Inglourious Basterds

Inglourious Basterds begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa. Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she starts a new life as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of revenge. Known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. The film transitions so smoothly through the chapters that it is organized into. The story was utter brilliance with excellent direction and cinematography. The acting of Pitt was pure and authentic (and hilarious at times). There is little to say about "Basterds" that hasn't already been stated above. Serious Oscar consideration in screenplay, and acting for Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, and Mélanie Laurent. 4 out of 4 stars.

G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra

I'm just going to just right into it. Could it have been anymore tedious? I mean come on, the two hours I invested in watching this pathetic film could have been spent doing useful things, such as sleeping. It was a bore. Don't get me wrong-the action sequences were nothing short of thrilling and eye-popping but there was no story, horrible Hollywood-like romance sequences through out the feature that made me want to laugh. The only up side, aside from the action packed scenes was Marlon Wayan's performance. He deserves a better foundation for the comic relief he could have provided, if they had given him input. This is a disappointment and Paramount should be ashamed for releasing it as it was. It needs major work. 1 and a half out of 4 stars.

Ponyo

I have never seen a Miyazaki film and came in not having seen a trailer for Ponyo. I had heard how great this movie is and decided to see it. I wasn't really impressed. The story wasn't anything out of this world and the characters were very odd to say the least. The only praise that I would give this film is the animation. It was incredibly unique and beautiful. It isn't a film that I would consider seeing again but I am glad that I got to experience a film of this sort. It was one of the strangest movies I have ever seen, in a comical way.About recommending it, I wouldn't recommend it but I wouldn't want to deter anyone from seeing it. 2 and a half out of 4 stars.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Even in a movie that is so emotional, one looks for an escape, a connection to the lovers. The film has been compared to The Notebook and Benjamin Button but let me say that it is nowhere near the genius of the two films. Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana star in the drama-romance as two lovers, with Bana being a time traveler (hence the title). The order in which the events occur are like a puzzle. In order to keep tabs on what happens in the film, you cannot miss one minute of it because you may have skipped a vital detail that builds the movie's story. The film attempts to keep the audience interested, which it achieves. The only problem is the chronology of the events and how flat the story was. It has a predictable ending which is given away in the middle. One of the better elements of the movie is the chemistry between McAdams and Bana. Great performances with a weak story. 2 out of 4 stars.

Julie & Julia

Frustrated cubicle worker Julie Powell (Amy Adams) embarks on a year-long culinary journey to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She chronicles her trials and tribulations in a blog that catches on with the food crowd. The film also covers the years Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) spent in Paris during the 1940s and 1950s, when he was a foreign diplomat. The brilliance of the film belongs to Meryl Streep. Her performance as Child is truly and thoroughly convincing. When the scenes focus on her life, the room feels brighter and easier to breathe in. Even though Adams' role wasn't as glamorous and thrilling, she still played a vital role in the film. This is very different from anything director, Nora Ephron has ever done, but it fits. People who expect to see a movie like You've Got Mail or When Harry Met Sally... will be surprised but hopefully in a good way. In comparison to other films that Ephron has been involved in, this one doesn't quite grasp the audience as much as her earlier films have. 2 and a half out of 4 stars.

Funny People

Let me start by saying this: I was looking forward to this film more than any other one this summer. I was so disappointed by the story and the roles given to Sandler and Rogen. The concept of Funny People is that Adam Sandler finds out he has a terminal disease and is expected to die shortly. Rogen is an up and coming comic that does a bit that Sandler enjoyed listening to. Yada, yada, yada, Sandler makes Rogen work for him. I didn't like this movie for many reasons but the main reason was because it made Adam Sandler be so unlikable. I always thought that if anything, Rogen would be the rotten snob while Sandler was more humble and sincere. The first half of the movie was tolerable and as it "progressed", it got worse. I was yawning through the whole thing, waiting for someone to say something even remotely funny. I got nothing. I am disappointed with Apatow's direction and the way the story made me feel like I was watching two separate films. Pity points will apply to this rating because I usually enjoy Sandler, Rogen, and Apatow in other works. 2 out of 4 stars.

(500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer, first and foremost, belongs to its stars. The chemistry of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel was beyond spectacular. Greeting card writer, Tom is introduced to his boss' assistant, Summer. He immediately falls in love with her looks and later learns that she isn't looking for anything serious but it doesn't stop him from going to any lengths to have Summer be his. This "romantic" comedy makes the concept of romantic comedies appealing again, for I have yet to see anything that matches the brilliance of this story as well as the exceptional writing and direction the film is taken in. In addition, the soundtrack for the movie is superb and matches what each of the characters are going through so perfectly. This is simply what a refreshingly honest comedy should be like. 4 out of 4 stars.