In keeping with the blog's theme, each member of the list will be backed up by its best life lesson of the typical three from each review.
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Altogether, War Horse is a worthy, emotional, and crowd-pleasing chapter to Spielberg's legacy and earns its rightful place as one of the best films of 2011.
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Shame, as you can read from the adjectives used above, is a bleak, dark, and, at many times, an uncomfortable drama. However, much like the equally dark and twisted dealings of the recent The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, those unsavory qualities fuel the intrigue and fascination in watching Shame. You won't like some of the things you see. You might not root for Brendan or Sissy, but you are engaged in their plights and want to know how deep their addictions and afflictions go. You get a contact buzz in witnessing how it all turns out.
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The Artist is a brilliant work of art that deserves to be appreciated just the way it is. There are plenty of chances out there for modern special effects and pointless dialogue, but challenge yourself to something old-fashioned and learn how people fell in love with acting and movies in the first place.
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My Week with Marilyn is a true story based on two memoirs from the real-life Colin Clark. This was the only time Marilyn Monroe ever made a movie outside North America. All told, like the recent Hugo andThe Artist the film is a rich and engaging story of the behind-the-scenes drama of the movie business. Just like Michelle's Marilyn and the real Marilyn, the movie has charm and attraction every step of the way. Beautifully filmed and balancing its comedy with its drama well, My Week with Marilyn is one of the best films of 2011.
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For some reason, serial killer movies (Se7en and Zodiac) seem to be an old reliable specialty for Fincher. While this film will never top the poignant suspense of Se7en, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a wonderfully engaging and endlessly interesting mystery. Though the movie runs nearly three hours, the deeper the investigation goes, the deeper the movie grabs your interest. Unlike the unsolved Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo offers a great many payoffs, twists, and surprises on its way to sequel-begging finish.
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Director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno, and Up in the Air) has put together another quirky movie that balances drama and comedy, but Young Adult falls short of being truly compelling like his previous works.
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Hugo deserves its place as one of the best films of 2011 on that level of craftsmanship alone. Its story is warm and stirring, but not as captivating from beginning to end as it should be.
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There are some things Tom Cruise does absolutely right. Playing Mission: Impossible's Ethan Hunt is one of them.
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There are a few magical times in movie history when a great actor goes against what he is known for or does best and gives a performance of a completely different range and capability than previously thought of them. I'm not talking about movie stars that get dirtied up or ugly to play odd parts. That's all window-dressing. I mean showing a completely different level of emotion and character than previously seen.
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