Ides of March

This is a very good movie but I’m not sure I liked it. I think if you have a political background it resonates totally. Some scenes are reminiscent of both The Candidate (1972) and The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979) (both of which I liked), but this is darker. It has a similar feel to The Ghost Writer (2010), which I also liked but not sure I’d see again.

Strong acting, as expected: George Clooney (Up in the Air); Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love); Paul Giamatti (Barney’s Version); and, Philip Seymour Hoffman (Pirate Radio). And a nice performance by Evan Rachel Wood (Across the Universe).

It is a good story that stays with you. The pacing felt slow at times, but perhaps I was impatient to find out what would happen next.

Les Miserables

I really liked this. While I’ve seen this on stage in at least three versions, the film ‘filled in’ parts of the story that I was either unaware of, had not understood, or had forgotten.

The acting is generally good but the vocal performances are diverse. I thought Russell Crowe (whom I like, see my Good Year review) was hollow and weak vocally and just average as Javert. Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises) is incredibly strong (Oscar-worthy?) and there was absolute silence in the theatre as she delivered a gut-wrenching ‘I dreamed a dream’. Eddie Redmayne (pictured, whom I’m not familiar with) has a good voice and does well as Marius. Hugh Jackman, whom I also like, (Australia, which has grown on me) acts well but his voice is only passable and he doesn’t have the top range. Sacha Baron Cohen (Hugo) and Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech) are hilarious and excellent choices as the Thenardiers.

The unusual technique of singing 'live' to camera (as opposed to the 'normal' recorded studio delivery) is very effective. The movie is long, but moves well and I would see it again.

Pitch Perfect

This was a pleasant surprise. I had heard that the humour in this was much like The Bridesmaids (which I didn’t like) but I found this mostly enjoyable. 

Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) is very good and very watchable. Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games) has a very light, quirky role. I liked, but am unfamiliar with, both Brittany Snow (Hairspray) and Skylar Astin. 

Not much plot, it’s fairly predictable. I might watch again.

Christmas movies

I like this time of year and there are several movies I prefer - most are stories of 'redemption':
- The Gathering 1978, involving a Christmas family reunion, with Maureen Stapleton and Ed Asner;
- The Family Stone 2006, with Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Craig T. Nelson giving very strong performances and the family interaction is very well done;
- The Family Man 2005 with Nicolas Cage getting a glimpse of how his life might have been, with Tea Leoni;
- A Christmas Carol 1951, with Alastair Sim, which many including myself, feel is the quintessential version;
- It's a Wonderful Life 1947 (black & white), with Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart,  and,
- Love Actually 2004, which should have kept some of the deleted scenes but is still a delightful combination of stories and is perhaps my favourite Christmas film. A wonderful cast including Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, and Liam Neeson.

Here are some of the others we will often try to watch each year:
- The Santa Clause 1994, with Tim Allen and many lovely scenes at the North Pole;
- Prancer 1989 with Sam Elliott;
- One Magic Christmas 1985, with Mary Steenburgen and a very very young Sarah Polley; and,
- The Homecoming 1971, with Patricia Neal and Richard Thomas, the 'pilot' that became the TV series 'The Waltons'.

And throughout the season is the Peter, Paul & Mary concert from the mid-1980's that plays in the house. Our old battered VHS version was finally replaced by a DVD from Korea with the occasional sub-title in Korean script.

(500) days of Summer

Finally saw this 2009 film. And I have mixed feelings.

Definitely worth seeing. Excellent performance by Zooey Deschanel (Failure to Launch & Elf), whom I find very compelling, has a great smile, and appears to be very much 'what you see is what you get' (I don't know if that's true or not). And also Joseph Gordon-Levitt (see my Lincoln review). And there are some lovely scenes.

But it is not easy to watch and takes you through the roller-coaster of emotions of the stages of romance (which is essentially the point of the film). I like to go to a movie to be 'transported' to a different reality and away from my own for a couple of hours. I got to the two-thirds point and forced myself to watch it all (and I think I'm glad I did... I think).

If you like either of these actors, it is worth seeing as one or both of them are on screen for 80% of the movie. But I'm not sure I'd see it again.

Lincoln

This is a very good movie. It is darkly shot (almost in black and white) and while it has flashes of humour, it is fairly serious. Daniel Day-Lewis (The Last of the Mohicans, 1992) gives a superb, thoughtful performance. Sally Field is good (Places in the Heart, 1984) but I'm not sure it is Oscar-worthy.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to do excellent work (the brilliant Inception) and, like Leonard DiCaprio, I wonder if he too is taking some very effective acting lessons? (I confess I liked him in Angels in the Outfield 1994 and of course Third Rock from the Sun.) Tommy Lee Jones (I didn't know he was in Field of Dreams) gives another very strong performance. James Spader (his scene unravelling the link in Stargate, 1994, is memorable), whom I also like in Boston Legal, is a quirky character.

The film is long, historical, and very political, including at least 20 minutes on the vote on abolition in Congress (which I enjoyed). The amount of time on Lincoln's children is too long and doesn't contribute a lot. Overall, some of the movie drags but generally it is a well done, informative piece that I would see again.

Skyfall

I like James Bond. And I like the direction the producers have taken with series and Daniel Craig (The Golden Compass), whom I also like but I haven't decided if he can actually act (but certainly is nice to look at and I think is the best Bond since Sean Connery (Finding Forrester, 2000)).

The new characters introduced are positive additions - Ralph Fiennes (whom I liked in the ultra fluffy Maid in Manhattan that I'm sure he'd like to forget), the new 'Q' Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris (the latter two with whom I'm not familiar). And Albert Finney (A Good Year - see my review) plays his usual self.

A few new twists, but the movie follows the Bond formula. I was surprised that it dragged about three-quarters of the way in. And I also had the constant feeling that the British travel board (or whomever) was paying a sponsorship for beautiful vistas of London or elsewhere in Britain. Still, an enjoyable romp that I would see again.

Wreck-it Ralph

I liked this movie. It had a good story and moved along well. It featured the voice of John C. Reilly (For Love of the Game, one of my favourite baseball movies), whom I think is a very good, reliable but unrecognized actor. Also had Jane Lynch (Glee) playing the tough character (in animated form) whom she is now known for (even though she has popped up in a variety of roles in movies (The Fugitive) and TV series (Boston Legal) over the past 15 years at least).

I liked the movie and would see it again. I'm not sure what age it is best for, but I would think perhaps a minimum of seven years old.