Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Movie Name: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Year of Release: 2011

Director: David Yates

Stars:Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Ruper Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, John Hurt, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Felton, Helen McCrory, Jason Isaacs, Bonnie Wright, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Emma Thompson, Mark Williams, Miriam Margoyles, Gemma Jones, Gary Oldman, Robbie Coltrane, Geraldine Somerville, Adrian Rawlins, Clemence Poesy, Katie Leung, Kelly MacDonald, Matthew Lewis

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

The final installment in the Harry Potter series comes to an end, with the final confrontation of Harry Potter and his nemesis, Voldemort. Following the events from the previous film, Harry, Hermione and Ron, desperately try to find the objects that can kill their opponent, who amassed a formidable force, in the hopes of destroying Harry and all his allies. Harry and his friends, find themselves at the school where all began, Hogwarts, and there the final battle takes place, with Harry having to find within himself the strength to overcome his obstacles and protect those he loves the most.
David Yates continues with this film what he started in the previous one - there is a sense of impending doom and closure as the story comes to an end. The action and special effects dazzle, as does the beautiful cinematography from Eduardo Serra, but the film again lacks that sense of bewilderment and true magic, that was never truly captured (look at "The Wizard of Oz" and how with so little was conveyed so much). Ralph Fiennes creates a truly menacing character, but most of the actors are also fantastic, namely Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith. This is a film that thankfully ends a saga that would otherwise become tiresome and fatiguing. A film worth checking out.

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Beginners

Movie Name: Beginners

Year of Release: 2010

Director: Mike Mills

Stars: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos, China Savers

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:

Mike Mills is a film director who has made his name as a graphic designer, artist and director of music videos. His feature film debut "Thumbsucker" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to good reviews and had a great cast which included the talents of Tilda Swinton, Keanu Reeves, Vince Vaughn and Vincent D'Onofrio. His second feature "Beginners", is an autobiographical story and has resulted in a profoundly beautiful and delicate film.
The film follows the story of Oliver, a young man whose father passed away quite recently. Oliver informs us that his father was married to his mother for over 40 years, and that after she passed away, he came out and announced he was gay. He was 75 and had decided to live his life to the fullest and according to his true wishes. Sadly a terminal illness cut his life short. We witness the way Oliver deals with his loss and how upon meeting Anna, his love life changes (as does his sense of happiness).
The film is a delicate mapping of the life of two main characters, namely Hal the father and Oliver the son. Both men were born in completely different times and experienced life very differently, however there is a strong undercurrent of love which unites them both. It's a film that is joyous in the celebration of love between parents and sons and between romantic partners. It shows how people's defenses prevent them from experiencing things fully, which ends up being the big issue in Oliver's life. The film is beautifully edited and shot and has fantastic performances from Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Melanie Laurent. A true gem worth watching!

Green Lantern

Movie Name: Green Lantern

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Martin Campbell

Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Jay O. Sanders, Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Clark Duncan, Clancy Brown

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4

Synopsis:

Martin Campbell, a director mostly known for big action films, is back with his first adaptation of a comic book character. This film comes after his very successful "Casino Royale" and the less accomplished "Edge of Darkness". The film follows the story of young and irresponsible Hal Jordan, an air force pilot, who carries and battles a past traumatic family issue that haunts him. Hal is chosen by an intergalactic force to become one of them, a carrier of an emerald ring, that gives huge power to whomever uses it. Hal's first opponent, becomes also one of the deadliest - an entity that uses fear as it's main power source. It's up to Hal to vanquish his own fears and risk everything to save his planet and the woman he loves.
The character of the Green Lantern has existed in the DC Universe since 1940 and has amassed so many different stories and a huge following. The transition into films was only natural, and Warner Brothers has invested tremendously in the film. The problem with the film lies with it's cliche ridden screenplay and the complete wooden performances from some of it's key performers. The film is filled with stunning special effects, however making the story a mix of "Top Gun" & "Karate Kid", adds absolutely nothing in terms of character development. The "rebel" who doesn't conform, who dislikes responsibilities, has been played infinitely. Good actors as Ryan Reynolds and the wonderful Peter Sarsgaard are completely wasted. The romantic component goes absolutely nowhere, since Blake Lively manages to give the worst performance of the film and ruins what could have been a spark of life in a story bogged down by cliches. A sadly missed opportunity!

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Movie Name: Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Michael Bay

Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Patrick Dempsey, Frances McDormand, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, John Malkovich, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Ken Jeong, Glenn Morshower

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3

Synopsis:

Michael Bay is back to the franchise he originated in 2007, with "Transformers", which was a huge hit throughout the world. The new film is more of the same, with more action and special effects dominating a screenplay that is cliche ridden. The film follows young Sam Witwicky, who is currently trying to find a job in Washington D.C. His friends, the Autobots are involved in secret operations and Sam resents being forgotten by everyone. Thanks to a clever strategy from the Decepticons, an important artifact is recovered from the Moon, which endangers the entire safety of the Planet. It's up to Sam and his allies to save everyone.
The "Transformers" franchise has been one of the more successful (financially) of the last few years. As usual with Michael Bay directing, the screenplay is the least important thing of the entire production - each of his films is always about mass destructions and an overload of special effects that saturates each frame presented on screen. The screenplay from Ehren Kruger, who became famous after adapting "The Ring" films, is filled with cliches, from the stoic main characters, to the supporting comic reliefs and of course, the love interest. Michael Bay films everything as if though it's part of an extra-long videoclip, where the editing is quick, the characters are thin and the soundtrack is loud. Frances McDormand and John Malkovich, both fantastically gifted actors, create forgettable characters, but in a film populated with them, it's not entirely unsurprising. A film easily forgettable.

Bad Teacher

Movie Name: Bad Teacher

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Jake Kasdan

Stars: Cameron Diaz, Lucy Punch, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake, Phyllis Smith, John Michael Higgins,  Jillian Armenante, Thomas Lennon, Eric Stonestreet

Genre: Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2

Synopsis:

Jake Kasdan has a great pedigree as a filmmaker: he is the son of the great and underrated Lawrence Kasdan (who directed "The Big Chill", "Silverado", "Accidental Tourist" and "Grand Canyon" to name but a few). He has also directed the funny and little seen "The TV Set", with David Duchovny and Sigourney Weaver. "Bad Teacher" follows the story of Elizabeth Halsey. Elizabeth is a teacher and a gold digger, whose marriage to a rich man falls flat once he realizes she is after his money. Forced to teach for another year, Elizabeth decides to firstly get bigger breasts and secondly find another man who will be a good provider for her. In order to achieve these goals, Elizabeth lies, manipulates, steals and seduces whomever crosses her path. 

This comedy which is desperately trying to be anti-politically correct,  runs out of interesting moments and situations very quickly. The writers clearly have not realized that humor does not come from simply using foul language. Cameron Diaz tries her best to be rude and crude, but the film always falls flat and unconvincing - her teacher isn't just bad, she's ultimately not interesting at all. Justin Timberlake as the object of her affection is considerably worse - his comedic timing is null (as is his acting). The only actor having some fun with the whole situation is Jason Segel, who ends up being the more interesting character of the entire film - he has fun with the whole simplicity of the film and the situations that arise. A very mediocre effort from a director who has a lot more potential.

The Tree of Life

Movie Name: The Tree of Life

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Terrence Malick

Stars: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Hunter McCracken, Laramie Eppler, Tye Sheridan, Fiona Shaw, Joanna Going 

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

The enigmatic and always secretive Terrence Malick is back, with a new film that has just won the Palm D'Or at Cannes. The director has thus far been responsible for 5 films, in a career spanning 4 decades. It has been widely known that Malick takes time to shoot and mainly to edit his films. After reading the book from Peter Biskind, "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls", it's easy to understand that Malick is obsessive and detailed in his approach in finding the right tone for a film - "Days of Heaven" for instance,  took two years of editing. "The Tree of Life" is a philosophical contemplation about the meaning of life, about being true to oneself, the meaning of pure love, all seen through the eyes of a family in the suburbs of a north american city in the 50s. Through the eyes of that family, and in particular through the eyes of the elder child, Jack, we come to realize the dichotomies of what life and love are about and how they affect the way we relate to nature and the planet itself.

This is a very ambitious film, simultaneously grandiose and intimate. Terrence Malick paints a broad canvas, utilizing the microcosms of a family to extend his metaphors to the entire human race. Jack, the main character, is torn between the loose and loving upbringing of his mother, and the more disciplined and strict ruling of his father. These contradictions plant seeds of discomfort for his life as an adult, something that influences his relationships. The director approaches this remotely and with some distance - the current life of Jack is never more than a sad glance from Sean Penn, or an arid and void space where he stands. All the characters end up being keys for understanding a deeper meaning of how relationships should function and make sense in the world. Sadly, the characters are never fully explored and though the film tries to go in many directions, and it does reach some points of poignant beauty, it is also borderline simplistic and of questionable taste (particularly some "new age" scenes towards the end of the film). It's a film beautifully shot by Emmanuel Lubezki and very well acted by Brad Pitt. Jessica Chastain is muted throughout the film, as is Sean Penn. An interesting and flawed experience, worth investigating.

Midnight in Paris

Movie Name: Midnight in Paris

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Woody Allen

Stars: Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, Mimi Kennedy, Kurt Fuller, Nina Arianda, Carla Bruni, Alison Pill, Tom Hiddleston, Corey Stoll, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Adrien de Van, Yves Heck

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

Woody Allen's new film after "You'll Meet a Tall Dark Stranger", follows a new group of characters in a different European city, this time Paris. The film follows the story of Gil, a screenwriter in Hollywood, who is trying to be a writer and who is engaged to Inez, a beautiful but superficial woman. Both are visiting Paris, a city Gil always wanted to move into, but never had a chance. During their stay, Gil and Inez start going their separate paths, Inez with Paul and Carol on cultural strolls (that result in an affair with Paul) and Gil going on a more fantastical journey through time. Each night as the clock indicates midnight, Gil is taken back to the 1920s where he gets to exchange ideas with luminaries such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein, to name but a few. These meetings have an impact on Gil's relationship with Inez and ultimately his life.
Woody Allen builds a film that is clearly enamored with the city of Paris and with nostalgia - specifically with the 1920s. The film is an ode to Paris, whereas the characters are a continuation of his usual universe, starting with his alter ego Gil, the screenwriter trying to find his own voice through his writing. There's as usual the muse (personified by the beautiful and lovely Marion Cotillard) and the larger than life characters who in this case are well known icons, such as Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso. The film is simultaneously a reflection on the importance of art and also finding one's true voice as a path to real happiness. It's a dream-like film, not as inspired as the Woody Allen from the 70s/80s/90s, but much better than his latest output. A film worth watching.

Super 8

Movie Name: Super 8

Year of Release: 2011

Director: J. J. Abrams

Stars: Joel Courtney, Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Riley Griffiths, Zach Mills, Ryan Lee, Ron Eldard, Gabriel Basso, Noah Emmerich, Jessica Tuck, Glynn Turman, David Gallagher, Brett Rice

Genre: Mystery, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

J.J. Abrams has made a name for himself as a screenwriter for both TV (he created "Alias" and "Lost") and Features (he wrote Mike Nichols' "Regarding Henry" and Michael Bay's "Armageddon") and more recently as a producer and director. After the huge hit that was the reboot of "Star Trek", Abrams in association with Steven Spielberg (as a producer), wrote the story for "Super 8", which gets a lot of its inspiration from the early Spielberg films (that he both directed and produced, such as "ET" and "Batteries not Included", directed by Matthew Robbins).
"Super 8" follows the story of young Joe Lamb and his group of friends, who live in a small town in Ohio. Joe is distant with his father, particularly since his mother passed away. Joe and his group of friends are trying to finish a small zombie film, when they accidentally witness the derail of a train carrying a very unusual cargo. The army gets called in and all sorts of strange things start happening in the small town. It's up to Joe and his friends to understand what is going on.
J.J. Abrams is an intelligent writer and director, and in this case in particular he uses the fantasy of films, something the children are doing and embracing, to evoke a time that has gone by. The sense of nostalgia is fueled by the union of this group of children, each one suffering their own losses, who come together for the sheer love of film and adventure. The film is very much a mix of Rob Reiner's "Stand By Me', Steven Spielberg's "ET" and Matthew Robbins' "Batteries not Included" - the creature from the outside is menacing, but never really threatening. In the end, everyone wants to be a part of a loving family (much like Spielberg's films). The only problem this film has, is the fact that where Spielberg's films stay true to his core of having family as a guiding light, "Super 8" feels calculated to elicit reactions and the sense of nostalgia of a time that has gone by. It's an entertaining film, made with a calculating perspective and without a sense of wonder.

X-Men: First Class

Movie Name: X-Men: First Class

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, January Jones, Jason Flemyng, Zoe Kravitz, Caleb Landry Jones, Edi Gathegi, Lucas Till, Matt Craven, Glenn Morshower, James Remar, Ray Wise, Alex Gonzalez, Michael Ironside, Jason Teghe, Brendan Fehr, Tony Curran

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only):7

Synopsis:

The "X-Men" universe is back after the disappointing last outings that were "X-Men: The Last Stand" directed by Brett Ratner and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" directed by Gavin Hood, both of which had mediocre results. "X-Men: First Class" comes with a new director and with the association and touch of Bryan Singer, who directed thus far the two best films in that specific universe, namely "X-Men" and "X-Men: United".  The film follows the story of two men, Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr. While Charles is born into a family of wealth, Erik on the other hand, loses his family in the Holocaust and ends up being the target of experimentation at the hands of Stan Shaw, a mutant himself. Twenty years go by and Erik is now chasing the Nazis responsible for the demise of his family, including Shaw. Xavier on his side, is associated with the CIA when his talents are used to identify potential threats from the soviets. These two men join forces, alongside with young mutants to battle the common threat that is Stan Shaw, his Hellfire Club and the looming nuclear holocaust.
Following the success of "Kick Ass", Matthew Vaughn returns to the comic book universe, with some of the most iconic characters of the Marvel Universe. Whereas the last two films of the "X-Men" universe faltered under the mediocre hands of two disappointing directors, Vaughn clearly knows and understands the opportunity he has with these characters. The story cleverly mixes the Cold War tension, with the fear of Nuclear Holocaust and the mutant agenda - ultimately the common thread to all the "X-Men" films has been the lack of tolerance towards those who are different (something that "X-Men:Last Stand" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" completely disregarded). Matthew Vaughn also has fun inserting elements from the classic James Bond films, something that adds an extra layer of sophistication to the film. The cast is uniformly good, from James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Kevin Bacon who makes a perfect villain. A fantastically entertaining film!

Kung Fu Panda 2

Movie Name: Kung Fu Panda 2

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Jennifer Yuh

Stars: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Dennis Haysbert, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Victor Garber

Genre: Action, Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Following the huge success of "Kung Fu Panda", Dreamworks animation returns with the inevitable sequel. The sequel continues to follow the story of Po and the fantastic five, as their battle a new enemy, this time a peacock by the name of Shen. Shen wants to dominate China using canons that he developed. It's up to Po, to find his inner truth and peace, in order to battle his opponents and return peace to his country and small town.
Jennifer Yuh, has a career developed in the art direction department as a storyboard artist, and that comes across loudly in this film. As the previous film, this one is luscious in terms of the visuals and transitions - the film is incredibly dynamic, with bold colors and perfectly designed. It's a pure visual pleasure to see a film as rich as this one. The story, though nothing new, is also a perfect metaphor for the target crowds: growth comes with inner peace and knowing who you are. A good film worth checking out.

The Hangover Part II

Movie Name: The Hangover Part II

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Todd Phillips

Stars: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Justin Bartha, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Tambor, Jamie Chung, Mason Lee, Sasha Barrese

Genre: Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3

Synopsis:

After the disappointing "Due Date", director Todd Phillips returns, and like that effort, this is another film that delivers a lot less laughs than the original. The film follows the same group of friends from the original "The Hangover": Phil, the schoolteacher wanting to lead a wilder life, Stu, the dentist who is getting married after the crazy times in Las Vegas and Alan, the odd and socially awkward one who lives with his parents. Stu is getting married in Thailand, and they all decide to have a night of relaxation before the wedding - the following morning all of them wake up in Bangkok, with no recollection of what occurred the night before and missing Teddy, the younger brother of the future wife of Stu. They all panic and decide to trace what happened the night before.
"The Hangover Part II" is basically a remake of the first film, with a different location. The action has been transferred to Thailand, and there are some inserts of crude humor that are unexpected, but sadly, the humor is largely missing. What the original film had going for it, were the unexpected situations and the premise of this group of people tracking their own steps: these ordinary men turned out to be complete fish out of water in Las Vegas, and from that came the comedy. The sequel tries to capture that sense in Thailand, but it never feels original or in the case of a comedy, funny. All the actors try their best to bring some life to the film, particularly the always funny Ed Helms, but that's not enough. The film needed some originality and some bite, which simply isn't there. Avoidable.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Movie Name: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Rob Marshall

Stars: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Kevin McNally, Sam Claflin, Astride Berges-Frisbey, Richard Griffiths, Stephen Graham, Damian O'Hare, Keith Richards

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:

The new "Pirates of the Caribbean" marks a depart in the hugely successful franchise: for the first time there's a plot that actually makes sense as opposed to gratuitous special effects that serve absolutely no purpose. The film introduces Captain Jack Sparrow in a situation where he has to save a friend from being hanged - Jack flees a possible capture, but ends up having to go with the malefic Blackbeard in pursuit of the famed Fountain of Youth. There are of course adversaries on his track, namely his old enemy Captain Barbossa and the Spanish Armada. It's up to Jack, this time with the help of an old love interest, Angelica, to outcome his enemies and get back to his old ship, the Black Pearl.
Rob Marshall, a director mostly known for his musicals (he has directed both the academy award winning "Chicago" and more recently "Nine"), has wisely chosen, to let the characters be the main driving point for the film. Whereas both "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" from Gore Verbinski, were hugely successful, the films were in itself mediocre, with plots that went nowhere, where the special effects overly compensated for an absolute lack of direction. Marshall creates an adventure film that owes and breathes from Michael Curtiz's  "Captain Blood": a film that is an action-adventure with humor and over the top characters. Johnny Depp continues to reign as Jack Sparrow. The character has become like a second skin for him, and he has plenty of fun with it. Penelope Cruz is as usual beautiful and intense, and Ian McShane and Geoffrey Rush are fantastic. This is a good entertaining film worth checking out.

Bridesmaids

Movie Name: Bridesmaids

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Paul Feig

Stars: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Jon Hamm, Melissa McCarthy, Jill Clayburgh, Matt Lucas, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Chris O'Dowd, Rebel Wilson, Ben Falcone

Genre: Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

The new comedy produced by Judd Apatow, comes courtesy of the screenplay written by the wonderful Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, with Wiig also playing the lead role. The film follows the story of Annie and Lilian, best friends since both were children. Lilian gets engaged and asks Annie to be her bridesmaid, which Annie accepts, though her life is unraveling, with a bad job, bad housing situation and bad relationship. When Annie meets the remaining bridesmaids, she sparks immediately with Helen, the super competitive and super superficial new friend of Lilian. Through the arrangements for the wedding, from the choice of the bridesmaids gowns, to the bachelorette party, things always take a twist for the wrong turn, till Annie finally snaps, with unknown consequences for her relationship with Lilian.
The raunchy comedy from Paul Feig, who is also known for his acting work and directing episodes for TV Shows such as "The Office" and "Weeds", follows the path of a group of women trying to celebrate a marriage/wedding, but also tries to probe a bit deeper into to the bonds of friendship between such a disparate group. Kristen Wiig wrote a story that is filled with hilarious situations, mostly coming from the awkward times her character, Annie, just seem to find herself in. Annie tries to be so happy for everyone, though her life is a complete mess. There's a sadness at times in Annie, that really gives insight to the character and that makes her not just a uni-dimensional joke, but a person going through some hardship and real fears. The film does fall prey to some inevitable cliches, but the acting from Wiig and Melissa McCarthy make this a film definitely worth checking out.