8/10 - Wes Anderson is one of the best directors working today and this is yet another example of his greatness. Beautifully filmed throughout as usual, Anderson creates the perfect set for this film and really utilizes every tool at his disposal in terms of the location of this one. Every shot is truly more beautiful than the last. "Moonrise Kingdom" is a cute, quirky look at adolescent love. It gets a tad...awkward at times to watch, but throughout, you cannot help but smile and laugh as these two kids embark on this adventure with one another. In many films that focus on young people, the child actors are sometimes spotty with their acting, but here, both Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, though both just 12 at the time of filming, were remarkable. Their innocence shines through throughout. In addition to them, Bruce Willis and Edward Norton were fantastic, as were Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, and Jason Schwartzman, in what is a really star-studded and talented cast. Like many Anderson films, it is not riotously funny, but it certainly has its moments of pure comedy. A touching romantic fantasy adventure comedy, "Moonrise Kingdom" is yet another win for Anderson.



5/10 - "Charlie Wilson's War" is nothing more than an ok film. First and foremost, Philip Seymour Hoffman kills it and really is the brightest star here. In a small role, Amy Adams is also quite good. I cannot say the same for Tom Hanks or Julia Roberts, however. For some reason, Hanks' performance here was not up to snuff for me and I am not typically a fan of Roberts and this film was no difference. Both seemed to be out of their league compared to a talent such as Hoffman. As for the film, the story was...eh. The parts surrounding the operations in Afghanistan were interesting, but far too much time was spent on establishing Wilson as a drug addicted womanizer, rather than focusing on, you know, the story the film was trying to tell. So much time is devoted in fact that by the end, you are left wondering how this one was an hour and a half long since it feels like so little was truly covered. The depth it goes into on the issues in Afghanistan is cursory at best and it really feels as though we got maybe half of the story at best, which is really too bad. However, there are positives. As mentioned, Hoffman turns in a stellar performance and, in addition, when the film focuses on the main story, it is very interesting. It is even more interesting considering what we know now and how all of the events here wind up hurting us later (as hinted to by Hoffman towards the end). In terms of its attempts at satire, most of the time it hits and you find yourself laughing, which is obviously a plus. Overall, this one feels as though far too much was cut and we are instead left with some interesting pieces that do not add up to what they should.



8/10 - "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels"' smart and witty script propels this one above your run-of-the-mill crime film. At every turn, the dialogue was perfect and really made the film a fun watch. In addition, the constant twists, turns, and confusion for the characters, was very interesting and, for the most part, unexpected. The movie I got was not the one I was expecting at all and I am completely ok with that, as the movie I got was way better than the one I expected. In addition, the acting from the whole cast was good. Nobody really stood out (in fairness, no one person had a large enough role to stand out), but since everyone was good, no complaints there. There is also some comedy in this. I did not find it that funny, but there were definitely some lines that had me laughing.

Only complaint I can think of for this one is that at times the numerous layers of plot (particularly in the beginning) can be a little confusing and tough to adjust to. However, once the movie really gets going, all of the pieces come together and you begin to understand more and more with little difficulty.



8/10 - This is a great look at high school life. As with real life, everybody has a story and inner demons, whether they show them frequently or not. Everybody is also divided based on "status" and rarely get to actually talk to people from other "cliques", as is shown here. That is what makes this film so special, as it breaks down those walls and allows everyone from every different clique to really see the others as they truly are: people just like them. However, what I really liked about the film is one of the discussions they have at the end, where they discuss how their friendships will be once detention ends. This discussion really rings true as I think everybody knows that these kids will never see one another afterwards and, if they do, they may ignore them or mock them after seeing them because of high school social pressures. While this one is a very accurate representation of high school and all of its oddities, it is also very funny. At many times, I found myself laughing quite hard at something somebody said or did. Overall, this is a very good film and I feel ashamed for just watching it now.



7/10 - Overall, Collateral is a pretty good film. The visuals are outstanding and really make this film a gorgeous watch. Tom Cruise is also killer (heh) in his role as a hitman. He gets a bad rap due to his personal beliefs, but the man can really act. Jamie Foxx also does well as the cab driver and Mark Ruffalo makes a solid supporting appearance in this one as well. The thrills are also certainly there and, though implausible at times, they are most plentiful at the end of the film, though, really, you could be on the edge of your seat for much of this one. Overall, however, I cannot help but feel like this one was nothing but pretty good. Michael Mann's direction is great as always here, but this one never really "reaches for the stars", rather it is content to just be a relatively straightforward and entertaining movie. Now, there is nothing wrong with that, but it certainly would have been nice to see that extra little bit given. Without it, it honestly feels like something is missing from this one.