When we think of Queen Victoria, most of us think prudish morals and ornate furniture, so Emily Blunt’s very human portrayal is welcome. But I would have welcomed a movie with a real story, instead of just gossip (Lord Melbourne said what? No! Really?) sprinkled with ceremony (funeral, coronation, wedding, repeat).
Grade: C
James Cameron’s epic overwhelmed me with its spectacular special effects, the richness of its imagined world and its overall beauty. Although I did have some quibbles (like, with all those buff humanoids running around nearly naked 24/7, wouldn’t there be more mating?), they evaporated under the spell of this amazing movie.
Grade: A
1. Fantastic Mr. Fox
2. Milk
3. Zombieland
4. Ponyo
5. Star Trek
Movies I liked more the more I thought about them: Julie & Julia, Extract, Adventureland, Me and Orson Welles
Movies I liked less the more I thought about them: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Gran Turino, The Invention of Lying, Inglourious Basterds
Movies I can’t stop thinking about: A Serious Man, Into Temptation, Watchmen
1. Up in the Air
2. District 9
3. The September Issue
4. The Wrestler
5. Julie & Julia
-
This is a smart, well-made film that gets you to think about modern life, laugh at witty jokes and care about interesting characters. George Clooney gives a fine performance, but co-stars Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are even better.
Grade: A
A well-to-do family takes in a boy benumbed by poverty and helps him escape his past, realize his athletic potential and develop into a happy, fulfilled young man – all through the power of love. It’s an inspiring and true story, featuring a strong performance by Sandra Bullock as the strong mom.
Grade: B
To enjoy this movie, forget the detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle and get set for a clever, action-packed buddy movie along the lines of I Spy, Wild Wild West or Shanghai Noon. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law have great chemistry, and the costumes and set make you feel you’re in 19th century London.
Grade: B
Director Rob Marshall trots out a song-and-dance movie that’s a lot like his 2002 hit, Chicago, but the music isn’t as good. Still, what a cast: Daniel Day-Lewis is an Italian director surrounded by women who range from the pretty (Marion Cotillard) to the sexy (Fergie) to the mature (Judi Dench), to the lovely (Nicole Kidman) to the magnificent (Sophia Loren) to the dazzling (Kate Hudson) to the steamin’ hot (Penélope Cruz).
Grade: B-
The story of a corporate downsizer who would rather fly over the country than commit to relationships with anyone on the ground, Up in the Air gets my vote for best movie of 2009. George Clooney’s casually arrogant persona fits this role perfectly and he plays it to the hilt.
Grade: A+
-
This jaunty, hyperactive take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Baker Street detective is surprisingly entertaining, due mostly to the patter between Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson. I could have lived without the numerous explosions and Rachel McAdams as a dull love interest, but overall, Sherlock Holmes was a fun way to spend a snowy Saturday afternoon.
Grade: B+
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