The Sessions (2012)

Director: Ben Lewin. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy. 95 min. Rated R. Drama.

A 38-year old quadriplegic hires a sex surrogate to help him experience intercourse for the first time. Based on (or probably just "inspired by") the real-life story of Mark O'Brien, previously documented in the 1996 Oscar-winning short, Breathing Lessons, I found the story and characters very hard to believe - especially the relationship between the therapist and her husband, who is jealous of a quadriplegic sending his wife love poems (Hello? Any idea what your wife does for a living?). Hawkes is great as O'Brien, but again, that's nothing compared to Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot. Significantly over-hyped.

Mo says:

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Director: Wes Anderson. Cast: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban. 94 min. Rated PG-13. Comedy/Romance.

First, just read the introductory statement I wrote here. Read it? OK, I can't connect with Wes Anderson films, I don't find his humor funny, and I don't know why everybody praises his films. I believe his style is just a ploy to look artistic, and to win critic admiration, à la "The Emperor's New Clothes": critics says it's good because they don't understand it. I hope I never put time into watching another Wes Anderson movie again.

Mo says:

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Director: John Madden. Cast: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Penelope Wilton. 124 min. Rated PG-13. UK/USA/UAE. Comedy/Drama.

A dream cast of some of greatest British actors alive tell the story of seven Englishmen/women who lose all hope in their own lives in the UK, and venture out to live in a dilapidated retiree home in Jaipur, India. Crafted by the director of Shakespeare in Love, the movie has an engaging rhythm filled with thought-provoking one-liners, and I was expecting a somewhat cliche ending ... but not that cliche. The story takes almost no risk at the end. Splendid acting by Dench, Smith and Wilkinson, as always.

Mo says:

In Darkness (2011)

Director: Agnieszka Holland. Cast: Robert Wieckiewicz, Benno Fürmann and Agnieszka Grochowska. 145 min. Rated R. Poland/Germany/Canada. Drama/War.

A war-profiteering weasel in WWII Poland decides to make some money out of hiding Jews in the sewers, and finds himself risking his life for them along the way. This Oscar-nominated film from Holland, the famed Polish director, is actually a "Schindler in the sewers" - which is why it loses it's kick halfway through: Spielberg already told this story 20 years ago. But you still may need nerves of steel to get though this one, especially if you have kids.

Mo says:

Bernie (2011)

Director: Richard Linklater. Cast: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey. 104 min. Rated PG-13. Comedy/Drama.

A kind small-town Texan mortician whom everybody loves befriends a millionaire widow, but on sudden impulse (Spoiler Alert!) shoots her to death. So here's the question: should the court be lenient towards the killer, just because he's "nice"? If I see someone being too nice to me for no reason, I usually run for cover. But that's not how the people of this town felt, and apparently, this is based on a true story. Unexpected great performance by Jack Black, but I didn't think there's enough material to warrant a feature film, even from a great writer/director such as Linklater.

Mo says:

Ryan's Daughter (1970)

Director: David Lean. Cast: Robert Mitchum, Sara Miles, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Leo McKern. 195 min. Rated R. UK. Drama/Romance.

Would I have the audacity to give a David Lean film a "Soso"? Well, this almost got a "NoMo" score, if it weren't for an unbelievably thrilling storm sequence. Lean's usual incredible panoramas are the backdrop for this sprawling three-hour plus movie ... about a very simple love triangle. Which means only the cinematography kept me from getting bored to death. But as this major critic wrote forty years ago, every great director's movie is worth seeing at least once.

Mo says:

Skyfall (2012)

Director:  Sam Mendes. Cast: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw. 143 min. Rated PG-13. UK/USA. Action/Adventure.

During the past three movies, the James Bond franchise has become almost unrecognizable from the prior 20 films. Bond looks different, he acts different, the villains are not caricatures, and the Bond girls are not just tag-alongs. So if we accept this new territory, Skyfall is a significant achievement; especially after the dismal Quantum of Solace. The opening sequence is a huge thrill, Craig continues the superb character revival he started in Casino Royale, Bardem creates one of the most sadistic megalomaniac villains, and Dench couldn't get any better as "M". Even Adele's title song is one to be cherished.

Mo says:

Flight (2012)

Director: Robert Zemeckis. Cast: Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, Bruce Greenwood, John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Nadine Velazquez. 138 min. Rated R. Drama.

Back home many years ago, I remember someone recommended me to watch a film, but "just the first half hour is good". What did that mean? Leave the theater after the first half-hour? Funny part was, he was right. That's exactly what happened during Flight. The first half hour has this unbelievable plane crash sequence that will blow your mind away (and proves what a great director Zemeckis can be, "if he puts his mind to it"), but then the rest of the movie is just a drag about alcoholism. You can leave the theater after the first half hour.

PS: OK, one credit: John Goodman's few minute presence here deserves a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Just amazing.

Mo says:

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Director: Colin Trevorrow. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni. 86 min. Rated R. Comedy/Sci-fi.

Amateur journalists follow a rural guy to check out whether a time-travel ad he's posted in the local newspaper is authentic, or he's just a nutcase. The movie does a good job at keeping the viewer guessing throughout its entire length between these two possibilities, and offers some genuine laughs and heartfelt moments along the way, but I don't buy the 94% on the Tomatometer. Not at all.

Mo says:

The Grey (2011)

Director: Joe Carnahan. Cast: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo. 117 min. Rated R. Action/Drama.

This was a surprise. Reading the ads, I presumed it would be about men trapped in the Alaska snow, eaten by wolves one by one. But The Grey goes much deeper. It is meditative about death, offering self-reflective moments to understand how one dies, not necessarily by being ripped apart by wolves, but by losing the will to live. Neeson's actions as the leader didn't all make sense to me, but he makes the role believable; the recent death of his wife Natasha Richardson must've had a major role in strengthening the performance. This is a movie you can feel.

PS: Wait till the end of the credits for a final scene. I really don't like the way this trend is growing in movies, but heck, this one is worth the wait.

Mo says:

The Invisible War (2012)

Director: Kirby Dick. 93 min. Not rated. Documentary.

Tragic documentary about the prevalence of rape in the US army, and how it's sweeped under the rug by the highest authorities, in somewhat ridiculous ways. Could've been a short documentary rather than a feature-length, as the film is almost solely constructed of repetitive interviews; i.e. after awhile, the intense topic becomes boring, which is a disservice to the victims involved. If the prevalence of rape is so high (20%) that the government pathetically categorizes it as an "occupational hazard", why are women in the army in the first place? Or at least why aren't their quarters separate from men?

PS: For a better documentary by the same director, watch This Film is Not Yet Rated.

Mo says:

The Warriors (1979)

Director: Walter Hill. Cast: Michael Beck, James Remar, Dorsey Wright, Deborah Van Valkenburgh. 92 min. Rated R. Action.

Corny 70s comic-book style story happening some time in future, of a "good" Coney Island gang being hunted down by bazillion "bad" gangs across New York City, ... for a crime they didn't commit (yeah, very funny). Actually, I found the narrative quite entertaining, and the manner of cutting through sequences similar to leafing through a comic book (copied these days in superhero movies) must have been creative for its own time. From my own memories of Manhattan in the 70s, I wouldn't fault the filmmakers for their predictions of a future NYC turning out so wrong.

Best line: Someone shrieking: "Warrioooooors ... come out to plaaaaaaaaay! Warrioooooors ... come out to plaaaaaaaaay!" Repeat that five more times.

Mo says: