What Films did You Watch Last Week (24/12 - 30/12) + YEAR END "CLOSED"

First Time Viewings:

The Holiday (2006, Nancy Meyers)

This one probably doesn't need to be so long and is fairly predictable at times, but it's charming, entertaining, and the cast puts in some good work.

7/10
6/10

A Star is Born (1954, George Cukor)

This one is very well made and tells a good story, with some pretty powerful moments. Judy Garland and James Mason put in some damn fine work in the lead roles.

7.5/10
7/10

A Star is Born (2018, Bradley Cooper)

This one has very strong performances from Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, a good soundtrack, and some good emotional weight to it.

7.5/10
5/10

Breaking the Waves (1996, Lars Von Trier)

Emily Watson is terrific here, but the film itself just isn't as interesting as it sounds.

6/10
6.5/10

Dancer in the Dark (2000, Lars Von Trier)

This one is pretty odd, but in the end I liked it. Bjork is really good and I liked the story and there were some pretty powerful scenes.

7/10
9/10

The Equalizer (2014, Antoine Fuqua)

This one works mostly because Denzel Washington is just so cool and so it made it easy to root for his character. The action scenes are pretty well done and overall it's an enjoyable movie. 

7/10

The Equalizer 2 (2018, Antoine Fuqua)

Pretty good sequel with Denzel kicking more ass and the finale is pretty intense.

7/10


Repeat Viewings:

Live Free or Die Hard (2007, Len Wiseman)

Willis is good here and so are Long, Winstead, and Smith. Timothy Olyphant is pretty unconvincing as the main villain though and the film just isn't as entertaining as the first three, despite having some very good moments. It also is bogged down by the PG-13 rating.

6/10
R-Rated version - 6.5/10

A Christmas Story (1983, Bob Clark)

A enjoyable holiday classic with some great scenes.

7.5/10
7/10

It's a Wonderful Life (1946, Frank Capra)

A great story anchored by an excellent performance from the great James Stewart make this one an unforgettable classic. It hits the right emotional beats and is very rewatchable.

9/10
6.5/10

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017, Yorgos Lanthimos)

An oddly fascinating film that is very well made. Barry Keoghan deserved some recognition for his performance if you ask me.

7.5/10
9/10

Beauty and the Beast (1991, Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise)

A very entertaining Disney classic right here. 

8/10
7/10

In Bruges (2008, Martin McDonagh)

A hilarious dark comedy with a great script, a terrific performance from Colin Farrell (Gleeson and Fiennes are really good too), and a very good score. 

9/10
7.5/10


Movie Awards:

BEST FILM - It's a Wonderful Life Dancer in the Dark
BEST ACTOR - James Stewart (It's a Wonderful Life) Colin Farrell (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)
BEST ACTRESS - Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves) 
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Donna Reed (It's a Wonderful Life)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Thimios Bakatakis (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)
BEST SCORE - Carter Burwell (In Bruges) Beauty and the Beast
BEST SCRIPT - Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) Dancer in the Dark
BEST DIRECTOR - Frank Capra (It's a Wonderful Life) Lars Von Trier (Dancer in the Dark)