2009 Wrap Up

Although I haven't done a review on every movie I've seen, I've at least written them down. So here's my sum total:
65 visits which include:
2 repeats showings
2 midnight screenings

1/1 - Doubt
1/3 - Yes Man
1/10 - Revolutionary Road
1/16 - The Wrestler
1/17 - Bride Wars
1/18 - Notorious
1/23 - Gran Torino
1/24 - Last Chance Harvey
2/7 - He's Just Not That Into You
2/14 - Coraline (3D)
2/18 - I Love You Man
3/7 - Watchmen
3/14 - Two Lovers
3/25 - Duplicity
3/28 - Sunshine Cleaning
4/5 - Fast & Furious
4/11 - The Great Buck Howard
4/19 - State of Play
5/3 - Wolverine
5/5 - Lymelife
5/9 - Next Day Air
5/10 - Star Trek
5/30 - Up (3D)
6/7 - The Hangover
6/13 - The Brothers Bloom
6/14 - The Taking of Pelham 123
6/16 - Away We Go
6/20 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (midnight screening)
6/21 - The Proposal
6/24 - Transformers 2
6/28 - The Hangover*
7/5 - Public Enemies
7/12 - The Hangover
7/26 - The Hurt Locker
8/2 - Funny People
8/9 - GI Joe
8/10 - Julie and Julia
8/16 - District 9
8/18 - 500 Days of Summer
8/23 - Inglorious Basterds
8/30 - Taking Woodstock
9/5 - Gamer
9/7 - Extract
9/9 - 9
9/19 - Love Happens
9/20 - The Informant!
9/26 - The Big Lebowski (midnight screening)
9/28 - Capitalism: A Love Story
10/3 - Whip It
10/6 - Zombieland
10/9 - Couples Retreat
10/17 - Where the Wild Things Are
10/18 - Law Abiding Citizen
10/25 - Good Hair
10/28 - A Serious Man
11/14 - Precious
11/14 - The Men Who Stare at Goats
11/15 - Boondock Saints 2
12/9 - Pirate Radio
12/12 - Everybody's Fine
12/13 - Ninja Assassin
12/20 - Up in the Air
12/23 - Avatar (3D)
12/24 - Fantastic Mr. Fox
12/25 - Sherlock Holmes
12/29 - It's Complicated

Law Abiding Citizen

Written by: Kurt Summer

Directed by: F. Gary Gray

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Leslie Bibb, Colm Meaney

Clyde Shelton ( Butler) loves his wife. He loves his daughter. They have a wonderful life. But everything is brought to a halt when the Shelton's are the victims of a home invasion and Clyde wakes up to find that his wife and daughter have been murdered.

Nick Rice (Foxx) is an up and coming prosecutor who has an astounding conviction rate and is gunning to be the top dog. He takes on Shelton's case but goes against Clyde's wishes and takes a plea bargain to put one criminal on death row, and let the other (who actually did the killing) go with murder in the 3rd.

Fast forward ten years. Rice is doing it big, as assistant DA. He's groomed Sarah (Bibb) into a great right-hand man. They are still marveling at a high prosecution rate. Life is good. Nick and Sarah go to the execution of Ames (Josh Stewart), the one pinned with the murder of Clyde's family. Everything appears to be going as scheduled until Ames yells out in pain and thrashes around on the table before the heart monitor stops.

Immediately an investigation is launched and is lead by Nick's buddy on the force Det. Dunnigan (Meaney). They find that the machine has been tampered with and have to reopen the case to try and find out clues as to who would have done such a thing. Maybe Ames' partner in crime Darby (Christian Stolte). Darby has been living a life of crime since his release. He gets a ring from an anonymous caller telling him that the cops are on the way. No sooner than he can question who is on the phone, Darby hears the silence in the distance. He follows the instructions giving to him on the phone and narrowly escapes capture. Until he finds out that the person giving him a way out, is Clyde.

Clyde then takes pleasure in kidnapping Darby and doing things to him reminicscent of the Saw movies. And then the shit gets gangsta!

Nick, Dunnigan, Sarah, and a host of lawyers try and get to Clyde, get him to confess, and eventually lock him in jail. Until they learn that people are still being murdered while Clyde is behind bars. Nick Rice must find who is helping Clyde on the outside before his own life is put into danger.

Jamie Foxx does a pretty decent job. Really headstrong into advancing in his career. Starts off as a loving husband whos eager to be a dad, but ends up as being the guy who is too busy at work to go to his kids recital. He's kind of a dick, but he isn't so far gone that he can't make a turn around. I still can't stand Gerard Butler playing an American, but his accent doesn't slip too much in this movie. As far as his performance though, anyone really could have played the role. You don't get too much background info on the rest of the characters to even care about what they do outside the office. Like they try and develop a relationship (plutonic) between Foxx and Bibb but I just wasn't buying it. And Clyde constantly pushes the theme of justice being served, but it's not strong enough to be constant throughout the movie. Nobody did a horrible job, but aint no Oscar contenders in the bunch.

The movie is incredibly fun though. Not exactly suspensful but it does leave you wondering how the hell things are going on. I'm so glad the studio didn't try and get this dumbed down to a PG-13 flick. Some parts are pretty gruesome, but I'm thankful they didn't cut away.

We sat in the movie totally confused as to how Clyde gets the entire city of Philadelphia to pee it's pants fearing that anyone who may have done some wrong to him in the past would be hurt, and the movie does a good job of keeping you interested for the run time.

Initially I walked out of the theaters with a solid B for the movie, but the more I thought about it, the more I doubted I could ever really just sit and watch the movie again. You know how when you found out that Bruce was a ghost, and then you go back and watch him and little Hailey Joel and you're like "oh he did get shot in that suit" "oh yeah his wife doesn't talk to him ever" well you can't do that with this movie. It's not like the ending is totally implausible (ok maybe it is a little far-fetched) but without a crucial speech in the middle of the movie from some random, you really wouldn't be able to guess this one on your own. Even if I gave you the spoiler right here, right now, you'd be like "well how could you know that?". You couldn't. But that still doesn't make it a bad movie. Very entertaining. Very popcorn (I ate a bag of JellyBellys with my eyes wide open). I'll give it a C+.

Where The Wild Things Are

Written by: Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers (book by: Maurice Sendak)

Directed by: Spike Jonze

Starring: Max Records, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Lauren Ambrose, Forest Whittaker, Paul Dano, Chris Cooper

Yes I've read the book 700 million times as a kid. No, I have no recollection of the exact story but that Max was a bad kid who was sent to bed without dinner and escaped to an island of Wild Things. So I went into this movie with no storyline expectations, but just wanted to see another something for my childhood finally brought to life. Especially by one Mr. Spike Jonze.

Our first glimpse of Max (Records, and yes it is awesome the kids name is actually Max) is actually on screen before we see his little face. A few nice little drawings on the production company cards. But when he hits the screen, its at a startling pace.

After roughhousing with the dog, he makes his way outside to build and man a fort by himself. He begs for his sisters attention, and it's granted briefly by way of her and her friends engaging in a snow fight with Max and eventually crushing his ice fort, and consequently his spirit. To get revenge he makes an utter mess of his sisters room.

When Mom (Catherine Keener) comes home, she doesn't scold Max, but instead helps him clean up and feel just a little better about himself. It's short lived though, because soon Mom's boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo) comes over and takes the attention away from Max. Max causes a scene, mostly against the audacity of frozen corn for dinner, and runs off into the night. He finds a boat and sets sail until he gets to an island...inhabited by Wild Things.

When he docks he comes across Carol (Gandolfini) smashing the bejeezus out of huts. Judith (O'Hara), Ira (Whittaker), Alexander (Dano), and Douglas (Cooper) are trying to stop him because these are the huts they live in. Clearly enraged and grieving over KW (Ambrose) leaving the bunch, Carol decides to destory everything. Sympathizing with being the outcast of the bunch, Max races in and helps Carol in his efforts. He then tells the Wild Things tales of the time he overtook some Vikings and they made him their king. They collectively decide that Max will be their new king and make everything right again.

Like most politicians and royalty, Max comes up with all sorts of promises that the group wholeheartedly believes. They have a romp. They sleep in a giant pile. They get to work on a gigantic fort, using everyone's best talents and really creating a group effort. He even gets KW back in on the fun and everyone feels like a literal great big family. Until Judith notices Max spending more time with Carol. And some of them feel slighted when Max divides the group into "good" and "bad" for a dirt fight. Some of them even begin to question his resume.

Max spends the rest of his time on the island trying to find out what is best for everyone, including himself.

Firstly, let me say, that although this movie is about a rambunctious 8-10 year old, this is not a movie for kids. The monsters are a little creepy. Ok well a lot creepy. They make promise to basically eat Max if he screws up. Literally eat him. He sees the bones of the previous king. It is not lighthearted or even that colorful. It's sad and a little lonely, but if you were ever 8-10 years old, you will understand a little about where Max is coming from. (ok well maybe not when he yells and bites his mom, you'd be like "my mama would whoop his ass"). Maybe you learned something in school that made you fear for your life. Maybe your mom didn't give you every minute of attention you felt you needed. Maybe you wanted to run off from home in the middle of the night to a land where only things you wanted to happen would happen.

Secondly, if you know anything about Spike Jonze and what he is capable of behind the camera, that might help you be prepared for the tone of the movie. If you know anything about the Jim Henson Company, you can be prepared for the life-like qualities that the monsters have. I've read enough articles on the making of the movie to tell you about the CGI that went to it but I'll spare you. It is totally visually stunning.

I've been debating most of the weekend on what grade to give this movie. A-. Could I be biased? Maybe. Am I being sentimental and nostalgic? Yes. Do I want to see this over and over? Indeed (on BluRay). Could it have been better? Couldn't everything?

Definetly see this.

Capitalism: A Love Story

Written & Directed by: Michael Moore

Starring: Michael Moore, The U.S. Government, American Tax Dollars


Ahh Michael Moore. Where do I begin on his latest documentary about the American love affair with making a profit? With the factory workers in Chicago that refused to be put out of their job without their proper severance? With the Congresswoman who urged any homeowners facing foreclosure to become squatters in their own homes and refused to be moved? With the ex CEO?s of Goldman Sachs that became in charge of the U.S. Treasury and used their power to bail their buddies out? The Dead Peasant policy, where your company profits from your death? No. I think I?ll start at the end of the movie. Where Michael Moore states that he refuses to live in a country like this. And no, he doesn?t plan to move.

Michael starts the film with footage of his childhood. Growing up in Flint, Michigan, the son of a factory worker. Where they own their own home, off one income. Taking vacations every other summer to New York. His father had healthcare coverage for the entire family, and his pension was safe and secure, ready for him in his retirement. The American Dream.

Somewhere between then and now, Americans? dreams have shifted to making as much money as they possibly could and squashing whoever stands in there way. We work twice as much but don?t have the pay to show for it. Digging ourselves deeper and deeper into debt, ?working jobs we hate to buy shit we don?t need? ? Tyler Durden.

The documentary covers many aspects of the failing economy. Financial analyst, Harvard professors, foreclosed homeowners, property vultures, and even the clergy give their view on how we got to be where we are now, and what exactly there is to be done about it.

I was particularly interested in the clergy?s point of view on the evils of capitalism and the amazing power of propaganda, which is doing an excellent job of making the people support the very thing that is taking them down.

There?s tons more to the movie, but I don?t want to spoil it. I can?t say that Michael Moore breaks new ground on the government screwing over the people for their money, but it is a different perspective on some aspects of history (my mouth was wide open in shock during the part about FDR?s proposed Second Bill of Rights). I give it an A. Just like I would have given Sicko, Fahrenheit 911, and Bowling For Columbine. Yes you will be upset when you leave. And yes you will think of Huey Freeman calling Ronald Regan the devil. But do everyone a favor, and take someone who called President Obama a Socialist, like it was a bad word, with you to see it.

Taking Woodstock

Written by: James Schamus (screenplay), Elliot Tiber (book)
Directed by: Ang Lee
Rated R for graphic nudity, some sexual content, drug use and language

Starring: Demitri Martin, Henry Goodman, Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Groff, Emile Hirsch, Eugene Levy, Liev Schreiber

There was this little concert in 1969 that you might have heard of. Took place in a little town in New York. Few giant musicians. Couple hundred thousand hippies. Woodstock. But this movie isn’t about the music acts. It’s about the people. Particularly the people in White Lake, New York.

Elliot Tiber (Martin) is trying to make a life for himself in the Big Apple. But he’s holding himself back by constantly making sure that his parents Jake and Sonia Teichberg (Goodman and Staunton) run their “resort” the El Monaco. The Teichbergs (of course Elliot changed his name to a more gentile-y Tiber) have run into a little financial difficulty and Elliot has promised the bank that they would be caught up on their mortgage before the end of the summer.

To keep himself busy, Elliot dabbles in the arts (even has a group of players living in their barn) and is the chairman of the city’s board. And every summer the townspeople gather for his music festival, which consists of some records and a hi-fi on the lawn. He pays his dollar fee and has the permit approved to host as usual.

At the local diner Elliot finds out that a big concert was supposed to happen in a nearby town, but it was shutdown by the townspeople. He gets on the phone with a group called Woodstock Ventures and has them come out to view his property.

Michael Lang (Groff) hops off a helicopter with his long, flowing hippie hair and peace mentality, and about twenty lawyers. They find the rest of the El Monaco resort to be in the same position as the hotel itself. They pass. Immediately. But before they go, Elliot takes them down the road to his neighbor Max’s (Levy). Beautiful lush green lawn. This is where they decide Woodstock will be held.

Suddenly word gets out and everyone in White Lake hates Elliot for what is potentially about to happen to their town. They protest and try to get the permit pulled, but the show is already on the road and the hippies are on the way.

The town’s inhabitants quickly form from dairy farmers to flower children. The El Monaco is triple booked. Chocolate milk is selling like hot cakes. Even some of the townspeople have gotten in on the fun. And Elliot is driving himself crazy. Making sure his parents are safe and aren’t driving themselves crazy. Making sure that the concert is actually going to happen. And in the midst of things, trying to enjoy himself.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from the movie. The previews were semi-funny, and I absolutely love Demitri Martin’s comedy, but I’m wasn’t so sure how he would do acting…in a starring role. But he was great. He’s wonderfully awkward like a grown up Michael Cera. The parents were stereotypical Jewish parents, but that’s probably really how parents were in the 60s, and I’m sure there are plenty of parents out there like that now.
But I really really loved whoever the hell Jonathan Groff is. I swear they invented a time machine and went back to Woodstock and plucked him off the lawn and brought him back to be in this movie. Wonderful.

And Ang Lee had some absolutely great scenes. Particularly the “wave” scene that almost makes you want to trip on acid and see a crowd of thousands bouncing up and down to the music. Almost. Like a happier version of the cave rave scene in the Matrix Reloaded. The movie had a mellow tone to it. It’s funny, and a little sad at times, but very enjoyable. Word is that some of the scenes are done just like the documentary of Woodstock (I’ve only seen footage of the actual concerts). I give it a solid B.

Note: Do not ask who played Jimi or Janis or Santana or Jerry Garcia, or The Who. They weren’t to be found. And that’s a good thing.

World's Greatest Dad

Written & Directed by: Bobcat Goldwaith

Starring: Robin Williams, Alexie Gilmore, Daryl Sabara, Evan Martin, Henry Simmons, Geoffrey Pierson

Rated R for language, crude and sexual content, some drug use and disturbing images.

Whenever I go to see a movie at the River Oaks (Landmark) Theater, we see a commercial for HDNet movies. And it?s like ?watch them at home before they?re out in theaters? because somehow or another they get rights to show some movies (Indies) before they?re released wide. Well I never had HDNet till recently, and one Saturday after getting suckered into watching Big Fish yet again, I see this great preview for a Robin William?s movie called World?s Greatest Dad. So I set the DVR to record it cause this looked like something I?d want to see in the theaters, so hell yeah I wanna see it at home for free.

Lance Clayton (Williams) is pretty much a loser. He?s divorced. Is a high school English teacher whose favorite class to teach has the lowest attendance possible. He loves crappy music. And has been denied publishing for everything he has ever submitted. His son Kyle (Sabara) is obsessed with fetish porn, has no friends at school save for Andrew (Simmons), hates his father, and is pretty much a dick.

The bright spot in Lance?s life is his girlfriend and co-worker Claire (Gilmore). She?s smart, attractive, and way out of his league. He gets visibly jealous when the more popular English teacher Mike (Simmons) flirts with Claire, especially after she congratulates Mike for being published in The New Yorker after his first submission.

But despite all the crap in his life, Lance still tries. Tries to be a good man for his girlfriend. Tries to incite poetry in his students. And most of all, he tries to get his son to love him.

Suddenly, a tragedy strikes Lance?s small family and while trying to cope with his grief and loss, he uses the situation to greatly benefit himself.

I got the movie. It was darkly, darkly humorous. And I?m usually a fan of such films, but I just did not like it. I even thought it was a timely theme about how once tragedy happens then everyone wants to be a part of it to make themselves feel?however we feel when we want to be a part of something. Like when Michael Jackson died and everyone had Michael Jackson tshirts and bought all the cds and went to the funeral like they really knew him and were die-hard fans since ?ABC?.

Robin Williams truly is a great actor. And for some reason he?s really good at creepy, oddball roles (see: The Final Cut, One Hour Photo, Death to Smoochy). And I don?t recall seeing Daryl Sabara in anything else, but man that kid is a good actor because I wanted to jump through the screen and beat his ass for how he talked to his father. And beat the dad?s ass for letting him. The supporting cast was ok. No stand out performances for me.

I just did not like it. I didn?t care one way or the other what happened to these people cause they were all so horrible or self absorbed or so pitiful that I just wanted the movie to be over. Then I get online to check out what other people thought and they LOVED it. I had to make sure I was reading about the same movie. It?s a decent premise for a story. And the acting was good, there was just?some missing magic for me. When I finally hit ?stop? on the remote, I promptly hit the ?delete? key and was all too thankful that I saved myself $7. D.

Inglourious Basterds

Written & Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl

Rated R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality.


This is a World War II movie like you have never seen before. 1941. Nazi occupied France. A small dairy farmer gets a visit from one Colonel Hans Landa (Waltz). A hell of a dectective sent by the SS to re-inspect for Jews and make sure the paper work is correct and no Jews are in hiding. After an incredible tense few minutes, Landa makes his discovery. But a young teen named Shoshana (Laurent) is able to escape.

1944. Aldo Raine (Pitt) is a Lieutenant in the US Army and has recruited a band of crazy ass Jewish soldiers to be dropped into France. Their mission is fairly simple. Kill and scalp 100 Nazi soldiers.

Shoshana has relocated to another city in France and is operating a theater under the name of Emmanuel. A young German Private Frederick Zoller (Bruhl) admires her as she changes her marquee. He is instantly smitten, but she is worried that she is under scrutiny. She finds out that Frederick is actually a war hero and is starring in a movie about his sole sniper attack on a whole town filled with the Allies soldiers. He soon gets the idea to have the premier at Shoshana?s theater. Shoshana has another idea.

Raine and his Basterds have (not so easily) acquired some intel from a German spy, actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Kruger), about the premier of Zoller?s movie and want to infiltrate the premier.

Firstly this is a QT movie. I think the only historical accuracy about this movie is that there are Nazis and some Allied soldiers. In fact, the movie starts with ?Once upon a time?. I know there was a movie made in the 70s with the same title (correct spelling) but there is no way this is even close to a remake.

The movie is chock full of incredibly detailed conversations. Some in English. Most in French or German (with mostly correct subtitles?you?ll see what I mean). Incredibly realistic violence and gore. Hilarious dark humor. A little piece of Sam Jackson. And a shootout or two. All the proper ingredients for everything you love about Pulp Fiction ? Death Proof. Ok, except for Red Apple cigarettes, and I think they were deep in the background somewhere.

I don?t know who Melanie Laurent is, but she is incredible. I know she?s a French actress so I might have to Netflix some of her previous stuff. But like I said, she?s incredible. Christop Waltz is equally brilliant as the very tactical Lieutenant. He?s out for number one and always gets his man. There?s one scene in the movie where Shoshana runs into Col. Landa after she?s re-established her new life. Ooooh man its so intense. But Laruent plays it off without being over-dramatic. This scene is as debatable to me as the contents of Macellus Wallace?s briefcase. Everyone has their own opinion.

Brad Pitt is hilarious. Yes I am biased and no, I do not care. Eli Roth gets to live out what is probably every Jew?s fantasy.

If you like Quentin Tarantino, you will love this movie. I can?t necessarily say I?m a big fan of his, because between you and me I think he?s very overrated and creepy, but I do like his work. And yeah I?ll buy the BluRay and watch the commentary and read all the trivia that will pop up on IMDB for years to come about the connections to other movies he stole ideas from. So what. The shit is good. Go see it. Period.

A.