Less Than Zero (1987)

Despite some good performances, the whole things feels a bit heavy-handed and dated. I was all excited when I saw it was based on a Bret Easton Ellis novel, but it kind of fizzles. Nothing really hits home. Disappointing. 2.5 stars.

Charlie St. Cloud (2010)

This odd little independent drama is strangely compelling. Zac Efron is quite good as the reclusive Charlie St. Cloud who communicates with the ghost of his little brother. Some of the scene are truly beautiful - there's a moment where the heroine is running through a bizarre gothic statued area of the island. It shouldn't work, but it somehow does. I don't think I could claim this is a good movie. But it moves me, and I can't explain why. 4 stars.

Boys Don't Cry (1999)

(Mild spoilers ahead.) I felt like this was a movie I should have appreciated, even if I didn't enjoy it, but somehow it all fell flat with me. The way it ended made it all seem more like some sort of TV cautionary tale rather than the story of a real person. It never clicked with me. Hilary Swank does a very good job in the role, however. That's one thing going for it. 2.5 stars.

The Perfect Score (2004)

It's a teenage heist movie, which means it's twice as fluffy as either a teen movie or a heist movie on its own. It's great fun, though. The movie is nothing special, but the characters make it entertaining. Good mindless comedy. 3.5 stars.

Lo (2009)

I've been listening to the FlickFights podcast for awhile, which features the writer and two of the actors of this movie. That's how I found out about. It's a decently entertaining movie, an interesting mix of horror and comedy (and, oddly, musical). Some of the moments just don't work for me- the musical numbers stretch on a little long and some of the moments seem a little forced. However, this is all made up for by the final scene, which I found extremely touching. If the rest of the ride was a little smoother, I'd be tempted to bump this up to 4 1/2 stars. As it is, it's worth watching mostly for the final 10 minutes. 4 stars.

Paris, je t'aime (2006)

As is the case with most short film collections, there are some that work and some that don't. I was mildly disappointed with this movie by how *many* of them didn't work for me. There were really only one or two I found myself interested in. (The vampire story with Elijah Wood was probably my favorite - absolutely beautifully done.) I love stories about Paris, so was a little sad that this wasn't as solid as I'd hoped. 3 stars.

Distant Drums (1951)

I struggled to make it through this one. It's a very generic western, without really anything setting it apart. Fans of Gary Cooper or old westerns will probably enjoy it, but it just never set quite right with me. 2.5 stars.