Watched BLUE VALENTINE (2010) last night and enjoyed the interaction between Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling as a struggling married couple with flashbacks to their courting days.  The movie is sad and sweet and came across as very real.  I found I was very interested in the characters and their outcome as well as their getting together.  Derek Cianfrance, who wrote and directed, tells a good story of romance and then the slow decline of a relationship that doesn't want to break apart, but ultimately does.  The final few minutes culminate with now and then sequences that are very powerful.  No flash, but great story telling.

Watched THE TOURIST (2010) last night with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie and was not expecting much...and that is what I got.  Directed by unknown Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, this film plays like a 1960's Cary Grant film with the long slow shots of actors walking streets as well as of locations involved such as the Venice backdrop here.  It did have its enjoyable cute moments with witty dialogue between Depp and Jolie.  The absence of sex and violence and the slower pace again made me think of the earlier films made and may help it play to an older more reserved audience.  I enjoyed Paul Bettany as the Inspector and Timothy Dalton put in a nice appearance as well. 

Just watched THE FIGHTER (2010) on a rainy Saturday afternoon and was quite pleased with the outcome.  David O. Russell directed and did a nice job of telling the story of Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg, and his battle with boxing, his family and his eventual title match for world light welterweight.  I have always wanted to like Wahlberg but usually don't.  However in this film I believe he was the character he was playing.  Supported by his brother, played by an amazing Christian Bale, Wahlberg rose to the occasion.  Bale won an Academy Award for his "crack-head" yet knowledgeable boxing performance and I am stunned that he has not been nominated in the past.  Amy Adams puts a very nice gritty performance together as the girlfriend rocking the family boat and Melissa Leo, as the matriarch, fights to keep her family together well enough to also take home an Academy Award.

Just watched THE KILLER INSIDE ME (2010), a remake of the 1976 film of the same title, with Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, and Jessica Alba.  Set in the late 40's, a small town deputy sheriff played by Affleck steps out of line for what appears to be the first time in his life and the domino effect leads him to much mayhem.  In flashbacks to his younger days it seems life was just a bit twisted and now it's all calmly coming to a head.  Photography is rich in the dust bowl it plays out but it seems a bit slow paced.  I'm sure this is intentional so we can see how A leads to B and then B leads to C but along with the muted dialogue, it was hard to keep my attention.  It seemed stilted and just too matter of fact for me.  There was also some serious violence but I did not see where that came from.  Maybe more backstory was needed so later we would understand why he had this inside him for so long and hadn't acted on it sooner.

Watched 127 HOURS (2010) last night and once again director Danny Boyle has told a story in his visual way that enhances the plot line and keeps you wanting to see more as he did with SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, 28 DAYS LATER, THE BEACH , and TRAINSPOTTING.  James Franco turns in a good performance as the mountain climber stuck "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" which is the book written by real life Aron Ralston which the movie is based on.  With delirious flashbacks we meet his family and friends and learn he is a loner and considered selfish, which he now has to reconcile with being alone and nobody knowing where he might be. 

Watched LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS on Pay-Per-View tonight and it was what I had expected...nothing earth shattering but good as expected performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and wow...Anne Hathaway...did I say wow?  Ms. Hathaway is one of my favorites anyway but I really enjoyed her character choices...as well as her endowments.  Edward Zwick directed and presents a well written story as he has done in the past with the likes of BLOOD DIAMOND, THE LAST SAMURAI, COURAGE UNDER FIRE, ABOUT LAST NIGHT and going back to thirtysomething on TV.  Hank Azaria and Oliver Platt contribute nicely in this romantic-dram-edy.  Filmed in Pittsburgh, PA.

Saw the new THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU last night at the theatre.  Great movie!  The story was taken form a short story by Phillip K. Dick, another in the likes of Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly.  It was well done and the humor is what made it for me.  Matt Damon and Emily Blunt were quite believable as the couple who is not to be together due to the "plan" by the "chairman".  Fast paced and always has you guessing what is around the next corner or should I say...through the next door.  Supporting cast was just as good especially John Slattery, Terrence Stamp, and Anthony Mackie. 

Originally saw MEMENTO (2000) at the theatre when it came out in 2001 and was blown away.  Bought the movie and watched it several more times, which I normally do not do, changing my opinion each time of what was really happening, or so I thought.  Last night watched again and even though this Christopher Nolan film is 11 years old...IT PLAYS SO WELL!  What a great film!  Guy Pearce does an outstanding job of leading us through his short term memory adventure.  Nolan's use of color and then black / white sequences helps define what is really going on in this film. Others in the film such as Joe Pantoliano and Carrie-Ann Moss offer wonderful performances.  MUST SEE AGAIN!

Watched DATE NIGHT (2010) last night with Tina Fey and Steve Carell.  It was fun.  I really enjoyed the small roles of Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Mark Ruffalo, and Mila Kunis.  They added a nice touch.  The overall story was not too far out there and moved along well.  Not a must see but enjoyable none the less.

This 2003 Edward Zwick directed, Tom Cruise / Ken Watanabe acting vehicle, THE LAST SAMURAI, was nice to watch on a quiet Friday night with the dog, when my wife is out seeing MOMIX: BOTANICA at the Knight Theatre in uptown Charlotte.  Though a bit heavy on plunging bloody battle scenes, it was beautifully shot by John Toll, who has quite a pedigree.  I believe they were trying to make a point...a point of honor...that is continuing and keeping their ancestors memories alive, at any cost.  I got that...I enjoyed the acting and they conveyed that point well enough to me in that regard.  I felt...the point of honor.  The cultural difference spoken and shown, in the long but not forgotten past of the 1870's, makes for a good flowerbed of tension, always building towards the "honorable" ending.  Also noted was the Hans Zimmer score, his 100th movie score to date in 2003.