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07 Jan

3:10 to Yuma

Grade: B+

I’m usually not a Western fan, but 3:10 to Yuma has a really great story.  And some really great actors, too.  Christian Bale is the good guy, down on his luck, desperate for money to save his home from the railroad.  Russell Crowe is the bad guy, freshly flush from a big stagecoach robbery, he slips up and gets caught in town without his gang.  Christian steps up and joins the posse to escort Russell to the 3:10 to Yuma, a train headed straight for prison.  And what a road trip this turns out to be!  Lots of action, edge-of-your-seat, hold-your-breath type of adventure.  Just may bring back the Western.  Teen boys will really like it.
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05 Jan

Zero Dark Thirty

Grade: B+

Zero Dark Thirty is a powerful movie based on the true story  of the events that led up to the ultimate killing of Osama Bin Laden.  Jessica Chastain stars as Maya.  When we first meet Maya she’s a young CIA operative learning the ropes.  Throughout the film she becomes more and more committed to her mission, which becomes her whole life.  We don’t know if there really was a Maya, but the woman portrayed in the film was intelligent, fierce and completely dedicated to her job despite the environmental conditions and politics involved.

Yes, this is a war movie – and there are some graphic torture scenes, and obviously some violence.  So it’s not a movie for the faint of heart.  But the violence is not the basis of the movie – it’s the mystery, the puzzle that Maya works so hard to put together that makes this such a great film.

Jessica Chastain is compelling in this role, and I would expect her to get an award nomination for her performance in the Lead Actress category.
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05 Jan

X-Men: The New Class

Grade: B

The newest X-Men movie is a prequel to what we have seen so far.  You don’t have to know the other movies or characters to understand this one, but it definitely makes it more enjoyable.  Especially with cameos by Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Romijn.

This is a great cast, led by James McAvoy as Professor X.  Rose Byrne is Moira, fresh off her star turn in Bridesmaids.  It’s all in fun, with some nice messages about loyalty and friendship.  Really cool to see the “history” of the X-Men.  Fans will be particularly pleased – but this is a good movie for any fan of action or sci-fi.
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05 Jan

Words and Pictures

Grade: B

Set in a private high school, Words and Pictures looks at the lives of two very different people. The English teacher, Jack, played by Clive Owen, has become jaded and frustrated with his life – his ex-wife has moved on and his son is moving on and Jack feels stuck and turns to alcohol. The art teacher, Dina, played by Juliette Binoche, is struggling to reinvent and redefine herself as rheumatoid arthritis has made creating her art extremely difficult for her.

Jack is intrigued with this new art teacher, and inadvertently starts a “war” as the teachers and students debate which is more powerful, words, or pictures.

Jack and Dina learn about each other, take some changes, learn some lessons, and learn about themselves as well.

Beautifully shot, with some wonderful moment both in words and pictures.

Amy Brenneman comes in as director of the school, and Jack’s former love interest. She’s always brilliant!

Great date night movie.
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05 Jan

Winter’s Bone

Grade: B-

Winter’s Bone is an independent film which might be hard to find in some areas.  It’s a dark story, that highlights the strength and determination of a 17 year old girl, played by Jennifer Lawrence.  This character, Rhee, is truly remarkable.  She is stuck in a small shack in the middle of practically nowhere in the harsh winter, raising her younger brother and sister and taking care of her mentally ill mother.  Life is difficult, but she does it every day, struggling to get food on the table and the kids to school.

One day a sheriff comes to the home and tells Rhee that her father got out of prison on a bond, for which he put the house up as collateral.  The father is now missing, so unless she can find him, she will lose the house.  The movie is about all this girl goes through to figure out what happened to her father so that she can continue to take care of her family.

Jennifer Lawrence is a revelation – there’s lots of awards talk around her performance, it’s amazing.  She carries the whole film.
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05 Jan

Win Win

Grade: A-

Win Win stars Paul Giamatti as full time lawyer struggling to maintain his practice while he coaches the struggling high school wrestling team.  He takes on guardianship of one of his older clients in order to make ends meet – and that’s when his life is shaken up in unexpected and wonderful ways.  Some challenges, and some nice surprises, this movie is heartwarming, funny, and sweet.  Yes, it is rated R – and the only reason is because the “F” word is used more than once.  There’s no violence or sex.  Loved this one!
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05 Jan

Water for Elephants

Grade: B+

Mega-stars Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson star in Water for Elephants, based on the novel.  We start off with Hal Holbrook, who is the older version of Robert’s character, telling his story, so the bulk of the movie is set as a flash-back.  A young veterinarian ends up running off with the circus, where he meets a beautiful young woman who happens to be married to the ringmaster, and owner of the struggling troupe.  The husband, played by Academy Award winner Christoph Walz, is horribly abusive, and the two end up helplessly attracted to one another.  Lots of drama, and a wonderful cast of characters.  Very good!
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05 Jan

Vampires Suck

Grade: C

“Vampires Suck” but this movie actually doesn’t!  It’s actually a very clever little parody of the first two Twilight films.  You probably have to have seen at least one of the movies to get all the insider jokes that go on.  It’s a great movie to see with a teen girl, who will likely appreciate the humor.  Great casting – the girl who plays “Becca” (rather than Bella) does an amazing impression of Kristen Stewart, she’s got all the little nuances down, including the look of teen angst that runs under almost every line of dialogue. One of the cute guys from the TV show 90210 plays Edward.

Yes, a little over-the-top and silly, but still smart in places, and worth seeing if you’re a Twilight fan.
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05 Jan

Trance

Grade: B+

In Danny Boyle’s Trance, James McAvoy plays Simon, an art auctioneer who is seriously injured while trying to prevent one of his prize paintings from being stolen.  But right away we question Simon’s innocence, and motives. He can’t remember, or can he?  Danny  Boyle sets up the plot so that we never really know what is truth and what is suggestion.  Rosario Dawson comes in as a skilled psychotherapist who uses hypnotherapy to help Simon recover his memory.  And they become personally involved – or do they?  It’s a tangled web of deception and misdirection that keeps us guessing.  Fast paced, this movie moves quickly and is full of twists and turns.
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05 Jan

Toy Story 3

Grade: A

Toy Story 3 is the kind of movie that is easy to love.  We already know the core characters, Woody, the loyal cowboy voiced by Tom Hanks, Buzz, the brave astronaut voiced by Tim Allen, and Jessie, the sweet cowgirl voiced by Joan Cusack.  The characters are ageless, timeless, because they are toys.  But as the movie starts, we see that their “owner” Andy, has aged quite a bit.  The toys are in the box, just waiting to be played with, and Andy is off to college.  The adventure begins when Andy’s mom insists that he decide what to do with his things – take them to college, put them in the attic, or donate them.

There is something so touching and poignant about the loyalty, the love, the companionship that exists not only between Andy and his toys, but amongst the toys themselves.  These are real, fleshed-out characters that we can totally relate to.  And the villain is this pink teddy-bear – so clever!  The writing is wonderful.  And we are swept away in the amazingly beautiful 3D artwork.

Absolutely loved it.
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