166 - Whip It

There are no surprises in this feel-good story directed by Drew Barrymore. Not much of a stretch for Ellen Page, but a really good turn for Kristen Wiig. Nice to see Juliette Lewis, too.

165 - Gran Torino

How does an aging Clint Eastwood flex his inner Dirty Harry? By acting his age...and using his wits instead. Well, he does get to point a gun at people :)....but his imaginary one really is the killer.

164 - The Hurt Locker

I have to say I think I'm a bit saturated with modern warfare films, and I feel it on this one....but it's worth noting that this film is well done. It follows in the same path of adrenaline as Black Hawk Down. And does prove a point...to be a bomb tech takes mental slant...you just can't do it if you're not one crazy 'mother ;).

p.s. some very nice "Executive-Decision like-Segal" cameos...Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes ;)

163 - The Night Porter

Other than her bit parts, I've only really known Charlotte Rampling in Swimming Pool. Having finally seen The Night Porter, I feel sad to have missed out on a lot of her work. If by any chance you've seen Maggie and James in Secretary, I say you have to see Charlotte and Dirk Bogarde in The Night Porter.

162 - Love and Honor

As tender and elegant as Twilight Samurai, Love and Honor left me speechless. It's beautifully crafted and truly worthy of its title....which can easily be taken for granted. Again, Yoji Yamada has shed light into other sides of Samurai life that are truly worth noting, and admiring. The story of Mimura and Karo is not unusual, but the delivery and minimalism of dialogue highlights the creative precision of this great film.

161 - The Limits of Control

A Jim Jarmusch film is a journey, not a destination. I enjoyed travelling with the lone man, meeting a bunch of odd characters (among them Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, and Gael Garcia Bernal). The Limits of Control is a photographer's delight. Every five seconds or so you will spot a great shot.

160 - 47 Ronin

It's been done so many times and referenced in many different ways.....but I wanted to see it again. Kon Ichikawa's version is truly magnificent. The attention to detail in Japanese architecture kept me glued to the screen and the way in which the story was told made me truly feel like I was watching a legendary manga novel live. It doesn't hurt to see Rie Miyazawa, as well, such a welcome face :).

159 - Away We Go

Having seen The Office....I honestly feel like I'm watching a Jim Halpert movie :). It's a great story and I like how it was written to treat each stop in their trip as stories in themselves, and yet feature in the background the perseverence of the couple.

158 - Local Color

I think there really was a great story that was the basis for the film, but the presentation fell somewhat short.

Armin Mueller-Stahl felt like good casting, but either the script needed more interpretation or directing may have kept it too tight, I honestly don't know. Perhaps in order to preserve moments that inspired the film, a lot of the storylines or dialogue took a back seat. Trevor Morgan, in a role that would be a good fit for either Tobey Maguire or Elijah Wood, doesn't really bring that much to the character. I'm biased about Samantha Mathis, but here again it feels like the script has kept her from doing anything meaningful.

The film does have its merits in its commentary about art, which I found both amusing (way to go Ron Perlman ;) ) and insightful.

157 - Blade of the Immortal

I've followed the graphic novels for quite some time and while the artwork is faithful to the original, watching it was somewhat weird when you've gotten used to following the story in comic form. I think I'll stick to the graphic novels.

156 - The Girlfriend Experience

I admire Steven Soderbergh's explorations or turns in his filmmaking profession (like "Bubble"). In The Girlfriend Experience, he uses a semi-documentary style mixed with a wild card casting of Sasha Grey...who, in real life parallels the lead. My curiosity in Sasha Grey lead me to a little bit of her porn resume, and believe me, dumb prey she is not (submissive prey you are, if you dare). I like the details Steven highlights in the film, such as Sasha's high-maintenance and repetition (and patience) with clients. But what I appreciated most was that unseen effect that goes on between Sasha and her clients. It's that undescribable air that can probably be seen as nervousness most times. It just manifests differently depending on the person. The fact that Sasha's life does have its sad turns wouldn't surprise anyone, but it's her toughness that cracks a little at some point that actually brings some normalcy, believe it or not.

155 - The Piano Teacher

Let me get this out of the way first.....Isabelle Huppert reminds me of Amy Madigan. It's that serious pout. Anyway, the film is a very interesting observation of a deprived or denied emotion.....and sadly, the consequences. Isabelle simplifies it in the interviews as an examination between love and seduction or loss of control, but I saw much more of its complexity on screen.

154 - Sunshine Cleaning

Depending on how your adolescent years went, there is a part of you that either wants to hang on or completely look away to what once was.... You continue to move on, but mostly in directions that probably were never in the "master plan". Amy Adams really projects a lot of that...evertime she's not smiling. Emily Blunt supports well...and her character is realistic. Adding Adam Arkin and Jason Spevack kinda looks formulaic, but they are more part of the background than anything.

153 - Julia

Tilda Swinton morphs from ice queen to drunk rat flawlessly :). The film drags a bit though, and I think there would have been more "efficient" ways to tell the story.

152 - Ashura

While this film has the usual elements of asian fantasy, it also comes with some very interesting segments such as the kabuki theater. I like the sense of humor and how the story incorporates the scribe (or screenwriter) and how he sees events unfold and will later depict the story for theater.

151 - Anamorph

It's Willem Dafoe's Davinci hairstyle, I guess :).....I like the unique concept of anamorphosis as used in the story. I wonder if this had been made a little darker (if say.....given to Jonathan Demme, Alfonso Cuaron, or.......David Lynch ;) ).

150 - Religilous

When you try to cross scientific fact with religion, you set yourself up for trouble. And that's pretty much how all of Bill's "victims" fall to his inquiry.....mostly to those who really take religion to its extreme. And if you're in that "extreme", this film will not make you happy. Otherwise, it's very informative and funny(!).

149 - The International

The scene above is where Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) gets run over by an escaping suspect...which is one of those moments that made me pause a bit. I mean......usually the lead is able to jump out of the way....but here she actually gets run over (she's ok by the way). Anyway, I think there wasn't enough in the film to support Eleanor or Louis' (Clive Owen) reputations. While Tom Tykwer presented action well like he did before (Run Lola Run), I think there was a lack of depth in the story. A bonus is seeing much of the Autostadt (quite a treat) that was used for the bank's headquarters.

148 - The Wackness

Squires and Shapiro, that's a funny tandem especially when you see that it's Ben Kingsley and Josh Peck......oh, and my apologies, Sir Ben Kingsley. He really pulls it off, hits his spots, and just has the facial expressions and nuances to match. The story is in the neighborhood of Wonder Boys....where in place of the mentor and student you have the shrink and the patient. The dynamic between Squires and Shapiro are both funny and geniune.

147 - The Go Getter

The story had promise and it had a supporting cast that can really carry it with Zooey, Jena, Maura, and Bill (Duke).....but the film falls short. Lead Lou Taylor Pucci has the innocent face, but just does not seem to be able to bring the character needed for the story.