The Five Year Engagement Review

                      The Five Year Engagement stars Emily Blunt and Jason Segel as Violet and Tom...a couple hopelessly in love with each other. When Tom proposes to Violet, she is flattered and says yes. However, things take a turn for the worst when Violet gets a job at the University Of Michigan. Her professor there is Winton (Rhys Ifans), and her co workers include Doug (Kevin Hart), Vaneetha (Mindy Kaling), and Ming (Randall Park). Also included in the film are Suzie (Allison Brie), Violet's sister and Alex (Chris Pratt), Tom's insanely incompetent best friend. As you can see...you have a solid cast for the makings of a good, or even great comedy here. As a famous phrase goes.."looks can be deceiving."

                     What starts out as a sweet, funny comedy quickly starts to drag and make you get sick of the characters. I will admit that I laughed out loud about five times..so it's not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination. The film is just messy. As with what a real five year engagement would feel like...it goes on for too long and you get tired of the people you're surrounded by. Segel and Blunt, although I have enjoyed them in every other movie they have been in, are kind of lame here. They are sad, depressed characters. This is not what I go to a comedy to see.
 
                     In fact, the main source of laughs in this film is Pratt..playing both idiot and sweetheart very well. I also liked how the film tries to bring up real, poignant issues about relationships. Although it slightly fails, it mostly succeeds in that aspect. Brie is also good here, playing an overwhelmed but simultaneously somewhat underwhelmed role in the wedding. The Five Year Engagement is dull and should have more laughs, but it is not an awful film. I'd say just wait for it to come out on DVD.
(2 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for sexual content, and language throughout)

Think Like A Man Review

                       Remember in This Is Spinal Tap when David (Michael McKean) explains the fact there is "a fine line between stupid and clever?" Yeah..I do, too. Think Like A Man takes that line and plays around with it. The good cast elevates much of this tedious material, but they cannot completely save it. The film is based on the book Act Like A Lady Think Like A Man by Steve Harvey. As with Games People Play, this book spawned many rip offs and homages-sometimes simultaneously. The film version of Think Like A Man feels more like a self indulgent autobiography of Harvey than that of an actual film.

                     The main problem I had with this film is that, while trying to be a comedy..it's not that funny. Why must we always have jokes that make both men and women animals? I guess some people find this funny since Tyler Perry continues to make movies, but I don't. The film is also two hours long..a length that should be saved for something a little more serious. Kevin Hart is perhaps the best part of the film...delivering a few honest laughs as a happily divorced man who is obviously miserable inside. In fact..I liked the whole cast from Romany Malco as the player of the group to Meagan Good as the woman with whom Malco falls in love with. While Hart was my favorite of the men, Regina Hall as a single mother who goes out with Michael (Terrence Jenkins also impressed me.
                  The whole cast is fantastic, but the film is bogged down by the lame script which includes Harvey talking about his book on a talk show and cliche supporting characters-such as the nerdy white guy who's married but whose wife you never see. Think Like A Man succeeds because of its solid cast, but the script was dead to begin with. I can't say I particularly hated the film, but I can't say that I liked it, either.
(2 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for sexual content, some crude humor, and brief drug use)

The Hunter Review

                      The Hunter is well acted, nicely directed, and edited perfectly. The Hunter is also pretty boring. This was the same complaint I had with this year's film, Coriolanus. While being two completely different films, The Hunter and Coriolanus seem to have everything down, but are both dull. The Hunter is an eco-thriller about Martin (Willem Dafoe), a woodsman who goes back for one last mission after retirement. Didn't see me mention the script as being good? Well...I didn't because it's an overly used script. I can name five films off the top of my head that feature the plot of one last assignment before being retired..hell, Contraband came out this year with the same type of plot. The film is a bit better than it should be, however. While the script is cliche, it does add in a romance with Lucy (Frances O'Connor), the woman Martin is staying with whose husband she never sees.

                The film is a bit better due to the fact that the romance is realistic and brings up good points about relationships. The film gets bogged down when it gets to the hunting aspect. There are several scenes in the film that involve Martin just walking around, occasionally killing something. It's just boring to watch one guy hunt. Dafoe is excellent here, making us feel for Martin even if we are bored by his character. Also, O'Connor is pretty good here. Her acting is all through emotion. There's no fake acting in here..she shows raw emotion, almost making us feel as if she is actually feeling these feelings in real life. Sam Neill shows up as Jack, a man who is suspicious of Martin's intentions. Jack is a somewhat reprehensible character, but Neill is so good that he makes Jack justified. Martin is a nice guy, but we get to feeling that he's up to no good, as Jack thinks.

             There is also a nice use of Bruce Springsteen's I'm On Fire. In fact, it is one of the best uses of song in film. The Hunter, as I am thinking about it, is actually pretty good. I just wish that I wasn't as bored as I was. I'm going to recommend The Hunter, but with high reservations.
(3 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language and brief violence)

Cabin In The Woods Review

                          I choose not to give away any of the plot in this review. It is a film that, believe it or not, if you do not know anything about the plot, you're better off. I will say, right off the bat, however, that Cabin In The Woods is Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's definitive masterpiece.
       
                         Cabin In The Woods is a horror film that stands out like no other horror film. It stands out because rather than being a straight horror film, it is in parts equally hilarious and weird. For people who complain that Hollywood has run out of ideas and can't even make a good horror film nowadays..this movie is for you. It is a high concept horror film. Unlike movies such as The Woman In Black and The Darkest Hour, this film has an original, cool plot. This movie will have you peeing your pants from being scared, but it will also have you peeing your pants from laughter. Writer Joss Whedon, who may be best known for his shows Firefly and Dollhouse and co writer Drew Goddard create a creepy atmosphere that is oddly compelling considering the strangeness of it. As well, Goddard, with his first time directing gives the film an awesome visual look worthy of a Visual Effects Award.

                         I also really liked the acting in this film, from Chris Hemsworth to Bradley Whitford to Richard Jenkins, everyone knocks it out of the park. The film is also very daring-going places that you don't expect it to go. On top of all this, the film is very inventive and imaginative in its finale as well as its build up. The finale is in equal parts funny and scary, and you should see for yourself what I'm talking about.

                         I'm not a big horror movie guy, so going into Cabin In The Woods I was skeptical, but now that I've seen it..I urge you to see it now. It is a fantastically fun time at the movies.

Footnote: I'm sorry if  this review was a little lethargic on my part, it is simply a hard film to review due to the fact that you'd be better off figuring out the plot for yourself, as I did.
(5 out of 5 Stars..The film is rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, language, drug use, and some sexuality/nudity)

Thin Ice Review

                          Thin Ice is a dark comedy written by sisters Jill and Karen Sprecher, and directed by Jill. Although the Sprecher sisters have claimed that this is not "their" film, that did not stop me from enjoying it. The film is a very funny comedy about an unlikable insurance agent named Mickey (Greg Kinnear.) He is divorced from his wife (Lea Thompson) who works with him, and their last decision together was not to tell everyone in the office they are no longer together. One day, Mickey is inspecting the house of Gorvy (Alan Arkin), an old man who he has convinced to buy an insurance plan. It is then that Mickey finds out Gorvy has a very valuable violin that he does not know about. When Mickey attempts to switch the expensive violin for a cheap replica, security man Randy (Billy Crudup) kills a certain someone who I choose not to give away, and blackmails Mickey to do what he wants in exchange for Mickey not going to jail.

                         Say what you will about this film (it is, after all, a film for acquired tastes), but Thin Ice sucked me in from the first line, which involves a speech by Kinnear about communication. By far the best thing about the film, though is the acting. Kinnear, a very likable actor plays a completely reprehensible character here, and it gets to showing that Kinnear is a very versatile actor. Also, Crudup who has proved to be a phenomenal actor in such films as Almost Famous, Watchmen, and Big Fish gives yet another excellent performance. Randy is a character who you can't really root for, but you can't really root against. He is giving a despicable guy his comeuppance while he himself is a terrible person. Crudup is especially good here because he makes you see the good in Randy, while still managing to be pretty evil. I also liked the supporting cast, including Arkin, Thompson, and David Harbour as Kinnear's hopelessly incompetent assistant.

                        The film can not be reviewed, however, without me giving my opinion on the twist. While this twist is going to anger many people, there are also going to be people like myself  who thinks the twist is great. The twist, which some will accuse of being a cop out twist, or a lame twist was, in my opinion, one of the best twist endings I've ever seen. Simply put-if you are looking for a twist in the form of The Usual Suspects, you are going to be sadly disappointed. If you're looking for a cool, weird, and wacky twist ending that is unlike most others, you will be surprised and delighted at this twist ending.

                        Jill and Karen, who previously did the light office comedy Clockwatchers, and the drama Thirteen Conversations About One Thing go into dark comedy territory, and do very well at it. Both Clockwatchers and Thirteen Conversations About One Thing were films I loved. Those dealt with more realistic views on the world. Thin Ice is a less realistic view on society, and at that, deals with something that rarely happens in real life. The sisters here have made something more along the lines of The Coen Brothers, and do a very nice job at it.Thin Ice is a very fun time at the movies if you're looking for something different from the Sprecher sisters.
(4 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language and brief violent and sexual content)

Lockout Review

                                    I'm sure many people will enjoy the new sci-fi-action-thriller film, Lockout. I did not. It takes place in Washington DC, circa 2079, where 500 prisoners have just taken over a maximum security prison. Emilie (Maggie Grace) is the daughter of The President of the United States who was up there interviewing prisoners, including the one who ultimately starts the takeover. Snow (Guy Pearce) is an ex-CIA operative who just got charged with murder who is then practically forced to go up to MS1, the maximum security prison that has just been taken over on a life or death mission.

                                   I did enjoy a couple of things about this film. First off, Snow is a witty character. He is written as a wise cracking jerk, and that is indeed all he is. It is funny that this is all that he is, and it would not be enjoyable any other way. Also, without giving a single thing away, the twist at the end comes out of nowhere, and I mean that in a good way. It is a twist that no one will see coming, and it almost makes the movie worthwhile because it makes up for some of the things that the movie lacked. Although I did like these two things, Lockout is a movie in the most minuscule way possible. In fact, it is not so much a movie as much as it is a video game disguised as a movie. Watching it, I got that feeling when I watch someone else play a video game. It's fun for about two minutes, but quickly becomes slow and dull.

                                  This was based on an idea by Luc Besson, who is perhaps best known for Leon The Professional, which may have my vote for the most overrated film of all time. Besson is a great writer in all aspects, as much as it sounds like I am bashing him here. He wrote The Fifth Element, as well as other great films as Unleashed, La Femme Nikita, and Taken. As well, Besson's idea is a creative and clever one. It's just that this is the first time that screenwriters and directors James Mather and Stephen St. Leger has done a big screen film, and this is not a good fit for them. I have no problem with first time writers and directors doing bad films. If you believe a first time writer and/or director that did a bad film can not become famous, look at Woody Allen. His first written film was What's New Pussycat, and his first directed was What's Up Tiger Lily?. None of these were very good films, but look at him now.

                                  I digress..so back to the film at hand. Lockout is a film that its intended audiences will have fun at. That audience is dumb teenagers who are at least smart enough to skip The Three Stooges. However, the film lacks any presence. Even as I am typing this review, two hours after having seen the film, I have totally forgotten about it. Lockout will surely be completely out of my brain by tomorrow, and even if you enjoy it, it will be nothing memorable for you, either.
(2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and language including some sexual references)

The Three Stooges Review

                        The Three Stooges has been in production hell for years now. It is now out, in theaters, and stars three (pretty much) unknowns. We have Chris Diamantopoulus, best known for appearing in multiple TV shows such as The Sopranos and 24. Then we have Sean Hayes, ONLY known for Will And Grace as Larry, and Will Sasso, known for Mad TV and Less Than Perfect. All of the things that these people are known for are TV shows, which could potentially help them in a TV show turned movie. However, it becomes increasingly obvious that these three men have little to no experience in movies. Some people that were included in the casting process were Jim Carrey, Sean Penn, and Johnny Knoxville among others. It may have been distracting to have big stars play the trio, but then again it might have helped having some people who are good on the big screen. In fact, the well known people in this film all get terrible roles. We have Jane Lynch and Larry David as nuns. We also have Craig Bierko and Sofia Vergara as a couple. However, these people are also more well known for TV than for movies..they just happen to give their terrible roles some life through their talent.

                      As much as I am ranting about the acting in this film, that is not my main problem. The main problem I had with this film is that it is just not funny. Slapstick is kind of like week old pastries-it's no longer relevant and it only tastes good if you're really hungry. I feel obliged to mention that this comes from The Farrelly Brothers. These men generally do good with PG-13 films (Shallow Hal, Stuck On You, Dumb And Dumber, ETC.) They do excellent with R rated comedies (There's Something About Mary, Me Myself And Irene, ETC.) However, these brothers have also done some horrible things to film (The Heartbreak Kid comes to mind), but their biggest waste of times was the inventive, but boring Osmosis Jones. Osmosis Jones is rated PG, just like The Three Stooges. The Farrelly Brothers do not do well with kid films, and it has shown through their two attempts.
           
                   The Three Stooges is divided into three skits, and the least I can say is they get the credits rights. The episodes have silly puns in them, and even the old Stooges logo, but the film places them in modern day, therefore not keeping the feel of the Stooges classics. Also, Diamontopoulous, Hayes, and Sasso make you know that they are not as good as the originals. Roger Ebert, a film critic I highly respect once said "most remakes were the equivalent of being teabagged by Hitler's monkey." In describing how The Farrelly Brothers remake The Three Stooges, I couldn't have said it any better myself.
(1 Star out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG for slapstick action violence, some rude and suggestive humor including language)

Delicacy Review

                                     Francois Damiens and Audrey Tautou in the new comedy Delicacy
                        Delicacy is a French comedy that revolves around a romance between a woman named Nathalie (Audrey Tautou) and a (somewhat) free spirit named  Markus (Francois Damiens). It is a comedy in the slightest of terms. You hardly laugh at all, but you acknowledge that it is funny, and sit there enjoying yourself. The film is about so much more than laughs, though, as it gets deep into its characters' personal problems and gives us real world issues we are faced with everyday.

                      While Delicacy is delightful in its own right, the film is very flawed. It is not because it has a lot of flaws but rather because it has one flaw that almost ruins the film. The build up to the romance between Nathalie and Markus is completely unbelievable. What happens to get them to fall in love with each other would never happen in real life. The film does make up for this by giving us, as previously mentioned, the real world problems we  conquer everyday. The problem is that these problems are presented by reflecting off such an unrealistic take on the world. Now, I'm going to quit my whining about that and move onto the good of the film.

                      Tautou and Damiens both give terrific performances. Nathalie and Markus have excellent chemistry, even after the unrealistic build up. Tautou is playing her character so that we feel for her, while Damiens is very funny and yes, sometimes even a little touching in his role.

                      There is a scene involving a fight between Markus and Nathalie's boss, Charles (Bruno Todeschini.) I won't say what happens..but it is a crucial scene in the film and builds great character development in Markus. The ending to the film, which I will also not ruin, is perfect as well. The film ends at a surprising time, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

                      Delicacy is mushy in its storytelling, and both Tautou and Damiens have a bit of a wacky side to them. This is what makes the film work. If it weren't for the build up to the romance, I would highly recommend this film. As it is, Delicacy does get a moderate recommendation from me for all the good that came out of the film.
(3 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for some strong language)

Mirror Mirror Review

                                Mirror Mirror is a sweet film in the worst way possible. Upon watching it, I got the taste of syrup in my mouth. This was not due to anything I was eating. In fact, I never eat in a theater. It was due to the fact that the film was so gooey and icky that I could hardly stand it. In last year's Abduction, Lily Collins failed to impress me with her bland acting (not to mention her abnormally large eyebrows.) In Mirror Mirror, Collins once again gives a bland performance that would be worthy of a Razzie if it weren't so insignificant.

                              In the film, Collins plays Snow White, while Julia Roberts plays The Evil Queen who took over the palace and intends to keep it that way. The main problem I had with this film is that neither Collins nor Roberts are all that attractive. Collins and Roberts play characters who are supposed to think that they are the most attractive in their land. Considering we rarely see any other women, this may be true. The fact that they would be considered attractive in any other part of the world is a question that leaves a simple answer-no.

                            The other big sin of this film is that it's just boring. Nothing exciting happens with these characters, and as a fan of the tale of Snow White, I feel something more should have happened. The film, on top of all this, is not funny at all. While the film is advertised as a comedy, I didn't laugh once. I suppose I was mildly amused by the antics of the little people, most off all Grimm (Danny Woodburn), but I didn't even laugh at them. Nathan Lane and Armie Hammer play supporting characters and are not charming nor funny in the slightest.

                           Why would you go see Mirror Mirror? I guess if you're a very little kid or have very little kids, you will want to see it. Otherwise, there's nothing here for you.
(1 Star out of 5, The film is rates PG for some fantasy action and mild rude humor)

We The Party Review

                     We The Party is the latest film from Mario Van Peebles. It is a comedy revolving around a group of friends trying to make it through high school in the present day of social media, peer pressure, and other dilemmas. The main character in the film is Hendrix (Mario's son Mandela Van Peebles.) His dad, Sutton (Mario Van Peebles) is a teacher at the school which both helps and hurts Hendrix's academic future. On one hand, his dad wants what's best for him and helps him get impressive grades in school. On the other hand, Sutton puts Hendrix on the mandatory tutoring list and hurts his social life by this.

                   The film then revolves around Hendrix and his friends, as well as Hendrix with his long time crush, Cheyenne (Simone Battle). What I loved most about We The Party is its sense of humor. It's a very funny film, but doesn't throw anyone under the bus by making them unlikable. For example, there is a creepy kid in the class named CC (rapper YG). However, even CC has good traits after him, and many good traits at that. In fact, the only really unlikable character is Big D (fellow rapper Snoop Dogg). Hendrix and his friends, while having their flaws, are very charming young men. In many movies these days, we either get 100% unlikable characters or 100% likable characters. Either someone has all flaws and no good or someone is a perfect angel. In We The Party, we get flawed characters, almost all of which have some good under them.

                   The film also features excellent chemistry. One of my tests of a comedy is whether or not the people involved looked like they were having a good time with each other or not. Every person in this film looked like they were having a great time. The film also features five Van Peebles, a touching thing to see in a film. As well, the film has excellent direction from Mario Van Peebles, whose previous works as a director include the magnificent films New Jack City and Baadasssss about his father, fellow director Melvin Van Peebles. Melvin almost entirely created the Blaxpotation film movement, and Mario is following in his father's footsteps as someone who is going to change film as we know it. We The Party is a great start to Mario's soon to be unforgettable career as a director.
(4 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for sexual content, language, and brief drug use-all involving teens)

The Skinny Review

                           The Skinny in the new drama by Patrik-Ian Polk. Polk has recently done Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom and Punks. I have not seen either of these films. The Skinny, as my first viewing of Polk's films is a good film I will never want to watch again. It is good, but it's so heavy handed and dramatic that I would not want to see again.

                            The film is about a group of friends. Four are homosexual men and a lesbian woman. They are Magnus, Kyle, Sebastian, Joey, and Langston. They go through daily routines as well as surprising revelations. With another film about a group of five friends also out this weekend, I wonder if this is purely coincidence or intentionally done. While The Skinny and American Reunion are two completely different films, one has to wonder if Polk released it around when people started talking about American Reunion, and in some areas the weekend American Reunion came out to gain more attention. But I digress, so back to The Skinny.

                            What I liked more than anything about this film is that it shows the good and evil in all of us. While all 5 friends have their good sides, they also have their weaker moments in which they fall trap to society's needs and wants. I also loved the acting. Every actor here makes their character a person with different interests, personalities, and desires. However, the romance stuff got a bit too icky. It got to the point where you knew who was going to end up with who and why. I did like some of the relationships, while others paled by comparison. The Skinny is a film with many good qualities about it, but I will say it's one you're only going to want to see once.
(3 out of 5 Stars, The film is not rated, but does contain many adult themes and is not recommended for children)

American Reunion Review

                        American Reunion is a film that looks back at the American Pie films. Let me take that back...it looks back at the actual American Pie films. Now-let me preface this review by saying I really liked American Reunion. Maybe it's because I have a soft spot for the American Pie cast. Maybe it's because Eugene Levy is hilarious. Maybe it's just because I really liked it. It's actually all of those.

                       The film is not only funny, but touching in its delivery. Writers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who previously did the screenplays for all three (and hilarious) Harold and Kumar movies puts in their own brand of humor while keeping the American Pie spirit. There is a particularly hilarious scene involving Stifler and a couple of jet skis. Unlike in the previous films, Jim (Jason Biggs) is the straight man. He does get into a few wacky situations, but he's surrounded by all the even more crazy people. I liked the whole cast, in fact. I especially liked newcomers Ali Korbin as Kara and Dania Ramirez as Selena. Kara is a girl who Jim used to babysit who has turned into a young woman who is strangely attractive to Jim. Selena is the old girl from band camp who is now also a young woman, this one being attractive to Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas).

                      However, Eugene Levy as Jim's Dad, who has no name as in the previous films, steals the film. He is so caring and nice and understanding to everything that happens around him that it's hilarious. I enjoyed seeing these charming  characters back. However, American Reunion, while being pretty funny and sweet, could have been better. It's a fun film...but it's one that doesn't live up to its potential. I say see it at a matinee.
(3 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for crude and sexual content throughout, nudity, language, brief drug use, and teen drinking)

October Baby Review

                                   October Baby may just be one of those faith-based dramas, or it may not be. It is not just another faith-based drama to answer that question. Rather, it is a humorous, close to great, but very good drama. It follows Hannah, who after a collapse on stage at a high school play finds out that her health risks are due to the fact that she was aborted early. To top this, her "parents" are not her real parents (hence the quotations), and have never told her the truth.

                                   Hannah is played by Rachel Hendrix, a beautiful young actress who despite having done only a TV movie named Alumni with her co-star in this, Jason Burkey, does an excellent job. Hendrix is quick with the eyes. Just when you think she feels one way, her eyes tell you otherwise. Burkey, who plays her friend, Jason in the film is good at creating some humor while being serious when he wants to. Jason also has a colorful group of friends, which helps make this movie funny as well as touching. I haven't ever gotten to the best part yet. John Schneider, who you may know as the original Bo Duke plays Jacob, Hannah's adoptive father. Schneider, who is also know for his musical career is excellent here. He is the key to this film.

                                   Jacob is all business and no pleasure, and Schneider takes that personal to new heights and makes it his own. The film is also not as preachy or boring as you would expect it to be. In fact, it's very entertaining. I won't say what happens at the end, or in the middle, but I will say that both times I got a bit choked up.

                                  October Baby is sadly not going to find a big audience, but if you are willing to take the time to watch this film, you might just be surprised at how much you like it. (3 and 1/2 stars out of 5 stars)

Boy Review

                                                     New Zealand has come out with some great stuff over the years. Once Were Warriors, Whale Rider, Black Sheep, and Broken English specifically come to mind. Their newest offering, from Taika Waititi, who directed Eagle VS Shark, is Boy. It is about a kid who goes by the name Boy. His guardian has left to go to a funeral. Boy is all alone. That is, until his father, Alamein (the man himself Taika Waititi) shows up out of the blue.

                                                     Let me preface my arguments to this film by saying I had all the hope in the world for this film. However, hope and the final verdict are two completely different things. I did not like Boy all that much. I am not saying that it is a terrible film...I am simply saying it was not a good one. My first problem with the movie is that while James Rolleston gives a decent, if not good performance as Boy, the character of Boy is so odd, and not in a charming way. Rather, Boy is odd in a creepy way. He does not know anything about social skills, and perhaps never will. My second complaint is that as writer and director of this film, Waititi could have given himself a substantially better character. Alamein is so stereotypical in everything that he does. He escapes from prison, he does drugs, he is tough on his son. Spare me because I have seen all these characteristics done significantly better in a plethora of other films. Speaking of which, I really didn't care for any characters in this film...they're all so cookie cutter.

                                                  It's all been leading up to this, however.......the biggest problem I had with the film. It's a simple problem, but one that is consistent throughout the film. The biggest issue I had with this film is that it lacks any sort of emotional punch. Scene after scene, we are supposed to care about these characters and the obstacles they have to overcome, but we simply do not. We are supposed to be crying inside at the fact that Boy has a tough life, or that his friends don't see him anymore. It's not that these issues aren't presented in a touching way. It's that by the time these issues roll around, we have gotten so unattached to these cliche characters that we don't care anymore.

                                                 Boy does have some good in it, however. It is funny when it wants to be (which is not that often), and despite bad characters, the acting is pretty good from most of the cast. However, Boy is also lazy in its storytelling and is better than it thinks it is. I would recommend Boy for a boring Saturday night, but not for anything else.
(2 Stars out of 5, The film is not rated but does feature smoking, cussing, drinking, and violence, and is equivalent to that of a PG-13 rating)

Jiro Dreams Of Sushi Review

                            Jiro and his apprentices take on the art of making sushi in Jiro Dreams Of Sushi
                                      Generally speaking, I think the best type of documentaries are the ones that take you by surprise simply because you do not know anything about the subject. Just look at my favorite documentary of the past couple of years-Bill Cunningham New York. This film was about a New York photographer of whom I knew nothing about. It succeeded due to the fact that I was engaged throughout as the process of me learning about him went on and on. The newest documentary, a Japanese film named Jiro Dreams Of Sushi also succeeds in this category. It follows 85 year old sushi maker Jiro who, despite many opportunities to retire has not. This is due to the fact that Jiro loves the craft of making sushi. He loves every little detail of it as he does it.
           
                                     By far the most interesting thing about the film is the fact that Jiro, despite having no real secret on making sushi, makes an incomparable piece of sushi. He is much like Gary Dahl, the inventor of the pet rock. By this I mean that both have a simple talent but both seem to have taken that talent to new levels. While the pet rock was a nothing idea, Dahl become a millionaire. Similarly, while Jiro's sushi is not an incredibly difficult thing to make, he makes it his own. There are so many interesting things in this film that this review might benefit from me making a list of the fascinations to be had in this film. In actuality, however, that would take away from the magic of watching this film. I knew nothing about Jiro walking into the film, and now I want to know much more about him. This brings me to my only complaint, or compliment whichever way you want to look at it. I wish the film was longer. The film got me so interested that I wanted to hear more about Jiro's passion, more about his way of doing things. As the credits were rolling, I was wondering....why did it have to end so soon?

                                     Jiro is an interesting and sweet man. Therefore, we are interested and charmed by his attitude and daily routines. In the film, they explain how Jiro has a daily routine, even down to the fact that he waits for the train at the same spot daily. We cannot compare ourselves to Jiro due to the fact that we know how fascinating he is, even if he does do what we do everyday, such as going to work, eating, ETC. Jiro is interesting because he does all this with such passion, and we cannot say we are as passionate about sushi as he is. Sure, I'm extremely passionate about film, but Jiro works day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute doing what he loves, and that's an accomplishment in its own right.
(4 and 1/2 Stars, The film is rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief smoking)

                               

Footnote Review

                                  Footnote is a new comedy that comes all the way to us from Israel. It was nominated for best foreign film at the Oscars last year, and deservedly so. Footnote is hilarious in the most subtle way possible. It does not provide many laugh out loud moments of intense floor rolling. On the contrary, you rarely laugh in the film because it's so witty and slick and busy getting to the heart of the jokes that you don't have hardly any time to laugh. The film works best, however, because of its no holds barred attitude. One of the rules of thumb for a great comedy is that anything goes, and in this film..nothing's too sacred.

                                 The film follows Uriel and Eliezer, a father and son who are extremely competitive in the same type of field. They both are scientists researching the Talmud, a Jewish scroll that was created back in the old days. When Eliezer gets a call to receive the Israel award, he is in great (and happy) shock. However, the award was meant for son Uriel. Uriel can't tell his father because he thinks it will be the death of him (quite possibly literally.) The main problem with this film is how it's being advertised. In the trailers, it gives off the impression that it's all about the award. While the Israel award plays a big part in a very funny second half, it does not real come up that the award was meant for the son until about 45 minutes in, and the father doesn't get notification of the award until about 35 minutes in. The thing that's great about this film is that the build up to the award is just as funny as the award stuff itself. The only problem I had with this film is the end. Yes, everyone in my audience, including myself thought that a reel was missing due to the abrupt ending that doesn't wrap up the movie at all. This is my only complaint with the film besides the advertising, however.

                              The perfect casting is another thing I loved about this film. Everyone in this fairly unknown cast does a terrific job. The actors who play the role of Uriel and Eliezer are Lior Ashkenazi and Shiomo Bar-Aba. These two are really funny both on and off screen together. Footnote is just about the perfect movie..the script extremely funny, the acting fantastic, and the execution absolutely daring, but the end a let down. I suggest you go check out Footnote if you're looking for some subtle comedy that doesn't really let ends meet.
(4 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG for thematic elements, brief nudity, language, and smoking)

Wrath Of The Titans Review

                         Just when I thought John Carter was definitely going to get the worst film of 2012 award come December..Wrath of the Titans had to come out. Well, as a very famous man said...'fool me once shame on you..fool me twice shame on me." As someone who absolutely despised the first remake of Clash of the Titans, I have no idea why this film even exists. However, it looked better than the first one just from the trailers alone. It's actually worst than the fist one.

                       Sam Worthington returns as the incredibly unlikable and dull Perseus. He is now fighting Hades (Ralph Fiennes) who has captured his father, Zeus (Liam Neeson.) All three of these actors are incredibly good actors when they want to be. Neeson and Fiennes seem to be giving it the old college try but not succeeding while Worthington screws around giving us nothing to root for. All the actors here are terrible. Even Bill Nighy and Danny Huston get roles and manage to screw it up. The acting is not the worst part, however. The worst part of the film is that absolutely nothing happens. I'm not just saying nothing we care about happens..I'm saying nothing happens.

                      Also, the 3D is just as bad as the first one. The first film made everyone wonder if 3D's even worth the extra money, and this one will put that question to order again. As well, the i Max, presented on a gargantuan screen is nothing more than a cash grab for this film. If we live in a world where John Carter and Wrath of the Titans come out within two weeks of each other...I'm not sure if I want to live in this world. It's a sad day for film when 3D is used just as a cash grab. I remember when something came out in 3D and it meant something. Now A Days, everything comes out in 3D and it's all awful. The point being Wrath of the Titans is awful, despicable, and quite possibly one of the worst films I've ever seen in my life. With no cool visual effects to back it up, a dumb story, and horrific acting...just save your money on something better like a trip to the dentist.
(0 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of fantasy violence and action)