Film Tweets

Here I will post all of the tweets I write immediately after watching each film. Follow me on Twitter, and see my page by clicking here.

Elephant (2003)- High school hell. All w/in are victims. Nothing glorified, yet questions left unanswered. Chilling. ****1/2 out of 5

Paranormal Activity- Bad acting & moments of complete idiocy, sure, but the suspense and terror pack a punch. Admirable schlock. ***1/2 of 5

25th Hour (2002)- Lee masterfully directs one man's final night of freedom. Extends well into metaphor for frustrations post-9/11 ***** of 5

A Single Man- Good film & great Firth performance. I just wish Tom Ford indulged audiences as much as he did his own whim. ***1/2 out of 5

Broken Embraces- Only Almodovar could imbue the trashiest soap opera melodrama with such sublime visual splendor & coy humor! ****1/2 of 5

Invictus- Viewer is attacked head-on w/ reminders of match's importance. Fine acting. Overall exhausting & cliched. *** out of 5

Good Hair- Interesting doc brought down a bit by a stupid reality competition subplot. Best part might just be Chris Rock himself. *** of 5

The Limits of Control- Main character takes a pretentious, brutally dull and ultimately futile journey, much like this film itself. ** of 5

Lemon Tree- Perhaps a bit simplistic, this glimpse into Israeli/Palestinian turmoil is sweet and truly compelling. **** out of 5

The Merry Gentleman- Kelly Macdonald gives her all in Michael Keaton's directorial debut- an overwritten, overdirected bore **1/2 out of 5

An Education- Very enjoyable and easy to watch. Everything's on a surface level, but what's there works very well. ***1/2 out of 5

The White Ribbon- Sobering meditation on humanity's capacity for depravity. Merciless but undeniably brilliant. ***** out of 5

The Princess and the Frog- Entertaining, but you'd think that a film with soul trying to break barriers wouldn't be so formulaic. *** of 5

Extract-Lukewarm comedy that could have used a few more laugh-out-loud moments. Everything played at 50%. **1/2 out of 5

Taking Woodstock-What's so crazy about an astute Ang Lee movie about peace, love and understanding? **** out of 5

35 Shots of Rum-Denis' sensual aesthetic sadly weighed down by predictable, disingenuous melodrama. Some great moments though. *** out of 5

The Blind Side-A condescending, cardboard-cutout of a crowd-pleaser. Subtlety stomped to a gory death. **1/2 out of 5

Lake Tahoe-I'm all for small independent film making, but this insipid tale of grief ought to be called out for what it is: amateur. ** of 5

Funny People- Romance storyline overstays its welcome, but seriocomic mortality thread shows Apatow at his most mature. ***1/2 out of 5

L'Enfant (2006)-Kids having kids forced to take responsibility for their miserable lives. Perfect Dardenne fodder. ****1/2 out of 5

The Son's Room (2001)-Forward momentum by way of fragmented scenes produces a nice drama that's perhaps a bit too syrupy and shallow. ***/5

Dancer in the Dark (2000)-Novelty doesn't excuse sadism and mindless manipulation. I will say that Bjork is amazing. **1/2 out of 5

Farewell My Concubine (1993)-Life imitates opera in an uneven, yet visually enthralling epic. **** out of 5

Up in the Air-Clooney gives best perf of career & one of the best of 2009. Mirror of our times...charming, entertaining and smart! *****/5

Brothers- Who knew Gyllenhaal could act? He's great. It's heavy handed with an unfocused plot, but still this drama works well. ***1/2 of 5

Mulholland Dr. (2001)- There's a difference between dream logic & something being illogical. Lynch offers a mesmerizing nightmare. *****/5

The Road- I didn't care if the kid lived or died. That says something. **1/2 out of 5

High and Low (1963)-Classy but uneven Kurosawa noir which goes from tense thriller to mannered procedural. *** out of 5

Fantastic Mr. Fox- Wes Anderson wonderfully and whimsically adapts a Dahl story that's kind of dull and unnecessary. **** out of 5

Ran (1985)-Kurosawa's King Lear is a sprawling epic masterpiece of which Shakespeare would be proud. Gorgeous. ***** out of 5

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans- Cage is great, but Herzog's whimsy within convention sabotages an overall cohesion. Unique. ***/5

Julie & Julia- Charming food movie despite stale bits in both storylines. Streep and Adams are both great in different ways. ***1/2 of 5

Taste of Cherry (1997)- Simple & somewhat trite exploration of the value of life. Compelling with a fascinating meta-conclusion ****1/2 of 5

Thirst- Scary? No. Creepy? A bit. Consistent tone? No way. Focused narrative? Not really. Visually breathtaking? Absolutely. ***1/2 of 5

Star Trek-Minus the inclusion of an illogical Nemoy subplot, Abrams wonderfully directs a crisp, stylish beginning to new franchise. ***1/2

Police, Adjective- For the patient, astute filmgoer, the driest of wit contained within proves glorious! Best film of 2009 so far ***** of 5

Humpday- Though I don't believe these people would take this situation as far as they did, the laughs & performances make it work. **** of 5

Taking of Pelham 123- Contrivances on top of contrivances in a stupid thriller mercilessly overdirected by Tony Scott. ** out of 5

Food, Inc.- Articulate, compelling doc which makes its case without contempt and sarcasm. It presents disturbing facts very well. ****/5

The Messenger- Though contrived, this intimate drama proves itself a worthy homage to our troops. Gotta love Samantha Morton. **** out of 5

Precious- Some of the best performances of the year in a gritty drama that will win you over in spite of yourself. **** out of 5

The Son (2003)- What ought to be revenge takes backseat to a profound shift in one man's destiny. So good it will blow your mind. ***** of 5

9- All the makings for a good film are there, but this dystopian tale plays out more like a first draft. Also it's visually dank. **1/2 of 5

When Father Was Away on Business (1985)- Too heavy-handed to deserve the Golden Palm. Lacks necessary narrative focus. *** out of 5

The Men Who Stare at Goats- One of the most appalling films of 2009. Who thought this dreck would be funny and/or enjoyable? *1/2 out of 5

Zombieland- Surprisingly well acted and very funny. Not really all that scary, but entertaining nonetheless. ***1/2 out of 5

Bronson- Despite blatant Clockwork Orange ripoffs & unclear judgment of Bronson himself. this packs a punch. Brady=fantastic ***1/2 of 5

Public Enemies- Though overlong and lacking sufficient character development, Mann's gangster thriller absolutely delivers the goods. ****/5

Il Divo- Sure it's an Oliver Stone JFK knock off, but Sorrentino delivers an off-beat, fascinating look at a bad, bad man. **** out of 5

Fados- Still can't define it exactly, but I can safely say that I enjoy fado music. Saura's film making is sublime! ***1/2 out of 5

Cheri- Frears was naive to the fact that, despite being visually stunning, Cheri could never have been anything more than trash. ** out of 5

Whatever Works- Despite none-too-subtle performances by David and Wood, Allen's ode to chance isn't half bad. ***1/2 out of 5

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen- Congrats dumb 13 year-old boys... you got your crappile of a movie. * out of 5

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)- Moore at his best and most audacious. He convinced me that W. was a complete and total moron. ****1/2 out of 5

This Is It- Imagine the greatest concert in history performed at 85% (b/c of rehearsal footage). Very entertaining if not a bit sad. ****/5

Amelia- Bland... ummm... yeah, bland about covers it. **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

A Serious Man- Equally funny and complex. Astute re-imagining of Job as told by brothers born to tackle this subject. ****1/2 out of 5

Where the Wild Things Are-Never has the mind of a ten year-old been so authentically captured on film. I loved this movie! ***** out of 5

Paris-it's amazing that parallel/intertwined stories rarely feel contrived. Rich, textured, beautifully acted ode to Paris. ****1/2 out of 5

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003) Conventional pop spirituality prevents nirvana. Winter... and Spring-disappointing. ***1/2

Every Little Step-as a theater kid, this doc literally took my breath away. Makes a few strange choices, but overall it's fantastic! ****1/2

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)-Notch below Spirited Away, yet breathtakingly imaginative and undeniably magical. ****1/2 out of 5

O'Horten-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

Munyurangabo-Poem, though effectively haunting, begins an all too heavy-handed final sequence. Otherwise a powerful call for justice ****/5

Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation- Occasionally self-important but always compelling. **** out of 5

Passing Strange-more energy than Rent but also more monotonous. Lee's direction is 95% excellent. Must see for musical fans. ***1/2 of 5

Treeless Mountain-Cinema verite tale of abandonment and resilience is one of the very best films of 2009 so far. ***** out of 5

Kabei: Our Mother- Flimsy and shallow. Works much better as homage to motherhood than a glimpse into history. **1/2 out of 5

The Double Life of Veronique (1991)-Just when its circular plot begins to drown the viewer, a perfect conclusion saves the day. ****1/2 of 5

Away We Go- Mendes overdirects another one. A hipster indy facade can't hide a complete lack of emotional truth. **1/2 out of 5

Lymelife-plays like The Ice Storm, American Beauty and Snow Angels' dull baby brother. **1/2 out of 5

World's Greatest Dad-I admire the guts to do what's done with this subject matter; however, most of the jokes land flat. Stupid ending **1/2

Rudo y Cursi- What a predictable, preposterous, mess of a movie. ** out of 5

Explicit Ills-Compelling and fascinating political rallying cry. Manipulative at times. Odd, yet contains rich emotional truth. ****1/2 of 5

Julia- Doesn't quite work as a character study. Definitely doesn't work as a thriller. **1/2 out of 5

Waking Life (2001)-Frustrating, tired exploration into examined life. It works more as a study of pretentious people than philosophy. ***/5

Absurdistan-Reaches Mel Brooks level silliness. I laughed a few times, but not nearly enough to recommend this one. **1/2 out of 5

Tony Manero-political allegory aside, a chilling look at what obsession w/ fame can lead to in the worst possible scenario **** out of 5

Silent Light-a chore to sit through, but worth it for its emotional resonance as well as one of the best endings of the year **** out of 5

The Country Teacher-Spoiled by an ending that's morally problematic. I can imagine sexual abuse victims appalled by this film. ** out of 5

Yojimbo (1961)-A truly unconventional Christ allegory/western. Though a bit loopy, it's quite entertaining. ***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

Exotica (1994)-Egoyan's brutally sad film provides such sincerity within an almost enigmatic plot. ****1/2 out of 5

Earth-A few gorgeous nature shots and an insistence on focusing on baby animals in peril do not a good doc make. ** out of 5

Sin Nombre-Ambitious, rich tale of belonging and destiny from an exceptionally talented first-time director. ****1/2 out of 5

State of Play- Rarely rises above being an adequate, stylish formulaic thriller. Performances: Best-Bateman & Worst-Affleck *** out of 5

Castle in the Sky (1986)-Beautiful background animation w/ old-school crude foreground animation. 3-way chase plot=typical fun. ***1/2 of 5

United 93 (2006)-For now, a tough sit, but worth it to see a masterful tribute. In the future a valuable historical document. ***** out of 5

Paper Moon (1973)-One of the greatest coming of age stories I've seen, and yet, the ending troubled me. A must see! **** out of 5

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)- Tedious, dated artifact of a time when people laughed at comedy that wasn't funny. ** out of 5

The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)-Sober, powerful doc that tells a transcendent story of justice/injustice. Milk would be proud ***** out of 5

Sex and Lucia (2002)- Simply put, Sex and Lucia is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. * out of 5

Inglourious Basterds (2009)- I'll watch Tarantino geek out to his self-indulgent heart's content any day of the week! ***** out of 5

Everyone Says I Love You (1996)-A movie with so many scenes of whimsical genius ought not to be this lazy. *** out of 5

District 9-Great story within a rich, authentic world, but changing narrative styles distract. Overbearing final act. ***1/2 of 5

Ponyo- Odd yet fascinating. Makes no sense on a story level, but as far as pure imagination goes, Miyazaki's done it again! **** out of 5

Cat People (1942)-Halle Berry has nothing on the original Catwoman Simone Simon. Chillingly effective early horror staple. **** out of 5

Tyson- A great and terrible man who's also surprisingly introspective and articulate. Impeccably well paced doc. **** out of 5

In a Lonely Place (1950)-Bogart's great as usual, and tension builds quite well; however, the end comes a bit too abruptly. ***1/2 out of 5

The Cat Returns (2002)- How can a 75min film that rushes character development have action scenes that seem to never end? **1/2 out of 5

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)-Is there meaning to the universe or is it just a cold void? Allen's exploration=brilliant! ***** out of 5

Romancing the Stone (1984) Silly formulaic comedy/romance/action film. Douglas and Turner at the top of their charm=saves it. *** out of 5

Basic Instinct (1992)-Like wading knee-deep into the libido of a misogynistic, idiotic adolescent. Ending made me smile though. ** out of 5

China Syndrome (1979) Crisp liberal thriller about bureaucracy worsening an already risky energy program. Compelling stuff! **** out of 5

Hidden Fortress (1958)- Kurosawa's action/comedy is well crafted, has moments of greatness but is ultimately too ambitious. ***1/2 out of 5

Withnail & I (1987)- Broad, brilliant black comedy with a surprisingly sincere message about self-determination. Huge laughs! ***** out of 5

Grey Gardens (1975) Delusion and insanity truly disturb. Brilliant doc! Edie & mom ham it up for the camera/viewer. Response=love/pity *****

In America (2003)-more than earns a strong emotional response. Cinematic purity places it among the best films of the decade ***** out of 5

Katyn-Schindler's List meets Guiding Light. Should be about injustice-sadly marred by cluttered melodrama. Ending packs a punch *** of 5

The Castle of Cagliostro (1980)- Old school Miyazaki anime fantasy adventure with Lupin who's as cool and charming as Bond! **** out of 5

Sugar- Fantastic film. Not afraid to let its narrative flow organically. Strips away shallow perceptions of success. See it! ***** out of 5

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) Starts fine, gets cloying and cartoonish and ends sweetly. Candy, Martin great together! ***1/2 out of 5

Annie Hall (1977)- Simply put- a perfect film. Hilarious, smart and so very real. Allen will never top this one. ***** out of 5

The Window- Achingly sad and beautiful meditation on the value of silence which is so lacking in our modern culture. ****1/2 out of 5

Cannonball Run (1981)- Raucous car chase comedy with real laughs and a crowd-pleasing sense of joy and fun! ***1/2 out of 5

History of the World: Part I (1981)- 2000 Jokes. 15 of them made me laugh. 1000 of them made me roll my eyes! Lazy comedy! ** out of 5

The Wiz (1978)- Other than Jackson, Russell and Horne, EVERYTHING about The Wiz=pathetic in comparison to 1939 classic! Awful! *1/2 out of 5

The Soloist- Wright overdirects an otherwise uplifting story right into the ground! **1/2 out of 5

Quiet Chaos- well-intentioned, sometimes sweet story about grief that's an absolutely mess in terms of its tone! **1/2 out 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

Our Man Flint (1966)- Sometimes humorous, often monotonous Bond spoof with a suave Coburn and a great Lee J. Cobb *** out of 5

X-Men Origins: Wolverine- violent prequel that doesn't take itself too seriously=good thing cause it's silly. I had fun. *** out of 5

Bruno- Message against homophobia feels tacked on. Thrives on audiences' discomfort. Laughed hard but I didn't have a good time. ** out of 5

Revanche- Brilliant ironies abound! Electrifying first act leads into an all-too-brooding final hour. Overall powerful! **** out of 5

Gigantic- Artsy film that people who hate artsy films think all artsy films are like! Pretentious dreck! *1/2 out of 5

Fear Strikes Out (1957)- a baseball/mental illness movie with dull baseball and shallow mental illness. A. Perkins- awful. ** out of 5

Rio Bravo (1959) Wayne's as cool as can be in this formulaic Western that's about as entertaining as any I've seen. ****1/2 out of 5

La Belle Noiseuse (1991) Mesmerizing exploration into the power of the artist desiring to manipulate his own world. ***** out of 5

The Hurt Locker- Bigelow impeccably directs a film about a soldier's addiction to adrenaline. Interesting and compelling. ****1/2 out of 5

Observe and Report- What's the point of this movie? It's not funny at all. It's unpleasant and joyless. Ick! *1/2 out of 5

Angels and Demons- A conspiracy even sillier than the birthers, and Ron Howard doesn't know the meaning of understatement. **1/2 of 5

Anvil! The Story of Anvil- Can't say I think Anvil's talented enough for fame, but this doc is the real deal! Great film! ****1/2 out of 5

Terminator Salvation- Badly acted, mindless, visually-dank escapism which lacks the grit and horror of T2. Hilarious cameo tho. ** out of 5

Big Man Japan- 3 or 4 inspired moments in this faux-documentary that's way too silly for its own good! Destined for cult status! ** out of 5

Sita Sings the Blues- One-of-a-kind eclectically-animated mystical feminist tale which doesn't quite feel fully fleshed out. ***1/2 out of 5

Paper Heart- totally disingenuous and shallow exploration into love. That being said, the movie is HILARIOUS and SO CHARMING! **** out of 5

Moon- Brilliant, tense, gritty, smart sci-fi dystopia that also works as a conspiracy thriller. Rockwell's amazing! ***** out of 5

Throne of Blood- Kurosawa's adaptation of Macbeth is one of the best movies I've seen. Isuzu Yamada as Lady=revelation! ***** out of 5

I Love You, Man-hits too many false notes including its premise. Not enough laughs. Rudd=bland. Fart poop and vomit jokes=Grow up **1/2 of 5

Luck by Chance- Sweet Bollywood melodrama- a mix between A Chorus Line, All About Eve, The Graduate. English/Hindi mix strange. **** of 5

12- It's 12 Angry Men plus everything including the kitchen sink! Long, pretentious, and self-indulgent. ** out of 5.

The Muppet Movie- Puppets on an extended acid trip. Kermit's the biggest hippie ever! Funny, but uneven film. ***1/2 out of 5

In the Loop-very funny, biting and insightful...kind of like a good episode of The Office, yet the plot doesn't add up to much **** out of 5

Just watched Wall Street... Greed is good... but 80s fashion isn't. Nice shoulder pads Darryl Hannah! ****1/2 out of 5

(500) Days of Summer- Quirk + Intelligence + Love= a refreshingly original take on the rom-com. Joseph GL and Zooey- great together! ****1/2

Harry Potter 6- Loved it! Tried to watch it with a critical eye and saw some problems...but did I mention I loved it? ****1/2 out of 5

Just watched The Hangover- first half hilarious, second half mix between sort of funny and ABSOLUTELY AWFUL **1/2 out of 5