Top Films by Year
Top Films of 2020
Top Films of 2017
Top Films of 2015
Don Jon – 7.5
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is not my favorite actor (viz., Lincoln, Premium Rush), but his intelligence illuminates this fun story of a porn addict who has to learn that giving yourself in love is better than meaningless sex. The supporting actors are all sensational, in the style of Silver Linings Playbook, and the surprisingly non-erotic use of […]
Rush – 6.5
A formulaic movie about Formula 1: every cliche of the sports movie is rolled out, with only the world of auto racing offering any novelty. The close-ups of the drivers and their cars are riveting, and Chris Hemsworth and the two leading ladies are easy on the eyes; but in the end we are left […]
Elysium – 7
It’s hard to know how “realistic” a movie set in 2154 is, but the scenes of LA were reminiscent, in a good way, of Johannesburg in director Neil Blomkomp’s prior, better movie, District 9. Matt Damon on Earth was more convincing than Jodie Foster up in Elysium, but what is consistent in all these adventure […]
The Grandmaster – 4.5
Not a bad movie, but an absurd mess. I say not bad because there was a lot of beauty, and if you know a lot about kung fu those parts might have been interesting. All I know about kung fu after watching this movie is that it doesn’t make you sweat, it allows you to […]
Short Term 12 – 5.5
This movie about troubled youths in…exactly what kind of facility?…exposed my lack of empathy, as I didn’t find myself caring about anyone on-screen. Brie Larson had a Cate Blanchett-type role, but as much as I enjoyed watching her I couldn’t believe her character. First, she was absurdly perfect and self-controlled as a counselor tending to […]