Watched in 2015 (Best to Worst)
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- DirectorJ.J. AbramsStarsDaisy RidleyJohn BoyegaOscar IsaacAs a new threat to the galaxy rises, Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, must join Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace.Not only does it live up to the hype, it actually sets the bar higher and establishes itself as the best Star Wars movie to date.
- DirectorJohn Michael McDonaghStarsBrendan GleesonChris O'DowdKelly ReillyAfter he is threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him.Amazing. Brendan Gleeson reunites with director John Michael McDonagh (if you haven't seen The Guard, go watch it) and the result is just spectacular.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBen AffleckRosamund PikeNeil Patrick HarrisWith his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.After watching this movie, maintain unbroken eye contact with your significant other for at least 10 seconds and try not to feel afraid for your life.
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsMichael KeatonZach GalifianakisEdward NortonA washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.Probably the most technically impressive movie I've seen since Children of Men.
- DirectorMatthew VaughnStarsColin FirthTaron EgertonSamuel L. JacksonA spy organisation recruits a promising street kid into the agency's training program, while a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.Gleefully ridiculous. I loved every second.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsHugh JackmanJake GyllenhaalViola DavisWhen Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts.Dark and twisty.
- DirectorAbdellatif KechicheStarsLéa SeydouxAdèle ExarchopoulosSalim KechioucheAdèle's life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire and to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adèle grows, seeks herself, loses herself, and ultimately finds herself through love and loss.Adele Exarchopoulos gives one of the most amazing performances I can remember seeing in years.
- DirectorRichard GlatzerWash WestmorelandStarsJulianne MooreAlec BaldwinKristen StewartA linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.Heartbreaking.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsLubna AzabalMélissa Désormeaux-PoulinMaxim GaudetteTwins journey to the Middle East to discover their family history and fulfill their mother's last wishes.Between this and Prisoners, Denis Villeneuve is suddenly one of my new favourite directors.
- DirectorMichaël R. RoskamStarsTom HardyNoomi RapaceJames GandolfiniBob Saginowski finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deeply into the neighborhood's past where friends, families, and foes all work together to make a living--no matter the cost.Great movie. I'm just going to steal the spot-on consensus from Rotten Tomatoes: There's no shortage of similarly themed crime dramas, but The Drop rises above the pack with a smartly written script and strong cast.
- DirectorMorten TyldumStarsBenedict CumberbatchKeira KnightleyMatthew GoodeDuring World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians while attempting to come to terms with his troubled private life.Sure, it's not great when it comes to historical accuracy, but still a terrific movie with a fantastic performance by Cumberbatch.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsMatthew McConaugheyAnne HathawayJessica ChastainWhen Earth becomes uninhabitable in the future, a farmer and ex-NASA pilot, Joseph Cooper, is tasked to pilot a spacecraft, along with a team of researchers, to find a new planet for humans.Neat.
- DirectorJeremy SaulnierStarsMacon BlairDevin RatrayAmy HargreavesA mysterious outsider's quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving himself an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.This revenge story keeps a slow pace throughout, but somehow still kept me on the edge of my seat. Excited to see more from Jeremy Saulnier.
- DirectorJaco Van DormaelStarsJared LetoSarah PolleyDiane KrugerA boy stands on a station platform as a train is about to leave. Should he go with his mother or stay with his father? Infinite possibilities arise from this decision. As long as he doesn't choose, anything is possible.The word odyssey comes to mind. One part Eternal Sunshine, one part Benjamin Button and one part Cloud Atlas. That's about what you're in for.
- DirectorDavid AyerStarsBrad PittShia LaBeoufLogan LermanA grizzled tank commander makes tough decisions as he and his crew fight their way across Germany in April, 1945.It almost, but not quite, makes itself a home in the top echelon of WWII films. Solid movie and a nice reminder that Shia LaBeouf is actually a pretty good actor.
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsMiles TellerJ.K. SimmonsMelissa BenoistA promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.My tai chi instructor and I have a relationship just like this.
- DirectorPeyton ReedStarsPaul RuddMichael DouglasCorey StollArmed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, pull off a plan that will save the world.Ant-Man is a really a heist movie at heart, which is right up my alley.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsTom HardyCharlize TheronNicholas HoultIn a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper and a drifter named Max.The tagline for this movie could've been "If it has wheels, it will explode". Credit to George Miller for elevating car chases, explosions and general lunacy to an art form.
- DirectorMichael CuestaStarsJeremy RennerRobert PatrickJena SimsJournalist Gary Webb, California 1996, started investigating CIA's role in the 1980s in getting crack cocaine to the black part of LA to get money and weapons to the Contra insurgents in Nicaragua.Renner is terrific in this film that's got righteous anger to spare.
- DirectorDavid MichôdStarsJames FrechevilleGuy PearceJoel EdgertonA seventeen-year-old navigates his survival amongst an explosive criminal family and the detective who thinks he can save him.Well done tale of an Australian crime family. Jacki Weaver is delightfully insane as the family's matriarch.
- DirectorSean EllisStarsJake MacapagalJohn ArcillaAlthea VegaThis riveting crime thriller follows Oscar, a recent emigrant to Manila who gets pulled into a harrowing world of corruption and violence when he takes a job as an armored car driver to support his family (in Tagalog w/ English subtitles).Half heist movie, half family drama, the moral of the story is DON'T MOVE TO MANILA.
- DirectorLucy WalkerStarsKevin PearceShaun WhiteMason AguirreFifteen years of verite footage show the epic rivalry between half-pipe legends Shaun White and Kevin Pearce, childhood friends who become number one and two in the world leading up to the Vancouver Winter Olympics, pushing one another to ever more dangerous tricks, until Kevin crashes on a Park City half-pipe, barely surviving. As Kevin recovers from his injury, Shaun wins Gold. Now all Kevin wants to do is get on his snowboard again, even though medics and family fear this could kill him. We also celebrate Sarah Burke who crashed in Park City and died January 19, 2012.Heartbreaking documentary about the trauma of brain injuries in extreme sports.
- DirectorJ.C. ChandorStarsRobert RedfordAfter a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.You'd think that watching one guy alone on a boat for a couple hours would get boring, but this was amazing. He didn't even need a volleyball to keep things interesting.
- DirectorJacques AudiardStarsMarion CotillardMatthias SchoenaertsArmand VerdurePut in charge of his young son, Alain leaves Belgium for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Alain's bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident.Cotillard and Schoenaerts are amazing together.
- DirectorAlex GarlandStarsAlicia VikanderDomhnall GleesonOscar IsaacA young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.Smart science fiction.
- DirectorAdam ElliotStarsToni CollettePhilip Seymour HoffmanEric BanaIn 1976 Melbourne, a lonely 8-year-old girl strikes up a correspondence with an unlikely pen pal: a severely obese 44-year-old New Yorker with Asperger's syndrome.This claymation story of two misfits manages to be both depressing and uplifting at the same time.
- DirectorJudd ApatowStarsAmy SchumerBill HaderBrie LarsonHaving thought that monogamy was never possible, a commitment-phobic career woman may have to face her fears when she meets a good guy.It's got laughs. It's got heart. It's got LeBron.
- DirectorJames MarshStarsEddie RedmayneFelicity JonesTom PriorStephen Hawking gets unprecedented success in the field of physics despite being diagnosed with motor neuron disease at the age of 21. He defeats awful odds as his first wife Jane aids him loyally.Redymane's transformation into Stephen Hawking is astonishing and every bit Oscar-worthy. The rest of the movie turned out to be a bit more slight than I'd hoped for.
- DirectorZiad DoueiriStarsAli SulimanReymonde AmsellemEvgenia DodinaAn Palestinian surgeon living in Tel Aviv discovers a dark secret about his wife in the aftermath of a suicide bombing.Suliman is always fantastic and I haven't seen him in a bad film yet. This one just kept getting better and better and has a pitch perfect final scene.
- DirectorJ.C. ChandorStarsOscar IsaacJessica ChastainDavid OyelowoIn New York City 1981, an ambitious immigrant fights to protect his business and family during the most dangerous year in the city's history.Well-written story and a great acting showcase for Isaac and Chastain.
- DirectorTheodore MelfiStarsBill MurrayMelissa McCarthyNaomi WattsA young boy whose parents have just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the misanthropic, bawdy, hedonistic war veteran who lives next door.Well, that was adorable. Also, and let me quote Woody Harrelson here: "BILL *beep* MURRAY"
- DirectorDan GilroyStarsJake GyllenhaalRene RussoBill PaxtonWhen Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.I'd heard nothing but amazing things about this movie, so I was a little disappointed when it turned out to be merely good. Jake Gyllenhaal's performance was as good as advertised, though.
- DirectorJonathan DaytonValerie FarisStarsPaul DanoZoe KazanAnnette BeningA novelist struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.A cross between a standard rom-com and Stranger Than Fiction, this is lightweight but immensely likable.
- DirectorAmir Bar-LevStarsPat TillmanJosh BrolinMary TillmanChronicles the life of the late Pat Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion-dollar contract with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals in 2002 to join the Army but died from friendly fire in Afghanistan.When I was younger, I remember the news about Tillman quitting the NFL to enlist, but I had no idea about the extent of the cover-up concerning his death. Fascinating watch.
- DirectorJames Ward ByrkitStarsEmily BaldoniMaury SterlingNicholas BrendonStrange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead.Watching it once was intriguing. I haven't watched it a second time, but I'm pretty sure if I did it'd break my mind.
- DirectorAnton CorbijnStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanRachel McAdamsDaniel BrühlA Chechen Muslim illegally immigrates to Hamburg, where he gets caught in the international war on terror.Slowly paced but intelligent spy thriller.
- DirectorMichael DowseStarsDaniel RadcliffeZoe KazanMegan ParkWallace, who is burned out from a string of failed relationships, forms an instant bond with Chantry, who lives with her longtime boyfriend. Together, they puzzle out what it means if your best friend is also the love of your life.Rom-com with lots of snappy dialogue.
- DirectorDavid Robert MitchellStarsMaika MonroeKeir GilchristOlivia LuccardiA young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.This might not be saying much, since generally I'm not a fan of horror movies, but this is one of the best I've seen in years.
- DirectorPete DocterRonnie Del CarmenStarsAmy PoehlerBill HaderLewis BlackAfter young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.Another solid Pixar production
- DirectorChristopher McQuarrieStarsTom CruiseRebecca FergusonJeremy RennerEthan and his team take on their most impossible mission yet when they have to eradicate an international rogue organization as highly skilled as they are and committed to destroying the IMF.Reasonably entertaining entry into the franchise. Also, say what you will about Tom Cruise, but doing that airplane stunt without visual effects or a stunt double is damn ballsy.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsRussell CroweJennifer ConnellyAnthony HopkinsNoah is chosen by God to undertake a momentous mission before an apocalyptic flood cleanses the world.Noah alternates between a good guy, a psycho brandishing a knife with a crazed look in his eye, and a repentant drunkard. Also, there are giant rock fairies. Aronofsky did a terrific job here.
- DirectorGlenn FicarraJohn RequaStarsWill SmithMargot RobbieRodrigo SantoroIn the midst of veteran con man Nicky's latest scheme, a woman from his past - now an accomplished femme fatale - shows up and throws his plans for a loop.Not exactly top of the heap material, but Smith and Robbie turns this one into a reasonably entertaining piece of crime fluff.
- DirectorPatrick HughesStarsRyan KwantenSteve BisleyTommy LewisA young police officer must survive his first day's duty in a small country town.Feels like a movie that Tarantino would love. But what's up with the panther?
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsJim SturgessEd HarrisColin FarrellSiberian gulag escapees travel four thousand miles by foot to freedom in India.An epic, beautifully shot man vs. nature story.
- DirectorMark LandsmanStarsCraig BaldwinCraig GreenConrad O. Johnson Sr.Alumni from Houston's storied Kashmere High School Stage Band return home after 35 years to play a tribute concert for their beloved band leader who turned the struggling jazz band into a world-class funk powerhouse in the early 1970s.Heart status: Warmed.
Move status: Busted. - DirectorJosh BooneStarsShailene WoodleyAnsel ElgortNat WolffHazel and Gus are teenagers who meet at a cancer support group and fall in love. They both share the same acerbic wit and a love of books, especially "An Imperial Affliction", so they embark on a journey to visit an author in Amsterdam.Not gonna lie - I got a little misty eyed.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJohn GetzFrances McDormandDan HedayaThe owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies, and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.I'm a big Coen Brothers fan but had never seen their first movie. Doesn't disappoint.
- DirectorJemaine ClementTaika WaititiStarsJemaine ClementTaika WaititiCori Gonzalez-MacuerViago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are struggling with the mundane aspects of modern life, like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.Insightful documentary about the lives of modern vampires.
- DirectorColin TrevorrowStarsChris PrattBryce Dallas HowardTy SimpkinsA new theme park, built on the original site of Jurassic Park, creates a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur, the Indominus Rex, which escapes containment and goes on a killing spree.Velociraptor #1: You know, if there's one human I wouldn't eat, it's Chris Pratt.
Velociraptor #2: He just seems so chill, right?
Velociraptor #1: Totally. Great guy. Just seems like you could sit down and have a beer with him.
Velociraptor #2: Yeah he seems totally cool. And I mean, how good was he in Guardians of the Galaxy?
Velociraptor #1: Yeah that movie was dope, bro. - DirectorDavid WainStarsJaneane GarofaloDavid Hyde PierceMichael ShowalterSet on the last day of camp, in the hot summer of 1981, a group of counselors try to complete their unfinished business before the day ends.If you were putting together a list of the best movies ever made which starred a talking can of soup, this would be on it.
- DirectorGabe PolskyStarsViacheslav FetisovVladislav TretiakScotty BowmanThe story of the Soviet Union's famed Red Army hockey team through the eyes of its players.Entertaining hockey documentary.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsJude LawScoot McNairyBen MendelsohnIn order to make good with his former employers, a submarine captain takes a job with a shadowy backer to search the depths of the Black Sea for a submarine rumored to be loaded with gold.As with any worthwhile entry in the subgenre (see what I did there?), this one's got tension to spare.
- DirectorMichael SpierigPeter SpierigStarsEthan HawkeSarah SnookNoah TaylorAs his last assignment, a temporal agent is tasked to travel back in time and prevent a bomb attack in New York in 1975. The hunt, however, turns out to be beyond the bounds of possibility.Time travel done right.
- DirectorLenny AbrahamsonStarsMichael FassbenderDomhnall GleesonMaggie GyllenhaalJon, a young wanna-be musician, discovers he's bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank.Starts off as a light-hearted quirky comedy and shifts into something darker, more serious, and more rewarding.
- DirectorJohn RidleyStarsAndré 3000Hayley AtwellImogen PootsA drama based on Jimi Hendrix's life as he left New York City for London, where his career took off.Andre Benjamin does Jimi so well it's unsettling.
- DirectorSteven KnightStarsTom HardyOlivia ColmanRuth WilsonIvan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his carefully cultivated existence.Tom Hardy sits in a car for an hour and a half and makes a bunch of phone calls. Seriously, that's it. And it works. Further proof that he's one of the best actors of his generation.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsBradley CooperSienna MillerKyle GallnerNavy S.E.A.L. sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home with his family after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind.It's a good movie, sure, but undeserving of a best picture Oscar nomination.
- DirectorBill CondonStarsIan McKellenLaura LinneyHiroyuki SanadaAn aged, retired Sherlock Holmes deals with dementia, as he tries to remember his final case, and a mysterious woman, whose memory haunts him. He also befriends a fan, the young son of his housekeeper, who wants him to work again.Has the feel of a BBC miniseries (not that there's anything wrong with that) and reinforces McKellen's gravitas even when he's not controlling metal or fighting Balrogs.
- DirectorJames MarshStarsNim ChimpskyStephanie LaFargeHerbert TerraceTells the story of a chimpanzee taken from its mother at birth and raised like a human child by a family in a brownstone on the upper West Side in the 1970s.An interesting look at a social experiment and the impact on its chimpanzee subject.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEthan HawkeJulie DelpySeamus Davey-FitzpatrickWe meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna.OK, so it's a good movie and everything, but I was so freaking upset at the end. Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are both just amazing, but this one...I mean, what a way to kill my romanticism.
- DirectorDavis GuggenheimStarsCharles AdamsJonathan AlterRobert BalfanzAn examination of the current state of education in America today.Damning indictment of the American education system.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsCate BlanchettAlec BaldwinPeter SarsgaardA New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks like a million dollars but isn't bringing money, peace or love.Cate Blanchett is amazing, as usual.
- DirectorDaniel LindsayT.J. MartinStarsBill CourtneyO.C. BrownMontrail 'Money' BrownChronicles three underprivileged students from inner-city Memphis and their volunteer coach who tries to help them beat the odds on and off the field.Excuse me, I just have something in my eye.
- DirectorNicole HolofcenerStarsJulia Louis-DreyfusJames GandolfiniCatherine KeenerA divorced woman who decides to pursue the man she's interested in learns he's her new friend's ex-husband.One of the rare good romcoms.
- DirectorFrank PavichStarsAlejandro JodorowskyMichel SeydouxH.R. GigerThe story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel.This would have been one of the weirdest movies ever.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsOscar IsaacCarey MulliganJohn GoodmanA week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.Slight, but still enjoyable. Great music doesn't hurt, either.
- DirectorMark RomanekStarsKeira KnightleyCarey MulliganAndrew GarfieldThe lives of three friends, from their early school days into young adulthood, when the reality of the world they live in comes knocking.A solid adaptation of an amazing novel.
- DirectorDon HallChris WilliamsStarsRyan PotterScott AdsitJamie ChungA special bond develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who together team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.Cute.
- DirectorMathieu AmalricStarsMathieu AmalricLéa DruckerStéphanie CléauIn their blue hotel room, a clandestine couple of two married lovers plan an impossible future, as death shutters their already frail tranquillity. Now, the noose tightens more and more around innocents and sinners; but, was there a crime?This French whodunit leaves you to draw your own conclusions.
- DirectorJean-Marc ValléeStarsReese WitherspoonLaura DernGaby HoffmannA chronicle of one woman's 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent personal tragedy.I have sympathy pains in my feet.
- DirectorGareth EvansStarsIko UwaisYayan RuhianArifin PutraOnly a short time after the first raid, Rama goes undercover with the thugs of Jakarta and plans to bring down the syndicate and uncover the corruption within his police force.Not as good as its smaller-scale predecessor.
- DirectorNoah BaumbachStarsBen StillerGreta GerwigJennifer Jason LeighA man from Los Angeles, who moved to New York years ago, returns to L.A. to figure out his life while he house-sits for his brother. He soon sparks with his brother's assistant.Ben Stiller's character is probably the biggest *beep* ever.
- DirectorWes BallStarsDylan O'BrienKaya ScodelarioWill PoulterThomas is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they're all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow "runners" for a shot at escape.As far as YA dystopias go, this one was pretty solid. Looking forward to the sequel.
- DirectorFrancis LawrenceStarsJennifer LawrenceJosh HutchersonLiam HemsworthKatniss Everdeen is in District 13 after she shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage.It's not going to knock your socks off or anything, but this was a solid setup for the final installment.
- DirectorMick JacksonStarsClaire DanesJulia OrmondDavid StrathairnA biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry.Claire Danes plays against type in this lightweight but well-done biopic.
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansMark RuffaloWhen Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it's up to Earth's mightiest heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plan.It was fine, I guess, but not up to the standards of your typical Marvel movie.
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsPayman MaadiLeila HatamiSareh BayatA married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.Bad parents! Go to your rooms!
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsChris EvansJamie BellTilda SwintonIn a future where a failed climate change experiment has killed all life except for the survivors who boarded the Snowpiercer (a train that travels around the globe), a new class system emerges.Great premise with a somewhat muddled execution. Would've been great as a miniseries or something a little longer.
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsSteve CarellChanning TatumMark RuffaloU.S. Olympic wrestling champions and brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz join "Team Foxcatcher", led by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont, as they train for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, but John's self-destructive behavior threatens to consume them all.Carell is amazing as John duPont, but the rest of the movie didn't really hold my attention.
- DirectorJim StrouseStarsSam RockwellEmma RobertsRob CorddryA comedy centered on a has-been coach who is given a shot at redemption when he's asked to run his local high school's girls basketball team.Worth watching for Sam Rockwell, who's always excellent.
- DirectorRob EpsteinJeffrey FriedmanStarsJames FrancoTodd RotondiJon PrescottAs Allen Ginsberg talks about his life and art, his most famous poem is illustrated in animation while the obscenity trial of the work is dramatized.As a movie, meh. As a performance of the poem, thumbs up.
- DirectorPaul FeigStarsMelissa McCarthyRose ByrneJude LawA desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent diabolical global disaster.The first half is unbearably unfunny, but the second half almost makes up for it.
- DirectorNeil JordanStarsSaoirse RonanGemma ArtertonSam RileyResidents of a coastal town learn, with deathly consequences, the secret shared by the two mysterious women who have sought shelter at a rundown hotel.Well acted by Ronan, but not much in the way of story.
- DirectorZal BatmanglijStarsChristopher DenhamNicole ViciusBrit MarlingTwo documentary filmmakers attempt to penetrate a cult who worships a woman who claims to be from the future.Occasionally intriguing indie. Brit Marling is terrific.
- DirectorOlivier AssayasStarsJuliette BinocheKristen StewartChloë Grace MoretzA film star comes face-to-face with an uncomfortable reflection of herself while starring in a revival of the play that launched her career.Terrific acting all-around, but the story fails to provide much of a draw.
- DirectorMatthew WarchusStarsBill NighyImelda StauntonDominic WestU.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984.Good, if a little schmaltzy.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsAmy AdamsChristoph WaltzDanny HustonA drama about the awakening of painter Margaret Keane, her phenomenal success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband, who claimed credit for her works in the 1960s.Would it be too obvious to call this paint-by-numbers?
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsSaoirse RonanTom HollandGeorge MacKayAn American girl, sent to the English countryside to stay with relatives, finds love and purpose while fighting for her survival as war envelops the world around her.Actually a very good movie when it avoids the teen angst/melodrama kind of stuff. Too bad it really lays it on thick at the end.
- DirectorGlenn FicarraJohn RequaStarsJim CarreyEwan McGregorLeslie MannA cop turns con man once he comes out of the closet. Once imprisoned, he meets the second love of his life, whom he'll stop at nothing to be with.Not very well-executed, but the insanity of this true story redeems the middling construction of the movie.
- DirectorJason BatemanStarsJason BatemanKathryn HahnAllison JanneyA spelling bee loser sets out to exact revenge by finding a loophole and attempting to win as an adult.Basically it's just 90 minutes of Jason Bateman insulting people, which is occasionally funny, but beyond that there's not much of a movie.
- DirectorMike JacobsStarsRichard GazowskyPietro ManigrassoA documentary following a Pentecostal minister who receives a vision from God to create an epic science fiction movie based on the biblical story of Joseph, sending him and his followers on a journey of extreme faith.A sad documentary about self-delusion in the name of faith.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesMichael NyqvistAlfie AllenAn ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.Not much in the way of substance, but Keanu sure knows how to shoot people with style.
- DirectorDavid MichôdStarsGuy PearceRobert PattinsonScoot McNairy10 years after a global economic collapse, a hardened loner pursues the men who stole his only possession, his car. Along the way, he captures one of the thieves' brother, and the duo form an uneasy bond during the dangerous journey.This moody post-apocalypse was a little too, well, pointless for my liking. Good performances from Pearce and Pattinson, though.
- DirectorJason WiseStarsBo BarrettShayn BjornholmDave CaubleFour sommeliers attempt to pass the prestigious Master Sommelier exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world.Has almost nothing to do with wine - its basically about a bunch of guys stressing over a really difficult test. Mildly entertaining, but nothing special.
- DirectorJames GrayStarsMarion CotillardJoaquin PhoenixJeremy RennerIn 1921, an innocent immigrant woman is tricked into a life of burlesque and vaudeville until a dazzling magician tries to save her and reunite her with her sister who is being held in the confines of Ellis Island.Pretty, but dumb.
- DirectorBrad PeytonStarsDwayne JohnsonCarla GuginoAlexandra DaddarioIn the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey with his ex-wife across the state in order to rescue his daughter.MUCH EXPLOSIONS
- DirectorAmma AsanteStarsGugu Mbatha-RawMatthew GoodeEmily WatsonThe biracial daughter, Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), of Royal Navy Captain Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode) is raised by aristocratic Great-uncle Lord William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) in 18th century England.Its heart's in the right place, but not much else is.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsIan McKellenMartin FreemanRichard ArmitageBilbo and company are forced to engage in a war against an array of combatants and keep the Lonely Mountain from falling into the hands of a rising darkness.Ugh. I should have just watched Lord of the Rings again.
- DirectorJonathan GlazerStarsScarlett JohanssonJeremy McWilliamsLynsey Taylor MackayA mysterious young woman seduces lonely men in the evening hours in Scotland. However, events lead her to begin a process of self-discovery.It has its moments, but you'd be better off sticking with the novel, which is a great read (and almost entirely different).