Movie Review: Hugo 3 stars

Hugo is an excellent move and one that will be loved by all ages.  I watched the 3D version but I think that it would be just as good in 2D.  Directed by Martin Scorsese, this fantasy story takes place in a railway station in Paris.  A young orphan is the clock winder for the station and lives in the inner workings of the clock mechanism.  The only link he has with his deceased father (Jude Law) is a primitive robot that doesn't work.  The boy hopes that if he can get the robot the to work it will contain a message from his father.    He is caught stealing pieces of toys that he wants to use for the robot by a railway toy store owner (Ben Kingsley).

The movie starts slow but once Ben Kingsley and his daughter's characters are introduced the movie takes off.   If you want to take your family to a fun, family oriented movie this is the one to see.  I was sorry to see it end because the story was that good. 

Movie Review: J. Edgar, 2 stars

I was really looking forward to this movie.  One of my favorite actors pairing with one of my favorite directors.  How could it miss?  Wow, this one missed.  Actually, in their defense, the acting and directing was fine and what gave it the 2 stars it received.  The story though, was horrible.  Short snippets of stories covering the 50 years that J. Edgar Hoover ran the FBI.  Should have been interesting considering that those 50 years were one of great change and interesting pieces of history.  Unfortunately, the focus of the movies was that J. Edgar might have been gay (not that there's anything wrong with that LOL).  Each of the 20 or so short stories ended the same way.  A stolen glance, a secret touch, a longing look all telling us he might have been gay. 

This movie reminds me of the movie Alexander with Collin Farrell.  Of all interesting things they could have shown you about Alexander the Great, they decided to make and 90 minute movie about the fact that he might have been gay (not that there's anything wrong with that LOL).

Watch this movie for the excellent acting but not for the story

Movie Review: A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas 1 star

I loved the first Harold and Kumar movie..White Castle.  Funny, raunchy, and Neil Patrick Harris as you have never seen him before....3 stars.   The second movie, Guantanomo Bay was raunchier, not as funny but the end where Kumar meets George Bush saved this movie 2.5 stars.   This last movie was horrible.  The only thing that gave it one star was that Neil Patrick Harris, in his very small part, was very funny.  That 5 minutes wasn't worth the other 85 minutes that is wasted.  This series is over for me and anyone else who watched their slow decent into nothingness.  I even spent $14 to see it in 3D which was a further waste of my money.

Movie Review: Margin Call 3.5 stars

Even if you don't care about the 2008 financial crisis you will be intrigued by this movie.  It has an outstanding cast that are perfect in their roles.  The standouts are Zachary Quinto (Spock in the last Star Trek movie) playing a rocket scientist working in an investment bank who discovers that the bank is bankrupt before the bank knows.  Kevin Space is terrific as head of the investment division having the make difficult moral choices.   Paul Bettany (Russel Crowe's imaginary friend in A Beautiful Mind) as the rocket scientist's boss and Jeremy Irons as the evil CEO.   If you skip this movie you will be missing some of the most powerful performances of the year.  The tension in this movie as the characters deal with their world crumbling around them is intense and allows the movie to seem 30 minutes long.  I wanted it to keep going so I can find out what happens to all the characters.  Every american should be required to watch these movies (best in this order) to understand why the economy is in such bad shape and who is responsible.
Capitalism:  A love Story:  Micheal Moore's very slanted view but he'll make understand the basics easy to take because he does it in such a humorous and painless way.
Inside Job :  This documentary will make you so angry you'll join the nearest 99 percent group.  Unlike Micheal Moore's slant on this subject, this is even handed in blaming everyone.  The most powerful part of the movie is the interview of economists who "missed" seeing the crisis.  They don't know when they start the interview that the interviewer knows exactly why they "missed" it.  Powerful stuff.
Too Big to Fail :  This one is a little slow but will also make you very very angry when you find out how the financial crisis unfolded, who did what, and what happened to all the bad guys (they made millions and are still in charge of the banks).

Movie Review: 50/50 3.5 stars

You want to watch this movie after the Ides of March to get you out of your funk.  This is the feel good movie of the season.  It's hard to imagine watching a movie about a man dying of cancer as being uplifting but this movie accomplishes that.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception) has cancer and his life is unraveling.  He is helped along this bumpy road by his slacker best friend played by Seth Rogan.  Of course, Seth plays the role of the lovable slaker in every movie he's been in.  He actually way overplays this role and because quite annoying as the movie goes on.  In fact, his performance is the only negative aspect of this movie.  If you don't get a chance to see it in the movies you need to put it on your "must see" list when it comes out in DVD.

Movie Review: Ides of March 3.5 stars

This movie had the most powerful performances of the year.  Everyone did a great job but particularly Ryan Gosling and Phillip Seymour Huffman.  It had a powerful story too.  Unfortunately, it was very depressing.  George Clooney is a Governor running for President.  Things start to going wrong in his campaign from the start of the movie and they keep going wrong until the movie is over.  I highly recommend this movie.  Just go in knowing that you will not be happy when you leave.  I don't doubt that this movie will be an Oscar nominee.

Movie Review: Drive 2 stars

This movie could have be, should have been one of the best of the year.  The story though is terrible.  I was hoping for the standard formula of the quiet guy gets poked with a stick by the bad guys until he beats or kills them.  That's the formula!  With great actors like Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan this movie should have blown everyone away.  Instead they give us a very depressing bit of tripe that we just can not swallow.  Anyone who sees this movie can't help but be disappointed.  Casting was a problem too.  They made "Mr. Whiner" Albert Brooks the menacing bad guy.  Really?  Albert Brooks a menacing bad guy?  Kirsten Dunst is more menacing than Albert Brooks.  All that bad is balanced by an incredible performance by the two stars.  Do NOT rent this movie when comes out.  I think that only a dozen people went to the theater and watch this movie but people will see Ryan Gosling on the cover and assume it's a good movie....it's not.