The Blind Side

*** Stars

Did you happen to see the TV spots and movie trailers for the The Blind Side? They're awful; a completely recycled usage of Lifetime Channel original movies. Did you happen to see The Blind Side? It's good; a surprisingly original use of the sports movie genre.

Sandra Bullock gives an uplifting performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy, a white Christian from a white Christian family who decides to take in a homeless African-American named Michael Oher. To put it lightly, Michael has had a rough childhood. Out of the goodness of their heart, Leigh and her family take Michael into their home after they discover him walking home alone from school with no where to go. Once under their house, Michael learns to appreciate the aspects of family, and soon he becomes apart of it. They learn he has a knack for football. He gets good. Very good. Uplifting stuff right?

This is all stuff you already know. People are not going to see The Blind Side for the surprises, but surprisingly, what's good about The Blind Side is just this, the journey itself. Not the destination. The moments Bullock are on screen, the movie holds. Without her, that lifetime channel vibe afloats. An amazing story becomes a good movie. Not great, but I'll take that anyday.

Invictus

** Stars

This is the first time since Blood Work where I've called a Clint Eastwood film, not good. After leaving the theater, my brother Ryan turned to me and said: The writing and acting was amazing, the directing and editing was terrible. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon are truly wonderful in their roles. No one on the planet is better suited to play Nelson Mandala than Freeman. With the experience of a near immortal and one of the most trusted voices in cinema, Freeman is a surefire Oscar contender for Best Actor. So is Damon, who plays the captain of South Africa's 1995 rugby team. The incredible true story of using sports to unite the country (politically and emotionally) deserves to be an incredible movie. It unfortunately falls into the wrong hands with Eastwood.

Eastwood was, is, and always will be a masterful filmmaker, but sometimes certain subjects are not meant to be told by certain people. Filled with the same structure problems as Flags of Our Fathers, it is more clear than ever that the man's reputation of using one take and moving on is wearing thin. For example, when rugby takes center stage in Invictus, I swear I noticed multiple uses of the same shot throughout different games. I never thought I'd say this, but I think it's time the man returned to his comfort zone, in hopes of finding a subject that supports his one-take technique.

Nine

**1/2 Stars

What's frustrating about Rob Marsall's latest madness of a musical is how surprisingly detached it is from the magic of its main character. Daniel Day-Lewis is on fire as Guido Contini, a famous Italian filmmaker in desperate need of a hit after a string of flop, but Marsall chooses antics over storytelling, and the movie falls short of its potential greatness because of it. In terms of moviemaking, Nine is too well crafted to be called a bad film. When the film isn't singing, and Daniel Day is in charge, it's electric. When Broadway takes over, it's anything but. Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, and Kate Hudson are fantastic supporting players to Lewis, but the film's overall impact had me thinking: loved the players, not the game.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

*** Stars

The doom that The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus faced when Heath Ledger passed away was hardly a speed bump. It was a roadblock. Thankfully, Terry Gilliam managed to blow through it with the help of three top-notch actors. Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Ferrell provide the goods needed to make Parnassus a good movie. That it falls short of a classic is perhaps inevitable, but there is no one person to blame this time around.

Sherlock Holmes

*** Stars

Robert Downey Jr. is the coolest guy in the room when he walks in it. This doesn't change in Sherlock Holmes, a very twisty and exciting take on the tales of the classic character. Director Guy Ritchie delivers scenes his familiar style and fast pace action in a runtime that exceeds 140 minutes. A bit too long, but certainly not frowned upon. Jude Law is perfectly cast as Watson, having great chemistry with Downey, who already seems to be posing up for the sequels. While it's certainly nothing masterful, Sherlock Holmes is a rousing holiday treat that stimulates the mind and tickles the senses. It's a surprisingly polished visual experience that may turn some viewers off who are looking for a classic detective story with its rough and tough feel, but don't judge until you see it. This may become the vintage Sherlock Holmes. Only sequels will tell.

Avatar

**** Stars

I am so proud of myself for waiting for the IMAX 3-D experience of Avatar. Sure, seeing it last week for free at a press screening would have been fine and dandy, but I felt like this was a movie that needed to be seen the right way. It was totally worth it, because it turned out to be one of the greatest movie-going experiences of my life. I know this statement packs a punch, but so does Avatar, the best film of 2009 and the best film of James Cameron's already astounding career. It took 14 years to make, time not only well spent, but well lived.

Avatar is not only a technical masterpiece, but also a truly taut and intelligent adventure, one that dazzles the eyes and stirs the heart. I haven't been this emotional involved in a blockbuster since The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Sure, The Dark Knight is one of the finest films of the decade, but my emotions sparked much stronger here throughout Avatar's entire 160 minute runtime. If you're an emotional person when it comes to movies (like me), expect James Cameron's latest to leave you breathless. Roger Ebert sums it up right: "Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you."

The year is 2154. The planet is a new world, called Pandora, a vastly rich and beautiful planet that the human race has bound to take control over, even though Pandora has never threatened Earth. However, Earth is dying and humans find it necessary to attack them because they have the resources we apparently need to survive (or to get rich, you decide). If you notice many similarities and comparisons to today's real world, you're suppose to. Cameron boldly places the ideas of today into the actions of tomorrow.

The story follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic marine who is recruited to take over an avatar after his identical twin dies. Jake is very interested because he can get his legs back in an avatar state. Also, if he does his job, he'll get an operation done where he'd be able to walk again. Therefore, the one thing that changes everything involves what Cameron does best: have a love story.

On Pandora, avatar Jake inhabits the Na'vi, the tribe that makes up the planet. They are very tall, blue-skinned, and extremely dangerous. But that's only if they attack you. They are mostly peaceful beings, who treat the earth the way we should.

Jake falls in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), a Na'vi native who rescues him from the wicked creatures that inhabit Pandora (think Skull Island). After being accepted into their tribe for adhering to their environment, Jake is taught their way of life by Neytiri, through which they do indeed fall in love, which forces Jake to re-think which team he is fighting for.

The cast is great, the direction is outstanding, and the visuals are literally flirting with perfection. Sigourney Weaver particularly, has a much juicier part here than what I was expecting. She plays for the good side as a experienced scientist who wants nothing but to ensure the safety of the Na'vi. It's not so much the argument that humans are the enemy here and that's that, but it's what the human race represents that's the real enemy. This film should be discussed, analyzed, and be allowed for multiple viewings. It's extraordinarily fascinating.

What makes Avatar stand out is how Cameron uses groundbreaking technology to further storytelling, not just action. The story is more than just a good vs. evil fight, it creates a whole new world physically and emotionally. I'm not bringing down the action here, because it has some of the best action sequences in film history. The whole movie is a pure adrenaline rush. Good luck finding a better film in 2009. I know I won't.

Brothers

*** Stars

I always knew Tobey Maguire could act, but I never thought he could scare the hell out of me. In Brothers, Maguire gives the best performance of his career (so far) in a brilliantly acted film that falls shy of greatness due to the wicked curse of melodrama. Not to dismiss the film, because it is certainly very worthy of praise, but I wish somehow director Jim Sheridan (In America) found a better way to balance the war sequences and home life. Maguire stars as Captain Sam Cahill, a dedicated soldier who is called up once again to serve a tour overseas. Natalie Portman (in a terrific performance) plays his wife Grace, and Jake Gyllenhaal portrays his brother Tommy. The three are a knockout together, and if only the film had followed suit, we'd be looking at one of the best movies of the year. After Sam is pronounced dead, killed in action, the family comes together to mourn him. However, they soon discover that he is alive. Now the trailer for Brothers would have you believe that this is about Sam returning home to find Tommy and Grace having an affair. Don't worry, the movie is too good for that. In fact, this bothers me because it's making you believe that this is a soap opera, when it's anything but. When Sam comes home, Maguire owns the screen. He was nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Globes. I don't see him getting nominated for an Oscar, but that sure would be one hell of a worthy nomination. He's had some good performances outside of Spider-Man in the past (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) but with Brothers, he has established himself, for me anyways, as one of the best actors of his generation.

Up in the Air

**** Stars

There is a moment in the most timely film of the year, Up in the Air, where George Clooney, playing a man who fires people on the road for a living, gets up and makes an annual speech about the physical act of moving. "Make no mistake, moving is living" he says, with that jaunty grin that proves just how much of a movie star he really is. He plays Ryan Bingham, a man whose life is his job. He fires people, but his life consists of living up in the air and on the road. He travels all over the country, building up enough flyer miles to earn himself gold status for the rest of his life. That is until his work decides to ground him after creating a new way of firing people. How? Yes, you guessed it. Over the Internet.

Ah yes, imagine a typical day at your job. In today's world (meaning with the economy in the shitter) everyone naturally has a fear of being fired. Then you get sent into a room and are ordered to stare into a computer monitor. From there, someone will come on and fire you as gently (aka as mean) as possible. Not only are you getting fired, but no one even had the decency to look you in the eye. Welcome to the suck, I'd say.

Obviously Ryan Bingham hates this new system. One because he believes that there is an art to how he does his business, and two because that would mean he would have to go home. Home to an empty apartment, an empty refrigerator, and an empty life. In a desperate attempt to get back up in the air, he agrees to take newcomer Natalie, played by Anna Kendrick (keep an eye out for this true talent) and creator of this new way of firing people with him on the road to experience what it's really like to fire someone. Face to face.

Hmm, time for old Clooney to have some fun. Fun both professionally and sexually. Yes, on the road, Ryan Bingham bumps into a love interest named Alex (played wonderfully by Vera Farminga), both of whom get aroused by the very thought of how many gold member and credit cards each one has. They hook up a few times, until Ryan starts to feel something. Is he in love? Is he ready to ground himself at his home in Omaha, Nebraska to start a life of love with Alex?

Well, I was surprised while watching this splendid piece of cinema that none of these questions have anything to do with what the film is really about. It definitely has the witty charm and familiar humor of a romantic-comedy, but it avoids every single cliche in the book. Clooney gives the performance of his career in one of 2009's best offerings, a movie whose time and tone are perfectly aligned. This is Jason Reitman's third feature (Thank You for Smoking, Juno) and his best work to date. If there is one film out there that can be considered a lock for Best Picture, look no further. Up in the Air is a moving ode to life. And make no mistake, moving is living.

Reviews For Movies In Theaters Now

The Box

** Stars

The Box is an unnecessarily complex motion picture from director Richard Kelly. The premise is much too simple and exciting for the convoluted mind of the Donnie Darko helmer. It’s the story of a 1970’s suburban couple (played by the miscast of Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) who obtain a box from a strange and anonymous man (Frank Langella) who says that if they push the button on it, they’ll receive a payment of $1 million. The catch? Someone in the world they don’t know, will die. Too bad that The Box collapses into incoherency about half way through. I’ll always find Richard Kelly’s first film fascinating, and I’m not ready to give up on him, but with Southland Tales and The Box, Kelly has yet to prove he can tell a story that makes sense.

Michael Jackson’s This is It

***1/2 Stars

What a wonderful surprise of a movie this is. The final curtain call of Michael Jackson’s career is a celebratory one. This is It is a simple and exuberant celebration of the spirit of one of this country’s most talented musicians. Even at the age of 50, the man can still bring it. Creator Kenny Ortega gives the fans and the world a glimpse of the man everyone knows, in ways no one’s ever seen before.

A Christmas Carol

*** Stars

I shouldn’t doubt Robert Zemeckis as much as I do. When I first saw the trailer to A Christmas Carol, I was supremely disappointed. It looked cartoonish and way too silly. Also, I’m still not sold on this whole 3-D phenomenon that’s seems as popular as Twilight. However, when watching A Christmas Carol, I was completely one over by Zemeckis’s masterful use of visual effects. Featuring a perfectly cast Jim Carrey, the only real complaint I have about this movie other than its story that I’ve seen a thousand times is its release date. Note to Hollywood: Christmas is December 25^th, not November 6^th.

Ninja Assassin

**1/2 stars

Ninja Assassin is 99 minutes of ninja assassins assassinating other ninjas. Sorry for the spoilers.

The Road

*** Stars

Viggo Mortensen is such a gifted actor. His tone and delivery is mostly the same in every movie he is in, but his presence is so strong that your eye immediately focuses on him. He brilliantly stars in the adaptation of the extremely popular Cormac McCarthy novel, about a man and his son trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic society. It’s an exhausting experience, but it will stay with you long after you’ve left. The Road is a haunting of hellish proportions.

The Road

*** Stars

Viggo Mortensen is such a gifted actor. His tone and delivery is mostly the same in every movie he is in, but his presence is so strong that your eye immediately focuses on him. He brilliantly stars in the adaptation of the extremely popular Cormac McCarthy novel, about a man and his son trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic society. It’s an exhausting experience, but it will stay with you long after you’ve left. The Road is a haunting of hellish proportions.

Ninja Assassin

**1/2 stars

Ninja Assassin is 99 minutes of ninja assassins assassinating other ninjas. Sorry for the spoilers.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

***1/2 Stars

What a year for animated movies. Even though 3-D seems to be the way of the future, there are still some classic animation films out there that can fulfill the joys of a great family film. Look no further than Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox, a delightful film that's as hilarious as it is ambitious. Featuring the inspired voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson, this animated gem is based off the best-selling children's book by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) about one Mr. Fox (Clooney) who rediscovers his wild animal instincts after living through 12 years of normalcy. He lives comfortably with his wife Mrs. Fox (Streep) and their son Ash (Schwartzman), but he wants to relive his glory days as a sneaky chicken thief. In doing so, he puts himself, his family, and the future of the whole animal community in jeopardy. After many midnight adventures of stealing food and drink from three eccentric farmers, Mr. Fox must gather with his animal neighbors to fight against the farmers Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, who are determined to end Mr. Fox's days once and for all. It's not so much about the overall plot that makes Fantastic Mr. Fox one of the year's best comedies, but rather the wit and cleverness that Anderson instills in almost every scene. It is the best experience cinema has to offer you this Thanksgiving. That, and you already saw New Moon.

Twilight Saga: New Moon

(I'm probably the only person who didn't put Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in their review, because I believe this picture better describes the film than any other.)

* Star

Twilight Saga: New Moon is not a vampire movie. It's a soap opera with vampires in it. It is also not a love story. It is not even worth being called a story. What we have here is 130 minutes of pre-teen porn, a truly disgusting spectacle of falsifying true relationships for a woman's inner sustenance that should scare men of all ages. The fact that women are referring to Edward Cullen as the perfect guy is one of the scariest things I've ever heard.

I know I'm being a bit dramatic here, but so are the fans of these movies. For anyone whose girlfriend or crush wants them to be more like Edward, or Jacob, don't do it. You're just feeding their fire. The problem here is that the characters of Edward and Bella have no real reason to be in love except for the fact that author Stephanie Meyers tells you they are, when in actuality, these two people have absolutely nothing in common, to the point where they can't even talk about the weather without having a problem. And as for Jacob? Well, yes he may be good looking and muscular, but the actor playing him, Taylor Lautner, is only 17, and for me, grown women who look at this character as a sex symbol should watch To Catch a Predator to see where they could end up.

I stand by my point of view with this saga. I read and saw the first film before it became a phenomenon and I'll admit that I appreciated that there was this new wave of love stories being told for a younger generation. Young people reading again? This is a great thing. But now, the reading is gone, and it's replaced with movies that are as bad for the brain as a blade is to the heart.

The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans

***1/2 Stars

"Shoot him again."

"What for?"

"His soul is still dancing."

Remember when you loved Nicholas Cage? If not, and you want to remember, check out his electric performance in Werner Herzog's stylish tale of a bad-ass-bad-cop on the loose in post-Katrina New Orleans. While incoherency and lack of storytelling may be argued throughout several moments in Bad Lieutenant, boredom can not be. Cage is on fire here, showcasing his best performance in years, since at least Matchstick Men and Adaptation (has it been that long?) or perhaps one of the best in his career. I guess the best way for Cage too be good, is to bring out the bad.

2012

*** Stars

I'm entering the screening of 2012 at 2pm on a Monday afternoon. I get there about five minutes early to use the bathroom and grab a water bottle. I sit down in my seat, surrounded by critics and film buffs alike. The movie starts five minutes late. No big deal. But there is no sound. Very big deal. About 6 minutes go by with no sound, so the movie shuts off and the projectionist is forced to reset the reel. All I know so far is that the sun has something to do with the apocalypse of 2012 and that Chiwetel Ejiofor is going to have more screen time that I originally thought. Ten minutes go by and the film has yet to start. Now the frustration and moans of film critics in the theater begin to surface. "Well, it's not the end of the world," one critic says. "We just missed the only scene in the movie with sound that actually has dialogue," says another.

The 2012 jokes continue. Then the movie comes back on. Then, ten minutes in, with sound and all, the film reel fails once again. And again. And AGAIN. More 2012 jokes ensue, although now it's not funny anymore. This freakin' movie was suppose to start at 2. It's now pushing 2:45. And this baby clocks in well over two-and-a-half hours. I never thought I would feel completely exhausted sitting in a movie theater.

I could write for hours about my experience with Roland Emmerich's latest doomsday flick 2012. I wanted to tell you this experience because nothing is worse when a film doesn't start on time or for that matter, doesn't work. So when 2012 started, I was pretty much in the worst mood a moviegoer could be.

Then the movie began, and I became glued to my seat.

I have been notorious for debating and discussing disaster movies. I find them fascinating. And 2012 is no different. I must have said "holy shit" at least seven times, I lost my breath once or twice during the escape scene from L.A, and I died laughing throughout Woody Harrelson's entire screen time.

There's no need to sell a plot here. You already know it. The world is ending in biblical proportions and we're going to witness it through the eyes of one family dealing with family issues. John Cusack is an inspired choice to play the hero Jackson Curtis, a divorced writer trying to re-connect with his kids. Then the world starts falling apart and they have to worry about that stuff later when there is a need for a pause in the action. Other characters include: Amanda Peet plays his ex-wife Kate, Danny Glover (why do I always laugh when I write this guy's name?) plays a fitting President. Thandie Newton is his daughter, Chiwetel Ejiofor is the scientist guy that helped figure everything out (Dennis Quaid probably realized he already played this same exact part in The Day After Tomorrow and chose not to pursue the role), Oliver Platt is the guy that doesn't care if people die so long as the continuity of the human race (including himself) continues, and Woody Harrelson plays the crazy homeless guy who turned out to be right all along about his conspiracy theories. He absolutely, without-a-doubt, steals every scene he is in.

I'm going on record by saying the following: 2012 is the ultimate disaster movie, one where its director Roland Emmerich had one goal in mine. He wanted to do this right so there would never have to be a disaster movie again. Mr. Emmerich, you have stuck true to your word and delivered the biggest disaster movie ever. It's so massive on a visual scale, I implore you to see it in the theater. The movie is corny, accidentally hilarious, full of cliches and cheesy on-liners, but I forgave the film's lousy script and bowed to its special effects. If the third act of this film hadn't fallen apart, I might have even came close to calling this a great movie instead of just a great disaster flick. I'll settle with the latter. After all, it's not the end of the world.

A Christmas Carol

*** Stars

I shouldn’t doubt Robert Zemeckis as much as I do. When I first saw the trailer to A Christmas Carol, I was supremely disappointed. It looked cartoonish and way too silly. Also, I’m still not sold on this whole 3-D phenomenon that’s seems as popular as Twilight. However, when watching A Christmas Carol, I was completely one over by Zemeckis’s masterful use of visual effects. Featuring a perfectly cast Jim Carrey, the only real complaint I have about this movie other than its story that I’ve seen a thousand times is its release date. Note to Hollywood: Christmas is December 25^th, not November 6^th.

The Box

** Stars

The Box is an unnecessarily complex motion picture from director Richard Kelly. The premise is much too simple and exciting for the convoluted mind of the Donnie Darko helmer. It’s the story of a 1970’s suburban couple (played by the miscast of Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) who obtain a box from a strange and anonymous man (Frank Langella) who says that if they push the button on it, they’ll receive a payment of $1 million. The catch? Someone in the world they don’t know, will die. Too bad that The Box collapses into incoherency about half way through. I’ll always find Richard Kelly’s first film fascinating, and I’m not ready to give up on him, but with Southland Tales and The Box, Kelly has yet to prove he can tell a story that makes sense.

The Fourth Kind

*1/2 stars

The Fourth Kind is one lazy movie. Almost never have I seen a film that fills the screen with so much text and unnecessary descriptions about fake people experiencing fake alien abductions in a movie that feels, well, fake. When you have a premise that's as delicious as alien abductions, you should never have to shove the idea that what is happening on screen is actually real down an audience member's throat. Most notably in the film's first scene, where it begins with actress Milla Jovovich walking up to the camera in a dampened forest starring at you with her seductively green eyes saying the most absurd things on screen all year. "I am actress Milla Jovovich, and I will be portraying Dr. Abigail Tyler. This film is a dramatization of events that occurred October 2000. Everything in this movie is supported by archive footage. Some of what you are about to see is extremely disturbing." When I first watched the theatrical trailer, I found that to be a very interesting idea; a film that shows both the re-creation of events and the events themselves. Then I discovered that nothing in this film is real and that it's all just one big giant joke on the moviegoers of America. Now if you'll excuse us, we're heading off to a horror movie that gets it right, and it's a little big film called Paranormal Activity.

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

** Stars

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men? More like Confessions of Overly-Dramatic Boys. And while I'll admit that isn't the best way to some up John Krasinski's ambitious but failing attempt at tackling the mind of David Foster Wallace, it certainly labels a movie that's desperately in search of a tone. For a brief 80 minutes (no irony intended) this film covers a heartbroken graduate student named Sara Quinn (Julianne Nicholson) coping with a break-up by interviewing men with loads of personal issues. I am sad to report that there is not one man in this entire film that can shed anything worth hearing, therefore ruining all possibility of relating to any situation or character. On a positive note, Krasinski does show some talent here both on and off the camera, including an interesting scene involving two men narrating a woman's heartbreak at an airport, and a very strongly acted scene where Krasinski breaks up with his girlfriend by recalling an experience of a woman who is raped while hitchhiking. However, and to be perfectly honest, it's just way too hard for me to enjoy a film where the two bests scenes in the film involve such brutality. Against both sexes.

New York, I Love You

** Stars

From the producer of Paris Je’Taime, New York, I Love You is a collage of scenes with people dealing with the emotions and situations of love, set in the all too familiar big apple. Rather than trying to connect the stories together, the film, or more appropriately this anthology, fails to even bother with the idea of structure and instead relies heavily on the magic card. What we get are enough scenes to make the length of a feature film rather than actually experiencing one. Unless you live in New York or want to see enough celebrities to fulfill your People Magazine fix for the week, there really isn’t any reason to go out and see it.

And it’s too bad, because there are many lovely moments here. The cast is lively, featuring the diverse talents of Shia Lebeouf, Robin Wright Penn, Bradley Cooper, Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen, Andy Garcia, Chris Cooper, Olivia Thirlby, and many more. Yet the films witty dialogue and performances can’t overcome its frustratingly scattershot style. Instead of emotionally connecting with characters, we’re thrown into a world that feels like a taste of these celebrities and their lives. While there are some splendid shots of NYC, I wanted more of glimpse as to why the film is titled the way it is.

Michael Jackson's This is It

***1/2 Stars

What a wonderful surprise of a movie this is. The final curtain call of Michael Jackson’s career is a celebratory one. This is It is a simple and exuberant celebration of the spirit of one of this country’s most talented musicians. Even at the age of 50, the man can still bring it. Creator Kenny Ortega gives the fans and the world a glimpse of the man everyone knows, in ways no one’s ever seen before.

Paranormal Activity

***1/2 Stars

Finally, a true horror movie worth seeing. Paranormal Activity is an ingenious work of terror shot for under $15,000 back in 2007 by amateur filmmaker Oren Peli. Internet buzz and the sensation of amazing critical reviews allowed the film to become the #1 film in America this weekend with $22 million, making this one of my favorite pieces of box-office news all year. Not only is this film worthy of being #1, but it made Saw VI bomb with $14 million. Oh happy days.

For me, horror films today are too cheesy, bloody, and quantitative (hence my glee over Saw VI's underachievement in ticket sales). This is why I am so glad to see a film like Paranormal Activity achieve success critically and commercially. Starring two unknown actors named Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston, the movie is an 86 minute exercise of a young couple being terrorized by paranormal activity in their new suburban home. The film becomes increasingly horrifying as each act heightens the couple's fears. It begins small: Doors move on their own, loud bangs are heard, and an unexplained force begins to drive the couple to insanity. The movie is all build up to an ending that literally had me gasping for air.

Goosebumps are unavoidable, paranoia will ensue, and if you're seeing Paranormal Activity in a theater (which you should), expect the screaming of numerous individuals. Think Blair Witch set in your house, but with a much stronger this-could-be-real vibe. Whether or not you believe the film's stunts, it's an excitingly worthy addition to the horror genre. Paranormal Activity is not about plot, story, or violence, but rather a technique in displaying the scariest ways to frighten a moviegoer. Using this as its goal, the film succeeds, considerably.

Where the Wild Things Are

**** Stars

Where the Wild Things Are is extraordinary. Coming dangerously close to perfection, writer and director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) has created a masterful adaptation of Marice Sendak's classic tale about a kid leaving home to let out his wild side. This weekend marks a profound victory for the moviegoers of America. They have chosen Where the Wild Things Are as their #1 movie. After pulling in $11.9 million on Friday, expectations for the film's weekend total is now pushing $40 million. Perhaps now is the time for people to stop making remarks that Jonze's new film is "too dark" for children.

First off, what does that even mean? There is no foul language, no realistic violence, and not a single moment where a parent has to shield their child's eyes. Actually, I'd find it more appropriate if it was the other way around. For nearly a half a decade, Jonze set out to make a film made for the nine-year old in everyone, not strictly just for nine-year olds. There is a big difference. Most "children movies" are dumbed-down to the point of insulting. This time, we have received a gift from on high. I can't recall the last time a movie literally had me in tears long after it was over. It may be sad, but it’s also uplifting. Movies like this are the reason why I still write reviews. That's how much this film has affected me.

The story is all adventure. It follows a young boy named Max (Max Records) and his journey to a magical world. After a snowball fight gone bad with his sister's friends (one of them steps on his fort, hurting Max in the process), Max runs up to her room and trashes it. That night, his mother Connie (Catherine Keener) has her boyfriend over (played by Mark Ruffalo) and Max gets upset because she won't play with him. He disobeys his mother's wishes for him to quiet down, bites her, and storms out of the house running faster than he ever has in his entire life.

He heads to the sea and stumbles upon an abandoned sail boat. He hits the open water and sails to an island inhabited by seven monsters called the Wild Things, who instantly crown Max the king after he tells them stories about his adventures and magical powers. The creatures, poetically played by is actors (most notably James Gandolfini in one of his best film roles ever), are also phenomenal technological achievements. Jonze had his actors wear costumes that would eventually be completed with CGI faces. The effects are so amazing that you can't tell what's real and what's not. That means CGI has done its job. And because this island is in Max's imagination, these creatures aren't necessarily supposed to feel welcoming. Surrounded by mostly creatures for the entire film, Max Records (The Brothers Bloom) does a wonderful job here portraying one of the most popular child characters in children's literature.

Where the Wild Things Are is something I've never seen before. Here is one of America's most innovative auteurs crafting a children's book that only has ten sentences and a handful of pictures, yet somehow a film emerges that expresses more honesty and perception about being a child than any other sugarcoated tale ever made. Finally, there is a film out there that treats children like people, and not the other way around. For any parent out there who believes Where the Wild Things Are is too dark for their child, you are wrong. We were all children once, and after viewing this masterpiece, not only will you remember what it was like, but you will truly feel it. There is a nine-year old inside of all us, and I hope that will never change.

Zombieland

***1/2 Stars

Zombieland is a kick-ass thrill ride. It only lasts 81 minutes, but I promise you'll get your money's worth. In fact, it might be the best zombie movie ever. And this is coming from someone who has never fully embraced the genre. I never really got the point. How much substance can you really do when your antagonist is a creature who runs around like their on fire trying to eat humans for sustenance? Well, luckily Zombieland embraces this formula and gets mostly everything right. Starring Woody Harrelson in top form, he plays Tallahassee, a survivor of a zombie epidemic that has nearly wiped out human civilization. He collides with a young man named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) after meeting on an abandoned highway. Fitting comfortably in the Michael Cera role, Eisenberg wonderfully conveys an awkward energy that Harrelson eats right up.

The premise is simple enough. Zombies try to infect you, so you try to kill them before they do. The film begins with Columbus explaining the rules of how to survive in zombieland. There's a hilarious sequence with Eisenberg defending himself from a fat zombie by following one of the rules called "Good Cardio." While at a gas station, the zombie attacks him, so he runs around in circles until the zombie gets tired, giving him time to fire a shotgun round right into it.

When Tallahassee and Columbus entering a store for supplies, they meet up with two sisters named Wichita (Superbad's Emma Stone) and Little Rock (critical darling Abigail Breslin) surviving the epidemic just like them. Events collide that force the four to work together. Your looking at a perfectly cast movie here that delivers the zombie thrills and kills you're craving for.

The reason why Zombieland works is because it avoids everything that's wrong with those "serious" zombie movies. Whether George A. Romero wants to hear it or not, zombies are and always will be, funny. To me, they have never been a legitimate villain, but rather just a pond for comedic scenes. Zombieland never gets serious on a universal scale, not one line of dialogue discusses the idea of a cure, and it centers all of its attention on its four stars. Featuring one of the best cameos ever, Zombieland may lack in substance, but it makes up for it by ignoring substance all together.

A Serious Man

***1/2 Stars

The Coen Brothers are out of their minds. A Serious Man is darker than dark, blacker than black, and convoluted to the point of incoherency. It's a wild and crazy ride that will leave you shaking your head.

Everything I just said in the paragraph above is a compliment. A compliment to the Coen's inner genius and the outer realm it lives in. For three straight years, they have given us fantastic moviemaking. No Country for Old Men is one of their finest films, Burn After Reading was heaven's of fun, and now A Serious Man, their most personal film to date. It's a glimpse in the life of two of Hollywood's strongest filmmakers. Starring Michael Stuhlbarg as Larry Gopnik in a star making performance, A Serious Man could be described as the Jewish American Beauty. It is both a social commentary and autobiography about a teacher whose life starts spiraling out of control. His wants a divorce, his brother is living off him, his tenure is in jeopardy, and his kids aren't exactly ideal students. "I've always tried to be a serious man," says Larry Gopnik. Try to ponder this statement after viewing the film's ending, one that literally shakes its characters into a physical and metaphorical state of gothic phantasm. You, the viewer of this brilliantly offbeat film, will also be shaken.

Capitalism: A Love Story

**** Stars

Michael Moore has been one of the most fascinating filmmakers of the 21st century. His passion is so strong and universally known that his reputation almost precedes the actual topics his films cover. For example, there is a scene in his latest documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story, where he calls a company for an interview and is hung up on the second he mentions his name. He also tried to get Hank Paulson (CEO of Goldsman Sachs and Secretary of Treasury under the Bush administration) on the phone, but failed. Why are people afraid of him? Are they hiding something? Or do they think he's a joke?

Let me say this, if you think this man is a joke, you are wrong. Disagree with him all you want, but at least be mature enough to listen to him. He wants to hear your thoughts too, because Capitalism: A Love Story is Moore's urgent and desperate plea for the American people to start paying attention to who is taking their money. When 1% of the country is richer than the lower 95% combined, something somewhere has to be going wrong.

For Moore, the problems began with the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan. The first act of A Love Story has Moore pouncing all over the man in charge during the 1980's. After comparing America to the Roman Empire, Moore paints a portrait of Reagan being the "image" of America. He was the leader of leaders. Well, at least he looked like one. During and after the Reagan administration, the rich kept getting richer and the poor kept getting poorer. It explains the whole 1% of the country owning the lower 95% thing.

As much as that's 100% immoral, there's more to Capitalism: A Love Story than just statistics. Like all of Moore's movies, the most powerful moments come from real people dealing with real issues. There is a segment in this film that profoundly scares me. Disturbs me. DISGUSTS ME. As a 21-year old, I still consider myself young at heart. So when this country puts teenagers in jail for things including smoking marijuana (which is now decriminalized in many states) throwing a piece of steak at a dinner table, and putting up something mean on MySpace, I believe the morality of those who allowed this should be brought to justice. Thankfully, the judge who made these verdicts got his comeuppance, but it doesn't change the fact that he was paid off to do this. Is that the American Dream? To isolate the youth instead of rehabilitating them?

I have this ongoing habit of asking questions in my reviews of politically charged films. Why? Because it's important. It's important to question things. Which is exactly what Michael Moore is trying to say in his riveting documentary. When I interviewed him about this film, Moore told me that so many people have sent him footage of their experiences with the economic crisis that he has enough material to make twenty films. It must be a bittersweet feeling for the passionate filmmaker. He has all the evidence he needs to make his case twenty times over, and while he has become extremely successful with his films, I'm sure he'd be just as happy if he never had to make a documentary about America again. Moore is in his prime with Capitalism: A Love Story, a hilarious and powerful experience you will never forget.

To read my interview with Michael Moore, click here.

Surrogates

** Stars

Bruce Willis returns to the big screen two years after his last starring role in Live Free or Die Hard. Unfortunately, his new movie Surrogates opened to a very disappointing $15 million. Given its pricey $80 million budget, this is yet the latest flop in what seems to be becoming a weekly trend.

It's too bad because this film could have been something really special. Its premise is so promising that while watching the film I felt disappointed in its reliance on cliched action sequences and recycled scenes of political mumbo jumbo. Here's a movie where you have one of the biggest stars in the world playing his vintage type of character (a cop), and this is the best script you can come up with? It's not terrible, but man could it have been so much better.

Willis plays Tom Grier, a detective in a world where surrogates (a robot you control so you can live your life from the safety of your own home) rule the streets. A surrogate can look and act anyway you want it to so long as it obeys the law. Therefore, Tom Grier isn't really a detective until halfway through the film, when he starts to learn the true meaning of life and wants to put an end to surrogacy for good. Don't worry, I'm not giving anything away. That's what the film is about. In fact, you probably already know more than that given the theatrical trailer's ridiculous amount of spoilers.

The movie begins with a murder, one where a real person dies when connected to their surrogate. Dealing with an unprecedented situation, Tom Grier, for the first time in a long time, must disable himself from his surrogate and venture out into the real world on his own. With the help of his FBI agent partner Peters (Radha Mitchell), Tom discovers the dark secrets of a world run by machines.

Surrogates is only 89 minutes long. I'm not saying it should have been longer, because I am glad it ended when it did, but I wish the script would have allowed its main character to grow more before being forced into a situation the story isn't ready to give him. Tom only has a few moments as his real self before he ventures out into the real world. There should have been more drama when dealing with a such a life-changing transition. Why not focus on this character's growth rather than trying to give such a universal message? We know machines can be a bad thing, so don't remind us unless there is a reason. Surrogates has all the pieces for a worthy addition to the science-fiction genre, but it can't quite put it together.

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

*1/2 Stars

When you have golden material for a raunchy movie, how is it possible to screw it up? Well, Tucker Max's film adaptation of his best-selling book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell commits this very sin. The man's book is disturbingly hilarious, which documents his lifelong actions of vulgarity and what many have claimed to be acts of rape culture. Now I knew what to expect before entering the screening of the film, but it's too bad that it follows every single cliche in the bachelor party premise handbook. Perhaps Tucker should have made a documentary style film recreating the acts he has so infamously carried out. Too bad we have to settle for a film so tasteless that even the most tasteless man on the planet can't pull off.

The Informant!

**** Stars

There is a reason why Matt Damon is a movie star, and he proves it with his performance in The Informant!, Steven Soderbergh's screwball dramedy about a man who wants to do the right thing by taking down the corrupted company he works for, but in the process takes down himself.

Damon plays Marc Whitacre, a worker for the lysine developing company ADM. He is respected in the business community and successful in his personal life (he has a loving wife and children). He decides to do something about his company's price fixing tactics by taking it to the FBI. Over the span of the early 90's, Whitacre collected hundreds of tapes that proved the company's criminal activity.

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Unfortunately, his severe bipolar disorder forced him to basically work for both sides. As Whitacre dug himself deeper and deeper into his actions, the people around him began to discover that Whitacre may be a very unstable man. After years of work as a near-perfect informer, Whitacre became more than what he seemed. I won't tell you exactly what he did (in respect to those who want to enter the film blind), but I will tell you that what he did is part of this country's history that is extremely relevant to the times we live in. Whitacre, suffering from bipolar disorder, dealing with being an informant for the FBI, and desperately trying to hold his family together, became so entangled with telling people the truth, lies, conspiracies, gossip, and evidence that he forgot who he was, what he did, and what he had become.

The Informant! is fascinating. For the whole film, Damon, playing Whitacre, is basically narrating what is happening inside his mind. At first I thought the voiceover would be distracting, yet I found myself completely engaged by it. It sucks you into his mind, traps you, and refuses to let go. The script, written with precise detail by Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum) deserves an Oscar nomination for best screenplay. Burns gets so deep inside Whitacre's mind, that he has the character tell you his favorite body part (his hands) and why he wants people to focus on them. He tells us that one time he saved a man's life from choking by giving him CPR, and then explains how they still keep in touch through holiday cards. While it seems a bit pointless, and from an outside perspective rather boring, I can assure you it's not. The Informant! is an absorbing piece of cinema, showcasing Matt Damon like you've never seen him before. It's one of his best performances ever, in one of the best movies of the year.