#52. Labor Day (2013)
Jason Reitman's newest offering is decent, but comes off as a more well-made version of a Nicholas Sparks film. Kate Winslet gives an emotional performance that may have actually saved it from dropping into an episode of "Guiding Light".
Grade: C+
#53: At Middleton (2013)
This was a cute romantic comedy about two parents falling in love during a college campus visit, that was a bit on the bland side. Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga mesh well together, but are given a script that often becomes too predictable, and is completely inoffensive in every way. Director Adam Rogers does take complete advantage of the beautiful Washington State and Gonzaga campuses that he uses for the fictional Middleton University.
Grade: B-
#54: Welcome to the Jungle (2013)
Despite some having some truly, absurdly funny moments up front, Rob Meltzer's survival comedy loses itself in its own premise during the second act. It was a great joy to watch Jean-Claude Van Damme (I know! Two Van Damme movies in a month's span!) spoof his own tough guy image during his time on screen. It is so nice to see an aging action star have this much fun with his career revival.
Grade: C+
#55: Grand Piano (2013)
Director Eugenio Mira has done more than just create a Hitchcock knock off with his latest film, he has made a tense and entertaining flick that is as good as almost any thriller today. Elijah Wood carries the story beautifully, and John Cusack, who does mostly voice-over work, is expertly menacing. The camera work is fluid, the music, provided from the on camera orchestra, is exciting, and the story is engrossing. If you get a chance to see this, you should.
Grade: A-
#56: The Lego Movie
#57: Argo (2012) *Rewatch
This Best Picture winner made it to #11 on my 20 favorites of 2012, and it is still has thrilling and amusing as the first time I watched it. Ben Affleck had proved to be one of the finest film makers of this generation, and has absolutely matured as an actor (even if "Runner Runner" was awful). He put together an impressive roster of actors to handle the ensemble work, and they knock it out of the park.
Grade: A
#58: The Artist (2011) *Rewatch
From start to finish this is a wonderfully entertaining film that does nothing but put a smile on your face. Michel Hazanavicius silent movie about the death of silent movies is perfectly shot, brilliantly acted, and excellently written. If you're not lame enough to hate silent films, this is not a film you should pass up.
Grad: A+
#59: The King's Speech (2010) *Rewatch
Despite Tom Hooper's awkward framing, and Danny Cohen's sometimes unwatchable cinematography, "The King's Speech" is a well acted, and decently written film. It is a slice of life biopic that carries a lot of emotional weight, and Colin Firth carries that weight quite well.
Grade: B+
#60: The Hurt Locker (2009) *Rewatch
This was actually even better than I remember. Kathryn Bigelow focuses her film on the mental toll that war can take. It is an unflinching, gut-wrenching look at an adrenaline junkie who works in Iraq dismantling bombs, and his inability to connect with anyone or anything. Jeremy Renner is perfect in this, and Anthony matches his intensity pound for pound. This wasn't my favorite film of 2009, but it certainly was a fine choice for best picture.
Grade: A
#61: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) *Rewatch
Danny Boyle's look at the child slave market in India is a visceral experience, and a flight of fancy. He, co-director Loveleen Mandan, and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle capture the underside of the country with a stark realism that is tough to watch at times. His cast is impeccable, and they bring a young exuberance to the film that infects the viewer to their core.
Grade: A
#62: No Country For Old Men (2007) *Rewatch
This movie is perfect. PERFECT!
Grade: A+
#63: Freezer (2013)
This was a middling thriller about a man who is kidnapped, and locked in a freezer by Russian gangster. You are stuck with Dylan McDermott with just about every frame, which is nice if you're a fan of his, but he doesn't carry the film very well. There a few twists that are very predictable, and a bit of decent violence, but this an automatically forgettable film.
Grade: C
#64: A Field in England
#65: Nurse 3D (2013)
First, Paz De la Huerta is such a depressingly awful actress, and should never be given a starring vehicle ever again. Secondly, everyone in this film doesn't do anything to try to rise above her level. Thirdly, every line of Douglas Aarniokoski and David Loughery's script is so shockingly bad, that you have no choice but to laugh at them. This is truly on the fast track to the worst of the worst lists.
Grade: F
#66: A Fantastic Fear of Everything (2012)
As comical and imaginative as this movie was, it had some story problems and few moments that dragged a little. It was well directed, and a lot of fun for most of the run. Simon Pegg is wonderfully charming as the film's lead, but then again, when isn't he?
Grade: B+
#67: Gloria (2013)
I really enjoyed Paulina Garcia in Sebastian Lelio's story of a divorcee trying to navigate the relationships in her life. Whether with her two grown children, her new boyfriend, played excellently by Sergio Hernandez, or her ex-husband. The pacing always seems a little off, and some moments were a bit silly, but overall it is pretty good film.
Grade: B-
#68: Monuments Men (2014)
While "Monuments Men" tends to tilt a little far into sentimentalist territory, it is a solid film. George Clooney assembled a completely solid cast that glues together a sometimes shaky script, and gives emotionally charged performances that draw you in for the long haul.
Grade: B+
#69: Vampire Academy (2014)
#70: Lust For Love (2014)
Fran Kranz (the stoner from "Cabin in the Woods") plays a highly unlikable virgin in this awful romantic comedy about a virgin trying to get back with the woman he has been in love with for years. The story never fully develops, and the acting is always stale. The character's indecisive nature is never charming, which makes the film a chore to watch.
Grade: D
#71: The Right Kind of Wrong (2013)
At points, this movie is actually charming, but most of the time the writing falls into the rut of most other romantic comedies. It is hard to not like Ryan Kwanten (Anna Paquin's brother from "True Blood") as a down-on-his-luck writer trying to win the affections of a woman he meets on her wedding day. The problem is, they do everything they can to make you hate her husband, and it all feels forced.
Grade: C+
#72: Interior. Leather Bar. (2013)
I respect what James Franco and Travis Mathews were attempting to do with "Interior. Leather Bar.", but when it begins to bash you over the head, it gets a bit muddled.
Grade: C
#73: The Lego Movie (2014)
This film has a real high rewatch value. It is seriously better the second time.
Grade: A
#74: RoboCop (2014)
#75: Blood Car (2007)
Alex Orr has written one of the funniest and goofiest allegories about the oil industry, and everyone who enjoys a perfectly bad movie should watch this. Mike Brune is excellently terrible as a young man who creates a car that runs on human blood, and sacrifices his all of principals to keep it running. A wonderful script and spot-on cult film cinematography make this movie damn near perfect. "Blood Car" needs to be a staple of midnight movies for years to come.
Grade: A
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