|
5/5
|
85%
|
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) |
"
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is funny, nostalgic, heartfelt and sweet, and so vivid it will practically make you feel the warm summer wind in your hair."
—
The Mercury
Posted Dec 2, 2012
|
|
5/5
|
40%
|
Mental (2013) |
"
It had me in its spell from start to finish and I ran the gauntlet of every possible emotion along the way. Outstanding."
—
The Mercury
Posted Oct 6, 2012
|
|
5/5
|
98%
|
Marwencol (2010) |
"
The film is never flippant, never disrespectful and always approaches Mark's hobby with eyes wide open and no agenda other than fascinated admiration."
—
The Mercury
Posted Sep 8, 2012
|
|
5/5
|
93%
|
The Sapphires (2013) |
"
An Aussie film with real mainstream chops, not a film you watch out of patriotic obligation, but one you watch simply because it is a top-quality, enjoyable and affecting flick."
—
The Mercury
Posted Aug 11, 2012
|
|
5/5
|
88%
|
Buck (2011) |
"
Imagine the Dude from The Big Lebowski if he had been raised on a dude ranch."
—
The Mercury
Posted Feb 17, 2012
|
|
5/5
|
78%
|
Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) |
"
In terms of writing and direction it has an almost indie-film feel to it, but with that Hollywood gloss to make it palatable to mainstream viewers."
—
The Mercury
Posted Oct 6, 2011
|
|
5/5
|
87%
|
Black Swan (2010) |
"
Director Darren Aronofsky does a spectacular job of drawing the audience deep into Nina's neuroses, making the viewer feel every uncomfortable twist of her mental instability."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jan 27, 2011
|
|
5/5
|
94%
|
The King's Speech (2010) |
"
I'm sure I could find a fault somewhere in this film if I really tried, but it wouldn't be significant enough to matter. The King's Speech is perfect."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jan 13, 2011
|
|
4.5/5
|
80%
|
Warm Bodies (2013) |
"
To call this an unlikely love story is an understatement, but it is precisely this level of weirdness that makes the romance between R and Julia so surprisingly touching."
—
The Mercury
Posted Apr 12, 2013
|
|
4.5/5
|
67%
|
Cloud Atlas (2012) |
"
For a long, sprawling, high-concept, philosophical, stylistic mash-up of a film, Cloud Atlas is impressive and thought-provoking without ever being pretentious."
—
The Mercury
Posted Mar 3, 2013
|
|
4.5/5
|
88%
|
Life of Pi (2012) |
"
What better analogy for our place in the universe than a couple of scared creatures stranded on a precarious liferaft in the middle of a vast nothingness?"
—
The Mercury
Posted Jan 6, 2013
|
|
4.5/5
|
92%
|
Skyfall (2012) |
"
Sometimes the old ways are the best. This is a theme and repeated line running throughout the new James Bond film Skyfall and never has it been more true."
—
The Mercury
Posted Nov 23, 2012
|
|
4.5/5
|
87%
|
Bully (2012) |
"
By exposing audiences to the stark realities of bullying, Bully just might encourage people to take it seriously instead of perpetuating the old adage "it's just kids being kids"."
—
The Mercury
Posted Aug 24, 2012
|
|
4.5/5
|
87%
|
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) |
"
The intimate symbiosis between the loosely defined concepts of good and evil is a vital element in Batman lore and something that Christopher Nolan understands very well."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jul 23, 2012
|
|
4.5/5
|
93%
|
Marvel's The Avengers (2012) |
"
Joss Whedon, with his demonstrated ensemble cast-wrangling expertise, is the only director who could have pulled this off. And he has set a new benchmark in doing so."
—
The Mercury
Posted Apr 28, 2012
|
|
4.5/5
|
85%
|
The Hunger Games (2012) |
"
Finally we have a female lead character who is strong without being brutal, appealing without being objectified, and confident without being female-chauvinistic."
—
The Mercury
Posted Mar 26, 2012
|
|
4.5/5
|
61%
|
The Beaver (2011) |
"
Aside from having a title that turns me into a puerile, sniggering teenager every time I talk about it, The Beaver is a heartbreakingly good movie."
—
The Mercury
Posted Aug 11, 2011
|
|
4.5/5
|
88%
|
Rango (2011) |
"
Rango is a precision-built, artistically rich and intelligently entertaining movie that deserves to become a hit and a classic."
—
The Mercury
Posted Mar 20, 2011
|
|
4.5/5
|
90%
|
The Messenger (2009) |
"
The worst job in the army isn't cleaning latrines or disarming roadside bombs, it is being back home telling people that someone they love has been killed."
—
The Mercury
Posted Nov 11, 2010
|
|
4.5/5
|
81%
|
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) |
"
Scott Pilgrim vs the World could well become a cultural touchstone for the Tetris generation."
—
The Mercury
Posted Aug 19, 2010
|
|
4.5/5
|
86%
|
Inception (2010) |
"
Inception made my brain hurt. And it hurt in the most wonderful way."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jul 29, 2010
|
|
4.5/5
|
99%
|
Toy Story 3 (2010) |
"
Toy Story 3 is equal parts hilarious, touching, insightful and exciting and anyone who doesn't come out smiling probably isn't human."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jul 29, 2010
|
|
4/5
|
69%
|
The Croods (2013) |
"
The Croods is simple enough in its story and structure that its emotional honesty and touching message will catch you quite off-guard."
—
The Mercury
Posted Apr 8, 2013
|
|
4/5
|
93%
|
Zero Dark Thirty (2013) |
"
There is no Team America-style, flag-waving bravado behind this story - it is quite the opposite."
—
The Mercury
Posted Feb 2, 2013
|
|
4/5
|
63%
|
Hitchcock (2012) |
"
Hitchcock's playful yet slightly dark tone makes it an easy film to watch and the insight into Hitch the man will be a hoot for any fan of his work."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jan 12, 2013
|
|
4/5
|
82%
|
Seven Psychopaths (2012) |
"
Seven Psychopaths is almost certainly not the movie you'll be expecting it to be, but as long as you stick with it, this is one of its greatest strengths, not a weakness."
—
The Mercury
Posted Nov 10, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
96%
|
Argo (2012) |
"
Argo will make you say "wow" not because of anything big and flashy but purely for its well-told story."
—
The Mercury
Posted Oct 28, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
51%
|
Savages (2012) |
"
Oliver Stone isn't known for making pretty films but ugly is something he does very well."
—
The Mercury
Posted Oct 20, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
93%
|
Looper (2012) |
"
Well-constructed narrative, looping back on itself, spiraling willingly into its own paradoxes and dealing with all the weird overlaps in a way few movies dare to bother with."
—
The Mercury
Posted Sep 28, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
80%
|
Magic Mike (2012) |
"
Come for the half-naked hunky guys, stay for the expertly crafted story and gorgeous direction. No, I said "direction", now get your mind out of the gutter."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jul 27, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
85%
|
21 Jump Street (2012) |
"
Hollywood is obsessed with strip-mining old TV shows and movies for remake fodder these days, but 21 Jump Street is an example of how it can be done well."
—
The Mercury
Posted Mar 16, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
51%
|
John Carter (2012) |
"
John Carter is a product of a simpler time, when sense of adventure was paramount, and the film has this in spades."
—
The Mercury
Posted Mar 9, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
46%
|
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2012) |
"
I can see why some might find the film sickly or overly sentimental, even a little forced, but it worked well enough on me to have me wiping away a few tears."
—
The Mercury
Posted Feb 26, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
85%
|
Chronicle (2012) |
"
Director Josh Trank does an impressive job of capturing the elation of three young men in the ecstatic throes of discovering they literally can do just about anything."
—
The Mercury
Posted Feb 5, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
94%
|
Hugo (2011) |
"
A movie that needs to be appreciated for its finer aspects and deeper meaning if it is to be appreciated properly, which is noble enough but could feel exclusive to some."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jan 13, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
75%
|
The Adventures of Tintin (2011) |
"
Unapologetically enthusiastic and simple, The Adventures of Tintin is an unpretentious, guilt-free thrill ride that finds strength in its populist, uncomplicated nature."
—
The Mercury
Posted Dec 30, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
85%
|
The Ides of March (2011) |
"
The twists and shocks of this story are delivered with emotional precision, each one landing like a heavy punch to the stomach, making every minute crackle with intensity."
—
The Mercury
Posted Nov 26, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
70%
|
The Hunter (2012) |
"
A true Tasmanian gothic tale: one man against indomitable nature; the lone form of Martin hiking through buttongrass plains, vulnerable and alone yet strong and defiant."
—
The Mercury
Posted Oct 3, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
91%
|
Tabloid (2011) |
"
Tabloid is a documentary that proves conclusively that the truth really is stranger than fiction."
—
The Mercury
Posted Sep 18, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
70%
|
Horrible Bosses (2011) |
"
A fun, lively chemistry between Nick, Kurt and Dale keeps this snappy story whipping along from gag to gag at a merciless pace."
—
The Mercury
Posted Sep 1, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
——
|
The Tunnel Movie (2011) |
"
The audience is teased with fleeting glimpses of the threat lurking in the shadows and its first real appearance is played so well it is a thing of horror poetry."
—
The Mercury
Posted Aug 16, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
44%
|
Cowboys & Aliens (2011) |
"
Cowboys and Aliens isn't the self-aware, campy romp I was expecting...This movie plays its ludicrous idea dead straight and pulls it off with firm conviction."
—
The Mercury
Posted Aug 4, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
96%
|
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011) |
"
If these movies have done nothing else, they have shown great skill in playing directly to a target audience, never swaying from that mission, and doing it exceptionally well."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jul 21, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
100%
|
Mrs. Carey's Concert () |
"
The only thing more beautiful than the music is seeing those simple, subtle moments that nobody could possibly script."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jul 18, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
90%
|
Bridesmaids (2011) |
"
As it turns out, fart and poo gags ARE universal, as demonstrated by the mostly female audience completely losing it during some of the more off-colour scenes."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jun 23, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
82%
|
Super 8 (2011) |
"
Everything about Super 8 harks back to simpler times, the music and technology of the era evoking something nostalgic and comforting without being flippant or facetious."
—
The Mercury
Posted Jun 16, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
91%
|
Source Code (2011) |
"
Even when I thought I had the whole thing figured out early on, the movie allowed me to feel smug for a while before shooting me down. Brilliant."
—
The Mercury
Posted May 12, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
72%
|
Paul (2011) |
"
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are two guys who know what they like and whenever they turn their hands to writing a script, you can feel that enthusiasm in every line."
—
The Mercury
Posted May 1, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
23%
|
Sucker Punch (2011) |
"
The story's true "sucker punch" is the way it lures its audience in with the promise of simple eye candy but then hits you in the guts with something deeper and more complex."
—
The Mercury
Posted Apr 14, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
73%
|
Megamind (2010) |
"
What is a villain if not someone who has been pushed too far in life and has started to push back? And with nothing to push against, what do they become?"
—
The Mercury
Posted Dec 16, 2010
|
72%
21%
63%
85%
46%
40%
