United 93 (2006)

A sensitive, beautiful tribute to the passengers of United 93. I was only 14 when this happened, and don't really remember much of it. I didn't live in or have friends in New York, and it didn't really hit me how important this event would be to our country until about a year later. The final few moments of this movie are an amazing reminder of how even when some people do terrible, terrible things, others can do wonderful sacrificial things to do what is right. 4.5 stars.

There Will be Blood (2007)

Fascinating portrayal of a dark, twisted character. The story itself is not particularly interesting, but Daniel Day-Lewis completely captivates the screen. Paul Dano also turns in an amazing performance. Their two strong personalities duke it out for much of the movie, and the final scene, although bizarre and seemingly out-of-place, does not disappoint. 3.5 stars.

Victor/Victoria (1995)

Although the story is still entertaining and has some good slapstick moments, Julie Andrews is, oddly enough, very awkward on stage in a role that she perfected on screen. The supporting characters are capable - Gregory Jbara is entertaining as the bodyguard, Rachel York is hilarious as the young American woman, and Tony Roberts as Toddy is warm and charming. The story is stretched slightly beyond its limits to become a 2 1/2 hour stage musical. One of the few occasions where I would suggest seeing the film version rather than the filmed stage version. 3 stars.

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Let's just get this part out of the way: I DON'T like Rachel McAdams. However, I do like Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Between the two of them, they turned a moderately-decent action flick into something a lot more fun. There's not really much connection between this and the classic Holmes - he's mostly the main character but there's so much running and shooting that it's difficult to distinguish it from a regular action flick. Not a bad movie, but RDJ and Jude Law's entertaining performances make it much more fun than it should be. 3.5 stars.

Death At A Funeral (2007)

Spoilers ahead. Although the plot points of this movie seem to be going way over the top (their father's gay midget lover accidentally takes hallucinogens and dies in the study? Really?), it somehow manages to work because the actors make it work. I have no idea how they do it, but somehow it works, and I believe everything they're going through. The characters' reactions to the situations are far funnier than any of the situations themselves. A few great laugh-out-loud moments and a lot of mildly funny reactions. 3.5 stars.

Anne B. Real (2003)

(Spoilers ahead.) This movie takes itself way too seriously and thinks it's being great and poignant. The overall idea isn't bad, but the execution kills it very, very dead. The dialogue is hokey and the acting is terrible. I cheered joyously when Anne's friend died, because the actress playing her was so absolutely terrifyingly awful. This movie COULD have been worse... but in the right hands, it also could have been a LOT better. And should have been. 1 star.

Sunshine (2007)

I am fascinated by dark movies about space (I'm pretty sure that's a category they keep giving me on Netflix) so I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy it. And I did, overall. I still don't buy Cillian Murphy as a good guy. He just looks too evil. This movie evoked a great sense of atmosphere and managed to have some very suspenseful moments, along with some absolutely beautiful ones. Sort of an odd mix of art movie and horror/thriller. But I enjoyed it quite a lot. 4 stars.