M (1931)- Someone better protect the children for sure, but we must be protected from the systemic flaws of the state. Amazing! ***** of 5
Made in Dagenham (2010)- Hawkins is solid & tale is inspiring, but it's predictable, on the nose and riddled with cliches. **1/2 out of 5
The Maid (2009)- Fascinating oddity. Rich character study based on how the judgments of the viewer can be so wrong. ***** out of 5
Mary and Max (2010)- Mean-spirited & ugly. Asks us to laugh at, pity and then care about its main characters. ** out of 5
A Matter of Life and Death (1946)- Beautiful and bizarre one of a kind look at law, love and England as only Powell/Press. can. ****1/2 of 5
Me and Orson Welles (2009)- Pleasant enough and McKay's outstanding, but Efron's awful and the script lacks depth. *** out of 5
Medicine for Melancholy (2009)- Tedious hipster racial trope. Way too self-conscious & self-important for its own good. **1/2 out of 5
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)- Judy Garland's a force of nature in a delightful musical that's perhaps a bit too sweet & sentimental. ****/5
The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)- One of the most appalling films of 2009. Who thought this dreck would be funny and/or enjoyable? *1/2 out of 5
The Merry Gentleman (2009)-Kelly Macdonald gives her all in Michael Keaton's directorial debut- an overwritten, overdirected bore **1/2 out of 5
The Messenger (2009)- Though contrived, this intimate drama proves itself a worthy homage to our troops. Gotta love Samantha Morton. **** out of 5
Midnight in Paris (2011)- Admittedly slight, but very breezy, satisfying & surprisingly insightful. Wilson's excellent. ****1/2 out of 5
Moon (2009)-Brilliant, tense, gritty, smart sci-fi dystopia that also works as a conspiracy thriller. Rockwell's amazing! ***** out of 5
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2010)- Ellsberg's a great narrator. Fascinating doc. ****/5
Mother (2010)- Unsettling, suspenseful mystery/thriller that honors the turmoils of motherhood. Great opening & closing scenes. ****1/2 of 5
Motherland (2009)-Amazing women and poor people exploited to make a bad documentary. Cruel to play with grief and poverty. ** out of 5
Mulholland Dr. (2001)- There's a difference between dream logic & something being illogical. Lynch offers a mesmerizing nightmare. *****/5
The Muppet Movie (2009)- Puppets on an extended acid trip. Kermit's the biggest hippie ever! Funny, but uneven film. ***1/2 out of 5
Munyurangabo (2009)-Poem, though effectively haunting, begins an all too heavy-handed final sequence. Otherwise a powerful call for justice ****/5
My Man Godfrey (1936)- The silly rich get what's coming to them through kindness. A few great laugh-out-loud moments. **** out of 5
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)- Cute, sweet and imaginative. A bit timid exploring sadness in the world. ***1/2 out of 5
My Son My Son What Have Ye Done? (2009)- Parodies of Herzog cliches aside, this is a fascinating meditation on paranoia. ***1/2 of 5
National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)- The late John Hughes' script provides consistent laugh out loud moments! C. Chase=funny! ***1/2 out of 5
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)- Illogical upbeat ending doesn't quite ruin a rich dystopian tale of environmental justice ***1/2
Never Let Me Go (2010)- Logan's Run meets Jane Austin... powerful, wonderfully acted philosophical cautionary tale. **** out of 5
The Next Three Days (2010)- Always self-important, often illogical and downright silly, yet consistently entertaining. *** out of 5
New York, I Love You (2009)- One good short does not make a good shorts collection. New York has never been so underutilized. ** out of 5
The Night of the Hunter (1955)- An indulgent masterpiece. Laughton says to take your realism and shove it. Nearly perfect film. ***** of 5
Nine (2009)- Total misfire. Other than Cotillard & Cruz, the other women join Day Lewis by giving empty performances in a pretty empty film. **1/2
Ninotchka (1939)- The Lubitsch touch slightly dampened by tone shifts and political commentary that's just a bit heavy. ***1/2 out of 5
No Impact Man (2009)- Self-serving? Who cares? One of the most inspirational and compelling docs of the year. ****1/2 out of 5
The Notebook (2004)-Predictable plot w/ supporting characters that detract from a romance that's sweet and effective overall *** out of 5
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation (2009)-Occasionally self-important but always compelling. **** out of 5
Observe and Report (2009)-What's the point of this movie? It's not funny at all. It's unpleasant and joyless. Ick! *1/2 out of 5
Odd Man Out (1947)- Starts as a weak heist film and then twists and turns into one man's living purgatory told exceptionally well. **** of 5
Of Gods and Men (2011)- Beautiful, sad and sobering true story of devotion to religion at its best and worst. ****1/2 out of 5
Of Time and the City (2009)-Though some overlong sequences, Davies' doc is singularly poetic and meticulously well-crafted. **** out of 5
O'Horten (2009)-Despite a great lead performance, film feels like a suicidal person trying to tell what he believes to be a funny story. **1/2 of 5
Oldboy (2003)- A bit loopy at the end, but Park Chan-wook tells this sick, twisted tale with such cinematic joy. Great ride. ****1/2 of 5
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)- Taut gangster epic leads into final act full of dull melodrama & overblown self-importance. ***1/2 of 5
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)- Overstuffed, sure, but I can't recall too many films that are so damn entertaining. ****1/2 out of 5
The Other Guys (2010)- Occasional laughs aren't enough to make up for the dumb action and the many jokes that fall flat. **1/2 out of 5
Our Man Flint (1966)- Sometimes humorous, often monotonous Bond spoof with a suave Coburn and a great Lee J. Cobb *** out of 5
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