If it weren't for Darron Aronofsky directing this film I would have never had any desire to see it. All of his films are basically the same; someone gets obsessed with something and it drives them insane (math/drugs/eternal life/wrestling/ballet). The film is very well directed and acted. I am rooting for Natalie Portman to win the Oscar (this is one of only 2 oscars I care about this year, the other will be mentioned later). This is not a feel good movie by any means, but it is very engrossing, by the end you are questioning if what you saw was real or made up.
I saw a lot of movies this year that involved being trapped (Frozen, Buried, 127 Hours, Devil) and this was the best of the bunch. The thing that set this movie apart was that the entire movie takes place in a coffin. There are no flashbacks, there are no hallucinations (outside of the coffin), and there is nothing unbelievable in this film. As a viewer you feel trapped like the character. I felt so claustrophobic during the film that my shoulders and neck were super tense when it was over. The film could probably also work as a radio story. We only hear the character and whoever he can get ahold of on the phone that is in the coffin with him. This to me is a much better 'trapped' movie than 127 Hours which is nominated for several Oscars. The thing about 127 Hours that I didn't like is there were flashbacks and hallucinations that took place while he was trapped. It took you out of the moment and I didn't really feel what the character felt. The other Oscar I care about is that 127 Hours doesn't win for best editing, the editing was amazing, but it took away from the film, it was almost edited as a different genre of film.
I almost stayed away from this movie because M. Night produced it and we all know how quickly he can ruin a movie. But, I am pleased to say that this film was very well put together. There was plenty of suspense, mystery, and it was surprisingly creepy. 5 People are trapped in an elevator and one of them is the devil, but none of them know that until it is too late. The story came together very well and the ending wasn't really a surprise but it felt complete. All the stories wrapped up nicely. If you are a fan of horror/thriller/suspense films definitely don't miss this one.
This documentary was filmed by Theirry Guetta and wasn't originally planned to be a documentary. Guetta was obsessed with video cameras and recorded everything that he did for over a decade. He went though a phase where he followed graffiti artists around and watched them work. His ultimate goal was to meet Banksy, the worlds most famous artist. When he finally met Banksy he was reluctant to be filmed as his identity was a secret to everyone but his inner circle. But eventually Theirry Guetta won over his trust and filmed him for several months. The twist comes when Banksy takes all the graffiti footage and ends up making this documentary, about Theirry Guetta. Guetta isn't an artist, but Banksy tells him to try. He ends up creating a huge art show based on his work (he is the idea man and pays other to actually create the art). I really had no interest in graffiti before but this movie really blew me away. Banksy is a very interesting guy and is famous world wide. One of his famous stunts occurred when he broke into the Louvre and hung his own artwork in the gallery. Trust me, this film will not disappoint.
This film takes place in the early 1960s and involves a girl who is in love with a boy from 2nd-8th grade. The boy can't stand the girl. Then, he starts liking her, but she has stopped liking him. The thing that sets this movie aside is that there are two narrators, the boy and the girl. You hear the story from 2 sides giving the movie a little twist that sets it apart from other love stories. I have watched this movie twice, it is very light hearted and fun. I highly recommend this movie.
I have loved every movie that Christopher Nolan has done. In fact, Memento, his first semi-major film is one of, if not my favorite movie of all time and also the movie I saw the most in the theater (3 times in a week). Inception is not really easy to describe, it is about a guy who hacks into peoples dreams and steals their ideas for profit. In fact, I had an idea to do this very thing several years back leading me to believe that Nolan actually hacked my dream and stole my idea. Even if that is the case he wrote and directed this story much better than I ever could so I'm not too mad about it. This is by far the most complex movie on this list but somehow all my questions were answered by the end. If you like mind-f**k movies I highly suggest watching this movie.
I never watched the Jackass show because I thought it was so stupid. But, for whatever reason all of the Jackass films make me laugh until my stomach hurts. I can't explain what it is about the movies that is so hilarious but I always leave the theater with a sore stomach and sore cheeks. The third installment in 3D has some of the best gags yet, and also some of the grossest. I haven't been so close to getting physically sick in a movie since I saw Van Wilder (the dog semen cupcake scene). If you want to laugh, and you aren't offended by body fluids and language you will love this movie.
The original Karate Kid is one of those classic 80s movies that I never get sick of. I don't know why I watched the remake, I knew it was going to suck and no way it could live up to the original. I was completely wrong. This film definitely stands up to the original and even surpasses it in many aspects. Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan were perfectly cast in this film. It follows pretty much an identical story line to the original but somehow still feels fresh. My only gripe is that Jaden Smith was learning Kung Fu, not Karate. This is one of the best family films of the year.
This movie is not for kids. I was really surprised at how adult it actually was. Nicholas Cage training his young daughter how to brutally murder people and preparing her for being shot at by shooting her himself at the beginning should give you an idea of the kind of movie this becomes. The character Kick-Ass is your typical super hero/nerd who saves the day but he isn't as lucky as Peter Parker or Clark Kent, he goes through many trials and tribulations before he starts winning the battles. This is one of the best super movies I have ever seen and if you aren't offended by blood you should check it out.
Mockumentary about a charismatic preacher who performed fake exorcisms for years and decided to get out of the business as people began to get hurt and die because of exorcism practices. He agrees to let a camera crew follow him to one final exorcism. He exposes all of the tricks of the trade in hopes that no one else is harmed by priests performing exorcisms. Of course, this final exorcism isn't straight forward. There are many twists and turns and a very unexpected super intense climax that really made me love this movie. It isn't nearly as scary as The Exorcism of Emily Rose or The Exorcist, but it is very entertaining and intense.
If you liked the first Paranormal Activity you will love the 2nd one. It is very similar and actually involves the characters from the first film as this is technically a prequel. You will be on the edge of your seat for most of the film. There are some really great 'gotcha' scenes and some false alarmas. Paranormal Activity and its sequel are rare in the fact that I am still creeped out hours after watching them. Every creak I hear in the night puts me on red alert for some sort of spirit.
Scott Pilgrim is witty, fast paced, and very stylistic. You never know what will happen next. There are umpteen video game references (no specific games, but things like bad guys turning to coins when the are defeated), comic book charms (when the phone rings you see BRRRRRNG appear above the phone, and shout outs to classic tv shows (there is a Seinfeld scene, complete with canned laughter and funky bass grooves). I actually laughed out loud several times during this movie which I wasn't expecting. I think that younger generations will like this more than older generations based on the references. Scott must defeat his love interests 7 evil ex's to win her heart. Sounds exactly like a video game, and progresses like a video game throughout. I highly recommend this movie if you are under 35 years old.
If you are reading this your life has been effected by Mark Zuckerburg. Less than 5 years ago no one knew who he was, and now he is a house hold name world wide. This movie tells the story of where facebook came from. It is most certainly not 100% true, but some of the verified facts are astonishing. In 2003 Mark Zuckerburg was a nerd with very few friends, and in 2011 he is worth at least 15 billion and has the most visited website on the internet with over 600 million active users. One of the best lines in the movie talks about how in one day over 650 people joined facebook "If I were a drug dealer I couldn't give away drugs to 650 people". The other quote is by Sean Parker (the creator of Napster who I was surprised to learn played a big role in the marketing of facebook) "This isn't a once in a lifetime idea, this is a once in a generation idea". The movie is fast paced but easy to follow and is a must see for anyone who is an active facebook user.
The final chapter in the Toy Story franchise is also the best and most emotional. If I had to really choose a 'best' movie of the year this would probably be it. It is a beautiful film visually, it has heart, it has laughs, it will make you cry and feel nostalgic. It is basically a movie that I can't imagine anyone not liking. Even if you haven't seen the other 2 it is worth it to watch this movie
Other movies I watched, in no order. If you want to know what I thought about anything below let me know. I love talking movies.
Shutter Island
Alice In Wonderland
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid
Hubble
How To Train Your Dragon
Oceans
Human Centipede
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Iron Man 2
Twilight: Eclipse
Babies
Hot Tub Time Machine
Splice
Date Night
Wallstreet: Money Never Sleeps
Despicable Me
Easy A
Harry potter 7
Gullivers travels
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Winters Bone
True Grit
Nowhere Boy
Restrepo
I love you phillip morris
127 Hours
Saw 3D
Freakonomics
Unstoppable
The Town
The Fighter
Best Worst Movie
Kings Speech
The Kids Are All Right
Let Me In
Frozen
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