The Ides of March

Title: The Ides of March

Directed by: George Clooney

Starring: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Even Rachel Wood

Genres: Drama, Adaptation

Running Time: 1 hour. 42 minutes

Release Date: October 7th, 2011

MPAA Rating: R

Review: Having heard great things about 'The Ides of March', I had high hopes walking into this film. And it does not disappoint.

'The Ides of March' is one of those films where quality parts have been put together to make a great product. Casting, and acting are great, as are the story, the writing and directorial work. The pace is quite slow, but charged with tension, which avoids the audience getting bored. Well done, Mr. Clooney, well done!

'The Ides of March' is one of the best films this year. Period. Do not miss this one.

Grade: 8

The Adjustment Bureau

Title: The Adjustment Bureau

Directed by: George J. Nolfi

Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly

Genres: Action/Adventure, Thriller, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Romance, Adaptation, Politics

Running Time: 1 hour. 46 minutes

Release Date: March 4th, 2011

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Review: I like both Emily Blunt and Matt Damon, and thought this looked like an interesting, clever premise. And it is an interesting film, one that could have been fantastic if it would have been a little braver. As it is now, it is the romance and chemistry between Blunt & Damon that makes this film.

It is definitely worth its 1 hour 46 minutes, but it falls slightly short of where it could have gone.

Grade: 7

Inglorious Basterds

Title: Inglorious Basterds
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Mike Myers, Michael Fassbenderr, Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, Melanie Laurent, B.J. Novak, Samm Levine
Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Adaptation, Politics/Religion, War
Running Time: 2 hour. 32 minutes
Release Date: August 21st, 2009
MPAA Rating: R

Review: I've been looking forward to Tarantino's new film for quite some time, and with that comes some expectations. Then, as it came out, I read reviews saying things like "Tarantino's best since Pulp Fiction" and of course, my expectations grew a little bit higher.

And 'Beasterds' is a good film; both the Husband & I really enjoyed it. It is definitely a Tarantino film, there is no doubt about that. It has all the classic Tarantino ingredients; the humor, the gore, the interlaced story lines, the time line, and the look. But to say that it is groundbraking a la vintage Tarantino is definitely to say too much. The main reason? It has been done before. But it is definitely still entertaining. Just not shocking.

If you enjoy Tarantino's work, I would say see it on the big screen. Otherwise, catch it on DVD.

Grade: 8

Angels & Demons

Title: Angels & Demons
Directed by: Ron Howard
Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Kristof Konrad
Genres: Politics/Religion, Adaptation and Thriller
Running Time: 2 hour. 18 minutes
Release Date: May 15th, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG-13

Review: I hated the movie adaptation of 'The DaVinci Code', but for some reason I had high hopes for the sequel. I honestly cannot tell you why. Again, I was struck by what a miscast Tom Hanks is for the lead. This was something that bothered the crap out of me in the first film, and apparently it still does (but thankfully they changed his hair).
I saw this movie days ago, and usually I write the review that same day, but this one has taken a while. I haven't been able to pinpoint why the sum of this film is not better, or even as good, as its parts. It puzzles me. Visually, it is stunning, especially knowing all the special effects that went into making it. The acting is good, for the most part. The casting is alright. The story is fairly accurate to the book, however, where it is not, the changes are huge! They have tried hard to make it suspenseful, and but for some reason they fall short, and the end result is rather dull. The trail of mysteries and clues followed in the film, although they tried to make it so the audience figures it out with the characters as they go along, the feeling is more one of going on a treasure hunt made for a 6 year old kid. For all the pre-hysteria of religion vs. science, the film sticks to a PC "let's all get along".

Grade: 5

State of Play

Title: State of Play
Directed by: Kevin MacDonald
Starring: Russel Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck
Genres: Drama, Adaptation and Politics/Religion
Running Time: 1 hour.58 minutes
Release Date: April 17th, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG - 13

Review: I love a good, old fashioned political thriller, and that is very much what 'State of Play' is, but with a more current reality. This one has a smart story, full of fairly somewhat unpredictable twists and turns, and quite a bit of edge-of-your-seat-tension. Of course, I love Rachel McAdams, and Russell Crowe and Helen Mirren are always brilliant in their work. Ben Affleck even managed to keep his usually atrocious acting (I like him much more as a director) in check, and did not ruin the film, which I totally appreciate, thank you Ben. All in all, a entertaining thriller, perfect for a couple of hours in the movie theater.

Grade: 8

Milk

Title: Milk
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Allison Pill, Emile Hirsch
Genres: Drama, Biopic, Politics
Running Time: 2 hour.8 minutes
Release Date: November 26th, 2008 (limited), December 5th, 2008 (expands)
MPAA Rating: R

Review: I love this film! Sean Penn is charming, and perfect in the role as courageous human rights activist Harvey Milk, who fought so hard (& never gave up) to [finally] become the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. And, James Franco (love him!) is gorgeous throughout the whole film. Their love story is smile-inducing, and absolutely beautiful, and to see it portrayed like any other love is amazing. This film will make your heart swell in your chest as you watch it, leaving a sweet taste of hope after it is done. The film is a tad long, but not enough to bring the grade down. This is a fantastic film, that i would highly recommend.

Grade: 8.5

Frost/Nixon

Title: Frost/Nixon
Directed by: Ron Howard
Starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Toby Jones, Matthew MacFayden
Genres: Drama, Adaptation, Politics
Running Time: 2 hour.2 minutes
Release Date: December 5th, 2008 (limited)
MPAA Rating: R

Review: I've been looking forward to seeing Frost/Nixton for months and it did not disappoint. If you are, like me, interested in American politics, and American history it is a really interesting, fact-based movie from a fascinating time in this country. The movie is a duel between the recently ousted President Nixon, and David Frost, and it is beautifully executed. The movie belongs to Frank Langella, as Nixon, who is a perfect Tricky Dick. It is not hard to see where all the buzz is coming from, and i am definately recomending this one.

Rating: 8

W.

Title: W.
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Starring: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, Thandie Newton, Ellen Burstyn
Genres: Biopic, Politics, Religion
Running Time: 1 hour.50minutes
Release Date: October 17th, 2008
MPAA Rating:PG-13
Rating:
W. is long. It felt a lot longer than its 1 hour.50 minutes. It would have received a much higher grade if it would not have made me look at my watch every 2 minutes for the entire last 30 minutes. Besides that, it was not a bad movie. It might not be the most exciting movie you'll see in the theater this Fall, but it is an interesting film, and i would recommend seeing it, but you might want to wait for the DVD. The acting is good throughout; Josh Brolin makes a good W, without making the character a complete joke. The President's cabinet were all brilliantly portrayed, and i really liked Ms. Newton's spot-on, brown-nosed Condoleezza. One of the greatest surprises for me was Laura Bush, portrayed by Elizabeth Banks, defying my personal impression of the 1st Lady as a dumb, silent, token housewife. Ms. Banks portrayed Mrs. Bush as a life partner and ally to W. I liked that. There are few jokes in the film, but probably a lot less than what people expect. I have read that Mr.Stone wanted to keep it real, and i do think that he did.

Grade:
5