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 :)

1959 - Dallas Buyer's Club

When I normally think about Matthew McConaughey I picture him on a poster with his shirt off.  So this is quite the change for me, and a welcome one at that.  I haven't gotten into True Detective yet, so this next stage McCanaughey is a breath of fresh air.  His character storms into the movie in such a great way - he's such a perfect prick and has one of the best character arcs an actor can ask for in a film.  For those who don't know, this film takes place that the height of the AIDS crisis.  It's about a straight man (homophobic) who comes down with the virus, and in an effort to save himself, becomes a savior for a lot of other people.
Jared Leto gives one of my favorite performances of his, and the two make a terrific pair.  I have to admit that I caught this on a whim because I had time to see something and picked between it and some other Oscar contenders - and I'm glad I did.  It's still in the theatres.  I don't think it's a Best Picture film, but the acting nod could easily go to Matthew for this one.

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.

1566 - Valentine's Day

When I first started seeing the posters for this I wasn't sure if I was all that interested - despite the fact that I'm a rom-com nerd, and despite the fact that this film is full an ass-load of actors that I love - it just felt like... a gimmick.  It's not, it's actually a legitimately decent flick. 
Well, it's hard to say that it's not a gimmick - cramming this many celebrities into a film is always a bit of a ploy, but the story moves along well and feels nice and balanced, we get to see the characters weaving in and out of one another's stories and that's fun.  I liked that it wasn't just about relationship love and there seemed to be some nice pleasant surprises.  I suppose my biggest grief with the whole thing is that pretty much everyone ends up happy (except maybe the one dude - I won't spoil anything here).  I think that I would have liked to of seen it balanced a little bit more with some realistic vibes that respected the idea that some people just can't get it to work on Valentine's Day. 
Despite that if you're looking for a fun and simple rom-com, then you could do a lot worse - and it's from the master Garry Marshall.  I'm actually considering watching this again with the commentary on - I think it'll be pretty insightful - or at the very least entertaining!
Valentine's Day  Valentine's Day [Blu-ray]