QUICKLY

Orphan is TOTALLY fucked up. Enjoyable on a B-movie level but extremely deranged and so over the top you can't help but laugh.  Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard were both dependably solid but the little girl really steals the entire show.  It's basically the same movie as The Good Son but with an EXTRA demented twist-reveal that is so asinine it has to be seen to be believed. 


Four Lions was utterly BRILLIANT. The darkest, meanest political satire in many-a-moon. Wow. Those last 20 minutes -- just phenomenal. I gotta buy the Blu Ray soon and give it another viewing. NOT for the easily offended.  I don't want to spoil ANYTHING about this movie as it's something that just has to be discovered, if you know what I mean.  The tonal shifts are very interesting (black comedy is mixed with sharp satire and combined with serious action that carry real consequences) and are confidently handled by debut director Chris Morris, a name worth remembering and looking out for in the future. 

The Infidel was a better idea than an actual movie but still funny enough to check out. I enjoyed it for the most part, but the sloppiness of the filmmaking (somewhat weak direction; partially muddled script) detracted a bit from a great premise (a British Muslim man finds out he's actually an adopted Jew) and a fantastic lead performance.


You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger is the best Woody Allen movie in years. It should have gotten more attention. Really entertaining on all levels.  A great cast (Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, Lucy Punch, Antonio Banderas) with lots of slick stedicam shots (the legendary Vilmos Zsigmod was the d.o.p.) and a mostly unpredictable screenplay that goes to some unexpectedly dark and funny places.  Thoroughly enjoyable.