To Catch A Thief - 9 stars out of 10

To Catch A Thief - 9 stars out of 10

"To Catch A Thief" is one of the ultimate classics of Hitchcockian cinema.  Blending wonderfully humorous dialogue with intense car chases and enigmatic characters, this film transcends the categorization of films and represents several genres (comedy, heist, drama, love).  The dialogue is absolutely fabulous, delivering appropriately funny lines amidst serious conversations and deserved an Oscar nomination for best screenplay.  The dialogue between Cary Grant and Grace Kelly reaches perfection in the picnic scene, and may possibly be my favorite dialogue in any movie.  Ever.  Grant is suave and there is not a word to describe Kelly's irresistable qualities as these two light up the screen with chemistry and spunk.  The French Riviera is immediately brought to life through the award winning cinematography and clever way that the dialogue seemlessly and naturally transitions between English and French.  I thought that the "18th Century Party" was a great excuse to throw some creative costumes into the film and I'm glad that they received an Oscar nomination for that.  The ending might be slightly predictable, but it does not take away from the incredible dialogue and performances by the actors.

Babes in Arms - 2 stars out of 10

Babes in Arms - 2 stars out of 10

"Babes in Arms" is an awkward musical in which children behave like adults while it is emphasized that they are children.  They go from being on a playground to smoking cigars - make up your mind.  I felt like this film did not have a very good flow to it.  The one positive aspect is the music, as it was nice to hear all of the tunes from Singing in the Rain.  Er... I suppose that it's the reverse, even though Singing in the Rain did contextualize all of them better.  One thing that majorly confused me is the fact that a lot of popular songs from musicals (Give My Regards to Broadway, The Lady is A Tramp) were used as background scenic music (or appeared during the overture) and were never actually performed by the characters.  Mickey Rooney is excellent in his animated actions, Judy Garland has a beautiful voice as always, but the story STINKS!!!  The whole blackface sequence was rather uncomfortable and now I see why this dated show doesn't receive much attention.  Even without the blackface, the performance at the end was really disjointed and seemed like a weak way to conclude the film.  I can think of 50 musicals that I would recommend ahead of this one - take your pick.

The Hurricane - 2 stars out of 10

The Hurricane - 2 stars out of 10

I was expecting an epic against-the-odds evidence-gathering courtroom drama, but instead I found a "Shawshank Redemption" wannabe, depicting an innocent man's life in prison.  Denzel Washington is wonderful, as always, and I can appreciate that "The Hurricane" is a true story, but it just dragged on and only spent 10 minutes in the courtroom.  I would've been more forgiving if the movie quickly told an inspirational story in 90 minutes or used it's 150 minute runtime to develop the effects on his family or something else interesting, but it just dragged on and lost me several times along the way.  If you want a boxing movie, watch "Rocky" or "Raging Bull."  If you want a great courtroom/evidence-gathering drama, watch "A Few Good Men" or "The Lincoln Lawyer."  In either case, you should not watch this pitiful attempt at cinema.

Ratatouille - 8 stars out of 10

Ratatouille - 8 stars out of 10

"Ratatouille" is definitely up there with Finding Nemo.  The story was cute, characters enchanting, and the rats were just so much fun!  Even though the story is entirely unrealistic, it doesn't matter when paired with amazing animation, a fantastic soundtrack by Michael Giacchino, and virtual food that looks good enough to eat!  I am always impressed when writers can create a script that develops non-human characters, and this script is particularly impressive because the main non-human character rarely has dialogue.  So many movies seem plain because their plot has been overdone but nobody can say that about Ratatouille.  It combines the recent obsession with Food TV with loveable Pixar characters to create a film that does not need any sequels to make an impact - it's the complete package.  This movie is definitely family friendly and I doubt that anybody could walk out of the theater without a smile.

Thor - 3 stars out of 10

Thor - 3 stars out of 10

One of the great aspects of superhero movies from the past decade is that they have taken normal people, given them some sort of super power by feasible means, and then told the story of how their life has changed.  Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Bruce Wayne - these characters have made superheroes in our society believable.  "Thor" is not any of the aforementioned things.  When I saw the Marvel Comics intro start to role, I was not expecting to immediately be transported to another planet, especially not for the first quarter of the film.  The special effects were great but Thor immediately seemed like the odd man out amidst good modern superhero films.  So about Natalie Portman... fantastic dramatic actress, does well in comedies, but not the greatest love interest in a superhero.  Especially when the love story is underdeveloped (bordering on being overlooked) in a film that could have easily been extended to accomodate better chemistry.  Anthony Hopkins did his best but this was just a bad role for him, while Stellan Skarsgard was better than average.  Overall, the acting wasn't anything earthshattering, and neither was the script.  Probably the best part of this film were the references in preparation for "The Avengers" like Jeremy Renner, the reference to Tony Stark, and the bonus ending.  Thor will make a good character in the compilation film but probably should not have any more stand-alone films.  This film is subpar when compared to the highly positive output by Marvel over the past decade.  Stick to humans that develop super powers and stay away from other world characters in laughably goofy costumes.

The Lincoln Lawyer - 9 stars out of 10

The Lincoln Lawyer - 9 stars out of 10

Wow... this movie was really good.  Like, it was incredible.  Am I really saying this about a Matthew McConaughey.  Not only was his acting bearable, but he was fantastic!  Why can't he act like this all the time?  The  movie has great potential even before the opening credits end, featuring an incredibly talented cast including William H. Macy (one of the best character actors of this generation), Ryan Phillippe (in likely his most real, intense role ever), Marisa Tomei, Josh Lucas, Michael Pena, and John Leguizamo!  The reason that I'm not rating this film with a perfect rating is because it does slow down at a few points, but that is the fault of the editors and not the actors.  The acting is absolutely top-notch (and yes, I did just say that about a Matthew McConaughey film!)  With several enormous twists and false resolutions, you never know where this journey will take you next; and yet, the entire thing is completely believable.  Everything about this courtroom drama is solid as it strikes a good balance between research, courtroom scenes, and conflict.  Although no courtroom film will ever match "12 Angry Men" or "A Few Good Men," the strong acting and the well-written script's unpredictability has earned "The Lincoln Lawyer" a place in the same sentence as them.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium - 4 stars out of 10

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium - 4 stars out of 10

"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" is definitely a fantasy film designed for children but manages to touch on some themes that will speak to parents.  The ideas of losing sight of the magic that we believed in as children and the fear of finding mediocrity instead of success will go over kids' heads and straight to the adults.  I wouldn't put this film into my top 100 family films, particularly because that hat kid was annoying and weird.  No wonder he doesn't have any friends.  On the other hand, Natalie Portman showed magnificent emotion, particularly in her crying scene.  She has come a long way since Queen Amadala and has proven herself time after time.  I was dumbfounded when this film made me cry, particularly because I didn't latch onto the characters or the story very much, but music was simply magical.  With the film's theme being the diagetic composition (and frustration) of Portman, it has significance each time that it reappears throughout the film.  Combine that with with her realization of her concerto during the "magical" moment at the end and it was just too much.  Hoffman and Portman are good, the story is okay, it's clean for the entire family, but the main reason to watch this film is to be overwhelmed by that musical theme at the end.  You will not regret it.

Everything Is Illuminated - 7 stars out of 10

Everything Is Illuminated - 7 stars out of 10

"Everything Is Illuminated" is a unique drama that contains mildly humorous moments to keep the story from becoming too depressing, while delivering a story of substance and curiosity.  The acting is good, though Elijah Wood is overshadowed throughout the entire film by Eugene Hutz.  Hutz's quirky accent and clever dialogue will last in your memory for a long time.  These well-developed characters, like the amusing Alex and the adorable Sammy Davis Junior Junior, give the story its unique panache.  "Blind" Boris Leskin is also very entertaining throughout his entire range of emotions.  It is important to pay close attention to this film or else you could easily get lost.  Give this film a chance as it reaches into the past to reveal some unexpected results.