Biutiful (2010)

Leave it to Iñárritu (21 Grams; Babel) to deliver yet another gut-wrenching drama. This time we're in Barcelona peering into the life of a man having difficulties financially, relationally, physically - and yet, moments of lightness (very few of them) give us a reason to believe that even at the lowest moments in life, we can shine.

The Rum Diary (2011)

It's funny because when I remember this film the details blend with the Bond movie Dr No. Hunter S Thompson's (also Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) novel is portrayed with plenty of colourful characters and implausible villains and heroes, but it's fun to watch as there is slapstick comedy, beautiful island culture, and Johnny Depp's ever present surprised look.

It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010)

A teen checks himself into the psych ward at a local hospital due to depression (girl and family problems). He is placed in the adult ward since the youth one is under renovation. There, he encounters real mental patients and gains a healthier perspective on life.

The film is worth watching just for the dream sequence / music video of Queen's Under Pressure. But it's also a really enjoyable and touching film.

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Un prophète (2009)

One of the greatest films I have ever seen.

The opening scene is a young offender being transferred to an adult prison - no family, we don't really know where he comes from at all. Shortly, he is seconded into the service of the organized crime ring where he climbs the ranks.

A Prophet is powerful and raw with simple though energizing dialogue.

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Wanderlust (2012)

Just a comedy about a commune in the spirit of Funny Farm or The Great Outdoors - city folks are just funny out of their urban environs. This film is full of cliché and one-liners.

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The Two Escobars (2010)

When I saw the opening credits state that this was an ESPN Film, my hopes dropped. Wow! Was I ever impressed. This documentary chronicles the lives of two of Columbia's most prolific men: Pablo Escobar the drug lord and Andrés Escobar the soccer star and the amazing symbiotic relationship they both had with their nation and each other.

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Win Win (2011)

Win Win is a superb film with plenty of flawed (but very entertaining) characters. The collision of two families each with a unique struggle who then lean into the other is a picture of communion and love.

Paul Giamatti plays another semi-neurotic character, but more subtle and relatable in the role of a small town lawyer. His counterpart Kyle, a loner and gifted teen, is played by a newcomer - a real live wrestling prodigy. The five main supporting actors add great humanity and comedy to this beautiful story.

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The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

What sheer pleasure this film was. Adventure in one of its purest forms. Tintin proves that he is as much a super hero as the American variations by his unwavering tenacity.

Peter Jackson (prod.) teamed up with Steven Spielberg (dir.) to make this animated feature and they complement each other very well. The camera placement/movement, animation and motion capture are so stunning that any childish aspects of the story are dwarfed (not that the screenplay is lacking, it's just a really simple story).

In one scene we see Captain Haddock and you can see the yarn that makes up the sweater and it looks so real. The advantage to digital animation is that the camera can be placed wherever you wish and so Spielberg kept it moving throughout the film. I don't think it was still for a moment.

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Winter's Bone (2010)

Authentically tense with some raw strength in both the characters and the gripping narrative.

Ree has to track down her dad who is out of prison on bond. If he doesn't show up for his court date, she loses the family land and house. The back hills of Arkansas aren't the most welcoming place to be poking around, in fact it's quite terrifying. Blood is thicker than water.

Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic, but who is this director? Debra Granik? She's awesome!

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Mona Lisa (1986)

A tale of an innocent (but tough) man struggling with the duty of liberating the lost women of London streets. George is the antithesis of Simone and they each draw the other up, a beautiful story of concern for the other.

I like the relationship between George and his buddy who helps him get onto his feet at the start of the film when George has just gotten out of prison. They both like mystery stories and their interplay demonstrates the sweetness of children which brings out George's innocence towards some of the abuse he witnesses in Simone's world.

We don't really understand the degree of the atrocities with which we are associated just as George doesn't know how wicked his former boss is. An awakening to this knowledge should spur us into an action of redemption too.

IMDB

Good Dick (2008)

This movie stays clear of sentimentality as it deals with a couple really broken people. The first is a homeless video store clerk. The other is one of his patrons - a hermit who rents porn. He becomes fascinated with this hardened woman to the point of obsession, but in a good way. Helping her helps him grow out of his slump (plus he can crash at her place).

It is ultimately a story of redemption, and a good one at that.

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It's All Gone Pete Tong (2004)

This biopic of legendary DJ Frankie Wilde is wacky and colourful - like it's subject. Thematic elements about this self-indulgent star only serve to contrast his transformation after he goes deaf and is resurrected by the honest love of a caring woman. It's kind of a disturbing start to what becomes a glorious finish.

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Due Date (2010)

Robert Downey Jr. gets stuck driving across the USA with Zach Galifianikis. The antics: simply ridiculous. I'm not sure if this was a more self-conscious version of Planes Trains and Automobiles, but it failed to surpass it's predecessor in comedy and sentiment. It did beat it with crude content.

That said, I did laugh. I didn't cry.

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Taking Woodstock (2009)

Ang Lee is remarkable in how diverse his projects are and this one pushes into remarkable territory. While he maintains the sensitivity that most of his films have, he captures americana during an era of transformation in a collision between rural and urban, the hippy and silent generations, and the peace that was necessary between all of the shifting tectonic plates of the 1960s.

Taking Woodstock takes the legendary summer concert to a personal level by focusing on the planners and more specifically, the family/town who hosts the hordes.

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Love and Other Drugs (2010)

This is a sappy and rather unfulfilling story of humility and being less self-interested. In a society that prides itself on questionable principles like independence and self-satisfaction, this film at least pokes some holes into those straw men.

A pharmaceutical rep keen to make gobs of money meets a beautiful sex-addict and while the two promise not to become emotionally attached, the inevitable happens. The screwdriver thrown into the romance is her Parkinson's Disease. Will she be able to allow him to help her? Will be be willing to throw away his lucrative career to care for her? So many predictable answers!!

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Midnight Express (1978)

Midnight Express is based on the true story of a man who was caught smuggling heroin out of Turkey in the 1970s. From the beginning we are shown that Billy's decision to board a plane with drugs strapped to his body was a clear mistake and not one he made of sound mind pushing us to want clemency for him. The Turkish authorities decide to use him as an example - I guess to keep the drugs in their own country? - and sentence him to over 30 years in prison.

Billy nearly goes insane in the harsh prison conditions and almost loses hope. The film seemed quite balanced in its approach to justice, American patronization, and freedom.

IMDB

Reparando (2010)

This Christian documentary takes a politically and spiritually informed look at the trauma-induced poverty in Guatemalan slums. As a former resident of Guatemala, the stories were familiar and the history still heart breaking.

The film recounts the stories of some dedicated people working towards restoring their communities one person at a time. A well produced film by a small group of independents.

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You Can Count on Me (2000)

Orphaned brother and sister try to heal despite their wounds. Some of the best dramatic actors around (Laura Linney especially)!

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Clockers (1995)

Spike Lee's crime drama shows how infused the hood is with drug and crime culture. A wonderful meditation on the humanity and fragility on the streets of NYC and the need for redemption.

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The Fighter (2010)

The Fighter bares the essence of what it means to relate one person to another - as gracious, broken people who can't give up.

Based on an extraordinary true story, stellar actors take on the roles of Dicky and Micky Ward and their family. The boxing brothers hail from lower income Massachusetts and deal with family pressure and inner struggles.

What I really liked about the film is the characters' desire for reconciliation, something they were willing to fight for.

Official Site | IMDB