the road

i read cormac mccarthy's best selling novel 'the road' and was both impacted and impressed by its story and the way it portrayed mankind. it also created a specific apocalyptic atmosphere that was unique. john hillcoat's adaptation of this novel into a film does a great job capturing this nihilistic atmosphere. this film is by far one of the most nihilistic and difficult movies i have watched in quite some time. this is not the type of movie one revisits on frequent occasions, and i left the theater in a partial depressed state despite its somewhat uplifting ending.

i found this movie to be very well done, and i enjoyed how true it stayed to the book. the sets and scenery were breath taking. viggo mortenson's acting, as usual, was more than adequate. robert duvall, continuing his trend of always choosing exceptional roles, does a phenomenal job in a role that took me a while to recognize who he was.

i think this film will appeal to both fans of the book and movie lovers alike. however, it may not appeal to casual moviegoers due to its extremely dark subject matter. while it is not a masterpiece, i also did not have any major problems with the film.

an education

'an education' was a film that came out of nowhere in a sense. sure it had a script penned by the always reliable nick hornby, but the main actress, carey mulligan, was largely unknown. fortunately, that is no longer the case. his oscar nominated worthy performance (she should have won), highlights this very well done coming of age story set in 1960's England.

all the acting is great in this film. peter sarsgaard does a great job as the almost sleazy yet charming male who is attracted to the much younger mulligan. he realistically woos here and surprisingly her family over as well, with his lies and likable charm/wit. alfred molina, who've i've become a big fan of as of late, does an excellent job as the stiff controlling father figure. despite the strong will he shows, i like how the film showcases his along with his wife's vulnerability and misjudgment.

the relationship between mulligan's character and sarsgaard's character is very well crafted. there are moments that are uncomfortable and slightly creepy due to the age discrepancy between the two, but everything seems realistic and plausible. mulligan's interaction with the other female friend is also documented in a way that highlights the often awkward moments that occur when people attempt to act older than they actually are.

this is one of my favorite films of the year. it is extremely well crafted with a smart script from hornby. the performances and direction are spot on, and i recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the often attempted, by rarely successful 'coming of age' drama.

avatar

james cameron had been developing this movie for quite some time, so for this film to be such a success with all the hype and expectation that had been mounting on it (much of it from cameron himself), it truly is a remarkable story.

everything about this film strives to be epic. the 3D scenes, the great animation, the familar narrative; this film is designed to be a hollywood blockbuster with mass appeal. and the film succeeds mightily on this medium. the large scope of the sci-fi story reminded me of star wars, and i wonder how it will be remembered in the future, when the kids who saw this movie grow older. it's uniqueness with it's greatly controlled use of imax and 3D will cause it to be remembered years from now as a great movie theater experience. blu-ray is also a medium where this film could really thrive.

this film is not without it's flaws. the narrative is very familar (think science fiction version of 'dances with wolves'). the story is rarely unpredictable, as the viewer ultimately has the end result stored in the back of their mind throughout. the dialogue is the weakest portion of this film in my mind. the character's aren't playing people but rather caricatures of their respective positions. the military talks were very crudely modeled after the bush administration (talks of 'preemptive strikes' and 'war on terror'), and i found this took away from the overall story. i do not need james cameron to preach to me about the military or crooked businessmen, and about our mistreatment of the indians.

overall, this film is definitely worth seeing, perhaps for the visuals alone. the world cameron creates in utterly fascinating, and i found that he is such an expert at creating climatic scenes that almost takes one's breath away in awe.

up in the air

this film was receiving considerable attention before its release. jason reitman's previous two films, thank you for smoking, and juno (nominated for best picture) were both very well received. george clooney is always more than a solid lead these days (forget about the ancient 'batman & robin').

this film was very well done. it was well-acted, well shot, well directed, and had a solid story. every part of this film screams for an oscar, but i do not think it will win. what this movie lacks is uniqueness. i find in a few years i will think back to this film as a very good one, but not one that leaves a lasting impression of any sort, on me. for example, i recently watched 'paris, texas' which was just re-released on the criterion collection, and i find my thoughts continually drawn back to the film, even weeks later.

the story is a little cliche and on the predictable side, but the strong performances all around help mask it to a certain extent. danny mcbride is freaking hilarious in the limited amount of screen time he gets. he really steals the show. as with all of reitman's films, humour is its strong suit. there are many very funny parts in this film. reitman is a master of blending emotion and humour together.

this is a very solid film, one of the year's best. however, i find it does not invoke enough spark or originality to make it the best of the year.

invictus

clint eastwood is one of the most consistent and hard working directors out there right now. he consistently release multiple movies a year, and they are always good. eastwood, morgan freeman, and matt damon hook up in this rugby movie about south africa and nelson mandela. this really is not much of a sports movie, which is why some did not like it very well. it is all about the changing climate in south africa at the time, and its effects on the country and the nation's rugby team.

the film is very understated and focuses on little details that give it life. one does not find overwhelming sounds of sports fans that cause adrenaline to surge, which is why i liked it. it does not seek to glamorize the game of rugby, but rather to present it in a realistic fashion.

i didn't overwhelming love or hate this film. i liked it better than a lot of people who are downplaying the positive reviews it has garnered. i feel it is very underrated and has flown under the radar all last year.

on a side note, while they both were solid in the movie, i do not think freeman and damon did enough acting wise, to receive the academy nominations they got for best actor and best supporting actor respectively.

a serious man

i'm a serious fan of the coen brothers. their unique vision for each of their films, and the way they inject dark humour into their more serious films is incredible. 'no country for old men' was a high point for the brothers, as that cormac mccarthy adaptation won best picture. i would not be surprised if this film won best picture either. it is that good.

the story, set in the 1960s, revolves around a jewish college professor whose life is falling apart. he tries to make sense of this failing world, looking to his faith and the fact that he himself has done nothing to bring this on, but he finds no real answers. the film had me wanting to shout at the screen at Larry, to stop allowing everyone to walk all over him all the time, but alas he routinely takes the coward's way out. michael stuhlbarg should have been nominated for best actor, and as far as i am concerned this was the biggest oscar snub. i feel his performance was better than george clooney's in 'up in the air,' and morgan freeman in 'invictus,' who both got nominated.

the intricate story is among the best that the coen brothers have crafted. it will be very funny one moment, then almost painful the next. the interaction with Larry and the different rabbis he visits is also a high point for the film.

i enjoyed this film immensely. at the time i watched it, it was my favorite film of the year (though another has now taken up that slot), but i still feel is it one of the years finest, and i hope it gets the credit it deserves at the oscars in the form of some golden statues.

fantastic mr. fox

i am both a huge wes anderson and roald dahl fan, so i was obviously excited to hear that anderson was adapting the dahl book 'the fantastic mr. fox' in the form of a stop animation film.

this film was brilliant. definitely one of the most memorable movies i've seen this year. everything about this movie works right. george clooney's deep instantly recognizable voice is perfect for mr. fox, and voice acting for the others parts are also spot on. Jason Schwartzman is particularly funny as the fox's 'different' son Ash.

the story is very funny. it has that great edge where it would be funny for kids, but it has a lot of adult humor in it as well. it was always amusing, never boring, and i was sad when the fun experience had to end. visually, the amount of fine detail always found in anderson movies is present here as well. also, not being a regular stop-animation director (such as Henry Selick) he presents a lot of camera shots and close-ups that stop animation movies generally avoid. this unique film style works perfectly though.

i cannot say enough about this movie. it's my favorite wes anderson film since 'rushmore.' it has countless laugh out loud moments, and it really makes you feel like you're in the world it presents throughout it. it was the first movie in quite some time where i went to watch it again within a week, and it was equally as funny the second time.