Children of Men (2006)

One of the most compelling movies I have ever seen in a genre I am not interested in. The story was interesting, the characters were interesting... and all sorts of little things jumped out at me. Loved the blood splattering on the camera lens, that was just wonderful. The first hour was more interesting than the last, but still a very good movie. I'd certainly recommend it. 4 stars.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

I'm a Richard Curtis fan. I loved Bridget Jones's Diary, raved about Love Actually... but wasn't at all crazy about this. Although it had some very funny moments and generally likable characters, it had one enormous fault: it felt *bleak* to me. I have no idea how this happened. Love Actually, despite a sad ending or two, felt infinitely more cheerful and happy. I can't pinpoint anything in the movie that felt like this to me, but somehow it did as a whole. Too bad, because it's a nice story (oh, that and it was quite a bit rushed in building the relationship. But oh well). 3 stars.

Rich and Strange (1931)

The movie itself is not very interesting, except for some interesting early directing from Hitchcock. There were a few moments that made me sit up and say, "Ooh, that was interesting." Like much of his early work, definitely more for fans of Hitchcock or the genre. 2.5 stars.

The Goodbye Girl (2004)

I have not read the play, nor have I seen the original movie, but I liked this quite a lot. The opening half hour or so was rough going, with way more soap opera drama than anything else. But after that first half hour, it began to pick up and became rather a sweet movie with characters I was warming to. The little girl was fairly annoying all the way through, alternately too precocious and too young, always too sappily sweet. But the story isn't about her, it's about the adults, both of which became well-developed characters toward the end and made it a satisfying movie, if not great by any means. 4 stars.

The Madness of King George (1994)

I was hoping for this movie to be a bit more than this. Although it was mildly interesting all the way through, it was never fascinating, and the climactic turn of the story felt like it wasn't even included. An oddly anticlimactic latter half. However, it still was an interesting movie and I'd probably recommend it. Great performances all around. 3 stars.

The Ladykillers (2004)

The first hour of this movie was super fun. From the first five minutes I was hooked. Snappy dialogue, interesting characters... Although some might have been annoyed by Tom Hanks' character's smug ranting, I found it hilarious. And it wasn't that the ending didn't fit, because it definitely did. But it all seemed to come to a close rather suddenly. Adding an extra ten minutes just might have made the last third of the movie much funnier. Still an enjoyable movie, though. 3.5 stars.

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

A very satisfying movie... very funny moments, great acting (especially from Will Ferrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal), entertaining movie over all. The only problem with it, however, is that it really couldn't have had a stupendous ending consistent with the tone and plot of everything coming before it. It does the best it can, and although it almost works, I felt somehow lacking or cheated as the credits began to roll. I'm not sure there was any other solution, though. Definitely still worth watching... I did laugh out loud a few times. "Yes. I am relieved to know that I am not a golem."

Also, check it out! Musical theater person! That's Kristin Chenoweth interviewing the Emma Thompson character on TV! 4 stars.