Avatar (2009)

Just what I thought it would be: style over substance.

The style is impressive, to be sure, but the substance is predictable. And the story -- well, there's not much of it, so I'm not sure why it took so long to tell it.

The top three most hilariously dumb things (out of several):

3) the scratch-faced guy drinking coffee in the cockpit during the massacre -- uh, yeah. You wouldn't be excited/wound-up enough to put that thing down, bub?

2) the fact that his big ol' robot-monster costume had a big ol' knife in its fist rather than, you know, some built in Inspector-Gadget pointy deal, which would leave the grip FREE

1) "unobtanium" or, as I call it, "cantgetium." I mean, how lazy is that name?

C-

The Invention of Lying (2009)

This consisted of a series of scenes that elicited half-smiles from my son and me, but it wasn't nearly as funny as the subject matter warrants -- just hearing about it made me sure I'd be in stitches.

Little anecdote: when this was in theaters, Gary and I saw a guy we knew coming out of this movie and he was shaking mad about the "making up God" aspect of the film. While I could see where the offense could have been taken, now that I've seen it for myself, being offended by it seems like more work than the film warrants. I mean, it simply didn't make enough of an impact for its "points" to matter.

AJ made the observation that people who couldn't tell the truth came off, in our jaded perspective as "stupider" than the one guy who could lie. And, wow, he's right. How twisted is that?

C-

The Hurt Locker (2009)

This movie made it finally, for the first time, "click" for me how someone could need to sign up for another tour of duty even if 1) they're not mentally insane (see, I disagree that the lead is an "adrenaline junkie") and 2) they don't necessarily believe in the reason for the conflict.

The film did a great job of putting us in the mindset of a soldier who is expected, daily, to willingly go into dangerous situations for people who rarely want their help. Though the situation is beyond disheartening, I'm appreciative of the film for helping me understand those living in it.

A-

The Messenger (2009)

This was a surprisingly dull movie -- I was expecting so much more.

I don't see any reason that Woody Harrelson should have been rewarded with a Supporting Actor nomination for this role, but I'm sure that it lets the other four guys in his category breathe a little easier.

C

Crazy Heart (2009)

Gary said that he was much more interested in the story between hard-living country singer Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) and Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), the protege who now overshadows him. I completely agree.

Instead the choice was made to focus on his relationship with small-town single mom Maggie Gyllenhaal (not nearly good enough to justify her Oscar nom) and the movie suffered during each of the scenes we spent in her company.

All scenes that took place on-stage were simply fantastic.

C+

A Serious Man (2009)

The good news? The set decoration is incredible.

The bad news? They screw up that terrific scenery with tedious "action" that's simply a bore starring a main character I wanted to slap. Repeatedly.

C-

The Shining (1980)

Oh my gosh. Is this what passed for critically-acclaimed back in the day? I was watching it with my younger son and I actually felt embarrassed -- worried that somehow I was giving him permission to dismiss the films of my youth as wastes of time (thankfully The Empire Strikes Back came out the same year, so he knows he can't do that). I can't imagine how Stanley Kubrick must feel about it...I was cringing at it wasn't even my fault.

Shelly Duvall, in particular, was hysterical -- especially at the end when she's running around with a knife, as though she's a marionette being controlled by someone having a seizure. Don't even get me started on the horrendously annoying score.

D-

Troubled Water (2009)

I think this was an accidental addition to my Netflix queue as I don't remember knowing anything about it ahead of time. Perhaps I meant to type "Trouble the Water," in hopes of seeing that Katrina documentary, and wound up with this instead.

But I'm not sorry. This is a moody little movie about a parolee getting a job in a church, but still having to face those affected by his crime. It got a little too "yeah, right" near the end, but the emotions felt real, the story as a whole was strong, and it was all nicely acted.

B

A Single Man (2009)

Affecting and gorgeous (love that mid-century modern house!) film marred by an unfortunate cop-out of an ending. But, oh, the poetry of the images to which we're treated up until the movie comes to a close are to die for.

Colin Firth (my personal pick for best actor for this role) drifts through the scenery at a necessary remove from the life around him. I love the way the film is directed as gauzy in the "present" -- when I try to conjure up his co-workers and neighbors, they seem to be dreams. His memories, however, are a different story. They're vibrant and alive because, in them, his recently killed boyfriend is still vibrantly alive, lending the past a color that the present just can't offer.

There's a lot more to this film than just the set decoration and cinematography but, even if that was it, I believe it'd be enough. It's that lovely.

A

Zombieland (2009)

I had a blast with this as it both 1) moved quick enough not to overstay its welcome and 2) managed to use Abigail Breslin effectively, playing to her "strengths" and demanding little enough that her limitations didn't grate.

The final act went just a wee bit long, but the rest of the film more than made up the difference.

B+

The Blind Side (2009)

The easy argument against there being 10 best picture nominees is that dreck like this gets nominated. Sandra Bullock was the only actor worth a damn in this horrid movie -- oh, wait, Kathy Bates was in the story for a few minutes and she's never bad -- but the script didn't do either of them any favors.

I hated watching this alone because I had no one with whom to roll my eyes every time that obnoxious "SJ" kid was spitting out his dialogue (one of the most annoying scenes helpfully embedded below). What a waste of my time this wanna-be-sentimental-but-just-plain-bad movie was.

F