The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)

I'm not usually a fan of black and white films, but in the hands of The Coen Brothers, it looked beautiful. Smooth storytelling with cool narration from Billy Bob. I didn't care for the ending. 

Rating: C

Thick As Thieves (1999)

 

I caught wind of this in the Sundance film guide and rented it through Netflix. Alec was in excellent form. The supporting actors did a hell of a job. Interesting plot with the right amount of humor. 

Rating: C+

Thirteen Days (2000)

Long movie. They could have shaved 30-40 minutes off easy, but still a decent flick.

Rating: C

Open Season (2006)

Pixar it ain't. Gone, for the most part, is the humor for adults. The kids will get a few giggles, but you'll be mostly bored out of your mind.

Rating: D-

21 (2008)

The term "loosely based on the novel" immediately comes to mind. Sometimes that's not a bad thing. Here it spells implausibility. Events feel very amped up in order to deliver a Hollywood type film that contains enough eye-catching scenes to fill a movie trailer. For that reason you will be entertained, but left feeling a bit empty. Not unlike the way you feel when leaving Vegas.

Rating: C

Drive Angry (2011)

Aimless driving and violence with Saturday Night Live worthy utterances from Nic Cage in between. His hair has reached new heights in ridiculousness.

Rating: D

The Fighter (2010)

I wasn't thrilled to see yet another boxing movie, but a Golden Globe nomination and director David O' Russell's resume changed my mind. Turns out it's not a movie about boxing at all. It's a character driven drama that happens to have some boxing in it.

You'll leave this film with two very deep impressions. 1. Christian Bale may be a prick, but he's an acting savant. His portrayal of Dickey, a crack addicted, washed up boxer is cinematic magic. 100% Oscar worthy. And 2. His sisters stole the show. Comedy gold watching them on screen. Everything was spot on. That shouldn't downplay performances from the mother, Mark Wahlberg, and the rest of the cast. It's a very solid film which captures the 80's beautifully. Highly recommended.

Rating: A-

The International (2009)

I was very anxious to see this, being a huge Tom Tykwer fan. I almost trust him implicitly, much like a Quentin Tarantino. The International is a very polished action suspense thriller. It screams Hollywood, yet feels indie. Great casting, amazing cinematography, and one really awesome shootout. I can honestly say this was heart-pounding.

Rating: B+

Crash (2004)

Great mixture of mini race-related stories and characters that provoke much needed thought and introspection on the subject. The link between these stories is highly improbable, but that won't prevent you from enjoying the film.

Reminded me a lot of Magnolia in it's style and direction. Magnolia was a much better film however.

Rating: B-

Moneyball (2011)

As a complete non baseball fan, I really enjoyed watching a movie about it. The setup was simple and relatable. I imagine there were cameos galore and industry quips that were completely lost on me, but that’s the beauty of a good film. Hardcore niche fans and novices alike can enjoy the same movie on a given topic. I just finished watching season 1 of Game of Thrones. Having read the books, I picked up on all kinds of winks and nods to the literature. However, my illiterate friends enjoyed it just as much as I did. Kudos to the production team for making Moneyball palatable to all audiences.

Rating: B-