|
81%
|
Despicable Me (2010)
|
"Supervillains exploiting orphan girls is funny! At the inevitable melting of Gru's stony heart, the film turns into something else entirely. That which it turns into is sloppy and a little unsatisfying, but it is still irresistibly sweet, thanks to this "
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
86%
|
Inception (2010)
|
"There are plenty of reasons to like Inception, whether you found it obvious or impenetrable. You'll wish you could dream as lucidly as this, but be grateful here you have Nolan as your tour guide."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
99%
|
Toy Story 3 (2010)
|
"Both a paean and a monument to creativity and the love of things that bring us joy. Please reward the studio for giving us the best."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
35%
|
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
|
"Lovely to look at and mildly funny but tries with sweaty desperation to be the next Pirates of the Caribbean."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
72%
|
Get Him to the Greek (2010)
|
"A key indicator as to whether or not you will be at all interested in this movie is whether or not you liked Russell Brand playing this character in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Otherwise it's close to great, with weird pacing."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
98%
|
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
|
"Knowledge is power in this film, and I always love a good pro-intellect story; even better, this is a pro-animal, pro-empathy story, as well. Deep love of Toothless the dragon as well."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
67%
|
Date Night (2010)
|
"What should be hilarious only ends up sort of amusing. Is it bad to only be amused? Not as such,but considering how hard they are clearly working to overcome the execution..."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
76%
|
Kick-Ass (2010)
|
"I expected some comedy, some teen angst, some great stunts, and I got them, oh yes. I did not expect mob bosses, crazed double crosses, intense and squibbulous violence, a classic revenge plot, and a pretty decent little love story.If this is even close t"
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
63%
|
Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
|
"Sure, the premise hobbles our heroes a tad, but Hot Tub Time Machine is a cute and silly romp through dudesville worthy of an evening with friends and goodies."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
91%
|
The Secret of Kells (2010)
|
"Both glorious to behold and a wonderful tale of the medieval struggle between Christianity and Celtic animism."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
22%
|
Repo Men (2010)
|
"Sure, there are plenty of plot holes, but we didn't come to the movies for artiforg tort reform. We came for squibbulous close-quarters knife fights."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
53%
|
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
|
"Sends all the right messages to the youth audience it targets and also keeps the grownups entertained with that forgotten, pre-ironic innocent comedy that fades as we each discover sex."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
53%
|
Green Zone (2010)
|
"The pacing was strong, the casting was perfect, and the Message made for an interesting premise. Green Zone is probably not for everyone, but it is a solid piece of entertainment."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
70%
|
The Last Station (2010)
|
"The Last Station is indeed well done, very moving, and informative, but it left me a little cold at the end. Perhaps I just felt frustrated at how little the world changes even when people with good ideas come along."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
66%
|
Youth in Revolt (2010)
|
"When Francois Dillinger is on screen, the movie comes alive...the rest of the time it's that post-Napoleon Dynamite sort of plodding study of eccentricity."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
67%
|
Daybreakers (2010)
|
"Takes an idea that also happens to be a MESSAGE, in a genre that has been sucked dry, and still make something watchable. It's not the most brilliant vampire movie ever made, but it's the best one of 2010."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
82%
|
Panique au village (A Town Called Panic) (2009)
|
"Charming low-tech absurdism, free of irony and full of escalating stakes, situations, hilarity, and charm."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
37%
|
Nine (2009)
|
"Marshall has always been marvelous at painting with bodies and light, and this film benefits from that touch immensely because of the abstraction of most of the songs.It may not make you a fan of the show, but it should make you a fan of Rob Marshall and"
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
76%
|
The Young Victoria (2009)
|
"Whether in her chemise or her coronation robes, Blunt exudes a vitality that will not be suppressed. She is wonderful as Victoria and alone reason enough to see the film."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
94%
|
The Cove (2009)
|
" No Hollywood film, fiction or non-, can ever prepare you for the reality of what goes on in that cove. Please don't show this film to young children. Devastating and excellent."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
98%
|
Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2009)
|
"The journey of Anvil in the film is one suffused with love and passion...they are the poster-band for passion, and their story is worth checking out."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
64%
|
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
|
"Most of the film is artsy rather than effectsy, and actually it tends to drag a bit whenever the big deal effects become the meat rather than the spice of the scene.Abandoning oneself to the film is the best way to enjoy it."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
76%
|
Invictus (2009)
|
"Terrific acting but the film at large suffers from pacing problems, perhaps deciding midstream what it wanted to be about."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
90%
|
The Messenger (2009)
|
"This is the kind of film people might skip due to the preponderance of war movies out there, or forget in the wake of flashier end-of-the-year output, but The Messenger is one to watch for great performances."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
91%
|
Crazy Heart (2009)
|
"Watching alcoholics stumble through their lives is sometimes a little boring, though Jeff Bridges is a warm and detailed enough actor to keep us interested and full of hope for him."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
84%
|
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
|
"Wonderful classic story, flawless hand-drawn animation, fun and appropriately arranged music, it's all there. To every parent of a young girl who has sworn fealty to the galaxy of Disney princesses, this movie turns that nonsense on its head."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
75%
|
Julie & Julia (2009)
|
"The human cornucopia that is Streep is carrying the energy and feel-goodness of this movie. Adams is providing her natural comic timing and sweetness to make Powell as human as possible, and she succeeds more than I would have thought possible, though Ju"
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
91%
|
Up in the Air (2009)
|
"This movie has great things to say about the vitality of human connection and how to be a better traveler through life, but it mercifully does it with no Message and a somehow satisfying lack of resolution."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
56%
|
It's Complicated (2009)
|
"For all the complicatedness of the emotions Streep and Baldwin navigate, it's still a smooth ride to huge grins and hearty guffaws, with excellent performances."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
57%
|
9 (2009)
|
" I think if I were not diligently taking notes for this very review I might have folded laundry or something to pass the time... It's a beautiful movie to look at and a clumsy story with a weird ending."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
70%
|
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
|
"Sherlock Holmes is a solid, enjoyable film with a fun score, a great use of sound and environment, and a trio of confederates you will want to know more of."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
32%
|
The Lovely Bones (2009)
|
"The Lovely Bones is definitely worth watching with your book group to discuss with the novel, and to enjoy Tucci's performance and the delicate membrane between life and afterlife, but HBO will suffice for your investment in it."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
83%
|
Bright Star (2009)
|
"The film appears to be flirting with the idea of superficiality and romance and wit and depth of character but never really explores any tack at length, except the agonies of their love."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
94%
|
In the Loop (2009)
|
"The low-key giggles and dry throwaway wit belie the manic one-up-manship and saber-rattling. Keep your ears on though %u2013 the speech outstrips the scene tempos handily...reward the studios for a political comedy without any politics."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
93%
|
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
|
"Despite looking like a children's movie, I don't think kids would like it very much...softens Anderson's fetish for randomness and forces him to stay on track...his kooky brand of humor just works better as a cartoon"
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
66%
|
The Blind Side (2009)
|
"Overall a sweet tale of a kid being given a chance when he seemed all but lost, and the performances of Bullock and Aaron. It's worth a look."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
83%
|
Avatar (2009)
|
"The Na'vi consider seeing, in the sense of grok or ken, to be fundamental in tribal life and in navigating Pandora. If you allow yourself to see Avatar as it was meant, you will love it as I did. I can't wait to go there again."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
91%
|
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
|
"Sophomore director Lee Daniels doesn't shy away from moments where our protagonists falter or our antagonists show a good side. Sidibe and Mo'Nique are simply amazing."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
94%
|
An Education (2009)
|
"It was hard to watch Jenny fall so easily to chaotic neutral David, but it was deliriously romantic as well. He wears down our resistance and we fall for him too."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
75%
|
The Road (2009)
|
"The muffled air, the rumbling tectonic murmurs, the groaning and incessant tree deaths, sounds of other humans, all these sounds sell the monochromatic but still stunning images of a completely dying world"
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
86%
|
An Ideal Husband (1999)
|
"It's a pleasant diversion but sadly, little more than a chance to hear Rupert's barbed wit."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
61%
|
American Pie (1999)
|
"American Pie shows us how little boys know about sex going into it, and how little the act really teaches them about it as well. But the true joy, for us in the audience anyway, is the chase. Vulgar and heartwarming!"
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
78%
|
Doubt (2008)
|
"As a movie, very little actually happens. It's a lot of discussion about what might have happened or may occur in future, and then the emotional change that signals the curtain to drop and for the class to put down their pencils. The performances are st"
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
92%
|
Frost/Nixon (2008)
|
"The sparring, the research, the failed strategies, and the returns for more elicit an image of boxing more than anything else; while "two men in shorts punch each other until one cannot continue" is also dry on paper, in practice it is much more visceral"
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
98%
|
The Wrestler (2008)
|
"Despite the low-tech feel, The Wrestler is very tight and disciplined. The score is spare but effective, nothing is wasted in dialogue or action, and the fight choreography and stunts are incredible. Rourke is phenomenal."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
——
|
Defiance (1980)
|
"As a WWII story, it's inspiring, and even new. As a film, it's tense and nerve-wracking and sobering. It's a simple, solid movie, worth seeing indeed, but I fear more like a satisfying Chinese dinner over time. See it before the world forgets about it."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
73%
|
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
|
"Sure, I cried at the end. I'm not a robot. But I cry at cat food commercials if they punch the right button. I just can't get on the Button train. I wish I could have obeyed my instincts and stayed home."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
80%
|
Gran Torino (2009)
|
"After the clumsy beginning, the deft writing and excellent acting has so sunk you into your relationship with Walt and Sue and Thao that by the end, I loved this movie, but it took a while to snag me."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
90%
|
Zombieland (2009)
|
"Zombieland is a road movie, a little meta-commentary on zombie movie mayhem, and an extremely violent and pretty funny comedy."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
|
39%
|
Surrogates (2009)
|
"I would have liked to explore this world more and not keep slamming into some convoluted scheme that defeats its own purpose. I had fun watching it, but I actually thought the movie was smarter than its plot."
|
Karina Montgomery
|
72%
77%
61%
52%
26%
4%
