneth Branagh's direction is hugely stylized and exciting, lending the picture a gorgeous visual appeal. The screenplay is rich with savage language and psychological games, melding original character dynamics with the suspense of the plot. Michael Caine and Jude Law turn in brilliant performances, and they are the reason to watch this film. I guess if intelligent, well-made films that strive to challenge their audiences deserve to be thrashed, then the critics were right about this one.
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December 18, 2009
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N/A
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The Rum Diary - Unrated
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December 18, 2009
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N/A
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Babel - R
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For whatever reason, this movie didn't have the impact it should've had the first time I saw it. I won't apologize for responding honestly to my initial reaction, but I will admit that I was wrong. This is a calculated, impassioned piece of artistry from one of the most exciting minds in modern cinema - Spanish filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu. After immediately falling in love with Amores Perros and 21 Grams, I urged myself to re-watch this and I am so happy that I did. Down to the most minor roles, every performance in this piece is realized and engaging. It is painted with achingly gorgeous imagery, deep emotional complexity and underlined by a beautiful, Oscar-winning score. This is one of the most ambitious and powerful films to be released in years.
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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The Travelling Players (O thiasos) - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Stalker - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Gertrud - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Le Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie (The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie) - PG
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Sherlock Jr. - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Paisà (Paisan) - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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L' Âge d'Or (Age of Gold) (The Golden Age) - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Journey to Italy (Viaggio in Italia) (Strangers) (The Lonely Woman) - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Viridiana - R
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Letter From an Unknown Woman - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Pickpocket - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Nashville - R
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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L' Année Dernière à Marienbad (Last Year at Marienbad) - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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5767 ratings
983 reviews
