Michael The Moviegoer’s
100 Favorite Films of the Decade 2000-2009:
1. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS – At the end of “Inglourious Basterds” when Brad Pitt says “this just might be my masterpiece” he’s no doubt echoing the sentiment of writer/director Quentin Tarantino. And if that’s the case, though conceited as it may sound, he’s dead-on right. Tarantino’s delirious re-imagining of [...]
Michael The Moviegoer’s list of the Ten Best Films of 2009:
Over the past couple of years, some of my favorite film critics have been shying away from compiling year-end 10-Best lists. They would simply list, alphabetically, their favorite movies of the year. Perhaps this is because there were too few, or too many good films [...]
Movie Summary of Avatar by Michael The Moviegoer.
AVATAR = ***1/2
“King Of Another World”
James Cameron is a master storyteller. A true visionary. As an unknown first-time director working with a minimal budget, he captured the imagination of a generation with his sci-fi story of “The Terminator”. That film instantly put him in a league with George [...]
Movie Summary of The Last Station by Michael The Moviegoer.
THE LAST STATION = ***
“Tolstoy In Love”
Poor Helen Mirren. In accurately portraying Sofya Tolstoy in “The Last Station” she must appear as though she is over-acting. But historians might well note that Sofya was a real drama queen given to broad over-reaction. So it seems that [...]
Movie Summary of Everybody’s Fine by Michael The Moviegoer.
EVERYBODY’S FINE = ***
“Connecting With DeNiro”
Robert DeNiro is a widower trying to re-connect with his four grown children in “Everybody’s Fine”. It’s a warm and fuzzy film with a holiday heartlight glow.
The movie’s plot begins with DeNiro receiving cancelation messages on his answering machine from his children. [...]
Movie Summary of Brothers by Michael The Moviegoer.
BROTHERS = ***1/2
“Siblings At War”
Unexpected. How else can you describe it? An Irishman, Jim Sheridan, directs an English-language adaptation of the Danish movie “Brodre” by Susanne Bier about the emotional toll of the war in Afghanistan on a family, and turns it into one of the best American [...]
Movie Summary of Did You Hear About The Morgans by Michael The Moviegoer.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS = *1/2
“Witless Protection”
Perhaps you heard about the new heavily advertised romantic comedy called “Did You Hear About The Morgans”. Well it’s not the least bit romantic, and for a comedy, it’s no laughing matter.
Oddly enough, the script [...]
Movie Summary of Serious Moonlight by Michael The Moviegoer.
SERIOUS MOONLIGHT = ***
“Fatal Distraction”
Meg Ryan plays Louise as cheerily and bubbly as she played Sally in “When Harry Met Sally. But Louise is a little bit psycho and in “Serious Moonlight” we find out what she might do if Harry left Sally.
Louise returns home to find [...]
Movie Summary of Invictus by Michael The Moviegoer.
INVICTUS = **1/2
“Mandela As An Excuse To Make Sports Movie”
Morgan Freeman playing Nelson Mandela is an opportunity. “Invictus” is a missed opportunity. As everyone knows, Mandela became president of South Africa after being released from prison there. “Invictus” begins as Mandela is released and focuses only on his [...]
Movie Summary of The Lovely Bones by Michael The Moviegoer.
THE LOVELY BONES = **1/2
“Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”
Alice Sebold’s novel is what gets murdered in Peter Jackson’s big screen adaptation of “The Lovely Bones”. Fans of the novel will applaud the casting of Saoirise Ronan as Susie Salmon, but will find little else to like [...]