Mini Reviews
Silver Linings Playbook (out Jan 31) is a romantic comedy that follows two characters battling mental illness. There’s so much to love about this film during its first two-thirds including the edgier material and the terrific performances of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Unfortunately, it then changes tact with a safe, silly, unrealistic finale. Grade: B+.
The Impossible (out Jan 24) centres on a family holidaying in Thailand who are separated during the horrific Boxing Day tsunamis of 2004. The film packs an emotional punch, especially during the tsunami scenes, but it's a shame about the cheesy dialogue and "coincidences" in the finale. Grade: B.
The Guilt Trip (out Jan 24) is a comedy that follows a mother and son (Seth Rogen & Barbara Streisand) on a crazy road trip across the United States. I've no problem with the casting and the film has a nice spirit... but the writing is not good. It's a thin premise and this should have been a lot funnier. Grade: C+.
Django Unchained (out Jan 24) begins in Texas 1858 and follows 2 bounty hunters who are very good at what they do. It drags a little at the end but this is still a wildly amusing ride from Quentin Tarantino. The conversational pieces are superbly written and you won't find many films with a better collective group of performances. Grade: A-.
This Is 40 (out Jan 17) is Judd Apatow's latest and it follows two characters that have just celebrated their 40th birthday and are stumbling into the next chapter of their lives. Some will appreciate this "close to home" style comedy but I found each scene was a minute longer than it needed to be. Grade: B-.
Gangster Squad (out Jan 10) is the story of a group of vigilante-type cops who try to stop a huge crime syndicate in Los Angeles. This is a film that never gets out of first gear. The characters are monotonous, over-confident, lacking in personality. Josh Brolin is particularly dull. The story itself feels like a tick the box exercise with no excitement generated. Grade: C+.
Hitchcock (out Jan 10) shows us what went on behind the scenes when acclaimed director Alfred Hitchcock made Psycho back in 1960. The film is loose with its facts (so I've read) and focuses on the wrong sub-plots but the strong performances (Hopkins, Mirren, Johansson) give it a boost. Grade: B-.
ParaNorman (out Jan 10) is another "spooky" animated feature and follows a shy kid who can see ghosts and communicate with the dead. I'm not sure younger kids will embrace the supernatural themes but the film deserves to be seen for its wit and the work of the passionate animators. Grade: B+.
Jack Reacher (out Jan 3) follows a former military police officer (Tom Cruise) as he tries to find those behind a criminal cover up. I liked Cruise in this role - he's protagonist that is full of personality and has a great sense of humour. The ending fits together too neatly but this is still an above-average conspiracy thriller. Grade: B+.
Life Of Pi (out Jan 1) is the story about a boy stranded in the middle of the ocean on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. Well, that's what you'll think it's about. I've seen this film twice and I still can't shake the thought-provoking ending. It's a stunning directorial effort from Ang Lee who has brought this tricky novel to life. Grade: A.
Parental Guidance (out Dec 26) suffocates the audience with family values and hopes that we won't notice the messy, up-and-down plot and the lame, unoriginal jokes. This is not good. It's the tale of a husband & wife, who have no clue about technology, that are required to look after their 3 grandchildren for a week. Grade: C.
