Room

How can such a small set contain the Larsonist’s most fiery performance?  Trembling young Tremblay proves that he is literally the breakout actor of the year.  Perfect directorial decisions and precise pacing produce a profoundly emotional punch that feels grandiose despite its relatively small scale.  Very little room for improvement.

The Wind Rises

Miyazaki rises down to Earth in his exceptionally realist rendition of Grave of the Fighter Jets.  Dream sequences justify animated medium, and stunning visuals keep an otherwise slow story from crashing and burning.  Lacks magic of previous ghiblets but presents colorful alternative perspective on oft generalized black and white history.

Cake

Aniston’s performance is the icing on this otherwise bland slice of life.  Upper-crust Crime and Punishment substitutes murder victim for Kendrick, who learns that what goes Up in the Air must come down.  Barazza adds bit of Babel, perhaps because her maid services were left to Jen in the settlement.

Edmond

An even worse Mamet movie than if he had actually directed it. Macy plays his usual loser, but without the usual empathy, and his spiral through insanity and into utter senselessness is just irritating to watch. Barely viewable hodgepodge of Woody Allen sex rants and Oliver Stone pseudo-intellectual violent rampages.

The Lincoln Lawyer

A film of firsts. Macy plays something other than a loser. McConaughey and Philipe deliver spectacular performances. Both keep shirts on. Non-Grisham lawyer movie is riveting and suspenseful. Very nearly perfect crime thriller with a stellar supporting cast. See if McConaughey and Lucas face-to-face doesn’t look like a mirror image.

Thank You For Smoking

Reitman captures Buckley’s wit beautifully with help from perfect cast. Exotic blend of clever humor with slapstick-esque hilarity, rolled into a perfect satiric cinematic joint. Eckhart makes himself a household name, and spends time in Holmes as well. X-Men Leech holds his own and doesn’t run scared from brilliant flick.

Magnolia

Anderson channels Altman to perfect his Boogie Nights structure. Complex non-story with who’s who of actors delivering performances of their careers. Cruise plays his most obnoxious and sympathetic character yet and Hoffman proves how great he is. Even spontaneous musicality and amphibious precipitation can’t detract from this mind-bogglingly beautiful masterpiece.