I do love the end of the year because a ton of good films come out and you run into great movies that are sleepers or films you would never expect to be as good as they are. Of course there are the bombs also that you wish would be good movies, and they stink. This year is no exception, there are plenty of great movies that deserve awards.
Over the holidays and this past week I was on the road, which means I was able to see a few movies when I was up at 2am trying to get some work done. I have a short attention span, and have found a way to work at night or on a flight while watching a movie or something to keep me interested. I am multi-taskaholic and I feel anxious if there is only one thing going on.
Anyway, since I have a few movies that are worth seeing before the Oscars come out, here are a few movies you might want to check out…
- True Grit - (4.5-stars) – A great Western film written and directed by the Coen brothers. It was an adaptation of the John Wayne 1969 film of the same name. I have yet to find a Coen brothers film that I don’t enjoy, and this is no exception to that rule. The story is great, and the actors are brilliant. I am not sure it is as good as the original, but well worth seeing. I would be surprised if it didn’t at least get nominated for an Oscar or two.
- Rabbit Hole - (4-stars) – An amazing drama starring Nicole Kidman and Dianne Wiest (one of my favorite actresses – she is in In Treatment). This movie is a really really sad film about a married couple that loses their young son Danny in a car accident. As a parent it is really hard to watch this movie and I would put it in the same league as Bella, The Greatest, and Sophie’s Choice.
- The Other Woman - (4-stars) – I really enjoyed this movie, and I actually expected to be bored by it. The film has Natalie Portman and Lisa Kudrow and is a sad movie with some light and amusing scenes to keep the moving going. The story focuses on a young woman (Portman) that has an affair with her boss at the law firm where she works. They end up getting married and thus the story is about the step-mom and how she fits into the family. It is a sad film and frustrating at times. But worth renting on DVD for sure.
- Machete - (3.5-stars) – If anyone tells you they didn’t like this movie, they don’t get it. I wasn’t a huge Grindhouse fan, but this movie is just brilliant. Machete continues the B movie and exploitation style of Grindhouse, but has a great storyline and really good acting. I know the movie got mixed reviews, but you can’t watch it in the mindset of a 2010 box-office smash film, it is a B-Movie take-off and they do a great job at accomplishing this.
- Skyline - (3-stars) - This is one of those films that I actually thought I wouldn’t like for some reason. I actually thought it was good, and it reminded me of a more stable Cloverfield type film, though not as good. The story is pretty simple and the special effects are pretty good. The best part of this movie is the sci-fi aspects of it and how the movie wraps-up at the end. If you liked Cloverfield or War of the Worlds, you probably will like this movie.
- Secretariat - (3 -stars) – I assumed this was going to be a really corny Disney movie that was just for kids. I was wrong, it was somewhat corny, and it was always uplifting, but it was actually a pretty good story. The acting was good and the movie overall was great. If you want a fun film that is a feel good and great for the entire family, check out Secretariat.
- Tomorrow When the War Began - (2-stars) – This film is based off the best-selling Australian Teen novel of the same name Tomorrow When The War Began is the first in a series of books by John Marsden about a group of high school students who take a camping trip before school starts and return to find that the country has been invaded by an unknown force, and they make a stand to fight the enemy using guerilla tactics. Over all the film was not bad, though the script was a bit clichéd. If you like the Twilight saga films you would probably enjoy this film, and the many that will come out to continue the story.
- Saw 3D - (1-star) – I am not sure why I keep watching these movies, they get worse and worse every time. I loved the first one, and the second wasn’t that bad. They started to get really bad when they tried to make the story so complex around who was doing this to these people. The only redeeming value to this movie is the ending; it actually closes the story series out and helps to bring you back to the first film. If you like Saw and are really bored, you could watch this on HBO or something. Otherwise don’t waste your money.
I hope you find these reviews helpful. Have fun at the movies!
Over the holidays and this past week I was on the road, which means I was able to see a few movies when I was up at 2am trying to get some work done. I have a short attention span, and have found a way to work at night or on a flight while watching a movie or something to keep me interested. I am multi-taskaholic and I feel anxious if there is only one thing going on.
Anyway, since I have a few movies that are worth seeing before the Oscars come out, here are a few movies you might want to check out…
- True Grit - (4.5-stars) – A great Western film written and directed by the Coen brothers. It was an adaptation of the John Wayne 1969 film of the same name. I have yet to find a Coen brothers film that I don’t enjoy, and this is no exception to that rule. The story is great, and the actors are brilliant. I am not sure it is as good as the original, but well worth seeing. I would be surprised if it didn’t at least get nominated for an Oscar or two.
- Rabbit Hole - (4-stars) – An amazing drama starring Nicole Kidman and Dianne Wiest (one of my favorite actresses – she is in In Treatment). This movie is a really really sad film about a married couple that loses their young son Danny in a car accident. As a parent it is really hard to watch this movie and I would put it in the same league as Bella, The Greatest, and Sophie’s Choice.
- The Other Woman - (4-stars) – I really enjoyed this movie, and I actually expected to be bored by it. The film has Natalie Portman and Lisa Kudrow and is a sad movie with some light and amusing scenes to keep the moving going. The story focuses on a young woman (Portman) that has an affair with her boss at the law firm where she works. They end up getting married and thus the story is about the step-mom and how she fits into the family. It is a sad film and frustrating at times. But worth renting on DVD for sure.
- Machete - (3.5-stars) – If anyone tells you they didn’t like this movie, they don’t get it. I wasn’t a huge Grindhouse fan, but this movie is just brilliant. Machete continues the B movie and exploitation style of Grindhouse, but has a great storyline and really good acting. I know the movie got mixed reviews, but you can’t watch it in the mindset of a 2010 box-office smash film, it is a B-Movie take-off and they do a great job at accomplishing this.
- Skyline - (3-stars) - This is one of those films that I actually thought I wouldn’t like for some reason. I actually thought it was good, and it reminded me of a more stable Cloverfield type film, though not as good. The story is pretty simple and the special effects are pretty good. The best part of this movie is the sci-fi aspects of it and how the movie wraps-up at the end. If you liked Cloverfield or War of the Worlds, you probably will like this movie.
- Tomorrow When the War Began - (2-stars) – This film is based off the best-selling Australian Teen novel of the same name Tomorrow When The War Began is the first in a series of books by John Marsden about a group of high school students who take a camping trip before school starts and return to find that the country has been invaded by an unknown force, and they make a stand to fight the enemy using guerilla tactics. Over all the film was not bad, though the script was a bit clichéd. If you like the Twilight saga films you would probably enjoy this film, and the many that will come out to continue the story.
I hope you find these reviews helpful. Have fun at the movies!
