Dallas Buyers Club

— “Dallas Buyers Club” is a lot more than just the story of a homophobe who became an inadvertent hero among those who were HIV-positive and often gay in the 1980s, back when many of us knew very little about AIDS. It’s something of a David vs Goliath story (McConaughey vs. the medical and pharmaceutical wall), but also a coming of age film, with McConaughey’s character shifting from a crude, uber-straight electrician and bull-riding braggart to an unknowingly compassionate crusader helping people living with HIV. All you’ve heard about McConaughey’s weight loss and extraordinary performance is true, and Jared Leto does an amazing job as well. This is a powerful film and one well worth seeing. I’m still amazed that Matthew McConaughey grew up and became an “actor” and star in films I like. (As an aside, it also amazes me that it’s been twenty years since “Philadelphia” was released.)

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[2013. 117 min. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, and Jared Leto.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dallas-buyers-club-2013

All Is Lost

— It’s amazing how many good films start showing up in theatres after mid-October. “All Is Lost” falls into the genre of man vs. nature and man persevering, but it’s definitely on the better end of the scale thanks to Robert Redford, the sole character in a film with very few spoken words. It’s hard not to remember “The Old Man and the Sea” and to see allegory everywhere but even if you ignore the economic and political undertones, it is a mesmerizing 106 minutes and worth your while to see it.

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[2013. 106 min. Directed by J.C. Chandor. Written by J.C. Chandor. Starring Robert Redford.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dallas-buyers-club-2013

12 Years a Slave

— “12 Years a Slave” deserve all the ballyhoo it’s gotten. It looks at slavery with a directness that’s unexpected and warranted. Chiwetel Ejiofor does an excellent job of portraying Solomon Northrup, the main character, with both dignity and hopelessness appropriate to the story. The audience is left to confront the reality of slavery, even if understanding it is impossible. Steve McQueen’s film is amazing and has moved to the top of the group of four very good films I’ve seen this fall (“Enough Said”, “Captain Phillips”, and “Gravity” are the other three). See it!

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[2013. 134 min. Directed by Steve McQueen. Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael K. Williams, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, and Alfre Woodard.]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/12-years-a-slave-movie-review-a-masterpiece-of-form-content-emotion-and-performance/2013/10/16/1b158e76-34e8-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html

Last Vegas

— “Last Vegas” isn’t going to leave you pondering any complex issue but, if you’re of a certain age, it’ll have you smiling and going along with it as a fun, “geriatric flick”--even if it does have about as much meat as many films aimed at adolescents. Besides, it’s hard to resist the cast (De Niro, Freeman, Douglas, and Kline). Don’t expect too much out of this and you can enjoy it.

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[2013. 105 min. Directed by Jon Turteltaub. Starring Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/movies/last-vegas-stars-de-niro-freeman-douglas-and-kline.html?_r=0

Ender’s Game

— “Ender’s Game” is a bit disappointing but, since so much is crammed into the film, it managed to hold my attention. The adults in the film are all a little disturbing, but a bit more approachable than in the book. Ender, the main character, seemed considerably softened for the movie, a move which changes the impact of the work. In the end, it has a depth that should appeal to adolescents, only touching on the troubling gray issues. In the end, it’s an okay film—better than many but certainly not great. (I should mention that this is the film many activists are boycotting due to the anti-gay views of the book’s author, Orson Scott Card. It is also reported that Card will not receive any money from ticket sales.)

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[2013. 114 min. Directed by Gavin Hood. Starring Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley, and Viola Davis.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/movies/enders-game-with-harrison-ford-and-asa-butterfield.html

Enough Said

— I’m on a roll, having seen three good films in the last month. I’m just back from “Enough Said” and was really pleased to see a funny, well-written and well-acted, serious film about love in middle age. It’s an updated version of the romantic comedies I grew up with, complete with an against-all-odds attraction, sharp dialogue, wacky friends who spend a lot of time bickering, and a chance meeting that throws a kink in everything. This is really a good film, owing a lot to James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, but also to Nicole Holofcener, whose talent as both the writer and the director are obvious throughout.

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[2013. 93 min. Directed by Nicole Holofcener. Written by Nicole Holofcener. . Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, and Catherine Keener.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/18/movies/enough-said-stars-james-gandolfini-and-julia-louis-dreyfus.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Captain Phillips

— “Captain Phillips” is well-paced, moving along at a seemingly effortless pace so you’re hardly aware of how well the film’s crafted and how gripping it is. Somewhere near the end you realize what a subtle performance Tom Hanks has been giving and, by the final scene, it’s hard not to feel the emotions washing over you. It’s a successful and complex thriller with a final scene that is incredibly moving. Hanks and director Paul Greengrass are both at the top of their game.

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[2013. 134 min. Directed by Paul Greengrass. Starring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, and Faysal Ahmed.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/11/movies/captain-phillips-stars-tom-hanks-as-a-high-seas-hostage.html?_r=0

Gravity

— “Gravity” is worth the hype. Alfonso Cuarón knows what’s he’s doing and this film is a 3-D delight. Mind you, I usually don’t think 3-D is worth the extra few bucks but in this case, it really is worth it. For that matter, this is a beautiful, “must see in a real theater” kind of film. In fact, it’s as much an experience as a film. It doesn’t hurt that Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are outstanding. See it.

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[2013. 91 min. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Starring Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Ed Harris.]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/gravity-works-as-both-thrilling-sci-fi-spectacle-and-brilliant-high-art/2013/10/02/cffa11bc-2a03-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_story.html?wpisrc=nl_movies