Limitless (2011)

Bradley Cooper plays a guy who takes a drug that makes him really smart.  Of course for a guy with such a high IQ you'd think he'd foresee what would happen to him but I guess the director Neil Burger and screenwriter Leslie Dixon expect their audience to be pretty dumb.  Somehow, even with this issue, this film succeeds as a slick entertainment with strong performances and an ending that cleans up any potential plot holes.  I'll have to check out the novel its based on by Alan Glynn called The Dark Fields. Grade: B+.

Spoiler:  I have two pet peeves with this film.  One is the notion that we as human beings can only access 10% of our brain.  This cliche overused in many science fiction films is a myth that's been proved false.  We do access our entire brains but for some reason this cliche is still being used when it's an easy fix: just makeup some pseudo science to explain it, be clever folks.  The second pet peeve I have is that the entire time I'm watching the movie I'm thinking, "Why doesn't this guy uses his new found brain to figure out where the drug comes from so he can learn more about it.   Actually he does this but we the audience are kept in the dark about this until the end.  Okay, I see you want to surprise us, but the affect is I'm spending the entire movie rolling my eyes thinking how stupid this movie is.  I'm not sure if that's a good idea.   I'm also not sure if I like a film that glorifies the use of drugs to improve our lives but that's just a minor morality thing, no big deal.

In Old Chicago (1937)

An early example of a disaster film, this one follows the O'Leary brothers as they make their way in Chicago.  Don Ameche plays the responsible lawyer who dreams of tearing down the poor neighborhoods and build a stone city of the future.  Tyrone Power is the business man and power broker of a saloon who with the woman he loves, an entertainer named Belle, sets out to make lots of money.   Soon there is a power struggle between these two men and it builds to a thrilling climax with the famous Chicago Fire of 1871.  Grade: B+

Spoiler:  That opening scene with the death of their father is quite impressive and surprising.  Of course, the O'Leary family gets over his death pretty quickly (which is humorous) but hey they're in Chicago now so maybe I too would move on. 

Incendies (2010)

Nominated for Best foreign language film of last year, this drama about twins setting out to fulfill their dead mother's final wishes, to deliver a letter to the brother they didn't know they had and to deliver another letter to their father is a dark and demanding film.  The mystery behind their mother unfolds in flashbacks as we follow the twins' journey.  A very beautiful tragedy that begs the world to love instead of hate.  Grade: A

Spoilers:  There are many great scenes but that bus burning scene was as shocking and as terrifying as they get.  I sort of could see where the film was going but its the way the handled the twist that works.  I'm on the fence if it should have won the Oscar.  It was certainly deserving of the nomination.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Season 7) - Series Review

I did it!  Sadly it's over.  No more Buffy to watch.  I must start the withdrawal process.  Now that it's over I can honestly say that this last season was a triumph.  While still fresh on my mind, I'd have to put it as the third or forth best season.  That said, it's a great ending and I am giving a standing ovation of the mind right as I write this.  It's another Apocalypse and the villain this time is the First and in many ways that's the perfect way to bring the series full circle because we return to Sunnydale High where it all began.   Instead of relying on a new actor to play Buffy's nemesis for this season they have the First look like anyone they want, which is refreshing.  That said Nathan Fallon's Priest character is welcomed sidekick.   Could this season have been better?  Sure there are some choices that would have been more satisfying for me and I'd have loved a few more episodes to visit older story lines and maybe a two-hour finale but that's all minor wishes. (Still the fact they jammed so much in an hour for the finale is impressive.)  Overall this is a successful conclusion to one of the most clever and entertaining television shows out there.  Grade: A.

Spoiler:  The single episode that blew me away was "Storyteller" where Jonathan makes a documentary and he ends up facing his own guilt.  That episode alone is proof at how great this show is.  There are many other great episodes but most of them blend together.   What would I have liked to have seen?  Maybe Buffy choose Spike over Angel, that was a slap to the face.  After building up a great love story between Buffy and Spike the writers toss it aside for Angel, a guy that's not been part of her life anymore.  That scene, while very well-written, felt emotional dishonest and left me cold.  The chemistry between the two of them that once was so palpable had lost its passion and no matter how good they are as actors they didn't convince me they still loved each other.   Not that I disliked the way Spike sacrificed himself at the end, but it would have been so much more powerful if Buffy committed to her love for him instead of Whedon stepping in and blocking the emotional arc of the scene. (I didn' buy his reasons in the commentary track either.)  Of the entire show, this is the only time I doubted Whedon's choices and disagree with the way he handled these unique and established characters.  I also felt Willow and Kennedy's hookup while necessary to show Willow's moving on, it's the kind of relationship that just won't work out.  But those are the only flaws I can see and I thank Joss Whedon and company for crafting such a splendid story. 

Win, Win (2011)

Paul Giamatti is rarely in bad form and has the golden touch selecting films to work on.  This is going up there on the top of my list as one of the best of the year.  It's such a well-written film, so complete and rich with developed characters, I'm rooting for it to make an appearance on Oscar night.  Small town lawyer and high school wrestling coach, Mike Flaherty, needs more money.  He takes responsibility as a guardian for one of his older clients to collect $1,500 a month only ending up caring for the man's grandson too, a kid that just so happens to be one of the top high school wrestlers in the nation.  I hate to over praise a film but I don't see how anyone could dislike this story.  Watch it and see for yourself.  Grade: A.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Season 6) - Series Review

Buffy has been ripped from the afterlife and brought back to slay again, only to battle her greatest foe in the series so far.  This is the best season of Buffy.  It has it all!  The Spike situation is intense and intoxicating.  Willow's battle with the dark arts and its seduction is amazing and unpredictable.  What is there not to like?  What's especially great about this season is the build to its conclusion which is driven by pure story and is perfectly executed.  Bravo!  Grade: A+

Spoilers: Okay, let's clear the air, I'm a musical fan so the all-Musical episode (One More Time, With Feeling) floored me.  It's the second best episode of the series and if there's one episode I plan to watch again and again it's that one.  Other great episodes: "All the Way" where Dawn sneaks out of the house, "Tabula Rasa" where Willow makes everyone forget, "Smashed" where Spike and Buffy hook up, "Older and Far Away" or what I refer to as the Luis Buñuel inspired episode, "Normal Again" where Buffy believes her life is a delusion and of course the last three episodes starting with "Seeing Red" where the dark Willow is unleashed.  Wow!  What I applaud the writers for pulling off the most is the Buffy/ Spike love story.   When I started to realize that they were going to have Buffy and Spike fall in love I thought to myself, that's a great idea but how the heck are they going to make it work.  Well, they do make it work and I have to say I'm more a Spike/Buffy fan then an Angel/ Buffy fan now.   

Charley Varrick (1973)

Walter Matthau was so good.  Here he plays the title character, a stunt pilot turned crop duster turned bank robber who with his partner in crime Harmen (played by Andy Robinson) must figure out what to do when they unintentionally steal mob money.  Charley is a smart, hard criminal running out of time.   He's just lost his wife, is dealing with an irresponsible partner and a hit man (Joe Don  Baker) out to kill him.   What he does next is really fun to watch.  I really enjoyed this Don Spiel production and loved the smart almost pulp fiction feel.  What a forgotten gem. Grade: A.