Friday, February 19, 2010

Shutter Island

Title: Shutter Island
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow
Genres: Action/Adventure, Thriller, Adaptation
Running Time: 2 hour. 18 minutes
Release Date: February 19th, 2010
MPAA Rating:
R

Review: I have been looking forward to this Scorsese-directed thriller for quite some time. Now, after having suffered through it, I wonder why. While 'Shutter Island' is well crafted visually, it is much too predictable, and instead of a cliff-hanger we end up with a boring, heavy, film that is more a test in patience than entertainment. Pass on this one. Seriously.

Grade: 4

Friday, February 12, 2010

The Wolfman

Title: The Wolfman
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Starring:
Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving
Genres:
Suspense/Horror, Thriller, Remake
Running Time:
2 hour. 5 minutes
Release Date: February 12th, 2010
MPAA Rating:
R

Review: While being quite appealing visually, and having a dream cast as well as a dream crew, 'The Wolfman' still manages to be a dud. For me personally, the unnecessary gore set the tone right from the start. What is supposed to be suspenseful, quickly becomes ridiculous, and I found myself bored and halfheartedly amused for all the wrong reasons throughout the remainder of this very long flick. Several of the cast members are personal favorites of mine, which makes the disappointment even that much greater. Don't waste your time on this one.


Grade: 3.5

Friday, February 5, 2010

Crazy Heart

Title: Crazy Heart
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, James Keane (II), Anna Felix
Genres: Drama, Musical, Adaptation
Running Time: 1 hour. 51 minutes
Release Date: December 16th, 2009
MPAA Rating: R

Review: I saw this movie a few weeks ago, and I've been meaning to post this review for a while, but didn't get to it until today. So, long over due, but 'Crazy Heart' is definitely worth the wait.

'Crazy Heart' is an amazing film, with beautiful performances from both Mr. Bridges & Ms. Gyllenhaal. It is well directed, superbly acted, it is visually gorgeous in all its worn out despair, and it has a heartfelt story. The end result: 'Crazy Heart' is one of the best of 2009, hands down. One of the very few Must See films of last year's crop.

Mr. Bridges is clearly born to play this role, in much the same way as Mickey Rourke was born to portray The Ram in last year's 'The Wrestler'. And, Ms. Gyllenhaal is absolutely wonderful as well (no surprise there, she is always amazing!). I was so excited to see the team behind this film receive a few nods for all their hard work. Any recognition for this film is well deserved, and I'll definitely be crossing my fingers for these guys, come the big awards. I could not recommend this film enough. See it.

Grade: 9.5

Thursday, February 4, 2010

When In Rome

Title: When In Rome
Directed by: Mark Steven Johnson
Starring: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Anjelica Huston, Danny DeVito, Will Arnett
Genres: Romance, Comedy
Running Time: 1 hour. 31 minutes
Release Date: January 29th, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG-13

Review: You may wonder why the hell I would be watching movies like these when I am a declared Rom-Com hater? Well, a have a friend that loves going to the movies just as much as I do, the only difference being she has shit taste in movies. We have a every-other picking order worked out, and it just so happens that yesterday's film was her pick. And subsequently, I'm stuck with 'When In Rome'.

And, for what it is, it does not disappoint; 'When In Rome' is cute, cheesy, predictable, and a little bit funny. A good movie? Not in a million years. A cookie-cutter Rom-Com? You bet.

Grade: 4