1905 - Don Jon

Only Joseph Gordon-Levitt would cast himself in a role like this and thank the sweet lord that he did.  Holy shit did I love this film.  I loved how fun it was, how much the cast gelled, and how inspired the casting was (especially Tony Danza).  I loved the style of the images, it's repetition.  Such a wonderfully endearing and fucked up lead character that you really love and want to see get what they want and need.  Again, this is a film where I don't want to give away a single damn thing, but know that I smiled from ear to ear from start to finish.  Not only is this a great film, but for a first time filmmaker, it's the promise of a great career as a filmmaker and I'm so excited to see what he does next in his regard.  See this the instant you're able.

1887 - The Kids Are All Right

My wife and I have been wanting to see this film since it was first announced.  Big fans of all the lead actors, and the story was pretty interesting and compelling.  Two lesbian's Mom's children (both from the same sperm donor) want to figure out who their father is - but when he enters back into their lives the family connects with him in ways that make it very uncomfortable for them to continue along like they have.
It's a film that never gets too heavy, but also delves into how difficult long term relationships are.  The dynamics of family, and how addictive that lifestyle is even though on the surface it doesn't really seem all that appealing.
This is a great film for a night you just want to veg, but also watch something with substance.  Give it a shot if you haven't already.

1742 - Chloe

I'm late to this, but finally caught it on Netflix.  It's nice to see Egoyan use so much of Toronto and even name specific locations.  I swear I've say exactly where they did both at Cafe Diplimatico and Rivoli.  Very funny.  It seems to be the big trend now to cast big American stars in Canadian films, and I suppose that sadly, that's the only way to really get a bigger audience to pay attention to our films.  Seyfield and Moore are really great here and have an eye for picking good projects.  More than I can say for Liam Neison who seems happy to be in anything offered to him that comes with a paycheck (I'm looking at you, Battleship). 
This is a nice little thriller about a woman who is convinced that her husband is cheating on her and so she solicits a call-girl that she's recently met to put him to the test.  There's a nice little change-up near the end that's fun if didn't happen to figure it out half-way through - I'd actually be curious to know how many people were genuinely surprised by the ending. 
All in all it's a really nice psychological thriller and I think Atom did a damn fine job of it.  Give it a go.

1724 - That Moment (Magnolia Diary)

You could say that this technically isn't a movie or a television show, or even a documentary.  It's a special feature on the Magnolia DVD, and to be honest, it's easily my favourite special feature on any film that I've seen.  It's over an hour long and it's the most entertaining behind the scenes of a film that I've ever see.  Everyone is so honest and authentic, and they have a sense of humour about it all.  Wanted to re-watch it as a reference for what some people want to do for Sex After Kids.  If you own the Magnolia DVD and you've never seen this it's a real treat - especially for any Paul Thomas Anderson fans.  I've probably re-watched this more than the film itself.

1721 - Magnolia

I was in my senior years of High School when this came out and I remember seeing it with some friends who thought it was a pretty dumb film, and I kept quiet, not wanting to stand out as the dissenter in the ranks.  This was a film that really stuck with me.  Sure, you could say that it's slightly heavy handed and has it's fair share of pretentious bits, but I think they're intentional and the film works better for it.
It's a tour-de-force in terms of performances, and easily one of the best ensembles ever assembled.  As arty as PTA is as a filmmaker, he goes simple on this more often than not and it really helps us get centered and grounded into the characters and their lives.  This film has a wonderful flow to it - there's an excitement and you really don't feel it's three hour length as much as you might expect.
This really is one of the great films and I think anyone who doesn't mind some entertaining drama should give it a shot if you've never got a chance to see it. 

1716 - Crazy, Stupid, Love

I really liked this when I first saw it, and I liked it even more this time.  The writing is absolutely exceptional - especially for this genre.  Each single character really pops in a fun way.  It's emotional and charming, clever yet honest.  It's no surprise that this cast came aboard this film.  I like how this film handles it's multiple shorelines, and I'm engaged in each one, never wanting to be back in the other, always happy exactly where I am at each moment of the film. 
I'm re-watching a lot of more "talky" films that I love recently just to really take a look at how they up the visuals despite the dialogue heavy script.  This film in particular is fairly stylized for this kind of film.  A film like this has a ridiculously higher budget than what we'll be working with, but it's a good reference none the less.
If you haven't seen this film you really owe it to yourself, especially if you're a fan of any of the cast (Emma Stone is amazing) or just romantic comedies in general.  It's absolutely delightful.

1611 - Crazy Stupid Love

This film has come highly recommended - and I wanted to see it based on the storyline and actors alone - big fan of all of these people.
So, coles notes, this film is about a man whose wife randomly tells him that she wants a divorce and how he and the rest of their family deals with that. 
The one thing I kept hearing was that, if there's a complaint, maybe that it's a tad too long.  Ironically the length was fine - but it was a bit... slow in spots.  But it didn't bother me for the most part, mostly because I was just really enjoying the whole thing.  What was most impressive in this was simply the writing.  Don't get me wrong - the actors are all fantastic - the film itself is stylish and looks great (a big step up from the director's last outing - I'm looking at you 'I Love You Phillip Morris'), but when you see this film, or you revisit it, just notice how well all the threads layer and integrate over one another, and how the film never loses site that it's a comedy - no matter how intense it is at times, heartwarming and emotionally honest, the comedy stays present - it never loses site of that.  I do have two issues with the film that I'll mention below so as not to spoil - but by and large this is a fantastic film.  I recommend it highly to all.

***SPOILERS BELOW***
Okay.  So the two things that bothered me - the twist later on where we discover the greater connected between Gosling and Carrell just felt like a tad bit of a cheat.  The third connecting party was well named with a nickname that makes total sense - but their absence otherwise feels a bit forced.  Don't get me wrong, it was a wonderful reveal - but the more I thought about it the more it bothered me. 
The other thing the scene at the graduation - Carrell standing up in front of everyone was one of the very few times where I felt like the scene was being written a bit - it was a little too perfect how it went down, I found - I think that it didn't match the tone of the rest of the film perhaps and that's what bothered me.  Alas - small potatoes.  Can't wait to see it again!