|
51%
|
Safe House (2012)
|
"'Safe House"'is an uber-testosterone feature with enough fire power, mano-to-mano combat and car crashes to keep you satisfied and awake."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
90%
|
The Descendants (2011)
|
"(George) Clooney gives a complex and complete performance as a man who put his career ahead of his family, and is stumbling to try to reconnect to make his life whole again."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
77%
|
A Dangerous Method (2011)
|
"It is (Keira) Knightley who is the firebrand that grabs you and compels you to watch. Even during the times she is off the screen, she is in your head."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
32%
|
Man on a Ledge (2012)
|
"This is basically an audience participation movie in which you go along for the ride, knowing that everything will work out just fine; good will triumph and evil will get its comeuppance."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
96%
|
Pariah (2011)
|
"First-time writer-director Dee Rees has created a touching and commanding story about one young woman's hazardous journey through the trials and tribulations of adolescence, blooming sexuality and familial strife."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
45%
|
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2012)
|
""Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is grim, but also uplifting as it defines how finally coming to grips with the inexplicable can be cathartic and how, though the person is gone, the memories always live on."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
54%
|
The Iron Lady (2012)
|
"(Meryl) Streep's performance elevates the movie, making it seem more important and profound than it is."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
48%
|
Contraband (2012)
|
""Contraband" is basically a B-programmer enhanced by a strong cast and a solid storyline."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
71%
|
Carnage (2011)
|
"As you watch "Carnage" you begin to feel trapped. You want these diatribes to end, but your curiosity is so aroused that you can't wait to see the next escalation in these battles of words."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
84%
|
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
|
"No fancy gadgets, no big fights or gun battles are necessary. Instead, you witness whispered conversations, feelings of anxiety and paranoia and a cold, dreary, rainy world in which it is nearly impossible to discern whom to trust."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
97%
|
The Artist (2011)
|
""The Artist" is a delightful treasure. It is a charming mixture of comedy, melodrama and romance that cinema lovers should make a point of experiencing."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
75%
|
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
|
""Tintin" has a wholesome, old-fashioned feel that will entice and entertain children as well as adults."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
76%
|
War Horse (2011)
|
""War Horse" is sentimental, unflinching in its presentation of the brutality of war and heartfelt in its displays of bravery and loyalty."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
87%
|
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
|
"(Director David) Fincher and (screenwriter Steven) Zaillian have visualized a cold, dreary and ugly Sweden that draws you in against your better instincts"
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
60%
|
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
|
""Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" is an entertaining exercise that won't disappoint fans of The Great Detective or filmgoers in general."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
94%
|
Hugo (2011)
|
""Hugo" is a movie that children will enjoy, adults will admire and film buffs will cheer. It is a movie that will surprise and delight you with its wonder and awe."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
97%
|
The Muppets (2011)
|
""The Muppets" is a movie that will transport some adults back to their childhoods as well as entertain youngsters with its charm and humor."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
25%
|
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011)
|
"One of the glummest, lifeless movies of the year, it is gray and bleak, even when the sun is shining."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
92%
|
Take Shelter (2011)
|
""Take Shelter" is one of the best movies of the year. In its own understated way, it also is one of the most frightening"
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
68%
|
Tower Heist (2011)
|
"Tower Heist" is a fluff piece, an enjoyable date night flick during which you can ... enjoy 99 minutes of fantasizing about how you would procure the comeuppance of the person who ruined your future."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
36%
|
The Thing (2011)
|
"For a movie about a group of scientists fighting for their lives, "The Thing" is totally mindless."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
37%
|
Restless (2011)
|
"The only restless activity in this movie will derive from audience members squirming in their seats."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
85%
|
The Ides of March (2011)
|
"I enjoyed "The Ides of March." It is polished, edgy and powerful. It's just that its underlying message that power corrupts and politics is messy is merely an echo of themes from earlier movies."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
93%
|
50/50 (2011)
|
"Some people might take offense at the movie's tone. But it is that very attitude that sets "50/50" apart from your typical movie-of-the-week feature. It actually strengthens its appeal."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
94%
|
Moneyball (2011)
|
"What is most maddening about "Moneyball" is that its Hall of Fame potential is squandered on crass sentimentality, a lack of focus and a exasperating refusal to take a hard look at the way the business of baseball is run today."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
93%
|
Drive (2011)
|
"At times it is thrilling, while at other moments it is maddening. One thing, though, "Drive" is never dull."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
100%
|
Citizen Kane (1941)
|
"There is no doubt that even 70 years after its release, "Kane" still retains the power to hold an audience as it follows the life and death of Charles Foster Kane."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
84%
|
Contagion (2011)
|
"The movie plays as if the National Institutes of Health hired director Steven Soderbergh to direct a health warning public service announcement that would scare the heck out of everyone."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
76%
|
The Help (2011)
|
""The Help" is an unforgettable feature about a past that should rightly be remembered as a blight on this nation. It is a film that at times will make you flinch and squirm, but ultimately, make you applaud the courage of these remarkable women."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
83%
|
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
|
"The real stars of the movie are the CGI artists who have brought Caesar and the other primates to life."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
78%
|
Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)
|
""Crazy, Stupid, Love" is a smart comedy about people, their foibles and the enduring strength of relationships."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
44%
|
Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
|
"Cowboys & Aliens" is pure escapist enjoyment. It's a bit corny and retro, but somehow it works."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
79%
|
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
|
""Captain America" fails to capitalize on the nostalgia of the character. Sure, cinematically he is treated respectfully, but it feels more like an obligation and chore rather than a labor of love."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
96%
|
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011)
|
""Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" ends the series on a triumphant note. It is a memorable and moving conclusion that will leave you wishing for more."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
87%
|
Buck (2011)
|
""Buck" is an extraordinary and fascinating story about an individual who believes you can accomplish more through simple kindness and understanding."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
34%
|
Larry Crowne (2011)
|
"The relationship between the two stars doesn't grow; it just seems to happen because it was written into the script. It feels contrived as if it was something that moviegoers would expect because the film stars Hanks and Roberts."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
39%
|
Cars 2 (2011)
|
"Cars 2" never seems to rev up to its full potential. At one hour and 53 minutes, it feels sluggish and padded. The film lacks spark and drive."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
27%
|
Green Lantern (2011)
|
""Green Lantern" is badly paced, derivative and clunky. Its biggest sin is being joyless. The film just isn't fun."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
84%
|
The Tree of Life (2011)
|
"In "Tree of Life," (director Terrence) Malick offers no middle ground. Audiences will either embrace or despise it. They will think it is either deep and profound or pretentious and self-indulgent. And they would be correct - on all counts."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
82%
|
Super 8 (2011)
|
"What makes "Super 8" so good is that it is told from the viewpoint of the kids, whose emotional honesty bring a sense of reality to this fantasy thriller."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
87%
|
X-Men: First Class (2011)
|
"X-Men: First Class" is an intelligent action flick -- a strong summer offering that contains all the elements of a successful seasonal feature."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
71%
|
Dumbstruck (2011)
|
""Dumbstruck" will give you an appreciation in the effort and talent needed to be a ventriloquist. "
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
90%
|
Bridesmaids (2011)
|
"Overall, the movie is a winner that should propel Wiig to a big-time movie career."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
77%
|
Thor (2011)
|
"At times it seems Thor's hammer shows more personality than its owner."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
78%
|
Fast Five (2011)
|
""Fast Five" is the perfect definition of a guilty-pleasure movie. In this film, what stunt drivers and stunt people do with their machines and bodies defy the laws of physics, nature and reason."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
71%
|
Rio (2011)
|
""Rio" is bright and bouncy and abetted by some strong vocal talent -- most notably, Jesse Eisenberg as Blu and Anne Hathaway as Jewel."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
94%
|
Win Win (2011)
|
""Win Win" is a very likable small movie. The characters and the situation feel authentic."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
85%
|
Jane Eyre (2011)
|
"(The movie) lacks the larger-than-life emotional grandeur that the gothic romance is supposed to elicit."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
26%
|
Your Highness (2011)
|
""Your Highness" is ... built on a flimsy house of profane cards that begins crumbling with the opening narration and never recovers."
|
Bob Bloom
|
|
91%
|
Source Code (2011)
|
""Source Code" is challenging and stimulating, a movie that will keep you guessing and will not disappoint."
|
Bob Bloom
|
