powerofnature

01. TiMER (7/10)
Entertaining little movie with an interesting idea, I'm just not sure if I am happy with how it was approached, as the lead character is so horribly obsessed with the TiMER that she just cannot really live freely. By the end she has found her match, but she has not really learned a lesson out of it and everyone just accepts that the TiMER-thing works and that this is how everything is supposed to be. Interesting idea, well written and acted, but could have delved a little bit more into the topic. It was nice to see Emma Caulfied from Buffy again though.

02. Cashback (8/10)
Excellent thought-provoking movie, fantastic visuals, interesting scene transitions and some dry humor. I really enjoyed it, even though I thought that it dragged on for a little bit too long and the happy ending at the end is a little bit of an easy way to end the movie, but overall it left a solid impression. Definitely a movie to revisit.

03. The Greatest (6,5/10)
A good movie, but there is something about it that bothered me, but I can't quite put a finger on what it was. Some scenes felt flat to me and I think they could have done a little bit more with the subject matter and the characters' inner conflicts.

04. Drive (5,5/10)
Maybe I expected too much given the hype, therefore I was disappointed that it just turned out to be another highly unrealistic and unoriginal action flick without any real depth. I did like the visuals and the uncompromising storytelling with very little dialogue though. Especially the elevator scene with Carey Mulligan expressed so much more without any dialogue. Also, Ryan Gosling is still a handsome, captivating fellow. Maybe I would have responded better to the movie if I had known what kind of movie it was, but really, I was disappointed. It reminded me a bit of "The Mechanic", but I really liked "The Mechanic" better, because it didn't try to be artsy-farty, when it really wasn't able to offer anything. Also way too waste Christina Hendricks by using her for so few scenes.

05. Dare (6/10)
Starts off slow with the most annoying character of the movie in the spotlight, but becomes more engaging and interesting as it goes along. Standout performance by Zach Gilford, once we get to know more about his character, the movie really takes off.

06. Flipped (9/10)
Such a cute little family movie. It's pretty flawless, a sweet and tender story, engaging performances from really young actors. A movie I strongly recommend you to watch.

07. Mean Creek (8/10)
Thought-provoking movie with great performances from a very young ensemble of actors. I thought the ending wasn't earned, it was way too sudden. I think they really could have gone deeper into the consequences for these children instead of abandoning them so early after the fatal incident. They introduced the characters so carefully that it was quite a bummer that they didn't live up to the full potential of the story after the incident, because they could have done much more with it.

08. Young Adult (6/10)
This one was really disappointing with the level of talent involved. I understand what they were trying to do and I give them props for not ending the movie with a clichéd ending where everything has changed and where our flawed main protagonist has suddenly transformed into a better person, but I was underwhemlded. Much like the lead character this movie felt somewhat empty and vain. Maybe that's the point, but I think it had potential to be...poignant, but it apparently didn't indend to portray anything other than a pretty broken self-involved bitch who never grew up.

09. Spring (8/10)
Call me a perv, but I thought this one was really interesting, even though it was akward and uncomfortable to watch it. Since it is just a short movie, it didn't get much into the characters and how their experience will influence their lives, which is a shame, as I think there might be some really interesting material with the whole angle of sadomasochism. At least that's what I was left with at the end: Th desire to want to know more about the characters and wanting to know what they both take away from their encounter and where it will lead them in the future.

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18 x Enlightened / Laura Dern
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01. It's Kind Of A Funny Story (5/10)
Well-intended feel-good-"guess what, your problems can't be that big"-movie. Tries too hard to be poignant, clever and relevant, while remaining shallow and predictable, without offering real insight.

02. Birds Of America (6/10)
Well-liked familiar faces in a movie that tries too hard to be quirky. Plus points for being not too predictable and being layered.. Includes a very very good looking Ben Foster who can do no wrong.

03. Happythankyoumoreplease (8/10)
Really enjoyable movie with sympathetic performances all around. Great writing and directorial debut for HIMYM star Josh Radnor. Movie proves you don't have to go big to be great. Sometimes the smallest moments mean more than exaggerated, overdramatic melodrama

04. Never Let Me Go (8/10)
Touching, well done, well-cast adaption of the book of the same name. Minus point for excluding one of the book's key scenes (Madame observing Cathy dance to "Never Let Me Go").

05. I'm Here (7/10)
Cute little short movie about a robot who would give anything for the love of his life. The characters feel real, despite being robots and the story is sweet and tragic without overdoing it.

06. Black Swan (6/10)
Overrated, but suspenseful and fascinating movie with a thin, but beautifully directed story.

07. Let Me in (8/10)
Spectacularly creepy, hauntingly suspenseful, well-acted and highly original.

08. The Chumscrubber (8/10)
Very odd, but very entertaining movie where you are never quite sure where it is going to end up. Amazing cast of actors, great soundtrack.

09. The Lovely Bones (6/10)
Visually well executed movie with a solid story, but tries to achieve too much and loses impact while trying.

10 Veronika Decides To Die (5/10)
A little bit boring, I must confess. Also, the story is rather stupid.

11. The Great Debaters (6/10)
Solid movie with great performances.

12. Pandorum (7/10)
I had read bad reviews before I read the movie, so I was pleasantly surprised. Entertaining and creepy, with a very beautiful Ben Foster.

13. The Messengers (8/10)
Really great movie.

14. 30 Days Of Night (7/10)
The scariest movie I've seen in years. I was afraid I would get nightmares. Thank God I didn't. If a movie can scare me, then it's good, because it doesn't happen very often. Ben Foster looks even good, when he is not looking good.

15. The Mechanic (7/10)
Solid, uncompromising action movie. Everything goes a little bit too smoothly for the main characters though, especially in the second half. Also, big action scenes in public should maybe acknowledge the publicness and not be treated as if streets were empty. Ben Foster once again is a highlight of the movie, though the role does only challenge him physically.

16. Rabbit Hole (9/10)
Incredibly well written and well performed, a moving, subtle and profound movie with likeable and relatable characters.

17. Love And Other Impossible Pursuits (6/10)
Unlikeable characters caught up in an interesting, but not fully engaging story. Pales in comparison with "Rabbit Hole", which also deals with the unexpected loss of a child. It's a crime of nature how they wasted Lauren Ambrose in a supporting role as the 'best friend' of the lead character in only a few scenes.

18. Trust (8/10)
Very intense movie, full of raw emotion. It's a well written and well acted movie that makes you really uncomfortable and gets more painful and depressing with every passing minute. Plus point for its realistic nature and giving us enough insight into the main characters to understand them, even if they do 'stupid' things.

19. Rachel Getting Married (5/10)
Solid story, good acting performances. Yet some scenes tended to drag on for too long, even when they had already brought their point across. The ending leaves a little bit to be desired. The cinematography of the movie is horrible, too much usage of hand held cameras and in some scenes the lighting was  too dark. The director of the movie should better watch more Friday Night Lights to learn  how to take advantage of hand held cameras.

20. Maria Full Of Grace (7/10)
Disturbing, but interesting and suspenseful movie. Maybe I would have even given it a better rating if my Spanish was better.

21. Insidious (5,5/10)
Starts off slow, but gets better with quite a few really spooky moments. There are still too many clichés though and the storyline remains very predictable. The open ending is really stupid and shows that the writer was more interested in going for cheap thrills than for an effective story. Patrick Wilson is good in it, Rose Byrne's acting falls flat a few times, but that's mostly due to her material.

22. Ghost World (7/10)
Interesting characters, good acting and great dialogue. I'm not really happy with where the story ended up in the second half though. Thora Birch's Enid becomes unlikeable rather quickly and there is sadly very little of Brad Renfro. They also could have used Scarlett Johansson more, as I enjoyed her interaction with Birch. Overall, the movie gets just as much things right as it gets wrong, but ultimately it's still a very entertaining movie that stands out.

23. Imaginary Heroes (7/10)
When it comes to the overall story, this movie is exactly in my wheelhouse, as it's a story about loss, family, estrangement, guilt and depression. It didn't quite live up to my expectations though, I felt like there could have done more with the story. Both Sigourney Weaver (who is really beautiful) and Emile Hirsch did outstanding work and I enjoyed their relationship pretty much.

24. Saw III (3/10)
I really liked the first Saw movie, but the sequels suffer from the horror movie sequel syndrome: By trying to make it bigger, better and more gruesome, they lose sight of what made the first movie so great and lose themselves in gore instead of delivering a good movie. Torture and violence don't equal a good movie. It's a suspenseful movie, yes. It's refreshing to end a movie without a happy ending, yes. But ultimately it's just an unnecessarily pretentious and violent movie that is trying too hard to shock the audience.

25. Beautiful Boy (9/10)
Wonderfully intimate movie about loss, guilt and love. It raises some heavy questions without offering an absolute answer and it's nice to have a movie in which the characters are not painted in black and white. I can only recommend this movie. It's really good.

26. Scream 4 (6/10)
Shallow fun with a bunch of recognizable actors. Probably the best of the sequels, just for the line "Don't fuck with the original".

27. Amreeka (7/10)
Entertaining movie about the challenges of immigration, prejudices and racism.

28. The Strangers (7/10)
Really scary and entertaining movie, even though there is very little actual violence until the end. That's how I like my horror movies best, with little gore and more suspense. Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler were pretty to look at.

29. Bridesmaids (7/10)
Raunchy comedy meets romantic comedy. Not entirely original, but I think the movie portrays the awkwardness of human relationships rather well and most of the humor works thanks to the cast. Still, the movie drags on for a little bit too long and the same goes for some scenes that should have ended sooner.

30. Planet 51 (6/10)
Family-friendly animated alien-movie with a twist, but in the end it's not all that clever after all and it doesn't really offer anything new. Therefore everything feels extremely familiar, even though the "human" is the alien in this movie. Still entertaining movie for kids and their parents.

31. Fright Night (2011) (6/10)
Popcorn entertainment with likeable actors. I don't know the original, but this remake was enjoyable and fun. Not one of the best movies of all time, but certainly fun.

32. Easy A (5/10)
Typical highschool movie. Entertaining, but boring at times.

33. Martha Marcy May Marlene (6,5/10)
Starts of slow, then turns into a captivating movie only to end abruptly. The ending was so disappointing and out of nowhere that it dragged the movie down for me. However, Elizabeth Olsen does give a good performance and is immediately likeable. Overall recommendable.

34. Prayers For Bobby (6/10)
Not a very good movie, but it's an entertaining one. The dialogues are wooden and uninspired, but the actors do the best out of the limited material, so does the director. Also, as cheesy, uninspired and wooden the movie comes across, it still nearly made me cry at times, so it must have done something great. Maybe the movie was so uninspired to underline the limited world view of Sigourney Weaver's character. On the other hand, I really doubt it.

35. October Sky (6,5/10)
Captivating, very sympathetic little movie with a very young and good-looking Jake Gyllenhaal. It nearly made me cry at times. My Dad liked the movie as well, which might be the first time that my Dad liked a movie that I suggested. I was a little bit surprised that Laura Dern got so little to do, even though she was on the DVD cover.

36. Year Of The Dog (7/10)
Not as good as I hoped it would be, but a very sympathetic cute little movie about people who are outsiders. I also liked that the ending wasn't such a clichéd Hollywood thing, but a honest and poignant ending to the lead character's journey.

37. We Need To Talk About Kevin (6/10)
This movie was a little bit hard to watch with its narrative of flashbacks and presence. I think I liked it better when I had finished it, but Beautiful Boy and Elephant were much superior movies about the same subject. I thought Kevin was a little bit too cartoonishly evil in this movie. You obviously can see that the mother of Kevin is not quite a sympathetic character either, but I think it would have helped the movie if Kevin had been a little bit more accessible.

38. Adam (8/10)
Oh, I loved this one. Cute story without a clichéd ending, likeable characters, convincing performances, subtle direction. This one has the potential to be one of my all-time-favorites.

39. Animal Kingdom (8/10)
Tense, suspenseful movie with great performances and an interesting story.