The Great Gatsby (2013)

IMDb plot summary: A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton.

Well, this is Baz Luhrmann doing what Baz Luhrmann does best: making everything look AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL. Seriously, this movie is gorgeous. Is it an extremely melodramatic take on the story? Yes. Is the dialogue delivered in an oddly stilted manner from time to time? Yes. But it doesn't matter, just like it didn't matter in Moulin Rouge! or Australia or Romeo + Juliet or Strictly Ballroom, because the look of the film comes first and foremost. Plus, Luhrmann has pretty solid original material for this, and the story is a good one no matter what.

On an acting level, everyone does a pretty good job. I was unexpectedly impressed with Tobey Maguire as Nick. This is a good role for him. It lets him play a character as reserved and uncertain as he always looks. DiCaprio and Mulligan, on the other hand, were oddly uninteresting, when I'm usually very drawn to both of them.

In the end, though, as much as I can discuss story and acting, it does come down to the visuals for me. Because, just like with Moulin Rouge! (which I can cheerfully admit is NOT a good movie as a whole, despite being one of my all-time top 5) it paints this huge picture with images, communicating big, epic, abstract ideas beautifully and keeping me glued to the screen. Anything that looks this gorgeous is worth the watch. 4 stars.

Flickchart: #340 out of 1989, below Cats and above Sense and Sensibility.

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The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004)

IMDb plot summary: Flynn, an over 30 "professional student," is banned from more classes, since he already has 22 degrees. Unexpectedly hired by a mysterious library, he's soon pursuing a stolen artifact from the library, a pursuit taking him to far off lands.
Directed by Peter Winther. Starring Noah Wyle, Sonya Walger, Bob Newhart and Kyle McLachlan.

Although the script for this movie is delightfully over-the-top and ridiculous, the acting never settles either into actual quality acting OR enjoyably campy ridiculousness. Kyle McLachlan has a few good scenes near the end where he clearly is having fun with his role, and Bob Newhart's dry delivery works most of the time, but neither of the two leads seem to be *enjoying* the silliness of their roles. As a result, this movie doesn't quite achieve so-bad-it's-good status - at least not watching it alone. Watching it with a group of snarky people, I'm sure this would be a blast. There's still plenty to make fun of watching it solo, but it takes a little more effort to stay interested when the acting is so lukewarm. 2 stars, but with a group it could be a 3-star experience.

Flickchart: #1495 out of 1988, below The Santa Clause and above The Music Man (2003).

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Dakota Skye (2008)

IMDb plot summary: Dakota Skye has a super power. For as long as she can remember, she has been cursed with the ability to see the truth in any lie she hears. Now seventeen, Dakota has become apathetic towards life - until her boyfriend's best friend Jonah arrives and catches her eye.

Parts of me wishes this coming-of-age story with a sci-fi twist was a little heavier on the sci-fi and less on the coming-of-age, but overall it's a pretty solid flick. It manages to hit on some pretty good points about trust and truth and being willing to take risks without seeming cliched or preachy. I could have done without the voiceover narration, and the actress playing the best friend made me wince whenever she was on screen, but overall it was a decent indie movie, though I'm not sure it will stick with me long. 3 stars.

Flickchart: #815 out of 1987, below The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and above Million Dollar Baby.

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Crazy Heart (2009)

IMDb plot summary: A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.
Directed by Scott Cooper. Starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Like most of the music in this movie, this story is somehow both raw and gentle. It moves along at what feels like a very natural pace, without a lot of extreme highs and lows. Even the big climactic moments seem very much like they would be in real life - organically arising from what came before. That being said, the pacing does keep the drama very low-key. The movie would run the risk of being slightly boring for me if the performances weren't so good. Jeff Bridges does an absolutely fantastic job in the lead and easily carries the movie. I'm not sure this is a movie that's going to stick with me long-term, but I would happily recommend it. 3.5 stars.

Flickchart: #679 out of 1986, below Days of Wine and Roses and above Munich.

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Monsters University (2013)

IMDb plot summary: A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University -- when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.
Directed by Dan Scanlon. Starring Billy Crystal, John Goodman, and Helen Mirren.

Let me preface this by saying two things that are quite possibly influencing my opinion: 1) Monsters, Inc. is my favorite Pixar movie, and 2) I really, really hate prequels.

This movie isn't *bad*, but it just feels lazy. There's nothing about this movie that enhances or enriches the first movie, and it's not terribly creative or interesting on its own either. It's an old rehash of an old trope-filled story without any real surprises or originality. It lacks both the heart and the laughs of most Pixar movies. On the plus side, it also doesn't try to cram in as many tired pop culture references as a bad Dreamworks movie would. In the end, we got something on about the same level as Cars - it's not obnoxious, but it is wholly unnecessary and completely uninspired. I'll probably forget it within a week. Very disappointing follow-up to what I still think is the best Pixar flick of all time. 2.5 stars.

Flickchart: #899 out of 1985, below Stepmom and above The Dinner Game.

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Choke (2008)

IMDb plot summary: A sex-addicted con-man pays for his mother's hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death.

Directed by Clark Gregg. Starring Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald and Brad William Henke.

(Somewhat vague spoilers ahead.)

I just read this book last year and, I gotta say, if there's anyone who could bring this main character to life, it's Sam Rockwell. The guy is such a fascinating actor - he somehow exudes BOTH a distance from and a deep connection to humanity. Simultaneously. I could watch him in anything. All day long. That being said, I wasn't actually crazy about this as an adaptation. The "big twist" is revealed awkwardly and it ends with an equally awkward... "happy" ending? The ending of the original book was my favorite thing about it, so it was a little disappointing to see that fall apart a bit here. However, Sam Rockwell kept me interested all the way through, even if I wasn't impressed with the smoothness of the adaptation overall. 3 stars.

Flickchart: #723 out of 1984, below Seeking a Friend For the End of the World and above Three Amigos.

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Bananas (1971)

IMDb plot summary: When a bumbling New Yorker is dumped by his activist girlfriend, he travels to a tiny Latin American nation and becomes involved in its latest rebellion.
Directed by Woody Allen. Starring Woody Allen, Louise Lasser and Carlos Montalbán.

Much as I love Woody Allen as a whole, his early stuff is pretty hit-or-miss for me. I loved Take the Money and Run but was bored out of my mind with Sleeper. This falls somewhere in between, although, unfortunately, more toward the Sleeper side. There are a few truly hilarious moments - I giggled insanely during the scene where he visits his parents in the operating room - but there are a lot more long, slow scenes where nothing really happens and Allen just kind of meanders around spouting not-that-funny one-liners. Definitely not my favorite out of his early work. 2.5 stars.

Flickchart: #1015 out of 1983, below Wild Hogs and above Sixteen Candles.

Rent it on Amazon for $2.99.