BradWesley123's Movie Journal- January 2013

A sort of Australian Godfather if Michael Corleone got popped twenty minutes in. It's subdued tone gets a bit too much so at times, but overall it's a compelling family crime drama, with a great cast.

Doesn't do a whole lot new, but it's incredibly intimate and raw, and features two great performances by the leads. Be warned though, this movie is a real downer.

Meryl Streep could be compelling in a 4hr movie where all she does is take a massive dump, but quite often, a movie is not worth her talent. This is one of those movies. The script is pretty rough, and most of the beats are obvious. Streep would be the only real reason to watch, though I may have preferred to watch the dump movie.

January 19th

The Fighter

Factually it's pretty dubious, but as entertainment, it's never less than compelling. A strong cast, sharp direction, and great storytelling make this a must-see.

Too conventional, but Demián Bichir anchors the film admirably with a subtly heartfelt performance.

Way too cloying, but decent. When it sticks to the father-son relationship, it's very strong, but when it hits the obvious "inspirational" moments, it lags. Will Smith gives a strong performance, one of his finest, and his son isn't completely annoying, which is about the highest praise you can give a child actor.

Slow and occasionally meandering, but visually epic. The cast is strong, especially Ronan.

It just bored me. Viggo Mortensen is great though, and keeps the movie watchable (and in the case of the bathhouse fight scene, entertaining).

Solidly entertaining musical featuring some pretty good music, and a strong cast; especially Hudson and Murphy.