Before the Flood

You rated this movie:
★★★★★

Oh dear, the ostriches dig their heads deeper, sand scratching sclera, instead of appraising the media. Five stars for urgency. One does not need to be a trained musician or artist to make a documentary about classical music or cubists; that’s where previous study and interviews come to the fore, from an almost ubiquitous chorus of EXPERTS that say that the majority of current climate change [moving at lightspeed compared to those ice core snapshots of climate cycles on geological time scales] is, indeed, manmade. Some flatlanders may never believe in roundness, even after viewing an arc for themselves, after rides to the edge of space soon become available; such is the nature of delusion.

A Very Murray Christmas

You rated this movie:
★★★★

Very sly, honest, asymmetrical joy—Christmas askew. Some sincere carols, but most are quirky. Murray always interests.

The Tiger

You rated this movie:
★★★★★

Are curmudgeon critics enamored with the word “glowing” ? The reason for the glowing reviews is because it glows. Acting. Pacing. Effects. Grit. Plot. Editing. Well, a list that glows. Come to think of it, the tiger did kind of levitate:  I’m ok with that. Documentaries are real, fiction is fiction. Expectation therein.

Shelley

You rated this movie:
★★★★

The very opposite of “Daemonium,” splendidly done — very entertaining and thought provoking. No spoon-feeding here, imagination required. Wonderful performances and direction. Endings ? O, the modern crowd, “2001: A Space Odyssey” would not have a chance these days. If the movie was tied up in a nice bow at the end, I guarantee most would forget the film in minutes; as it is, it crawls around your noggin for a while and may remain.

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House

You rated this movie:
★★★★★

A spectacular spectre film that experiments with structure, frames within frames, circular and open-ended. It’s like decay viewed within golden amber, so beautifully does the movie unfold like a flower destined to “fall apart.” Particularly, much of the dialogue is lyrically succinct, mesmerizing. For the (many it would seem) detractors of this understated gem, as Charley Sheen said in Two and a Half Men [S1E7], “I understand.”

The Tribe

You rated this movie:
★

I endured this to the end. I do not recommend that you do the same. This movie is just terrible. Unless you fancy queasiness induced by witnessing depraved humans acting out. The director favors nihilism distilled in long, unblinking shots that study humanity’s bestial edge. Pointless, banal misery despite the sign-language gimmick posing as edgy.

The Forbidden Room

You rated this movie:
★

There are so many classics and masterpieces available during one’s short stay; why squander precious hours on a movie that only aspires to be completely different, that’s the nutshell of the approach. The senses and contemplation of each person must name that which is art. Alas, the language of this film is foreign to my ears. It exists for those who find continuity disheartening and embrace the quantum uncertainty of packets of jest dribbled indeterminant on a roll of celluloid, then edited in the manner of a lead guitarist that gets all shake-weight orgasmic with wah-wah, fuzz and feedback effects as his fingers speed pointlessly up and down scales, instead of serving a holistic product to delight the audience. Enjoy a dose of modernity !

Tallulah

You rated this movie:
★★★★★

Excellent film. An aesthetic tied-bow closing is not required, and many times counterproductive. A meditation on the human condition. Well-made in all respects. Art !

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

You rated this movie:
★★★★★

Spectacular film. Everything is done spot-on. A film that makes you treasure life, the thousands of small joys that fill everyone’s, if they’d pay attention. Cathartic for the 9-11 national loss, but with affirmation to continue on. Thomas Horn’s performance was tremendous; it goes in my list of great young performances; The Whale Rider’s Keisha Castle-Hughes comes to mind. Well, I’m off to Amazon.com to get the book to read. In short, this movie is highly recommended: it visits most human emotions with aplomb.

Atonement

You rated this movie:
★★★★★

Work of art ! I heartily concur with the 5-star crowd. The gulf between haters and lovers always baffles. I just wish more films had this level of direction, acting, and cinematic realization. That, my friends, is where the accolades come from. A gem.

Renaissance

You rated this movie:
★★★★★

A striking film. An aesthetic gem that drips noir starkly into cerebral action. The bold animation explores ethical questions typical of science fiction that promises to become the science of tomorrow, sooner rather than later. The solid plot entertains well enough; however, the animation contains enough imagination and competence to recommend it alone. So, to sum up: fantastic art with stylistic rendering, plus a compelling story, sound, and voice acting.

Twixt

You rated this movie:
★★★★

Beautiful and quirky. Looks like a love-it-or-hate-it movie by the ratings; reminds me of the critical split for “Blue Velvet.” Answers in nightmares. I love the dangerous kids across the lake and the child vampire.

Robot & Frank

You rated this movie:
★★★★★

Beautiful movie where Frank Langella shines. The movie touches on: the sadness of mental reality ebbing away before the body does; the nature of relationships with artificial intelligence; and the cost and benefits of crime. Besides, Susan Sarandon is always a bonus to any movie she is in.

Citizen Kane

You rated this movie:
★★★
  ★★

Astonishing ! The greatest movie ever made is a mystery about loss, self-exile and the limits of wealth. A tragedy with comedy. A mystery about a single word that may sum up a person’s life. Mercurial and perfectly balanced. A mythic masterpiece that embodies all cinematic elements with aplomb: screenplay, cinematography, music, acting, direction, editing; and, more than anything: innovation. Welles flawlessly achieves overall composition with many standout scenes, yet never losing focus on the fall of one man. Monolithic.

Eureka

You rated this movie:
★★★★

“Life isn’t linear, it’s sideways.” — Nicolas Roeg Roeg’s movies study the human condition in montage. The jump cuts reveal continuity in apparently disparate events, insightful planning from the director. Fine film for aesthetes.