Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Hollow extension of this series. Liked all the actors, even Cruise didn’t bother me quite as much as usual. There’s sufficient tension, but the ending is really stupid, and once it’s over it’s just gone, except for the slight sugar high. To be expected, though.*

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Well-accomplished film version of the excellent novel. I was nervous about seeing it because I loved the book so much, but I respect Fincher’s work, and I wasn’t disappointed. As always with literature to film, wish there could have been more detail, and I don’t understand why they conflated the Anita and Harriet characters, but those aren’t really criticisms. Loved Ms. Salander in the book and in the film.**

Midnight in Paris
Woody Allen’s wonderful fantasia on the beauty of Paris. Similar to what he did in Manhattan. Doesn’t have Manhattan’s meaningfulness, but whimsical and delightful, a place where people get a second chance, even if the Hemingway character looked nothing like him. Very entertaining.**

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Visually entertaining action movie about Holmes and Watson trying to avert war. A lot of Guy Ritchie-type fun. Emblematic of our decline that the character most known for solving crimes with his mind now solves them by beating people up.**

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Well directed, well acted film about how female friendship is far more binding and meaningful than anything else. Another excellent job by Wayne Wang, good acting, and nice artistic direction. Kind of lame thematically.*

Crazy, Stupid, Love
Movie about the members of a family trying to cope with love. It’s a little crazy but mostly stupid. Characters were all pretty much unbelievable. Great cast pretty much wasted. Should have known.*

Our Idiot Brother
Lighthearted and unfortunately-stupid movie about a guy who constantly gets in trouble because he is so loving, kind, and thoughtful of others. Didn’t find any of the characters very likable, even the good guy. It accomplishes pretty much what it tried to do, but that wasn’t really very much.*

The Lives of Others
Finally watched this outstanding German film about the tragedy of personal lives under the East German system in the mid 1980s. Sad, tense, and extremely well acted, written, and directed. Hard to watch, but very good. **

Bad Teacher
Disappointing comedy about a teacher who is concerned only with getting a rich husband. Not funny, stupid characters, and mediocre acting. Waste of time.*

Bridesmaids
Very disappointing comedy about friends preparing for a wedding. Really dislike the “humor” based solely on social discomfort, and the adolescent female concern for who is the best friend. Waste of time. Don’t believe the hype.*

X-Men: First Class 
Entertaining action movie about the origins of the mutants who make up the X-men and –women. Nice special effects with an interesting and pretty meaningful narrative, for this kind of movie. Starting to notice Rose Byrne. Well worth the $1.60 for the Redbox blu-ray. **

Blitz 
Movie based on a Ken Bruen book that I really enjoyed, like most of his other books. As I expected when I saw that Jason Statham was the star, they don’t really get at how evil a character Brandt really is. Paddie Considine was very good, as usual, as the gay cop, and Aidan Gillen was excellent as The Blitz. Not too bad. Glad to see Bruen is getting a wider audience. *

Priest
Surprised that I enjoyed this movie. Paul Bettany was actually believable as the tortured priest, I really liked the art direction and visual presentation, in general, and the narrative, while really thin, didn’t irritate. Have to say though, that if Maggie Q touched my face lovingly, I’d give up pretty much everything. So, not bad for $1.50. *

Synecdoche, New York
Charlie Kaufmann is a genius, the genius of meaningful life. Deeply moved by his view of the human condition and the attempt to use art to understand it, and the need for love and the suffering that accompanies it. So unusual for Hollywood. Like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it is now one of my all-time favorites. Very, Very good. ****

The Debt
Kind of overwrought spy thriller/historical film about Israeli agents who find and kidnap a Nazi doctor, lose him, and lie about it for 30 years. When he resurfaces, they have to deal with it. I thought the difference between the old and young versions of the protagonists was so profound that I didn’t believe they were the same people. And I found the angst over done. The acting was all very good, as you would expect from such a cast, but I just didn’t care what happened to any of these people. *

The Promise
Absolutely beautiful Chen Kaige film about a vow made by a starving girl to the goddess Manshen: she will have riches but she will lose any man she truly loves. I usually don’t like these mythical Chinese films where everyone is flying around, but this one was surprisingly wonderful. Great music as well. Surprisingly enjoyable. **

Colombiana
Stylish thriller about an assassin working to get revenge on the cartel that murdered her parents. Everything about the characters and plot is completely unbelievable, especially that Zoe Saldana could actually do any of the physical stunts portrayed. Huge holes in the narrative, stupid dialogue, and poor directing that uses jump cuts to hide inadequacies. Not just a waste of time and money, it may actually make you more stupid for having seen it. Really bad. *

The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans
I had no intention of ever seeing this film, but got really bored one night and was able to see it free on cable. Then I found out it was a Herzog film, so I was pretty interested. Story of an injured and decorated New Orleans police officer struggling with pain and his morality. Other than Nicholas Cage’s clumsy over acting, it was pretty good, though it needed a bitter, ironic edge that didn’t quite materialize. Surprising and unconvincing moral optimism. Long way from Aquirre and Fitzcarraldo. Don’t regret seeing it, but not too glad either. **

Cowboys and Aliens
Jon Favreau movie based on the comic book. Title pretty much tells the story. Great cast, though Whatshername Wilde was just a face and not such a great one, adequate CGI for the aliens, and even a little back-story on the characters, though the attempts to generate sympathy for them were kind of lame. Narrative seemed much like a comic, but the movie wasn’t too bad. Wasn’t too good either, though it did pretty much accomplish what it was trying to do.*

Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Movie, based on the original film from the 1960s, about the mechanisms by which apes come to be the dominant species on the planet. Wanted to see it because of the impact the original had. Unfortunately, this movie is shallow in every way, especially when compared to the original, though it does employ the fundamental fear of our time, as the original did, as the cause. The CGI is good, but the apes are still not quite convincing. Nothing particularly wrong with it, but nothing particularly good about it either. Should have passed on it. *

Captain America
Disappointing movie version of the comic. It seemed so lifeless, more moralizing than interesting action. The characters were all stereotypes, the guys he rescues and with whom he forms a fighting group, don't get even the slightest development, so all the relationships, especially with the woman, remain trivial. The evil Nazis were particularly limp and buffoonish. There was no menace in any of them, and the red mask on Hugo Weaving was much too reminiscent of Jim Carry in the movie named for what he was wearing. Like Shakespeare, I love the way comics translate to film, and I have really enjoyed many of them, but this remained too cartoonish. Too bad. *

Mr. Brooks
Kevin Costner as a wealthy serial killer and his struggle to quit. Completely unbelievable family situation for someone as psychotic as he is, Demi Moore gives her usual poor performance as the cop chasing him, and an unconvincing ending. William Hurt was excellent as the voice in Costner’s head, but overall lame and disappointing. *

Whatever Works
Absolutely delightful Woody Allen film about a quantum mechanics scientist and the young woman he falls in love with. A little too much serendipity, especially at the end, but Larry David’s pitch-perfect spewing of the bitter monologues, the outstanding performance by Rachel Evan Wood as another wonderful female character by Allen, and all the black humor make this one of Woody’s best for some time. Really enjoyed it.**

The Tree of Life
It was with great anticipation that I saw this latest of Malick’s “renewed” cinema based on how moved I was by the trailer I had watched a couple of times. Unfortunately, as is too often the case, the film itself didn’t measure up to the teaser. Like it’s two predecessors, The Thin Red Line and The New World, The Tree of Life is visually exquisite. Every shot is pretty much perfect. The camera is always in the right place, Malick shows us just the right things, the color and movement, and close-ups are perfectly accomplished as is the chaos of the beginnings of life. However, they provide an intimacy that only hints at actual characterization, and even the slim characterizations are undermined by the intrusive and clumsy voice-overs that Malick has become so enamored of. The two narrative streams, the foundations and origins of biological life, and the specific evolutionary iterations of that life presented in the O’Brien family, and even more specifically in the life of the oldest son, Jack, are not integrated. We are left expecting some confluence that remains unaccomplished. And even the narrative stream of the family is fragmented. Initially, it seems that we are inside Jack’s adult mind as he remembers the struggles of his coming of age. This is brilliantly accomplished, each scene of his youth has the feel and duration of a personal memory. But this stream devolves into a linear narrative that is too specific, detailed, and sequential to represent memory. And as this arc unfolds, I found myself disliking the characters, perhaps because we still have only stubs of them. Then there is Jack’s vision of the afterlife, that in and of itself, like the other narrative fragments, is individually very well accomplished, but which remains unconnected to either of the main, and themselves unconnected, narrative streams. The Tree of Life exemplifies what is great and disappointing in all three of these recent Malick films: stunningly, even profoundly beautiful scenes adrift without a narrative structure that even approximates their quality. I think Days of Heaven remains his best film, though the visual beauty of the three more recent films is staggering. And, even a deeply flawed film by Malick, which The Tree of Life is, stands far above most contemporary films. ***

Paris
Delightful French film depicting the search for love and connection in the lives of an ensemble of Parisians. Outstanding cast lead by Juliette Binoche and Roland Duris as siblings. Not extremely deep, but meditative, even a little reflective, and pitch perfect in acting, writing and pace. Enjoyed it quite a bit. **

Everything is Illuminated
Quirky, and eventually deeply moving film of Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel. Good acting, and adequate directing by Liev Schreiber. I was deeply saddened by the details, often repeated under the Nazis, of the slaughter of Trachimbrod, and touched by the ongoing need to collect the artifacts of people’s lives. Not a dry eye in the house. Thanks to Josh for giving it to me. **

Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Third film in this series of popular but cinematically lousy movies based on the kids’ toys that my son, like many others his age, played with. This one at least has a narrative that, for the most part, holds together and makes some sense. And the FX are well designed and executed enough to be compelling for a change, though they are derivative of recent movies such as Battle Los Angeles. But Michael Bay is an embarrassingly jingoistic hack, and the overly emotional appeal to patriotism and veneration of the military are the worst of many bad elements of these movies. **

Super 8
Though a pretty well done J. J. Abrams homage to ‘50s monster movies and Steven Spielberg, I found the adolescent characters in this movie too be stereotypes and far too precocious emotionally to be believable, and the two main parental characters to be extremely shallow. I thought the scenes of the military vehicles run amok unnecessary, even indulgent, and the encounter with the alien completely unconvincing. Deeply disappointing. **

3:10 to Yuma
Slick remake of the 1957 movie about a man’s attempt to redeem himself by escorting an outlaw to a train. Watched this as part of a renewed interest in westerns. As you would expect, Bale and Crowe work hard, and the story by Elmore Leonard is good, but the ending and diluted interplay between the main characters is unconvincing, even insulting. Too bad. **

Texas Rangers
Very bad movie about the origins of the Texas Rangers that came bundled on an inexpensive DVD of Dead Man. Most like a Hallmark presentation with very bad writing, made-for-TV production, and dopy acting, though that may be because of the painfully bad writing. Excellent caste just wated. Terrible.

Your Highness
Really disgusting and intentionally gross movie about brothers’ search for credibility in medieval Europe. Neither of which is as bad as the sheer stupidity of every aspect of it. I guess Natalie Portman needed the money.

The Conspirator
Well-enough done Redford film about the trial of John Wilkes Booth’s mother. The narrative seems purposely pointed at our current politics, which politically doesn’t bother me, but weakens the film artistically. Good acting, adequate writing, but the production itself looked strained and amateurish, and Redford’s directing seemed clumsy at times, which was surprising. Not that good, but a silent theatre at the end. **

Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1983
Final installment of this film trilogy, as brilliant as the first two, but this time with a wholly-justified moral and personal redemption that is deeply moving, especially after the utter bleakness of the previous films. Again excellent acting, writing, and production. For me, it is hard to overstate how good this trilogy is in light of the wasteland of contemporary filmmaking. Outstanding.****

The Housemaid
Eerie Korean film about the strange relationship between a housemaid and the psychotic and powerful family she works for. Strong undertone of anti-Americanism, which, though perhaps justified, undermines the narrative. Deeply dissatisfying ending. *

Hanna
Film about a girl designed and raised to be an assassin. The odd fairy tale motif and tone undermine any power the narrative might have had as a thriller, and there is really no characterization to speak of in a movie that was almost solely dependent on it. Disappointing. *

Source Code
Science fiction movie about the use of a soldier’s brain to go back and change history. Perfect example of what the money thugs have done to the film industry. This movie, though not great, could have made a very strong and even beautiful statement about the nature of human existence. Instead, a happy ending is very clumsily pasted on to the end, that destroys any value it had, no doubt in response to focus group evaluations. Disgusting and deeply regrettable. *

Paul
Another absolutely delightful movie from Simon Pegg on a par with Shaun of the Dead. I really enjoyed the lighthearted, geeky tone, the silly but heartwarming characters, and the imaginative sci-fi spoof. Perhaps could have done without the male relationship evaluation, but a lot of fun. **

Limitless
Movie about a drug that allows humans to use the full capacity of their brains, but with some nasty side effects. And what does the protagonist do when he becomes super smart? Find a cure for cancer or AIDS, work on solving social ills or political conflicts? Of course not. He uses his abilities to make tons of money and go into politics so he can have power. And repeatedly lies to the woman he supposedly loves. Nice values. Marginally well done cinematically, but evil in its content. *

The Adjustment Bureau
Perhaps I was hoping for too much, it being based on a Philip K. Dick story about identity and bureaucracy, but I was disappointed by this film. The characters and their relationship were completely unconvincing, and as is usually the case these days, there are way too many chase scenes instead of real narrative. Happy ending was undeserved and unbelievable. Too bad. **

Summer Wars
Absolutely wonderful anime about a technology crisis as a frame for the value of family, an even more important network. Visually stunning, especially Oz, and thematically powerful, even moving, at times. Loved it. ***

Drive Angry
Mildly entertaining grindhouse movie with Nicholas Cage as an escapee from hell trying to save his daughter. Lame narrative and low production values even for grindhouse, and not enough of what makes grindhouse marginally interesting. *

Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1980
Like the first film in the trilogy, this second installment is an incredibly powerful and deeply depressing film about renewed attempts to uncover police corruption surrounding the Yorkshire ripper cases. Perhaps even more tragic. Once again, excellent writing, acting, and re-creation of the period. Extremely well done. Very difficult emotionally. ****

Eden of the East
Visually-wonderful and thematically-interesting anime series about people forced to play a game to save the world. A little adolescent, as most anime are, but pretty good, and over all, I enjoyed it. But not great. **

Still Walking
Kore-eda’s homage to his mother that explores the complex relationship we all have with our parents and their influences on us, apparent or not. Very well done in every way, as I have come to expect from him. Didn’t have the power, for me, of Maborosi or After Life, but excellent nonetheless. ***

Good
Very disappointing film adaptation of a play about a German intellectual who ends up helping the Nazis. Deeply unbelievable character historically, and it never becomes a film, always looks and feels like a play. Thematically reminiscent of Mother Night, but not nearly as powerful. Too bad. *

Sanctum
Visually slightly interesting Australian movie about cave explorers caught in a hurricane. Only went to it because they use James Cameron’s name, though, it turns out, he had nothing to do with it. It didn’t interest me, but it did have one of my favorite film lines for some time. Still, a waste. *

The Eagle
Uninteresting movie about a young centurion’s attempt to recapture an eagle standard that is the symbol of a Roman legion and his father’s defeat and humiliation. Very weak in characterization and narrative, but strong in emotional manipulation and unconvincing meaningfulness. But what’s new?*

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Woody Allen film about two friends and their searches for love while in Barcelona. Again, Woody has created a very interesting female character, the woman who only knows what she doesn’t want. Too bad he cast Scarlett Johansen in the role. Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz were excellent. His best film in some time, though not up to his standards of the late 70s. **

The Mechanic
Bad action film vehicle for Jason Statham. Huge narrative lacunae, no real characterization, ordinary action, and high levels of stupidity in dialogue and plot. Only redeeming element was Donald Sutherland’s brief performance, which also highlighted how bad everything else was. *

Tron: Legacy in Disney Digital 3D
Saw this primarily to test the new 3-D technology being hyped. Nothing really wrong with the film, though nothing great about it either, but 3-D in its current state is a giant boondoggle. Most of the film is shot in 2-D, and the glasses needed to see the 3-D are pathetic. On a par with the original in terms of quality, but without anything groundbreaking about it. *

Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1974
First of a trilogy based on the David Peace novels, this is an incredibly powerful film about the search for the Yorkshire ripper and the police corruption that hinders it. Excellent writing, acting, and re-creation of the period. Deeply depressing because of the seemingly-impenetrable mire of corruption, murder, and the grief. One of the best films I’ve seen for some time, even though it was difficult to understand the broad and authentic Yorkshire accents. ****

The Way Back
Marginally-interesting film based on a true account of people who escape the Soviet Gulag during World War II. Everything about the film is done well enough, but I found the author’s reason for his unrelenting push to survive and continue the journey, to relieve his wife of her guilt for betraying him, to be a completely unbelievable self justification. Not quite good enough to avoid being a waste of time. *

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Absolutely beautiful, highly imaginative, and wonderfully delightful film by Terry Gilliam about love, identity, the origins of the world, sacrifice, friendship, redemption, … well all the things that make human existence what it is. Still can’t get Lily Cole’s face out of my mind. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it. ***

Green Hornet
Would be on my list of worst films of the year. Had I known Seth Rogin wrote it, I would have skipped it. Turned an interesting superhero comic into a whiny, unfunny gesture in stupidity. Really bad.

Feast III: The Happy Finish
Slightly better than II, but still not up to I. This one at least has some redeeming female nudity and lesbian sexual overtones, but pretty bad, even for grindhouse, though I think the title is wonderfully ironic. *

Feast II: Sloppy Seconds
Poor sequel to the highly original and entertaining Feast. Plenty of shlock without any of the wit or imagination. Could have missed it. *

The Social Network
Very well written film about Mark Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook. The dialogue races along and is highly intelligent, but I found a lack of meaningful characterization so I eneded up disliking everyone, which very well may have been the intention. Also, who cares? I guess I’m glad I saw it… **

Dead Space: Downfall
Violent animated film about a cargo spaceship that is transporting an artifact to earth. It is the object of worship to a cult who protect it, even though it turns people into vicious flech-eating mutants. Even with the politico-religious commentary, the graphics and narrative are only average, as I guess is to be expected when a video game is made into a movie. *

Blindness
Interesting and well-acted film of Saramago’s book about a plague of blindness that suddenly affects a huge number of people. They are quarantined into camps, allowing Saramago to discuss relationships of all sorts, sexual politics and oppression, social and political oppression, violence, etc. Much too positive an ending. **

True Grit
Another perfectly executed Coen brother’s film based almost exactly on the Charles Portis novel. Absent the usual very dark humor and irony, it didn’t have quite the power of other of their films. Very good, nonetheless. **

The Tourist
Maybe the worst film of the year. Stunningly bad, and a huge waste of acting talent (that does not include Angelina). Avoid it. *

Antichrist
Bizarre, emotionally raw, nightmarish, beautifully filmed, very personal film where Lars von Trier works out his psycho-sexual complexes. Hard to watch, but kind of interesting. **

The Human Condition
Kobayashi Masaki’s 9.5 hour film about a man trying to live a moral and meaningful life during Japan’s war years. Beautifully filmed, extremely well acted, especially by Nakadai Tatsuya, and brilliantly directed. A stunning cinematic achievement. *****