fantastic mr. fox

fantastic it is. George Clooney is better in this than in Up in the Air, and Meryl Streep is better as the put-upon wife with an exciting past than as the larger-than-life Julia Child. Jason Schwartzmann, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson make it Wes Anderson, and the animation makes it really cool.

extraordinary measures

this is a decent medical drama that makes it impossible not to shed at least one tear, particularly when watching it in a theatre filled with parents and babies. some good one-liners and unexpected twists and turns in the 'evil pharmaceutical' plot keep it interesting, and I always love me some Felicity.

sherlock holmes

there isn't much to this beyond striking visuals and cute banter. the story revolves around a 'mystery' impossible for the viewer to solve on her own that is neatly wrapped up in an abrupt and confusing ending. but I always love Robert Downey Jr.

inglourious basterds

Quentin Tarantino returns to form with this well-plotted fantasy of beating the Nazis at their own games. Less violent and more fun than I thought it would be.

the messenger

Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson are excellent as soldiers charged with informing families of their losses. this and The Hurt Locker make war movies watchable again.

new moon

the film mercifully does not, like the book, spend four-fifths of its time on the parts of the story where absolutely nothing happens. unfortunately, that doesn't make the movie any more interesting. there has to be more to vampire-human and werewolf-human romance than swelling music.

julie and julia

Julia Child's rise to cooking stardom is fairly interesting, but you get the feeling it must have been a little more interesting than Ephron makes it out to be. the Julie/Amy Adams story line about the redemptive power of blogging is just unbelievably annoying.

the lovely bones

reminiscent of heavenly creatures, this movie is sad and icky, but features the best Susan Sarandon montage ever.

invictus

you won't know anymore about rugby after watching this but you'll probably be more informed about Mandela's presidency. it doesn't have the storytelling power of most of Eastwood's work but Mandela's life is compelling enough to hold your interest anyway. Matt Damon plays his character with an alarming lack of personality.

the hurt locker

the most suspenseful scene of drinking juice you'll ever see. fantastic cameos, great acting, and high stakes throughout. this is the war movie all those other war movies wanted to be.