What Films did You Watch Last Week (04/03 - 010/03) CLOSED

First Time Viewings:

Syriana (2005, Stephen Gaghan)

This one is well made and has solid performances, but the story failed to really pull me in. Definitely has its moments though.

6/10
7/10 

Cinderella Man (2005, Ron Howard)

Well made and well acted movie that's based on a true story.

7/10

10 Things I Hate About You (1999, Gil Junger)

A charming, funny, and entertaining high school movie. The cast is quite good too, especially Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger.

7/10
6/10 

The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981, Karel Reisz)

This one could have been better given the storyline, but I still liked it overall. Well made and Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep put in some strong work.

7/10

Clueless (1995, Amy Heckerling)

Pretty funny and entertaining, with memorable characters and a good cast to play them.

7/10

Silkwood (1983, Mike Nichols)

Drags a bit at times, but tells an interesting story and has some very good moments. Meryl Streep is really good in the lead role.

7/10

Educating Rita (1983, Lewis Gilbert)

The story is solid, but the film is carried by the two leads. Julie Walters is terrific here and Michael Caine turns in one of his best performances too.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006, David Frankel)

I found this one pretty enjoyable. Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt are good and Meryl Streep steals the show.

7/10
5.5/10

Lords of Dogtown (2005, Catherine Hardwicke)

Heath Ledger's performance and character were really the only one's to stand out in this movie. He was very good, but the rest of the cast and characters just kind of blended together and I didn't care that much about them.

5.5/10

Monster's Ball (2001, Marc Forster)

I liked this one for the most part, but felt it kind of fizzled out in the last act and the conclusion left me unsatisfied. Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry are both very good though. 

6.5/10
8/10


Repeat Viewings:

Batman Begins (2005, Christopher Nolan)

Terrific origin story with a great score, a strong cast, and lots of great scenes.

9/10
8.5/10

The Dark Knight (2008, Christopher Nolan)

My last few viewings of this one I didn't like it as much as I once did, but this time it jumped up and reclaimed my top superhero spot from Batman Begins. The score is amazing, Heath Ledger gives maybe my favorite performance of all time, and it tells a great story full of brilliant moments.

9.5/10
9/10

The Dark Knight Rises (2012, Christopher Nolan)

A flawed final chapter, but still very good overall. Another excellent score, an awesome main villain, and a strong emotional core help this one overcome some of its problems. Easily the weakest of the trilogy, but I still like it a lot.

8/10

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007, Andrew Dominik)

I really liked this the first time I saw it, but I loved it this time. So many great scenes in this one and Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt are both damn good. The cinematography is absolutely stunning and it has a great score too.

9/10

Terms of Endearment (1983, James L. Brooks)

A very good family drama with memorable characters, a strong script, and a very good cast.

8/10
7.5/10

The Man Who Wasn't There (2001, Coen Brothers)

Liked this one a bit more this time. Billy Bob Thornton is really good and the supporting cast is strong. The black and white cinematography is excellent, it has good music, and the story is well written and has some nice twists along the way.

8/10


Movie Awards:

BEST FILM - The Dark Knight
BEST ACTOR - Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
BEST ACTRESS - Julie Walters (Educating Rita)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Roger Deakins (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
BEST SCORE - Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard (The Dark Knight)
BEST SCRIPT - Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan, and David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight)
BEST DIRECTOR - Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)