Movies in 2012
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.
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.