"Zombieland" is about Survival

"Zombieland" is an awesome film. It is a story of survival, because America is being infected with zombies. There are only a few humans left in existence. The main character is Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg. He is very shy and lacks confidence, and he is only a teenager living in this terrible living environment. The only thing he is really looking for is a family. He meets a man named Tallahassee played by Woody Harrelson. Tallahassee is everything Columbus is not, confident, risky, and he is essentially fearless. They set out on a journey to find food and shelter. They eventually get to a grocery store. After killing a few zombies, a beautiful teen girl who tells them that her little sister has been bitten. The older sister is Wichita, played by Emma Stone, and the little girl is named Little Rock, played by Abigail Breslin. Columbus and Tallahassee find out that Little Rock is faking the whole time, and the girls steal the boys car, and take them hostage. Tallahassee is extremely mad but Columbus does not mind because he is usually alone so any form of human contact he loves. Also, he really likes Wichita. They start talking, and they tell each other their hopes or their families before zombieland. It turns out that Little Rock wants to go to Pacific Playland in California so they drive there. They make a pit stop in Beverly Hills at a celebrity's house, Bill Murray. And Bill Murray makes one of the funniest cameos in film history. They start spending time together and they realize in this time of crisis this is the only family they have.

This film is just a action-packed story. It is a great film that is somewhat the sequel to Adventureland but not really. This film is great because of the effects and the great cast. It feels like a zombie is going to eat our brains. Also, Jesse Eisenberg is great in every role he is a great young actor that deserves more recognition. Woody Harrelson is usually hit or miss but in this film he was great. Emma Stone is such a great young actress that is probably going to be sticking around in Hollywood. And Abigail Breslin is so young and she still has such great talent for her age.

Grade = 87/100 = B+

"Adventureland" is a Great Adventure

"Adventureland" is a great coming of age story. James is a college grad living at home for the summer. He needs a job for grad school at NYU. After numerous job applications, the only job available is the amusement park, Adventureland. He is not very excited because the pay is not great and the hours sucks. He does meet people that become his friends regardless. He meets an amazing girl, that he starts to fall for her. Her name is Emily, played by Kristen Stewart. After, spending time with people he starts to like, he realizes what he wants to do with his life, he wants to go to New York, and stay with Emily. It is a great story of a complicated relationship.

Jesse Eisenberg is spectacular in this film. This is the first movie I have saw him in and I knew he was going to be a huge star. Kristen Stewart gets a bad rep but she was extremely good, in this film. This film has to be recognized for its directing and writing both by Greg Mottola. This film is great for the awkward boy who tries to get the girl of his dreams and sometimes it works. This film is amazing for any teen.

Grade = 89/100 = B+

"127 Hours" is Gripping

"127 Hours" is a great action film everyone should see. It is based on a true story regarding a mountain climber getting stuck between two rocks and his incredible story of courage. The main character is played by James Franco. He goes out hiking, like any normal day but this time he does not tell his parents or anyone where he is going. Everything is going great, he meets a few girls and it seems like things are going well. Until they split up and he gets stuck. This story tells a great story of bravery and triumph.

 This film is so great because of James Franco. He is essentially the whole movie, and he was perfect in this film. He absolutely deserved his Oscar nomination for Best Actor. This film is a thrilling ride until the end.

Grade = 89/100 = B+

"The Dark Knight Rises" Again.....

"The Dark Knight Rises" is a good ending to the Dark Knight Trilogy. Batman is played by Christian Bale. He has been out of the scene for awhile and Gotham is wondering if he will ever come back. Gotham is being taken over by a new villain, Bane, played by Tom Hardy. Bane is continuingly destroying what Gotham has left and Batman is still nowhere to be found. The Wayne Residence is completely built and Bruce does not think he needs to do anything for Gotham City anymore. However, Bane reigns terror, and Bruce finally feels that Batman should come out of retirement. With the help of Cat woman, played by Anne Hathaway, Batman looks to take down Bane. Also his former lover, Miranda, played by Marion Cotillard.

This film is great because of Christopher Nolan. Nolan is a genius, and he is great at what he does. Christian Bale also deserves recognition because he is an amazing actor. Anne Hathaway is a fantastic  actress that really stepped up this year, with "Dark Knight Rises" and "Les Mis" she is amazing at what she does. Marion Cotillard was spectacular in this film, she played a different role than she usually plays and she did amazing. Tom Hardy is also a great actor that is underrated, he is a talented actor and he is very good in this film, but also Warrior. I did like how Nolan used Bane's voice as not very intimidating but when looking at him he looks very intimidating. This film is very good, it is not as good as "The Dark Knight" and I am glad it was not nominated for any Oscars because it still does not even compare to how good "The Dark Knight." It was a very good ending to the trilogy.

Grade = 83/100 = B

"Moneyball" is one of Brad Pitt's Best

"Moneyball" is a great story of determination. It tells the true story of Billy Beane, the GM of the Oakland A's, played by Brad Pitt. The A's are not the best team, and they are not the most expensive ether. Billy wants to make a difference this new season, and hock the world. He wants to win the World Series on a dime. The scouts are not too pleased with this plan, but since he is the boss they have to go with it. During the offseason he travels to Cleveland for a business deal for trades. While there he meets, Peter Brand, played by Jonah Hill. Peter thinks that baseball should be about runs, and who is getting them. Billy likes Peter he decides to take him in as as his Assistant GM. He is belittled during the beginning of the season by the media, the Coach, the scouts, and the fans, because the new plan of bringing cheaper guys, is not working at first. Art Howe, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, is not cooperating with Billy because Billy's ideas does not seem plausible. Billy is determined to ride out the season. After awhile they start winning and go on a 20 win streak. This is a great story of strength, and trying to better yourself.

This film is great, everything worked well together. Aaron Sirken did an amazing job created the screenplay based on the book by Ben Mezrich. David Fincher directed this film and is always fantastic. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was also great in this film, it was a different role but it worked well for him. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill were spectacular together in this film. They deserved their Oscar nominations. Brad Pitt is great in any role he is given. Jonah Hill really stepped up in this film, and he proved that he play many different roles. This film is great especially for the new Baseball season.

Grade = 93/100 = A

Zuckerberg Knows All

"The Social Network" defines a generation. It tells the true story of Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg. Mark is a Harvard student, wanting more out of life. He is extremely intelligent, and knows a lot about computers. In the beginning of the film, we see him hacking into Harvard's network, and creating a hot or not website displaying girls from Harvard. He gets suspended but is not really worried about it. He realizes that if this website can become so popular why can't another website be popular. He creates this idea for "the facebook." A website for college students or whoever to meet and create a profile all online. He joins up this idea with his best friend, Eduardo played by Andrew Garfield. They try to create this website together by starting out at Harvard, then branching out to other colleges around the country. While this is going on, we cut two other stories, Eduardo suing Mark, and the Winklevoss twins played by Armie Hammer. The Winklevoss twins are brothers at Harvard that have an idea for a website for a dating site that involved Harvard men meeting young women. Mark said he wanted to join in but did not, and did his own idea. Their story goes on, and their website is booming. Numerous of colleges have joined the facebook, and business is growing. But, Eduardo is concerned because they are not making any money yet, he wants to have ads on the site. Mark keeps telling him we will have revenue soon, but the facebook is" cool" and different from other sites. Eduardo does not agree but goes along. They eventually have a meeting Sean Parker, played by Justin Timberlake. Sean tells them everything they need to know, and Mark agrees, Eduardo does not. Mark is in awe of Sean and he wants to be an asset to the company. By the summer, they move to Los Angeles. Sean helps them for the most part, but Eduardo does not like him at all. The story tells the bitter downfall of Mark Zuckerberg but it did not matter because he was so successful, so his lawsuits did not matter. It was essentially "it's a speeding ticket."

Aaron Sirken and David Fincher are geniuses. They are magnificent at what they do, and I have high hopes for them in the future. Jesse Eisenberg also did great in this film. This was his first Oscar nomination and he nailed it, in this film. Andrew Garfield was also great in this film. Justin Timberlake was also fantastic in this film, he was flawless in this film. This film is great, and worth seeing to see how one of the most popular website came about.

Grade = 90/100 = A-

"Bridesmaids" is Hilarious

"Bridesmaids is one of the funniest movies to come out in the past few years. It has Annie, played by Kristen Wiig, trying to figure out a direction after her bakery goes bankrupt. She is trying to pay for things here and there but she is struggling. Later her best friend, Lillian, played by Maya Rudolph, tells her that she is getting married, and she wants Annie to be her Maid of Honor. Annie is reluctant because it is a huge responsibility, and she wants to make sure Lillian has the best marriage. She also does not know if she should bring a date, because she is kind of seeing her friend with benefits, Ted, who is played by Jon Hamm. Ted and Annie have a relationship consisting of only sex but Annie is looking for more not necessarily with Ted, but with anyone. Later, Annie goes to numerous pre-wedding events for Lillian and meet the rest of the Bridesmaids. Funny antics and moments happen and it is all around hilarious. One the way home, she gets pulled over, by a police officer named Rhodes, played by Chris O'Dowd. They actually start liking each other and a love interest arises. It is a great film that is hilarious and created interest because it is a film that shows true strength in women, and shows that women can be funny.

This film is great mainly because of Kristen Wiig. She is one of the funniest women on the planet, and she really knows what is funny in the changing generation. Judd Apatow is also a great asset to this film. Producing this film, help make this film so good. He is one of the best comedic directors in the business today. This film is a great laugh, and I highly recommend it.

Grade: 88/100 = B+

"The Place Beyond the Pines" is Similar to Drive and Blue Valentine

"The Place Beyond the Pines" is a great that is out and everyone should see. It has Luke, played by Ryan Gosling, riding his motorcycle in a carnivals to make money. One night he meets Romina and his life changes when they start dating and she becomes pregnant. He does not know this until the baby, Jason, is born, and Romina explains to him that he can see him but she is dating another man named Kofi, Mahershala Ali. So, Luke tries to find a job, after he quits his motorcycle job, because he is looking for a better income. He meets a named named Robin, played by Ben Mendelsohn. Robin will give him a job, and a place to live. After Luke spends time Romina and tries to be with her, Romina does not want to leave Kofi, and runaway with Luke. So Luke is on his own. He becomes friends with Robin and Robin brings up an idea to gain some income. Robin talks about how he used to rob banks, and it was a thrill to be apart of it. Luke thinks this idea is an easy way to gain some money for Jason and Romina. He starts robbing banks, and he is really good at it because he can quickly get away from the police because he is such a skilled motorcycle rider. One day he messes up his robbery because his motorcycle is not 100% and he gets caught. During his chase and he runs into a house, and tries to escape, but a police officer finds him and shoots him and Luke falls out a window, and dies. The police officer was Avery, played by Bradley Cooper. Avery is shot also, but he lives. When he recovers he is considered a hero, for capturing a criminal. He does not know how to handle it because he feels awful about how he killed a father, and this baby is not going to have his biological father in his life. Avery deals with this problem by earning a high position in the police force, and his relationship with his son, A.J., played by Emory Cohen, suffers. At the funeral of Avery's father, fifteen years later, his now ex-wife Jennifer, played by Rose Byrne tells him that A.J. wants to live with him. Avery agrees and at first it is hard for both of them. A.J. has to switch schools, and make new friends. He eventually meets a boy that looks like a stoner like him, and it is Jason, fifteen years later, played by Dane DeHaan. Still living with Kofi and Romina, he is a troubled kid, still trying to figure what happened to his true father. A.J. and Jason become friends but things start to heat up and turmoil arises.

This movie is fantastic mainly because of Derek Cianfrance. Cianfrance wrote and directed this film and it beautifully written. The main characters change throughout the film, but it was not confusing, and and easy to understand because the everything matched perfectly. Ryan Gosling is always great at whatever role he plays. And Eva Mendes was great also. Bradley Cooper is great in this film, he needed a good rebound role after Silver Linings PLaybook, and this film is great partly because of him. Dane DeHaan and Emory Cohen were great in this film. I hope they have a great career in this business because they have talent. This film is great, and is worth checking out. It is long, but as the story progresses it makes complete sense and the it ends is understandable. Check it out!

Grade: 89/100 = B+

"Say Anything"....

"Say Anything" is one of the best love stories of the 80's. It has Lloyd, played by John Cusack, trying to spend time with his crush after graduation. His crush, is the valedictorian of his high school and the girl who loved but did not know much about because she was busy most of the time. Her name is Diane, played by Ione Skye. That night Lloyd invites her to a party and they hit it off. And Lloyd is in love. He really thinks this girl is the one for him. They start dating and everything is fine for awhile but Diane is not exactly into the relationship as Lloyd is and they just become friends. One of the problems is Diane's father, James, played by John Mahoney. James is a very stern father that is taking care of Diane alone, and they are pretty close. She works for him at a nursing home, he owns. Lloyd is devastated and does not know how to deal with his problem. He stays friends with her but he still wants more, but he is still genuine and always respectful to her because he still loves her. This is when Lloyd has the famous stereo scene. Where John Cusack puts up his stereo outside of her house, playing "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. It is a great love story that has a happy ending.

John Cusack is so great at what he does. He is an amazing actor and this movie was one of his first classics. Ione Skye was amazing in this movie and she played her role really well. John Mahoney was also amazing and he played the overbearing father really well. Cameron Crowe wrote and directed this movie and he outdid himself, this movie is fantastic.

Grade = 85/100 = B

"Fargo" will Keep You Guessing

"Fargo" is one of the best. It has Jerry, played by William H. Macy, not loving his life, comes up with a plan for his wife to be kidnapped. His plan was to hire two men two come into their house and take her away, and when her father called about her leaving, he would just cry, and act like he was not apart of it. The two kidnappers are Gaear and Carl, played by Peter Stormare and Steve Buscemi. They are mad men, they are crazy and are relentless on getting money even if it involves stealing, lying, and killing. The other side of this story is the police. The main policewoman on the case is Marge, played by Frances Mcdormand. Marge is one of the best policewomen on the force and she is determined to catch these kidnappers and Jerry. She is pregnant, but she makes sure she is able to do everything the best of her ability. It is very good but make sure you understand the accents to understand the whole movie.

This movie is great and the Coen Brothers have once again outdid themselves. They are one of my favorites and they are one of the best in the business. Another person who deserves recognition is William H. Macy. He is hilarious and spectacular in this film. He is such an amazing actor and his current role on Shameless is perfect. Steve Buscemi is also perfect in this film. He is an amazing actor, and I am so glad he finally his leading role he always wanted in Boardwalk Empire. Frances Mcdormand is so great in this film. She played the strong woman, motherly character so well. She deserved much recognition for her role in this film. This film is great, and it deserved the Oscar for Best Picture. Go see it!

Grade: 94/100 = A

"Black Swan" Will Make Your Brain Dance

"Black Swan" is one of the best psychological thrillers. Nina, who is played by Natalie Portman, is a ballerina living at home with her mother.  She is a very talented dancer but she is still looking for her "one shot" to prove she is the best. She has been chosen to dance the lead role in Swan Lake. She is chosen by the director of the ballet, Thomas, who is played by Vincent Cassel. They have a fling but it seems like he is using her to just let her role be the best she can be. Things start to heat up when Nina meets Lily, played by Mila Kunis. Lily is another ballerina who is essentially the opposite of her. Nina is very pure, and innocent. And Lily is daring, courageous, and kind of a bad girl but she is still one of the best in the dance company. Nina is chosen, and most of the company is happy for her except for one of the ballerinas, Beth, played by Winona Ryder. Beth was the old white swan and she is not in good shape to dance. Later, Nina and Lily become friends and one night they go out, get drunk, and they "hook up." All throughout the movie Nina is getting a her role, and essentially becoming her role. It is a great film that will keep you guessing the whole time.

Natalie Portman deserved her Oscar for this film. She was magnificent, and she really became the swan. Mila Kunis was also great doing a role that is not different and it worked for her. Aronofsky is a genius and deserves much recognition for this film. I was reluctant because I do not love the ballet, but it kept me on he edge of my seat the whole film.

Grade: 92/100 = A-

"The Wrestler" is Aronofsky's Gem

"The Wrestler" is one of Darren Aronofsky's best films. It has Randy, played by Mickey Rourke, living as aging professional wrestler. He is a wrestler by the name Randy "The Ram" Robinson. He is very popular and he is looked as one of the greats. He is now fading. He wrestles in these small venues and and he is getting older and does not how long he can wrestle for. One night he gets beat up pretty hard and he gets sent to the hospital. He is told that he is not supposed to wrestle anymore. He is obviously distraught but realizes if he wants to live he should take the doctor's advice. He then tries to start his new life after wrestling. He gets a job working in the deli section and at first he does not like it but starts to enjoy the people that he sees and talking with them. Also, though people recognize him and it is embarrassing for him because he is looked as a famous professional wrestler. He also tries to spend time with his friend, who is also a stripper, Cassidy, who is played by Marisa Tomei. She is a single mom trying to take care of her son anyway possible even if it is dancing. They are friends and Cassidy cares about his life regardless she is getting paid to spend time with him at the strip club. Randy also tries to spend time with his daughter, Stephanie, who is played by Evan Rachel Wood. Stephanie does not like him very much because he never spends time with her. He really tries to reconcile with his daughter even though his daughter does not want to. He tries to fix his life that he missed out on while he was wrestling and traveling. He is a good man trying to make everyone happy.

This film is so great mainly because of MIckey Rourke. He nailed it in this film and he deserved his Oscar nomination for this film. Marisa Tomei also deserves her nomination because she was spectacular  because I really could tell she a strong mother in this film. Evan Rachel Wood is a great up and coming actresses, she is only twenty-six now and I think she has a long career ahead of her in this field. Darren Aronofsky is a genius for what he does and he deserves full recognition for his films. This film is so great, it is a quintessential guy movie but it is really good.

Grade = 92/100 = A-

"Being John Malkovich" is Awesome

"Being John Malkovich" is an amazing film. It has Craig, played by John Cusack who works in an office but puppeteers on the side. He is dealing with his life one day at a time. He does not love his life but he is content with it. He lives with his wife Lotte, played by Cameron Diaz. He is just looking for something different and exciting. One day he discovers his office has another floor, a half floor. And in this floor there is a portal to the mind of an actor, John Malkovich. craig goes inside the mind of this actor for a matter of minutes and then transformed back into the regular world. Craig is completely amazed about what has just happened and tries to explain it to Lotte and tries it for herself. They are both amazed and are different and more exciting people. We then meet Maxine, played by Catherine Keener. She is the new pretty girl at the office and Craig really likes regardless that he is with Lotte. Maxine and Craig become friends and Craig shows her to John Malkovich's mind. She is completely transformed also and thinks that people will pay money for this. So they advertise and people pay to go through the mind of John Malkovich. People are amazed and are different people after. After this is happening John discovers this and finds Craig and Maxine and is shocked about what is going on. John says this is illegal and he will sue them if this is still going on. Maxine then tells Craig that if he can go in one more time he can control his mind, forever and he does. It is a great film that is a little confusing but if you pay attention it is great.

This film is so great mainly because of Charlie Kaufman and his amazing writing. He is definitely one of my favorite screenwriters and he is just fantastic at what he does. I also love John Cusack. I grew up watching his films and this is one of his best films because it is so different than what he usually plays. Also, Catherine Keener is always fantastic at what she does. I also think John Malkovich is always great. Cameron Diaz is so different in this film and she nailed it.

Grade: 88/100 = B+

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" Is A Movie You Have To See

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is very confusing but it is an amazing film. It has Joel, played by Jim Carrey, living his life alone and wanting more out of life. He meets a woman that is intriguing to her because she is so different from every woman he has ever dated. Her name is Clementine, played by Kate Winslet. Clementine is a gutsy, risk-taking strong woman who lives life to the fullest. What is most unique about her hair style, she dyes her hair multiple times in the film. They essentially start dating and really start liking each other but they just cannot stay together because they are just too different. Clementine is so distraught she decides to go through a procedure where she erases all of her memories that revolve around Joel, essentially wiping that idea out of Joel out of her head. And while this is going on Joel decides to do the same thing, not knowing she did the same thing. So they both go through the procedure. The procedure has both of them gather every kind of memorabilia that will trigger any kind of memory between them. By going through this procedure they remember every good time and bad time of their relationship. Wile the procedure is going on Mary (played by Kirsten Dunst)  Stan (played by Mark Ruffalo) and Patrick (played by Elijah Wood) are working on Joel and things go wrong when Joel wants to stop the procedure. Joel and Clementine realize that they are want to be together by the end. It is a great story that has an interesting concept.

Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are perfect together. Kate Winslet is perfect in what ever she does, she can  almost any role and be spectacular at it. Jim Carrey is not afraid to play a dramatic role and this is probably his best film at a dramatic standpoint. He is great as the protagonist and you just feel for him every step of the way. This movie is also great because of the writing. Charlie Kaufman is one of my favorite screenwriters and he nailed it in this film. This film is one of the best love stories ever told and it is a great film to see.
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338013/

Grade: 92/100 = A-

"Terri" is a Great Independent Film

"Terri" is an amazing independent film. It has a very plump teenager named Terri, played by Jacob Wysocki. He is not a very popular boy mainly because of his wardrobe. He usually goes to school to in his very neatly made PJs. And he is just a very nice boy but is wanting a girlfriend or a just a friend in general. His Guidance Counselor, Mr. Fitzgerald, who is played by John C. Reilly really tries to help him. Mr. Fitzgerald meets with Terri a few times a week to just talk. Terri is just trying to end a friend and even though he is a Guidance Counselor he likes him. He also makes friend a new outcast named Heather. She was ostracized for getting "fingered" in the middle of class, and Terri feels bad for her and lends a helping hand when she is need. Terri finally feels like he has a sold support system and he is feeling content.

This film is so great because of how great Wysocki and Reilly are together. JohnC. Reilly is usually hilarious in most of his films but he is not afraid to do those dramatic roles. Wysocki is so amazing in this film, he plays the awkward and shy teenager that most teenagers cannot pull off. This film is very sad but you just fall in love with the characters by the end. It is a great story that will keep you guessing. Please go watch it.

Grade = 85/100 = B