Red Riding Hood (2011)

"Red Riding Hood" may be the worst retelling of the fairy tale since "Freeway". The best way I can describe this film is stupid. Bad dialogue and wooden performances, even from the often great actresses Amanda Seyfried,Virginia Madsen, and Julie Christie, stop this film before it has a chance to even be any good. Catherine Hardwicke isn't known for making high art, but this poor attempt at it makes you never want to see her try again.

Grade: D

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Virginia Madsen

Director: Catherine Hardwicke

Writer(s): David Johnson

RT: 100 min

Rating: PG-13 for violence and creature terror, and some sensuality

Beaver, the (2011)

I realize that liking Mel Gibson isn't big with a lot of people, but hear me out. "The Beaver" is very close to the best I have ever seen Gibson on screen. Jodie Foster, who also stars as his wife, directs him so effortlessly that the role of a mentally disturbed man trying to put his life back together, with the help of a Beaver hand puppet, seems like it would only belong to him (especially with all the trouble he seems to attract). Anton Yelchin also gives  passionate performance as Gibson's son, who is afraid of becoming like his father. A surprisingly emotional script saves this film from becoming a parody of itself.

Grade: B

Starring: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin
Director: Jodie Foster
Writer(s): Kyle Killen
RT: 91 min
Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material, some disturbing content, sexuality and language including a drug reference

Muppets, the (2011)

And there was "The Muppets". No film, and I mean no film, has been as terrific as the Muppets this year. Not even close. There are so few words that I can manage to find to capture the magic, and the emotion, "The Muppets" exudes. Jason Segel, Nick Stoller, and James Bobin captured everything right about the Muppet franchise without betraying the heart. 


Grade: A+


Starring: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzy Bear
Director: James Bobin

Writer(s): Jason Segel, Nick Stoller - Characters: Jim Henson

RT: 103 min

Rating: PG for some mild rude humor

Tree of Life, the (2011)

Terrence Malick has a knack for making slow, self-indulgent films. "The Tree of Life" may be the best example of that fact. He spends half of the film being artistic, and by the time he gets back to the plot you forget to care. All style, little substance. 


Grade: D+


Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain
Director: Terrence Malick
Writer(s): Terrence Malick
RT: 139 min (about 40 min too long)
Rating: PG-13 for some thematic material

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

On the surface "Crazy, Stupid, Love" seems like a run-of-the-mill rom-com, but it contains a lot more tenderness than the average fare. Excellent performances, especially from some of the younger cast members, and Kevin Bacon was in it. 


Grade: B+


Starring: Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore
Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Writer(s): Dan Fogelman
RT: 118 min
Rating: PG-13 for coarse humor, sexual content and language

Help, the (2011)

"The Help" is the newest entry in the courageous white woman helps out black people genre (yes, this is a genre). I don't believe this was a bad film, I just think I could have dealt a lot less with the problems of Emma Stone and Jessica Chastain's characters. Even though I did enjoy those stories, too much of film was dedicated to them, and less was spent on making the central black characters strong figures. And who doesn't want more Octavia Spencer? 


Grade: B


Starring: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer
Director: Tate Taylor
Writer(s): Tate Taylor - Novel: Kathryn Stockett
RT: 146 min
Rating: PG-13 for thematic material

Rango (2011)

"Rango" was surprisingly entertaining! Gore Verbinski, for me at least, has had an awful run of films. The only one in is filmography I can claim to even slightly enjoy was "The Weather Man", so going into this film I was sceptical. When this turned out to be a smart, sometimes edgy, tribute to Spaghetti Westerns I was overjoyed. 


Grade: B


Starring: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Ned Beatty
Director: Gore Verbinski
Writer(s): John Logan - Story: John Logan, Gore Verbinski and James Ward Byrkit
RT: 107 min 
Rating: PG for rude humor, language, action and smoking

Our Idiot Brother (2011)

Paul Rudd's performance in "Our Idiot Brother" was as honest as it was sweet. This film may not be everybody's cup of tea, but the emotion at its core makes this comedy more like the films of Alexander Payne than the improv comedy films we've come to know Rudd for. With a strong supporting cast, especially the three sisters, backing him, and a script that keeps you interested, this was another surprise in a year already full of them. 


Grade: A-


Starring: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer
Director: Jesse Peretz
Writer(s): Evgenia Peretz & David Schisgall  - Story: Jesse Peretz, Evgenia Peretz & David Schisgall
RT: 90 min
Rating: R for sexual content including nudity, and for language throughout

Hugo (2011)

Film means a lot to me. More than most people understand. So, I don't feel that I need to be reminded of how magical and beautiful film can be. That doesn't mean I don't like to be reminded, both literally and figuratively. Martin Scorsese's "Hugo", based off the book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick, has done exactly that. There is nothing about this film I don't like. I want to find everyone involved with it, and personally give them a hug.


Grade: A+

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Chole Grace Moretz
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer(s): John Logan - Book: Brian Selznick
RT: 126 min
Rating: PG for mild thematic material, some action/peril and smoking

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011)

Let the trolling begin. "A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas" was everything I hoped it would be: raunchy, crude, and funny. Great cameos and a wholly unbelievable script made this movie a lot of fun to watch. Plus, great nods to the two films that came before only made me want a fourth. But first, where can I get a Wafflebot?


Grade: B


Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris
Director: Todd Strauss-Shulson
Writer(s): Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg
RT: 90 min
Rating: R for strong crude and sexual content, graphic nudity, pervasive language, drug use and some violence

Adventures of Tintin, the (2011)

Let's talk Spielberg for a few seconds. The man is a true artist. "The Adventures of Tintin" is further proof of his ability to capture an audience's imagination with a thrilling story and breathtaking cinematography. This is another film aimed at Children this year that may hold more for the adults in the audience. Simply put, see this film!


Grade: A


Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer(s): Steven Moffat and Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish
RT: 107 min
Rating: PG for adventure action violence, some drunkenness and brief smoking

Drive (2011)

When a film can make you hold your breath before the credits start roll, you know you're in for something special. That's what I experienced with "Drive", starring Ryan Gosling. The film is captivating from the moment you hear Gosling explain his rules for being a wheelman, to the very last frame. Major credit goes in part to one of the five best ensemble casts I've seen on screen this year.


Grade: A


Starring: Ryan Gosling
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Writer(s): Hossein Amini
RT: 100 min
Rating: R for strong brutal bloody violence, language and some nudity

J. Edgar (2011)

Though there are some strong performances, especially from Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeffery Donovan as Robert Kennedy, "J. Edgar" doesn't pack much punch. The non-sequential nature of the writing doesn't work for the film. It actually tends to hinder the narrative, and drag the film down in many spots. With all of the great talent behind this picture, it doesn't feel the way an Eastwood directed story about a controversial historical figure should.


Grade: C+


Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer(s): Dustin Lance Black
RT: 137 min
Rating: R for brief strong language

Young Adult (2011)

Jason Reitman continues his string of insightful, earnest dramedies with "Young Adult". His characters are usually very broken and insecure, much like Charlize Theron's Mavis, a thirty-seven-year-old young adult novelist trying to recapture the love of her high school sweetheart, who is now married with a newborn. Though you root against her, you feel for her as the lost, deluded human being she is.


Grade: A


Starring: Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Patton Oswalt
Director: Jason Reitman
Writer(s): Diablo Cody
RT: 94 min
Rated: R for  language and some sexual content

Win Win (2011)

What do a lawyer with a failing practice, a losing wrestling team, and an elderly man with dementia have in common? A strong script by Tom McCarthy. "Win Win" is another outstanding film from one of this generation's best. The subtle performances of a tight cast make this film funny, heart-felt, and honest. This is one of the strongest films I have seen this year.

Grade: A



Starring: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Jefferey Tambor
Director: Tom McCarthy
Writer(s): Tom McCarthy - Story: Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni
RT: 106 min
Rated: R for Lanuage