To Sir, With Love - 7 stars out of 10

To Sir, With Love - 7 stars out of 10

"To Sir, With Love" falls into the genre of "inspirational movies about education."  Although I cannot put this one on par with "Lean On Me" and "Mr. Holland's Opus," it tells a nice story about a bunch of school misfits and the teacher who believes in them.  The character development of the students is very well done, providing each student with a distinguishable personality and their own set of social issues, whereas many films has a "generic student body" that is affected as a whole.  Sidney Poitier is excellent as he always is, but the most memorable performances in the film come from Christian Roberts (as the ringleader of the class) and Judy Geeson (as the student who first begins to come around).  The lack of appreciation from the students is frustrating but a realistic portrayal of the inner-workings of the educational system.  The thing that lacks in this story is a very pungent twist.  Films of this type typically have a death or pregnancy of a student, or an earthshattering event, but this twist wan't too shocking.  The film has the sensation of a character study than that of a drama, but its good acting and proper resolution are what make it memorable.

The Iron Giant - 4 stars out of 10

The Iron Giant - 4 stars out of 10

"The Iron Giant" is exactly what you expect it will be.  It's a unique story but has a lot of "suuuure..." moments throughout.  Although this dramatic film cannot come close to the stories of Disney, I was really impressed with writers' ability to resolve the story without a "Well... how are we going to get rid of this thing" moment and their creation of a non-cheesy but satisfying ending.  The voice acting wasn't anything impressive, with the exception of Christopher McDonald.  He was excellent, particularly in the sequence where he is continually questioning Hogarth.  By the way, "Hogarth" is a horrible name for a character, regardless of the medium.  The best feature of the film is the Giant itself, whose computer animation makes every move vivid.  Michael Kamen's score flows throughout the film, pairing the classical orchestra with a 1950's flavor.  I will always choose a Disney film over any other cartoon but if you are looking for a departure from the animated films to which you always fall back, "The Iron Giant" is an entertaining alternative.

The Thing (1982) - 5 stars out of 10

The Thing (1982) - 5 stars out of 10

Although it sounds like a low-budget 1940's horror film, "The Thing" actually packs a pretty powerful punch.  I wouldn't call it a great film, but the imagery is absolutely horrific and will leave a lasting impression.  The film creates a clever suspensful build-up surrounding the mystery of "Which character could be 'it'?"  I wish that I could have grasped onto the characters better (so that they all didn't look the same when they are trying to narrow down who is "the thing").  A lack of character development at the beginning shifted all of the focus to the mystery and there was not any character empathy to enhance it.  Regardless, the isolated, Antarctic atmosphere is great and the graphic mutilation caused by the Thing is even better.  It's a classic in the sci-fi genre and is definitely worth a watch.

Searching for Bobby Fischer - 9 stars out of 10

Searching for Bobby Fischer - 9 stars out of 10

"Searching for Bobby Fischer" is an all-around great film.  This film is effective because it is based on the real childhood of chess prodigy Joshua Waitzkin.  Waitzkin is played by Max Pomeranc whose combination of cuteness and ability to play a dramatic role made him a perfect candidate for this part.  He is surrounded by excellent actors, like Joe Mantegna who showed a nice transition from exploitive parent to lovin father, and Laurence Fishburne as a Central Park bum who helped the young boy develop his skill.  Joan Allen only had one fleeting moment to bring some emotion to the film but Ben Kingsley also adds a dimension as Waitzkin's misguided teacher, who also has a transformation.  To add another layer of depth, this film makes the most of a few great character actors like David Paymer, Dan Hedaya, and the king of all character actors, William H. Macy.  On top of the New York City atmosphere, excellent cast, and sporadic interjections of Bobby Fischer's story, it is no surprise that the film feels like a slice of real life as its screenplay is adapted from a book written by Waitzkin's father.  Chess has never been such an interesting source of drama and life lessons as it is in "Searching for Bobby Fischer."

The French Connection - 8 stars out of 10

The French Connection - 8 stars out of 10

It would take an incredible film to beat A Clockwork Orange for best film but this film just doesn't quite make it.  The performances of Hackman, Rey, and Scheider make The French Connection an incredibly gritty crime/cop drama that influenced every cop movie made since, but I don't think that it can match the imaginitive societal implications of A Clockwork Orange.  That being said, this film is full of intensity through it's kickbutt characters, particularly in "THE train chase scene," one of the greatest in all of movie history.  Hackman deservedly won the Oscar for best actor as he portrays "Popeye" Doyle, a cop that nobody would want to mess with.  The fact that this movie is loosely based on real people makes it even more enjoyable and it explores the drug trafficking of heroin in the 1970's.

Whip It - 4 stars out of 10

Whip It - 4 stars out of 10

Drew Barrymore should give up on producing/directing movies... The choice of roller derby as the subject matter of a movie was smart, but not enough of this movie took place on the roller derby track. Not enough happened in this film - you can tell that the content is lacking when they have to randomly throw in a food fight and 2 people fooling around under water in their underwear. Despite a cast full of popular actors, "Whip It" is filled with cheesy dialogue and feels overacted at times (does anybody think that sounds similar to "He's Just Not That Into You"?) Ellen Page is a great actress but she missed when she read this script. There was no room for Oscar winners/nominees in this film and apart from putting it on in the background, I wouldn't watch it again.

Dinner for Schmucks - 7 stars out of 10

Dinner for Schmucks - 7 stars out of 10

Whenever Steve Carell plays the idiot, you have a recipe for hilarity.  Just imagine a movie that creates a half-dozen idiotic characters to compete with him!  The movie seems predictable from the previews but it is not what you expect (in a good and bad way).  The opening credits do a great job of preparing the audience to laugh and putting them into a euphoric mindset.  The dinner scene is the highlight of this movie (as the title suggests) but only lasts for 20 minutes.  While the movie is full of Steve Carell being a bumbling idiot, the first half of this movie is spent developing characters and revealing their motives.  Steve Carell is loveable as he again masters the art of creating havoc and you will split your time between enjoying his comedy and cringing at the awful situations that he creates.  Casting comedian Jeff Dunham as the ventriloquist was genius (why recreate the wheel?) and Zach Galifianakis gives the second-most memorable performance in this film, not only through his ridiculous interactions with Carell but also as a key component to the plot.  "Dinner for Schmucks" never reaches the genius level of Anchorman or The Office but manages to create a ton of laughs while cleanly wrapping up a plot that seems hopeless.

Si j'étais toi (The Secret) - 7 stars out of 10

Si j'étais toi (The Secret) - 7 stars out of 10

This movie is... weird.  The entire concept is just so strange but perfectly executed by Olivia Thirlby.  She puts forth an incredibly convincing performance as she transforms from an "adult" into a teenager.  Once her identity is changed, she portrays her character exactly as Lili Taylor would have, thoroughly convincing the viewer that it is a new person in her body.  The 7 star rating primarily comes from Thirlby's amazing performance.  David Duchovny is okay and the rest of the actors are average, but strong dialogue drives the plot and draws attention away from the impossibility of the plot.

The Long Kiss Goodnight - 6 stars out of 10

The Long Kiss Goodnight - 6 stars out of 10

"The Long Kiss Goodnight"  is like The Bourne Identity, except with Samuel L. Jackson adding constant comic relief.  I enjoyed the story and the action but this film is very far-fetched, putting it a definitive peg below films like Bourne and Mission: Impossible.  That being said, Geena Davis is a great pick for this role, creating a good contrast between the characters of Samantha and Charly.  Unfortunately, the best part of the film occurs about 6 minutes in.  Jackson's opening dialogue is so funny that all of his other dialogue seems less amusing by comparison; however, he could sound good reading the Dictionary so his dialogue delivery is very effective from start to finish.  David Morse is simply evil while Brian Cox makes a nice addition to any film.  And yet, you won't be able to take your eyes off of Geena Davis, sexy and intimidating in her Charly role.  The film does have some plot holes but the explosions are cool and the fighting is intense, making this an enjoyable watch for any action fan.