"Dogtooth" is a shocking satire (3.75/5)

I haven’t fully understood the idea of protecting a child from the ways of the world. From censorship to home schooling, protecting children from the bowels of society seems prudent. This is especially true when you consider that the good influences typically outweigh the bad. Yet, some parents restrict children in a way that stunts their mental and emotional growth. Once released to the world at large, the sheltered don’t have the tools to survive. This is symbolically evident when a wild animal is domesticated and released back into the bosom of mother nature. Through the domestication process, the animal is stripped of its natural sensibilities to survive in what can be a chaotic world. Once out on their own, the animal falls victim to sheltered tendencies. Of course, this doesn’t mean that those who are home schooled or restricted from seeing certain kind of content are always unadjusted, but there is certainly the chance that a wholesome upbringing may in fact be counter productive. Taking this notion to an extreme level is the Greek film Dogtooth, which was just recently nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar.

"Blue Valentine" is an ode to falling in and out of love (4.5/5)

Love is a blessed thing. It slowly builds through  meetings of chance and determination as we get to know one another through precious activities that strengthen a blooming connection. Hollywood understands this aspect of love. Granted, most of it is done through montages and pop songs, but they understand the construction of a relationship at a surface level. But, what most films regarding love usually get wrong is the deconstruction of a relationship. Such a horrible feeling is often built on contrivances and a plot point that finds one of the partners getting caught behaving in a way that is unscrupulous. This is most prominent in romantic comedies where one of the partners kiss or appear to be romanticizing a person of influence from their past while their current partner looks on from a distance. It’s a shame that most films fail to realize that love is something that can dissipate with no reason, or in the very least, gradually deform through years as attractive human qualities become annoyances.

'The King's Speech" is a triumph (4.5/5)

One of the first images that we see in The King’s Speech is a microphone sitting atop a distinguished podium that looks down on the patrons of a horse racing event in Wembley Stadium. The microphone waits quietly for its speaker, Prince Albert (Colin Firth), to deliver a speech to the English faithful. As we look at the microphone with Prince Albert, whose wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) is holding his hand with lovingly support, there is an ominous undercurrent that reeks of anxiety. Full well knowing that speech is not only a weakness of Prince Albert, but also a fear that cripples our mouths, director Tom Hooper and screenwriter David Seidler set an imposing tone in the opening frames by simply putting emphasis on a sterling, inanimate object. With such a powerfully symbolic opening, Hooper and company have us invested. Not only do they rattle our protagonist, they infiltrate and expose a fear that many of us place above death when it comes to things that make our hearts erratically palpitate.

"True Grit" is a terrific western from the Coen Brothers (4.25/5)

Remakes are the latest craze in a dollar driven Hollywood. It seems that producers from every major studio are looking to the past as a means to find a guaranteed dollar from a franchise or modern classic buried in the past. Once films are remade, they’re usually done so to an unproven studio director or are embarrassingly made to ensure a quick turn around. It’s under this lazy, hasty guise that filmgoers felt uneasy when word broke that the Coen Brothers would be filming their own version of True Grit, an incarnation that would be more on par with the source material of the same name. Even more so, Wayne purists were ready to rage once the announcement was made. It’s one thing to remake The Karate Kid, but to reinvent the film that won John Wayne an Oscar is surely sacrilegious! Let’s be honest, True Grit  isn’t famous for being good anymore than it is for being one of Wayne’s last, great performances. If a remake or reincarnation of a prized novel were to be shoved down our throats, in the very least we can take solace in the fact that it’s being forced down by the venerable Coens.

"The Fighter" lacks a knockout punch, but is a decisive winner (3.75/5)

I think we as movie goers often take the construction of films for granted. Unless we’re deeply invested in the world of film, or read the trades, I think audiences tend to overlook the entire process a film runs through. Some films take years, if not decades to come to fruition, which makes them all the more savoring once they finally hit the big screen. One of the most storied films to find its way through years of stagnation would be The Fighter. Green lit years ago with Wahlberg in the lead, The Fighter had gone through numerous hands until it was shelved. Through the determination of Wahlberg and genuine interest from Christian Bale, The Fighter was able to gain traction. Enter in the surprising choice of David O’Russell as director and now, after years of gestation, The Fighter is within our grasp. For as heartwarming as it is to hear that Wahlberg’s life project is now on the silver screen, the film itself is lacking something in the end. More on that in a minute, but what the film doesn’t lack is passion.

"127 Hours" is a humbling, visceral experience (5/5)

Often we go to films to escape the mundane and depressing aspects of our lives. Mowing the lawn or having a mental breakdown is not really exciting when compared to being by the side of Christian Bale as he battles Heath Ledger’s Joker amongst the skyscrapers of Gotham City. Films like The Dark Knight, although more serious than others, are escapist films and send us down an avenue of intrigue and fun. With fun and escapism aside, films often fulfill another need. Such a need is the ability to experience an event that appreciates the human condition. To be more specific, these are films that are determined to give an audience an experience they would otherwise hide from. These films are not particularly fun, but they’re ultimately involving as they force us to appreciate the very life we’ve been trying to escape for years. One of the best films from 2010 that resembles this respect for life would be Danny Boyle’s  fact based 127 Hours. 127 Hours is a visceral look at the survival of Aron Ralston (James Franco), a man who was literally caught between a rock and a hard place for five days.

"Tron Legacy" is gorgeous, but is ultimately hollow (3.25/5)

You know you’re in trouble when a film’s greatest asset is its score. The trouble seems even more insurmountable when said film has an astronomical budget dedicated to lavish effects that are only worthwhile half the time. Enter in Tron Legacy, a film that Disney haphazardly resurrected from the 80’s. Even though I’ve never seen the original Tron sans a few clips from Youtube, it’s endearing to see a major studio try and update a franchise that otherwise would only be brought up in dedicated film circles. With that being said, it’s a misjudged attempt to bring a cult classic to the contemporary masses.

"Exit Through the Gift Shop" is a whirlwind 'documentary' (4.25/5)

Exit Through the Gift Shop is a bewildering film. It’s not that the film’s content is hard to handle, but it mutates into something that leaves the mind wandering long after the lights turn up and the credits roll. The film follows Thierry Guetta, a native French man who’s living the American dream. With a family in tow, Guetta owns a clothing shop that seems to only half heartedly fulfill his desires. Guetta is a quirky man who, after the death of his mother, videotapes nearly everything he does in fear that he will miss the moments that make up his life. Guetta’s life changes though when he goes back to France for a  family visit. While in France Guetta connects with his cousin Invader, a renowned street artist. Interested in Invader’s life and art, Guetta follows his cousin around with a camera in an attempt to capture a budding art form.