BradWesley123's Movie Journal- March 2014

DVD- 2hrs.

DVD- 1hr. 46min.

DVD- 1hr. 59min.

DVD- 1hr. 40min.

DVD- 2hrs.

DVD- 1hr. 36min.
First Viewing

A powerful drama that alternates between heartwarming and heartbreaking with every passing scene. The young cast is great but it's Brie Larson's incredible, breakout performance that will stay with you after the movie is over. One of the best of 2013.

DVD- 1hr. 33min.
First Viewing

Warm and funny, but overly familiar.

DVD- 1hr. 24min.
First Viewing

Heartbreaking and sadly relevant; Fruitvale Station is an impeccably made film, featuring a natural performance from Michael B. Jordan, and arguably the best representation of modern race relations in America.

DVD- 1hr. 54min.
First Viewing

An odd and subdued family road trip dramedy. The cast is great with Dern doing the usually "crazy old person" character with a little more soul, Forte proving he's more than a comedic presence, and Squibb stealing every scene she's in with rowdy performance. While it is a bit predictable, it's never obvious or overdone.

DVD- 2hrs. 8min.
First Viewing

Tries to be The Social Network on a global scale, but fails to harness even a speck of what made it special. The cast does their best, even though they have nothing but convoluted writing backing them, and half of them should have been cut from the movie (Stanley Tucci and Laura Linney are fine actors, but they're really pointless here).

DVD- 1hr. 36min.
First Viewing

It's essentially your standard indie-dramedy, without much change. Kathryn Hahn is very good here though; to note at least one positive.

DVD- 1hr. 36min.
First Viewing

Beautifully filmed and powerfully acted; Ain't Them Bodies Saints is a solid effort from director David Lowery, even if it is a bit too familiar.

DVD- 2hrs. 59min.

DVD- 1hr. 39min.
First Viewing

Solid, but unspectacular, crime-thriller featuring sharp direction and solid performances.

DVD- 1hr. 59min.

DVD- 1hr. 42min.
First Viewing

Classic martial arts movie that earns the title "classic"; Enter the Dragon is a stylishly made, thrillingly cool action flick.

DVD- 1hr. 57min.

DVD- 1hr. 31min.
First Viewing

Boring "thriller" that wastes a solid premise and game cast on worn-out cliches.

DVD- 1hr. 32min.
First Viewing

Solid debut from Lake Bell, who also gives a strong performance in the film. The supporting cast is good, and the movie is surprisingly astute at mixing comedy with dramatic elements.

DVD- 1hr. 51min.
First Viewing

I'll be honest, this one kind of disappointed me. While the action is great, it leans a bit too heavily on it, and I felt like it was missing Tarantino's usual flashy dialogue. Still, a solid feature.

DVD- 2hrs. 17min.
First Viewing

The action's dialed down, and the dialogue's amped up; much more my speed. Thrilling and clever; Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is the more complete of the two. The final scene where we finally meet Bill, a fantastic David Carradine, is one of the best of Tarantino's career.

DVD- 1hr. 43min.
First Viewing

While not as fresh as the Coen Brothers' best work, Inside Llewyn Davis is a sharp character study featuring great music and a tremendous performance from Oscar Isaac.

DVD- 1hr. 56min.
First Viewing

An authentic revenge thriller featuring a great cast. Unfortunately though, it hues too close to many of the tropes of the genre, and fails to break through it.

DVD- 1hr. 59min.

DVD- 1hr. 48min.
First Viewing

Unfortunately overshadowed by The Prestige, both released in 2006, The Illusionist is a well-made film that, while not particularly twisty, is involving throughout. A very old school type of movie; the kind that probably could've been made in the 1950s or 60s.

DVD- 1hr. 36min.
First Viewing

A truly boring and lifeless movie. I could barely remember any of it five minutes after it was over. What a turd.

DVD- 1hr. 53min.
First Viewing

While not as thought-provoking as other films of this genre, Shame is really the gold-standard for sex addiction, its worth a look simply for it's fantastic cast.

Stray Observation: "Tender Comrade" by Billy Bragg was not a good song to end the movie on. It was distracting and way too on-the-nose. A little subtlety goes a long way guys.

DVD- 1hr. 35min.
First Viewing

While still beautifully and vibrantly animated, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 fails to much the wit or cleverness of it's predecessor.

DVD/Online- 2hrs. 10min.

DVD- 1hr. 55min.
First Viewing

The cast is great, especially Portman, and the production is beautifully detailed, but The Other Boleyn Girl adds nothing new to the period-drama genre besides once more illustrating how terrible it was for women (which it was, but that's not the point).

DVD- 1hr. 30min.

DVD- 1hr. 43min.

DVD- 2hrs. 18min.
Second View Redemption

Maybe it was the hype, but when I saw this in the theater I didn't really like it. This time, while not completely falling in love, I've come to appreciate it for what it is: an entertaining character dramedy with a muddled plot.

Netflix- 1hr. 41min.
First Viewing

Not the most original dystopic-survival tale, it's very well made and is benefited by Saoirse Ronan's great performance.

DVD- 2hrs. 21min.
First Viewing

Aside from Idris Elba's commanding performance, there's not a lot to recommend. It looks great, but checks nearly every box on the biopic form.

DVD- 2hrs. 11min.
First Viewing

A by-the-numbers WWII film that never really moves out of autopilot. The cast is solid though, especially young Sophie Nélisse, and John Williams' score is a highlight.

Netflix- 1hr. 27min.
First Viewing

Essentially a Tarantino rip-off, but a well made and reasonably entertaining one though. The leads are good, with James Gandolfini doing some nice supporting work. It looks pretty good too, with Vanja Cernjul adding a vivid, and cartoony at times, feel.

DVD- 2hrs. 3min.

DVD- 2hrs. 59min.

DVD- 2hrs. 22min.

Youtube- 1hr. 45min.
First Viewing

A solid premise is pretty much squandered on a mildly funny and overly schmaltzy film. Vaughn is more engaged here than in most recent efforts, but the material's just not there.

DVD- 1hr. 41min.
First Viewing

Adds nothing new to the genre, but it's reasonably well made and, from someone with lowered expectations, surprisingly okay. The action is pretty well handed, and James Franco is pretty entertaining as the villain.

DVD- 1hr. 55min.
First Viewing

Solid movie that plays like Crash for the web. Unlike recent Men, Women and Children, Disconnect focuses on human weakness rather than "the evil internet," illustrating a greater understanding of what the internet is and can be. Great ensemble elevate this to a more humane movie.