The Blind Side --> =[

Layer Cake - Matthew Vaughn - 2004

Recommended by: C Slager

Daniel Craig plays a drug dealer/"businessman" who is trying to find a buyer for 1 million extremely potent ecstasy pills. There were few, but one of my qualms with this film was the performances by just a couple of the actors. A few of the actors I feel over exaggerated, but that doesn't take away from the entertainment. It's a challenge to talk about this film without ruining anything. Action and suspense are crucial ingredients in drug movies and this film cooks everyting up very decently. I also applaud the moments of comic relief in this film--witty, subtle, and very conducive to both plot and character development. I definitely downloaded this film.

Look out for: The house with the sweetest selection of guns.

Rating: []Like It []Love It [X]Gotta Have It



Shop Girl - Anand Tucker - 2005

Recommended by: S Nair

Based on Steve Martin's novella, Clair Danes plays a Saks Fifth Ave sales associate selling gloves with ambitions of becoming an artist. She flocks between two guys: Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), an awkard guitar amplifier designer and font inventor, and Ray (Steven Martin), a charming and absurdly wealthy symbolic logician. This was a refreshing romantic comedy--cheesiness was at a minimal, managable level, Mirabelle (Danes) did not have the maturity of a high schooler, and the humor was witty. A few scenes I inaccurately predicted might be deeper or more shocking than they actually turned out, but that's probably because females my age are wired to suspect drama and paradox in every romantic situation. This film satisfies both indy-flick and chick-flick audiences--nice job Steve!

Look out for: The color green

Rating: [X]Like It []Love It []Gotta Have It



The Blind Side - John Lee Hancock - 2009

"You're kidding me," says my dad after I told him Sandra Bullock won an oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for this film. This was like watching 2 hours of Seventh Heaven--grimeless and ironically unconvincing. It should have also won an Oscar for Most Beautiful Portrayal of Project Housing. Big Mike's mom, a crack addict who literally cannot keep track of all her babies' daddies, lived in a well furnished apartment somehow. One of my film pet peeves is 7 year old characters who have the vocabulary and wit of someone 20 years their senior. Mrs. Tuohy's clever-mouthed young son, SJ, apparently did a stupendous job privately coaching and transforming Big Mike from a football dimwit into varsity superstar. Unrealistic. Sandra, if you're driving down to the projects to single-handedly interrogate the thugs that possibly beat up your 300lb son, please do not wear a low cut, above the knee, skin tight sexy dress. The story itself is remarkable, but the Hollywood presentation was too angelic and predictable. The screenplay needed more conflict and more antagonism.

Look out for: Please try to compile a list of things you didn't like about this movie that's longer than mine.

Rating: [I did not]Like It []Love It []Gotta Have It



Caddyshack - Harold Ramis - 1980

Recommended by: A Callahan

Rodney Dangerfield is hilarious. Concluding everything he says with "...will ya?" is the perfect compliment to all the slap stick antics. Dangerfield's character is a mega millionare who owns a boat load of real estate and is filthy rich, much to the chargrin of the stuffy, conservative country club members. Bill Murray plays a slow-in-the-head grounds keeper trying to eradicate a gopher from demolishing the golf course. Murray is also attracted to women in the 65+ age range which is a bit strange but added to the hilarity. Murray vs. Gopher was actually a side-story that didn't really weave into the story lines of the main characters. I can't think of any other film right now that does this and I think it's pretty sweet. The soundtrack is killer and this film has high replay value. As far as golf movies go, this one even beat Happy Gilmore.

Look out for: A golf bag with fantastic acoustics and sound quality.

Rating: []Like It [X]Love It []Gotta Have It