Notting Hill (1999)

Richard Curtis is the only person I will ever trust to write romantic comedies again. They have all the conventions and cliches of all other romcoms, but somehow his stand above with likable characters, entertaining dialogue, and a sweet optimism that manages to cut through even my cynical take on life. As far as romantic comedies go, his remain the absolute best. 4 stars.

Dogtooth (2009)

(Mild spoilers.) This movie is deeply disturbing and uncomfortable to watch. This family is so dysfunctional, without ever acknowledging it is, and without ever any real resolve at the end. I wanted to be a part of this fictional world so I could pull them out of it. It's well done and well acted, but just made me squirm. I'm sure some of these images will stick with me. I'm just not sure what to do with a movie like this. So it gets 2.5 stars and we'll leave it at that.

American Gangster (2007)

A movie I just didn't get. I've seen gangster movies and police movies and this offered nothing new. Sure, Denzel and Russell put in some OK performances, but nothing I haven't already seen. No reason to watch this over... well, just about anything in the genre. 1 star.

Kinsey (2004)

Somehow this story falls a little short. It's far more about the actual science and procedure than it ever is about the person, at least as soon as he gets into the scientific process. By the end of the movie, I felt like a decent story had been told, but I didn't know who the characters were. It tried very hard to humanize the story, but never quite succeeded as far as I was concerned. 3 stars.

The King's Speech (2010)

Colin Firth is on a roll. Last year, he moved me to tears with A Single Man, and this year he's done it again. Although Geoffrey Rush's character is also good, it is Firth who is the heart and soul of this movie. We're rooting for him every step of the way. The final 15 minutes of this movie had me on the edge of my seat - I kept holding my breath, hoping he would make it through. It's a bit slow in the middle, but everything around it is so beautifully put together that it all evens out to make this one of my favorites of 2010. 4 stars.

The Wild Bunch (1969)

I don't get it. I just don't. I tried to understand this movie, but it's just another one of those classics I'm supposed to appreciate and just can't find the appeal in. It's a long meandering story with disjointed flashbacks that just couldn't keep my attention. 1 star.

A Hard Day's Night (1964)

I am only a casual Beatles fan. As such, I thought this was pleasantly entertaining, but nothing special. Many of the jokes slipped by me (or else they weren't jokes when I thought they were) and although I did chuckle a couple of times, it was never hilarious laughter. The musical performances are also pleasantly entertaining. This whole thing is just very pleasant, and that's all that can be said for it. 3 stars.