(500) Days Of Summer (2009)

 

Cute, witty, with an utterly adorable Zoey Daschanel. Didn't quite live up to all the praise that's been lavished upon it, but enjoyable nonetheless. 

Rating: C+

Big Trouble (2002)

 

A great cast with a legendary director in a moderately funny movie. 

Rating: C

The Good Girl (2002)

Quirky, dark comedy about the life of a drug store clerk in a dull town who is unhappy with everything around her. When an odd new clerk enters her life, things begin to spin out of control. Solid indie cast makes it worth checking out.

Rating: C+

The Happening (2008)

A novel premise that delivers on the newly acquired R rating, but in the end, it's hard to truly be afraid of a Greenpeace activist's wet dream. It's basically the Matrix, but with plants instead of robots.

Rating: C+

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

I saw this for free at a work movie day, and I still felt ripped off. Terrible terrible terrible. That's right. Three terribles. I'm one of those people who didn't read the books, see the TV series, or hear anything else about the story. I went in as a blank page, and came out as a crumpled-up blank page.

There are story points and characters strewn all over the place. Hardly anything was explained, nor was there any meaningful interaction between anybody. A complete waste of time.

Rating: F

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

A bit slow and documentary-like, but engaging at the same time. A fascinating look at a piece of American history nonetheless. Is it wrong if I spent half the movie wishing for another season of Deadwood?

Rating: C+

All the Real Girls (2003)

Quirky indie romance. Started out choppy, but found its pace midway through. Finished out well. Very different directing style. Worth a rent.

Rating: C

Failure To Launch (2006)

A generic romantic comedy that constantly borders on implausibility. Sarah Jessica Parker is gross.

Rating: D+

Our Idiot Brother (2011)

Sweet. Funny. Character driven. Stock full of my favorite actors in a script worthy of their talents. It’s an optimistic film that takes the motto “honesty is the best policy” seriously. A must rent.

Rating: B-

Elf (2003)

Quirky and fun. Will Farrel is allowed to run wild -- that's worth the price of admission alone. The ending was a bit cheesy, but the journey there makes you feel better.

Rating: B-

Your Highness (2011)

Silly, crude, and juvenile. Follows in the footsteps of Pineapple Express, but it’s more lowbrow than that. The big mystery is how they got Natalie Portman to join the cast. She’s looking fabulous in this pre-pregnancy role. The movie is funny, but not laugh out loud funny. I’d heard some pretty bad reviews, so my expectations were low. I’ve certainly seen worse. This was at least entertaining.

Rating: C-