Hitchcock

Actors:  Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Danny Huston, Toni Collette. Jessica Biel, James D’Arcy
Rating:  7 out of 10, I’m a huge Hitchcock fan so I was surprised that I had not seen this flick.  It’s a very interesting look at the making of Psycho in 1959.  Hopkins labors under a mountain of makeup to portray the portly Hitchcock and sometimes seemed to be trying too hard to channel Sir Alfred.  The film is rescued by Helen Mirren as Hitchcock’s underappreciated wife and creative force behind some of his genius.  While the movie is enjoyable it plays too safe, staying on the surface of things and avoiding looking too deeply. We get all of the oft repeated rumors about Hitchcock’s foibles but again, just a light exterior look.  My guess is that Hitchcock is still too legendary a figure for anyone in the film industry to treat too harshly – probably a good thing.
MVP:  Mirren as the long suffering Alma Hitchcock

Salmon Fishing in Yemen

Actors:  Ewan Macgregor, Emily Blunt, Kristin Scot Thomas, Amir Waked, Rachael Stirling, Tom Mison
Rating:  7 out of 10, this film is definitely not my normal fare as it lacks any significant action but somehow it sucked me in.  It revolves around a stodgy British government scientist (Macgregor) and his begrudging efforts to help a Yemeni sheik who’s also an avid fisherman start a salmon colony in Yemen.  The Sheik’s assistant is portrayed by Emily Blunt, who is so good in everything she does.  This movie would have failed miserably if not for the impossibly great chemistry between the two leads.  There is also some very high comedy supplied by Kristin Scott Thomas as seemingly the only competent person in the British government – she’s got all of the best lines.  It was also nice to see some depth given to an Arab character who’s not trying to blow something up.  Against all odds I really liked this saccharin sweet story – just well done.
MVP:  Thomas as the incredibly funny government press secretary.

Last Stand

Actors:  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forrest Whitaker, Peter Stormare, Eduardo Noriega, Jaime Alexander, Johnny Knoxville, Genesis Rodriguez, Luis Guzman, Rodrigo Santoro
Rating:  7 out of 10, Probably a very apt title for Arnie’s return to action genre.  He’s back, not a bad thing, at least for the people of California and pudgy maids (but I digress).  This flick is sneaky fun as it hearkens back to the 1980’s action flicks where Arnie made his bones.  It was kind of interesting to see a sleepy Arizona border town with an Austrian Sheriff, Thor’s Asgardian female buddy, the Brazilian guy from Love Actually and 300 as a drunken townie, a Swedish bad guy helping out a Spanish guy trying to portray a Mexican drug lord – it is Hollywood!  It’s a complete mess but a lovable one as Arnie doesn’t try to hide his age but makes it one of the recurring jokes.  Forrest Whitaker is a real miss as a bumbling FBI agent and there’s no where near enough screen time for the stunning Genesis Rodriguez.  Still, a lot of harmless, mindless fun as the town and the bad guys blow up spectacularly.  It’s 1984 all over again. 
MVP:  The Governator proves he’s still got it.

Parker

Actors:  Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis, Nick Nolte, Wendell Pierce, Patti Lupone, Emma Booth
Rating:  8 out of 10, Jason Statham scowls his way through another movie – kicking ass and taking names.  He’s very Porteresque in a plot very similar to Payback.  This should have been enough but the filmmakers decided Jennifer Lopez needed to be in the movie in what should have been a small part. I’m guessing she was not content with that because her role is awkwardly expanded to include more of her than was necessary. The movie’s pace comes to a screeching halt whenever she appears on screen. Statham’s proven he can carry an entire action movie. They should have let him.
MVP:  Statham as the title character ,a good hearted thief who packs a punch

Immortal (Ad Vitam)

Actors:  Linda Hardy, Thomas Kretschmann, Charlotte Rampling, Thomas Pollard
Rating:  5 out of 10, A very, very French film shot in that same disconcerting fashion as Sky Captain where the actors are occasionally real but everything else is very rudimentary CGI.  You’ve got the ancient Egyptian gods hanging out over a future New York City in a floating pyramid that no one seems to care about whilst one of those gods in running around the city trying to impregnate a blue haired cyborg seeming gal with the assistance of the dad from Wanted.  It didn’t make a whole lot more sense watching it.  The story is sacrificed for cool seeming visuals which really aren’t that cool.  They were obviously aiming for Luc Besson territory but failed miserably.  What was I thinking?
MVP:  Hardy is very French and very hot as Jill the blue haired cyborg

Cloud Atlas

Actors:  Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Keith David, James D’Arcy, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon, David Gyasi
Rating:  10 out of 10, Against all odds, my favorite movie of 2012.  I know it’s been skewered by so many but, to a movie nut (guilty), this is nearly a perfect movie.  It has everything – a combination of all genres: a drama, a comedy, historical epic, romance, political thriller, science fiction, horror, and post apocalyptic disaster.  I think a lot of critics grew exasperated by the jumping between stories and genres and just gave up on it (probably because of how one literary critic is treated in the movie).  If you stay engaged with it you will be richly rewarded.  I watched it for the third time and am still picking up new things.  It is one of those movies best seen on the big screen because of its epic scope but the blu ray version does it justice.  The plot jumps back and forth in time over 500 years with stories intertwined and actors playing multiple parts, even across gender/racial lines. It all eventually makes sense and I appreciated the message of enduring love, redemption, how everything/body is connected, and the consequences of good and evil acts. The filmmakers took chances and I love it when that happens. Hanks and Berry are fantastic, as always (I swear I’d watch a movie with Hanks reading the phone book). Doona Bae, a Korean actress, was fantastic in multiple roles as well. While many people (like my wife) will condemn this movie – I loved it.  The only downside was the central music theme.  A song that was supposed to link souls across the ages just wasn’t that memorable.
MVP:  Hanks transformed into a 17^th century evil doctor, a 20^th century nuclear scientist, and a reluctant post-apocalyptic hero

That's Halle Berry on the Right

Cleanskin

Actors:  Sean Bean, Charlotte Rampling, Abhin Galaya, Tom Burke, Tuppence Middleton, Peter Polycarpou
Rating:  6 out of 10, I watched this because I saw some on line reviews saying it was a good political military thriller and I’ve always liked Sean Bean.  While he doesn’t get to perform his signature move (although he does give it the old college try a couple times) – a death scene – this is a pretty good flick.  It is so very British though and I can see why it didn’t make it over to the States.  It tries to serve as an apologist for Muslim radicals and that would never play here.  It reminded me a lot of 1970s movies where the big bad government was behind all evil perpetrated, even against itself.  This movie fails because of that.  You don’t try to explain evil – you wipe it out.  The action is well done although the pace is brought to a screeching halt with some overlong flashbacks. 
MVP:  Bean gets to live as a tired but effective operative

 

Lincoln

Actors:  Daniel Day Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon Leavitt, David Straithairn
Rating:  9 out of 10, I think only Spielberg could take a movie involving congressional politics and make it fascinating. This is a great movie because of the cast. Every single role had an accomplished actor playing the part. It was a constant stream of recognable actors under heavy period makeup. There are a lot of photographs from this era and the amount of historical accuracy portrayed is astounding. Tommy Lee Jones steals every scene he’s in, but you almost expect that. Daniel Day-Lewis is his usual amazing and portrays a Lincoln in keeping with the historical record of a shrewd but likable politician with an inner drive to do right. I was a huge Civil War nut when I was growing up so Lincoln was an immense presence in that fascination.  It is simply amazing to see that implacable face and presence brought to life with such humanity.  This most beloved icon of American history is made human with no loss of his heroic legacy.  Everything about this movie resonated – a great movie.
MVP:  Lewis may be the best actor ever and he "is" Abraham Lincoln

Frankenstein Created Woman 1967

Actors:  Peter Cushing, Susan Denberg, Thorley Walters, Robert Morris, Peter Blythe
Rating:  3 out of 10, Cushing is back as the diabolical Baron in this completely silly story that is played straight and an actually pretty well done horror flick.  The Baron is seemingly penniless and living in the upstairs loft of a friend where he freezes himself solid and shoots at champagne glasses in his spare time.  His trusted assistant is wrongly guillotined which gives the Baron a chance to reanimate his soul into the body of a comely young lady following some obligatory post mortem plastic surgery.  Of course the reanimated babe immediately goes on a vengeful killing spree instead of admiring his new female form.  You can see Hammer Studios starting to lose their way here.
MVP:  Morris as the soon to be headless hero Hans

The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires

Actors:  Peter Cushing, David Chiang, Julie Ege, Robin Stewart, John Forbes-Robinson and a bunch of Chinese Kung Fu fighters
Rating:  4 out of 10, One of those god-awful Hammer films after they lost their way following some initially very good and scary horror films.  By the early 1970s nothing good was coming out of them and I feel bad for Peter Cushing who finds himself as Doctor Van Helsing transported into a Chinese Kung Fu movie (all the rage in the 1970s).  Dracula has switched bodies with a Chinese dude who reanimates the seven decayed corpse like Chinese vampires whose signature move seems to be ripping the shirts off comely female villagers.  Cushing accompanied by his son, a stunning Norwegian visitor, and seven kung fu fighting brothers journey across feudal China to put paid to the count.  So bad that the unintentional comedy level is through the roof.
MVP:  Cushing as the suffering Dr Van Helsing

Jack Reacher

Actors:  Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Werner Herzog, Jai Courtney
Rating:  9 out of 10, I’m one of the guys the makers of this movie were worried about.  Reacher is one of my literary heroes and I didn’t think there was anyway a pipsqueak like Tom Cruise could carry off the man mountain, bad ass character of Reacher. I was astounded because he did “get it” and accurately captured the Reacher attitude of ,“f--- off, leave me alone or pay the consequences”; the irresistible force of good in an evil world.  I liked it much better after this second viewing because there were so many little pieces of the Reacher persona on display that I missed at the theater.  It is a smart crime thriller and that’s never a bad thing.  Reacher’s legacy is intact – how does that little guy do it?
MVP:  Cruise living up to Reacher

Dracula, Prince of Darkness

Actors:  Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelly, Andrew Keir, Francis Matthews, Suzan Farmer
Rating:  7 out of 10, The sequel to the original Hammer Dracula film in the 1960’s with Saruman playing the Count again.  I kind of felt bad for Drac in this, he goes through the trouble of getting resurrected with a gruesome ritual, has a real bloodshot eye issue, and then only lasts one day before being iced by the gun toting abbot of a local monastery and a guy who seemed to be channeling Carey Grant.  It was funny seeing this 1960s movie and connecting the theme that was carried into the slasher movies of the 1970s and beyond – that of the incredibly stupid victims almost seeking demise.  If a driverless team of horses hijack you to a spooky castle that all the locals refuse to acknowledge existing – it’s probably not a good idea to spend the night.  Dracula was waiting instead of Jason or Freddie but it was the same type of set up. 
MVP:  Matthews as the Grant channeling hero

Sweet Sugar

Actors:  Phyllis Davis, Ella Edwards, Timothy Brown, Pamela Collins, Cliff Osmond
Rating:  3 out of 10, This was one of the landmark films of my youth.  My mother took us to the drive-in theater, back when they still existed, and accidently let us teenagers watch what amounted to a soft core porn movie.  I fell madly in love with Phyllis Davis who later went on to fame as Dan Tana’s girlfriend in Vegas.  She was perfection, everything 1960’s plastic surgery and push up bras could produce.  There wasn’t a lot of acting involved in this great example of the Filipino soft core porn industry that thrived during this time period.  A very thin story that allowed a bevy of beauties to somehow end up cutting sugar cane in beach outfits.  I saw this on Amazon and couldn’t afford to pass up the chance to re-visit my youth.  Unfortunately the copy on the DVD has aged as poorly as I have but Ms Davis can still turn a head, a total guilty pleasure.
MVP:  Ms Davis, of course, as the statuesque Sugar

Arbitrage

Actors:  Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Brit Marling, Letitia Casta, Nate Parker, Stuart Margolin
Rating:  5 out of 10, A movie starring Gere and Sanrandon about a Wall Street financier – could be a less than flattering portrayal – ya think!  Gere plays the banker who hides a depth of sleaze under a flawlessly smooth exterior.  He’s actually pretty good in this and I know it must have hurt him not to go over the top in attacking this type of character.  Sarandon is likewise subdued and severely underused.  Gere’s character has to stay three steps ahead of Roth, a policeman not above corrupt actions himself, in pursuit of him for the death of Gere’s mistress.  The best actor in the entire movie is Nate Parker who steals every scene he’s in as the key to Gere’s future.  There was a lot going on in this movie and while the actors all do well the story is kind of, ehhh.  The only characters with even a modicum of likability is the clueless smart daughter and Parker, both of whom also commit crimes.  It’s tough to root for a movie when no one is worth rooting for.  The ending (setting up a big climax that never happens) is one of those types that works in some movies – it doesn’t here. 
MVP:  Parker as the one man with a soul in the movie – Jimmy Grant

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Actors:  Nicholas Cage, Ciarin Hinds, Christopher Lambert, Idris Elba, Violante Placido, Johnny Whitworth
Rating:  6 out of 10, I guess there were a lot of untold stores that needed to be told after the first movie and there can never be enough crazed Nicholas Cage moments on the silver screen but this was kind of a mess.  Whoever shot this film seems to have forgotten camerawork 101 where you keep the light spots off the screen.  There were so many of the damned, distracting spots on the screen that it became a game to count them all.  Stringer Bell achieves a semi-successful French accent as a motorcycling, gun toting Catholic Priest (yep) and Conner Macleod shows up with a face full of tattoos.  There is actually a good movie hidden (very deeply) but the directors choose to spend too much time admiring Cage’s burning head instead of focusing on what was a pretty good story.
MVP:  Placido as the mom desperately trying to save her satanic born son

Silver Linings Playbook

Actors:  Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Deniro, Chris Tucker, Jackie Weaver
Rating:  9 out of 10, My daughter almost apoplectically encouraged me to see this movie because it’s not part of my normal fare of blood and mayhem.  I’m so glad that she did.  A movie with ball room dancing and severe introspection somehow made itself likable, go figure.  All of the actors were in top notch form but Jennifer Lawrence was a revelation. I was a little worried because the beginning of the movie features a tortured soul in Bradley Cooper’s character who is extremely annoying. Lawrence arrives about a third of the way through and the movie just takes off at that point. She is so believable and likable as another tortured soul that you immediately begin rooting for both of them because of her. The supporting cast is likewise superb led by Robert Deniro, Chris Tucker (nice to see him back), and Jackie Weaver who plays Cooper’s mom and the power behind the family scenes. This entire movie is a gem.
MVP:  Lawrence as the sprightly dancing widow Tiffany

Killer Joe

Actors:  Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Thomas Haden Church, Gina Gershon
Rating:  8 out of 10, This has to be the blackest of comedies but it is so funny.  It explores the total lack of morality of a family of Texas trailer trash who couldn’t screw a light bulb in without detailed instructions (scarily - I’ve met people like this).  Into this swirling vortex of imbecility strides Killer Joe, nailed by McConaughey, who proceeds to play the group like a violin and creates possibly the most famous piece of fried chicken in movie history.  Church as the father of a very shallow gene pool has some of the best lines in the movie and is convincingly clueless. Juno Temple shines as a lost soul of light which the forces of darkness compete for.  Everybody in the cast is spot on which must have been very difficult for some of these actors to pull off because of the depraved nature of the characters.  I really liked the ending which could lead to any number of possibilities.  A really “smart” movie despite the best efforts of the idiotic characters who consume it – really crisp (and not just the chicken).
MVP:  McConaughey is so good as Killer Joe Cooper