MalcolmJTaylor

I can't believe a neutered dude wrote this, another neutered dude directed and filmed it, and four neutered dudes produced it. No wonder it's about as sexy as a barn door.

The dancing is mostly a showy jazz reel that never settles down, the best number is the finale but who cares when it's not integrated into the story.

The best dance number may just be the fun little short film that is the second-floor double-decker bus number.

Hayek and Tatum have very little chemistry, I don't know why Thandie Newton left, but she is sorely missed. What's left is just bobbles on a Christmas tree.

Might be a decent aphrodisiac for some, but for most, it'll be evidence enough to pack this toothless franchise up.

Honestly, I couldn't be more upset about how awful this film is. It doesn't feel like a remake, it feels like plagiarism. At the midpoint just when Nighy actually comes to life for a half second instead of being a walking corpse in need of an eternal nap, the film steals the exact same structure from Kurosawa's masterpiece Ikiru. Just when the film comes to life for literally less than one minute, it pulls the rug out and returns to being the dull, mopey, sappy, saccharine, snoozefest pabulum it's so dead set on being.

The only positive thing I can say about this movie is that if these people can get paid to make a movie as bereft of the human spirit as this film is, well then there is hope for any filmmaker out there. Because, truly so little invention went into this, it's frankly appalling.

I'm appalled by all the awards and nominations being showered on this shameful act of copycatting. There isn't an ounce of creativity or artistry in this movie. How can you take Kurosawa's masterpiece, one of the greatest films in the history of cinema, and say I'm going to make a garbage Netflix movie out of it with boring shot-reverse-shot TV cutting patterns!? It's beyond the pale. And then to nominate it for Best Adapted Screenplay after they've sucked all the life out of the original, it boggles the mind!? If they just made this a streaming movie, I wouldn't have cared. Give the lazy couch surfing, iphone watching masses their pablum to slurp on. But to have the gall to put this in theatres and gussy it up as if it's a prestige movie is shameful and appalling. (Yes, I keep saying "appalling," because that's just what this is, and if Nighy can keep saying "what a bore" throughout a movie that is a literal giant bore from start to finish, then I've got my own repetition license too.)

First of all, I've been a Bill Nighy fan for as long as I can remember. And that's really the only reason I went to a theatre and bought a ticket to see this movie, and risked my life in rush hour traffic to get there. I legit almost got hit by an Uber while crossing with the right of way within the pedestrian markings because I was hustling to get to the screening. (Imagine being so full of life. I know it's hard after seeing this movie.) To think I could have ended up hospitalized for this utter tripe.

Nighy should have turned this down. He's a great character actor, but doesn't have the range for a lead of this caliber. (Sleeping through a major section of the story and hiding in the shadows of the bar is not an acting choice.) More to the point though is that he is no longer in the casting range to play a "father" especially not a 1950's father. There was no such thing as "old dad" syndrome in the '50's. And even today he is well beyond "old dad" casting. He is well and fully into grandfather territory. So getting diagnosed at his age is not exactly a massive tug on the heart strings. It's well within a person's time to go, eliciting low wattage on the empathy scale.

The girl who is supposed to remind him of the vibrance of youth is as dull as they come. I know the director previously made a gay army movie and it clearly shows, as there isn't an ounce of straight sexuality in this film. Even the stripper, who in Kurosawa's film is shot in the most iconic way and immediately gets a rise out of Shimura's Watanabe. Here she is a dumpy broad left over from a Dove commercial that makes you want to look away. Hardly any reason to go on living. And Nighy's not even awake to see her. Ridiculous. And his tour guide through what is supposed to be a carnival of pleasures is just some schlub guy who has no life in him either. He also has this distractingly odd Stacey Keatch doppelgänger thing going on but, of course, with zero element of danger or intrigue to him.

This is really one of the most garbage remakes I've ever seen. It's inexcusably bad. I urge you PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE! Get a free trial to The Criterion Channel and watch IKIRU! Or find it on Kanopy, Or just rent it. Please, you must. It is one of the greatest films of all time. It is better than Citizen Kane. I kid you not. Please, for the love of God, don't watch this garbage movie.

It's a great action film! It's beautifully shot with riveting action throughout that builds to a terrific climax. Claire Foy is a terrific Lisbeth Salander. I've seen the Swedish trilogy and the Fincher directed remake, and I still actually enjoyed watching this film the most. Perhaps that means it is the most palatable of all the versions. There really is nothing here that causes aversion in the viewer. In this regard the negative reviews citing the absence of source material do have a point. That aside, Foy's portrayal is certainly, for my money, the most captivating version of Salander to date.

I could nitpick away at a few things, like for instance how they've reduced Blomquist to eye candy and made Salander the main agent of action. But I actually kind of liked that. After all, she's the reason we go to see these movies. And yeah, I could have used a storyline that had elements of her getting revenge against her male oppressors, which I believe to be the overall theme of the source material, but again, I actually like that we've moved on from that. In a way, she has grown up and now she's just ready to do her thing: be a lone wolf bad ass and you know, save the world from nuclear annihilation (hence all the Bond references), while working out her past childhood trauma. Overall, if you're looking for a solid dark action/thriller, then leave your baggage at the door and enjoy the ride. I sure did.

Stay away. Stay far away! Luckily I rented this on bluray and could fast forward through it at 30x speed after the first 10 minutes. My god. What a completely irresponsible movie. Reprehensible and irredeemable. There is enough misery in life. Why would anyone want to punish themselves further with this inhuman cesspool of garbage, to sit in the dark watching a litany of crocodile tears for two-hours!? Man I'm so grateful for bluray rental. And didn't blow a whole evening at the cinema for this dross. Cant even imagine how depressed and anger I would have been had I done so. Not to mentioned how ashamed I'd be for my poor judgement. Emily I only saw this because of you. Now I'm going to have to second guess any movie you're in.

The Animal Project is a captivating Film! It features an endearing and adventurous cast. It is lovingly conceived and realized. Veninger has put some beautiful creatures, both costumed and otherwise on screen. The story on the surface is one of a group of blocked actors looking for ways to break through their comfort levels and truly take risks. At its core the film portrays a father and son relationship that is quite raw and refreshing in its candour. It also portrays some fascinating non-conventional romantic entanglements. As well, it shows off a slice of Toronto beautifully preserved from the cold encroachment of the modern glass tower so pervasive in our city. By so doing it creates a nostalgic feel. A view of the city that is more obscured with each new development. The film inspired me to dream of doing something more, something beyond my comfort zone, something to remind me I am alive today! A wonderful film that touched my heart. Thank you!

Only God Forgives is a great art film with lots of cool over-the-top, bordering on the absurd to the point of comical, and also at times, gruesome violence. It has a terrific and mesmerizing soundtrack. It also boasts some haunting and evocative cinematography and creative editing choices. It looks beautiful. The cinematography is Kubrick-esque in its formalism and haunting in its use of colour, and low light as well as its bold compositions.

This film, at parts, is very entertaining. It is bold in its dialogue and character choices. Kristin Scott Thomas practically walks away with this film, chewing up the scenery with the gravitas she brings to her Oedipal complex-ed underworld mother. Comparing the size of her sons endowments is a jaw dropper that stretches credibility, yet somehow fits into the dream scape of this film. Spewing out lines like, "I'm sure you entertain a lot of (male members) with that (seminal fluid) bucket," has to be one of the best lines heard in any film! I love the frank sexuality laced into this film. It feels refreshing.

Performance wise though, the real revelation here is the Asian actor Vithaya Pansringarm, who plays Police lieutenant Chang. Wow, what a performance! Such gripping stillness, coupled with his deft and brutal martial arts and sword work. Not to mention his show-stealing Karaoke prowess! It's awesome. I loved that he kicks the s*** of Gosling's character with a minimal amount of moves, decimating him to a bloody pulp on the floor of his own gym in a matter of a few lethal moves. Something you would never see in a mainstream Hollywood movie.

Actually, most of everything in this film is something you would never see in any mainstream Hollywood movie. That is definitely why I like it so much. And it's also why I'm so proud of the actors and filmmakers involved in this project for putting something brave, truthful and unique on screen. Bravo!

I have a real soft spot for this film, which lets me forgive its obvious lack of a strong narrative, plot or much tension. I viewed it as a very credible exercise in formalism as a film making aesthetic, and on those grounds it is highly successful. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it's just kind of out to have a little fun. And I quite enjoyed it.

Even so, the film over all doesn't quite add up to a sum of all its parts and leaves the viewer wanting something more. Or, at least, the feeling of having missed something greater lingers as you walk out of the cinema.

However, its many triumphs overshadow this fact, since in the end it did not set out to provide gripping narrative. It succeeds in evoking a dream scape and an underworld, which I saw as a portal to one's subconscious, where, truly there is no narrative. Just a constant sense of falling of a cliff. Which this film more or less achieves with its cinematic incantations. One of the final images of Gosling's character invading his dead mother's corpse has to be one of the most intensely personal, erotic and truly Freudian moments ever put on screen.

I highly recommend checking it out. Preferably in a cinema if you can. Not sure how well its studied nature and atmosphere will hold up on home theatre viewing.

Great soundtrack. Great performances. Incredible cinematography. Brave choices. A work to be applauded.

An incredibly poignant documentary. It's a must see for actors, performers, film makers, film lovers, and all human beings in general.

This wonderful, captivating film explores the long neglected work of casting directors, a predominantly female profession. It is surprisingly fascinating, and transcends insider interest, making itself relevant to all viewers and lovers of film.

It centres on legendary casting director Marion Dougherty who kept a fierce eye on rising talent in New York. She saw the opportunity for changing the industry norms of casting glamour over talent as it was practised in Hollywood. The explosion of television created a huge need for actors who could portray believable characters from real life. These actors also needed the chops to perform a new play every week for the cameras, as television at the time was just that: filmed theatre. Fortuitously, at the same time the burgeoning of actors graduating form the revolutionary acting schools in New York led by Lee Strasberg and Sanford Meisner, created a wealth of talent for Daughtery to pick from.

She plucked every actor that registered on her instincts and fought hard for them to land roles in TV and eventually feature films. Eventually her sure fire instincts and the tremendous service she provided directors by basically hand delivering them stunning casts, eventually lead to her role as the head of casting for Warner Brothers studios in Hollywood.

The film shows how she single-handedly created the role of the modern casting director as we now understand it. Yet, she never receiving acknowledgement within her lifetime, or even posthumously! As well she fostered the next generation of casting directors with her generous, collaborative spirit.

This film is a must see for anyone who even remotely loves film, filmmakers, actors, directors, the art of film making, and popular culture. It's as essential as any documentary exploring the greatest artists and crafts people of our time or any time. Truly, a must see!

I'm giving it a passing grade for the Art Direction, which is pretty easy on the eyes, and for the fact that it wasn't a total turkey. Still, no one goes to a movie for Art Direction! And even at that its all just serviceable. Performance wise, Jessica Biel does some good work here. Farrel is fine, with not much to work with. Extremely uninteresting over-all. Very corporate committee-driven type thing. No signature stamp on it like Verhoven's original. In hindsight, I'd probably be better entertained simply seeing Batman Rises again.

Speaking of Art Direction, Prometheus is far superior to this, with incredible visuals and production design and some truly heart-stopping scenes.

Total Recall is mostly a total regret. Just feel like an idiot talking about it at work the following days, cause nobody gives a crap. People have mostly smelled out a dud here. Sadly, it's true. Think I'll re-watch the original on DVD. Just to wipe the palate of blandness.

Would have felt much cooler if I'd seen one of the more fun looking indie movies that came out this past weekend. Consider yourself warned. Colin Farrel's pecs and Beckinsale's butt do not a lasting cinematic sci-fi experience make!

Creepy, vile, and compelling.

It's horribly dark and almost impossible up watch. Definitely not a date movie. I feel filthy and dirty after being in its presence. Yet forced to confront the degree to which I live only for my own compulsions at the price of those I hold dear.

A very hard work to digest, with, unfortunately, a major let down of an ending. After dragging you though the muck for nearly two hours, you're left hanging.

Perhaps "Rampart's" greatest strength is in providing a very accurate example, without being preachy, of what a person's life will become when he/she shuts out all the people around them and lives only for him/herself and his/her compulsions.

"Rampart" can easily serve as mandatory viewing for anyone dealing with addiction in any one of its multifaceted forms. Perhaps by witnessing such an extreme case as is portrayed in this film, the viewer can see the necessity for redemption. The consequences of not doing so resulting in the spiral into self-destruction that Woody Harrelson's character experiences in this film.

Wonderfully acted by all involved who elevate this film beyond its own meanderings. Anne Heche's character has a delicious scene at the end where she just gets to nail Harrelson but good. That must have been a lot of fun for her. And terrific work from the young actress playing Harrelson's daughter.

A very troubling film but one that deserves major props for originality. I think it took a lot of bravery to make a film like this that is in a way such and anti-film. It's amazing something as difficult and unrewarding for the viewer as this film is could get made in today's climate of pandering to focus groups, etc.

Still this film does kind of suck. But it kinda sucks for all the right reasons. It sucks because it's not "Training Day" or "Bad Lieutenant". It's not some thrill-ride, wish-fulfillment fantasy of how much fun it would be to be a bad-ass cop who goes out with a bang in the end. Nor is it a dramatic recreation of real life events to better understand a moment of historical significance. Yet, this film is the real deal. If it weren't for the striking cinematography, and terrific acting work from recognizable faces you'd swear you were watching a documentary.

I suppose that's why I'm left hanging at the end. And I suppose I'm alright with that. Kudos!

Exquisite. Easily one of the most beautiful films ever made.

Moving, riveting, poetic, visually stunning, and dramatically gut wrenching.

Absolutely everything you could ever want a movie to be.

Poignant, poetic, full of beauty and life.

Not without moments of sentimentality, perhaps even, briefly, bordering on the saccharine. Still only those hardest of heart would be unmoved by this visual and emotional banquet.

If you are not moved by this film. You quite possibly may not be human.

An incredible mix of beauty and tension. Eye-dropping cinematography, heart pounding action. Yet full of life, humour and folly. Plays directly to your heart strings and plucks every chord with virtuosity.

In a just world this kind of film would be breaking box office records. But alas we prefer on mass to fix our eyes of adolescent spectacle. Consider how big the box office returns will be when Bale dons a bat suit this summer.

It's funny how a human interest story recreating events in history can be of so little interest to so many humans, the very ones who create history. It seems we would much rather gaze in wonder at our fantasies than contemplate our actions.

I urge anyone who loves cinema to see this film. It is a work of masterful craftsmanship.

I found this film useful viewing for one reason only: it captures the energy necessary to perform and the momentum that's required to sustain that energy. Had Conan not mounted a stage show, perhaps his need to perform may have itself atrophied. Watching this energy propel Conan is in itself contagious and inspiring.

Beyond this achievement, however, there is a lack of any greater investigation into the nature of performance or putting it into a greater context. It exists more or less as a loving video postcard, whose brief tension has been sapped out by the fact that Conan now has his own show back on TBS.

This film suffers from a lack of a strong antagonist. It also suffers from not providing any detracting views or opinions on Conan himself. We never get the sense that there will be any real failure here: a high level, well-oiled, show business machine, with a large staff, sells out some 40 odd huge A-level theatres in major markets in a matter of days and then proceeds to play them by flying to and fro in a private Leer jet plane. Not exactly the same tension created by an artist battling for public acclaim in his salad days. Riding a gravy train is not as exciting as walking along the edge of a cliff.

As a loving video postcard, it is at times frustrating in it's selection of events. The film chooses to show a lengthy clip of Eddie Veder covering "The Who", yet deprives us of Jim Carrey's impromptu performance with Conan. As a fan of comedy, I would much rather have seen the Jim Carry act than watch Eddie Veder, as awesome as he is, who seems to have nothing to do with Conan. And yet musically, I would have liked to see more of Jack White, since Conan was instrumental in launching his career and genuinely loves his music.

There is also not much here on tracing Conan's history. He's not put under the microscope as much as I was led to expect from the promotional campaign. He's basically just doing his thing, being charming and entertaining. As a documentary subject he lacks having a darker side and/or strong opposition.

The tour was cathartic for Conan. But the film for the audience lacks surprise and tension. There is no great question explored here, such as "Did Conan hit the road to fill some great void within himself?" Please, that is some serious marketing BS. He's simply a hard workingman who loves his job, his staff, his family and kids and wants to keep working, because he knows not working leads to the death of the performance muscle.

An endurance runner wouldn't take six months off if someone told them they couldn't run a prestigious race. They'd keep running in the back woods if they were passionate about running. Mystery solved. Conan is passionate about performing. He needs to keep entertaining audiences if he's going to stay in peak shape. Can't go on TV, well hey then, lets do theatre!

The problem with this film is it provides neither tragedy nor comedy. As funny as Conan is, he's not hilarious. He's simply a very sweet funny guy that everyone wishes was his best friend. After all, he's the straight man to every one of his guests, so that they can shine and be funny. So herein lies a film about an entertaining straight man, an MC if you will. Which is fine. It's just irksome that it's pretending to be more than what it really is.

You don't go to the show to see the MC, you go to see the featured acts. Conan becomes his own featured act by filling time with his music performances. Something no one would pay money to see under normal circumstances. Now that those "abnormal" circumstances have passed, the exercise of documenting it seems pointless except as a record for those involved, which is exactly what this film is.

I saw this short at CFC's World Wide Short Film Festival in early June of 2011. I was stunned by the visual achievement and the poetry of the images. The slowed down images of men of different ages walking through a steam bath linger with me. I can feel their bones and the weight of their bodies. Like heavenly sculptures put into motion. The beauty we fail to see everyday is highlighted here. There are many striking images from this film that have stay with me long after the initial viewing.

Juxtaposing the intimacy of the bathhouse with the larger urban landscape from a fatalist view of an extremely high angle, pulling back as if it's the final shot of a film, in a sort of Koyaanisqatsi kind of way, jars, yet adds a fatalism and austerity equivalent to the lead character's expression of sexual longing and intimacy. This is a highly accomplished film. I simply fell in love with it. It has cast a lasting spell on me and I eagerly await Kaveh Nabatian's next work and long to see what he does in a longer format.

Likewise actor Marco Ledezma gives a highly credible and brave performance as a man outing himself later in life in very dramatic fashion. Find a way to see this film. It is exceptionally powerful.

SERAPHIM FALLS is a Western that gets so many things right, it's a shame the one it doesn't: character destiny, ends up cracking apart the integrity of the whole.

SERAPHIM FALLS is an outstanding Western action drama, completely riveting throughout. It contains an outstanding performance from Brosnan and gorgeous location cinematography in New Mexico. It presents an intensely gripping opening 30 minutes unlike any in recent memory hinging on Brosnan's compelling performance and supported by the breath-taking landscapes. It is visceral, gutsy and extremely real. It grabs you and won't let go...until the end that is. Then it just plain loses it.

Without forecast, the film veering off-course in the third act into unsubstantiated surrealism territory. A departure that is inorganic and comes at the expense of its characters' journey. This is its only downfall. Unfortunately it's a big one. This bit of fantasy in the desert, though clearly well intentioned, with Anjelica Houston as a welcome stand in for the devil and an Indian Shaman dispensing proverbial wisdom, is sadly a step in the wrong direction given the stellar work laid down up to this point.

The effect is thereby to wipe out the intense and gutsy work hitherto on display, even literally as Brosnan's Captian Gideon disembowels a horse in a stroke of brilliance to conceal himself. In spite of this gut level reality, the film unexpectedly descends into a didactic anti-war message in favour of fulfilling its character's destiny.

Neeson's Colonel Carver chooses bloodthirsty revenge at the cost of everything else and deserves a good death by the end. This would be a positive result, fulfilling his unconscious desire to reunite with his family who were slaughtered by arson. Through his single-minded determination for revenge he has carelessly led his entire posse including an adolescent youth to their own demise and at the end even shoots the last remaining one once he becomes hostage bait. The body count on his back is not so easily explained away.

There is one member of his posse who walks out in the middle of the film with what should be prophetic words for Neeson's Carver, "You all go on and get yourselves killed." Shortly after which Carver kills his horse to disable the man's departure. These words should have been prophetic for Carver, whose destiny, created by his blood lust for revenge, should be to die at the hands of Brosnan's incredibly efficient killer, Gideon. For this reason, amongst many others, the "throw down your weapons and go your separate ways" sentiment at the end hits a false note.

Carver has had nothing to live for since his family was slaughtered due to a tactical error made by Gideon in the aftermath of civil war. In contrast to Carver, Gideon has only killed in self-defence and only after issuing strong warnings, which no one ever heeds, including Carver. The structure is in place then to allow Carver the arrogant demise he seeks. Yet the film does not employ it and instead takes a fantastical turn that sells itself short. And here Seraphim takes a great fall and all the King's horse can't put him back together again.

The strength of this film is its straight talking characters who seem bored with the British tradition of keeping up appearances. They spit forth bold truths, when cornered, ripping off the veil of entrenched lies and secrecy at the drop of a hat. This British film uses this boldness in nimble ways through out, allowing it to sidestep typical American dramatic clichés.

For instance, when Bill, played with delightful abandon by Rupert Everett, calls James, carved out with intense subtlety by Tom Wilkinson, in order to corroborate their story for a police investigation, the cuckolded James wants to skip to the part where he gets to beat up Bill. But Bill responds deftly with, "Oh yes, yes. We can do all that later..." James concedes for the moment. Still, he gets his revenge, minus the dramatics, knocking Bill flat with an un-telegraphed punch. Cut. No dramatics required.

Likewise a "F--- Bill!" out burst from James during an exchange with his wife Anne, played with great sympathy by Emily Watson, leads her to confess that, yes, that is exactly the point, "I have been f---ing Bill. Or rather he's been f---ing me." A frank confession from a cornered character for whom denial is the more difficult choice.

When push comes to shove, the potential shove is either accepted as in Bill's case above, or diffused by a confession such as Anne's. She believes the simplest way forward is to suffer justice, anything to escape the burden of lying. Meanwhile the only way forward for James is exactly the opposite: to cover up, get your story straight and barrel forward. But even he needs lessons from Bill once he's brought into the fray and forced to corroborate with his wife's seducer as the only way forward.

One of the big vacancies of this film is that is doesn't give James a dirty little secret that he is hiding. His wife Anne keeps saying how he's perfect, setting the viewer up for the opposite. Only the screenplay co-written by Nigel Balchin and Julian Fellowes seems to have no qualms about him being perfect. James' only flaw is that he's a workaholic. His late nights are genuinely given over to the firm. Yes, he has a minor tryst with his secretary, but only after Anne's transgressions mount to be irreversible.

The film seems to let James off the hook for the end of his marriage. It allows him to revel in victim mode, choosing bitterness as his outlet. He never examines his own behaviour and the impact it may have had on the dissolution of his marriage. His greatest fault, the product of his work-obsession: he's fathered no offspring. This, according to Anne, is because he's too concerned with order to welcome the chaos children would level on his house. That's a little nit-picky, isn't it? We usually look for something grander. If he has no dark secret, is there much point to the entire film? He doesn't even exhibit the slightest lingering stare at his secretary! Anne's suggestion that they as a couple remain friends with Bill even after she's ended her affair with him solicits the following response from James, "That's a little too Jerry Springer for me." A huge door is offered here through which likewise elements could stick themselves to James giving him a much-needed point of antithesis. Yet the script sadly leaves this door firmly shut.

As a result the film is slightly anorexic in this regard. And it shows with a surprisingly slim running time of just over 80 minutes, only slightly longer than a television episode. With such a brilliant cast one could easily follow their intermingling for a few more unexpected turns, at least another 20 minutes or so. No doubt this is a credit to the exceptional cast who it seems, make this film feel slightly better than it actually is. In the process exposing it for being slightly less than stellar.

Machiavelli stated that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being loved. [17] In much of Machiavelli's work, it seems that the ruler must adopt unsavoury policies for the sake of the continuance of his regime. -- from popular on-line encyclopedia.

This is no revelation. And certainly it's shock value in the Social Network stems from this behaviour being practised by youths barely in their 20's. What sort of life is to come for these youngsters and indeed the world of tomorrow when such ruthlessness, entirely devoid of compassion, seems to be the hippest trend of the day? This is the most frightening element of David Fincher's latest masterpiece and perhaps the greatest through line in his films: somewhere embedded is always a great primal fear.

Here is the true core of the American Dream pursued to the extreme, the get rich or die-trying motif. Makes sense that it is terrifying. No longer is this dream some warm-toned primary colour saturated immigrant's goal pasted over with a smile. It's a ruthless business played by sharks. Are you game? What if you're not smart enough, savvy enough, young enough? Well perhaps then you'd be better off dead, like the poor sap who only made $5,000,000 on Victoria Secrets which went on to be a half-a-billion dollar company. He found his salvation jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.

This is the success of Nazism. To be swept away by emotion to the extent of being severed from logic. The greatest tool used by those who seek to be feared the most. Here it's our greed for world domination through face book at all costs that pumps through our sinews as we become swept away with Jesse Eisenberg's exceptional portrayal of Zuckerberg and the very accomplished film that surrounds him. Perhaps we fear David Fincher for his consistent adeptness in stirring these deep fears within us.

I want the same brilliance and tenacity that Zuckerberg wields, the unchecked arrogance that suffers no fools. But I don't possess his single-minded ruthlessness. What am I to do then? Reject him out of hand like his jilted girlfriend does by the end? Or should I seek to emulate him? The film doesn't give me a clear answer. But if I had to guess I'd say it wants me to emulate him. After all, face book is very much alive today and perhaps as vital as the internet itself. Should none of this been created? Could it have been created without ruthlessness?

This is a gripping film, and well deserves the Oscar accolades it has garnered and perhaps even ones it didn't. It is so well written, so well cast, so well acted, brilliantly edited and directed and gorgeously shot, and delivers one of the most compelling soundtracks at the hands of another frightening individual, Trent Reznor.

The film's only trite note for me, unfortunately, comes in the execution of the ending. I found the whole party scene: caught white-handed-with-cocaine and the underage-scared-of-the-cops scenario to be quite weak. This is not the behaviour of people seeking to be feared. They would not fear authority in the shell of a police uniform.

As well, Zuckerberg's disappointment in Parker's (Justin Timberlake) celebrations, sure to cause scandal, is out of proportion. Parker's been set up as a party animal. How is it a surprise that he's partying it up with, ooh "underage" girls; appropriately merited, I might add, only after they've hit a milestone of 1,000,000 members. I'd say that deserves a little celebration.

Equally irksome is the final moment of Zuckerberg sitting at his laptop repeatedly refreshing his friend request to his ex-girlfriend, as the credits update us on how things stand today. So world domination is empty then? Is that the point? He still doesn't have the girlfriend he had in the beginning. And if he had her now, would he then be fulfilled? He wasn't before when social climbing was his main priority. But now that that's all over, thanks to being the youngest billionaire in the history of the world, he wants his girl back? Yeah, sure I guess. It's just not very consistent with the ruthless individual he's been practising at. More frightening would be if he couldn't conscience her being with anyone else and took steps to remedy that. But then therein lies the limitation of true-to-life biopics. Artistic license only extends so far.

Damon and Blunt deliver chemistry that is a throw back to classic Hollywood screen romances no longer made in today's culture of ADD that sees cinema pandering to nervous eyeballs in need of a constant VFX fix. Emily Blunt jumps off the screen without the need of 3D glasses. Her presence is so electrifying, I felt as if I was holding my breath waiting for her to appear again. Her smile does indeed light up a room. Watching her highly tuned reactions became like a narcotic for me. Matt Damon, though difficult to buy as a New Yorker, given his strong Bostonian identity; continues his stellar work here showing he's a bankable dramatic actor for thinking adults.

This film is beautifully shot with great locations and gorgeous views of NYC. It is brilliantly conceived and seamlessly edited. The only complaint I have is that the climax is a bit week and could use one more layer of revelation, or perhaps a bittersweet twist. The full on happy ending is somewhat telegraphed and ultimately unsatisfying as much as we are rooting for it though out. Having said that, there is much to love here, including a stellar cast, beautiful cinematography, outstanding locations and above all the chemistry of the leads.

A nice touch too is the whimsical story element of having to wear hats to get through secret doors and passages. It's a welcome contrast to the world of hard science and cold cynicism we face in our daily lives. It triggers our imagination and reminds us of the playfulness of childhood that may have become over complicated by the seriousness of modern life, where crises dominate every headline.

Though reminiscent of "Inception" in theme, I'd argue this film is far more fun. It doesn't take itself so seriously. Sure it lacks the awe-inspiring visuals of Inception and the M.C. Escher-like plot structure. But unlike "Inception", it has a very strong love story at its centre. Also welcome here: this film does not descend into an ultra-violent, machine gun battle on the peak of an alpine range in the midst of chaos and destruction.

Here you actually get to watch great acting in the form of dynamic on-screen chemistry. Blunt and Damon are determined to be together, no matter the cost, in spite of the highest order of fate. That is the compelling pulse of this film. "Adjustment Bureau" serves to remind its viewers of the importance of his or her own freewill and what is lost when he or she do not exercise it. And that is a terrific thing to be reminded of.

As mentioned, this film provides a terrific ensemble cast all around. It's wonderful to see Terence Stamp in such fine form. A delightful performance from Anthony Mackie, in what I'm guessing may be a real break out for him, lending this film his unique presence and refined character. Michael Kelly, whom I enjoyed in "Fair Game", also stands out here. As does "Mad Men's" John Slattery who is perfectly cast as a sort of middle management "Bureau" exec. who can't quite catch a break cleaning up his subordinate's mess.

"Adjustment Bureau" is a refreshing film increasingly rare in a landscape over-saturated with technical wizardry born out of the chicken-and-egg syndrome of ADD. Is it an inherent disorder or did we create it with our technology? And if we did, is the only solution to pander to it? Thankfully this film doesn't think so. This is a film that remembers, perhaps one of the greatest rewards for an audience is to watch other human beings, actors, portray life's greatest challenges and its most exhilarating moments so that we may glean insight into our own lives. In today's environment, that makes it refreshing.

Thank you George Nolfi for creating such a wonderful piece of work.

The "Black Swan" is perhaps one of the most highly-stylized and incredibly subtle horror films ever made. It appears to disguise itself as a drama but is in fact a surreal nightmare--an extremely claustrophobic one. It is incredibly brutal and horrific on a much deeper level than any genre film. Here the horror is psychological and emotional. Yet still impacts you with real "jump-in-your-seat" fright. I'm glad I did not see the trailer before I saw the film. I was expecting a story about an ambitious ballerina...so glad I got something much more complex and layered with lasting resonance.

It is an outstanding film in all aspects of craftsmanship and deserves its accolades. It is tightly paced and never lets up from start to finish. Whatever the quibbles are about this film, it cannot be denied that it grips you hard and you are not on steady ground until you leave the theatre, much like the haunted house at an amusement park. Except with the "Black Swan", the horror is high-brow. It cuts through your faculties of reason and hits you right in the gut. A stunning achievement.

I wish I could get my mind wiped after experiencing this sick and twisted film. Perhaps I'll have to watch The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to help do the trick. I went because I thought I'd see what Gerard Butler's up to these days. And since his name also appears on the producing credit, I figured it must be a bit of a labour of love. The labour, I have discovered is in trying to forget this dreadful film. The only thing I wished for after witnessing this dreary affair was to get my two hours back. Can't be done, I'm afraid. Just have to forget about it and move on. Hopefully writing this will help with that process.

This film relies heavily on it's powerful moments of intellectual intrigue, watching the two leads match their wits against one another. Outside of those moments the film holds no greater gravitas. And ultimately, watching the gruesome death toll rise is an extremely witless experience. I left feeling soiled to the point of needing a shower for my pains in participating in this macabre exercise in blood-letting and ego-posturing.

I am left wondering, with so many better movies to see in the world why have I wasted my time on this one?

"Max" is perhaps one of the most profound films I have ever seen.

Max: Where is the work, Hitler?

I watched it on my little portable DVD player, expecting to have it on as background. No chance. This movie is riveting from start to finish. It contains an exceptionally brave performance from the young Noah Taylor. John Cusack makes me wish I could be his friend and hang out in his world. He is such a gifted actor, making everything he does seem so natural and effortless.

The film is full of great lines: "It's easier to fight a bull from the Barrera." "What was it your brother said about art. Baked Air. Brilliant." To quote just a few.

What made this film so relevant to me is that I could identify with the frustrations of the young Hilter as an artist. How he can't get past his own inner barriers to accept art in all its forms. How he is unable to paint his own story and has to destroy his canvasses. This frustration leads him to strive for power and control. Fueled by anger, masking his fear of failure as an artist, he begins his journey in a direction few can continue to identify with.

Even as an artist he was more concerned with the trappings of success and fame: to be admired over the influential artists of his era. Yet he didn't put in the time. "Where is the work, Hitler?" "Ernst is up at the crack of dawn."

This film is so well observed. For me it serves as a great parable of the artist vs critic debate. Hitler calls politics the new art. And the story seems to let him get away with this unchallenged assertion. But really how can a politician ever be an artist. An artist must be brave enough not to be liked so long as he reveals the truth of human nature. A politician will sacrifice truth in order to be liked by the widest possible demographic. An artist is charged with mining truth to allow us a collective understanding. Where as a politician is a pitch man for a his party's political propaganda. As this movie so deftly shows Hitler to be.

I love that line Cusack has quoting Nietzsche, "anti-semitism is the ideology of those who feel cheated."

A must see film for anyone who's ever struggled with finding their "true" voice and choosing the harder path in life.

After catching snippets of the lackluster reviews (two-stars in the Globe and Mail) I was dis-heartened. It's been a few months since I'd been moved by the trailer. However, the film never came out. I thought it might have been shelved.

I was glad to see it was indeed playing. In spite of the reviews, I persevered on the strength of the trailer. It seemed to me there was too much talent and pedigree involved for it to actually suck. And you know what? it's a terrific film with a poignant story. Perhaps lower expectations propped up my perceptions of it, however, it still stands as time well spent.

The film is based on a true story involving a top columnist at the LA Times, Steve Lopez, played with grace by Robert Downey Jr., who becomes invested in one of his more colourful subjects, Nathaniel Ayers, an accomplished musician overcome by mental illness, now living on the streets of LA portrayed by Jamie Foxx, who rambles his way to a convincing performance.

The film is a satisfying adult drama that doesn't lose it's direction. It doesn't pander to it's audience. There is no random violence, no guns, but indeed simply good story telling with great characterizations. It's a decent film that deserves better treatment in the press. It has a noble heart that succeeds in telling a great human story.

It resonates and strikes a chord.

Having seen the first two installment, I saw Spidey 3 more out of obligation rather than anticipation. The bulk of the movie functions as a cure for insomnia and washroom breaks. The overwrought romantic story line is suffocatingly sentimental. The picture feels formulaic, as if all the innovation has been sucked dry by the series first two installments.

It is unashamedly American with lots of senseless "cartoon" violence where characters get repeatedly bludgeoned, lacerated and pummeled yet magically never suffer any consequences all the way through and beyond the flag waving crescendo. All for the wonder of seeing the webbed crime-fighter do his thing in full CGI glory. It would be far more rewarding to see a Spiderman updated for our times and not one that is still stuck in 1950's moral values.

Welcome new dark Spidey, the most entertaining by far. Now this guy gets things done. He just has to reign it in a little bit and use his powers with more discretion.

Other than that the story lacks freshness. The entire Sandman character feels contrived, though Haden Church gives a great performance. As for Spiderman's other foe, equally so. It feels thin. The main dramatic plot point being a staff-job competition for the Bugle. Wow, talk about dated. Spidey's enemies have no creativity in this film and lack any real plan for world-domination-type thinking. They are small time. Leaving only one thing that's any fun, dark Spidey. Still not quite worth the price of admission though. However, thumbs up to Tobey for pulling it off so well.

It's an odd sensation peeking into the lives of Monarchy. Since there are no reality TV shows on surviving the monarchy, a viewer just doesn't know how much is fiction and how much is fact. At times it seems too ordinary to be plausible and at others it feels too dramatically forced to be real. Yet all the way through you are riveted.

In the case of "The Queen" we vicariously peer into the life of HRM Queen Elizabeth the Second during the crucial week following the tragic death of Princess Diana. This film portrays the tensions caused by the monarch's knee-jerk stoic response, while popular outcry from her subjects demands a more intimate approach.

This film doesn't pull any punches showing clearly it falls on the side of portraying a monarchy that is dangerous out-of-touch with its subjects. An institution so entrenched in the culture of it's citizenry so as to seem indispensable is suddenly teetering on the brink of extinction with the death of the "People's Princess".

However, the subject matter itself may not be forefront on most audience member's minds that are only now discovering this film, well after it's pre-holiday release. The tide of critical praise and awards momentum building behind Helen Mirren's portrayal in the title role, culminating with a Golden Globe win for best actress last Monday night signaling a virtual shoe-in for an Oscar nomination, might be the real reason there are bums in the seats in front of this flickering gem.

What a surprise then to find such a well-crafted film behind it all. "The Queen" moves along quite briskly unlike it's rather stogy subject matter. Surprisingly, also unlike its chief subject, it is emotionally pliable, and pulls at all your weak-spots. The score, pacing and cinematography combine to make this a refreshingly agile ride for such a seemingly stale subject.

The acting, of course, is nothing short of sublime on the part of Ms. Mirren. Her portrayal is so subtle, so as to make her seem like the genuine article, while those around her seem like, well... mere actors in a movie about the queen. It is as if the producers hired Queen Elizabeth to play herself in a dramatic reenactment with the rest of the roles populated by thespians. After this performance it will be difficult for the queen herself to seem as real.

The comment is not to disparage the other performances in any way, it is simply to highlight just how elevated Ms. Mirren's craft is. For example the subtle look she gives at the end of her live address to the people is so incredibly subtle, yet so fierce and so clear. It is astonishing in it's depth and the facility with which she delivers it, holding you in a vice-grip by sheer telepathic force alone. It doesn't get any more real than this.

This film also delivers another top-notch performance, that by Michael Sheen, portraying Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is equal to the high bar set by Ms. Mirren, presenting a seamless and uncanny Blair.

Watching this film one can only hope director Stephen Frears is planning a sequel of sorts, dramatizing the plight of Blair and his controversial backing of Bush's war on terror, however that plays out. Indeed, Blair's eventual fall from grace is briefly prognosticated towards the end.

In addition to some beautiful cinematography, one of the most admirable crafts in this film has to be the editing. Great care is taken to seamlessly interweave real-life news events footage into the fictionalized world the actors and filmmakers inhabit. By doing so this film successfully navigates what would have been a massive stumbling block. Can you imagine any actress struggling to portray Princess Diana? How could anyone glow the way she did? Most biopics stubbornly refuse to combine the worlds of fiction and real-life. "The Queen" dealing with high profile media figures almost has no choice but to.

Biopics have never been more in vogue than they are these days. Some recent successes have been James Mangold's "Walk the Line" and Mirren's own real-life partner Taylor Hackford's "Ray".

"The Queen" now ranks up there with these master works.

If you're feeling a pang of guilt from indulging in cinema as diversion this holiday season with such stellar action hits as "Casino Royale" and the mind-bending "Deja Vu," or the comedy-mockumentary sensation "Borat," or even the Oscar-calibre thrill-ride of "Blood Diamond," you may quickly absolve your cinematic sins by taking in the keenly observed drama, "Little Children."

This film is a beacon in a crowded landscape of diversion signaling that rare gem: a film that reminds the viewer of all that is precious in life. This film is brave in ways that epics and loud special effect films can never be. This film dares to portray us as we actually are as people living and interacting on the micro-scale of daily life, and not as the people we fantasize about being.

An outstanding achievement by director and writer Todd Field and a strong ensemble cast led by Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson. Watching this film one can't help but be struck both emotionally and intellectually. The director, actors and everyone involved in this film have taken great care to produce an honest and more importantly, an exceptionally brave piece of work.

This film is a rare gem. See it as soon as you possibly can. Much like director Todd Field's previous achievement with, "In the Bedroom," you will cherish "Little Children" for a long time to come.

"Deja Vu" is an intelligent and sophisticated thrilled from master craftsman Tony Scott, and sublime actor Denzel Washington, that delivers on all counts: plot, acting, script, cinematography, score, action, tension and coolness factor. James Caviezel is one of the best on-screen villains in a long while. And it's not just Washington who falls for his leading lady, Paula Patton, we all do. She is stunning and believable without the prima donna factor of her ingénue predecessor, Halle Berry.

Easily one of Scott's best films in the last decade, if not a contender for one of his best ever. I would rank this one above the top-notch, "Man on Fire", simply because it is not so dark and more accessible, i.e. it's not just a guy's flick like so much of Tony Scott's canon.

This film is deserving of the same level of audience attention his blockbuster smash hits with Tom Cruise generated in the 80's and 90's with "Top Gun" and "Days of Thunder". However, unlike those populist, decade defining films, this one is not pure pabulum for an excess-craving masses. "Deja Vu" has a brain working hard beneath its visually arresting exterior. It's concerned less with glamour than with its chief purpose, time-busting. This pays off in dividends, as it ranks as one of the most well thought out and believable time travel films ever made.

More poignant than "Domino", with little to no "cheese factor", it feels like, "Deja Vu", is the film Scott's been attempting to make for the last half-decade since "Spy Games" in 2001. In 2004 he conjured character and mood with the revenge themed "Man on Fire", then O.D.'d on form and style with a saturated palette in "Domino". Having worked those forces out, he's cleared the way for this toned-down, grown-up thriller.

The various techniques Scott uses to take his audience on a visceral ride: the blending of film stocks, "Domino"; technological wizardry, "Enemy of the State"; cojones, "Man on Fire"; awesome car-chases, pick a film; and great romantic intensity, "Top Gun", are all contained in "Deja Vu".

"Deja Vu" grabs you by the heart and brings your brain along for the ride. Two hours fly by and you've lost track of all time, literally. A reviewer I know has a reverse scale for rating films. She judges them by how many times she looks at her watch during a film, no watch glances equals a great film.

This film grips its audience with the engaging premise of reweaving the fabric of time. With flawless execution, "Deja Vu" achieves its goal so masterfully, viewers will quickly forget their own investment of time with nary a watch glance.

In spite of "Stranger Than Fiction's" several charming scenes, especially those between Maggie Gyllenhaal and Will Ferrell, it ultimately underwhelms with its own insignificance.

"Stranger Than Fiction" does not leave the viewer with any lasting impression. It feels like a Wal-Mart version of a Charlie Kaufman film, metaphysics for the masses if you will. Kaufman's masterworks: "Being John Malkovich", "Adaptation" and "The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" are arguably as influential to modern film-making as "Pulp Fiction". And they are all light-years ahead of this film. Which is simply derivative without delivering anything new to audiences.

This Kaufman-lite for the faint of heart who don't want to watch anything too psychologically revealing has the potential to be much more than what it is: a light hearted stroll through the unconscious mind, with little more than a blue bird on its shoulder. Unfortunately for film-lovers, it never goes beyond its goal of converting audiences into happy movie-goers.

Although Ferrell is entertaining through out, it is Gyllenhaal who resonates in this film with a magnetic performance as a counter-culture baker. Dustin Hoffman also seems lost here in the role of a cutesy professor adding bits of schtick, as if it were left to him to pick up the comedic slack left by Ferrell. Emma Thompson's writer's blocked author suits the role well, but is the character most clipped by a gutless script. The appearance of Queen Latifa as her strict, corporate "unblocker" is bland and out-of-place in this film.

In terms of leading dramatic performances by a comic actor, the hat is tipped to Jim Carrey's work in "...Spotless mind". His performance in that film is a full-blown dramatic characterization. Whereas Ferrell's dead pan attempt at "serious" acting is just that. It always feels like a comedian playing straight, rather than an actor realizing a character.