Once crazy about each other, Cindy (Michelle Williams) and Dean (Ryan Gosling) have now grown apart. Cindy is bored and disenchanted with her life while Dean languishes in the emotional emptyness of their sexless, routine life in rural Pennsylvania. As they muddle through their marriage, they hearken back to the golden days when life was filled with possibility and romance. Derek Cianfrance writes and directs this drama.
Matt
Rating: 5 out of 10
I understand that every romance doesn’t end with rainbows and doves flying through a crisp, blue sky, as children frolic in a meadow… You get the idea.
“Blue Valentine” is not one of those movies. The film has some wonderful acting, but I didn’t care about the characters all that much. They’re the sort of people who jump blindly into terrible situations, make awful choices, and I’m supposed to feel sympathy for them. Or maybe I’m not. Perhaps the director wanted me to sit and watch two very naive souls colide in terrible trajedy. The film is the deconstruction of a love story gone wrong.
There’s some very honest writing and acting, but it just didn’t work for me. There was also way too much handheld camera work. It’s a style that’s being used to death. Handheld works in very intense moments. It brings you close. But with this film, it’s an intimate portrait you’re forced to stare at from 2 inches away. I don’t always need to be sitting on an actor’s shoulder to appreciate the situation of their character. It was like going to a museum and standing 6 inches from every painting.
The Movie Brothers 
Oz The Great and Powerful
Matt
Rating: 8 out of 10
This movie doesn’t hold the same innocent charm of the original film, but it doesn’t want to be. And that’s what makes it so successful. .
Oz is the story of a sheister, a talented but troubled carnival magician who womanizes, lies, disrespects and hussles his way through life. That is, until that famous hot air balloon sweeps him away to a magical world.
And this is where the story really takes off. Oz goes on a wonderful journey, both internally and externally, as he grows into a reluctant hero and leads a group of unlikely characters – not so different from the original. But the greatest similarity to the original masterpiece is what the lion was granted – heart. I really found myself swept away alongside Oz, played well by James Franco and supported with an outstanding cast – most notably Michelle Williams as Glinda. I was really pleasantly surprised by Oz The Great And Powerful. Sam Raimi drove a film rich in stunning visuals, wonderful comedy, sharp performances and – GASP – no music!
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Tagged adventure, Bill Cobbs, Bruce Campbell, family, family film, family movie, Fantasy, Film, fim, James Franco, Joey King, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, movie, movie review, Ox, Oz, Oz The Great and Powerful, Rachel Weisz, review, Sam Raimi, The Movie Brothers, The Wizard of Oz, Wizard of Oz, Zach Braff