Traitor (2008)

 

A tight, well-executed terrorist drama. As good as any single episode of Sleeper Cell on Showtime. 

Rating: C+

State Of Play (2009)

 

A fair political thriller. Russell Crowe was slumming it. 

Rating: C

Steve Jobs (2015)

Not the Steve Jobs film I thought I’d be seeing. It was almost a theatrical play, mainly taking place at product launches, revolving around a few key players. Sorkin dialogue is rampant, as one would expect. Jeff Daniels reprising his The Newsroom role drove the point home. Acting is sharp. Nominations likely deserved. Screenplay is noteworthy too. That’s about as far as I’m willing to go.

Rating: C+

The Martian (2015)

A science heavy sci-fi film that’s essentially a one man play. Matt Damon pulls a Tom Hanks on castaway, acting the hell out of his role, and holding the audience’s attention while doing it. While I would be busy figuring out the least painful way to die, he was figuring out how to live.

Is it all realistic? No. I mean, who travels into space for that long without bringing their own iTunes playlist and better TV shows than Happy Days? Despite these shortcomings, it’s highly entertaining and looks fantastic on the big screen.

Rating: B

Dumb And Dumber To (2014)

Monumentally bad. A few uncomfortable chuckles that I felt guilty letting out. What’s the point of reuniting these guys to do a sequel to a beloved guilty pleasure film if you are only going to cart out stale, recycled jokes?

Rating: F+

The Lookout (2007)

A mostly overlooked film that deserves to be seen. Characters are given time to develop, and the story is engaging. A nice effort overall.

Rating: B-

Fly Away Home (1996)

Great family movie that won't bore the adults. Reminded me of the documentary Bird Migration. Anna Paquin is such a great little actress. DVD extras are worth checking out.

Rating: B

Looper (2012)

I find most time travel movies frustrating, as they rarely make sense or stick with their own rules. Looper is a bizarre hit man tale that doesn’t make any effort to explain time travel; using it as a plot device instead. The story is engaging, albeit confusing at times. I thought it could have been edited with more focus on the main story. Not bad as far as time travel movies go.

Rating: C

Away We Go (2009)

I liked the movie, but it sometimes felt a bit forced, like someone trying to mimic Zach Braff. Still, it's an interesting portrayal of a couple trying to find themselves. Some fun supporting characters along the way, especially Allison Janney.

Rating: C

The Squid and the Whale (2005)

I can appreciate what this movie was trying to do, but in the end, I really didn't want it done. It's one of those indie films that likes to shock it's audience by engaging minors in adult situations with plenty of harsh language. There are some good scenes here and there, but it's mostly depressing.

Rating: C-