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Hugo (2011)
Spent more time looking at my watch than looking at the screen.
I went to go see this movie with my mother, after reading several good reviews. I felt completely ripped off.
First of all, I had to pay almost double for the tickets, as it was showing in 3D. This feels like a complete scam, because the 3D adds absolutely nothing to the movie. I would have rather watched it in 2D, since I wouldn't have to wear the doofy glasses.
The movie starts out with a wide view of Paris, which is funny, because the entire movie is in English. There is not even a single character that has a French accent. An English film set in Paris is borderline offensive, if you ask me, and is the first reason why I felt insulted by the film. Did Martin Scorcese not respect his audience enough to be able to read subtitles? Watching characters speak English and then pronounce French names and cities felt silly and slightly offensive.
Another major problem with the film is that there is not a single solid performance out of any of the characters. The actor playing Hugo was visibly shaking throughout the entire movie, and did not sound convincing at any point in the film. Chloë Grace Moretz's performance was the worst of the film. Every time she spoke she talked I wanted to leave the theater, because her tone sounded so mushy and overly-emotional. She also had an expression of exaggerated excitement throughout every scene that felt very unnatural.
I can almost excuse the actors' performances, however, because the dialogue was god awful. I felt like I was supposed to be laughing at the absurdity of some of their lines, for example, Hugo often goes on stunningly dull tangents where he says things like "Maybe I like to fix things, because I feel that everything has a purpose. If everything has a purpose, that means I have a purpose. My purpose is to fix this machine, and to find out what my father's last message was. I must fix this machine." Honestly, a four year old could have written a more interesting script.
This film is incredibly boring, mostly because it's plot is set at a crawling speed. Something will happen, and then it will take the characters 30 minutes to stop talking about it. I also felt that many scenes were added just to take up time. For example, when Hugo is running from the inspector with the automaton. This scene is nearly 10 minutes long, and adds absolutely nothing to the film.
Do not waste your life by sitting through this movie.
Inception (2010)
The best movie I've seen in a long long time
This is a movie that you must see, and must see on the big screen. Leonardo DiCaprio's character is dark and sneaky, and is really convincing. Ellen Page is sweet and compassionate, this is the best role she's ever played. But the actor that I really loved in this movie is Tom Hardy. If this movie were to ever be followed up, I would strongly hope that the next movie would focus on Tom Hardy's character. He's edgy, witty, and epically bad-ass.
When you do see this movie, I warn you that the first twenty minutes or so are very confusing. It's frustrating, even. However, after a while the film retroactively explains itself, and at the end you'll love it, I promise.
The Invention of Lying (2009)
Anyone seen "Groundhogs Day"?
While this movie is at no point laugh-out loud funny, it is truly comical in it's bluntness and quirkiness. It is not Ricky Gervais' funniest piece, but I would say that it is his heaviest and more meaningful. The movie takes a big stab at religion and the promise of religion, which I am certain that Ricky was going for.
You should not waste your time seeing this movie if you are not already a fan of Ricky Gervais, because without the sorbet of his BBC and some of his stand-up first, your palette is uncleaned.
Another thing that I might add is that I would of liked to have seen Karl Pilkington as a cameo in this. This film would of been a fine vehicle for Ricky to introduce Karl to the western "colonies".
Moon (2009)
A good Sci FI movie with some Classic Sci Fi mistakes
The only reason that I knocked off a point is because the director either missed the memo about the low-gravity on the Moon, or he forgot to explain why the main character seems to be walking perfectly normal throughout the 'flic. Because I have seen this in other movies of the same genre, I really don't care too much about this detail.
Other than some obvious miscalculations when it comes to the gravity, this movie was marvelously-techie. It has the most original sci-fi screenplay I've seen since forever, and there is a delicious twist that you'll have to wait and find out yourself.
See this movie if you liked movies such as "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Silent Running", because this movie is a worthy homage to both.
Up in the Air (2009)
WIth a lack of any more masculine word: "Cute"
It is not too often that I am wowed by a trailer, but the first released trailer for this movie did just that when it came out. I loved the monologue that George Clooney performed, and that basically sums up what I liked about this movie. The script was written extremely well with many catch-phrases that I'm sure will soon be popping up in preppy classrooms everywhere, and it had an awesome cast with some no-faces. I certainly do not have to dive into the storyline much, because it is pretty straightforward, but I will say that the movie has some well played MAJOR TWISTS, and I haven't enjoyed one of those in a long time.
The reason I gave this film a 10 is because I cannot find any reason not to. It has good, original writing, an underdog but fantastic cast, and I liked the use of real people who went through similar episodes. This movie is lovely, that is the best way I can describe it.