A Christmas Carol (2009)

Director: Robert Zemeckis. Cast (voices): Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn, Colin Firth, Cary Elwes. 96 min. Rated PG. Animation.

This is cinema. This is why we love movies. We've heard and read and watched this story a hundred times, but Zemeckis has become such an expert in 3D animation, I defy anybody not to be dazzled by this incredible piece of entertainment. I found myself much more excited from the imagery here compared to what I saw in Up, and rarely have I seen Jim Carrey's (literally) cartoonish facial expressions to have been employed to such approproiate extent (the last time being Mask). Highly recommended for a true cinematic experience, preferrably in 3D, preferrably in IMAX.

Mo says:

Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains (2007)

Director: Jonathan Demme. 125 min. Rated PG. Documentary.

Coverage of Carter's "Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid" book tour, with a behind-the-scenes look at the interviews, and Carter's personal life. What makes this documentary engrossing, is watching the power of free speech in igniting controversy, and creating a chance for dialogue on supposedly taboo subjects. No matter how you feel about the Israel-Palestine peace process (or lack thereof), you'll end this film with a feeling of respect for the former president of the United States - a man who apparently has no personal gain in fighting for peace in the Middle East.

Mo says:

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Director: Joseph Sargent. Cast: Walter Mathau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam. 104 min. Rated R. Action.

There's not much to say here, except for the pure pleasure of watching great late perfomers such as Mathau and Shaw in action. Obviously, this was in preparation to watch this year's remake, "The Taking of Pelham 123", but I don't regret the chance to experience an obscure oldie. Give it a try only if you feel nostalgic for the 70s.

(Trivia: Tarantino was inspired by the characters' names in this movie (Mr. White, Mr. Green, Mr. Blue, ...) for his first gangster flick, "Reservoir Dogs".)

Mo says:

Michael Jackson's "This is It" (2009)

Director: Kenny Ortega. 112 min. Rated PG. Documentary.

This is not cinema, and those who'll make this a blockbuster are not necessarily movie-lovers. This is a 2-hour concert. I was expecting to know more about Michael Jackson's inner truth. The film does not meet that expectation, but instead, offers a fuller picture of the music-making machine we knew. At moments, I had a hard time figuring whether MJ was more man or music. The director makes a wise decision in avoiding any notion of the singer's death at the end, and just keeps the film full of life by beautiful music. But that's all this is: beautiful music.

(PS: And again, "Billie Jean" was undeniably his best.)

Mo says:

Food, Inc. (2008)

Director: Robert Kenner. 94 min. Rated PG. Documentary.

You may feel the urge to slam this documentary as a Commie flick; but Food, Inc. is more respectful of its viewers than that. It just shows you the facts about where the food on your table comes from, and leaves the decision on how to deal with that data up to you. In the process, the movie reminds us of our three-times-a-day chance to vote "No" on the current manner of food processing. After watching Supersize Me, I haven't stepped into a McDonald's joint again; Food, Inc. extended that feeling of disgust to a great many other food items.

Mo says:

Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)

Director (and narrator): Michael Moore. 127 min. Rated R. Documentary.

After watching Sicko, I had lost confidence in Michael Moore. Capitalism regained some lost trust. The film is still riddled with Moore's usual super-biased style of filmmaking, shoving whatever he believes down your throat. But some concepts elaborated upon were difficult to ignore. I'm ill-equipped with financial knowledge (and I'd appreciate whoever's gracious enough to guide me on the film's claims), but apparently good old capitalism has changed over the last 10-15 years, and Moore does a decent job illustrating this. At the end, you'll be asking yourself: Does capitalism really need to be eliminated?

(PS: The movie ends with some amazing unseen footage of Franklin D. Roosevelt, announcing the need for a second Bill of Rights. Don't miss it.)

Mo says:

Whatever Works (2009)

Director: Woody Allen. Cast: Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson. 92 min. PG-13. Comedy.

For some reason, Allen's repetitive style in comedy never gets old for me. The same NYC setting, the same neurotic hero (actually playing Woody himself), and the same never ending flow of funny, sarcastic memorable quotes. There's not much here that specifically makes this New York comedy stand out from his other New York comedies - except for Larry David, who does an excellent job in the role Woody has exclusively defined as his own.

Mo says:

The Girlfriend Experience (2009)

Director: Steven Soderbergh. Cast: Sasha Grey, Chris Santos. 77 min. Rated R. Drama.

Shot in a hidden-camera format, Soderbergh continues his experimental style - this time offering a rare glimpse into the life of a high-profile New York call girl. This is a person whose outer personality is at the pleasure of her client, and the whole idea is whether the filmmaker is able to penetrate behind the iron poker-face mask of the girl, to show us the real person living behind it. For 1-2 minutes towards the end, we are shown the reality of that person, and it's not pretty. Worth the watch, but doesn't go beyond a glamorous HBO-style documentary.

Mo says:

Videodrome (1983)

Director: David Cronenberg. Cast: James Woods, Deborah Harry. 90 min. Rated R. Sci-fi/Horror.

Another fleshy gooey sci-fi by the master of plastic body parts. Cronenberg made several of these gross bloody pictures in the 80s and 90s where a hand turns into mashed potato, and to be honest, it never worked for me (his goo-less Scanners is still the best). The story is obviously predicting the consequences of the 80s video craze, but then also gets involved in the concept of snuff movies (pretty unique for those days), and loses its grip on both. I like the Cronenberg of the 2000s much better, when he's not making horror sci-fi.

Mo says:

Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008)

Director: Sacha Gervasi. Cast: Steve 'Lips' Kudlow, Robb Reiner. 90 min. Unrated. Documentary.

1984's This is Spinal Tap was a mockumentary about rockers, which was funny. Unfortunately, Anvil is a documentary. When you're confronted with the story of people who believe in a dream that doesn't exist, and hang on to the dream in the face of all evidence proving it doesn't exist, watching their fight becomes quite depressing. This is not a movie about heavy metal rockers. It's about asking yourself: If you were in their shoes, how far would you be willing to go? You may find yourself shedding a few tears watching these two musicians answer that question.

Mo says:

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

Director: Spike Jonze. Cast: Max Records, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Forest Whitaker, Chris Cooper, Mark Ruffalo. 94 min. Rated PG. Fantasy.

How could you possibly turn a 10-sentence children's book into a feature length movie? Years ago, in a review on Jonze's Three Kings, someone wrote he is the filmmaker of the future. This film shows why. Jonze has accomplished the impossible feat of expanding Maurice Sendak's beloved story into a film that becomes an opportunity for self-reflection about yourself and your family relations. Where the Wild Things Are offers the creativity of some of Tim Burton's best works, or even deeper. The movie is not supposed to be about grown-ups, but it is; and welcomingly so. Highly recommended.

Mo says:

[REC] (2007)

Director(s): Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza. Cast: Ferran Terraza, Manuela Velasco. 78 min. Rated R. Spain. Horror.

For some reason, zombie movies usually have something new to offer - which is the reason for their longivity. In this case, [REC], a horror import from Spain, is entirely shot by handheld camera (interesting how this method accentuates the terror of the unknown). The catch is, throughout the movie, we never see the cameraman. The movie is a gorefest like any other zombie flick, but the final 15 minutes, which is actually goreless, builds up an impressive amount of tension. Recommended if you're up for some gut-wrenching suspense. Remade last year in the States by the title Quarantine.

Mo says: