Movie: Hugo

• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Writers: John Logan (screenplay), Brian Selznick (book)
• Stars: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz and Christopher Lee
• Release Date: November 2011
• Run Time: 126 min
• Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family

"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" concerns a 12-year-old orphan who lives in the walls of a Paris train station in 1930 and a mystery involving the boy, his late father and a robot.

Review: From the very first minute, this film is breathtakingly beautiful and amazing. The art, cinematography, lighting, acting, story, direction, are all amazing. This film should be given multiple Academy Awards, especially for Best Director (Scorsese), Best Actor (Asa Butterfield), Best Actress (Chloe Moretz), Best Supporting Actors (Ben Kingsley & Sacha Baron Cohen) and Cinematography. The casting was superb, all actors were very believable, I loved everyone of them, kudos to Martin Scorsese for bringing out the best in the cast.

The only criticism I can put forth, is that it is a little slow for children, my 11 year old son got a little fidgety at times, but still loved the movie in the end.

"Hugo" is a masterpiece, a true work of art in film.

Movie: The Inbetweeners Movie

• Director: Ben Palmer
• Writers: Iain Morris, Damon Beesley
• Stars: James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas
• Release Date: November 2011
• Run Time: 97 min
• Genre: Comedy

Four socially troubled 18-year-olds from the south of England go on holiday to Malia.

Review: If you are a fan of the inbetweeners series, this movie will not disappoint you, it’s ‘brilliant’. Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas are the four cheeky teenage actors in this film. Simon Bird who plays the character of ‘Will’ begins the film with narrating about his life so far and talks to his dad about going on holiday with his three best friends, Simon, Neil, and of course, Jay. The four boys end up going on holiday and let’s just say, have an adventurous time. Personally, i think this is one of the most hilarious films i have ever seen. I’ve watched every episode of the inbetweeners TV series, and couldn’t wait until the film was released. I laughed the whole way through this film, i was quite nervous about it not being as good as i was expecting, but it didn’t disappoint me. This is probably the best film i’ve seen, i went to see it twice at the cinema, it was that good. The whole audience were in stitches, from the beginning of the film, until the end. It was good to see other people enjoying it and laughing along. As the movie was the ‘end’ to the Inbetweeners, it really couldn’t of been any better. The same characters were used, and the storyline was well thought out. I’ll miss the comedy and the characters of this series; hopefully in years to come, they’ll be a second film. I give this movie a thumbs up. 10/10.

Movie: We Need to Talk About Kevin

• Director: Lynne Ramsay
• Writers: Lynne Ramsay (screenplay), Rory Kinnear (screenplay)
• Stars: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly and Ezra Miller
• Release Date: January 2012
• Run Time: 112 min
• Genre: Drama, Thriller

The mother of a teenage boy who went on a high-school killing spree tries to deal with her grief – and feelings of responsibility for her child’s actions.

Review: This was a fantastic film from start to finish. No shot is wasted in telling this extremely disturbing story of a dysfunctional relationship between mother and son that ends in the inevitable devastation that ensues. Although it is fairly clear from the beginning how the film will end i was glued to the screen from the very first scene.The acting is brilliant by all but especially Ezra Miller who plays teenage Kevin. Swinton is fantastic as always and Reilly plays the somewhat dim father which isn’t much of a stretch for him but it works perfectly for the film. I was amazed at how convincing the child actors who played Kevin during his various ages were. Kudos to the film makers for finding great child actors who all look very similar. The camera work and music were all nearly perfect and combined with great direction and a gripping story makes this one the best films i have seen in quite a while. Expect plenty of Oscar nominations for this one, and watch it a your earliest opportunity, but be warned it is at times very disturbing and not a movie you will soon forget.

Movie: The Muppets

• Director: James Bobin
• Writers: Jason Segel, Nicholas Stoller
• Stars: Amy Adams, Jason Segel and Chris Cooper
• Release Date: November 2011
• Run Time: 103 min
• Genre: Comedy, Family

They’re closer than you think.

When 3 muppet fans learn that Tex Richman wants to drill under the muppet theater for oil Gary, Mary and Walter set out to find the muppets who have been split up for years Kermit lives in his own mansion depressed in hollywood, Gonzo is a high class plumber at Gonzo’s Royal Flush, Fozzie performs with a tribute band called The Moopets , Miss Piggy is the plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, and Animal is at a celebrity anger managment rehab center in Santa Barbara.

Review: This movie is by far the best I have seen all year. It has a lot of humor in it ( a lot that appeals to the older viewer as the Muppet have never been just for children). The new character both human and Muppets (Walter is amazing) have a lot of heart to them. THis will be the first movie in over ten years that I will happily see more than once in theaters. It is a very emotional movie that makes us feel for these characters made of felt. The music is very memorable too. Jason Seagal is very clearly a Muppet fan, and you can tell by watching this film that all involved wanted to capture and preserve the old Muppet magic from the time of Jim Henson. This is by far my favorite Muppet movie since the Great Muppet Caper. The Muppets are back and hopefully we will see more in the future.

Movie: Answers to Nothing

• Director: Matthew Leutwyler
• Writers: Matthew Leutwyler (story), Matthew Leutwyler
• Stars: Dane Cook, Elizabeth Mitchell and Julie Benz
• Release Date: December 2011
• Run Time: 124 min
• Genre: Drama, Mystery

redemption comes in pieces

Intertwining stories exploring the bad in the best of us and the good in the worst of us. Against the backdrop of a child abduction case we follow five days in the life of the single parent detective assigned to the case, her best friend whose determination to get pregnant keeps her from confronting her husband’s infidelity, a school teacher and his obsession with the missing child that pushes him to the edge of vigilantism, a beat cop grieving over the violent death of his wife, a recovering addict and her wheel chair bound brother preparing for the LA marathon, and a self-loathing African American TV writer’s search for love.

Review: Answers to Nothing is that rare combination of an ensemble cast grappling with life’s complexities without descending into heavy handed storytelling. It both lifts you up and crushes you down as you recognize the various shades of yourself in the characters. I have been weary of ensemble dramas like this since the manipulative’Crash’, but I felt the director and cast did a superb job and the emotion really builds to something tangible and rewarding. The singer Aja Volkman of ‘Nico Vega’provides an emotional charge right through the film and Mad Men actor Mark Kelly gives a great turn as a gamer/High School teacher out for justice. Great film – highly recommended.

Movie: Another Happy Day

• Director: Sam Levinson
• Writers: Sam Levinson
• Stars: Ellen Barkin, Ezra Miller and Ellen Burstyn
• Release Date: December 2011
• Run Time: 119 min
• Genre: Drama

A family weekend is fraught with emotional landmines for mercurial and sensitive Lynn (Barkin) as she arrives at her parents’ Annapolis estate for the marriage of her estranged eldest son Dylan (Michael Nardelli), accompanied by her three younger children (Ezra Miller, Kate Bosworth, Daniel Yelsky). Lynn’s hopes for a joyful reunion are crushed as her wry but troubled middle son Elliot (Ezra Miller) lobs verbal grenades at his mother and her relatives while daughter Alice (Kate Bosworth), a fights valiantly to keep her longtime demons under control. The weekend quickly unravels as Lynn demands to be heard by her aloof, disdainful mother (Ellen Burstyn), ailing, distant father (George Kennedy) and ever-judgmental sisters (Siobhan Fallon, Diana Scarwid), but most especially by her ex-husband Paul (Thomas Hayden Church) and his hot-tempered second wife Patty (Demi Moore). Confronted with the deeply painful, half-buried truths that have given rise to the family’s primal web ofresentments and recriminations, Lynn struggles to maintain her equilibrium as her best attempts at reconciliation veer quickly off-course.

Movie: Catch .44

• Director: Aaron Harvey
• Writers: Aaron Harvey
• Stars: Malin Akerman, Reila Aphrodite and Kevin Beard
• Release Date: December 2011
• Run Time: 93 min
• Genre: Action, Drama, Western

For Tes (Akerman) and her two cohorts Kara (Nikki Reed) and Tara (Deborah Ann Woll), the job sounded simple enough: intercept a double-cross drug shipment for their crime boss Mel (Willis) at an isolated diner. But when an unstoppable chain of events unfolds, everyone soon realizes no one is who they seem and the job may be something other than eliminating the competition. What started as simple instructions has now turned into a deadly cat-and-mouse game – with large guns pointed at everyone.

Movie: The Ides of March

• Director: George Clooney
• Writers: George Clooney (screenplay), Grant Heslov (screenplay)
• Stars: Paul Giamatti, George Clooney and Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Release Date: October 2011
• Run Time: 101 min
• Genre: Drama

An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.

Review: Stephen Meyers(Ryan Gosling), is a young campaign manager for Mike Morris(George Clooney), a governor running for President of The United States. Stephen is really sure that Mike is gonna the next President. But when so many scandalous incidents that connect to the campaign, Mike is gonna discover in the world of politics, nothing is quite what it seems.

Such a great film, George Clooney does well as actor and director, I like the way he sets up such intense moments that make you want to grab on the edge of seat. Ryan Gosling was good, he is in pretty much everything, from Crazy,Stupid,Love, Drive, and this. Phillip Seymour Hoffmann was good, so was Paul Giamatti is also good, both of them can’t help but be awesome in there performances. Lets not forget Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.

Movie: Seeking Justice

• Director: Roger Donaldson
• Writers: Todd Hickey (story), Robert Tannen (screenplay)
• Stars: Nicolas Cage, January Jones and Jennifer Carpenter
• Release Date: September 2011
• Run Time: 105 min
• Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller

After his wife is assaulted, a husband enlists the services of a vigilante group to help him settle the score.

Movie: Rampart

• Director: Oren Moverman
• Writers: James Ellroy, Oren Moverman
• Stars: Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster and Sigourney Weaver
• Release Date: January 2012
• Run Time: 108 min
• Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

The most corrupt cop you’ve ever seen on screen.

Set in 1999 Los Angeles, veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, works to take care of his family, and struggles for his own survival.

Review: A brilliant deconstruction of the corrupt cop genre that crawls deep inside its archetypal male antihero to expose the vulnerabilities that drive him – like an inverse French Connection. If you are amongst the legions of filmgoers who lament the decline of American cinema since the golden era of the 1970s, this is for you. Moverman’s filmmaking is at once unblinking and unobtrusive, giving the film a documentary like quality that grounds the genre elements in a heartbreaking emotional reality. In the tradition of William Friedkin, Sydney Lumet, Bob Rafelson, Hal Ashby and Robert Altman – a probing filmmaker builds a temple around an iconic actor, setting the stage for one of the greatest performances of his career. Dave Brown serves as a fascinating counterpoint to Popeye Doyle, Frank Bullitt and Alonzo Harris. Woody Harrelson may finally win his Oscar for this one.