Hey, readers. How’s your New Year’s eve? Mine was chilly and most of the time just watching fireworks in the sky. Wish you all to have a great year! I’ve been busy making my top 20 movies, I forgot to make monthly movie report.
This movie report is the last movie report I’ll wrote, because later I’ll write weekend round-ups. I figured it’s more time effective rather than waiting for a whole month. This month I watched several latest movies, one classic movie but overall the movie that was released in 2011. Here it is :
One Day (2011)
Two friends made an agreement to spent time together in one day for every year in their lives. Adapted from a novel from the same name, this Lone Scherfig directed movie actually have a lot of potential to be a sweet romantic movie. But instead, the two leading actor and actress, Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, didn’t felt like they have deep friendship chemistry that has grown over the years. I read that Anne Hathaway really wanted the role and Lone Scherfig at first wanted British actress to play Emma, but she impressed the director somehow. I’m not talking about her accent (I wouldn’t know because I’m not British), but she’s just not a perfect fit for Emma for lack of depth in her performance. Great job for Jim Sturgess by the way, but he is too fit for an elder man (in the end scenes). Interesting to see the changes in fashion year to year.
Movie Score : 2 Stars
X-Men First Class (2011)
Have been putting away watching X-Men because I felt it was overrated. But really, it is one of the best prequel after Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. What made it interesting is Michael Fassbender as Erik/Magneto, who could easily get our sympathy with his painful past. Also liked Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, since before I only seen her small parts in The Beaver and Like Crazy. It’s nice to see James McAvoy again. Excellent blockbuster movie. It is also one of my top 20 movies.
Movie Score : 4 Stars
Ides of March (2011)
Directed by one of the most fashionable man, George Clooney. It’s a world of politic and campaign, where a junior campaign manager (Ryan Gosling) somehow involved in the world of dirty politics. The strongest performance for me is from Phillip Seymour Hoffman, as his role as an experienced campaign manager. Seeing the flow story, to me there was nothing new. But it’s a solid movie about politics, great work for Clooney. As for Gosling, nothing beats his performance in Drive at this moment.
Movie Score : 3,5 Stars
Mission : Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011)
You think Tom Cruise is too old for climbing a building? Wrong. He probably is not in his prime, but the man still got what it takes. Too bad this is the first time I actually seen MI, hoping to see previous series of them. The movie got you into your adrenaline, makes you nervous. Not many movies could do that. The MI team is also interesting, with Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Paula Patton. Many great gadgets in it. Quite long in duration, but it’s worth it.
Movie Score : 3,5 Stars
Sherlock Holmes : A Game of Shadows (2011)
Sherlock Holmes is back to solve mystery. He interferes with Dr. Watson’s honeymoon while searching answers. Although the action scenes, effects and beautiful slow motions are great, but the story is too complicated to follow. Or, I probably just not a fan of the series at the first place? I just prefer the first movie better. I enjoyed Noomi Rapace’s role as a gypsy lady joining the team.
Movie Score : 2,5 Stars
Carnage (2011)
Directed by Roman Polanski, it is one of the simplest concept for a movie I’ve seen this year. More on my thoughts later on full review.
We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)
Thrilling story about being a mother. Actually it is a nightmare for a mother. But it’s a brilliant movie. More on full review.
Our Idiot Brother (2011)
It’s a light but uplifting movie starring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, and Zooey Deschanel, . Again, coming soon on full review.
List of movies I did review this month is :
Arisan! 2 and The Billionaire (2011)
The Secret Borrower of Arrietty (2010)
That’s all now. Closing for 2011, next short reviews is on weekend round-ups. Please check out my wishes for 2011 and some lists of best in the year, and my favorite 2011 movie poster.
Readers, what are your thoughts? What movie you like the most on your first viewing in December?
Your New Year’s Eve is chilly… in Jakarta?? Or you’re traveling somewhere I take it?
Anyway, glad you love First Class too, that’s on my top 10 this year, LOVE McAvoy as Xavier. Glad to hear you’ve seen Carnage, that one looks good, looking forward to your review.
ruth recently posted..2011 Movies Year in Review
Jakarta lately have been rainy and windy. I sat near the balcony so it was a bit cold. Not as cold as some parts of the world, I guess
X-Men is good, funny how I questioned it before. Going to see your top 10 now.
Andina recently posted..(Last) Movie Report : December 2011
New year is strange, kind of makes me sad that I’m getting older, fun with the family is good.
Are we celebrating the new year(that we know nothing about yet), or are we in fact celebrating the old year- maybe it should be Happy Old Year , ha ha ( :
Actually its not Clooney’s debut as a director, you might want to correct that.
I liked the X-men prequel. No 1, 3 and 5 are the best of the series in my opinion, the “even numbers” x-men 2 and x-men 4 were dumb action movies for me ( :
Chris recently posted..moviesandsongs365 in 2012
Thanks for correcting me, Chris. As it turns out, Ides of March was his 4th or 5th movie!
I saw X-men 2 and did not stick in mind. The 3rd I remember not so bad. Great prequel!
Andina recently posted..(Last) Movie Report : December 2011