The Expendables-Check Your Brain at the Door

The Expendables (2010): Co-written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, The Expendables is a brainless over the top action filled blood bath.  The cast consists of a who’s who of 1980’s and 90’s action stars, including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke & Stone Cold Steve Austin.  The basic premise is a group of elite mercenaries have been hired to help overthrow General Garza, the brutal Latin dictator of the fictional island of Vilena.  During a reconnaissance mission, it is discovered that Garza is being backed by an Ex-C.I.A. agent who is trying to use the island to grow and produce cocaine.  Along the way, Stallone’s character falls for the daughter of the dictator, a lot of stuff gets blown up, and ton of guts and blood are spilled capped off by a scene where one guy gets his head chopped off and his buddy has the knife shoved through his throat.

The script is bad; the acting is horrible at times (with Stallone being by far the worst of the bunch).  But if you are considering watching The Expendables, you certainly aren’t picking it because of its Oscar potential.  This is an adrenalin pumping action film through and through.  At times the action is so crazy that it feels like you’re watching scenes from The Matrix more the Expendables.  But, I will say that if you can check your brain at the door, and are in the mood for pure bloody violence, you might be entertained enough by The Expendables to make it worth your time.  (** Stars)

A Whole Week to Watch Movies:

The best part of a holiday week is all the time available for a movie-a-holic (like myself) to watch some favorite movies and catch up on films I haven't seen yet. Here are some quick reviews of good films I viewed this week for those looking for some different options at the rental store or through Netflix.

Desperado (1995): Directed by Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, From Dusk Till Dawn), Desperado stars Salma Hayek and Antonio Benderas. Benderas plays a former mariachi who is trying to avenge the death of his lover at the hands of a Mexican drug lord. Although not as great as I originally remembered, it's films like Desperado that remind me that movies are about entertainment, and it's ok to watch the occasional gratuitously violent film and have a fun time doing so. Full of over the top action, Desperado is an entertaining and fantastical blood bath of a movie. (*** Stars)

Star Trek (2009): One of the most visually thrilling films of the last decade. This is the movie that the Star Trek brand desperately needed, as director J.J. Adrams breathed new life into this stagnant franchise. Fresh, funny and captivating, Star Trek tells the story of how the crew of the USS Enterprise was assembled, and shows the temperamental beginnings of the friendship formed between James Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto). For not being the slightest fan of the Star Trek films of the past, this movie was such a major surprise and one of the best films of 2009. (*** ½ Stars)

Carlito's Way (1993): A crime film directed by Brian De Palma (Carrie, Scarface, The Untouchables) staring Al Pacino, Sean Penn and Penelope Ann Miller. Pacino, fresh off his Oscar win for Scent of a Woman, plays Carlito Brigante, a Puerto Rican crime leader who's 30 year sentence has just been overturned after 5 years due to a legal technicality. Vowing to leave his past life of crime behind and make an honest living, Carlito agrees to take over the management of a local nightclub that's struggling financially. However, the more he tries to distance himself from his past, the more his past seems to be pulling him back in. Although the film gets off to a bit of a slow start, the last 40 minutes easily makes up for that. Carlito's Way is a solid crime film with noteworthy performances from acting greats Pacino and Penn. (*** Stars)

Billy Elliot (2000): Billy is young boy growing up in a single parent blue collar English home who has dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. His father, a local coal miner who is currently on strike, has issues with the idea of his 11 year old boy giving up boxing for ballet, which he sees as a girl's activity. At times, the thick Northern English accents can be a bit difficult to understand. But overall Billy Elliot is a sweet and inspirational story about being yourself, overcoming adversity and following your dreams. (*** Stars)

City Hall (1996): Another 90's Al Pacino film also staring John Cusack and Bridget Fonda. City Hall is a political drama about the aftermath of a shooting between a NYPD officer and a drug dealer that left both dead along with an innocent young boy. Pacino plays Mayor John Pappas, a brash and ambitious politician who seems to always be looking to use and spin any situation into his favor. Cusack plays Deputy Mayor Kevin Calhoun, whose job it is to investigate why Tino Zapatti, the drug dealer involved in the shooting, had been sentenced to probation for a recent crime instead of being sent to jail. As his investigation unfolds, more and more influential people get implicated. City Hall is a typical 90's drama and there isn't anything amazingly memorable about it. However, it is a decently entertaining story that will keep your attention, and for those Pacino fans who haven't seen it, he delivers his usual commanding performance. (** ½ Stars)

An Unfinished Life (2005): Staring Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Lopez, An Unfinished Life is a touching drama about forgiveness and the bonds of family. Redford plays Einar Gilkyson, a Wyoming rancher who lives and works with his lifelong friend Mitch Bradley (Freeman). When his estranged daughter-in-law Jean (Lopez) shows up on his doorstep unannounced, Einar is shocked to discover that he has a granddaughter he's never met. Jean, who is trying to get away from a abusive former boyfriend, asks Einar if she and her daughter Griff can stay with him while she tries to rebuild her life. Cantankerous and disagreeable, Einar reluctantly agrees to let them stay despite the fact he has always blamed Jean for the tragic death of his son Griffin. As the movie progresses, Einar and Jean try to reconcile their differences while Einar also attempts to create a relationship with his new granddaughter. Although the storyline follows a fairly predictable path, its the distinguished performances from Redford and Freeman that make this film a delight to watch. (*** Stars)

Reality Bites (1994): The directorial debut of Ben Stiller, this 90's romantic comedy stars Stiller, Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke, along with Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn. The story is about the career and lifestyle challenges faced by Generation X youth of the early 1990's. Admittedly at times the film feels a bit dated by the “Mtv Real World” type references, however I believe contemporary college graduates will be able to relate with the feelings of uncertainty about the future that the movie addresses. The true strength of this film is the talented cast of future stars led by the remarkable performances from Ryder and Hawke. An amusing and poignant look at the fears of recent grads entering the workforce, Reality Bites has a surprisingly relevant sentiment to current aspirations and anxieties about today's job market. (*** Stars)

Oh, I also watched The Godfather this week. I considered writing a review, but thought better of it because...well it's The Godfather. Need I say more? With almost three more days left in the week, I'm curious which other movies I'll be able to check out during my free time.  Oh, and to Jamee, don't worry I haven't forgotten my promise to watch My Dog Skip, haha.

Your Highness Trailer

Just watched the Your Highness Uncensored trailer, looks like it could be pretty funny.  Plus Zooey Deschanel & Natalie Portman in the same movie...count me in :) Your Highness comes out in 2011.

More Your Highness Videos

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: A Mystery Masterpiece

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2010) is a Swedish mystery film with English subtitles that was originally released overseas in late 2009, but the official U.S. release date wasn't until March of 2010.  Dragon Tattoo is the first of a three movie trilogy, with the other two films being The Girl Who Played With Fire (released July 9, 2010), and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (released October 29, 2010).

From the opening scene, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let go.  Set in Sweden, the story is about an investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) who has just lost a Libel case against a crooked Swedish tycoon and is sentenced to three months in prison.  Mikael has six months before he must turn himself over the authorities, and during this time is hired by Henry Vanger, an Industrialist and the leader of the Vanger Group, who wants Blomkvist to investigate the 40-year-old unsolved disappearance of his beloved niece Harriet.

Unbeknownst to Blomkvist, he has been under surveillance by a security firm led by a troubled yet very gifted computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Repace).  After the Libel case ended, Lisbeth’s interest in Blomkvist remained, and she continued to hack into Mikael’s computer to monitor his activities.  In order to investigate the unsolved disappearance, Blomkvist moved onto the Vanger estate and resided in one of the guest houses.  During one of her hacking sessions, Lisbeth notices the case that Blomkvist is now working on and can’t resist helping with one of the clues, emailing her findings to him under her hacker name WASP.  After the initial shock of being hacked wore off, Mikael tracks down Lisbeth and offers her a job helping him on the case, which she reluctantly accepts.  Now working together, Blomkvist and Salander begin digging into 40 years of the Vanger family secrets in order to try to solve the mystery of what happened to Harriet Vanger. 

If there is ever a time to listen to a recommendation of mine, this is it.  See this movie! Dragon Tattoo is an intense mind-blowing thrill ride.  The twists and turns of the story come from every direction, and Noomi Repace’s portrayal of Lisbeth is hauntingly stunning.  My only caution is the film is unmerciful in its depiction of some graphic rape scenes, which may challenge some viewers.  But overall this film is a masterpiece, and I don’t throw around that term lightly.  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is by far the best murder mystery film I’ve seen, and easily one of the top 3 films of 2010.  (**** Stars)

Get Low: A Masterful Work of Art

I had the distinct pleasure to view the film Get Low yesterday evening at the Fountain theatre in Old Mesilla. Get Low is the type of movie you always hope to see when you head to the theater. It has that beautiful combination of cast, script, direction and performance that leaves you speechless.

Get Low is set in the rural Tennessee woods during the Depression era. Robert Duvall plays Felix Bush, a callous hermit who has become a local legend in town lore. Felix decides that he wants a living funeral, and seeing the possible money opportunities, funeral director Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) agrees to help Felix with his request. As the movie progresses, we see that Felix's rough facade is really hiding a tormented soul who's secret past has caused him to choose a life self banishment.

Get Low is a wonderfully elegant story about guilt, redemption and forgiveness. Bill Murray's dry comedic timing is spot on, and Sissy Spacek is angelic in her portrayal as Mattie Darrow. It is Robert Duvall's performance however that stands above the rest. By far, one of the finest achievements of his illustrious career, Duvall should be the front runner for this year's Best Actor Oscar. Get Low is a masterful work of art, and easily one of the best films of 2010. (**** Stars)

An Unfortunately Insignificant Movie Night

Over the last two years, director Tony Scott and Academy Award winning actor Denzel Washington have teamed up to make two films involving trains, The Taking of Pelham 123 and Unstoppable. Yesterday I thought it would be fun to check out both films and compare to two efforts.

The Taking of Pelham 123 is a remake of a 1974 film and stars John Travolta along side Washington. Denzel plays Walter Garber, a New York city subway dispatcher who unexpectedly being a hostage negotiator when Travolta's character Ryder calls his dispatch line declaring he's hijacked a subway train and wants $10 million dollars. As the movie progresses, we pick up that Ryder's true intentions may not be about the ransom money, but on a much bigger score.

Surprisingly, I have to say that Pelham 123 was the best of the films I watched yesterday, but that's really not saying much. Pelham is a by-the-numbers predictable thriller movie. John Travolta's performance is way over the top at times, and you can see the ending coming a mile away. Keep your expectations low and Pelham will keep you entertained (** ½ Stars)

Unstoppable is another cheesy, clichéd thrill ride. Predictably, everything that could go wrong does go wrong in this film, which obviously was put in to add to excitement level, but at times insults the viewer's intelligence. There is way too much cheering in this movie, no one really seems too concerned that this train actually might crash and cause death and destruction. I would describe Unstoppable as a combination of the films Speed and Armageddon. In terms of a “keep you on the edge of your seat” action thriller, this one is worth watching. But remember to just sit back and not to think too much about how preposterous the story actually is. (** ½ Stars)

I hope Denzel and Tony Scott got big paychecks for these two movies, because overall they are both pretty vapid and unoriginal films that do nothing for their impressive career resumes. After my Denzel train double header, I thought my movie evening was over. But thanks to my good friend Jeff and his movie pass I unexpectedly was able to check out the free showing of Clint Eastwood's new film Hereafter. With such good critic buzz, especially from Roger Ebert, who I have immense respect for, I was pretty excited to finally get the chance to watch it. As we walked into the theater, we thought we had lucked out having the whole place to ourselves, later we would discover it was just a sign of the quality of the film.

Hereafter is slow, slow, slow. Half the time it seemed like Matt Damon literally didn't wanna be there. His portrayal of psychic George Lonegan is hokey and stereotypical. The best part of the movie was the ending. Not because it gave some great revelation as to what had happened over the previous two hours of the film, but simply because it meant the movie was finally over. Hereafter is dreadfully slow and boring. I thought Clint Eastwood had hit rock bottom with his 2008 release Gran Torino, but unfortunately I was wrong. Tedious and insipid, Hereafter makes dying look like a better choice then watching this film. (* ½ Stars)



An empty Hereafter theater

Three Burials:A Rugged Western Worth Giving A Try

I'd first like to welcome my newest follower, Jamee (I hope that's spelled correctly) Welcome, and I hope you'll feel free to add comments whenever you feel up to doing so.

My co-worker in the morning also happens to be huge movie aficionado, which definitely makes for entertaining conversations. Everyday we shoot the breeze about various films we've either enjoyed or hated, and we've also begun bringing in movie recommendations for the other to watch. Over the weekend I viewed one of those recommended movies from his collection.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) is a modern western drama and the directorial debut for Academy Award winning actor Tommy Lee Jones. The film was inspired by a real life killing in Texas of an American teenager by the United States Marines during a military operation near the border. Jones also stars in the film playing the character Pete Perkins, a life long cowboy who is trying to solve the mysterious death of his best friend Melquiades Estrada. Unfortunately, because of Estrada's legal status, the local law enforcement has shown little interest in solving the apparent murder. So when word gets back to Pete that a local border patrol agent, played by Barry Pepper, may have been involved in Estrada's death, Perkins decides to take justice into his own hands, kidnapping the agent and forcing him on a perilous horseback pilgrimage into Mexico to return Estrada's body back to his hometown.

Jones' directorial debut is genuinely meritorious effort. His use of flashbacks to show the relationship and interactions between Perkins and Estrada really illuminates why Jones' character is so determined to return Estrada's body back to his hometown. My only real complaint for the film is Dwight Yoakam's performance a Sheriff Belmont. I found his portrayal to be laughable at times and way too over the top. Besides that, Three Burials is a challenging and fascinating film and a definite recommend, especially for western fans. (*** Stars)

A foreign flick worth checking out...

Earlier this year, Yahoo movies came out with a list of The 100 Movies To See Before You Die-The Modern Classics 1990-2009 (which I think is a great idea, and I might do one myself real soon ;-) There are dozens of lists like these, and each are pretty subjective; no one will agree with every selection that is made. However, what I do enjoy in respect to these types of lists, is they give you ideas about new movies to watch and introduce films that you might not have known about. Among the films highlighted by this particular list was a 2001 French film by the name of Amelie, starring French actress Audrey Tautou (later known for her role of Sophie Neveu in the 2006 film, The Da Vinci Code).

Amelie is a romantic comedy about an eccentric young woman who's mediocre relationships of the past has caused her to shun romantic love. Instead, she finds pleasure in the simpler things in life, including the joy found in helping others through the use of secret elaborate schemes. For example, as a way of motivating her father to travel, Amelie secretly steals the garden gnome from his backyard, and has her air-hostess friend mail him anonymous letters with pictures of it posing in front of various landmarks from around the world.

While walking through the train station, Amelie comes across a photo album dropped by a young man by the name of Nino. After a second chance encounter, Amelie becomes smitten with Nino, who is an eccentric person in his own right. His hobbies include collecting discarded photographs of strangers from passport photo booths. Too shy to simply approach him, Amelie creates an intricate plan involving the found photo album to try meet Nino.

Adorably whimsical, this sweet love story creates a dazzling and imaginative depiction of modern Paris. Although in French with English subtitles, the rich story and wonderful acting from Tautou is so stimulating that you can't help but get swept up in this fantasy creation. (***1/2 Stars)

Oh, and incase you'd like to check out Yahoo's list, here's the link:

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/100-movies-to-see-before-you-die-modern-classics.html

WARNING! WARNING!!!

I just read on MSN.com that James Cameron is planning on making Avatar 2 & Avatar 3 for release in 2014 & 2015.  Are you serious??? Hopefully the apocalypse will have hit us by then to save us from this impending doom!

A movie weekend recap...

Thanks to the Netflix online service, this weekend's movie choices were diverse and fairly entertaining.

The Messenger (2009) stars Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster. After getting back from a tour in Iraq, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Foster) gets assigned to the Army Casualty Notification service where he is paired up with Captain Tony Stone (Harrelson). Throughout the movie, we follow the two as they notify the next of kin that their loved one has died in action. The Messenger is similar to The Hurt Locker, in that it shows another side of the military that rarely gets presented in movies. The Messenger is a beautifully somber and personal film, that tastefully shows the difficult task casualty notification officers have during times of war. By far the best of the films I viewed this weekend, and yet another noteworthy movie from 2009 (***1/2 Stars)

Alice in Wonderland (2010) For someone who would never claim to be a huge fan of director Tim Burton (he's definitely an acquired taste), I have to admit that Alice in Wonderland was a lot more entertaining then I had expected. Impressive visuals and an extraordinarily zany performance by Johnny Depp keeps you involved and entertained. Although not masterpiece, Alice in Wonderland is a fun and imaginative retelling of the classic tale. (***Stars)

The Men Who Stare At Goats (2009) Ewen McGregor, George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey star in this satire comedy about a black-ops military project who's goal is to train officers in the use of psychic powers. At times, a fairly entertaining movie, but unfortunately the film is not that funny. Ultimately, even with a spectacular cast, The Men Who Stare At Goats is a forgettable film that doesn't add anything substantial to either the comedy or war genres. (**1/2 Stars)

Easy A?...Easy C...

Last night I went to my local Cinema 12 to check out Easy A.  After enjoying Emma Stone in Superbad and Zombieland, I had decent expectations for this film, but unfortunately they weren't met.  Campy and shallow, Easy A does not live up to its supposed humorous hype.

Easy A is a modern retelling of the Scarlet Letter.  Emma Stone plays Olive Penderghast, an anonymous high school student who's life gets turned upside down when she lies to her best friend Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka) about losing her virginity.  Her lie gets overheard by Marianne (Amanda Bynes) and is spread all over school.  Now considered a floozy, Olive's new found fame leads to guys giving her money and gift cards so they can say they hooked up with her to help improve their  popularity in school.  As her reputation as a slut grows, the conservative Christian student group led by Marianne begins to harass Olive, trying to get her to repent for her new promiscuous ways. 

While aiming to be smart and witty, the humor in Easy A comes off feeling forced and campy.  Olive's parents, played by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson, are too over the top and flaky, and the stereotype portrayal of the Christian high school students left a bad taste in my mouth.  Another more personal issue I had with Easy A is; did they run out of money for a decent soundtrack?  The music selection for this film is horrible.  I'm willing to forgive a bad song here and there, but when almost every song becomes a distraction to the scene and leaves me cringing, that's a problem. 

With such an accomplished and talented cast that included Thomas Haden Church & Lisa Kudrow along with Stone, Tucci, Clarkson, I really wanted to like Easy A.  But the few chuckles I did have couldn't make up for the giant flaws in this film.  (**Stars)

Saw the 127 Hours trailer tonight, looks really good....

Coming out today in limited released is the new James Franco film, 127 Hours.  I watched the trailer for it tonight and I have to say it looks really good.  Unfortunately it hasn't come to the Las Cruces area yet, so I will have to wait to see it.  I put the trailer down below so you can take a look yourself. 

Remember, Remember The 5th of November...

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!  If  you have no idea what I'm talking about then you obviously haven't seen the film V for Vendetta.  Released in 2006, V for Vendetta is a politically charged action film starring Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman. 

Hugo Weaving plays a masked vigilante known as V, who's sole ambition is to get the people of Great Britain to rise up against the oppressive government in power.  V also has a few personal scores to settle with certain former and current government officials whose viral experiments caused V's current physical condition.

Easily one of the most thought provoking action films to come out in the last decade, if you haven't seen this film I would highly recommend going down to your local blockbuster and checking it out.  (****Stars)

2010's Indie Surprise!

Another trip to the Redbox last night yielded quite an exciting discovery. After hearing a lot of great things about Winter's Bone, I decided to finally check it out. Winter's Bone was the 2010 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner.

Jennifer Lawrence plays Ree Dolly, a 17 year old who is desperately trying to keep her family together, taking care of her sick mother and two younger siblings all on her own. Her father has recently gone missing after drug charges were brought against him for cooking crystal meth. Ree is informed by the local sheriff that her father put their family house and land up for collateral to post bond, and if he doesn't show up for his trial, Ree and her family face being evicted and losing everything.

Throughout the movie, we find that the town's people have more acceptance for backwoods justice then the law and are more concerned with protecting their own seedy interests then helping Ree find her father. Through the use of suspenseful storytelling and the dreary wintered settings of the rural Ozark woods, Winter's Bone is a film that rattles the senses and constantly keeps you on edge.

This film is truly worthy of the praise it has received. In a blah year for movies, Winter's Bone was truly a site for sore eyes. Easily one of the best movies of 2010, I fully expect this film to be a Best Picture Oscar nominee, and Jennifer Lawrence to be one of the Best Actress favorites come next February. (****Stars)

You're Never Too Old To Play With Toys...

A late night pilgrimage to my local redbox Tuesday night turned into a successful trip, as I drove home with Toy Story 3 in my possession for viewing pleasure. It had been many years since I had seen the previous two Toy Story installments, so I was a bit uncertain what to expect with this new one.

Toy Story 3 revolves around the story of an all grown up Andy graduating high school and going off to college. While packing up for college, Woody, Buzz and Co. are mistakenly put in a box and donated to Sunnyside, a local daycare center. What starts out as a paradise for toys, turn into a prison when Lotso, the furry pink leader of the Sunnyside toys forces the new arrivals to work the toddler room. The Toy Story crew spends the rest of the movie desperately trying to escape Sunnyside and get back to Andy before he leaves for college.

For the die-hard Toy Story fans, Toy Story 3 doesn't quite reach the heights of the first two, but the Pixar visuals and artistry are still top notch. Overall, Toy Story 3 is a very pleasing movie, and the final ten minutes of the film offers a nice heartfelt and gratifying ending to this enduring franchise that so many of us have grown to love over the years. (***Stars)

2004:A Year To Remember

Sunday night's entertainment was Johnny Depp's 2004 film Finding Neverland. It had been quite a while since I had watched Finding Neverland, and my enjoyment of the film reminded me once again how impressive a movie year 2004 was. The sheer number of excellent films from 2004 makes it in my opinion the best year for movies during this last decade (with 2009 coming in a very close second). While making my Top 10 list for this post, I had a difficult time trying to decide which movies would make the cut and which wouldn't, especially at the #10 spot. But after some deliberating, I decided that Anchorman was deserving of inclusion, and would catch the last spot on my list just beating out Life Aquatic.

2004 Top 10 Movies:

1. Before Sunset-The sequel to Before Sunrise (1995). Before Sunset is an almost perfect film. The chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy leaps right off the screen & the script is spot on with amazing back and forth dialogue; an extremely intimate movie.
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-Easily Jim Carrey's finest performance. Eternal Sunshine has grown in popularity and critical acclaim over the years. A magical mind-trip about the enduring survival of love.
3. Sideways-an amusing, comical movie about two old college buddies who take a week long road trip up to California wine country before an impending wedding. Paul Giamatti is excellent as Miles, the buddy who has to clean up the many messes that Jack, Thomas Haden Church's character, creates.
4. Garden State-The writing & directorial debut of Scrubs star Zach Braff, a sweet, delightful and poignant look at main character, Andrew Largeman's trip home to New Jersey for his mother's funeral, and the unlikely encounters that follow. Natalie Portman is a scene stealer, bringing irrepressible humor to even the most mundane moments.
5. Kill Bill Vol. 2-Part two of Quentin Tarantino's homage to his favorite martial arts & spaghetti western films of the past, this is a revenge flick like no other. Uma Thurman shines, as she continues on her killing rampage, leading to an inevitable showdown with former lover & martial arts Master, Bill.
6. Million Dollar Baby-The 2004 Best Picture winner, an inspiring and somber story about ambition and striving for your dreams even in face of adversity.
7. Finding Neverland-A magical and original re-telling of the Peter Pan story. Johnny Depp is charming & charismatic and Kate Winslet proves once again why she just might be the best actress of the last 20 years.
8. Closer-An erotic and intimate story of love, lust and betrayal. Natalie Portman's performance won her a Supporting Actress Golden Globe, capping off what was definitely a great year for her professionally.
9. Hotel Rwanda-A frightening, enraging and heroic look at one man's efforts to save his friends, family and neighbors from sure death at the hands of Hutu extremists. Based on the true stories of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Don Cheadle's performance is career defining.
10. Anchorman-Originally written off as just another Will Ferrell comedy, time has been very kind to Anchorman. Full of memorable quotes and one-liners, this comedy is one that gets funnier with each viewing. Bravo Mr. Burgundy!

Honorable Mentions: The Aviator; Bourne Supremacy; Collateral; Friday Night Lights; Hellboy; In Good Company; Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou; Man on Fire; Ray; Spanglish;