Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Year: 2010
Director: David Yates
Lead: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
Rated: Rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence, frightening images and brief sensuality.

The beginning of the end. (this review does contain spoilers)

This movie is the best Harry Potter movie to date. There haven't been any better, frankly, if this film were to stand alone with no prequels or any books to back it up, it would still be excellent. The opening scene says it all, the Minister of Magic stands up to the press, with only his eyes visible in the frame, and utters the words that will sum up these final two Potter films: "These are dark times". One of the opening scenes in the Malfoy home is one of the darkest most unsettling scenes Ive watched, it ranks up there with the swastika in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds", and even the infamous "Shower Scene" in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". Another very cleverly artistic aspect of the film is all the gloom. There isn't one bright scene, not a single one. Every scene is shot in fog, if they hadn't, the film would certainly lose its dark undertone. Which brings me to the camera work; its impeccable, its so well done. When I think of great cinematography in this movie, multiple scenes come to mind. The first being the scene where everybody drinks the poly juice potion to turn into Harry, the camera tracks around Harry to show before and after, the director never cuts the scene. He also did this in the scene with Hermione in the forest, where the snatchers could smell her perfume but could not actually SEE her. Another is the forest chase scene where the three of them are running from the snatchers. There are multiple EXCELLENT truck shots at high speed through the trees, and some great dolly shots against the action. Along with those, every scene was very well framed; all in all Yates was very successful. Another stand out accomplishment is the acting. Daniel, Emma, and Rupert have definitely learned how to act which made for some greatly dramatic scenes that evoked a lot of emotion. Now the acting would only be half as good if the script wasn't as good as it was, and it was. Every scene was very well written and the ending was as good as it could have been. This movie is a hunt, a lonely, boring hunt. If the movie was filled with tons of action and actors, it would take the boringness away. Now I understand it makes no sense to intentionally make a movie boring, but that's the way most of the book was, and to the screen writers credit, all the boringness was actually not boring. The movie was so desolate and dark and semi-uneventful, that it really brought the emotion of the book to life. Now lets talk about the end... or should we call it the beginning? Call it what you may, but either way you say it, its good. Its so good in fact that its the only way you could have ended this movie. I sat there in my seat as I tearfully watched Doby being buried, and Voldemort stealing Dumbledore's wand, and I thought: "This has potential to be a great ending." and as that thought passed through my mind, the screen went black.

The end of the beginning.

Go.

Jackass 3D

Title: Jackass 3D
Year: 2010
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Lead: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee-Man, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn
Rated: Rated R for male nudity, extremely crude and dangerous stunts throughout, and for language.

The Boys are back. Enough Said

Jackass 3D is really funny. Really disgusting, yet, really funny. There was never a dull moment in this movie. Every stunt was pretty original, and extremely hilarious. While it wasn't as funny as I expected it to be, it is still the best of the 4 Jackass movies. I saw this in 3D and it was pretty cool, SO clear. Overall, it was a very good looking picture. I really enjoyed it. It is a pretty sick movie that isn't for the easily gagged. I recommend seeing this movie. 7 out of 10

Buried

Title: Buried
Year: 2010
Director: Rodrigo Cortes
Lead: Ryan Reynolds
Rated: R for language and some violent content.

Paul Conroy is a contractor in Iraq who is taken hostage, buried alive, and held for ransom. As time is running out, Paul tries to negotiate his escape.

FINALLY! BURIED IS HERE! Ive been waiting so long for this movie, it definitely lived up to my personal hype. Buried is a truly amazing film experience. Its a movie that only comes along, well, never actually. Its very unique. The entire movie is filmed in a coffin, great concept. Rodrigo Cortes takes this concept and constructs something truly excellent. The story is very hooking, and very cool. The film does have some illogical bits, but its ok, they are very easy to get over, and they didn't really bother me during the movie, Ryan Reynolds acting quickly took my mind off of them. Reynolds is the only actor we ever see on the screen, and he is great. I am even going to go out on a limb and say that (you can quote me) "Ryan Reynolds defines his entire career with this film." Its hard to act when you are the only actor on the screen, but Ryan Reynolds does it, and does it well, really well. Visually, Rodrigo does something amazing by shooting a feature film in a box that its nearly impossible for a human being to move. I don't want to give away a lot of details, but, he adds so much emotion with the camera, spinning it, flipping it, moving it, etc. he is able to dolly the camera from a close up to almost a master shot of the inside of the coffin... basically, its nuts. He does so much with so little. This movie is so intense, it almost makes you cry several times, and its so suspenseful that it would make Hitchcock roll over in his... well, coffin I guess. Rodrigo Cortes definitely blows the door off of the theater with this ambitious film. It goes wide release on October 8th, but right now you can catch it in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York I believe. This film is one of the best I've ever seen. Go see it, everybody go see it, buy it, watch it in a dark room, hell, watch it in a closet. Bury yourself with your TV and watch it. Watch it with a friend, watch it alone. Watch it with your dog, with your mom, with your uncle. No matter who, where, or when you watch it, watch it in the dark, and watch it with your phone off. Ryan and Rodrigo and their masterpiece get 9 1/2 out of 10.

The Town

Title: The Town
Year: 2010
Director: Ben Affleck
Lead: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall
Rated: R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use.

The leader of a bank robbing crew decides he wants to find a way out of the town that has defined his life.

The Town is great. Ben Affleck has shown that he is a true director, he does a lot of things right in this movie. It is acted so well by Jeremy Renner and Ben Affleck; but more by Jeremy Renner, he really proves that his Oscar last year for Hurt Locker wasn't a fluke. He's legit, and he's here to stay. He handles the Boston accent so well, and is so scary in this movie. The locations in this movie are fantastic. The Town is beautifully shot around the wonderful city of Boston, using Fenway Park for the most pivotal scenes of the film. Be warned, however, this film is violent, and the language is truly pervasive at some points. Its a very unsettling movie, but it is so awesome. I recommend it highly. Ben Affleck does not take shortcuts in making this movie, and he most certainly does not cheat his audience, nor question their intelligence. The Town gets 9 out of 10

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Title:
Year: 2010
Director: Edgar Wright
Lead: Michael Cera, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Jason Schwartzman
Rated: PG-13 for stylized violence, sexual content, language and drug references.

If a boy wants to date the girl, he has to fight and beat her 7 evil exes.

AWESOME movie, I loved it so much. This film has a lot of good things going for it, the music is kickass, the fighting scenes are visually stunning, and everything in between the two is so clever and amazing that it makes this movie great. This film has tons of awesome little quirks, like comic book captions on the screen, and cutaways, and funny/random moments that make this movie so great. Let me first talk about the music, its great, it makes this movie probably half of what it is, its punchy and raw, and very garage band sounding, it adds to the pace of the movie. The other half of this film is comprised of some cool fight scenes, romantic bits, funny bits, etc. The story is so far fetched that its believable in a world where things like this would happen, and the actors succeed in being believable. Michael Cera is so ordinarily funny in this movie, he does a great job along with the rest of the cast. I didn't like Ellen Wong's character, "Knives Chow", I found her very irritating. She did serve a purpose though and was not completely pointless, but she was very irritating, which was probably the writer and directors point anyways. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a visual stunning film with an awesome soundtrack, I recommend it to everyone, it is very enjoyably! 8 1/2 out of 10

Blue Velvet

Title: Blue Velvet
Year: 1986
Director: David Lynch
Lead: Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Laura Dern, Dennis Hopper
Rated: R for a lot of bad things!

A young man discovers a nasty underworld in his lovely, suburban town.

Blue Velvet is one of those movies that you need to see at least once in your life. Its one of those films that will leave an impression on you, no matter what you get out of it. Its a classic, and I feel like not enough people have seen it, so see it. We all know that David Lynch is a great director who has made some pretty odd films, Blue Velvet definitely being one of the weirdest. The story is so odd, and unsettling, that it will leave images scarred into your memory long after you've turned it off. Jeffrey Beaumont (MacLachlan) finds an ear in a field by his house and decides to do a little detective work of his own. He soon finds out about a woman who is rumored to be a murderer, so naturally he decides to sneak into her apartment, where he finds out that she, in fact, is not a murder, and is part of something so bizarre that you will have to watch it to find out. The film is really made by two fantastic performances by Isabella Rossellini, and Dennis Hopper; Hopper's character, Frank, is, in my opinion, one of the most bizarre, unpredictable, gratuitously violent characters I have ever seen on-screen; and Rossellini, Dorothy, plays a fantastic paranoid woman, who is so mentally destroyed by Frank. David Lynch shoots some great film with this one, very well composed shots that have a lot of meaning, he does a great job with using the camera to add extra emotion to his shots. Very great, shocking, movie. Everyone watch it. Blue Velvet was snubbed by the Academy, it was nominated for Best Director in David Lynch. Blue Velvet gets 8 1/2 out of 10. You should all give Blue Velvet a chance.

Following

Title: Following
Year: 1998
Director: Christopher Nolan
Lead: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw
Rated: R for some language and some violence

A young writer who follows strangers for material meets a thief who takes him under his wing.

Cool movie, neat twist at the end. Christopher Nolan's first feature length film. The film was shot entirely in black and white, which gives it a darker feel. If it wasn't in black and white, it wouldn't be as impressive (in my opinion). Very interesting from the opening scene. There isn't a whole lot to talk about his film. Its very cleverly shot, and written, Chris Nolan definitely shows that he has some tricks up his sleeves with "Following". If your a fan of any Nolan work, you will surely enjoy Following. Buy it on amazon for around $5. I highly recommend it. 8 out of 10

Brick

Title: Brick
Year: 2005
Director: Rian Johnson
Lead: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Matt O'Leary, Lukas Haas, Noah Fleiss
Rated: R for violent and drug content.

A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. (imdb)

Wow! Brick is awesome! Very well done film. The script is really great, really fast paced lines that make the movie even more tense. My favorite part of this film was its feel, it felt like a student film project, which I love, its something that just looks right, its very to the books and correct looking, lots of close-ups (watch the close-ups!). Joseph Gordon-Levitt is really and amazing actor that takes every role he's given and does it justice. The story in this film is very dark, and bizarre, A high school crime ring, who knew high schoolers were capable of murder? Tug is one of the most intense characters Ive ever seen on screen, he's so brutal that its scary, The Pin is even more awesome, he reminds me of a James Bond villain. But Gordon-Levitt steals the show, he makes this film what it is with his character. Great film. I highly recommend it. 8 1/2 out of 10

The Royal Tenenbaums

Title: The Royal Tenenbaums
Year: 2001
Director: Wes Anderson
Lead: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Danny Glover
Rated: R for some language, sexuality/nudity and drug content.

An estranged family of former child prodigies reunites when one of their member announces he has a terminal illness. (imdb)

Awesome Movie! Wes Anderson is really a genius in film-making. The Royal Tenenbaums is really a masterpiece, it has so much going for it; All star cast, great story, and awesome camera work. This film is so great to look at, it is visually stunning; I really enjoyed the trademark Anderson montages with titles, it brought me back to his film "Rushmore" when we are introduced to all the clubs that the main character is in, I love it, its really genius! Another great thing about the movie is the story. It is perfect, he ties the book into the film so well, and even though this isn't really billed as a comedy, its hilarious, there are many funny parts in this movie. The characters are so great too, plenty of depth to each story line in this film that you almost need a second and third and even a fourth viewing to really pick up everything, and even then, I'm sure you would still miss things. Really great film through and through that I recommend you go and buy and add to your collection. 8 1/2 out of 10

The Science of Sleep

Title: The Science of Sleep
Year: 2006
Director: Michael Gondry
Lead: Gael Garcia Bernal
Rated: R for language, some sexual content and nudity.

A man entranced by his dreams and imagination is lovestruck with a French woman and feels he can show her his world. (imdb)

I loved Michael Gondry's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", I consider it one of my favorite films, and I was hoping the same for The Science of Sleep, it did not deliver. I was very confused on the point of this movie, along with the characters. The story seems very jumpy, and there are characters in this movie that have a bigger part then they should. The whole story doesn't make sense, a guy is in love with this girl in his mind, and then he tries to be in love with her in real life, and he acts like a jerk, it is as stupid as it sounds. On top of that, the language changes constantly from French to Spanish to English, subtitles pop up and then disappear it was very irritating. The dream sequences are cool, in fact, that's the only place that this movie excels, other than that, it was completely pointless to me. I do not recommend this movie, I constantly had the urge to turn it off. 5 out of 10

Just Go With It

Title: Just Go With It
Year: February 2011
Director: Dennis Dugan
Lead: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Dave Matthews, Brooklyn Decker
Rated: Not rated yet, but it will probably end up being on the lower end of PG-13

A man enlists the help of a woman and her kids to land the woman of his dreams.(imdb)

This movie is funny, and it reminds me of old Sandler movies, like Gilmore and Big Daddy, its just good funny jokes that work well at making the audience laugh. I saw this movie at a pre-screening, I sat behind Dennis Dugan, and got to talk to him a little bit before it started, he was excited about this movie, and for good reason; its good. The story is ridiculous; A man wears a wedding ring to pick up girls, until he meets the girl of his dreams. He enlists his friend and her kids to play the part of his family on a trip to Hawaii. They say that they re getting a divorce... on and on, its nuts, basically, one lie after the other until the truth comes out. Its funny, really funny, and its a good funny, you don't feel intellectually cheated at all, and there isn't any raunchy humor that you feel guilty at laughing at. I highly recommend going and seeing this film when it comes out on February 11th 2011 (01/11/11). Its very funny and surprisingly clean, i honestly cant remember hearing one profanity in the entire film, which actually made me feel good, like what i was watching was good for me. The story is perfectly ridiculous, and the jokes are successful at being hilarious. Sandler and Aniston's on screen chemistry is so great that it makes YOU feel great. Everything about this movie is good, except for Brooklyn Decker, she is great to look at, but she isn't a very good actress. Great movie, see it when it comes out 01/11/11. 8 out of 10

Cyrus

Title: Cyrus
Year: 2010
Director: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
Lead: John C. Reily, Jonah Hill
Rated: Rated R for language and some sexual material.

John meets the girl of his dreams, then he meets her son.

Cyrus is a fantastic little indie film with some big names. The story is hilarious, who doesn't enjoy a movie where a weird son breaks up a relationship? Cyrus is filled with all kinds of different things. Its a comedy, a drama, and a romantic film all rolled up into one. The humor is hilarious; Jonah Hill (Cyrus) plays the weird son of John's girlfriend, and John C. Reily (John) plays the boyfriend. During the film, we watch them duke it out until Cyrus finally gets what he wants. This movie is great, its very funny, and touching, I recommend it to anyone looking for a good, funny, romantic comedy film this summer. My only problem with this film is the way it was shot. The directors, from what Ive read, really like the whole hand-held, documentary type camera work, with quick zooms and constant cuts. I, however, really don't enjoy watching that, because I know I could do it better. Put the damn camera on a tripod please, it would make this movie look so much better. Other than that, the movie was great, and I will probably end up buying this one on DVD. Go see Cyrus, I recommend it. 7 1/2 out of 10. (simply for camera work alone, would be an 8 1/2 if they used a tripod)

Inception

Title: Inception
Year: 2010
Director: Christopher Nolan
Lead: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, and Michael Caine
Rated: Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action throughout.

In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a single idea within one's mind can be the most dangerous weapon or the most valuable asset. (imdb)

There aren't a lot of words that can truly describe this film. Its utterly breathtaking in every aspect of film making. Single shots in this movie are better then entire films, and action sequences that can only happen in your dreams are made to feel so realistic that even the audience member feels like they are a part of it. The story is basically flawless, and the script is so well written that nobody questions the idea of inception in the slightest. The actors back this script so perfectly as well. Leo is spot on, as usual, (but then again, when has Leo put out a movie we DIDN'T like?) and Ellen Page is so great in this movie, as well as everyone else. The cinematography is unreal, the zero gravity fight scene is one of the most insane things Ive ever seen captured on film. Chris Nolan has really outdone himself in every movie he makes, you keep wondering if he has another great movie in him; well, he does. Inception is the best movie of the summer, if not the year, we'll see what December and January give us. I recommend Inception to everybody, except kids; They'll freak out. See the movie while its still fresh in theaters, because probably the best part of the film is the audience reaction to the ending. Inception is fantastic, that's why I'm giving it the rare 10 out of 10. GO SEE INCEPTION!

Toy Story 3

Title: Toy Story 3
Year: 2010
Director: Lee Unkrich
Lead: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
Rated: Rated G

Woody, Buzz and the rest of Andy's toys are dumped into a daycare center when Andy leaves for college.

I was 5 years old when Toy Story blew the doors off of every theater in America, 9 when Toy Story 2 did it again. I am nearly 20 now, and I can safely credit those two Toy Story films to my chosen career path in the film industry. When I was a kid, I just watched movies; I sat there and I just watched. These days, I am picky, I pick things out, I critique everything I see, its not really by choice, Its just kind of in my brain now. This morning I sat down in the theater, the lights went down, and the familiar faces of Woody, Buzz, Slink, and everyone else came up on the screen; I was a kid again, I just watched. Toy Story 3 is the best film of 2010, and I will tell you why. Pixar brings characters you know back for the third time, they integrate them with new characters in a story that is written so flawlessly that you don't even know your watching a movie. TS3 provides some of the most genuine feelings that I have ever felt in a movie. A lot of real life films cant even pull off moments like Pixar did with this film. The landfill scene is one of the most hopeless scenes I have ever watched, and the closing scene made me cry harder then I have cried in a very long time. Toy Story 3 will get a best picture nomination, and don't be surprised if it wins. Toy Story will live forever as the best trilogy of all time. Toy Story 3 is well worth the money to see it in 3d, its well worth the money to see it 3 times, go see it in theaters, and buy it on DVD, Blu-ray, whatever you want it on, maybe both. Toy Story 3 gets 10 out of 10

Fargo

Title: Fargo
Year: 1996
Director: Ethan & Joel Coen
Lead: William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Frances McDormand
Rated: Rated R for strong violence, language and sexuality.

A car salesman plans a harmless crime that goes horribly wrong after both him and his hired henchman make terribly stupid mistakes.

Fargo is awesome, its a film that should be on everyone's list, the description does the film NO justice, you need to just watch this ridiculous story unfold on-screen. The script is amazing, the little things make this movie great, its things like the funny Canadian/Minnesotan accent, and the awkward silences, and Marge's husband waking up in the morning, and many other fun, quirky bits in the script. This film starts out really harmless and things are very lighthearted, but the mood soon shifts, things get crazier and crazier until everything breaks. Steve Buscemi is one crazy guy, he has shocked me in his role as Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs, he's such a great actor, he's so great in this movie. The cinematography in Fargo is really cool, a couple days ago I was talking to my dad about splitting the frame, as in, there are two actors on the screen but they are split by a wall or something where they cant see each other, the Coens did this in Fargo, in the breakfast scene when Marge gets up and walks out to her car, and her husband is sitting at the table, its really cool. The Coens can do no wrong in my mind. Burn After Reading, A Serious Man, Big Lebowski, all of them are hits along with Fargo. Buy Fargo, watch it, put it on your movie shelf, right in the front, show it to all of your friends... let me warn, their are some disturbing scenes, I'm not going to spoil them, but they are graphic, and the language is out of control, but it makes this movie great. Fargo won 2 Academy Awards for Best Actress in Frances McDormand, and Best Screenplay by Ethan & Joel Coen. Watch Fargo! 9 out of 10

Repo Men

Title: Repo Men
Year: 2010
Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Lead: Jude Law, Forest Whitaker
Rated: Rated R for for strong bloody violence, grisly images, language and some sexuality/nudity.

Your heart gives out. Fortunately there is a company named "The Union" that makes artificial hearts (along with every other organ). Unfortunately the heart costs $973,000. Fortunately "The Union" provides financing and payment plans. Unfortunately you get behind your payments, so they send out one of their Repo Men to cut you open, and take the organ back.

Repo Men was a very edgy, dark, cool movie. Jude Law is fantastic, he plays his role very well. The blood in this movie is incredible, they used so much movie blood. Repo Men is a great film, the fight scenes are very well shot, they were fresh, something new. I really liked the final fight scene where Jude Law's character says "Hacksaw" and the hacksaw is seen sliding across the ground, but the camera is following it, that caught my attention. I really liked Repo Men a a lot, the script was well written, and the camera work was cool, the action is very cool, and I really enjoyed all the blood. One downer is the ending. I'm not going to say what happens, but it is very disappointing to see such a cool film end like it did. On a lighter note, this film is very good, it is very dark, but very humorous. I'm not sure the writers intended this film to be funny, but it is, very funny bits of dialogue. Go see Repo Men. 7 1/2 out of 10

Alice in Wonderland

Title: Alice in Wonderland
Year: 2010
Director: Tim Burton
Lead: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway
Rated: Rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar. ("and for a smoking caterpillar")

Alice returns to her childhood fantasy world, "Wonderland". She reunites with her friends, and fights to end the Red Queen's reign.

Throw all the bad things you heard about this movie out the window. Alice in Wonderland is great! I heard a lot of people say to me, "it's nothing like the original." Well, no kidding, its nothing at ALL like the original. The first difference, there are real, living, breathing actors. Second, its not the original story, this is a new Alice adventure, shes older than the first Disney animation. Its very original while still pulling things from the old Alice. Its very fun to watch. All the actors are great, especially Johnny Depp and Bonham Carter, they are the core of this film. Mia W. is quite fantastic as well. Tim Burton really shows off his genius by creating a fresh Wonderland. CGI is a very interesting tool, and if your good at it, you can do amazing things, whoever put all this together is quite good. This is a great story, great movie, don't let anyone talk you out of seeing it, in fact, see it twice, why not! Alice in Wonderland is fantastic, and very fun to watch! I will certainly buy it when it comes out. GO SEE IT! 8 1/2 out of 10

A Serious Man

Title: A Serious Man
Year: 2009
Director: Joel & Ethan Coen
Lead: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind
Rated: Rated R for Launguage, Some Sexuality/Nudity and Brief Violence

A dark comedy about a man whose luck seems to be cursed.

A Serious Man is a very cool movie, its really funny if you like black comedies. I really enjoyed this movie, it reminded me a lot of the Coen brothers previous film, "Burn After Reading". The soundtrack is very awesome, they use the song by Jefferson Airplane "Somebody to Love" a lot, and I really like that. Cinematography is on, its a very easy film to look at, the scene where the second rabbi is telling the story about the goy's teeth is shot very well, (I love dutch angles). This is a movie that you can watch multiple times, however, some might be a little bored, this movie never really picks up, and there's no real resolution either, just to warn you. I enjoyed it more the second time then I did the first time. Acting is very good, Michael Stuhlbarg is very good, he plays an unlucky man very well. I think everyone should see this movie at least once, especially in a day and age where we have Netflix and Redbox, and all that on-demand stuff, you should all be able to pick this movie up somewhere. I bought this movie without knowing a whole lot about it, other than "It's a Coen bro's film" that sold me. You wont be disappointed. A Serious Man was nominated for 2 Academy Awards including, Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. See this movie 8 out of 10

District 9

Title: District 9
Year: 2009
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Lead: Sharto Copley
Rated: Rated R for bloody violence and pervasive language.

An alien race is forced to live in slums named District 9, after their ship becomes stranded over Johannesburg, South Africa.

This movie was rad! I started watching it and literally turned it off because it was too weird, but sure enough, there I was the next day, sitting in front of the couch, unable to get enough. This movie blew my mind, it was so cool. The documentary feel really made this the most realistic unbelievable story Ive ever seen. I felt like I was watching the craziest show on Discovery Channel. The gore in this movie was really crazy, the alien's weapons were so deadly that they literally blew people apart. Since this film was shot "documentary" style, the blood splattered all over the camera. The story is pretty out there; aliens that live in the slums, and an alien builds a ship under his house, flies back to the mother ship, while a human that was transforming into an alien, fights other humans. Sounds really stupid, but it is not stupid at all, it is downright awesome. It makes me want another film to tie up the ends that were left open with this film. Maybe... hopefully... District 9 is the cooler version of Avatar. Let me just say, that every one of the Best Picture nominees that Ive seen after Avatar, have made that movie less and less cool, they all seem to trump Avatar in every way, making me really dread the award presentation, hoping that they don't call Avatar for best picture, and instead one of the other BETTER masterpieces released this year. District 9 probably wont win best picture, but it is an awesome, must see movie, that everybody should see, its visually stunning, and instead of fake aliens in a fake world, this is real looking, believable aliens in a real world, one that isn't all roses like.. um Pandora... District 9 is real world entertainment. Fantastic piece of cinematography work. D9 is nominated for 4 Oscars including, Best Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture. Go see it 8 1/2 out of 10

Precious

Title: Precious
Year: 2009
Director: Lee Daniels
Lead: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton
Rated: Rated R for child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language.

A girl is born into an abusive home, where her father rapes her, and her mother physically and verbally abuses her. She aspires to make something of herself and get out.

I didn't like this movie. It does not deserve its hype, nor does it deserve its best picture nomination. Yes, it is sad, its too bad that the human race can be so scummy, and yes I do feel sorry, but I don't need a film like this to remind me of the terrible parts of society unless there is a point. In this case, there is no point. This movie feels unbearably long at 110 minutes, it seems to drag in many places. There were plenty of moments where Precious is seen walking around without any dialogue, the walking serves no purpose, and I found myself looking at what some of the extras in the shot were wearing, this, to me, is unnecessary. There were a few funny bits that gave some much needed comic relief from the language. The language is almost unnecessarily pervasive, yes it does serve a tiny purpose, that is to illustrate the verbal abuse that Precious was going through, but for it to continue and drag in multiple scenes is, in my opinion, also unnecessary. ("we don't need to see a heroin addict make the heroin then inject himself with the needle to understand that he is, indeed a drug addict" - my film teacher) There was never really any point to any of the scenes in this film, nothing really culminated, the story never really turned for the better or worse. I felt like Precious was probably going to end up just like her mom in the long run. I was not satisfied with this movie, and if it wins best picture, I will be sincerely disappointed with The Academy. Yes there was some great acting, but unfortunately it did not make up for the lack of distinction in this screenplay. Some things should not be put up on screen, and this, unfortunately for Lee Daniels and Oprah Winfrey, is one of those things. I saw this film at the three dollar theater, I paid with quarters, and I am still disappointed, and it seems like the more I write/talk about this film, the less I like it. Therefore, I will stop before my feelings turn to absolute hatred. Precious was nominated for an unbelievable 6 Academy Awards including Best Director in Lee Daniels, Best Editing, Best Actress in Gabourey Sidibe, Best Supporting Actress in Mo'Nique, Best Adapted Screenplay, and the REAL shocker, Best Picture. Don't waste your time, or money - 4 out of 10

An Education

Title: An Education
Year: 2009
Director: Lone Scherfig
Lead: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard
Rated: Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexual content, and for smoking.

A coming of age story of a girl growing up in England in the 1960's and how her life changes when she meets a man nearly twice her age.

I was very into this film. It caught me in the opening scene, it just has its own tone, and it owns it. Its a great story that we can all really relate to in some form, she questions the value of education. I know that I do that every morning when I wake up to go to school. This is a very good story, very well written. This film is so good that its hard to pin down exactly what makes it good. The acting is great, the cinematography is great, and the story is great, if you hit those all well, you really have something special on your hands, and that's what "Education" is, special. I really liked how the director filmed this movie, every aspect that Carey's character found boring in her life, had very gloomy lighting, but when she did something with Peter's character, it was very vibrant and lively. Then after everything happened to Jenny, and she went back to her old professors house things were vibrant there too, almost like she realized the value of an education (pun intended). I really liked the last scene in this film, when she said "...I was asked to go to Paris, and I said, 'I would love to go to Paris.' like I had never been there before." It kind of let the viewer know that she was starting over, and forgetting about the things that had happened to her in the past, it really closed the film up well for me. An Education is a great coming of age story, it will break your heart, but will seal it up at the end. This is a very fulfilling film, you wont regret seeing it by any means. Its fantastic, I went in with no expectations, and was more than satisfied, I was very into this film. It really illustrates that things are rarely ever what they seem, so back up everything with a good education. This film was nominated for 3 Academy Awards including, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress in Carey Mulligan, and Best Picture. 8 1/2 out of 10

Up in the Air

Title: Up in the Air
Year: 2009
Director: Jason Reitman
Lead: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick
Rated: Rated R for language and some sexual content.

Ryan Bingham lives a lonely life, out of a suitcase, traveling the country firing people, until his company grounds him.

This film is very good, Jason Reitman does a great job making this film feel lonely. You feel bad for George Clooney's character, he seems to have a disorder that makes it impossible for him to form a human connection, until Anna Kendrick's character comes into the film and brings a new idea to the business that would eliminate George Clooney's job. Everything becomes more personal for him, he starts to form a connection with Vera Farmiga's character. And then things get kind of weird. I really liked the story, but things got kind of weird 3/4 of the way through. This film was well acted, well directed, and well shot. the cinematography was brilliant, I really liked the long master shots, that was rad. I liked how the film ended. you'll have to see it. This movie is really good, its nominated for a bunch of Academy Awards including Best Director, Best Actor in George Clooney, 2 Best Actress in Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture. i give it 8 out of 10

Reservoir Dogs

Title: Reservoir Dogs
Year: 1992
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Lead: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, and Michael Madsen
Rated: Rated R for strong violence and language.

After a simple jewelry heist goes terribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.

Quentin Tarantino's first film will knock your socks off. Reservoir Dogs is awesome, extremely brutal, but like Tarantino's other films, its funny too. The swagger that the criminals in this film have is like no other. Ive heard people say that "this film is the film that Tarantino hadn't seen yet, so he made it". It's seriously one of the coolest movies Ive seen, its just got something that other films don't have. Almost the entire film is shot inside a warehouse which is awesome, and the criminals dress is rad. They all wear black suits with white shirts and skinny black ties, and they re wearing shades, they are the coolest guys ever. Another cool part about this movie is that the actual heist is never shown, which leaves some sort of mystery to everything, like, you don't have a piece of the story, which makes it a little more exciting. Let me warn you though, this film, like Tarantino's other works, is very brutal and unsettling in some parts, the language is so brutal and pervasive, but it kind of adds to the film, if it wasn't there, honestly, the Reservoir Dogs wouldn't be Dogs, if you catch my drift. 8 1/2 out of 10

Inglorious Basterds

Title: Inglorious Basterds
Year: 2009
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Lead: Brad Pitt
Rated: Rated R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality.

A band of Nazi killing, Jewish American soldiers spread fear throughout the Nazi army with their brutal tactics.

Quentin Tarantino's fictitious end to WWII; Inglorious Basterds hits the Nazi.. I mean, nail, right on the head. Tarantino mixes the blood with the smart in this horror/drama/action/comedy film, and yes, this film is all of those. This film is great, Brad Pitt is hilarious, and everything seems to fall right into its place. Let me warn you, this film is brutal, and very gory, however, it seems to be hilariously disgusting. Its very light spirited gore (if that makes any sense). I seemed to laugh a lot at most of the killings. This movie is like a "Saving Private Ryan" comedy, there is almost equal the amount of blood, but Basterds is funny. Now it would be extremely uncharacteristic of me to not mention cinematography, so, Basterds has some of the best shooting of the year, I really enjoyed everything I saw, great angles that built emotion, that's what I like to see. Inglorious Basterds has won 41 awards this year, and is nominated for 8 Academy Awards for cinematography, directing, editing, sound, sound editing, actor in Brad Pitt, actor in a supporting role in Christoph Waltz, screenplay, and Best Picture. It was good, go buy it.. I bought it on blu-ray without even seeing it in the theaters and I am not at all disappointed one single bit. Basterds is brilliant! 8 1/2 out of 10

Crazy Heart

Title: Crazy Heart
Year: 2009
Director: Scott Cooper
Lead: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal,
Rated: Rated R for language and brief sexuality.

An aging, out of shape, alcoholic, chronic smoking, country musician loses everything before he finds a reason to make something out of himself.

I went into this movie with no expectations, and I left this movie as a huge fan. Jeff Bridges will win an Oscar for Best Actor. This movie is a great country movie, the music is great, the story is great, and the cinematography is grade "A". Plenty of gorgeous shots of the country. Crazy Heart is a very bittersweet film, its sad that Jeff's character has to lose everything before he realizes that he needs to quit his bad habits. The story is very good, Maggie Gyllenhaal is fantastic alongside Jeff Bridges, the two make an unstoppable acting duo. Both are likely to walk away from the Academy Awards with an award. I'm a little bit disappointed that Crazy Heart wasn't nominated for Best Picture, it was fantastic, everybody should catch this one while they still can, especially before March 7th. Crazy Heart has won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in Jeff Bridges, and Best Original Song in "The Weary Kind". Jeff Bridges has also won a SAG award for Best Actor. Crazy Heart has been nominated for 3 Oscars including Best Original Song-"The Weary Kind", Best Actor in Jeff Bridges, and Best Supporting Actress in Maggie Gyllenhaal. Go see it! 8 1/2 out of 10

Sherlock Holmes

Title: Sherlock Holmes
Year: 2009
Director: Guy Ritchie
Lead: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Rated: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material.

A detective and his partner battle to foil a plot that will send England into turmoil.

The classic character hits the big screen in this awesome, epic film. Its visually and mentally stunning. This film will keep your brain working from the opening scene to the very end. Its a little tough to pick up on exactly what is happening at the start, but every seam ties itself up as the film progresses, and once you catch on, its brilliant, its one of the smartest films ive seen in awhile. Sherlock and Watson are the two of the most clever men to hit the screen this/last year, they are hilarious together, finishing each others thoughts. There is always fun banter back and forth, they are the perfect pair. This film is funny, scary, and downright tense. There are some great scenes that set you on the edge of your seat, like the butcher shop, those of you who have seen this already, (most probably have, its been out awhile, im kinda late on this) know what Im talking about. The special effects guys did a great job turning the clocks back on the city of London, making everything look classic, I really loved how they used the "under construction" London Bridge in the film. The acting was fantastic, Robert Downey Jr. is unstoppable, he can do no wrong, and he follows that up in "Holmes", hes very clever, very funny, and hits the accent just right. Jude Law is also equally as awesome, He accents Holmes very well, I can think of no one that could play Watson better. All in all, "Sherlock Holmes" is a great, exciting film, that everybody should see, its an instant action/crime classic that will last over the years. "Sherlock Holmes" won a Golden Globe for best actor in Robert Downey Jr.. See it NOW 8 out of 10