The Wolf of Wall Street

Now we finish off 2013 with a film that almost didn't make it to 2013. It's The Wolf of Wall Street, an utterly insane display of rich men behaving badly.

Martin Scorsese's comedy of excess is about Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker also known as "The Wolf of Wall Street." Belfort also wrote a book of that title, from which Terence Winter's screenplay is derived from. For this movie, Belfort is played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Belfort begins his Wall Street career in a firm which falls on Black Monday. He joins a minuscule firm and makes a fortune selling penny stocks. He starts his own firm, Stratton Oakmont, and becomes filthy rich. And by filthy rich, I mean filthy and rich.

Belfort makes a fortune manipulating the trust of naive buyers. He does so with the help of right-hand Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) and his Brain Trust of Wall Street movers. Stratton Oakmont revels in debauchery; but then, FBI man Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) gets on the case.

And imagine all this going on for one minute short of three hours (that it ran longer at first was why its release date was in doubt).

As Belfort, DiCaprio also narrates the film ala Henry Hill in Scorsese's Goodfellas. His narration lets us know what kind of guy he is: not a good one. He's greedy, manipulative, a drug-user and treats people around him like dirt. The film doesn't hide his amoralism at all. At the very least, the film doesn't want you to accept him as a role model.

Scorsese's constant editor Thelma Schoonmaker contributes to this presentation well. In one scene, Belfort drives home high out of his mind seemingly without a scratch. A few scenes later, we see that's not the case. Belfort saves Donnie from choking in-between those scenes by getting high on cocaine ... punctuated to a Popeye cartoon! Overall, the film plays the effects of drug use for laughs.

The Wolf of Wall Street is an extreme morality play about the insanity of Greed. And it gets to the point rather well. Whether or not you can stand this movie depends on whether or not you can stand a three hour display of debauchery. Just know what you're getting yourself into before you go.

All is Lost

Rub-a-dub-dub,
Robert Redford in a tub

Is that all we need to see?

That pretty much explains All is Lost, starring Robert Redford and only Robert Redford and written and directed by J.C. Chandor (Margin Call).

Robert Redford is "Our Man" (No, really. That's what the credits call him!). He's off sailing the Indian Ocean on his yacht, the Virginia Jean. One day it hits an errant shipping container. He patches it up as best he can. He tries to radio for help. Then the ship sinks in bad weather. Now, he's on a life raft...

I was a few steps away from describing the entire movie. Literally. There are only about four instances of dialogue in the entire movie. The rest of it is just action.

Redford as "Our Man" seems like someone who thought he could take on the world. But being out in the Ocean proved him disastrously wrong. And now his own determinism is tested. I think.

Unfortunately, the film's minimalist approach detached me from the experience of his survival. We know nothing of "Our Man" and no reason to care about his survival or death. Now that's a problem.

The standout is actually composer Alex Ebert. His score suits the film's intended mood quite well. Also of note are cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco's view of the Ocean, the whole sound designer team and visual effects crew. Those aspects make one feel like they're really out in the Ocean.

All Is Lost would make a good short subject. But at 100 minutes, it tests the patience of its viewer. Whether or not you enjoy it depends on your ability to be invested in Robert Redford's performance. And I hope you have a more invested time than me.

Saving Mr. Banks

And now for another film about movie history. This one is Saving Mr. Banks. Even if it's not 100 percent accurate, you'll still enjoy the results on-screen.

In 1906, Helen Lyndon Goff (Annie Rose Buckley) lived in Australia with her alcoholic, yet loving father Travers (Colin Farrell). By 1961, she's become P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), forever identified as the creator of Mary Poppins. And no less than Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) wants the film rights to her story. He's been trying for twenty years to do this and with P.L. needing the cash, she finally agrees to visit him to give her input.

Her strict demands for the film drive the creative team up the wall. Everything from the animated scenes to the Sherman Brothers' eventual Oscar-winning music earns her direct criticism. Meanwhile, back in the past, Travers Goff, a failed banker, deteriorates and the strict Aunt Ellie (Rachel Griffiths) comes to help. Once he realizes her story is her story, Disney finally finds the way to get her to say yes.

Emma Thompson is what makes the movie great. As Travers, she 's uptight, often to a comical degree, yet we see she's been wounded by her past. It's delightful to see her finally hum along to "Let's go fly a kite," and it's scary to see her snap upon mention of cartoon penguins. One can easily understand why she'd be so protective of her story.

The other members of the cast also do well. As the Sherman Brothers, Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak are great scene-stealers. On a more serious note, Colin Farrell as Travers Goff is a sympathetic portrayal of a man whom one might not sympathize with. And as Disney himself, Tom Hanks brings out the best of the man's image as a warm mogul.

In real life, Travers was utterly displeased with the results of the finished film. But this film sugarcoats her reception to it a little bit. Saving Mr. Banks mixes comedy and drama quite well; it's so uplifting that one can forgive the liberties taken. If anything, it should hopefully renew interest in not just the 1964 film, but the original books as well.

American Hustle

Some films like to think that they're historically accurate when they're not. American Hustle is a rare breed of film that admits "some of this actually happened." And we're thankful that it exists.

It's 1978 and Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) is a con-man by necessity. His partner in crime is Sydney (Amy Adams), aka "Lady Edith Greensly." Together, they run a dry-cleaner racket. They're found out by FBI man Richard DiMaso (Bradley Cooper), but they're spared from jail time. Instead, DiMaso offers them clemency if they help him bust corrupt politicians with their con-games.

They thus establish the real-life Abscam scheme. In this scheme, Rosenfeld entices crooked politicals with promises of business from a wealthy "Arab Sheik." Their first target is Camden mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), who hopes to use his Mafia connections to revive Atlantic City. But the operation starts to go awry when Irving and Carmine become buddies. Meanwhile, Irving's much-younger wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) inadvertently almost blows her husband's cover.

David O'Russell's latest film opens with the sight of a bald, paunchy Irving. From then on, we know that this film is out to have fun with history. And indeed, the film has plenty of laugh-out loud moments. Some of the story was a bit hard to follow, especially in explaining the operation's schematics. But the fogginess of the plot doesn't detract from its jovial sense of humor.

As usual, David O'Russell has a great cast assembled together. They're a perfectly-cast and entertaining ensemble of actors. Among them was Renner as Carmine, a real nice guy; I was wondering through-out just how he was even corrupt. But less ambiguous is Louis C.K. as DiMaso's long suffering boss.

It's a stylish trip to the 70's. Michael Wilkinson's costumes stand-out as much as the (hopefully will be Oscar-nominated) makeup and hair people. They go so well in establishing the film's outlandish take on history. The oldies in the soundtrack, as well as Danny Elfman's original score, are very welcome here.

American Hustle is an hilarious entry into the Oscar race. It's always nice to have films like this among the year's best. It maybe foggy at times, but it's certainly not a cheat.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Last year's epic The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was only part of a minuscule book and it felt like it. This year's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is where director Peter Jackson's adaptation expansion gets better.

Once again, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), his band of dwarves, and their Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) are on their way to reclaim the Mountain Kingdom of Erebor, and its massive treasure, from the dragon Smaug.

They have to get to the Mountain by the "last light" of Autumn or all is lost. But the evil Orcs want them dead. The Elves also hate them for some reason. The seemingly dead Sauron is raising an army of evil to take over the world. And yes, there's Smaug, who finally appears in (digital) person with the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch.

That's pretty much it. And it takes about three hours to tell. Though it's slightly shorter than its predecessor.

It holds up the attention span pretty well since it has more of a plot than its predecessor. Its visual effects set pieces are amazing, particularly the encounter and battle with Smaug. Another great scene was one where Bilbo and the Dwarves ride barrels down a river. A few shots though were jarringly out-of-place in that scene because they looked like they were shot from a security camera!

A few objections. One: the Elves' feud with the Dwarves is barely given a reason. Two: it ends on so obvious a cliffhanger. That last part deflates so many plot points, such as the eventual fate of one of the dwarves.

This Hobbit is much better than the last because it feels closer to the end. It's more like "stuff happens for a reason" than "stuff happens." This should keep film-goers at ease a bit until the end comes next year in The Hobbit: There and Back Again.

Philomena

It's one thing to have an old lady gush about Big Momma's House. But when she's Judi Dench as Philomena, the title character of director Stephen Frears' new real life story, it's really fun to watch.

Anyway, the story is from the nonfiction Book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by BBC reporter Martin Sixsmith, who's also a character here. He's played by Steve Coogan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Pope.

Sixsmith starts out the film having lost his position as a political adviser. He wants to write the umpteenth book about Russian history, but he's pointed into the direction of Philomena Lee.

Lee, as a teenager, had a baby boy named Anthony out of wedlock. She was sent off to an Abbey as "penance" for her "sin." The cruel Nuns adopted out her son against her will. Ever since then, she's been looking for him.

Sixsmith decides to help her out. Their quest goes from Ireland to Washington D.C. Some folks are helpful. Some are not. They'll just have to be prepared when the quest takes an unexpected turn.

Dench's performance as Philomena is what makes the movie what it is. She's an enjoyable, sympathetic character all the way through. She's overly-polite, but it's always worth a chuckle, not irritating (at least to those around her). She eventually forgives those who wronged her, an act which shows her admirable personal strength.

Cinematographer Robbie Ryan shows us some great shots of the Irish Countryside and Washington D.C. But the real star of the crew is composer Alexander Desplat. Desplat's score is one of his most memorable and is easily one of the year's best.

Philomena is not manipulative in the least. It's simply a well-told story about a woman coming to terms with her past. Even if it's ending is not what you might expect, you'll feel good about what does happen.

Frozen

Last week, there was Catching Fire. Now for the opposite end of the weather spectrum as this is Disney's latest, Frozen. It's their version of The Snow Queen, sort of.

Princess Anna (Kristen Bell) of Arendelle is excited for her sister, Elsa (Idina Menzel). For so long, they've been shut out from the people by their late mother and father. Now, Elsa's going to be the Queen and they'll be shut out for no longer. She even meets Prince Hans (Santino Fontana) and falls for him. Things go wrong when Elsa accidentally reveals her hidden powers to create snow and ice to the people of Arendelle.

Elsa retreats to the mountains and blankets the entire Kingdom into winter. Anna decides to follow her to reason with her. Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) the mountain man, his reindeer Sven and Olaf the Snowman (Josh Gad) join her. It's not going to be easy, considering she has to get between her insecure sister and bad guys who want to kill her.

The film has many things going right for it. Songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez create some of the most memorable Disney songs since the early 90's. The instrumental score, by Christophe Beck, is equally memorable. Its artistic design, especially its snowy scenes, are also great.

It also helps to have an excellent cast of characters. Anna and Elsa are compelling and likable leads, even after the latter embraces her powers too much. Kristoff is also likable and so is Prince Hans, at first. The comic relief sidekicks, namely Sven and Olaf, are also much welcome. A minor villain, the Duke of Weaseltown ... Weselton (Alan Tudyk), was also enjoyable. 

Unlike most of the animated films this year, Frozen is better than OK. It's just great. As usual, whether you see it in 3D or Flatscreen is up to you. You're getting an amazing animated movie either way.

The film is preceded by a new Mickey Mouse cartoon, Get A Horse!, starring Walt Disney himself. It seems like a novelty feature, but its true nature was a pleasant surprise. It's a great opening to an already great feature.

Dallas Buyers Club

The only film I can remember from director Jean-Marc Vallée was the dull The Young Victoria. His latest, Dallas Buyers Club, ought to make me pay attention to his filmography now.

In 1985, Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) is a good ol' boy with a bad attitude. He likes partying, gambling, women and to mock the plight of AIDS victims. When he himself is diagnosed with AIDS, he's left with thirty days to live. His good ol' buddies shun him, the experimental cure AZT is a mess and the only feasible treatments are illegal in the U.S.

Ron uses his know-how to acquire all these treatments. He forms the Dallas Buyers Club to share them with others for $400 bucks a month (chump-change compared to the annual costs of AZT). Ron's business partners are his doctor, Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner) and Rayon (Jared Leto), a transgender woman. But as business starts booming, Ron finds himself facing the very angry FDA.

McConaughey's performance as Ron Woodroof drives the film. It's all about him going from an initially amusing jerk into a selfless crusader for the rights of the sick. And it's a compelling character arc all the way through. His ghastly condition is made possible by good makeup work and extreme weight loss.

Leto is by far the most memorable of the supporting cast. As Rayon, he goes great with Ron because both try to act tough in the face of their insecurities. Their scenes together are great, as are Leto's scenes on his own.

The film's screenplay is a compelling look at these people and their world. I, for one, didn't even know about the health risks of AZT or much about it at all. It's a balanced look, as evidenced by the climactic scene in the San Francisco district court. In it, the Judge rules against the FDA's crackdown on Ron AND Ron's activities.

The real life Ron Woodroof died seven years after his diagnosis. This film is the story of how he survived longer than anyone anticipated. And it is a great story all the way through.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Last year, The Hunger Games got the world watching and invested in one of fiction's most ghastly competitions. Now, the next book of Suzanne Collins's series, Catching Fire, has its turn on the big screen.

Ever since she and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) bucked the system to allow themselves co-championship of The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has become a slave to PR. Folks in Panem have been rising up against their evil masters. So the evil President Snow (Donald Sutherland) wants her and Peeta to act like a couple for the masses. Otherwise, everyone they know will be slaughtered.

Still not satisfied, Snow ropes the two back into the next Hunger Games. This time, they'll face past winners of the death-sport competition. Fortunately, they find themselves with more people who want to join their side.

This sequel replaces director/co-writer Gary Ross with director Francis Lawrence, who brings with him Oscar-winning writers Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt. It feels slower than the first one, even though both are roughly 2 1/2 hours, but the story development is well-paced. One thing: most of the "established killers" Katniss and Peeta face are dispatched off-screen. None of them get to antagonize them.

Katniss and Peeta make for a great pair of lead characters; thanks to their actors, their chemistry is believable and enjoyable. Sutherland, meanwhile, makes for a really, really contemptible villain from his first minutes on-screen. The best of the new cast are Philip Seymour Hoffman as head of the Games and Jeffrey Wright and Jena Malone as two of the past winners.

There's plenty of great visual effects, costume and set design and music to go with this blockbuster. They should help keep fans and casual moviegoers glued to the screen for this installment. Mockingjay is the next book and it's going to be split into two movies throughout the next two years. I can already imagine the plot point where it splits; as for this one, it ends with a shocking plot twist.

12 Years a Slave

His last film was the NC-17 rated Shame. Now, director Steve McQueen adapts Solomon Northup's autobiography 12 Years a Slave. 

In 1841, Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a Freeman musician living in New York with his family. Two "upstanding gentlemen" offer him a job out of state which he accepts. The offer is a complete and utter scam; it's just a pretense to get Solomon sold into a lifetime of slavery.

Now named "Platt," Solomon is first sold to the kindly William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch). He's then sold to the evil Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), where most of his 12 years are spent. One slave in particular, Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o), is the target of Mr. Epps's lust and Mrs. Epps's (Sarah Paulson) wrath. In spite of these injustices, Solomon tries to find the one chance to get himself to salvation.

The film succeeds because of Ejiofor's performance. In his first few minutes on-screen, Solomon is introduced as a likable, caring husband and father. He earns the audience's trust right away so they can feel righteous anger at his situation. And although others may consider him a pushover for accepting this cruelty, he's really a strong-willed man. His final freedom is beyond satisfactory; it is exhilarating.

Editor Joe Walker and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt emphasize the cruelty of Slavery with their contributions. They do this often with uninterrupted takes of slaves being subjected to cruelty. The makeup department headed by Ma Kalaadevi Ananda creates the unsettling results of these acts. The end result helps the audience hate the villains straightaway; it helps that they are portrayed by excellent actors.

12 Years a Slave is not an easy film to sit through. But it's still a great film about perseverance in the face of cruelty. It has earned its status as an Oscar front-runner for this reason.

Thor: The Dark World

The Avenger with the hammer is back.

Once again played by Chris Hemsworth, the mythical Marvel is the star of his own movie. This one is Thor: The Dark World, and its prospects are bright.

As he did in the first Thor, the mighty All-Father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) relates the tale of how some evil beings were vanquished long ago. These were the Dark Elves of Svartalfeim, led by the evil Malekith the Accursed (Christopher Eccelston). They tried to use the magical Aether stone to conquer all of existence, but they were thwarted by Bor, father of the All-Father himself.

The Aether stone was supposed to have been hidden away. But Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Thor's mortal crush, finds it and becomes its host. And now, the evil elves have come back looking for their Doomsday MacGuffin. Whether he likes it or not, Thor will have to team up with Loki (Tom Hiddelston) to save the day.

This sequel, directed by Alan Taylor, is a lot more fun than its predecessor. There's a more constant sense of humor here and it even appears during the fight scenes. A portal device the heroes intend to use on the Dark Elves instead frustrates Thor's fight against them in the funniest ways, for example.

Per the course with the Marvel films is its visual style. Its computerized visual effects are good, but some of the practical effects with the Elves were better. The makeup and costume design on them were quite unique, as was the interior of their spaceship.

At some points, you'll realize a few characters are too genre blind for their own good. I'm naming Odin the Prime Suspect. How many points you'll take off the film for this depends on how frustrated you get with it. For me, it took off a few points from this fine sequel. That's because the fun factor was more predominant than this.

Thor: The Dark World is in 3D and Flatscreen, as usual. You'll still get one of the best of the Marvel Studios movies either way.

Stay during the credits and you'll get a tease for Marvel's August release of Guardians of the Galaxy. Stay even further for something funnier.

Ender's Game

After twenty-eight years, writer/director Gavin Hood did what no one did before. And that was to make a film off of Orson Scott Card's career-making novel Ender's Game. Even if it did change parts of the story, it still gets its point across devastatingly clear.

In this far-off future, Earth was attacked by the Insectoid Aliens, the Formics. Only the sacrifice of their greatest pilot, Mazer Rackham, stopped the invasion. For the next fifty years, Earth has stood waiting for the Formics to return. And when they do return, they'll have their greatest weapon ready: child soldiers.

One of these child soldiers is Andrew "Ender" Wiggin (Asa Butterfield). Wiggin's strategy of dealing with school bullies, "beat them down and they'll never hurt me again" impresses Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford). So Graff decides to train Ender to lead child soldiers like him in simulation battles. Only then will they be ready to neutralize the Formic threat.

What makes the film quite watchable is Butterfield as Ender. This reluctant hero is capable of violence, but he never tries to justify what he did. In fact, when he does lash out, he's quite remorseful. When the novel's final twist plays out on-screen, we'll just be shocked as he is.

The film's visual effects are, pun somewhat intended, stellar. One of the best uses of them is the anti-gravity room where Ender and his fellow soldiers play their war-games. Who wouldn't want to play around in there? The film's production design uses physical sets as much as digital ones; both look cool. Its score by Steve Jablonsky is just as memorable as his work on Transformers.

Ender's Game is an involving story with great visuals. It lasts for 114 minutes and I wasn't bored once. It's not in 3D, so any price is worth it for this well-realized movie.

Bad Grandpa

And now, for the fourth time, the guys of Jackass bring their antics to the big screen. This time, they've given a movie to Irving Zisman, the cantankerous old-timer played on the show by Johnny Knoxville. The whole title, simply enough, is Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.

Irving Zisman is a free man. His wife, Ellie (Catherine Keener), has passed on. So now, he can flirt with anyone and everyone. But first, he has to take his grandson, Billy (Jackson Nicoll), to Raleigh to live with his dad. His mom's going to jail for possession, while his dad just loves the idea of a few hundred bucks a month in Child Support.

Yay! What a wonderful family this is...not.

But that's not why people are going to see this. No, they're here to see folks pull stupid stuff on an unsuspecting public. And for the rest of these 92 minutes, Irving does plenty of stupidity. Including:

1. Causing a ruckus at Ellie's funeral.

2. Crashing a wedding reception.

3. Running over stuff.

4. Getting trapped by an electronic bed.

5. Riding a coin-operated rocket straight through a store window.

And that's just some of the PC-Stuff he does.

Fans of the show may find all of these gags comic gems. The rest of us will find them either funny, awkward, or obnoxious. It's not for everyone, that's for sure.

The makeup artists deserve plenty of praise for aging Knoxville and Keener to unrecognizability. Keener also deserves praise since she spends the movie playing a corpse.

Again, if you're a fan of the show, Bad Grandpa should provide plenty of enjoyable stupidity. The rest of us should know what we're getting into. Either way, don't do these stunts at home and in public!

The Fifth Estate

The proverbial Fifth Estate refers to those who operate outside of society's norm. The movie, The Fifth Estate, is about a site that aptly fits that description: WikiLeaks.

Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) was living a dead-end life in Germany. One day, he meets the enigmatic, white-haired genius Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Assange wants to let the World Wide Web see what Governments and Corporations don't want the world to see. With Berg's help, he establishes WikiLeaks. For their first leak, they expose corruption in the bank Julius Baer.

Over the next few years, WikiLeaks exposes cover-up after cover-up. But their sources, whom Assange promised anonymity, end up being exposed. And with exposure comes death threats. Over this issue, Berg starts to have second thoughts about associating with Assange.

Josh Singer's screenplay melds together Berg's book Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange and the World's Most Dangerous Website and the book WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy by journalists David Leigh and Luke Harding. Say those names ten times fast.

As realized by director Bill Condon, the movie is average at best. When WikiLeaks starts its thing, we're satisfied to see the Fat Cats fall. As it exposes more cover-ups, we're really thinking about ethics. 

But the greatness is diluted by an unusually glacial 128 minutes. When we're not debating ethics, we're wondering what time it is. By the end of the movie, I was one of two people left out of a crowd of five.

The only part that kept me sitting was Cumberbatch. He's a good match, physical and voice-wise, to Assange. He certainly has his International Man of Mystery persona down. His ending monologue, which lambasts the possibility of this movie, made me wonder if that was really Assange (since Assange has publicly disavowed the movie). 

The Fifth Estate didn't bore me to annoyance like Anna Karenina did. But I kinda wish it earnestly glued me to the screen more. Still, it should make for an OK onetime viewing on a matinee.

Captain Phillips

It doesn't matter if you know how the events of Captain Phillips end. Director Paul Greengrass's real life thriller will keep you tense until the very end.

In 2009, Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) takes command of the MV Maersk Alabama on a voyage to Mombasa. A few days at sea, Phillips and his crew narrowly avoid a pirate takeover. The next day, they're not so lucky. Four armed Pirates from Somalia, led by one Abduwali Muse (Barkhad Abdi), seize the ship.

The Pirate Crew wants a hefty bounty real fast; they'll kill Phillips and the crew if they inconvenience them. But the Alabama crew have better things to do than to be hostages. Phillips, meanwhile, is more than willing to cover his men's tracks.

As Phillips, Hanks perfectly leads the film. His character is a reluctant hero, but he'll act when he must. When he acts, it earns the audience's admiration.

The Pirate Crew, Abdi in particular, are great antagonists. They're motivated by desperation, not malice. Even when they threaten Phillips, one can honestly wish they could've avoided piracy. This makes the resolution of the ordeal quite bittersweet.

Editor Christopher Rouse, who won an Oscar for The Bourne Ultimatum, puts himself in consideration for another one. From the attempted hijacking onwards, the film keeps its audience invested in the situation. Assembling Barry Ackroyd's cinematography, the end result feels like an up-close documentary of the situation. Henry Jackman's incredible score also stands out triumphantly.

Some have accused the film's account of exaggerating the actual events. But Captain Phillips is still a spectacular thriller. It's one of those films that we should hear from more in a few months for the right reasons.

Gravity

Let's See:

Two of my past reviews were 127 Hours and Life of Pi. One was about a man pinned to a boulder for the whole movie, and the other was about a young man in a lifeboat with a tiger for most of the movie. Both were good movies, as is Gravity, about two people (and only them) surviving in space.

In the film's first shot, Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are in space repairing the Hubble Telescope. Their shuttle, the Explorer, is destroyed by debris from a satellite. They have to find a way back to Earth.

That first shot is the film's first ten minutes. And that above paragraph is pretty much the whole movie.

Oh yeah, and it turns out that space is pretty harsh. Dr. Stone has to stay positive if she's to survive.

Director Alfonso Cuaron's space odyssey is an unusually small ninety-minutes. Those minutes go by pretty fast thanks to Cuaron and his co-editor, Mark Sanger. They're as thrilling as those movies that push through two hours.

Outer space, as photographed by Emmanuel Lubezki, is pretty impressive. Sometimes claustrophobic, other-times expansive, the imagery is one of the best cinematic depictions of outer space. And it makes up for a lack of sound effects with a great score by Steven Price.

The film can get brutal at times, but the screenplay, by Cuaron and his son Jonas, has some comic relief. Much of it is from George Clooney's slick Kowalski...I should stop myself before I'm tempted to spoil.

As an exercise in visual effects, Gravity stays afloat. It's an Epic Fall Blockbuster that will surely be counted as a milestone of the medium. Whether in 3D or Flatscreen, it thrills the audience either way.

Rush

Now's the time of year when we get the Oscar movies en-masse. One of the first out of the gate is Rush, a film about racecar drivers. Even if you're not into racing, this real life tale should be a real thrill.

Directed by Ron Howard, Rush is about one of the 70's most famous sports rivalries. James Hunt (Chirs Hemsworth) is the brash and reckless Brit with many Formula Three victories. Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) is the level-headed Austrian who literally bought his way into the sport. The two egos instantly dislike each other off the track.

Once they make their way into Formula One, their rivalry on the track gets fierce. When Lauda is nearly killed in a crash, both his and Hunts' egos come down. Only after that are they able to respect each other as equals.

The screenplay is by Peter Morgan, whose play Frost/Nixon was also filmed by Howard. It makes the off-track action as much exciting as the on-track stuff. At times, the audience may find one of the men likable and the other not likable. Both leads are perfectly cast and compelling; by the end of the film, the audience's side is surely on both.

The film's pit crew (sic) also deserve attention. Among them are editors Mike Hill and Daniel P. Hanley, whose quick work keeps the film going. Also setting the mood are cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, production designer Mark Digby and especially composer Hans Zimmer. The makeup department, meanwhile, gives its actors some very graphic injuries and disfigurements.

Those looking for an intense sports story have found it. Rush will keep the audience entranced for its 123 minute runtime. On the awards side, it should be a good starter for the cinematic parade to come.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is here to provide some family 3D entertainment. Trust me; it'll make you hungry watching it in flat-screen.

In case you haven't seen the last movie, Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) fills you in. Basically, Flint invented the FLDSMDFR, the wondrous device that rained food. Flint destroyed the machine after it made not-so-wondrous food weather all over the world.

Then, super-genius Chester V (Will Forte) shows up, and evacuates Flint's island hometown of Swallow Falls. Flint even gets a job working with V, his longtime scientific idol. But then he humiliates himself in-front of him.

It turns out the FLDSMDFR isn't dead; it's busy making food creatures. These "foodimals" are apparently learning how to swim so they can destroy New York City...or something. So Chester V sends Flint to find the device and shut it down. Oh yeah, and Flint's friends come along too.

The film gets by on plenty of silly, though obvious puns. Like:

Character 1: (Insert food-related cliche...)

Character 2: (There's the food!)

Or the names of the Foodimals. Like "Shrimpanzees," "PB & Jellyfish" and "Tacodile Supreme." Needless to say, the writers get points for their wordplay. Though if they wanted one more point, they should've made the villain's identity less obvious.

The Foodimals are the best part of the film. That's because they're quite creative mash-ups which look all too delicious. You'll be wanting a cheeseburger before this is done.

It's bright and colorful enough to satisfy the kids in the audience. Much of the humor is quite juvenile, though the adults will tolerate it enough to get through the film. I found the whole film kind of cutesy and fun.

Until Free Birds comes out November 1st, this is the only new animated film out there. Still, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs should satisfy many a matinee until then. It's certainly a lot better than something like The Smurfs 2.

Salinger

Almost a decade was spent making the new documentary, Salinger. The end result gives its audience some interesting, sometimes shocking details, into the life of the titular literary genius.

Salinger is, of course, J.D. Salinger, the author of The Catcher in the Rye. Even before writing that book, his only novel, he also published quite a few short stories. He also served in World War II, from D-Day to V-E Day. He even had his heart broken by Oona O'Neil, who left him for Charlie Chaplin.

In later life, Salinger became the most famous recluse since Howard Hughes. He'd write and write, but never let his work get published (his last work was Hapworth 16, 1924, published in 1964). Interviewing fans and friends, director Shane Solero tries to uncover why that was.

Of course, one voice you won't hear from is J.D. Salinger himself.

It would've been nice to hear from him, though. Particularly when it talked about the "fans" who killed, or tried to kill, in the name of The Catcher in the Rye. One guy said he'd be disturbed if fans used his work as their pretense. But how did that influence Salinger's reclusiveness?

It does explain how his life shaped his writing career, especially with Rye's Holden Caufield. It shows Salinger as being disillusioned with the world, much like Caufield. Overall, it's a convincing enough portrait of someone so smart that he can't relate to the world (as it portrays his relationship with his first wife).

At 129 minutes, it felt really long towards the end. At least, it seemed to end by introducing a few previously unpublished Salinger works set to be released soon. But then it goes on for a few more minutes. OK...

For those not much in the know, Salinger will provide a suitable learning experience. It does best with what it could get, and that's all that matters.

Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen's never-ending streak of movie-making continues this year with Blue Jasmine. It's an excellent reminder why he's been in business for so long.

Jasmine Francis (Cate Blanchett) is a New York socialite. Or rather, she was, until she lost everything when her husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) went to jail for fraud. Now broke, she's forced to live with her adopted sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco. She tries to maintain a normal life while clinging to her sanity.

Along the way, she meets Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard), a potential new suitor. She also runs into Ginger's ex Augie (Andrew Dice Clay) and her current man, Chili (Bobby Cannavale). She can't stand them, but really, it's because they can't stand her.

And it's all a dark comedy.

As Jasmine, Blanchett is a grown-up spoiled rich girl. And now, that spoiled rich girl has nothing. That's exactly what she's left with in the end. But she's a fascinatingly spoiled because she tries to keep up the facade of a good life. It shows she has more depth than "spoiled rotten."

Much of her supporting cast also give great performances. Clay, whose usual comedic persona is a jerk, is also a jerk here, but his reasons are actually understandable. Michael Stuhlbarg is Dr. Flicker, a seemingly nice dentist who hires Jasmine as a receptionist. Then there's Louis C.K., a nice, false suitor for Ginger.

Allen's screenplay sounds like it's a serious drama. But really, there are elements we can laugh at. Among them are Jasmine's opening scene, in which she babbles on about her life. Another part is Flicker's proposal to introduce Jasmine to Nitrous Oxide. It's all a reminder that we're watching a satire on the shallow rich.

If you can find Blue Jasmine in a theater, try to see it. It's a good character study about someone who really isn't that good.

The World's End

For their latest film, director Edgar Wright and co-writer/star Simon Pegg reach the end of their "Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy." The World's End, that is.

Gary King (Pegg) is a 40-year old slacker who once walked the Golden Mile in his hometown of Newton Haven. On that night, he and his chums crawled across 12 pubs...but crashed and burned before they got to the last one, The World's End. His chums, Peter (Eddie Marsan), Oliver (Martin Freeman), Steven (Paddy Considine) and Andrew (Nick Frost), have adult lives and responsibilities. Gary, who has none, gets them back together to finish what they started.

Out of drunken stupidity, Gary picks a fight with some local boys. They turn out to be alien robots. In fact, the whole town is populated by these robot "blanks." Gary decides he's got better things to do than be assimilated and leads his chums across the mile. But they'll have to bust some robot heads along the way.

It's essentially a modern day spoof of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It maybe fun, but when it gets tense, you'll really feel it. But it's still fun.

Much of the film works thanks to the cast. As "The King," Pegg is a likable slacker, the type of man you'd like to see have fun. As Andrew, Frost starts the film uptight, which makes him losing his inhibitions funnier. Their chemistry with the supporting cast is fun. One of their best scenes has them confront the leader of the robots (Bill Nighy).

Wright and Pegg's screenplay maintains a wacky tone as things get bizarre. When it gets serious, you'll feel for these characters just as much as you enjoy them. Its final twist is darkly comedic and might throw off the most unprepared viewers.

If you're prepared for bizarre times at the movies, The World's End is for you. It'll be the best fun you'll have seeing some guys drink themselves to oblivion.

The Butler

Now, we're getting to the point where the Oscar movies show themselves. One of the biggest out now is the real-life story The Butler...

Excuse me.

Lee Daniels' The Butler. Thanks a lot, Warner Bros.

Shorthand or longhand, this film is about Eugene Allen, a black man who spent over 30 years in the White House staff. Allen, who rose from "pantry man" to head butler, is represented by Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker).

After a harsh childhood in the South, Cecil finds security working at Washington DC hotels. Eventually, he joins the White House staff and learns the ropes from Freddie Fallows (Colman Domingo). He gets to know the Presidents well during events such as the Civil Rights Movement. At home, he and his wife Gloria (Oprah Winfrey) have to deal with their radical son Louis (David Oyelowo).

Directed by Lee Daniels, obviously, Danny Strong's screenplay was based on Wil Haywood's article A Butler Well Served By This Election. It's a screenplay that provides a great perspective into historical events. It's helped by Whitaker's sympathetic performance as Gaines. He may appear submissive to others, but really, his strength against adversity is just as good as the Civil Rights Marchers. Amongst his supporting cast, Winfrey and Oyelowo stand out immensely.

The Makeup Department, headed by Debra Denson, also deserves mention. They convincingly age Whitaker, Winfrey and Oyelowo over the years; especially so with Oyelowo, who's 37, and he begins the movie as a teenager. Alan Rickman and Jane Fonda, as the Reagans, convincingly look like their real life counterparts. John Cusack, as Richard Nixon, did not, though he at least sounds like him.

The Butler is both funny and serious, sometimes in the same scene. It's a great feel-good movie about an upstanding man. This is one history lesson you should check out.

Elysium

In his directorial debut, Neill Blomkamp made the allegorical Sci-Fi film District 9. His newest work, Elysium, is also an allegorical Sci-Fi movie. It's certainly one of the best blockbusters without a bloated budget around.

In the far future, Earth is a mess. Meanwhile, the filthy rich get to live on the space station Elysium. Its technology can cure anything from cancer to broken bones. Their idle way of life is violently protected by the evil Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her hired gun, Kruger (Sharlto Copley).

On Earth, ex-con turned factory worker Max Da Costa (Matt Damon) has an accident on the job. As a result, he'll die of radiation poisoning in five days. The only way to save him is to go to Elysium. With an old buddy, Spider (Wagner Moura), Max gets equipped with a robotic exoskeleton. In exchange, Max has to get sensitive information from Delacourt's cohort, Carlyle (William Fichtner). Their plan gets complicated once they discover that Delacourt's planning to take over Elysium.

It's not in 3D, though if you're lucky, you can see it in IMAX. Either way, you'll still see some visual splendor. It's especially so with the eponymous space station. Its Earth scenes, filmed in Mexico City, portray a sprawling Los Angeles. The shear size of both environments are wonderful collaborations of production design and cinematography.

Blomkamp's script mixes in social commentary that sometimes goes to dark comedy. It's a thrilling Sc-Fi movie that gives its audience a lot to think about. It also provides a formidable villain in Kruger, played wonderfully by Copley. Elysium works on so many levels, although its graphic violence may repulse some viewers.

Elysium is sure to provide some great late summer fun. In fact, it's sure to provide some great summer fun period. It was just that good.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

It took a while, a lot longer than some page-to-screen adaptations take for sequels. But now, Rick Riordan's boy hero, Percy Jackson, has a second movie. It's called Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, and unlike the first film, this one is available in 3D.

Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is the Demigod son of Poseidon, God of the Seas. In the last installment, The Lightning Thief, he saved Mount Olympus and the World from Divine in-fighting. Now, he's wondering whether or not he's really a stand-out hero. He's now at Camp Halfblood, the Olympian summer-camp, where he's met a new rival named Clarisse (Leven Rambin), daughter of Ares.

But Percy's real enemy is Luke (Jake Abel), deranged son of Hermes. Luke and his cronies have broken down Camp Halfblood's magical barrier tree. As a result, all sorts of monsters can cause trouble. The only thing that can fix the tree is the Golden Fleece, located within the Bermuda Triangle, the eponymous Sea of Monsters. Percy and his friends, some new, some old, have to set sail to get the fleece. Luke, meanwhile, has another use in mind for the fleece...

(Let me catch my breath.)

(So, anyway...)

At 106 minutes, the film goes by pretty fast. Fortunately, it gets to the points rather well. As a result, it's a fun movie to watch. Part of the fun is from Percy's supporting cast, which includes Stanley Tucci as Dionysus. 

Through visual effects, the filmmakers create some good monsters and Divine powers. A fine example was Percy and friends' ride on a magical Taxi cab driven by the blind Graeae. Their appearances were realized by great makeup effects; if CGI was involved, I didn't notice it.

Some might complain about it being not like the book. Those who haven't read the books might get thrown off. A few monster introductions confused me, so I can see the latter issue in effect. But I won't complain much about the former issue.

That's because Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is a suitably entertaining late summer blockbuster. If all you want is a good time with Greek Mythology, this certainly won't disappoint.

The Smurfs 2

Smurfing smurfness. The Smurfs are back on the smurf-screen. As with the first smurf movie, The Smurfs 2 is in smurfing 3D and smurftacular flatscreen. But then again, a smurf of movies are available like that.

Don't mind me. Just smurfing.

This smurffest begins by recapping the origins of Smurfette (Katy Perry). To put it smurfing short, she was created by the evil Gargamel (Hank Azaria) and turned good by Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters). Speaking of Gargamel, he's in Paris, where he's the star of his own real life magic show. But he's smurfing low on Smurf essence, the source of his magical powers. To remedy this, he creates the Naughties, Vexy (Christina Ricci) and Hackus (J.B. Smoove), to nab Smurfette. Afterwards, he'll get the formula that turned Smurfette good and an unlimited supply of Smurfs.

Not unless Papa Smurf, a few of his fellow Smurfs, and their human allies, the Winslows, can stop him.

This film is certainly a mixed bag. A new character, Victor (Brendan Gleeson), starts off as completely obnoxious and annoying, but ends up sympathetic. Gargamel, and the cartoonish injuries he endures, provided the film's best laughs. Meanwhile, some of the other jokes fall just flat. This was definitely made for little kids; there's no doubt about that.

It does get more tolerable in the end, so that's a plus. But unlike the first Smurfs, I wasn't sufficiently entertained by this sequel. Perhaps you'll like this better than me.

Though, if they do make a movie about Gargamel getting cartoonishly injured, and that's all there was, I'd probably see that.