Movies of the Fall

1. 3:10 to Yuma

Though westerns aren't usually my forte, this gang-chasing manhunt is full of explosive, tense action, great actors (Russell Crowe, Christian Bale & Ben Foster), and experienced filming. It was simply an enjoyable film.

Grade: B


2. Eastern Promises

David Cronenberg, as he did in "A History of Violence," directs a blood-thirsty thriller with intricate, personal characters. Naomi Watts is our protagonist, but the light really shines on Viggo Mortensen's Oscar-worthy performance as Nikolai, the tattooed Russian car driver working his way up the mob

Grade: B+

3. The Brave One

I loved this movie in the beginning where we meet a happy Jodie Foster with her boyfriend who is beaten to death in a New York City park; I loved watching Foster's character survive the attack and begin to seek out revenge of not only her boyfriend but also any other criminals who cross her pissed-off-path; but the movie fell very short with Terrence Howard's role as the suspicious cop and his decisions at the end of this film.

Grade: B-


4. In the Valley of Elah

Every memorable, breath-taking movie needs great cinematography. This movie has it. It also contains a career-boosting role for Tommy Lee Jones as Hank, a father slash career officer seeking answers to his military son's disappearance, and Susan Surandon as the tormented and house-stationed mother. Paul Haggis touches this movie through and through with his directorial and writerly expertise, but the movie runs a bit too long without enough wind.

Grade: A-


5. Feast of Love

Mixing sex, lust, love, comedy and tragedy, this Shakespearean story has heart and wit without being too lovey-dovey. It is raw in it's vision of love and mostly real. However, no performances stick out from the crowd - everyone is good but no one is great - and there's just something about how many women Greg Kinnear's character naively falls for that is bothersome for his timid character.

Grade: B


6. Michael Clayton

With Oscar-thriving roles played by George Clooney, Tilda Swinton & Tom Wilkinson, this semi-psychological, law thriller is beautifully made, craftily conceived, and sparks much excitement, but the plot seemed to wrap itself and became predictably automatic. It was bittersweet, shocking yet habitual.

Grade: B

7. Into the Wild

Finally, a movie that inspires. Very few films hold this in their hearts. Too many strive for it, but don't quite hit home. Sean Penn's directorial debut was a driven, intellectual, funny, tragic story about a young man who wanted to be like his peers: Thoreau, Pasternak, and Kerouac to name a few. It's a fresh, crisp piece of cinematic art and is by far 2007's best movie so far.

Grade: A+

8. Across the Universe

Though "Across the Universe" has the best trailer ever, I wish I would've stuck to watching it over and over again. Julie Taymor's over-the-top Beatlesmania musical on dope jumps far over the bar of the unusual, the mixed-up and the contorted. With unnecessary characters, one of the weakest plots, and a love that is sure to last a lifetime (or at least until the 60s are over), Taymor fails to deliver, but her touch is just too original to hate. She gets props for trying, and trying with flair.

Grade: C

9. Saw IV

Basically, in short, it was a horrible idea to go past three "Saw's." I loved the third installment, but this one was fun to watch, but overlapped itself and all of the other films, making it hard for Einstein to wrap his mind around - even before his head got smashed to bits by two giant blocks of ice!

Grade: D+

10. Hotel Chevalier/The Darjeeling Limited

There's something about Wes Anderson. His style is so low key. "The Darjeeling Limited" follows three brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman) in search of finding themselves on a trip through India. The film was pleasantly funny, sad, and original. It wasn't the best of the best, but there isn't much to criticize. A great time in the theater - plus Natalie Portman's in both the short film & the feature!

Grade: A

11. Beowulf

Though some of the sequences and dialogue are so awkward (especially every line Robin Wright Penn and John Malkovich delivers), director Robert Zemeckis presents an action-filled adventure that's both visually stunning and has a level of sensuality - probably brought by the serpentine Angelina Jolie as Grendel's hot mommy. I would have loved to see it in an IMAX, though.

Grade: B

12. Lions for Lambs

Here's a film that has the idea, has the dialogue, and the themes needed for a cinematic political debate, but doesn't have enough action. Of course it's lined with great actors (Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, & Tom Cruise - I guess he's "great"), but "Lions for Lambs" feels more like a play than a movie. The scenes between Cruise & Streep/Redford & Andrew Garfield are great and meaningful and fun to listen to, but can be done with our eyes closed with the same effect. Nothing visual happens. Now, Redford (also director) does back this stage-like sequences with war scenes, which are perfectly placed, but the other half of the film falls short of being cinematic. Sorry, Robbie. Try again next time.

Grade: C+