Day Two as a Movie Critic

Two months ago, I wrote a blog about my fascination with Dish Network’s, Da Hopper. I’ve been recording movie after movie, but not just any movie. The movie must be an Academy Award nominee or winner. I’ve watched some good ones and not so good ones.

I just finished watching Silver Linings Playbook and I give it 5 stars. I just joined the Jennifer Lawrence fan club. I’m sorry it took me so long to catch up! Jennifer Lawrence deserved the 2012 Academy Award for Best Actress. Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro can’t be denied for their performances.

Adrian Brody’s 2002 Best Actor performance in The Pianist was incredible. Be sure to turn on the closed captioning to understand the dialogue.  My wife tells me that I’m deaf, but I can’t understand a word they’re saying. It’s gut wrenching, graphic, and very brutal at times but it’s worth 5 stars.

Johnny Depp has never done much for me as an actor.  I was pleasantly surprised with his 2004 performance in Finding Neverland. So much for assumptions as I thought that this movie would be a bizarre, screwed-up version of Peter Pan.  It’s nothing of the sort and I truly appreciated Johnny Depp as an actor. Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman, and child actor Freddie Highmore gave notable performances.  It’s sad, but loved it.  5 stars.

If you know me, you know I’m a Disney fanatic.  I never took the time to watch Pixar’s Up.  The 2009 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature did not disappoint me.  Wow.  Pixar can really move a person and I appreciated the storyline and sentiment. I give it 4.5 stars.  Not quite a 5 but very close.

The 3 hour running time of the movie, Ray should not shy you away from Jamie Foxx’s Academy Award winning performance.  I was dancing, singing, and wishing it went on for another 3 hours.  I could not believe some of the songs he sang, and his version of Georgia on My Mind is very moving. I never knew Ray Charles was a heroine addict and battled the addiction for many years.  5 stars.

With the all-star cast of Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Adrien Brody, George Clooney, Woody Harleson, and John Travolta how could you screw it up?  The 1998 movie, The Thin Red Line was a good World War II movie, but it was missing something. I’m not smart enough to figure it out but I wasn’t sure of the point.  I know it’s about the battle of Mount Austen which was part of the Guadalcanal Campaign in the Pacific Theater, so help me out here. It was just 2 stars for me. Disappointing.

It’s been 24 years since Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves appeared in theatres.  I’ve never watched it until now.  Pretty amazing.  4 stars.

Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, Dough Hutchinson, David Morse, and Berry Pepper were incredible in The Green Mile. For many years, I thought that I had seen this movie until I caught it one evening as I was flipping channels.  It’s a typical Stephen King storyline:  Gripping and tantalizing, but what was the movie really about? 4.5 stars.

Just before Christmas, my wife, daughter, and I went to see Saving Mr. Banks.  Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, and Paul Giamatti gave incredible performances. Only a true Disney and Mary Poppins fan would appreciate this movie.  It was very moving and left me with a big lump in my throat.  I never knew Walt Disney’s exhaustive attempts to get this movie produced.  Incredible.  5 stars.

Expectations were very high for the 2007 Best Picture, No Country for Old Men.  To me this movie did not deliver as 2007 was a real weak year at the box office.  Even Tommy Lee Jones and Woody Harrelson could not save this film.  It kept you on the edge of the seat but help me here.  What did I miss?  2 stars.

More movies will be forthcoming. Stay tuned.