Juno

MUST-SEE: What makes Juno a must-see isn’t one of your stereotypical categories like great acting, good story, etc. etc. Juno is a masterpiece because it is a story that has been told a million times (the story being a teenage girl gets pregnant and endures nine months of self-discovery), but carries with it a tender truthfulness that allows audiences to empathize in realistic ways, pregnant or not. As it is with most indie films, the authenticity of day-to-day bland routine is the carrier of this story. Boring people from the outside become fascinating characters by the end. The director gives us real people with real problems, who live in a (semi) real place in the world. Added with the funky acoustic tunes musically narrating each scene’s emotion, the story creates a world we want to follow, and even believe in. I will say that the acting is great and the story is fabulous, but keep in mind that this isn’t a stereotypical film. It does something different because it plays on actual reality. Basically, you’ll want to believe you could find an answer if you asked what the characters were doing nowadays. The film is that good. It’s funny and it’s touching. Most of all, it’s entertaining. Don’t miss out, no matter what age or taste. It’ll please any who grew up once, fell in love ever, or had to raise a kid.

The System

Grades, stars, or other forms of rating systems for films are too broad and narrow-minded to accurately influence a viewer to see or not see a certain movie. As one who is passionate about all films, good or bad, and love any genre, I believe critiques are only opinions, and the best way to view a film is to be without pre-conceived expectations. But, because passion differs from preference, and for the benefit of my readers, I'll implement a make-shift rating system. I want all my readers to see as many movies as they can, but if you want an opinion (not a bottom-line) than take my rating with a grain of salt AS you watch, not as a reason TO (or not to) watch. Instead of stars, or grades, which are too general, I am going to use words.

Starting from the bottom, a movie that doesn't quite accomplish what it aimed to and probably has acting and a storyline to match, are the QUESTIONABLES. Next up are the films that have a lot of great qualities in them, like acting, or story, or music, etc, but they are either boring, extreme, or bland. We'll call them the ALMOSTS. In the middle is where most movies probably fall, as they are entertaining stories, solid roles with good acting, and a wide range of audiences will enjoy it. Appropriately, I believe, we'll call them WORTH IT. Moving to the higher end, I'll introduce the MUST-SEE category. These movies are everything of the 'worth it' films, but they have a sparkle, something extra, that makes them great. They carry deep stories, involve complex characters, and leave their mark. Lastly, are the PHENOMENALS. These movies deserve Oscars, they deserve acclaim, they accomplish what great movies should. They compel audiences, drive home transcendent themes, tell unique tales, exemplify star performance and use music, scenery, and costume as imperative tools in the execution of their masterpiece. ***Although I use the word phenomenal a lot to describe films I am passionate about, it does not mean it falls in this category.



Enjoy the system... but don't miss out on great flicks

Before the Devil Knows Your Dead

ALMOST: Up front, I'll admit that I was entertained by this movie. The action was non-stop, and the drama piled on. Performances by Seymour-Hoffman, Hawke, etc. make it candy for the eyes. The storyline is where my confusion begins and where I have a hard time recommending this one to anyone else. First of all, it's violent. Secondly it works backwards and sideways in the time sequence, making it harder to tie up loose ends. Finally, the end is where most of my dissatisfaction occurs. And it occurs because of those loose ends. The storyline, working in so many directions takes on equally as many subplots and minor characters that we only get a sampling of. Their significance is lost by the end and the audience is left to wonder why they were included at all. This point backs up that the movie could have been a half hour shorter, as I felt an ending coming in every scene during those last 30 minutes. You'll leave with a lot of whys and maybe even some hows as to what went on during the film. But, don't let the confusion discredit the acting, as this group performed at maximum talent despite a curvy script. Brace yourself for the violence, and a little sex, but be comforted that the meat of the film lies in the sequence, those graphic details, just coloring inside the lines.

August Rush

WORTH-IT: So worth it! August Rush is a family friendly happy ending movie made for those of us that need some life inspiration and reaffirmation of the good in life. Although masked by the most cheesy script I've ever heard, the storyline is unique. The heart of young Evan (August himself) tugs you along, giving the audience the same hope to find his parents through an uncanny musical genius he was born with thanks to a musically inclined Keri Russell and Johnathan Rhys-Meyers. Again, cheesy script will make you cringe at these two, especially after Russell instilled us with the utmost respect after Waitress. Nevertheless, the pair finds chemistry underneath the words, and the true heart is revealed in the music, the phenomenal music. So in conclusion, this film is worth its cheesiness to experience the happiness. The music and acting is supreme, and emotion is honest. Give it a chance, but don't expect to be blown away.

The Golden Compass

WORTH-IT: The Golden Compass stars two of today's Aussie stars (Kidman and Craig) alongside raging ice Bears, Western Sky Fliers (Sam Elliot), mischievous children, magical witches, and an authoritative Monastery. The bottom-line here is that there is probably even more going on in this movie, but that is all I can remember. It is the first installment of an infamous trilogy, based on the anti-religion novels of Phillip Pullman. At base-level, it is simple that, a first installment. The entire film is a build up for what we don't know is going to happen. It's two hours of introducing characters, proving character's strength, and loosely brushing over the suggestion that organized religion is going to take over our souls. The Golden Compass is worth going to see though, first and foremost because of the havoc Pullman's motive has caused, but ultimately, because this film's special effects and eye popping visual stimulation are phenomenal. Never has a bear spoke with such frightful sincerity. Never has a witch seemed more enchanting. The storyline, although incomplete, offers a substantial amount of entertainment... enough to make me say I enjoyed the movie. And, I will say in defense for screen writers, the film has the ability to stand apart from the religious antics the book doses. Without the knowledge of Pullman's works, or the inability to separate fictional entertainment from everyday politics, this film can simply be taken as entertaining eye candy. Enjoy. I'll see the next.

American Gangster

MUST-SEE: (Ridley Scott) What was proclaimed as the season's most violent gangster film may be more appropriate and welcomed as the season's most surprisingly entertaining gangster movie. For one, the violence rarely steals the direction of this script. Secondly, phenomenal acting flows out of every character, leaving no dull moments and certainly no monotony. American Gangster is a truly gripping tale of the infamous drug king, Frank Lucas. He was Harlem's finest, giving to the poor, loving his family, and selling the cheapest and finest "Blue Magic" cocaine in town. The film reveals the journey Lucas underwent to manufacture his magic, played tremendously by Denzel Washington, keeping the story dripping directly from his emotions, inevitably making it hard to root against him. Opposite a flawless Denzel is the equally impressive Russell Crowe. A divorced father to one and a too-good-for-his-own-good cop, Crowe adds a genuine intelligent naivety to the underground drug war. Black-balled by a corrupt police force for his good intentions, he finds a position He masters a white Harlem accent, looks the part of a no-good divorcee, and emphasizes his heart for justice that leaves that fence you'll be riding harder to get off of. From Scott, who brought you Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven, Gangster is never slow, always focused, and completely raw. It applies to a vast audience, whether you go to see Denzel, Russell, the historical values, or the intense story. Don't miss this movie.

Enchanted: A Happy Ending

MUST-SEE: Right off the bat, I know some of you are rolling your eyes or scoffing at the rating I give Enchanted. But heed my words and slow your tendencies to disregard, because this hilarious and perfectly over-the-top SPOOF on some of everyone's favorite Disney fairy tales is beyond any expectation I could have had. The story is the journey of an animated fair maiden (Amy Adams) destined to marry her sing-song prince (on the morning after they met), but instead is pushed into a well that lands her in the real New York City, by the evil stepmother (a sultry Susan Sarandon). Landing under the care of Robert (McDreamy) and his daughter, she barely misses a beat of Cinderella as she transitions into a world not meant for happy endings. Above all, the humor prevails. McDreamy faces Adams's constant urge to break out into song, her instinct to make a new dress out of his curtains each day, and her ability to summon all walks of life through the window of his apartment to help cook and clean. The screen is filled with laughter, ruffles and a spunky chipmunk that please the eyes of children, but the wit and satirical take on Disney makes this one a happy ending for adults too. Expect to finally be given a reason to laugh out loud at Cinderella's naivete, scoff at Snow White's furry following, and appreciate the outlandish plot for being a stretch beyond reality's boundary. It's funny, it's pretty, and might even make you want to sing your way out of the theater.

King of California

WORTH-IT: (Cahill) Kudos to Mike Cahill for his debut film, King of California: a terrific, absolutely terrific, film about believing in yourself, and in your family. Performances from Evan Rachel Wood and Michael Douglas credit this film for the acclaim it deserved (and received) at Sundance this year. The film is eclectic with a Little Miss Sunshine feel, but it digs deeper into the mind, shifting towards a Big Fish storyline. To trust your father or not trust your father? That is the common question. It combines fantasy and real-life in such a way that makes you question which is authentic and which deserves more attention? Douglas's Charlie is a single hippie father freshly discharged from a mental hospital and living without restriction in the house he can't pay for. Daughter Miranda, who has been supporting herself by selling McD's for the last two years, rolls her eyes in constant frustration over her father's relentless insistence that while he was in the hospital, he discovered a journal revealing the location of a large Spanish treasure dropped in the 17th century. Once home, he delves into finding the buried treasure, dragging Miranda along. The journey the two take around California's developing hillside easily turns into a desire to grow closer together and get to know each other again. The script touches on learning to trust, learning to accept family, and learning to hope. Above all, it emphasizes to whole-heartedly believe in what you believe in. Chase your dreams to the end is the motto Charlie seems to live by, illustrated by his constant effort to continue a seemingly dead-end search. Even when the X-marked spot is six feet under a cement and re bar Costco floor, Charlie sees no reason to quit. The film is fantastic. It is funny, warm, smart, and silly. More than you'll swim in emotion, you'll giggle softly, rethink lines, and re-evaluate whether or not you too believe Charlie, or believe your own dreams. See this film for the phenomenal first-time film maker's success. It's a winner.

Dan in Real Life

WORTH-IT: (Hedges) From the director of What's Eating Gilbert Grape, comes another feel good about your sad family story. This rendition is a quirky mesh of The Family Stone and Wedding Crashers. There is family football, holiday food, and rivaling family members over female counterparts. This one is done well. Steve Carell tones down his outlandish humor into a quirky and sardonic single dad, working to raise two teenagers and one pre-teen who is "in the fourth grade and can make up stuff on her own." Dan in Real Life is a beautiful compilation of 'real-life' father-daughter struggles, family stereotypes, and a comical love story. Throwing phenomenal Binoche into the mix brings exotic flair to a normal family, notable only because they are so darn genuine. The story is endearing, although as Carell and Dane Cook defend their love for the same girl, I cannot find the ability to separate Cook from his stand-up. I can't help but laugh when Cook portrays each line and emotion with the same tone and gesture he does in stand-up. But despite the oddity of Cook's character throughout the story, it actually helped round off the quirky feel this film carries. No one is supposed to be babelicious. Nothing is out of the ordinary. Everything is predictable. So predictable, that you would be disappointed otherwise. Everything is believable. So believable that come the end, you will find yourself attached to the hearts of these characters. Maybe not Dane's, (he's really just filler) but definitely Carell and his daughter's, definitely Binoche, and certainly the family as a whole. It teaches love, and not the romantic kind- the unconditional kind. And that lesson helps this film succeed beyond other 'holiday feel-goods.' See this one with the fam, or someone you want to be next to when your heart becomes all warm and fuzzy and a few tears slip down your cheek.

The Darjeeling Limited: Limited Flaw

MUST-SEE: (Andersen) I am just beginning to familiarize myself with Andersen's work, but this being my third exposure, I must say, he continues to impress, never fails to entertain and humor, and rarely wastes our time. With Darjeeling, Andersen dives right into the story, placing us with three grieving brothers on board a crowded Indian train known as the Darjeeling Limited. Recovering from the loss of their father and the disappearance of their mother, the bros are summoned by (Owen Wilson) Francis to reunite and reaffirm their brotherhood through a spiritual itinerary throughout India. The brothers do more than spar, as Francis resorts to hiding passports to keep either from leaving, Peter (Adrien Brody) accidentally releases a deadly snake into the cabin and Jack (Jason Schwartzman) mourns his love (Natalie Portman) to the point of shattering her perfume on the floor. Andersen's side-glanced humor flourishes with the eccentric relationship the brothers share, making the entire film's audacity seem hilarious. The family values moral creeps into each scene, giving Andersen's comedy some genuine credibility. It pleases the eye with an aesthetic touch on the dusty floor of the country, draws on the senses with the food and drink, and overall, Darjeeling succeeds in touching numerous emotion. I laughed, I sympathized, I hoped, and I feared. But most of all, I reiterate that I laughed. Treat yourself to this whimsy flick that should satisfy your funny bone and your heart.