September 2009


Surrogates
File a Minority Report and call in the Demolition Man, The Matrix of this slickly presented I Robot Dies Hard (with a funny wig on) thanks to its mish-mashing of other (better) movies ideas and iconography.
**

The Soloist
Heart-warming "true life" socio-realist story, clever Joe Wright direction, quality Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx performances, mental health-afflicted main character: not sure why this didn't do more commercially, get more recognition or be deemed more worthy by awarding bodies?
****

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Bonkers in name, bonkers in content, but also quite brilliant too. That's Cloudy With Meatballs. Colourful, quirky, chucklesome and downpouring with character and creative ideas, it has to be one of the most enjoyable and totally original animations in years.
*****

Away We Go
Delicate, delightful, quirky, cutesy. funny and life-affirming this Sam Mendes movie is no less about American life and times than normal but more like a Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers), Alexander Payne (About Schmidt) or Zach Braff (Garden State) production. Interesting diversion.
****

Gamer
As crazy and chaotic but not as fun as their Crank(s), Neveldine/Taylor's Gamer is another high concept, high-octane, bombastic, dumbtastic, violent action thriller to gleefully turn your brain off to however.
***

Adventureland (full review)
Take a trip to Adventureland; you won’t be disappointed by the sweet, smart, stirring, reminiscing ride on offer that has no height restrictions to have a go on. Just an intellectual and taste one.
****

Sorority Row
With the leer-cam set to eleven, So Row certainly makes the most of it's sister slasher fodder in various states of undress and duress. Rest of this horror remake is perfectly passable, gory, jump shock, death of the week fun too.
**

District 9
Captivating, compelling, critical, questioning, original, un-be-liev-ably creative and quite unlike any film, sci-fi or otherwise, released this year, this decade or even in my entire memory, District 9 is a true one-of-a-kind.
*****

(500) Days of Summer (full review)
(500) Days of Summer is the most original and inventive date movie for many more than (500) days and this years “breakout indie that could” and should (Sideways / Little Miss Sunshine / Juno).
****