64

Boyhood (2014)

i dunno. as an act of "performance art", maybe it deserves the merit. as for me, i felt at times as if i were binging on a TV show from the nineties--one that wasn't very interesting. it did have a certain charm, but ultimately, whatevs.
March 29, 2015
70

Fury (2014)

yeah, it was solid. can't fault it or praise it too much. i did like the insight into wwii tank life, that was pretty rad and new to me at least.
March 22, 2015
90

12 Years a Slave (2013)

Highly-skilled acting and filmmaking--kind of old-school style, which I like: big scope, big soundtrack, big emotions. Even Brad Pitt, who I guess weaselled a cameo out of his role as producer, doesn't do it any harm.
July 3, 2014
90

Nymphomaniac (2013)

Brilliant ... LvT is one of the best directors working today, and i found this better than anything he's done recently. If you don't like foreign film, but do like pornography, you'll still like this film.
July 3, 2014
88

Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)

two gripes: editing. this film could have lost twenty minutes and you'd never know. and is it necessary to put the colour blue in every single shot? gets to be kitschy after a while. otherwise, worth the watch for the masterful performance by the lead. this is great acting.
July 3, 2014
90

21 Grams (2003)

Brilliant film, outstanding performances from Penn and the misses, whatever her name is. The storytelling is entirely non-linear, however, be prepared for a bit of a mind-fuck.
April 18, 2013
79

Casino Royale (2006)

Not a great Bond film, but a very, very good one. Craig was not yet at home in the role; you can sense a bit of a struggle to redefine Bond and make it his own. The later part of the film lags a bit, but all in all I enjoyed it. Mikkelsen makes a great villain.
April 15, 2013
69

Quantum of Solace (2008)

I've watched this maybe three times and quite like it. As a Bond film, it is fairly weak because of its story. However Daniel Craig as Bond is a pleasure to watch, he is my favourite.
April 15, 2013
95

Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

If you enjoy films as "art", you'll like this, despite the fact that it is unsettling. It's a beautiful film, pitch-perfect on all notes. The dialogue is exceptional and the acting perfect--Olsen absolutely shines in what must have been a challenging role to play.
April 15, 2013
90

How to Survive a Plague (2012)

A well-done review of what was a horrifying period in our very recent history: Young (mostly) gay men were dying in droves and--for years--we didn't little or nothing to help them. If you'd like to see a true picture of courage, listen to the men interviewed in this documentary.
April 13, 2013
90

The Wrestler (2008)

Didn't get the attention it deserves. It's not a male version of "Black Swan", it's a far better film. An interesting and mature study of the glorification and celebration of violence among men as entertainment and its costs. Rourke gives a raw, visceral performance.
April 13, 2013
86

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

I'm not sure, but I believe DDA is the first film in which a young Pacnio flipped out. Consequently, he would be flipping out in almost every other movie he went on to make (Scent of a Woman, Devil's Advocate, etc.). This is because he's great at it and it's a thrill to watch.
April 13, 2013
90

The Big Lebowski (1998)

The Coen brothers are extremely talented and skilled and this one is awesome. They're particularly good at creating offbeat, odd, absurd characters of substance and TBL is full of them.
April 13, 2013
85

Se7en (1995)

Very good, though disturbing in its content. Directed/shot with great style. Freeman and Spacey are great, as always. Pitt's limited range as an actor is evident in the more emotional scenes, but it doesn't take away from the movie too much.
April 13, 2013
80

Blade Runner (1982)

I love "Blade Runner". Twenty-one years old and hasn't aged at all ... Scott, working with less-advanced film technology, is tough to match to this day. E.g. "Looper", a film in a similar vein, which doesn't even come close it BR's depth and complexity.
April 13, 2013
91

The Deer Hunter (1978)

The Russian roulette stands out as one of the greatest scenes in American cinematic history for good reason. De Niro and Walken push themselves to the limits, holding nothing back.
April 13, 2013
90

Jacob the Liar (1974)

A great rendition of the original novel. Robin Williams should be shot for remaking this in '99 as a completely trite Hollywood shit-show. Leave well enough alone.
April 12, 2013
92

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

So get this, true story: A guy has a stroke and is "locked in", i.e. completely paralyzed except for his left eye. AND THEN HE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT IT. Watch it to see how. Also, the film is beautifully and artfully made.
April 12, 2013
43

Soul Kitchen (2009)

It's a shame: Some of Germany's best and brightest young talent get together and try their darndest to be funny. It just doesn't work. Shit.
April 12, 2013
95

Koyaanisqatsi (1983)

No plot, no words, no actors. Simply a collection of images and an abstract score from Phillip Glass. It's a bit challenging and requires some patience, but it's ultimately brilliant, and beautifully shot. A profound comment on modern society and where it's headed.
April 12, 2013
90

28 Days Later (2002)

Great film. Boyle avoids playing the cheap and easy guts and gore card and creates an innovative, interesting, intelligent movie of substance. Very, very, very well done.
April 12, 2013
90

Iron Man (2008)

Spectacular. Funny, thrilling, interesting. Evidence that, even with all the CG in the world, you can't make a good movie without the basics: a great story and great actors. RDJ is PERFECT in the role.
April 12, 2013
86

The Lost Boys (1987)

A classic. Corey Haim, Corey Feldman AND Kiefer Sutherland, i.e. the coolest young men in the late eighties. Only Christian Slater is missing.
April 12, 2013
87

The Breakfast Club (1985)

One of the all-time greats from the eighties. Funny, but also an insightful examination of how a group of young people, once confined, are forced to strip away stereotype and identities self-made and imposed.
April 12, 2013
75

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Very, very good, but not very great. In Pulp Fiction, every scene is pitch-perfect; not the case here. Some hit great heights (i.e. the opening scene with Waltz is RIDICULOUSLY good ) while others are OK at best. Ultimately, Waltz, Brühl and Laurent make the film.
April 12, 2013
71

Watchmen (2009)

To those who love the graphic novel (myself included: it's one of the best things I've ever read), it's a welcome translation of the original. Judged solely as a film, however, it's OK; the novel is simply too complex, too far-reaching and smart to compress into a feature film.
April 12, 2013
49

Signs (2002)

Despite all its efforts, this movie is ultimately stupid. An advanced, alien civilization plots the invasion of Earth and somehow forgets to take into account the fact the planet is composed largely of water, which is toxic to them. Whoever wrote that plot line is an idiot.
April 12, 2013
90

American History X (1998)

An excellent and unsettling commentary of race and racism in contemporary American society. Ed Norton makes the film: He's an absolute beast. Watched it many times and would happily watch it many more.
April 12, 2013
95

Pulp Fiction (1994)

A perfect film. Every scene is memorable. Tarantino's best in that it lacks nothing, every performance is spot-on. Editing, pacing, score, etc., etc., all perfect. And the dialogue! What fucking amazing writing. Every single sentence is quotable.
April 12, 2013
79

Good Will Hunting (1997)

A good movie. Not spectacular: Affleck and Damon wrote it as young, developing artists, and it shows. Some of the dialogue is just ridiculous and incredible ("How do you like them apples?"). That stated, I enjoyed it.
April 12, 2013
90

Trainspotting (1996)

Think I watched this movie two-dozen times in my teenage years, and knew every word. A very skillful, slick adaptation of Welsh's novel--which isn't actually a linear story but a collection of loosely connected tales. Hats of to Boyle for that. Also, WICKED soundtrack.
April 12, 2013
89

The Exorcist (1973)

I was maybe seven when my brother thought it'd be a great idea to show me this. Asshole. At that time, I believed in God--and the Devil as well, obviously. I think I went to bed terrified for a month afterwards. Even now, you'd have to pay me a lot of money to watch it.
April 12, 2013
87

Event Horizon (1997)

This movie scared the SHIT out of me when I watched it in '97 in the cinema. Some scenes in particular inspire perfect, extreme fear. Another movie I'll never watch again.
April 12, 2013
90

Alien (1979)

I am a complete pussy when it comes to horror films; I rarely ever watch them. I watched this once when I was a kid and I'll never watch it again ... it's a masterful study in absolute, claustrophobic, unescapable terror. Brilliant.
April 12, 2013
90

300 (2007)

It's rare that you see a film in which you enjoy every single minute. This is one of them: It's a work of art. Absolutely thrilling and infinitely re-watchable.
April 12, 2013
88

Pump Up the Volume (1990)

I loved it as a kid and re-watched it recently ... it's still awesome. A great story about generational conflict and youthful rebellion. And Christian Slater was just so, so cool.
April 12, 2013
75

The Road (2009)

Pales in comparison to the epic, brilliant, amazing, well-wrought novel that inspired it, but still OK. McCarthy's premise is disturbing and thought-provoking: In a world in which the biosphere is dead, how would we behave? His answer ain't pretty.
April 11, 2013
90

The Matrix (1999)

Watching "The Matrix" for the first time was mind-blowing; I think I saw it three times in the cinema. Loved it then, still love it now. Some of the greatest fight scenes on film, ever. Game-changer.
April 11, 2013
88

The Sixth Sense (1999)

A terrific film, and a great example of how to create terror without falling back on guts and gore or cheap scares. Having seen a few other Shyamalan films, I can't help but think he got lucky with this one; the rest come nowhere near it.
April 11, 2013
83

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Slick, fun and well-made. Pitt and Clooney play well in this film, since they're not so much acting as being what they are: very cool dudes in suits with whom you'd love to share a beer.
April 11, 2013
86

Traffic (2000)

"Crash" blatantly attempted to do what this film did and failed miserably. This an extremely thoughtful and complex film.
April 11, 2013
89

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Luhrman's modernization of the play is masterful, right down to the tiniest details (guns as "swords", the newscaster, shipping a package "post-haste"). Excellent.
April 11, 2013
87

Frida (2002)

Excellent. Should probably called "Frida & Rivera", since the stories of the two artists are inseparably intertwined, but I can't find fault with it. Hayek is still hot even with a unibrow.
April 11, 2013
61

Crash (2005)

Ultimately trite and shallow in its treatment of its own themes, and undeserving of the attention it received.
April 11, 2013
91

Certified Copy (2010)

When a film is made by one of the best directors on the planet and includes two of the best actors, it must be good. And this one is. Left me thinking about it for weeks.
April 11, 2013
66

The Sea Inside (2004)

I appreciate Bardem's performance and the true story of the character's struggle to change right-to-die legislation, but as a film it's not that great.
April 11, 2013
96

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Another example of a film that exceeds the novel--and the book is amazing. Bardem's Anton Chigurgh will go down as one of the best film villains, ever. An epic meditation on masculinity, violence and terror in the changing American South.
April 11, 2013
88

Michael Clayton (2007)

Surprisingly intelligent and overt as a Hollywood film in terms of its political commentary. In its conclusion it falls back on cliche as a story mechanism (the old tape recorder trick), but all in all, great.
April 11, 2013
90

Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

Excellent. Clooney does not have a lot of range as an actor, but in this role he's perfectly at home. And no other man on Earth looks as good in a shirt and tie. I'm also biased towards films that unabashedly showcase chain-smoking.
April 11, 2013
87

Troy (2004)

An example of Pitt's problem as an actor: delivering and articulating his lines well. A shame, since otherwise his performance is great (i.e. physical acting) and his appearance is perfect for the role. His first fight is jaw-droppingly awesome, one of the best I've seen. Good.
April 11, 2013