In the near future, Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) wears his pants way above his waist, but it's his heart that's truly covered up. After setting up a new operating system—the first ever with true artificial intelligence—he falls for 'Samantha' voiced by the sexy, funny Scarlett Johansson. Tales like these are less about the back and forth of a traditional relationship, more about how difficult it can be to separate ourselves from what we want to see in our perfect mate--Spike Jones' most affecting film to date.
Sarah Polley explores the history of her family, specifically her mom, dad and another dude through interviews and old home movies. Or so we think. What's actually onscreen is much more compelling and says much more about the filmmaker than normally seen in a documentary.
The sixth installment of hot cars and hotter guys (and gals!) series became one Universal's biggest live-action hits ever. With good reason: Adding Dwayne Johnson in Fast Five was gold, but having Dom (Vin Diesel), Brian (Paul Walker) and the rest of crew join forces with lawman Hobbs (Johnson) to take down baddie Shaw (Luke Evans) was platinum, baby! The theme of these movies has always been family which made Shaw who thinks of his crew as replaceable the perfect foil. And then Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) finally returned! Justin Lin's final film in the franchise was the most satisfying blockbuster of the year. In the wake of Paul Walker's tragic death, production on Fast 7 took a break—the studio recently announced the flick will hit theaters April 10, 2015.
After her father dies in a car accident India (Mia Wasikowska) learns that she has an uncle, named Charlie. Or has she known all along? Korean director Park Chan-wook peppers the script by Wentworth Miller with numerous suggestive images about class and adolescence. Matthew Goode wears an alligator grin and Nicole Kidman makes for a very diva Mommy Dearest.
Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper have fun with dueling crazy hairdos, but the real stunners of the David O. Russell flick are Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence who hold suspense with fake accents and drug-fueled ragers. Naturally, the classic rock/disco soundtrack is worth buying ASAP.
The best independent in years focuses on twentysomethings who treat adolescents at a foster care facility. As Grace, Brie Larson avoids the after-school special vibe grounding every moment with the kids she encounters with genuine empathy. Special mention to Kaitlyn Dever (Last Man Standing) as lost soul Jayden who tells the saddest story ever about a lonely octopus.
Alien (James Franco) a rapper/hustler/entrepreneur of Tampa Bay who's constantly boasting how much of everything he has. After he bails out bikini-clad coeds Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine and Vanessa Hudgens they indulge in booze, blunts, you name it. Franco sitting poolside at a blingstatstic piano playing Britney Spears "Everytime" gets us...every time.
One of the best films about slavery feels more like a horror film than an antiseptic period piece. The you-are-there feeling that 12 Years director Steve McQueen instills in a lynching that goes on forever is hard to shake even after leaving the theater. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a free man who can't fathom his recent situation: that he's been tricked and sold into slavery. That the true story of Solomon Northup is able to end on a hopeful note is an outstanding achievement.
The third film in the series that started with Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke two decades ago, has became the definitive look at romance in Generation X. Director Richard Linklater who cowrote the films with his stars, knows these characters inside and out. By now, so do we.
The best film of the year eschews long character arcs and plotting for an experience that works best on a big screen. Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is lost in space with only her courage and the sly wit of veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) to keep her focused on the task at hand: survival. Director Alfonso Cuarón along with longtime collaborators, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and visual-effects guru Tim Webber have plunged the art form deeper into the unknown.
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