Noah

Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe stars as Noah, a man chosen by God for a great task before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world.

I'm not going to remotely pretend that I know anything more than the building of an arc.  So I can't touch on how accurate it was or whatever.  As a stand alone movie based on Noah's building of the arc, I really liked this movie.  It was very powerful in its portrayal of belief and spiritual faith.  The family dynamics shown through their dealings with those things was very well acted/directed.  The effects were phenomenal.   The kids all put in great performances and Russell Crowe was great.

Again - not sure how accurate it all was but I would definitely recommend this movie.  I thought it was a well put together "epic" and absolutely worth the time/money.

Sabotage

In Sabotage, Arnold Schwarzengger leads an elite DEA task force that takes on the world's deadliest drug cartels. When the team successfully executes a high-stakes raid on a cartel safe house, they think their work is done until, one-by-one, the ten members mysteriously start to be eliminated.  

This was a pretty good adrenaline fueled movie.  Total badass characters, lots of action and some crazy violence.  I like movies like this where I can shut my brain off and just enjoy the ride.  I also like the filming style of this director.  Can't remember his name but he is the same guy that made End Of Watch.  The only knock I'll make on this movie is that I was not a fan of the last 10 or so minutes. It extended a bit to far past the DEA team and into a part of the story that I wasn't as interested in.

I'd recommend this movie for any action movie fans.  Sure a lot of the testosterone acting was way over the top but that is to be expected in a movie like this.

Son Of God

 

This major motion picture event -- an experience created to be shared among families and communities across the U.S. -- brings the story of Jesus' life to audiences through compelling cinematic storytelling that is both powerful and inspirational. Told with the scope and scale of an action epic, the film features powerful performances, exotic locales, dazzling visual effects and a rich orchestral score from Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer. Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado portrays the role of Jesus as the film spans from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection.

Sorry if this sounds completely sacreligious but I pulled the plug on this big turd after about 15 minutes.  How did they package this and release this as an actual movie?  It would have been cheesy if it was a History Channel special presentation or something.  It was actually annoying how lame this was.  Even the constant narration was awful.  Pretty sure that it was Keith David.  Really?  Movie about Jesus Christ and you can get Morgan Freeman to narrate this like he does everything else?  It played like one of the Disney Earth movies.  Seriously.  Couldn't do it.

I would definitely not recommend anyone checking this out.  It's nowhere near as great as Passion Of The Christ was.  It's like a low budget, documentary rip off of it. 

Bad Words

 

Jason Bateman (Identity Thief) makes his feature directorial debut with the subversive comedy Bad Words. Bateman stars as Guy Trilby, a 40-year-old who finds a loophole in the rules of The Golden Quill national spelling bee and decides to cause trouble by hijacking the competition. Contest officials, outraged parents, and overly ambitious 8th graders are no match for Guy, as he ruthlessly crushes their dreams of victory and fame. As a reporter (Kathryn Hahn) attempts to discover his true motivation, Guy finds himself forging an unlikely alliance with a competitor: awkward 10-year-old Chaitanya (Rohan Chand), who is completely unfazed by Guy's take-no-prisoners approach to life.

I'm a huge fan of Jason Bateman and the trailer for this movie looked absolutely hysterical.  I would have to say that the entire movie being hysterical didn't really meet my expectations.  There was a lot of down time trying to push some sort of a story that took away from the laughter.  But the stuff that Bateman's character says . . . . especially to the kid had me absolutely howling at times. 

I would recommend people seeing this but lower your laughter expectations a little.  Like I said - the movie definitely could have been a much funnier total comedy and held back too much instead of going all in throughout.  But when the lines are delivered you will have a very time holding back from laughing regardless of how "wrong" the punchlines really are.

The Single Moms Club

When five struggling single moms put aside their differences to form a support group, they find inspiration and laughter in their new sisterhood, and help each other overcome the obstacles that stand in their way.

This is pretty much just another Tyler Perry melodramatic character drama with some laughs sprinkled in.   This time it's a bunch of single mothers struggling through various life situations and leaning on each other to get through, make life choices, blah blah blah.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone checking this out unless you really are a huge fan of Tyler Perry's previous twenty very similar movies (with or without Madea).

Divergent

 

Divergent is an action-adventure film set in a world where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy by a faction leader (Kate Winslet) to destroy all Divergents, Tris must learn to trust in the mysterious Four (Theo James) and together they must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it's too late.

I read these books and was very psyched for the movie.  I have to say that I thought that they did a really good job of getting it from the pages on to the screen.  They made little tweaks here and there, but they were not too major and the tinkering with the end I actually liked better than the one in the book.  I like Shailene Woodley alot and think she is pretty much the next Jennifer Lawrence.   I wouldn't say that the movie is on a level with Hunger Games in terms of mass appeal because it is more young adultish than that.  The acting was pretty lame at times.  That being said - it is MUCH better than Twilight and other young adult fare.

I would still recommend people checking this out.  The books are very enjoyable so far and even though it had an excessive running time of almost 2 1/2 hours, I didn't really feel it for the most part. 

Muppets Most Wanted

 

Muppets Most Wanted takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe's most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine, the World's Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit, and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. The film stars Tina Fey as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Ty Burrell as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon.

Let's be honest here.  The Muppets really can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned.  And this movie was no different.  It literally started right where the last one ended and had a lot of the same tongue in cheek moments.  I also liked that they did a really good job of working in more muppets than in past movies.  The cameos were great.  The main human characters were great - especially Ty Burrell as the Interpol agent.  Him and Sam The Eagle really stole the show in this one.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It's a Muppets movie, people!!!  Why would you not want to see this!?!  Side note - the Monsters University short that accopanies it was also great. 

Need For Speed

 

The story chronicles a near-impossible cross-country race against time - one that begins as a mission for revenge, but proves to be one of redemption. In a last attempt to save his struggling garage, blue-collar mechanic Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul), who with his team skillfully builds and races muscle cars on the side, reluctantly partners with wealthy, arrogant ex-NASCAR driver Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper). Just as a major sale to car broker Julia Bonet (Imogen Poots) looks like it will save the business, a disastrous, unsanctioned race results in Dino framing Tobey for manslaughter. Two years later and fresh out of prison, Tobey is set on revenge with plans to take down Dino in the high-stakes De Leon race - the Super Bowl of underground racing. To get there in time, Tobey must run a high-octane, action-packed gauntlet, dodging cops coast-to-coast and dealing with fallout from a dangerous bounty Dino put on his car. With his loyal crew and the surprisingly resourceful Julia as allies, Tobey defies odds at every turn and proves that even in the flashy world of exotic supercars, the underdog can still finish first.

This movie was a somewhat decent watch.  It was basically a knock off of Fast & Furious based on the Need For Speed video game.  The problem was that there wasn't enough popcorn action in the races and the movie was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long.  I mean it took like half the movie to establish the need for revenge.  I had it figured out in the first ten minutes and had to wait while it slowly played out before it really got to the actual story.  Aaron Paul is much better than this movie and he pretty much was the main reason that made it tolerable. 

I would lukewarmly recommend people checking this out.  Its not a must see by any meand but it isn't awful either.  It's kind of middle of the road.  Nothing really more to say about it.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

 

Mr. Peabody, the most accomplished dog in the world, and his mischievous boy Sherman, use their time machine - The Wabac - to go on the most outrageous adventures known to man or dog. But when Sherman takes The Wabac out for a joyride to impress his friend Penny, they accidently rip a hole in the universe, wreaking havoc on the most important events in world history. Before they forever alter the past, present and future, Mr. Peabody must come to their rescue, ultimately facing the most daunting challenge of any era: figuring out how to be a parent. Together, the time traveling trio will make their mark on history.

This was a very fun and cute movie.  While most of the historical humor and banter will be above the head of most children it made the movie just as enjoyable, if not more than, for the adults.  The kids will still love the characters and story and to be honest - it provides them and the parents with lost of historical teaching moments. 

I would absolutely recommend people checking this one out - especially those of you with kids.  This is one of those great movies for the whole family. 

300: Rise Of An Empire

 

Based on Frank Miller's latest graphic novel "Xerxes" and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster 300,  this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield, on the sea, as Greek general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. This movie pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Artemesia (Eva Green), vengeful commander of the Persian navy.

At the risk of having my "man" card revoked - I never understood how people held 300 in such high regards.  It was a decent watch with crazy slow motion violence and a very unique film style.  But, I never held in the high regards that most guys do.  Maybe I should get my testosterone levels checked or something?  That being said - I felt pretty much the same way about this movie.  And it was a much lesser attempt because they were just trying to expand the 300 movie.  The first half of the movie was a quick paced narrated version of how the people that were fighting the Spartans became who they were and the second half was another battle shortly after the time of 300.  And the narration was annoying as hell.  It was like they had no faith that the story would tell itself so you had a constant voiceover telling you what was happening. 

I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out.  Again - maybe I'm not the best critic because while I kind of enjoyed the first one, I didn't think it was nearly as great as most others did.  That on top of the annoying way that they chose to "tell the story" in this one made it pretty much just there . . . . . . with lots of slow motion blood and violence.

Non-Stop

Liam Neeson stars in Non-Stop, a suspense thriller played out at 40,000 feet in the air. During a transatlantic flight from New York City to London, U.S. Air Marshal Bill Marks (Neeson) receives a series of cryptic text messages demanding that he instruct the government to transfer $150 million into an off-shore account. Until he secures the money, a passenger on his flight will be killed every 20 minutes.

This was a decent watch . . . . . . . as long as you suspend any sense of reality before it starts.  If you can leave your brain at the door and not question the logic of this story as it plays out and just enjoy the ride, you will get exactly what you expect from seeing the trailer and go home happy.  If you are not able to do that and analyze this movie in any way - you will be absolutely miserable because it is as far from being realistic as you can get. 

I would recommend people checking this out that are looking for an hour and a half break from stuff.  Having a fear of flying made this movie somewhat uncomfortable for me but I was watching it to be distracted and it worked. 

Winter's Tale

Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, Winter's Tale is a story of miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil. Based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Helprin.

This movie was way different than what I expected.  I thought it would be a fluffy romance movie but it was about love and the forces of good and evil fighting/helping people find their way with miracles and wishes.  Seriously.  There was some surprisingly deep stuff in this movie.  The only knock I can make against it is that it's a tale of two stories and I was very hooked by the first one and was turned off when they totally switched gears and moved to the second one.  And even though I did like how it all played out there was a big loss of momentum with the time jump/story switch.

I liked this movie because of how different it was from your normal fluffy romance.  The spiritual portion of it all gave it a much fresher and different feel.

About Last Night

A modern reimagining of the classic romantic comedy, this contemporary version closely follows new love for two couples as they journey from the bar to the bedroom and are eventually put to the test in the real world.

I'll admit that I truly was as far as possible from being in a state of mind to laugh when I watched this movie.  So it is quite possible that my review of this is a little tainted.  I thought that the Kevin Hart parts of the movie were funny but that was about it.  The two main leads were very stale and I didn't really care about where their story was going.  It's like you were forced to watch them in order to enjoy the Kevin Hart/Regina Hall  stuff that was actually carrying the movie.  

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  There were some good laughs from Kevin Hart/Regina Hall (they might have been even funnier if I had watched this at a better time) and it was definitely a watchable movie about dating.

Pompeii

Set in 79 A.D., Pompeii tells the story of Milo (Kit Harington), a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia (Emily Browning), the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him.

This movie was pretty much garbage.  Imagine watching Titanic knowing that everyone dies in the end and not having the emotional investment that you had in Jack & Rose.  That is Pompeii.  It was a wannabe Gladiator for the first hour plus with a love storyline that creates zero interest in.  Then Pompeii erupts, lots of effects that were not spectacular in any way honestly and this is not a spoiler based on it being an actual event - everyone dies.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  It was such a boring snoozefest.  Didn't even have great apocolyptic effects.

Endless Love

Endless Love stars Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike) and Gabriella Wilde (The Three Musketeers) in the story of a privileged girl and a charismatic boy whose instant desire sparks a love affair made only more reckless by parents trying to keep them apart.

This is exactly the fluffy romance movie with the two leads being in love while their parents don't agree with the relationship.  Everything is totally formula and there really is no hook into any of the characters to make you care about how it plays out.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  Even the Twilight crowd that this movie is meant for would probably not be too thrilled with this movie.

3 Days To Kill

 

In this action-thriller, Kevin Costner is a dangerous international spy, who is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, whom he's previously kept at arm's length to keep out of danger. But first, he must complete one last mission - even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting down the world's most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years, while his wife is out of town.

There was pretty much no real hook to this movie and it struggled to decide what kind of movie it wanted to be.  Because of those two things - the movie pretty much played out like a snoozefest.  It started out good action wise with the hitman stuff but then the action kind of went away for way too long.  They tried to do the dad with regrets reconnecting with the daughter thing but this too just ended up being annoying because they pulled so many heart strings and it all seemed so forced that I just pretty much didn't care.  The only plus in the movie was Kevin Costner's performance.  I'm never usually a fan of him but he was pretty good in this part.  Unfortunately, everything else around him was poop.

I wouldn't really recommend people bothering to check this out.  It's all pretty forced and indecisive on where it wants to go and there has to be better options out there for you to spend your time and money on.

Robocop

 

In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Their drones are winning American wars around the globe and now they want to bring this technology to the home front. Alex Murphy (Kinnaman) is a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit. After he is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp utilizes their remarkable science of robotics to save Alex's life. He returns to the streets of his beloved city with amazing new abilities, but with issues a regular man has never had to face before.

This was one of the more watchable remakes that we've been bombarded with over the last couple of years.  It was pretty much a straight remake with some little tweaks here and there.  It looked a lot sleeker than the orginal obviously and the action scenes were great.  The only thing that was off to me about the movie was that the movie seemed like present day-ish as opposed to in the future where the first one was clearly a "futuristic" movie.  Not sure if that makes sense or not.

I'd recommend anyone interested in seeing this to go ahead and check it out.  It's not an insult or downright awful like most other remakes have been.  It's a good watch and is exactly the type of movie that it advertises to be.

The LEGO Movie

 

The original animated story follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared.

WOW!!!  By no means did I think I would walk out of this movie loving it as much as I did.  Besides the animation being amazing, the humor throughout the script was hilarious on so many levels.  Whether it was mocking legos/lego play, being a satire of regular day to day life in today's world, or the pop culture references throughout, this movie pretty much had me belly laughing throughout.  The voices were PERFECT!!!  I have been a huge fan of Chris Pratt and am so glad to see him starting to fully breakout even if it is starting via voiceover.  The guy has been the best part of Parks & Recreation on television for years and is going to become a major star in the very near future.  The guy is very talented and has a hilarious delivery.  Morgan Freeman and Will Arnett were also perfectly voice casted and funny as hell.  And then to add a total 180 degress emotional hook to the whole story - there is a very realistic and human element introduced (saying anything more would give too much away) that is introduced towards the end of the movie that takes all the laughs and turns them into a shocking attachment that you didn't even realize you really had to a story about Legos and really drives the story home. 

I absolutely recommend that everyone check this movie out.  Kids will love it (although they may not understand the scope of the humanized ending).  Adults will love it probably even more than the kids because of that ending.  This is easily my favorite movie to be released at this point in 2014.  Again - never saw me putting those words in writing. 

The Monuments Men

 

Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, The Monuments Men is an action-thriller focusing on an unlikely World War II platoon, tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. It would be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could these guys - seven museum directors, curators, and art historians, all more familiar with Michelangelo than the M-1 - possibly hope to succeed?  But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind's greatest achievements.

This is easily the best war related movie I've ever seen with pretty much no war related violence.  I've never been one to care about the arts and what not but this movie was done in such a way that they managed to make me care.  The camaraderie between the group of soldiers was very apparant from the get go and entertaining throughout.  They managed to make you laugh through som pretty serious material and you were definitely effected by their losses as well.  It was awesome to finally see Bill Murray outside of the "artistic comedy" realm.  I wish he would go back to making the movies that made him so big.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  Like I said - I've never been one for the arts or a history buff for that matter, but this movie made me very interested in both.

Nebraska

 

After receiving a sweepstakes letter in the mail, a cantankerous father (Bruce Dern) thinks he's struck it rich, and wrangles his son (Will Forte) into taking a road trip to claim the fortune. Shot in black and white across four states, Nebraska tells the stories of family life in the heartland of America.

This is one of those movies that you know is great as you are watching it because of the simplistic way of filming and non-spoken acting in family dynamics.  It's also one of those movies that I didn't find nearly as great of a watch as I knew the filmmaking was.  That's not to say it was a bad movie.  I enjoyed it and thought that the family dynamics portrayed were very honest and real.   I would say it was a good movie - but not great like most critics would promote.  The story is very simple and its really the characters in the family that carry the whole thing.  The one knock I can honestly make is that this movie did not need to be nearly 2 hours long.  They could have shaved off like 20 minutes and it would have been much better.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  Again - it's not a bad movie.  It's just not a Best Picture worthy movie in my book even with the great style of simple, basic filmmaking that it went with.

Philomena

 

Based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, Philomena  focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee (Dench), mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock - something her Irish-Catholic community didn't have the highest opinion of - and given away for adoption in the United States. In following church doctrine, she was forced to sign a contract that wouldn't allow for any sort of inquiry into the son's whereabouts. After starting a family years later in England and, for the most part, moving on with her life, Lee meets Sixsmith (Coogan), a BBC reporter with whom she decides to discover her long-lost son.

Right from the start I thought this was going to be a blatant heart string pulling movie.  I kept laughing about how they thought that they would pull the wool over the eyes and the big reveal would be that the reporter was her son and how telegraphed it ended up being.  However, I was dead wrong.  I guess the swerve was that the movie did not play out like that.  It ended up being a very touching story with two amazing characters and how they were on this journey together for very different reasons and both came away from it for the better.  As much press as Judi Dench gets just like always, Steve Coogan put forth an awesome acting performance in this movie and was so beyond believable/relatable for me. 

I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was a very good watch and had a great hook into making you fully care about the travels of these two characters.

I, Frankenstein

 

Set in a dystopic present where vigilant gargoyles and ferocious demons rage in a battle for ultimate power, Victor Frankenstein's creation Adam (Aaron Eckhart) finds himself caught in the middle as both sides race to discover the secret to his immortality.

This was a decent movie for what it was meant to be.  Is it good?  No its not good.  It's not that kind of movie.  It is a Frankenstein version of Underworld basically and it pulls off what it intended to.  Demons vs Gargoyles with Frankenstein in the middle.  The effects were good enough that they didn't look corny.  The movie was definitely short enough that you didn't get bored.  The story was simple enough that you basically just enjoyed all the confrontations.  It is one of those movie that is good for what it was supposed to be.

I would recommend this movie to people that like these kinds of movies.  Its a decent enough watch since it doesn't go too overboard with taking itself seriously and just puts on a good quick story with lots of action.

The Legend Of Hercules

 

In the origin story, The Legend of Hercules, Kellan Lutz stars as the mythical Greek hero - the son of Zeus, a half-god, half-man blessed with extraordinary strength. Betrayed by his stepfather, the King, and exiled and sold into slavery because of a forbidden love, Hercules must use his formidable powers to fight his way back to his rightful kingdom. Through harrowing battles and gladiator-arena death matches, Hercules embarks on a legendary odyssey to overthrow the King and restore peace to the land.

This is pretty much the exact piece of poop that you thought it would be from the commercial.  They mixed in a knockoff action scene from 300, a knockoff arena scene from Gladiator and a big knockoff speech from Braveheart together and put it through the 3D machine so that they can get extra money out of it and released it in the beginning of January where nothing good ever gets released. 

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time or money on this.  It's a joke that this was even released in theaters and criminal for anyone to pay in the ballpark of $15 to watch it.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

 

Based on the Jack Ryan character created by bestselling author Tom Clancy, the film is a contemporary action thriller set in the present day. The original story, written by David Koepp, follows a young Jack as he uncovers a financial terrorist plot.

This was a decent watch of a movie.  The problem is that every "twist" was beyond predictable and the movie was formula in every way.  I thought Chris Pine was great as Jack Ryan and I actually thought Kevin Costner was the best part of the movie.  Kenneth Brannagh was pretty crappy as the lead villain and was beyond stereotypical in every way as an 80s-ish Russian bad guy.  There wasn't a lot of action except for a couple of scenes and they were all pretty basic just like the rest of the movie.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It's not a bad watch but its not a great watch either.  Its a movie that belongs in the late 80s/early 90s in terms of the level of "suspense".  I'm thinking they should kind of go ahead and leave this franchise alone.

The Nut Job

 

The Nut Job is an action-packed comedy in fictional Oakton that follows the travails of Surly (voiced by Will Arnett), a mischievous squirrel, and his rat friend Buddy, who plan a nut store heist of outrageous proportions and unwittingly find themselves embroiled in a much more complicated and hilarious adventure.

I really have next to nothing to say about this movie.  It is definitely not one of the animated movies that adults will like as much as the children.  It's basically a weak and should have been direct to dvd attempt at an Over The Hedge rip off.  And if it wasn't for the randomness of Psy's Gangham Style (how does this song not get old for me!?!), we would have left the theater annoyed.  Instead, my friend and his daughter left cracking up about a song that is a year old and animated characters dancing to it.

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this.  I know that there really isn't anything fresh out there for families to go check out, but you are much better off waiting for whatever the next animated entry will be.

Ride Along

 

For the past two years, high-school security guard Ben (Hart) has been trying to show decorated APD detective James (Cube) that he's more than just a video-game junkie who's unworthy of James' sister, Angela (Tika Sumpter). When Ben finally gets accepted into the academy, he thinks he's earned the seasoned policeman's respect and asks for his blessing to marry Angela.  Knowing that a ride along will demonstrate if Ben has what it takes to take care of his sister, James invites him on a shift designed to scare the hell out of the trainee. But when the wild night leads them to the most notorious criminal in the city, James will find that his new partner's rapid-fire mouth is just as dangerous as the bullets speeding at it.

I love Kevin Hart.  I find the guy absolutely hysterical.  I will gladly watch him rant/babble on and on.  It never gets old to me.  Pairing him with Ice Cube was perfect and they played off of each other very well.  The movie is pretty much a formula buddy cop type of movie but I still enjoyed it throughout because of Kevin Hart. 

I'd recommend this movie to people.  It's not a must see but it is very entertaining.  And if you are a fan of Kevin Hart, you will like it that much more.

Devil's Due

 

After a mysterious, lost night on their honeymoon, a newlywed couple finds themselves dealing with an earlier-than-planned pregnancy. While recording everything for posterity, the husband begins to notice odd behavior in his wife that they initially write off to nerves, but, as the months pass, it becomes evident that the dark changes to her body and mind have a much more sinister origin.

I'm officially begging Hollywood to stop with the found footage movies.  Paranormal Activity was an original and very well done and the formula has now been beyond beaten to death over the course of four years.  This movie is no different than the others.  It's only 90 minutes long but pretty much NOTHING happens for the first hour.  Its the same occasional sound, occasional appearance in a doorway cheap scare tactics.  Its a bunch of character build up that you really don't care about.  And then there is some creepy stuff for about 10 minutes and total chaos for the last 5 to 10 minutes and the credits come on.  Oh wait - they then have to of course set it up for another one because these stories are never complete. 

I don't recommend anyone bothering with this.  There are much better options out there and this is not worth your time or money.

Inside Llewyn Davis

 

LLewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is at a crossroads. Guitar in tow, huddled against the unforgiving New York winter, he is struggling to make it as a musician against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, some of them of his own making. Living at the mercy of both friends and strangers, scaring up what work he can find, Llewyn's misadventures take him from the baskethouses of the Village to an empty Chicago club on an odyssey to audition for a music mogul and back again.

This is one of those movies that I feel was just way too overhyped by the critics.  I've never been too big of a fan of the Coen Brothers work and it seems like they could take a dump on film and throw it on a screen and critics will say it's one of the best movies of the year.  It's not that I didn't enjoy the movie.  Honestly, I liked this one more than most.  It was a simple movie following one man's struggles.  Was there a point?  Not really?  Was the acting top notch?  Not really.  It was a decent watch about trying to break through in the music business.  That's it.  None of this should have been nominated for best picture nonsense.  I'll never understand the Coen Brothers obsession.

I would somewhat recommend this movie.  It is a decent watch and kept my attention more than I thought it would to be honest.  I didn't find it remotely as great at the critical acclaim its been getting though.  But then again - I rarely do with the Coen Brothers.

Dallas Buyers Club

 

Matthew McConaughey stars in Dallas Buyers Club as real-life Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof, whose free-wheeling life was overturned in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. These were the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and the U.S. was divided over how to combat the virus. Ron, now shunned and ostracized by many of his old friends, and bereft of government-approved effective medicines, decided to take matters in his own hands, tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal. Bypassing the establishment, the entrepreneurial Woodroof joined forces with an unlikely band of renegades and outcasts - who he once would have shunned - and established a hugely successful buyers club.  Their shared struggle for dignity and acceptance is a uniquely American story of the transformative power of resilience.

This is easily Matthew McConaughey's best role in his career.  He was so physically and mentally into this role and it showed.  It was weird going back to the start of AIDS and how ignorant all the thinking was and seeing his character deal with it.  Then it was even better to watch this person adjust to the cards he had been dealt and to completely change his ways and accept people that he otherwise would have had nothing to do with.  It was also amazing how dedicated he was to saving himself and others around him and wouldn't accept any government red tape answers of no. 

I would absolutely recommend that people check this movie out.  It is a great story with awesome acting.  You really get hooked by it all and rooting for him and him bypassing the system to help others.

Blue Jasmine

 

Blue Jasmine is the story of the final stages of an acute crisis and a life of a fashionable New York housewife. 

I have never really been a fan of Woody Allen movies.  I can't really put my finger on it.  They just tend to not interest me.  The one thing that he does incredibly well though are character studies.  And this was a prime example of him at his finest.  Cate Blanchett's character in this movie is an upper class houswife who's phony life comes crashing down around her and you watch her try to struggle with accepting it and moving on while there is something clearly off about her.  She deserves all the accolades she has gotten from critics as her acting is phenomenal.  The weirdest part is that you go back and forth between not liking her and hoping that she is able to work through everything and come out okay. 

I would recommend people check this out.  It's not a must see by any means, but it is a great character and Woddy Allen's character portrayal at its finest.

All Is Lost

 

Robert Redford stars in All Is Lost, an open-water thriller about one man's battle for survival against the elements after his sailboat is destroyed at sea.  The film is a gripping, visceral and powerfully moving tribute to ingenuity and resilience. Deep into a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, an unnamed man (Redford) wakes to find his 39-foot yacht taking on water after a collision with a shipping container left floating on the high seas. With his navigation equipment and radio disabled, the man sails unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. Despite his success in patching the breached hull, his mariner's intuition, and a strength that belies his age, the man barely survives the tempest.  Using only a sextant and nautical maps to chart his progress, he is forced to rely on ocean currents to carry him into a shipping lane in hopes of hailing a passing vessel. But with the sun unrelenting, sharks circling and his meager supplies dwindling, the ever-resourceful sailor soon finds himself staring his mortality in the face.

This movie was one of the quietest intense movies ever.  There really is no speaking in it and all emotions are shown via Redford's facial expressions and body demeanor.  I have never been a fan of being on the water and this movie is a prime example why.  The playing out of his experience continues to get dreary and drearier and it is a real testament to Redford's silent action and the direction of the film that at no point do you get bored of it.

I would recommend people checking this movie out.  It is very well made and acted and has one hell of a hook to it that doesn't let go even though every part of it is so simple.

Enough Said

 

A divorced and single parent, Eva (Julia Louis Dreyfus) spends her days enjoying work as a masseuse but dreading her daughter's impending departure for college. She meets Albert (James Gandolfini) - a sweet, funny and like-minded man also facing an empty nest. As their romance quickly blossoms, Eva befriends Marianne (Catherine Keener), her new massage client. Marianne is a beautiful poet who seems "almost perfect" except for one prominent quality: she rags on her ex-husband way too much. Suddenly, Eva finds herself doubting her own relationship with Albert as she learns the truth about Marianne's Ex. Enough Said is a sharp, insightful comedy that humorously explores the mess that often comes with getting involved again.

This movie was like a 5 or 6 episode of a television show on dating.  Great characters.  Great chemistry.  And a really funny development spiraling out of control for the Julie Louis Dreyfus.  As much as I loved The Sopranos, I thought that James Gandolfini was overhyped after his passing.  This movie showed me how wrong I was as he really had such a great on screen presence and aura about him outside of being Tony Soprano and I will actually miss him more now after seeing this movie.

I would definitely recommend people checking out this movie.  It's a very cute and touching movie about how things so simple can be made so difficult when we get in our own way. 

August: Osage County

 

August: Osage County tells the dark, hilarious and deeply touching story of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose lives have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Midwest house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.

This is one of the most melodramatic/soap opera like movies I have ever seen and I would probably have hated it if it wasn't for the awesome acting by everyone involved.  Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts were awesome in the two leads and they all contributed to portray family disfuntion at its finest.  It was also great to see how this was turned from a play to a movie.  When watching it, you start to realize that almost every scene in the movie happened around the dinner table which was probably the focus of the play on stage.  There were also lots of huge laughs that I wasn't really expecting going in and the movie as a whole would have been much more enjoyable with those along with the excellent acting if the drama wasn't so heavy. 

I would somewhat recommend people checking this movie out.  Like I said - it's a very well acted story about family but there is barely any major subject matters that this family doesn't deal with on some level and its just a bit too much all together.

Her

 

Set in Los Angeles, slightly in the future, Her follows Theodore Twombly, a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive entity in its own right, individual to each user. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet "Samantha," a bright, female voice, who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other. From the unique perspective of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Spike Jonze comes an original love story that explores the evolving nature and the risks of intimacy in the modern world.

This was one weird movie.  Two things kept it afloat.  First is the commentary on society's dependence/love of their technological gadgets.  As silly or crazy as this movie seemed at times, you had to think to yourself how connected you are in today's world to your device/devices.  His reaction at one point when he thinks it's broken and "she" is gone is so spot on to how people react when their phone is broken.  The other thing is that Joaquin Phoenix just goes so all in with all his movies.  As quirky and weird as the whole thing was - he kept you interested because of how deep his portrayal of this role was. 

I would somewhat recommend this movie to people.  I wouldn't agree with the critics putting this at the top of the year lists and what not.  Great acting by Phoenix but not a must see movie by any means.

Lone Survivor

Based on The New York Times bestselling true story of heroism, courage and survival, Lone Survivor tells the incredible tale of four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative who are ambushed by the enemy in the mountains of Afghanistan. Faced with an impossible moral decision, the small band is isolated from help and surrounded by a much larger force of Taliban ready for war. As they confront unthinkable odds together, the four men find reserves of strength and resilience as they stay in the fight to the finish.  Mark Wahlberg stars as Marcus Luttrell, the author of the first-person memoir, whose book has become a motivational resource for its lessons on how the power of the human spirit is tested when we are pushed beyond our mental and physical limits. Starring alongside Wahlberg as the other members of the SEAL team are Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch and Ben Foster.

Wow!  This was an amazingly real feeling movie.  It was equal parts adrenaline pumping madness and tough as hell to watch.  The four main performances were amazing and knowing that this was all based on a true story makes me have even more respect than I already did for the US armed forces.  I have not been this blown away by a war movie since Black Hawk Down and I feel very much the same way right now as I did then.  

This movie should be seen by all.  Like I said - it is not an easy watch.  But it is an amazing cinematic  portrayal of our soldiers in a major crisis and a testament to their courage and resilience.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

This spin-off from the "Paranormal Activity" series focuses on a Latino family.

As you can tell from that joke of a synopsis, this was pretty much just another Paranormal Activity movie.  It had the same home video look/filming.  It had the same slow but creepy build.  It had the same rapid set of scare shots at the end.  But then they did some weird thing with a mystery door that somehow brought you back to the first movie and then the movie quickly ended after that.  Rarely have I heard a theater say what the hell out loud like they did at the end of this one.

Although anyone who is a fan of these movies is going to see this regardless, I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering to waste their time with this.  It was just more of the same with a very annoying and nonsensical ending that didn't have anything to do with the overall story.

The Ten Best Movies Of 2013

Honorable Mention - Star Trek Into Darkness
JJ Abrams is such an amazing director that he has managed to turn me into a full blown Star Trek fan with this movie and his first one.  The story and action were awesome.  And Bendict Cumberbach put forth a truly career launching performance.

10 - The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug
Much like the first part of The Hobbit last year this was an awesome movie.  I actually liked it a lot more than the first part and the dragon stuff was amazing.  I was very nervous that they would screw the pooch on that one, but they didn't at all.  This movie is still nowhere near Lord Of The Rings level though.

9 - 42
They did such a good job of portraying the racism that Jackie Robinson faced that it was literally uncomfortable to watch it at times.  They did a great job of telling the whole story from lots of different points of view and it featured what might be one of Harrison Ford's greatest acting performances in his career.

8 - Fast & Furious 6
This was the best popcorn movie of the year.  Sure all of it was over the top just like everything else in this franchise but few franchises get me this pumped watching them.  Not as good as the fifth entry but probably the second best of the 6 behind that one.

7 - Captain Phillips
Tom Hanks finally showcased is awesome acting ability again.  This was a very intense movie and he did such a great job of showing that tension physically since so much of the movie was him and his captors crammed in a little emergency boat.  You felt the journey of this character throughout the whole ordeal.

6 - Catching Fire
Wow!!!  This was so much better than the first installment in every way.  It looked better.  The action seqences were better.  The acting by all the awesome supporting actors was highlighted more.  Sure it ended in a frustrating Empire Stikes Back kind of way but I can't wait for the next installment. 

5 - Monsters University
I was very afraid of this movie after how Pixar/Disney really mailed it in with Cars 2 a few years back but this movie was great.  And it pulled off a rarity of making a prequel that works.  This is probably the best one I've ever seen outside of X-Men: First Class and it was great how they showed you all the characters that you were already familiar with while introducing great new ones too. 

4 - The Wolf Of Wall Street
This is one of those movies that was so wrong in so much of the stuff that they put on screen but they did such a great job of showing how completely out of control this lifestyle was and the cost that came with it eventually.  Leonardo DiCaprio's drugged out of his mind scene might be one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen in my life. 

3 - Oldboy
This movie blew my mind.  And I knew the basic outline of it and what not.  But it was so intense and was such a total mindscrew for the main character and the viewers from beginning to end.  I still can't believe that Spike Lee made this movie.  It kills me that this didn't get a wider release and practically nobody saw this.

2 - The Butler
I am by no means a history buff so when a movie comes along and makes me care about historical stuff that speaks volumes.  This movie did just that.  And the presidential terms that this butler lived through made this almost like a Forrest Gump trip though White House history.  Great performances thoughout the movie and an amazing look at family dynamics through changes in society was spot on.

1 - Gravity
This is one of those years where I could go with the best made movie or what is a once a decade movie going experience.  While this movie was very well made, I'm giving it the number one spot based on what an amazing experience this was at the movies.  I was skeptical at best about this movie keeping my attention for the duration of it but based on the ticking clock before the shrapnel did another orbital rotation you were stuck holding your breath and bracing for the craziness to happen all over again.  This is only the third movie that I would say was worth seeing in 3D since the whole price jacking con job started.  Visually it took this movie to a whole other level.

The Ten Worst Movies Of 2013

Dishonorable Mentiion - The Curse Of Chucky

This was a straight to DVD movie but that doesn't excuse blatantly beating a dead horse.  Why is Hollywood so unable to leave things alone?  I literally watched the whole movie with an annoyed look on my face.

10 - Scary Movie 5
This could basically be explained by the same comments above except this one got a wide release in theaters.  Please stop making these.

9 - The Hangover Part III
It kills me how the first one is one of the funniest movies ever and this one was so God awful.  The only positive of this movie was how disappointed people were by the second one causing them to pass on this one.  I wish I was one of them.

8 - The Last Stand
Arnold needs to stick to Expendables movies.  Trying to pump out 80s type movies and not in a mocking way is just insulting.  The ship has sailed, fella.

7 - Bullet To The Head
Stallone - please see the above notes to your buddy, Arnold.

6 - Getaway
First of two entries on the list from Selena Gomez.  This movie was an awful extension of a driving video game.  How was Ethan Hawke in this?  And every time Selena Gomez spoke I wanted to throw my soda at the screen.

5 - Texas Chainsaw 3D
As if the movie getting relaunched or rebooted or repackaged for the 700th time, they decided to add in the most absurd twist ever.  Leatherface is just misunderstood and reacting to bullying.  WHAT!?!?!  Writers sat in a room and said "yeah, let's go with that"?  Unreal.

4 - The Haunting In Connecticut 2: Ghosts In Georgia
This movie wasn't even a sequel.  It had no connection to the first one outside of the sequel.  I kept waiting for a connection and it never happened.  Why the 2?  Just call it Ghosts In Georgia!

3 - The Last Exorcism Part II
Unlike the above movie, this one was connected to the first but nothing happened.  It's an exorcism movie and there was maybe one scene where the possessed girl bugged out.  On top of that there were no legit actors in it and it looked like a couple of high school kids made it.  Worst part was that the movie pretty much just ended in the middle of a scene.  The audience collectively yelled WHAT?

2 - Carrie
Another movie that I don't understand the need to remake or do sequels to.  But I thought maybe they could modernize the movie and maybe it would be decent.  But they didn't.  They literally remade the movie.  What the hell is the point of that!?!?!?  I didn't even bother finishing the movie and pulled the plug halfway through.

1 - Spring Breakers
It has been like 8 months and I still cannot for the life of me figure out why critics loved this movie so much.  The only reason I made it to the end was thinking that it had to get better.  It never did.  James Franco would have been great if this movie was a comedy since the role was ridiculous.  Selena Gomez was awful.  Everything about it was awful.  Honestly, the movie is so bad that I expected the cast at the end to be on screen laughing at the audience for wasting their time and money.  To boot, I will never be able to say Spring Break again without saying it like James Franco's character.

The Wolf Of Wall Street

Revered filmmaker Martin Scorsese directs the story of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). From the American dream to corporate greed, Belfort goes from penny stocks and righteousness to IPOs and a life of corruption in the late 80s. Excess success and affluence in his early twenties as founder of the brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont warranted Belfort the title "The Wolf of Wall Street."

Wow!!!  This was a hell of a long movie.  That's really the only knock I can make against it though.  The movie had amazing performances across the board.  Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill were amazing.  You kept going back and forth between despising them and wanting for them to come out on time.  The build up from the bottom up and the downward spiral from there was amazingly directed.  And the laughs?  I had no idea that this would end up being one of the funnier movies of the year between the way the friends talk to each other and a scene of DiCaprio's drug use that might be one of the funniest scenes ever.  This is easily one of the best movies of the year.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  But it is over three hours long so be warned.  Also - the R rating is because of ALOT of drug use and nudity.  But it really is an incredible movie across the board.

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

Ben Stiller directs and stars in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, James Thurber's classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.

I really enjoyed this movie.  I like that they kept it artsy and simple instead of making it all cartoonish and over the top.  Ben Stiller actually kept this movie real, simple and down to earth while visually stunning with the daydreams and then Walter Mitty's actual travels.  For anyone who has zoned out into daydreams and has a great imagination, this is a great movie.  I was so invested in the movie that the ending really hit me and sent me into a daydream about my life and realizing the daily rewards and what not.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It's a great ride in the life of an imaginative daydreamer.  Please be advised that the movie is done in a very artsy style and that it is not a textbook mainstream movie.

Walking With Dinosaurs

For the first time in movie history, audiences will truly see and feel what it was like when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Walking With Dinosaurs is the ultimate immersive, big-screen experience. Recent discoveries and a breakthrough in technology will introduce new and unique dinosaurs that are more real than ever before and put moviegoers in the middle of a thrilling prehistoric adventure, where an underdog dinosaur triumphs against all odds to become a hero for the ages.

This movie was more of an entertaining documentary than a movie.  But it was like a documentary geared towards kids for the most part.  The dinosaur voices were all done in a narrative format.  The look of the movie was great and felt real and dinosaur fans should absolutely love it.   There really isn't much I took away from it other than the good overall look of it.  Why this was the only family/kids movie that opened for Christmas is baffling.

Outside of huge dinosaur fans, I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out.  It's not necessarily bad but it's just kind of there and there are much better options out there.

Grudge Match

In Grudge Match, De Niro and Stallone play Billy "The Kid" McDonnen and Henry "Razor" Sharp, two local Pittsburgh fighters whose fierce rivalry put them in the national spotlight. Each had scored a victory against the other during their heyday, but in 1983, on the eve of their decisive third match, Razor suddenly announced his retirement, refusing to explain why but effectively delivering a knock-out punch to both their careers. Thirty years later, boxing promoter Dante Slate Jr., seeing big dollar signs, makes them an offer they can't refuse: to re-enter the ring and settle the score once and for all.  But they may not have to wait that long: on their first encounter in decades, their long-festering feud erupts into an unintentionally hilarious melee that instantly goes viral. The sudden social media frenzy transforms their local grudge match into a must-see HBO event. Now, if they can just survive the training, they may actually live to fight again.  

This movie is pretty much exactly what you saw in the trailer.  There are age jokes and assorted laughs.  The movie is incredibly formula in every way and they go out of their way to pull every possible heart string that they can.  However, the movie is still enjoyable across the board and you care about how it's going to all play out knowingly for the characters and you find yourself rooting for everyone.

I'd somewhat recommend people checking this movie out.  It's a decent watch but there are definitely better choices.

47 Ronin

In 47 Ronin, after  a treacherous warlord kills their master and banishes their kind, 47 leaderless samurai vow to seek vengeance and restore honor to their people. Driven from their homes and dispersed across the land, this band of Ronin must seek the help of Kai (Reeves), a half-breed they once rejected, as they fight their way across a savage world of mythic beasts, shape-shifting witchcraft and wondrous terrors.  As this exiled, enslaved outcast becomes their most deadly weapon, he will transform into the hero who inspires this band of outnumbered rebels to seize eternity.

I went into this expecting an either hit or miss movie.  It could end up being a wannabe Kung Fu movie with a horribly miscast Keanu Reeves or it could end up being a well told story with great action.  Happily it was much more of the latter.  I really liked this movie.  The characters and their relationships to each other were very well developed and the action scenes were great.  The most shocking part of it all was that Keanu Reeves was not remotely miscast and was perfect for this role.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable movie in every way.  Very surprising.  Probably one of the bigger ones of the year.

Black Nativity

 

In a contemporary adaptation of Langston Hughes' celebrated play, Black Nativity follows Langston (Jacob Latimore), a street-wise teen from Baltimore raised by a single mother, as he journeys to New York City to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged relatives Reverend Cornell and Aretha Cobbs (Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett). Unwilling to live by the imposing Reverend Cobbs' rules, a frustrated Langston is determined to return home to his mother, Naima (Jennifer Hudson). Langston embarks on a surprising and inspirational journey and along with new friends, and a little divine intervention, he discovers the true meaning of faith, healing, and family.

This is a textbook heart string pulling holiday drama about family.  The characters work out all their issues since its holiday season and through the trials of the son/grandson.  The music was actually pretty good but outside of that, it was just overdramatic blah blah.

I wouldn't really recommend people watch this.  Its not that its awful, but more that you have seen something very similar to this 1000 times before.  This time there is just singing involved.

American Hustle

A fictional film set in the alluring world of one of the most stunning scandals to rock our nation, American Hustle tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper).  DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that's as dangerous as it is enchanting.  Jeremy Renner is Carmine Polito, the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Irving's unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down.

This movie was great.  David Russell basically combined his casts from The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook and none of them missed a beat.  Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence were awesome as always.  Amy Adams continues to get better and better with every movie she does.  And Christian Bale?  What else can be said about how great this guy is.  Just the body transformation he went through for this film is mind blowing like what he has done with past roles.  The story was very interesting and watching it all play out was a great hook.  The only knock I could make against this movie is how long it was.  There was no need for this movie to be nearly three hours.  They could have easily trimmed this down.

Regardless of it being too long, I would still absolutely recommend this movie.  It will be on most top ten lists by the end of the year and is sure to get many award nominations, deservedly so.