Definitely Maybe

This is a romantic comedy that is actually a lot more focused on the romance, which is odd, considering that it has some of the stars of Van Wilder, The Wedding Crashers and Little Miss Sunshine.

Kudos to Ryan Reynolds for completely dumbing down the snark, smugness and sarcastic wit that I usually like him for.  He plays this role very naturally. 

In fact, that is what I liked most about this movie.  It seemed natural.  A bunch of young, good looking people falling in and out of love, contemplating cheating, finding each other after years apart, falling for each other at the wrong times, all of this, even though it sounds like sitcom fodder, is place very naturally and with almost a sense of minimalism. 

Also kudos for almost bringing me to tears not once, but twice.  The scene when Reynolds explains what the happy ending was and when the book situation is resolved.  Damn good stuff.

In Bruges

Basically, a funnier version of Layer Cake.  Or, a more somber version of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.  Or a calmer version of Reservoir Dogs.  Basically, if you like any of those, you will enjoy this.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

 Almost a perfect kids movie.  And I don’t mean that derisively at all.  A good movie for a child should also speak to adults who were once children.  The monsters in this are perfect.  They manage to stick all of the exposition and back story into the movie without it being an infodump.  It was scary in the right places, actually quite scary for kids actually.  I appreciate that, not pulling punches.  Remember how scary the forest scene in Snow White was?  Or the drunk scene in Dumbo?  Take a look at what happens as the kids get dragged into the forest or when their father says he loves them and see what if you get what I mean.  Fun and fast paced, I recommend this.

Be Kind Rewind

I am not really a fan of Jack Black anymore, because he is such a big star, people tend to let him do his “rootin skootin tootin” thing way to much, he kind of goes off the rails.  Gondry as well, is better under someone’s control, or just doing music videos.  This whole movie is kind of fun and kind of heart warming, but very, very aimless.  The whole movie was made around the concept of “Lets have Gondry make some of those homemade movie things and make sure everybody for some reason loves them.”