All in Intelligent
Alan Rickman's A LITTLE CHAOS
Don’t come to this movie expecting a typical costume drama about a royal romance in late 17th century France.
Steven Soderbergh's SIDE EFFECTS
This tasty little thriller really packs a punch with frequent and unexpected twists and turns along the way. Jude Law and Rooney Mara star in an expertly crafted cat and mouse game that pits … well, explaining the story too much would spoil things.
Alex Garland's EX MACHINA
Ex Machina has developed a reputation for being one of the more cerebral science-fiction movies to come along in many years. While I agree that it’s a pleasure to see a non-crash-bang/non-superhero film masquerading as SF, I was bit let down by the AI aspects of the film.
Morten Tyldum’s THE IMITATION GAME
The Imitation Game might oversimplify at times but it does represent the work of real people and that’s a good thing for modern audiences to see.
Claire Danes’ performances as Temple Grandin in this biopic is a stunner.
Christopher Nolan's INTERSTELLAR
The only other movie within recent memory that packed a similar emotional wallop for me was TREE OF LIFE
Ari Folman's THE CONGRESS
Ari Folman’s THE CONGRESS is a feast for the eye and the imagination. On it I hereby bestow my coveted ONE OF A KIND tag though I must admit that some of the other films in that category seem now to pale in comparison with Folman’s masterpiece.
Peter Webber's EMPEROR
In summary: you could do a lot worse than this movie for a dose of World War II history. Its attempts to overcome stereotypes and instead illuminate cultural differences are refreshing.
Christian Vincent's HAUTE CUISINE
Prepare to learn something about truffles, cabbage, and salmon!
Sebastián Cordero's “EUROPA REPORT”
When all is said and done this is a good movie that can be enjoyed for what it is: an intelligent and thrilling story, elegantly produced, with excellent acting and beautiful photography.
Robert Zemeckis' FLIGHT
A lot has been written about the harrowing plane crash flight. Yep, it’s pretty harrowing, but I’ll still hold of World War Z, Numbers, and Pitch Black is having comparable crash sequences.
Steven Spielberg's LINCOLN
My first reaction, walking out of the theater after the credits, was to ask my wife, “How is it possible that the same guy who directed a terrifying movie like War of the Worlds could then go on to do something like LIncoln?”
Peter Greenaway's NIGHTWATCHING
At first I was afraid this was going be a film of a stage production but it evolves into a series of dramatic tableaux featuring extraordinary lighting, costumes, and emotional histrionics straight out of Rembrandt’s paintings.
This courtroom drama follows the defense of Mary Surrat who operated the Washington DC boarding house where Abraham Lincoln’s assassins concocted their plot in 1865.
Terrence Malik's TREE OF LIFE
This is one of the most emotionally engaging films I’ve ever seen. I’m not completely sure why.
Steven Spielberg's CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
“Oh yeah, this is what the credits for an Otto Preminger comedy would look like!”
Peter Jackson's HEAVENLY CREATURES
Once more DVD technology comes through by making available an older film no longer in general theatrical release, this time Peter Jackson’s 1994 HEAVENLY CREATURES.
Ricky Gervais & Matthew Robinson's THE INVENTION OF LYING
What a subversive little film this is. And sweet. And funny. And unexpected.
This animated tale about a young girl growing up in Iran during and after the Revolution as personal freedoms are inexorably removed is simultaneously touching and difficult to watch.