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Under discussion:

Milk  (2008)

Milk joins some of the other best films of the past year as effectively focusing around one lead performance and a stand-out directorial style. Although it may not be as directly gut-wrenching or funny as Gran Torino or The Wrestler, it takes a fair and captivating approach to a real-life figure that finds a solid balance between documenting history and remaining entertaining. After director Gus Van Sant's previous experience of putting intelligent representations of tragic stories from Kurt Cobain to the Columbine shootings on screen, he was unquestionably the man for the job. Sean Penn, apart from being a talented actor legendary for his gay rights activism, was going to be a tougher sell for me and likely many others.
Thankfully, Penn gives probably his best, and certainly his most original performance yet and carries a film that needs his caliber of acting to remain exciting....
Read the rest of this critic's review here!

Under discussion:

He's Just Not That Into You  (2009)

I don't have much to say about this film. It was funny and cute at times, all of the cast's performances were good, and there is a relatively happy ending. "Into You" moved along well and there were interesting twists and turns. The cameos from comedians during transitional scenes were random but very funny. You will look forward to them throughout because without them, this romantic comedy would not really be that funny....
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Under discussion:

Taken  (2009)

If you’ve seen the trailer, read a synopsis, or even heard word-of-mouth a minimal amount of information regarding Taken you know what you are getting into. That is an hour and a half of Liam Neeson kicking ass, predictably but satisfyingly. From the get-go it’s all about him, first setting him up as a sympathetic father who we know will soon be facing much worse...
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Under discussion:

Phoebe in Wonderland  (2009)

While Phoebe in Wonderland has a very interesting premise, it is a little difficult to decipher what exactly this movie is trying to do. It felt like the director set out to do many things with this movie, but fell short of achieving any of them thoroughly. The movie had a lot of potential to tap into many different themes and ideas, but at the end of the movie, none of them felt complete...

Read the full review here!

Under discussion:

Iowa  (2006)

I must say, I was not a fan of this movie. I, admittedly, spend a fair amount of time searching for drug movies that I haven’t seen yet, so I was very excited to come across this one. The premise was a little different than the ones that I’ve seen in the past; for one thing, it’s set in the middle of nowhere. I’ve also never seen a synopsis that focused on how the characters are planning on starting meth creation up as an actual business.

Also, although this shouldn’t really affect my opinion of the movie itself, I think that it should be noted that the front cover of this movie is a terrible representation and gives the wrong impression about the movie.

Overall, I thought that this was somewhat of a disappointment.  But see the movie review for yourself by the critics.

Under discussion:

Good Dick  (2008)

his awkward title appropriately sets the tone for the quirkiness of this movie. This movie revolves around two characters: a charmingly geeky yet cute movie rental clerk and the girl for whose attention he is vying for: an oddball reclusive young woman who comes into the movie rental store almost daily to rent porn. Their relationship is formed around these movies, initially as the thing that brought them together, then to the movie rental clerk’s excuse to go over to her house (to deliver the movies), then their pastime together.

However, there is more to this story than a quirky boy meets girl theme. Despite the charming façade, this movie also deals with heavy subject matter. I commend the writer/director for the mature and intelligent way that it was approached and depicted.

Overall, though, it was a fascinating watch of a non-traditional relationship that I would definitely recommend, be sure to check out my other movie reviews for some great movie picks!

Under discussion:

Rachel Getting Married  (2008)

This inside look at a dysfunctional and broken family is both unsettling but yet ultimately somewhat heart-warming. This movie is filmed like a dignified home video, and starts with one character, Kim (Anne Hathaway), being picked up from a drug rehab center and follows the family through the last few days leading up to Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt)’s wedding. The dynamics of the relationships between all of the characters are complex, but are communicated easily and naturally to the audience. The audience is able to feel the struggles between the characters to connect with them on an emotional level.

Overall, this movie does a very good job of leading the viewer through the complex inner-weavings of this family’s fabric, and ultimately ending on a warm note, reminding us that a family is a family no matter what; the bonds that hold them together are much stronger than the forces that pull them apart.  Make sure to check out my other movie reviews!

Under discussion:

Friday the 13th  (2009)

There were definitely some things about this movie that were done very well. The intro set the tone for the movie nicely, as well as gave insight to the story and what’s to come. Also, the movie gives a brief background (for all of us that haven’t seen any of the others) as to who Jason is, what his story was, and even how he got his hockey mask, which was nice. The characters were pretty cliché (the asshole, the nice girl, the party girl, etc.), but the cast good. Despite the suspense, there were a few comedic breaks in the middle that the actors filled naturally.

Aside from one aspect of the story that complicates the plot slightly and gives it more purpose, this movie had essentially the same ingredients of all the other slasher movies – early 20-somethings having fun in a somewhat desolate area, and then start getting picked off one by one – but because it’s a remake, the recipe works. It isn’t trying to be something that it’s not (it would have been awkward to see a Friday the 13th with attempted depth of plot, or a life lesson).  See the full review, and check out what the critics have to say.