Chariots of Fire (1981)
[3] A Jew and a Christian compete in the 1924 Olympics, both running in the name of God and adversity. I'm sorry to say I just couldn't give a shit. I couldn't empathize with their motivations. They feel God when…
Adventures of Don Juan (1948)
[8] Errol Flynn makes a triumphant return to the genre that made him a star (after Hollywood shelved period action flicks for the duration of WWII). Adventures of Don Juan is splashy, colorful, good-humored, and terrifically entertaining. Despite public knowledge…
Out of Africa (1985)
[7] In colonial Kenya, a Danish baroness has an ongoing affair with a big game hunter. On one hand, Sydney Pollacks' Oscar-winning best picture is long and subdued. But on the other hand, it does a great job transporting you to…
The Muppets (2011)
[7] I can't imagine a harder franchise to revive than The Muppets. They're so innocent, so low-fi, so much a product of the 70s and 80s... is it possible for them to garner new fans, or are kids today just…
The More the Merrier (1943)
[6] A pleasant screwball comedy from the versatile George Stevens. Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and Charles Coburn play mismatched roommates during a housing shortage. Scenes where the three narrowly avoid collision while getting ready in the morning will remind you…
The Imitation Game (2014)
[7] Director Morten Tyldum makes this true story of Alan Turing and his team of mathematicians fighting the second world war from their college studies as thrilling and interesting as possible. Benedict Cumberbatch headlines as the socially awkward leader of…
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
[6] Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara star in the second adaptation of the Stieg Larsson novel about a journalist and a computer hacker who work to solve the mystery of a missing woman. Is there perhaps something wrong with the fact…
Cimarron (1931)
[5] This early Oscar-winning best picture is uneven at best. Richard Dix makes for a hammy lead, while Irene Dunne is stuck playing his harpy of a wife. The film follows the two as they move west to Oklahoma at…
Beginners (2010)
[4] Ewan McGregor plays a man falling in love with a woman after his father has passed away. His father, played by Christopher Plummer, was married to Ewan's mom for decades before coming out as gay and enthusiastically embracing a…
Skyfall (2012)
[8] It's so refreshing to watch heroes and villains who are over the age of 40. Skyfall repeatedly suggests that sometimes older is better, and I couldn't agree more. Daniel Craig's third turn as James Bond is at least as…