Attack the Block (2011)

4.5 out of 5

Attack the Block was the funnest movie experience I have had in so long. It was full of action, humor, and was somehow able to perfectly draw the line between the two. One of the reasons why I enjoyed the film so much was because I am a teenager myself and it is so cool to see young kids run around and be heroes of the inner city in this fun action flick. The fact that the film was from the UK also made it fun because the humor seemed so much different than american humor.
The movie is about a group of teenagers who have formed a gang and are faced with an alien invasion in their section of the inner city. They are then forced to use the help of friends and victims of their crime to fight off the mysterious beasts from space.
This was such a success and so much fun with a very creative plot.

The Artist (2011)

5 out of 5

There is no doubt in my mind that this is a brilliant and ingenious film with a boatload of masterful film making strategies. The Artist is a story about a big time actor named George Valentin in the silent film industry in the 1930's who sees his career diminish before his eyes when movies with sound are discovered. He cannot live with the undeniable truth that he is not who the world wants anymore. Instead everyone wants to see Peppy Miller, a young attractive dancer who lights up the big screen with her moves and expressions. And Peppy's first film ever was a silent one with Valentin. Throughout the film the two actors have mixed feelings for each other and this leads to a classic ending.
The big twist to all this is the fact that the film is silent itself. I loved the style of the film, and truthfully I have never seen a silent film before this one and even though I thought that I would be bored with the lack of dialogue and "sound", I was kept intrigued because of how well the story was built. The music in this movie is nothing less than fantastic. The Artist was slow at some parts but it was totally understandable due to the handicaps in the rules of making a silent film. It was just such a fun way to change up the style of film and go old school. It was daring and successful.

My Top Ten Films of All Time

1. The Godfather Parts I and II (1972) (1974)

2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)


3. Casablanca (1942)

4. Saving Private Ryan (1994)

5. Schindler's List (1993)

6. Raging Bull (1980)

7. Gone with the Wind (1939)

8. Psycho (1960)

9. On the Waterfront (1954)

10. City of God (Cidade de Deus) (2002)

Drive (2011) Re-Review

5 out of 5

This is not only the best film of the year, but Ryan Gosling's best, and one of the best films in a while. The style is so artistic, the music is awesome, and pace of the film is perfect. Drive is about a driver who is hired for an escape from robberies. He is known for his skill and the fact that there is nothing he can't do in a car. He is very quiet throughout the film but in tense scenes he breaks out of his quietness in anger because of his love for a woman and her son who live in his apartment building. He watches over them until her husband is released from prison. From then on the film becomes a series of violence and revenge. It is so well done and my favorite  movie since Inception. It really did impress me and kept me so captivated. One of my favorite things about Ryan Gosling's character was the fact that he respected Irene (Carrie Mulligan) and her husband enough to not cause her to cheat on her husband. He just wanted to help a woman in need is the way I saw it. You must see this film if you have not yet.

Das Boot (1981)

5 out of 5

A thrilling, suspenseful, and claustrophobic film about the adventure of a Nazi submarine and its crew. The boat goes through an incredible journey filled with intense battles. Throughout the whole film you really start to connect with the crew and you start to cheer for them even though they are Nazi. You start to realize that not all Nazi soldiers agreed with Hitler and his views. One scene of the movie several crew members are talking after a very rough battle with an Allie destroyer and one sailor says "Screw Hitler...Screw this war", another sailor responds" It's not about the war or Hitler anymore, it's about each other." The film mainly revolves around the Captain played by Jurgen Prochnow who does an absolutely fantastic job. You really start to connect with him the most and I often tried to put myself in his position and imagine what I would do in several scenes of the movie. You as the viewer start to realize that he as a captain of a submarine with over 150 men on it, he has responsibility for all of their safety. I also loved how the whole movie I felt like I myself was trying to live in a submarine. I loved this movie, and the more I think about it, I love it more.

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

5 out of 5

One of my favorite suspense thrillers, it keeps you so intrigued and on the edge of your seat the whole film. Another success from Ben Affleck. Casey Affleck truly impressed me with his performance also. The movie is great and the story is so intense and thrilling.

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

3.5 out of 5

Yes, it has its "unfortunate" moments that I wish that director, Nora Ephron did not decide to keep. But, the movie is fun, creative and almost a classic in the romantic comedy genre. I thought that Tom Hanks did a fairly good job and the movie really did keep me interested.

The Tree of Life (2011)

4.5 out of 5

The impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s and a very beautiful and creative way to depict the creation of our world. I am still trying to figure out every sub plot and every message that was presented to me through the film. The Tree of Life is many things, The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (as an adult) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. The story during the 1950's is about a strict father trying to find the right ways to treat his three boys. Brad Pitt does an incredible job at a very hard role. The film shows the mental struggle the three sons go through because of their violent and strict father. Mr O'Brien tries to force love out of his family even though he scares them, and they celebrate when he goes away. You also see the struggles of the mother when she tries to be loving towards them, but is punished by her husband for doing so. You then see the effects of an unloving father when the boys start trying different things that they know are wrong. It seems like they do these things because they don't want to obey anything their father tells them. This film has a very cool style to it and I loved the creativity. For a large portion of the movie, we see many beautiful shots of our universe and a few different views on the creation  to show Jack's confusion of what to believe. Some would say it is boring but I would say that it was excellent and creative. Before you sit down and watch it, make sure you are ready for a very philosophical and deep film.

The Ides of March (2011)

4.5 out of 5

Excellently depicts the disgusting truths about politics.It is so sick to see  what sometimes goes on with out us voters knowing, and this movie portrays very well, a plot filled with greed, lies, lust, and extortion all caused because of the sinful desires of man and the race to become President. It really is a sad thing, and fortunately director George Clooney did not make the movie look like it supported all of these problems in any way. The sickest part of the film is the fact that, even after all the lies and extortion the bad guy can still come out on top. One scene of the film is a conversation between the campaign manager for the other candidate and Stephen Myers (Gosling) who is second in command for Mike Morris (Clooney) and his campaign. In this scene Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) is telling Stephen Myers the reasons why the democrats have such a hard time winning. He tells Stephen that the Republicans are crueler, tougher, meaner, and dirtier than the democrats. I found things like this very interesting throughout the film because the leader of our country should be a man of integrity and truth and the whole game plan for running for president seemed filled with everything but integrity. Throughout the film Governor Morris often talks in his soeeches about the importance of integrity and how he was fed up with all of the lies. The plot is filled with twists and interesting side plots that have you on the edge of your seat. Gosling gives an amazing performance once again. Unfortunately there were some problems with the screenplay such as over done cursing from almost every character, and some of the campaign speeches came across a little flawed and not very creative. All in all this film was fantastic and it had me very engrossed.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

4 out of 5

This beautiful Woody Allen film portrays and fun romance with an interesting idea. There were so many beautiful shots and views of paris, and the dialogue was fantastic. The ending of the film is someone interesting but also somewhat drawn out. One of the best this year.