New Blog Format beginning with films released after 12/31/2011

After much thought, I have decided to turn this Film REVIEW blog into a film RATING blog. What this means- instead of reviewing the films I see, i will simply give it a rating out of four stars with no review. Part of the reason for me doing this is because I have not seen many movies lately and when I do see them, I do not post as much on the film as I used to. Why beginning on films released in 2012? I want to finish the year with film reviews just to be able to give my input on Oscar nominated films. Films that are eligable for 2012 nomination must be released by 12/31/2011. So, I will finish out the year with reviews and will begin the new year with just ratings.

Thanks to those who read my reviews for the past 3 years. I hope you will stick around to see the ratings that I give films.

I will also begin to think about making a possible Yankees Fan blog. I have never pointed out on here that I love baseball and the Yankees. I want to convert that passion into writing and soon.

MikeTheMovieFanatic

Moneyball

Moneyball was a film made for all ages and all baseball fans. It told the story of Billy Beane after his 2001 Athletics lost key members of their team including Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi. The movie took us inside his world through Brad Pitt, who did a marvelous job portraying Beane. The story is meant to make people believe in miracles, but this is more than that. It comes from a true story that one would be crazy in thinking had any validity. Moneyball is the ultimate feel-good movie of the year with superb acting and vast knowledge of the basis of the story of the Oakland A's of 2002. 3 and a half out of 4 stars.

One Day

The story is ambitious in this romantic drama but never really goes above what is expected from the man who directed "An Education". The character chemistry is essentially non-existant aside from Hathaway and her counterpart. The characters go through a lot in the twenty years that they know each other but it is what happens at the end that left me not knowing what to think about the movie overall. It was promising at the beginning but ultimately left me feeling like I was just slapped in the face. No pun intended. Just a whacky film that you have to watch for yourself to understand the uncertainty I'm facing right now. Even though I am glad I watched it, I wouldn't watch it again. 2 out of 4 stars.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Let's just say that I had very little expectations for this film solely because I usually don't enjoy Steve Carell movies. Putting that aside, I can honestly say that this was a really good romantic comedy. It had the perfect balance of everything that you want in a comedy: chemistry, wackiness and sincerity. It was not great but it was as close to greatness as you can get. The story meshes so perfectly with it's subplots and I loved how everything came together in the end. Steve Carell actually did a good job in this film. The only negative about the movie is its slow start. That however is null and void after the first 15 minutes of the film pass. A heartwarming romantic comedy that I would watch again and again. 3 out of 4 stars.

Friends With Benefits

I can't believe that I actually gave this garbage a chance. I came in with low expectations and left confirming what I thought was going to be nothing more than a cliche romcom with a naked Justin Timberlake. It was more than I needed to see to say the least. This compares to the horror of My Best Friend's Girl. Mila Kunis was charming but there was no chemistry between any of the characters. The only performance worth noting was Richard Jenkins' role of Timberlake's father. The rest was a waste of time. How anyone can find this remotely entertaining has terrible taste in film or at the least, romantic comedies. 1 out of 4 stars.

Zookeeper

Larry Crowne

Sure, the movie was predictable and sure it lacked real chemistry between the characters but it managed to keep me interested somehow. Maybe it was the witty humor or the naive young guys playing college students making complete fools out of themselves or maybe, just maybe, it is Julia Roberts' ability to capture an audience full of movie-goers and have her smile resonate through the dark theater. It's that likability factor that leaves the audience satisfied after watching a not-so-special romantic comedy that has eighty different main characters with troublesome lives. Tom Hanks has become dry and not as charming on screen as he once was but with Julia's big, bright smile the failures of the film quickly disappear and has the viewers loving the story. Through this unclear review, one thing is clear: In the end, it's all about French toast. 2 and a half out of 4 stars.

The Hangover Part II

Overall the sequel to the laugh-out-loud original movie was if not more, then just as funny. Although the story and the chain of events almost mirrored the first film, its disastrous situations made up for the lack of originality. The character of Allen made the movie what it was even more so than he did in the first installment. If I'm going to speak from an intellectual standpoint, I would say that this film is an embarrassment of American cinematic production that shouldn't have gone past the drawing board. On the other hand, as a movie-goer I would say that it was a hilarious film. Even though a lot of the images in the movie were not needed and may have scarred many in the audience including myself, it did not subtract from the level of hilarity that the sequel had. If I have make one thing clear however, it would be that I don't want there to be a third movie. That would be over-kill to what has already been killed. 2 out of 4 stars.

Midnight in Paris

Woody Allen's latest film involves a couple played by Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams, who take a trip to France for family business. Allen addresses the idea of nostalgia as being perfectly normal despite "pseudo-intellectuals" in the film frowning upon the idea of wanting to be somewhere else in time. Owen Wilson was portrayed closest to what Allen's character would have been in the film. He yearns to live in 1920's France with writers of that time. His fiancée in the film couldn't disagree more with Wilson's late night strolls in Paris where he goes to a world unknown to anyone living in present day... except for one person. Marion Cotillard played brilliantly the role of a costume designer who lives in Wilson's nostalgic world. The movie was very funny with subtle humor that gets everyone laughing out loud. "Paris" is easily Allen's best film of the new millennium with its star-studded cast, charming story and simplistic take on life. 3 and a half out of 4 stars.

Something Borrowed

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, and some drug material.
Something Borrowed is a romantic comedy starring two Hollywood starlets, Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin. The film is based on a book by Emily Giffin. The film is essentially about two young women who have been friends their whole lives and share everything, including men. Through this debacle of a situation, they show their true colors toward each other and true friends will be sorted out from the other people in their lives who were considered to be important to the leading ladies. Although the film is cute and all, it lacks the unpredictability factor. The audience can almost sense what is going to happen next and it makes for dull moments when they should really be interesting. John Krasinski stars as a friend of Goodwin's and provides ample comic relief, much like his character did in "It's Complicated"- come to think of it, it feels like he was transported through film and the same character was inserted into this movie. Still, it was fresh and provided me with several "aha" moments in a film that was otherwise very cliché. 2 out of 4 stars.