2016 - X-Men: Days of Future Past

What I think is really unique about the X-Men series is how they've opened up the world, and technically done a reboot, but all the while still being able to use it with what they've done before.  This film is the ultimate bridging of everything we've seen in X-Men up to this point and it starts to put other pieces together.  Having Striker be part of the mix was great fun, as was seeing pretty much everyone from this world together in one film.  The story was strong - it was a little heavy on over-the-top action towards the end - but it also featured one of the best sequences of the entire series with Quicksilver set to Jim Croce's Time in a Bottle.  I won't ruin it for you - it's fantastic.  The film is full of fun references, including one to JFK being a mutant himself - which got a laugh (in a bad way) from the packed audience I was in.
What I most love about this instalment is that it used a classic X-Men story to find a clever way of fixing the sins made by X3 and anything else they want to tidy up.  They're now able to move forward pretty much however they want - which is really quite refreshing.  Could be the best film of the series, actually.  I dug it a lot.

2006 - Juno

This film is now seven or so years old.  Damn.  I'm sure I've reviewed this film a few times on here, but it never hurts to remind people it's worth checking out a damn fine film :)  I'll admit that some of the dialogue borders along the overly quirky for me, but by and large I love this film.  I love its heart, its characters, its characters.  We make less and less films like this inside of the hollywood system that it falls upon us indie peeps to pick up the mantle.  If you haven't seen or heard about this film you're likely living under a bit of a rock - but for those who missed it, come on now - make it so.  Watch this film, let it sink into your life :)

1986 - Inception

It would appear that I'm on a Christopher Nolan kick at the current moment.  This is another film that plays with a lot of slight of hand - which is something that Nolan does in a lot of his films.  The imagination inside of this film is super exciting - dreamscapes are a fun playground to be within, and this one is done on a epic proportion.  It's got a super strong cast that are having fun playing within this playground.  Few films have set pieces on this scale, but the best part is that they aren't just mindless action, but they all contribute to a really complex and unique narrative.  This is easily one of the more heady thrillers ever made and just another in a line of proof that Christopher Nolan is one of our most exciting filmmakers - whether he's dealing with an original concept of his own or adapting someone elses - he knows how to keep an audience excited.  If you haven't seen this, dig in!

1861 - Juno

I've written about this several times on here, I'm sure.  I've been listening to the soundtrack for this film all day as I've been doing some writing so I decided to get it another look over tonight.  It's such a solid film all the way through - I've often felt that the first act is tonally a bit different but it bothers me a little less and less each time I watch it.  I can let it go.  The cast is perfect, the script is top notch, and the directing choices are so goddamn solid.  This is the kind of film that could so easily be a movie-of-the-week is lesser hands, instead it's already a classic and I hope that it doesn't get lost in this heap of content that's constantly being churned out.  We do still make great films and this is an excellent example.  There's some people who bag on this film - and that's because they're dead inside.  That's right.  I said it.
If you haven't seen this film, shame on you.  Make it happen.

1756 - To Rome With Love

Full disclosure - I'm a Woody Allen nut.  I didn't get to see this just as it came out as we were moving that weekend, so I was happy to catch it now.  Woody has a wonderful ability to attract some of my favorite actors into his projects - and here he even scored two of my favorite Canadian actresses with Alison Pill and Ellen Page!
This is ensemble-Woody, and to be honest, it just wasn't my cup of tea.  There was, as always, some wonderfully inspired comedic moments and lines, but all in all I just found it floudering a tad.  It was a bit uneven and all over the place - four stories intercut - some taking place over weeks, others in a single day.  Not that I can't get over that, but it just felt odd.  And the thing felt a little heavy with exposition.  I don't want to bag on Woody here since I love the bulk of his work (that might be even saying it lightly), but I have a hard time recommending this one.  It's essentially about a slew of self-centered people who get to see what life is like on the other side (mostly by cheating on their spouses) and then get to return to their regular life consequence free when it doesn't work out.  Catch it on Netflix if you're really curious.

1558 - Juno

Okay, for those looking at my labels below, I know this isn't technically a Canadian film but since there's a whole whack of Canadians involved in major ways - I don't care. 
I needed something to watch while I was transferring my old music onto my laptop (finally - huzzah!) and I needed something friendly to watch while the election polls came in (tear...)
There's a decent population of people who hate this film and part of me wonders if it isn't just for the sake of hating something that's beloved by others.  I saw that probably only because of my mass love for this film.  Is the dialogue overly stylized and cute?  Is the soundtrack too hipster cute?  Sure, so what?  That's not really what makes me love this film.  What makes me love this is that it's about a difficult time in your life and difficult choices.  In particular I think that the relationship between Juno and Mark is really quite unique for a film.   I don't think that this is a perfect film - I've always had issues with the first act of it - mostly that the tone doesn't fit the rest as well.
Love it or hate it - it doesn't matter - a film like this is comfort food for me.  I dig it.  And now I'm heading to bed before my election results are final so I can convince myself it's all a dream...
Juno (Single-Disc Edition)  Juno (Special Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]  Juno (Two-Disc Special Edition with Digital Copy)

1380 - Inception

This is the kind of film that makes you remember what it was like to watch films as a kid, where anything was possible and the world was a magical place. We've gotten to a place in cinema where, if you can think it, you can make it happen. And Nolan is one of the great minds of cinema. Lesser filmmakers would have made this film to do "cool shit" in the dream sequences, but in this film anytime Nolan does something like that there's always a reason that's motivated by story, character, or emotion. And damnit does it ever work.

For a film with as many complex layers as this, I found it quite easy to following and entertaining as well. The nerd in me liked the science and the idea, the filmmaker in me loved the execution, and the romantic in me was connected to the characters and their struggle.

I don't want to say any more in fear of ruining anything. But this, this is a fantastic film and you owe it to yourself to see it - in the theatre if you can.

1356 - Whip It

I wanted to see this film as soon as I was the trailer. The cast was right, solid subject matter, and great trailer with awesome energy. This film looked like a blast.

A friend of mine is a captain for one of the teams in the Toronto Roller Derby league, their team is Chicks Ahoy and we finally made it out to see a game last night (which rocked!), so it was only natural that my wife and I were extra pumped to finally watch this.

And it was... okay.

No one hates throwing out negative comments more than me but I just... I don't know. It's part sports movie, so within that you've got a bit of cliche that just has to happen to make the structure work. I'm fine with that. But I just found that the story was a bit of painting-by-numbers - stuff like everyone getting made at her just happened to all happen at the same time 'cause... well that's where it's supposed to happen in story structure. I guess what I'm saying is that I just felt like I 'felt' the beats of the story, rather than then disappearing into the film.

The cardinal sin of this film, for me, was that the film was unable to make the energy and excitement of the trailer. Not that it was trying to be a bait and switch, but it didn't get me excited the way that I'd hoped. The cast was all lovely, and there were some really nice bits to it. It's not a film I think I'll ever need to revisit. I'll tell you this - if you have a love-on for Barrymore or any of the fantastic people that are in this cast, it's probably worth checking out. But if you want my advice, use the above links and get your ass to a real roller derby. That shit is fun. The logo for my friend's team is below:

1213 - Juno

I'm a few days late on this. We actually watched this on the 8th when my wife was in labor with our new son, Ephraim. So this will be short and sweet. Still love this film to death. Still have problems with the first act. Mostly the scene outside the abortion clinic. I think it's bad casting and bad performance choices. What can you do. In a film full of gold there's bound to be some minor tarnish. I can't wait to see what both Reitman and Cody's careers bring them.

1198 - Smart People

Again, a film I wanted to see based on the trailer and the cast involved. While I was never bored while watching it, I never quite found myself that emotionally attached to the story or any of the characters. With a cast as talented as this I couldn't help but feel like they were somehow wasted in the base emotions that these characters had to deal with. Not a bad film, but nothing special. If anything I was just indifferent to it. There's a really nice moment involving some repeated trips to the goodwill. That's all I got.