Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family, Mystery

Year: 2011

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone

Director: Martin Scorsese

My Review: A brilliant work of art - Scorsese (director), John Logan (screenplay) and Brian Selznick (book) have crafted an homage to the early days of film, a piece of work that feels very much like a Federico Fellini film and reminded me in many ways of Cinema Paradiso by Giuseppe Tornatore. It has charm, atmosphere, heart, adventure and suspense. The story revolves around Hugo, a 12 year old orphan living in a Paris train station in the early 30s. Filching food, and avoiding the police inspector, Hugo does what he must to survive and escape detection. All the while he toils at his memories of better times. When Hugo meets Isabelle his life undergoes a transformation, and a revelation draws us all into this fantastic story. The direction was outstanding, as was the amazing cgi - So life like I often forgot it was cgi. The movements, motion and emotion were all superbly done. Textures and colors were never over-done, and the consistent look and feel was a joy to behold. The characters and dialog were perfectly executed and the production level sublime. The pacing was perfect and the editing perfect. This film won 5 Oscars for art and technical aspects. If you want to see a well made film, with a great story, you must watch Hugo - A treasure for the family. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: Hugo is an orphan boy living in the walls of a train station in the 1930s in Paris. He fixes clocks and other gadgets as he learned to from his father and uncle. The only thing that he has left that connects him to his father is an automaton that doesn't work; Hugo has to find its heart-shaped key. On his adventures, he meets with a cranky old man who works in the train station and his adventure-seeking god-daughter. Hugo finds that they have a surprising connection to his father and the automaton, and as he discovers it, the old man starts remembering his past and his significance to the world of film-making.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Year: 2011

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, Josh Lucas

Director: Brad Furman

My Review: Matthew McConaughey is perfect in his role as defense attorney Mick Haller. A quick witted, fast talking, deal making broker of truth and consequences. He's not above the law and won't let it stop him when there's justice to be had. Flawed, on the verge of a full blown alcoholic melt-down, he's held together by the momentum of the court cases he pursues with a frenzy. When he takes on an arrogant rich white kid as his latest client, he suspects the kid is guilty, but he suspects all his clients. He never lets that get in the way. The characters are very well developed and directed. The acting quite smart and the casting well done. Aside from the McConaughey, William H. Macy also provided a great performance as a gritty get-it-done detective working for Haller. The direction was excellent, and the pacing quite brisk. It moved along so quickly at times that I lost track of who was manipulating who. The story is a court-room drama involving allegations of Rape - A 'he said' 'she said' case, or so it seems, until the turns start arriving, the story throws us a few unexpected twists and quickly challenges the viewer's assumptions about the story. Better than I had anticipated. The drama was deftly handled by director Brad Furman. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Mick Haller is a defense lawyer who works out of his Lincoln. When a wealthy Realtor is accused of raping a prostitute, Haller is asked to defend him. The man claims that the woman is trying to get some money out of him. But when Haller looks at the evidence against him, he learns that this case might be linked to an old case of his.

Genre: Horror

Year: 1983

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Doug McGrath, Charles Hallahan

Director: Joe Dante, John Landis

My Review: An anthology/homage to Rod Serling's TV show (same name) from '59-'64. Although the original show was filmed in b&w, this movie is presented in color. The movie starts with a prologue featuring Dan Akroyd and Albert Brooks. Following that are four episodes, presented in a manner consistent with the original show. The horror/sci-fi segments are directed by different directors. 1st segment: (Directed by John Landis) Vic Morrow (who died in a freak helicopter accident during the filming of the movie) is plays a disgruntled racist fed up with 'those people' who 'Took his job!'. 2nd segment: (Directed by Steven Spielberg) Scatman Crothers stars as a mystical magician who transforms the residents of a local retirement home. 3rd segment: (Directed by Joe Dante) Kathleen Quinlan is the unwilling house guest of a boy who's thoughts are transformed into reality. The 4th segment (Directed by George Miller) is the best. John Lithgow goes over the edge when he spots a 'Little Green Man' trying to bring down the airplane he's on. Very reminiscent of the original series - Odd, eery, creepy situations that spin out of control. The direction and acting was good - Especially John Lithgow's performance in the last episode. One of the best parts of this movie was the original score by Jerry Goldsmith. Overall I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Famous directors create their own versions of classic stories from Rod Serling's landmark television series.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Year: 1969

Country: Italy, France

Rating:

Starring: Stéphane Audran, Michel Bouquet, Michel Duchaussoy, Maurice Ronet, Louise Chevalier

Director: Claude Chabrol

My Review: I was drawn to this movie by the director - Claude Chabral; the founder of French new wave cinema. He's made some excellent movies, and I'd like to see more of them. An intense drama starring some great actors. The writing (also Claude Chabrol) was excellent and the characters are fully realized under his direction. I was drawn into the story, but kept getting tripped up by poor subtitling/translation. It's obvious that I was missing much of the sub text in this movie. The story - Charles suspects his wife of cheating on him; so he hires a detective, once the proof is provided he goes to the apartment of the other man - He starts a calm and reasoned conversation, but it doesn't end well for Victor. The film is full of passion and nuance. Unfortunately, some of this was lost because of the poor translations. This movie was remade as the American film 'Unfaithful' starring Diane Lane and Richard Gere. I give the French version a 3 out of 5.

Summary: Charles Desvallées has good reasons to believe that his wife is cheating on him and hires a P.D. in order to prove himself right. Once he knows the lover is writer Victor Pégala, he drives to his apartment, calmly presents himself as the husband, starts a conversation and then kills him cold-bloodedly. The police trace the wife but when she discovers by accident a picture that could incriminate her husband she decides to remain silent.

Genre: Action

Year: 1989

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle

Director: Tim Burton

My Review: Tim Burton directs this classic comic book tale. The dark city of Gotham is plagued by criminals and corrupt cops. Even the D.A. and a dedicated police commissioner can't keep order when the crooks are everywhere. Bruce Wayne can't take another day of dark deeds. He dons a mask and cape and the moniker of Batman in order to fight crime for the sake of those trapped under the oppressing veil of corruption in Gotham city. A tragic accident creates a crazed criminal named 'The Joker' and Batman meets his nemesis. Filled with some excellent art direction and stage work, the costumes, atmosphere and camera work combined to make a believable Gotham. The acting by Michael Keaton (as Batman) and Jack Nicholson (as the Joker) was excellent and the pacing perfect. Of all the Batman movies I've seen, this is easily my favorite. All the classic characters, great acting, direction and an excellent comic book feel. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being the clownishly homicidal Joker.

Genre: Drama

Year: 2001

Country: Australia

Rating:

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh

Director: Baz Luhrmann

My Review: Moulin Rouge (the 2001 version) is a big budget production. An extravaganza, a musical bonanza, a romantic explosion of Truth, Love, and Beauty. The story - Set in Paris around the turn of the century (1899); A naive young poet (played by Ewan McGregor) moves to Paris in order to be at the center of everything. There he encounters the 'Moulin Rouge' and falls in love with its main attraction - The cabaret star named 'Satine' (played by Nicole Kidman). The cast was absolutely perfect. The acting outstanding. The choreography, spectacle, music and stage work simply blew me away. The film tells a love story through song, dance and a 'Spectacular Spectacular' play. It's moving, entertaining, and filled with the Bohemian themes of 'Truth, Beauty, Freedom and above all else - Love!' The movie earned two Oscars (for costumes and art direction) in 2002, and I'm glad I own it. I should watch this movie more often. It's a positive reinforcement of all that is good in life. 5 out of 5.

Summary: A poet falls for a beautiful courtesan whom a jealous duke covets in this stylish musical, with music drawn from familiar 20th century sources.

Genre: Comedy

Year: 1989

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor

Director: Richard Donner

My Review: The movie 'Lethal Weapon', directed by Richard Donner, written by Shane Black and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover launched a successful and popular franchise that spawned three sequels, numerous genre similar movies and a revival of 'cop buddy' movies in the 80s and 90s. There's even a 'Lethal Weapon 5' in production now. This second movie moved the cop duo of Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Glover) in a couple of new directions. Adding the Leo Getz character (played by Joe Pesci brought some excellent comedy relief to the film. We also get a more detailed view of Riggs' darker side. The story - Riggs and Murtaugh are investigating the source of a trunk full of gold when they stumble upon a big time smuggling operation being run with South African 'Diplomatic Immunity'. The movie dates itself with the Apartheid references, but the movie is an excellent action packed adventure in the tradition of all good 'Cop Buddy' movies. Gibson and Glover are excellent together, and this film continues the franchise with an excellent production. It keeps your interest, moves at an action packed pace and features some well cast acting and direction. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Riggs and Murtaugh are on the trail of South African diplomats who are using their immunity to engage in criminal activities.

Genre: Family

Year: 1989

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland, Thomas Wilson Brown

Director: Joe Johnston

My Review: A Disney production. A family friendly comedy. Starring Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland, Thomas Wilson Brown , Jared Rushton, and Robert Oliveri. This lightweight comedy is cast with a lightweight b-list of actors. None of them made it big, and none of them delivered much more than a few yucks in this marshmallow of a movie. Funnyman Rick Moranis plays a scatterbrained scientist, a dreamer, believer, inventor, workaholic on the verge of losing it all - his job, his marriage, and his home. The dark themes of this movie are slight attempt at character development. The real story is a 'Fantastic Journey' through the back yard. When dad's latest invention inadvertently shrinks a group of kids (his and the neighbors), the adventure begins. Shrunken down to super small size (a scale which seems to constantly change), the kids embark on a surprisingly difficult and rewarding trek across the jungle of a suburban back yard. As the kids come together to make the perilous journey, their parents realize that they too will have to cooperate in order to achieve their goals. An excellent family values adventure that delivers as expected. The special effects are pretty good, and the sound production excellent. 3 out of 5. The 'Roger Rabbit' short included on this VHS is an extremely violent example of Disney's animation overlay with live action.

Summary: Wayne Szalinski is your average "nutty scientist", working on a top secret machine which miniaturizes objects. When it unexpectedly starts working, he's so amazed he forgets to tell his family to be careful. And when they wander into his lab...

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Year: 2010

Country: Australia

Rating:

Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Maeve Dermody, Patrick Brammall, Toby Schmitz, Marshall Napier

Director: Leon Ford

My Review: A light hearted comic romance in a super hero costume. This romantic drama pretends to be a 'comic book' movie, but it doesn't take long to see past the obvious cover to the true heart of this movie. Griff is a social misfit. He doesn't fit in at work, can't talk to girls and struggles to make it through the day. What very few people realize; Griff has a secret alter-ego. A confident, outgoing super hero who protects the innocent and vulnerable citizens of Melbourne. When Griff's brother introduces Griff to Melody, an electric connection is formed and two eccentric characters realize that they don't have to change to be accepted. This movie isn't very heavy on plot, but the quirky characters are well developed and the romantic connection brings hope alive in this overly-serious world of adult responsibilities and personal compromise. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Griff, office worker by day, superhero by night, has his world turned upside down when he meets Melody, a beautiful young scientist who shares his passion for the impossible.

Genre: Drama

Year: 1982

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, James Mason, Milo O'Shea

Director: Sidney Lumet

My Review: Paul Newman plays Frank Galvin; a down on his luck, washed-up, ambulance chaser. Recovering from a series of set-backs, the character is a lawyer with little left to live for and a problem with the bottle. When a simple 'open-and-shut' malpractice case comes his way, a case of conscience compels him to reverse course and set things right. Instead of taking the out of court cash settlement, Frank decides to make this his last stand. The direction (by Sidney Lumet) and writing (screenplay by David Mamet) are superb, and Paul Newman's hallmark performance all combine to make this movie a truly outstanding cinematic effort. The camera work, sets and lighting were another outstanding feature. Faith, morality, justice and redemption - They're all on trial in this movie. Paul Newman should have won an Oscar for his performance in this movie. 5 out of 5.

Summary: A lawyer sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling.