Big

Young Hanks plays younger kid in alarmingly adult family film. Gimmicky plot saved by sincere sentimentality, and subversively clever themes, not to mention Hanks who is outstanding even without AIDS, autism, or an island beard. Fun flick about demonic magic, kidnapping, pedophilia, and growing up. And that iconic piano scene!

Brothers (2009)

About time Donnie Darko and Peter Parker played ‘title.’ Inferior to older Danish brother, and somehow felt cold despite deep performances. Shepard and Portman fill out family adequately but eldest daughter steals the show. “Do you know what I did with these hands?” Yeah, Tobey, we know. You shot web.

Brothers (2004)

Thomsen returns to comfort zone as traumatized dysfunctional family member. A film more powerful for what it doesn’t say than for what it does. Supporting cast perform well, most notably Nielson who somehow snuck her way in. Middle East scenes steal show and perhaps degrade from more subtle family elements.

The Crazies (2010)

Compelling and exciting horror camp wrapped around an alarmingly plausible and well-constructed premise. Mitchell and Olyphant play surprisingly intelligent protagonists in a town gone mad, and the scares are plentiful and effective. Could have focused more on Thing style sane person suspicion, and done without plot-undermining Crystal Skull refrigerator scene.

Death at a Funeral (2007)

Yoda directs cheesy but fun Brit comedy, that revels in its quirky discomfort. Tudyk steals the show, with most outlandish role to date, but Dinklage doesn’t come up short in his most serious foray. Supporting cast perform admirably if not memorably. Neither good enough nor bad enough to warrant remake.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

Quasi-remake that starts well enough, and features the decades first decent Keanu casting, but then hits a standstill with introduction of Crichton prey bugs, the most dimly-lit McDonald’s ever, and a complete lack of main character motivation. Ends abruptly with simultaneous saving of planet and destruction of original film’s point.

I'm Still Here

Controversial film about a Phoenix who tries to rise from the ashes by lighting himself on fire. Fairly well made film, that maintains its own legitimacy admirably. Still, fails to sell point solidly, and becomes overly offensive through use of coke, craigslist, and Diddy-Daddy’s comments on Assassination of Jesse James.

Easy A

Classmates socially stone Emma for alleged sexual indiscretions in The Scarlet Podcast, compelling look at teens today and mediocre attempt at Hawthorne modernization. High school viewers may be jealous, not of the leads pseudo-sex-life, but rather of greatest parents ever, Tucci and Clarkson. Don’t you forget about excessive film references.

The Informers

Another Easton Ellis look at modern moral decay. Captures Psychotic American tone with precision but falls victim to scatterbrained rules of attraction. Suffers rift between the sexy young naked people party and the washed up actors convention. Renfro’s last role is decent, but everyone only Heard about eternally exposed Amber.

Valentine's Day

Love, Atrociously. Cheesy forced variation of British rom-com masterpiece. Amusing cast of big name actors add some spice to poorly constructed ensemble disaster, but none of the interweaving pays off or says much of anything. Cooper and Roberts provide only truly compelling storylines, and culminating in sole redemption of film.

Daybreakers

Underworld takes over leaving Neo Hawke and Omega Man Dafoe to battle for a cure in vampire Matrix. Decent premise and adequate effects make for a fun show, but the plot feels rushed and like it’s subjects, it fails to have any emotional pulse. Simultaneously darker and brighter than Twilight.

Tangled

Disney returns to princess stories, and to making good movies sans Pixar, with this original Rapunzel adaptation. Picturesque paint style, rock-n-roll, and action adventure fuse into an odd animated Emperor’s New Knight’s Tale. Excellent film despite excessive voice-over, overly likeable and talented bad guy and weepy deus ex machina ending.

The Fighter

That Bale, Wahlberg, and Russell didn’t kill each other is almost as miraculous as the performances they crafted. Of course Aronofsky had his hands in ring-fight where punches outside the match hurt more than those within it. Ends lighter than Wrestler cousin, and throws knock-out blow with vindicating documentary clip.

The King's Speech

Geoffrey rushes in to prevent Firth from st-st-stealing the show in poignant and clever, if somewhat conventional story of a man overcoming himself. Pleasant to see Carter in non-Burton role, and Pearce’s snarkiness somehow makes him biggest bad guy in film that contains Hitler. Perfect parts funny, compassionate, and p-p-powerful.

True Grit

Coens become man-killers with first successful remake. Bridges and Steinfeld fill the shoes of their predecessors and Damon fills out Campbell’s comedically bad performance in a film that takes its subject matter more seriously than original. Pepper plays his namesake well though Brolin feels about as unenthusiastic as bookend segments.

Black Swan

Aronofsky introduces wrestler’s scarier sister, beautifully depicted by petrified Portman. Ryder and Kunis are brilliant as washed up and insincere respectively, and Cassell is expectedly outstanding, though his ‘black/white swan’ speech gets old. Still, brilliant script steers clear of campy horror despite staple leg snapping, finger ripping, and lesbian sex.