Should have knocked this one off the list a long time ago. Pretty great little 73 minute indie sci-fi. I'm a sucker for this kind of movie and this one keeps a familiar topic simple and intriguing.
A kooky Mark Ruffalo and his struggle with parenthood through mental health problems - sign me up. It's a pretty family friendly feel good telling of the story - but not patronizing.
Fascinating character that made me look at her in a new light. Was also appeased that the Academy didn't just choose the populist choice for this year's best doc, although I haven't seen any of the other nominees.
Reynolds is definitely well suited to this role. This was a lot of fun. My expectations were low going into this one, so I was pleasantly surprised when they were surpassed. No story or plot - just a lot of fun.
Pretty consistent with the general feel of a Baumbach movie. Something about the way the dialogue was written or delivered though - more in a stage style - I found that a little irritating.
Pretty unremarkable, no strong impression either way. I mean, what's the point of any movie really, but aside from some mildly clever dialogue an interesting snapshot of 1950's Hollywood, there just wasn't a reason to invest in this story.
Manages to articulate some poignant societal restlessness and hypocrisies we all feel, but something about the on-screen chemistry or the way Segel sold it, there were times it didn't feel genuine and it took me out of it, which downgrades this from "good" to only "okay".
Would have never thought I'd have like this so much. Newfoundlanders can't resist a good irish story I guess. This was a really fragile emotional story and I thought it was navigated very skillfully. This type of movie doesn't get made this well often.
Vivid characters and some rock-star directing made this a good watch. Wasn't exactly what I was expecting but I'd follow these tranny pros around LA all day long. Wait...
Was hoping to get really under the radar indy gold with this but was sadly mistaken. Maybe some redeemable elements to it - but my expectations of, y'know, things happening, or stuff making sense, were not met.
Of all the ways you could have told this story, the form factor here was really interesting. Dano was really good. Even Cusack - who is hard to take seriously, showed up too. Tons of good Beach Boys tunes - sold. See this one if you haven't already.
Saw this on enough top 10 lists to have a look. Rough one to get through. Beautiful and artistically skillful, but hard to ride the throughline of the plot, keep the characters straight, and stay with it during the painfully slow pace.
To say that you're not disappointed with the most hyped movie in a decade is the biggest complement you can give this. It's faults are easily forgivable, and the return-to-form is sooo sweet for this franchise.
I hated this. Felt like I was being treated like a child the whole movie with sensationalist music and cheap director tricks. Spielberg can suck it with this prestige pic piece of shit.
I enjoyed this a lot, although it got off to a great start and stuttered in the second half. Definitely not going to appeal to a lot of people though - but it hit a sweet spot for me.
This was great. Carefully unfolded story so that you really were enraged as all the parts were uncovered. Skillfully done. And it's so satisfying to see a great ensemble cast work together.
This was a bit of a mess. The only real character they let you spend any time with is bimodal - kickin' ass or getting stomped on, and there wasn't really any emotional arc to get to either state. Big misstep by O'Russell.
High concept and makes kids think about their emotions like few other animated movie before it. Would have enjoyed it more if there weren't two lunatic kids screamin in the room while I was watching it. Makes ya think....kids - are they worth it?
Has a pace that prevents you reaching the emotional highs that would have propelled this to the top echelon of this year's crop. Still though - the visuals, the acting - this is very good. Could be LD's year.
The parts that made it unique from the others were awesome. It failed in the second half when it tried to be, at points it seemed shot-for-shot, the other Rocky's. MBJ is great. SS is good - but a gg nom is a huuuuuge stretch.
I wasn't invested in this series much - but enjoyed it all the same. It was well done with good actors and a good uprising story that. Overall this was a satisfying enough conclusion.
Mendholson's grade-A performance affirms for me that he's the most captivating actor working today. Good role for Reynolds, but his charisma lacks the earnestness needed to be effective. Hits all the beats it needs to though. Make room for this one amongst all the xmas hype.
Nice to see Depp take a roll where he isn't a distracting spectacle, and he's really good in this. Still, the awesome cast was weighed down with some of the film's pacing issues. Bit of a swing and a miss here, or maybe just an unremarkable single. It wasn't bad.
Damon has a lot of misses on this resume, but The Martian isn't one of them. He carries this great survival story. The novel concept and steady and satisfying plot progression make this a really good watch. You're invested in his survival early and are not disappointed.
One of the year's best for me. Villeneuve's development is really satisfying and he's become one of my favorites to watch. A gripping plot with direction that keeps you in a state of tension.
Big fan of the book, so it was disappointing to see a great conceit be executed as poorly as it was. With such quality source material and a puzzlingly good cast, this should have been better.
This was pretty solid but i'd say there wasn't much time to let everything breath or develop, so you really got a big "broad strokes" feeling from it. Still, particularly early when they were breaking, there were some pretty bad ass parts. FUCK THE POLICE!!
Almost criminal that I left this unwatched. Newman is mesmerizing in this oscar-winning role and its fascinating to watch Cruise before he became Cruise. Tons of 80's hilarity with Scorcese exploiting all the kitshiness popular in the era to great effect.
An little gem I couldn't be more pleased with. Intimate character portraits of two drug addicts' descent into desperation. The luxury of character development is the movie's strong point, along with the sad and beautiful emotional arc of the film.
Guy Pearce is excellent in anything he's in - and the rest of this cast makes this movie really hard not to like. It's a comedy, but not hilarious. Just well put together and enjoyable.
Mendelsohn and Fassbender - sign me up. This won't blow you away, but it's solid. A slowly paced story with a climactic, and satisfying payoff, at the end. Simple but solid.
This was okay, and I was pretty happy with that. There were more than a few times when I had "this is fuckin' dumb" reactions, but for a movie like this you're more than willing to suffer through those. Hard to live up to the original - but this was okay.
With the cast and director, this was a huge disappointment. While not terrible, it suffered from huge expectations, so when it didn't deliver you couldn't help but feel cheated. The jokes were good - acting, fine - the way it was all cobbled together though - it just didn't work.
I'm not saying these are bad - because I do get some enjoyment out of them, but they're increasingly hard to differentiate between and the monotony gives a feeling of being unsatisfied.
As if you needed anymore convincing that governments aren't able to make decisions based on the interest of the people. Watch this if you want to extinguish any hope you naively have of responsible water resource management. A well told story on top of it being enlightening.
I saw this months ago and must have forgot to review it. It was surprisingly okay in an uplifting-story-by-numbers kinda way. Well... it gets a passing grade anyway after going in with no expectations. Hits every note you think it will, but that's okay.
Wild tales indeed! 6 separate stories, all crazier than the one before them and only united in how bonkers they are. Maybe some aren't as memorable as others, but man... this is a fun watch.
A pretty solid sci-fi artificial intelligence movie. Although compelling, thinking back, they just hammer on one central ethical question, and all the other dressing surrounding it was superficial. Still - this is a worth a watch.
Absolute, glorious lunacy in the best way you can think of. My sky-high expectations were actually exceeded. Flooded with both beautiful and demented imagery, this is an all out orgy for your eyeballs. But the break-neck pace is calculated and never feels uncontrolled.
This aussie zombie flick won't blow you away, but considering it only cost $160K, and has a few innovative quirks, you can find lots to appreciate about it. The writing/directing brother duo behind it will definitely get something bigger because of it.
A clever, almost smug, exploration of authenticity and growing into middle-age. This had a lot going for it - although I'm kind of torn on how much I enjoy Stiller's nervous energy.
Music icon who lost his way tries to reconnect with his roots and right his wrongs. Writes itself right!?! This was some fluffy fare, but it was okay. To be honest, I find it hard to watch Pacino. Every line delivery is somehow distracting.
The home vids had a very humanizing effect. Ultimately I thought this took a dip during the last half (and it's long!), but it was great to hear all of my old favs again and see some behind the scenes footage of the smells like teen spirit video and nevermind album shoot.
For me this colored in some blurry notions I had of how messed up Scientology is. To be honest I was more inclined to give it some benefit of doubt... no so much anymore. Nothing great or terrible about the doc as a doc, but it sure was interesting.
The genre i'm least versed in, and the first horror movie I've seen in forever. Creepy as hell though and gave me shivers I don't remember feeling the last time I watched a horror movie, which makes me understand why this has the adoration of critics. Nice, simple, scary.
Surprising it didn't matter I hadn't seen the predecessors? Not so much. This movie is SO dumb that it's hilarious, but to its credit, it seems to be somewhat self-aware. It actually made me curious whether there was a progression into caricature with earlier installments.
Fascinating story that will suck you into the narrative. Add some shockingly beautiful shots of a breathtaking park in the Congo and lots of camera time with mountain gorillas - you won't regret watching this. Will baffle you as to how CitizenFour took home the Oscar.
I enjoyed parts of this, but there was just too much stupidity and poorly developed "wow" con-moments for me to whole-heartedly recommend this in good conscience. WS maintains his charisma, and even though Margo Robbie is the next big thing, apparently, she couldn't match him.
This is a great re-watch. I'm not going to blow it's merits out of proportion, but it's a cult-classic for a reason. Really interested to see the Netflix original series re-boot this year.
Ambitious, funny, smart, charming - this was excellent. One of my "top five" of the year. See what I did there? R.Dawson stole the show, but the way the whole narrative unfolded, basically through a one-on-one convo that spanned the whole movie - pretty great.
1 part comedy, 1 part serious protege spy movie - making for an ambitious marriage of genres. It succeeds on many levels, but misses the mark on others, but in the end is a fun, hilariously over the top movie with solid action.
I've got a sweet spot for drug culture glorification. The structure of the film, with segments on the different levels/aspects of drug trade, is logical but spreads the movie thin. It also plays like a tv piece. The portion exploring the futility "War on Drugs" is interesting.
Surprised this got an oscar nom. It's fascinating to glimpse the Snowden leaks as they happened from his perspective, but there wasn't anything interesting about the way the story was told - just the story itself. Maybe I'm missing something. Still - a good watch.
An intelligent mix of absurd comedy and complicated family dynamics and dysfunction. This is exactly why you need to watch films made outside north america.
Few people are more enjoyable to watch on screen than Gandolfini and Hardy, and both are great in this. Scenes are painted thick with atmosphere too. Roskam seems like he could be a director whose movies I'll look forward to. Source material by Lehane doesn't hurt either.
Top 3 or 4 movies of the year for me. The sustained intensity was riveting and the acting and directing are to thank for that. Although not terrible by any means, I thought then ending could have been a little more interesting.
Liked, but didn't love this. Ruffalo and Carell are great. Just something about how the story didn't go anywhere until, BAM, craziness at the end out of nowhere. All the same - pretty fascinating.
Big fan of Jack O'Connor (see Starred Up) - but AJ manages to fuck up this solid story. For the most part people have recognized this prestige-film-wannabe piece of shit for what it is. That might be harsh, but my tolerance for emotional manipulation is ever decreasing.
Things are pretty black and white in Eastwood's world, lacking all nuance, which is a shame, as what he does he does pretty solidly. BC is okay, but a third consecutive oscar nom is a farce. Also, this may take some of the shine off, but turns out Chris Kyle is a bit of a psycho.
Really strong. Checks many boxes for me - great performances from an ensemble cast, innovative direction, great script. A little heavy handed and pretentious at times, but ultimately one of my favorites of the year.
Solid follow up to Dallas Buyers Club. Nice to see the Quebecer succeed in Hollywood. The internal isolation and inner emotional turmoil is really well represented with flashbacks and varying auditory levels (inner dialogue with differing levels of lucidity). Pretty slick.
This movie is full of contrived family dysfunction and disingenuous emotional processing. There was way too much of both of those things crammed in to treat any of it with the attention that might have made this movie what it wanted to be.
Undeniably solid but left me a little dissatisfied. It had some pacing issues and a sort of strange rhythm to it that kept me from really feeling like I got what I wanted out of this.
Definitely a feel-good movie, but a hugely overrated RT score was a bit disillusioning. Chris O'Dowd carries it and the rest is just a little too formulaic and sentimental
Surprisingly satisfying. Shot on grainy film with stripped-down script that seemed heavy on natural improvised dialogue - it had a real indie feel, but painted a vivid picture of the characters.
Exactly what it meant to be - mindless. shallow, slick, expensive Hollywood drivel. Should have been 95 minutes, not 129. Although a lot of my time watching it was spent shaking my head at the stupidity, I can get myself in the right mood to watch this stuff from time to time.
I saw this months ago and forgot to review it, so my insights will be lacking. Radcliff was awkard (imagine!), Driver was the same character he plays in Girls, the romance was predictably formulaic, which is not in itself a damning criticism. Nothing you'll remember for long.
Ten yrs later - still holds up. Charlie Kaufman blew my mind in my early twenties when my mind was ripe to be blown. He explores love, loss, and perception in such a novel way while still hitting their essence as clean as any other writer.
Undeniably entertaining. Funny how our standards change for animated movies and what would normally infuriate us in a "grown up" movie remains endearing in "kids" movies.
Moving the focus from the games to the rebellion is a satisfying transition. Suffers from the same narrative challenges as the Hobbit in that you miss a true conclusion. Also has some overt sensationally emotional moments - but those are expected and easily forgiven.
Only the second half of the movie explores speciesism but for me, not surprisingly, it validates the films flaws. To showcase animal suffering in the first half of the movie is not nearly as interesting as discussing why we exclude animals from the moral and ethical community.
The story definitely has its moments of intrigue, but in the end leaves you feeling unsatisfied though no fault of its own, really. The story's ending is just not that interesting.
Without doubt one of the best of the year. Its achievement is well beyond the novelty of the time span over which it was filmed, although the form allows for the most compelling character development.
One of the more satisfying movie going experiences that I've had this year. JG is amazingly creepy and the whole scene the film paints of LA is just atmospherically perfect.
I expected to like this a little more, but was still pretty pleased with it. There wasn't much more to it than an action packed martial arts movie, but it didn't try to be anything else.
I didn't realize this was a beloved British sketch comedy character before I watched it, but I think pretty highly of Coogan, and he's great in this. Characteristic British humor with sharp wit and good timing, but nothing you should feel bad about missing.
The movie has 3 distinct acts, only the 2nd getting a passable grade, the first being poorly executed, and the third being as though it came from the mind of a retarded 13 yr old star trek fan. Huge disappointment. Probably still worth seeing - but temper you expectations.
The cheap sentimentality almost but didn't quite ruin this movie for me. It worked on a lot of levels, but the characters and relationships felt slapped together. Still - it was innocuous enough that it could all be forgiven and you could turn your head off and enjoy the ride.
Not so much about how 3D printing will change our lives forever, which I was expecting/hoping, but more about an industry in its infancy and the story of the startups involved. The intimate depiction of these companies from nothing to giants was fascinating.
Michod hasn't since made anything like Animal Kingdom but it was so good I'll see anything he makes. Pearce and Pattinson give performances among the best I've seen this year.The rover lacks in story, but it's interesting to see how Michod builds around a narrative skeleton.
The best plain ole' shoot-em-up action movie I've seen in a long time. Dripping cheese and machismo in a way you don't feel bad about indulging in. The electro-infused (obviously) action sequences were impressive. Reaves was born to play this role (one with limited dialogue).
Who doesn't love bill murray? And in this he's exactly the off-beat quirky character you imagine and want him to be. The film clings to the oh-so-familiar plot line that'll deliver warm fuzzies to every middle-aged mother who sees it. Does what it does pretty well though.
Solid movie - maybe a little too polished off and predictable for my liking, but still, I enjoyed it. It just could of used a little something different. It was exactly what you thought it was going to be, albeit - that's not disappointing at all.
A dope 80's electro sound track - Don Johnson, Michael C Hall and Sam Shepard make for a great cast and Mickle's direction is stylish and moody. The script's narrative has more than a few "WTF - this is retarded" moments, but still well worth the watch.
I don't think my expectations were quite met with this one - but Jenny Slate is very enjoyable to see on screen and the movie's frank emotional portrayal of a woman making the decision to abort a child is laudable.
Urgh... I'm embarrassed I even have to admit I watched this. I was wooed by the possibility of an awesome glorification of drug culture and an unlikely hero. This could have been worse, but I regret not properly vetting before watching.
Solid and compelling without being all that interesting. Is that possible? Affleck is serviceable, but I find Pike really boring in whatever she's in. Fincher milks the mystery really nicely and the direction is the film's strong point.
A very good version of "the Neesan movie". I feel he's hitting some kind of stride with these types of movies where it could have easily gone the route of rolling eyes and saying "not another one" whereas instead the B-type fan fare is becoming more refined and enjoyable.
An intimate account of the fraternal relationship between The National's lead singer from the perspective of his pitiful, but endearing younger brother. Sometimes painful to watch but ultimately redemptive and rewarding.
This has some pretty interesting parts - and ends with some real promise which will probably bring me back for the sequel. Still - it didn't seem to have an issue with plucking some reaaally low hanging fruit that made it hard to take it all that seriously.
Being hyper-sensitive to PSH's great performance in this almost over shadows the slow, brooding, burn that gives this movie its chops. Really though - this type of mid-budget movie that has an unreal cast just doesn't get made anymore - and we're all worse off because of it.
Ridiculous title aside, even the most ardent meat eater (Brockie) would have to concede the film's central thesis. The filmsanship is lacking, but the narrative is clear and poignant and the ability to cast doubt on what it means to be an environmentalist is a very worthy feat.
This movie should be called David Bowie's Junk, cause if he was in a scene, his junk was featured. I wouldn't say this movie has aged well, but you can understand why it has a cult following. Anyway - you'll be wooed by the junk shots - I know I was.
Classic triumph story of the anti-establishment oddball underdogs, which is impossible not to be charmed by. To boot - 70's fashion hilarity mixed with baseball americana. Any sports fan should see this.
Counter-intuitively, a 3 hr version of this movie would have been better. The 90 minutes version glossed over any potentially value-adding details, giving the execution of an otherwise interesting concept a hokey underdeveloped feeling.
A dark comedy - like, real dark. Like a joke that keeps getting worse until you're eyebrows are raised and your mouth is left open. Step to it with a strong stomach.
Abstract in the vein of "Tree of Life", "Upstream Color" and "Holy Motors", this art film had me in a perpetual state of wonderment, confusion, and maybe even irritation. Strong visuals - good performance. Personally, I struggle with the atypical narrative structure.
I'll pretty much see anything Ben Mendelsohn is in, and he's in particularly fine form here. Stripped down realism, with nothing but pure emotional poison left on display. Simple and solid.
Usually the quirky humor in marvel movies irks me to no end - when you want a movie to be dark, but it just has to pander to the widest possible audience. Guardians is a different marvel movie in a lot of ways, one of which being that the humor fits its mood perfectly.
Solid scy-fy concept with some sharp KOREEYAN!!! directing. I think the clumsy fascinating North American release added to its mystique so I went in thinking I was watching this off-the-map gem. Still though - not your run-of-the-mill scy-fy.
Since watching this in my early twenties for years now I've held it as one of the best romantic comedies that exist, so I was disillusioned when it didn't shine as I remembered it had. It's still a classic, obviously, but maybe not a "timeless" classic.
Now we're talkin - this kickstarter funded movie is so heavy, thick and tense that you can barely breathe throughout. An earnest revenge thriller that'll hold up as one of the year's best indie movies.
I was a little disappointed in this. Seemed like stock summer blockbuster material, and I was hoping for something that set it apart. Don't get me wrong - it's was alright, but not quite "good" for me.
Doesn't live up to the original, but also doesn't feel like a cash-grab on its predecessor's success. I like Baruchel, but he's poorly cast in this role and found him hard to endure.
Ha! I knew Cruise had it in him. This is most everything I want in a sci-fi movie, including the always fascinating and bewildering Cruise at his best. Good action that isn't trying to be the centerpiece, and an intriguing story. Well worth the watch.
A decent addition to the franchise - x-men fans won't be disappointed if their expectations are tempered. Nothing mind blowing, but with all the superhero junk floating around these days, this x-men story is better than some of the earlier installments.
Although I wouldn't say this was a homerun, it definitely hit the right notes for me. So many comedies rely on the same recycled material, and this one isn't completely innocent of that, but there is a good amount of genuinely well executed comedy in here.
Your standard blockbuster fare. It's been a few months since I watched it, but I remember thinking the story was overly-simplistic and boring, but hey, it's Godzilla - what should I expect.
Should go hand and hand with "how to survive a plague". Took me a while to accept Ruffolo as a gay man - but in the end the movie's powerfully emotional performances make a good watch.
As much I'd like to see Anderson produce something outside his comfort zone, when he's on top of his game, which is the case here, there are few movies I enjoy more. To me his movies are either very good or excellent, this one being in the latter category.
All these Marvel superhero movies will only survive if they're stylistically different from each other. This one was for the first half, but fell into the over-the-top superhero movie tropes towards the end. Could have been very good but in the end was just okay.
My first movie going experience as a Cineplex secret shopper. Been going to see a lot of kids movie's lately it seems in the doldrums of the year, movie-wise. Nothing to rave about here, but was definitely a decent movie to watch.
Urgh. This one barely made you think. No harm in pointing out some of the dysfunctional systems in our society - but this movie is barely informative or challenging.
Given the subject matter, one can understand that this had the potential to be a pretty inspired documentary, which it was. An amazing depiction of the unfathomable struggle the AIDS community had to endure to get access to health care and social justice.
At 61, Neesan redefining his career as an action star is pretty incredible but disappointing for the lack of decent movies he's been in. Nonetheless, this is a mediocre stab at a genre I generally don't enjoy - but I wasn't as disgusted with it as i could have been.
I've heard some reviews of the thematic inconsistencies of this movie, but really - it's an animated LEGO movie with surprisingly sharp wit and humor. I refuse to put enough thought into it to be bothered by its thematic inconsistencies.
This was a pretty enjoyable watch, but i wouldn't have given it a best pic nod. Still - Coogan is impressive and it was great to see his comedic acumen poking out throughout the otherwise serious story.
This is surreal on more than one level - which is the films propelling force. The whole concept of the film is pretty interesting and innovative too. Worth it just for the sustained WTF expression you'll have throughout.
MBJ is charismatic and strong. It'll be interesting to see where he goes after this. I enjoyed this a lot. It was pretty powerful. First half suffered from lack of focus or direction, being too concerned with establishing one character, somewhat understandably. Paid off though.
Well produced doc of an interesting project about Rwandan women in a drum group who start an ice cream shop collective. Didn't grab me the way "Solar Mamas" did, but I'll say this - hearing snipits of the Rwandan genocide was sobering.
It was fascinating to see women of different third world countries interact together and get a taste of empowerment. It ended so abrubtly though and could have used a little more closure.
This was a cute, feel good story, and you really get wrapped up in rooting for these Compton kids who don't have a lot of opportunities. As far as documentary film making goes though - there wasn't much to this. Still though - uplifting.
The standard impeccably directed movie by the Coen Brothers. Really good music and solid performances. Fell a smidge flat somewhere along the line. Not really getting anywhere, or that I had to stretch a bit too far to actually decipher its point of view, but still very solid.
Was not optimistic about this and am a little concerned that I liked it as much as I did. The cast was great and seeing such a dysfunctional family is like seeing a train wreck - sadistically entertaining. Did not find this as offensive as so many other people seemed to.
Meh... I mean, I like this subject matter a lot, so I like when my values are affirmed. This was all pretty interesting but I wouldn't say a "must watch". Still though - not a waste of time by any means.
What a gem. So impressed with how they let the viewer come to the understanding of the emotional struggles of the characters instead of just shoving it down your throat, showing a ton of restraint. This a feel good movie, and so not in a patronizing way.Top 10 of the year for me
When I accepted that this is well suited to show teenagers I got over the rinky-dink feel and over use of animation and cartoony music. It takes a good turn when it starts to follow Phil's journey to health though. It's pretty much always good to see people get healthy though.
Fresh off finishing "Friday Night Lights" I wasn't not gonna see a Peter Berg film starring Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch). "The best war movie since 'Saving Private Ryan'", according to Bill Simmons. ha.. Seriously though, this movie knows what it is and executes well.
Baffling this didn't get an oscar nom. So much more going on here than the incredible story that ends up getting told. I've been pretty high on Polley's last few directorial features, but the innovation of this, her first doc (I think) is a real treat.
A few quirky chuckles, lots of likable characters - this wasn't a bad debut from Lake Bell. It won't knock your socks off, but if you're in the mood for something real light and fluffy, this'll do.
