The Hurt Locker

A tense, knotty thriller that delivers. Worthy of its "Best Picture" award. Unfortunately I didn't find the subplot involving the young Iraqi boy to be believable. If they could have axed that, this film would be near flawless. Still, a remarkable achievement. The drama is gripping throughout.


Written 5/7/10

The Damned United

Michael Sheen is great as Brian Clough, a larger than life character. It helps to have some understanding of British football and the passion it engenders in its devotees prior to watching this film. Some of the conflict in the story is not entirely gripping. And the way the film ends was unsatisfying for me. Still, a good film about the beautiful game with Mr. Sheen at the top of his game.


Written 4/19/10

Bonnie and Clyde

This didn't resonate with me. I know most everyone hails it as a "timeless masterpiece", or "modern American classic", but it mostly just seems dated. Beatty and Dunaway have undeniable presence. They are always cool and complementary. But the casting of Gene Hackman as Clyde's brother is horrendous. Equally horrendous is the performance of Estelle Parsons, who plays Clyde's sister in law. All she does onscreen is scream, whine, and act annoying. For this she somehow she received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress! Shocking. There are enough excellent moments here to make this worthy viewing, but for the most part criticism of this film seems drenched in hyperbole.


Written 4/19/10

Good Hair

A well-made documentary that ticks all the requisite boxes. Where do weaves come from? Are the chemicals in these hair products dangerous? Who buys all this stuff? What does Al Sharpton think? All these questions and more are answered in this thoroughly entertaining and enlightening film.


Written 3/31/10

Black Dynamite

A brilliant sendup of 1970's blaxploitation films. Michael Jai White is hilarious as "Black Dynamite" - a ripped, kung-fu loving street enforcer who does whatever he pleases. White never once drops character - he plays B.D. as cool and straight as can be. This movie only barely misses "classic" status for me; the supporting cast has several weak players, which is to the detriment of the film. No doubt it is difficult to match the level of quality brought by White.


Written 3/31/10

District 9

Horrendous. The aliens don't even look great! "District 9" takes an admittedly outstanding premise (the first 5 minutes of the film are awesome) and proceeds to ruin it with lame special effects, excessive gore, and non-compelling characters. It ends up feeling like some dudes are just trying to show off their new computer software. Proceed with caution!

Written 3/23/10

It Might Get Loud

One of the best films about music I have ever seen. The three profiled musicians - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2), and Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs) - complement each other excellently. Page is the sage: content in his older age, distributing his wisdom freely. The Edge is a gentle soul continually questing for new insights. And Jack White is the eager, earnest youngster yearning for acceptance from his two elders. The pacing of the film is great. It's a blast to learn more about the backgrounds (musical & otherwise) of the three guitarists. "It Might Get Loud" is definitely worthy viewing for anyone who loves music and its makers.


Written 3/23/10

Bright Star

"Bright Star" is a decently executed period drama focused on an unfortunately doomed romance. The costumes are lovely, but there is very little substance. The romance between the two leads was hardly believable. These vivid characters from history are made one-dimensional! I was not moved at Keats' passing; he never became particularly likable. I can understand why these archetypes appeal to many people, but I didn't connect with this film.


Written 3/11/10

In the Loop

The barbs arrive fast and furious in this one. "In the Loop" is an excellent political satire - it updates the classic "Dr. Strangelove" for the present generation. The film's cast doesn't feature any marquee names, but this is no matter (except if you're fickle). This cast of lesser lights delivers a hilarious romp worthy of plaudits.


Written 3/11/10

Moon

"Moon" is a classic worthy of a place in anyone's film pantheon. The story unfolds at just the right pace, Sam Rockwell is brilliant, and the set design is highly nuanced and believable. There's no sense in me giving away any of the story's twists and turns - be surprised upon viewing! The film is directed by David Bowie's son, Duncan Jones. This is his first feature. Mr. Jones appears to have a bright future ahead of him.


Written 3/11/10

The Friends of Eddie Coyle

This film is enjoyable enough while it plays, but I found it didn't wholly resonate with me. After the end credits, I was on to the rest of my evening, with nary another thought about the film. Despite this, Robert Mitchum is excellent as the title character. His performance here makes me want to check out more of his work. Definitely a "guys" movie, this. Female viewers are likely to get bleary-eyed, particularly if they have an aversion to gangster/heist films.


Written 2/11/10

Marjoe

"Marjoe" is deeply disturbing. That the subject of this documentary would continue his "preaching", deceiving vast crowds of people with his presumed genuine speech and actions, then collecting their cash offerings at the end of the night is sickening. Sure, he's playing a role, a character. The filmmakers obviously love their access. They love drawing back the veil and exposing the hypocrisy. But they present no meaningful answers, no solutions. Thus the viewer is left in this mire of void: contemplate Marjoe, another in a long line of pulpit con men, fallen from grace, his words hackneyed through and through.


Written 2/11/10

Billy the Kid

This one rang hollow for me. The teenage awkwardness captured on film often verges on too raw to observe. Billy seems a lovely, gentle soul but he hardly captivated me. His personal history is tragic and he does ultimately rise above, but the film does not abound with triumph. Billy is the prototypical awkward high school, here given a microphone and told to wax philosophical. If this sounds fascinating, then by all means watch "Billy the Kid" and share some time with this different dude.


Written 1/25/10

Bloody Sunday

This is an excellent film that I hope to never watch again. It contains brutal scenes of violence against (mostly) innocent people. If you throw rocks at cops are you innocent? Perhaps not, but you certainly don't deserve to be shot and killed for such an admittedly foolish action. It is awful to observe the filmmaker's slow build-up to the violence: a succession of short edits fading to black. The viewer knows the tumult is on its way and can only brace themselves.


Written 1/22/10

The Cove

If you can't bear to watch dolphins bleed, then you definitely should not watch "The Cove". In this film, there are many graphic images of dolphin slaughter. It is disgusting to observe. The filmmakers deserve plaudits for shedding light on the callous Japanese fishermen who carry out these atrocities. The ending scene of the film struck me as overly melodramatic and ineffective, but it seems to move everyone else watches it, so what do I know... Watch "The Cove" and become an animal lover all over again.


Written 1/16/10

Herb & Dorothy

Herb & Dorothy are charming people. Their lifelong passion of building up their personal art collection, buying strictly from contemporary artists on-the-rise, is unique. At the time of the making of this film, their small New York City apartment is crammed with art pieces. But their constricted home environs trouble them not: the joy they gain from their collection is palpable. Unfortunately they are not especially compelling screen presences, and this doc has a low-budget look about it. This can be off-putting. But I still enjoyed getting to know them a bit. Nice to see how they're sharing their collection with others, too.


Written 1/6/10

Bruno

This is so crass and self-serving. Unfortunate lows are stooped to. Awkward moments abound and the humor is scarce. "Bruno" is mean-spirited filmmaking.


Written 1/6/10