Game Night

Fincheresque cinematography alludes to and elevates The Game while simultaneously sending it up and ripping it off. Plemons’ arresting performance perfectly complements his neighbors’ development while supporting cast play perfect pieces in this deliberately opaque puzzle. Constant callbacks craft a clever comedic model, nearly as perfect as the establishing shots.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Gal’s nuanced naivety sustains an overlong story despite periodic poor pacing. Excellently executed film uses physical action as proxy for ideals resulting in an epic battle boasting comedy, moral weight, and a sprinkling of Snyder speed-ramps. DC deserves a Pat on the back for finally birthing a good film.

The Conspirator

Redford’s post-Lincoln pic drowns its talent in the overly theatrical lighting, stagy direction, and tedious dialogue of a historical reenactment, and thus assassinates chances at cinematic success.  McAvoy’s underwhelming lead strives valiantly to accomplish nothing resulting in the most frustrating courtroom scenes ever filmed.  Plenty of potential seems suspiciously unrealized.

Wrath of the Titans

The deities re-team and un-intelligently design an even worse creation.  This clash evokes wrath of fans while failing to create sufficiently epic journey into Hades or into characters.  Even Zeus and Hades can’t maintain pleasant animosity they had in Clash and Schindler’s List.  But at least it had a titan.

Leaving Las Vegas

Nicholas drinks himself out of his quirky Cage and into an incredible performance and perverse relationship with Elisabeth Shue gone wild at heart. Figgis’ most mainstream film and best character study is an almost impressively bleak downward spiral that somehow feels uplifting and sweet. Despite seriousness, begs for drinking game.

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Perseus ‘3-D’ Jackson rides a digital horse into an ocean of mangled mythology. He fights with force of great typhoon as he struggles to be a man and sort out differences between Voldemort and Aslan, neither of whom are Titans. Decent effects and action sequences clash with titanic story flaws.

30 Days of Night

Dark, stylized, and loyal graphic novel adaptation. Great performances by Hartnett and George are overshadowed by the fantastically creepy Foster, and out-of-place Huston, not to mention excessive attention to vampire faces. Scariest vampires yet despite silly fast motion seizure-feeding. Well executed action makes up for vampire pacing logic issues. Graaahhhhh!

21 Grams

Title refers to the amount of extra brain tissue needed to fully comprehend this film. Basically, take a shotgun to a good drama and treat the falling confetti as a shooting script. Seemingly random non-chronology proves intensely clever on second viewing. Brilliant performances from lead players solidify film’s emotional power.