January 2011
Films (new to me) I have seen in January 2011, plus my grade for each film.
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- DirectorTom HooperStarsColin FirthGeoffrey RushHelena Bonham CarterThe story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.A vaguely stirring buddy flick that has inexplicably garnered 12 Oscar nominations. [C+]
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodGian Maria VolontèMarianne KochA wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.An enormously overrated film-the changes in narrative tone and stale delivery make this a bore to watch. [D-]
- DirectorBernardo BertolucciStarsJean-Louis TrintignantStefania SandrelliGastone MoschinA weak-willed Italian man becomes a fascist flunky who goes abroad to arrange the assassination of his old teacher, now a political dissident.A magnificent piece of pure cinema, definitely a sentimental favorite. [A-]
- DirectorCourtney HuntStarsMelissa LeoMisty UphamCharlie McDermottA mom looks for another source of income, when her husband leaves with the money meant for the new mobile home. A nearby Indian territory stretches across the border to Canada with a drivable frozen river between. Smuggling?God, I could go on for hours about the flaws of this film, but I'll spare you and just say its an awful film in so many respects. [F]
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsNam-mi KangJeong-nam ChoiHye-Sook GoAfter being wrongfully imprisoned for thirteen years and having her child taken away from her, a woman seeks revenge through increasingly brutal means.Too absurd to be taken seriously and too self-serious to be any fun. [D]
- DirectorClaire DenisStarsIsabelle HuppertChristopher LambertIsaach De BankoléAmidst turmoil and racial conflict in a Francophone African state, a white French woman fights for her coffee crop, her family and ultimately for her life.Another sentimental favorite! A wonderful, spellbinding film and a potent allegory, this is definitely one of the best of last year. [A]
- DirectorJean-Pierre MelvilleStarsLino VenturaPaul MeurisseRaymond PellegrinA gangster escapes jail and quickly makes plans to continue his criminal ways elsewhere, but a determined inspector is closing in.A powerful, captivating New Wave film. [B+]
- DirectorRobert GuédiguianStarsSimon AbkarianVirginie LedoyenRobinson StéveninThe poet Missak Manouchian leads a mixed bag of youngsters and immigrants in a clandestine battle against the Nazi occupation. Twenty-two men and one woman fighting for an ideal and for freedom. News of their daring attacks, including the assassination of an SS general, eventually reaches Berlin.A hugely uneven melodrama that is at most a decent Hollywood picture. [C]
- DirectorDerek CianfranceStarsRyan GoslingMichelle WilliamsJohn DomanThe relationship of a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.The best American film of last year, a breathtaking achievement, and one of the finest love stories in recent film history. [A+]
- DirectorClaude SautetStarsLino VenturaSandra MiloJean-Paul BelmondoA ruthless criminal flees from the pursuit, involving more and more casualties.A middling New Wave feature, rather uninteresting if you've seen any of Melville's work. [C-]
- DirectorGrigoriy ChukhrayStarsVladimir IvashovZhanna ProkhorenkoAntonina MaksimovaYoung Russian soldier Alyosha earns a medal, but asks to visit his mother instead. His journey recounts various kinds of love during wartime.A touching and heartbreaking saga, highly recommended, especially in the wake of more modern (and much worse) war films such as "Saving Private Ryan" and "9th Company"
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodSondra LockePat HingleA hard but mediocre cop is assigned to escort a prostitute into custody from Las Vegas to Phoenix, so that she can testify in a mob trial. But a lot of people are literally betting that they won't make it into town alive.Trash. Loud, obnoxious trash. [F]
- DirectorTanya RosenbergStarsGregory Scott CumminsLaura AlbertLee BentonWhen an all girl baseball team beats a group of rowdy rednecks from a small town, they soon find themselves the prey in a deadly bounty hunt. Now they are playing for their lives. In HD.A deservedly obscure and hugely annoying schlockfest. [F]
- DirectorJan KounenStarsVincent CasselTchéky KaryoMonica BellucciDobermann is the world's most ruthless bank robber and with his gang rob bank after bank, now in Paris. What can the police do but to let the mad, morally bankrupt police commissioner loose on him?An intense flick-definitely one of the best action films ever made. [A+]
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKirk DouglasRalph MeekerAdolphe MenjouAfter a failed attack on a German position, a general orders three soldiers, chosen at random, court-martialed for cowardice and their commanding officer must defend them.A dated, uninvolving film, far from a classic. [C-]
- DirectorHans WeingartnerStarsDaniel BrühlJulia JentschStipe ErcegThree activists cobble together a kidnapping plot after they encounter a businessman in his home.Though it rarely happens, every now and then, a filmmaker will make every conceivable mistake possible, and it has happened with this film, a boring, pretentious and altogether fucking terrible movie. [F]
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsStephen DorffElle FanningChris PontiusAfter withdrawing to the Chateau Marmont, a passionless Hollywood actor reexamines his life when his eleven-year-old daughter surprises him with a visit.An insightful film, but one too aimless and detached to be a truly great film. [B-]
- DirectorJules DassinStarsJean ServaisCarl MöhnerRobert ManuelFour men plan a technically perfect crime, but the human element intervenes...A classic New Wave film, nearly perfect, far superior to its newer, bloodier counterparts. [B+]
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsPeter WellerNancy AllenDan O'HerlihyIn a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.Suprisingly good-a stylish action picture and a smart social commentary. [C+]
- DirectorPatrick HughesStarsRyan KwantenSteve BisleyTommy LewisA young police officer must survive his first day's duty in a small country town.As stupid as it is sometimes, it's often a very tense film with rather talented actors. [C-]
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsJavier BardemMaricel ÁlvarezHanaa BouchaibA man dying of cancer tries his best to leave the world on his own terms.If you have ever seen an art house film, or a non-Hollywood gangster flick, you've seen this movie. [D]
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsKate HudsonOwen WilsonMatt DillonA best man (Wilson) stays on as a houseguest with the newlyweds, much to the couple's annoyance.Trash. Unbearable, unimaginative trash. [F]
- DirectorAlexandre AjaStarsCécile de FranceMaïwennPhilippe NahonBest friends Marie and Alexia decide to spend a quiet weekend at Alexia's parents' secluded farmhouse. But on the night of their arrival, the girls' idyllic getaway turns into an endless night of horror.A terrific horror movie, as far as adrenalin-pumping bloodfests go, you can't do much better. [B+]
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsGeena DavisSamuel L. JacksonYvonne ZimaSamantha Caine lives in a small town with her daughter. Eight years ago she emerged, two months pregnant, from a nearby river with no memory of her past or who she is. However, she's getting closer to finding out about her past.If you've seen any other action picture, you've seen this film. [D-]
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsChristos StergioglouMichele ValleyAngeliki PapouliaA controlling, manipulative father locks his three adult offsprings in a state of perpetual childhood by keeping them prisoner within the sprawling family compound.An absurd film, not bad, but I can't shake the feeling that it's a film made by a bunch of overmedicated frat boys. [C+]