Movies

I rated these movies on a simple 1-10 scale.

Serpico-8

Great performance by Al Pacino as Frank Serpico, a cop trying to expose a massive amount of corruption. Reminded me of American Gangster for some reason. Much better than the cop movies that come out now days.

Casino-8

Epic, covering the life of Ace Rothstein, Las Vegas casino owner. The drama and dialogue are captivating throughout. DeNiro draws you in, making you love his character, in spite of who he is.

Boy A-6

New movie that surprised me. A sort of coming-of-age movie.

The Wrestler-6

Great job by Mickey Rourke. You really get drawn into his humanity. Again, like many of the movies I enjoy, the true, simple, and sincere dialogue and emotion draw you in.

Breakfast At Tiffany's-5

Spunky, flighty Audrey Hepburn is brilliant. Not a whole lot of plot, but Hepburn keeps you watching.

The Hurricane-5

The life of "The Hurricane" played by Denzel Washington and the boy he inspires. Classic Denzel throughout.

Billy Elliot-4

Heartwarming film about a boy who falls in love with the ballet, his true talent.

The Man Who Wasn't There-4

Typical Coen Brothers, dark, foreboding, dialogue driven. Frances McDormand is great as always, just like Fargo and Burn After Reading.

North By Northwest-4

Definitely has some moments that are pretty far-fetched, but it's typical Hitchcock-ian suspense.

Coraline-2

Animated film that reminded me faintly of Bridge To Terabithia or Pan's Labyrinth. Definitely not worth it though.

Full Metal Jacket-2

When you're expecting some sort of Wesley Snipes sci-fi, Full Metal Jacket is a shock to the system. Kubrick illuminates all the undesirable parts of the Vietnam War.

The Terminator-1

I just hate superhero movies where the hero, or in this case the archenemy, can't die. I guess he does finally, but still almost invincible enough to turn me off. Gotta love Arnold though.

A Clockwork Orange-0

Just weird, weird, weird, weird, weird. I liked Kubrick's "weird" in 2001: A Space Odyssey, but not here. If you offered me $50 to watch this again, I may turn you down. Unless I have some single malt.

To Kill A Mockingbird-0

Just boring.

Movies

Fargo-A classic Coen-Brothers directed film. Sure the humor is dark, and a few scenes are downright gruesome, but Kristin Rudrud keeps you laughing whenever she opens her mouth. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Doubt-Driven by the fantastic performances of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Amy Adams, Doubt rivets you to your seat with excellent dialogue. Add in the brilliant monologue by Viola Davis and you have a great film.

Air Force One-I'd never seen this one until now. Classic plot, classic Harrison Ford, classic action. Great entertainment.

Bottle Rocket-An early Wes Anderson film starring Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson. I did not enjoy this one as much as later Wes Anderson films. The quirky humor and catchy songs were not as present. Still a good watch if you're a fan of Wes Anderson.

Milk-No one can doubt the acting prowess of Sean Penn. And the cinematography was captivating. But let's be honest. This film was met with such critical acclaim because of the thematic material. The film is too long, with many lulls. Perhaps it's an "important" film to watch, but definitely not one of the best of 2008.