Doctor Strange

While I have always been a Marvel girl, I was mostly an X-Man fan and never knew anything at all about Doctor Strange. Because of this, I have to say right at the start that I have no idea whatsoever if this film is true to the books, so I can't base any part of my review on that. What I can say is that this is a spectacular film with some of the best effects I've maybe ever seen. It's like an incredible update to things I remember from "Inception", only far better with the advances technology has made. The acting was mostly strong, and I was happy to see a superhero film coming in at only an hour and forty-five minutes. I really enjoyed this and am curious to see how this film and its characters will integrate with the rest of the Marvel Universe. 4/5

Doctor Strange on Netflix

Aloha

Wow, I remember when Cameron Crowe made good films. Hell, the man wrote "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and directed "Singles" and "Jerry Maguire". He was my god for a while. However, his last few films have been bad, and this was downright awful. Everything you've read about how offensive it is to native Hawaiians is absolutely true, and I have no idea why Emma Stone was cast in the role she was in. This was really a miss for me, and I wish Cameron Crowe could just find his way again. 2/5

Aloha on Netflix

Every Thing Will Be Fine

Straight up, this was a bad movie. The acting was absolutely leaden. Franco's been coasting through roles lately, but in this he was barely a cardboard cutout. I would fault him except the rest of the cast was as well, so it had to be a directorial decision. The direction was also really off, with a weird score that distracted me throughout. This was not a good film. 2/5

Every Thing Will Be Fine on Netflix

Spotlight

This is a great film, an excellent film really. It's tightly written and wonderfully acted by everyone in the cast. It takes a tough subject, which is a true story to boot, and tells both in a poignant and realistic way. This is an important film, one that people should see, because this subject is so real and vital and timely. But, having said all that, I can't understand how anyone would vote for this film for Best Picture over "Room". I just can't. "Room" is a better film in every way. It's more ambitious, it's better directed, better acted, and even more of a tough subject in a lot of key ways. I don't see anyway that "Spotlight", no matter how good and solid it is, beats "Room", and I wonder how many other Oscar nominees I'm going to say that about, because I'm just getting started going through the nominees. I'm startled that last year "Birdman", which was such a atypical Best Picture nominee, won, and this year the "Birdman" of this crop didn't. And I have to wonder about that, something I'll be wondering as I watch more of the nominated pictures. 4.5/5

Spotlight on Netflix

Southpaw

I'm going to start this by saying that the fact that this film received no Oscar attention is a crying shame and further proof of how out of touch the Academy has gotten. Jake Gyllenhaal gave what was, in my eyes, the best performance of his career - only in "Nightcrawler" was he as completely immersed in a role like this. Forest Whitaker was both powerful and tender and should well have gotten a Best Supporting nod. And Antoine Fuqua remains one of the finest directors in modern times - his visual palette in this film was astounding. Surprisingly, the weakest link in this film was Kurt Sutter's script, which relied on too many tropes and caricatures for my taste. This was a wonderful film, and the fact that I heard nothing about it last year is truly a shame. 4/5

Southpaw on Netflix

Red Eye

A terribly predictable & ordinary thriller with average directing only saved by decent acting. What gives Wes? 2.5/5

Red Eye on Netflix

A Most Wanted Man

I wanted to love this but I felt the casting was off & the pace faltered far too often to hold my interest. 3/5

A Most Wanted Man on Netflix

About Time

This movie is the very definition of heartfelt - lovely & charming & wonderfully acted throughout. A real gem. 4.5/5

About Time on Netflix

Midnight in Paris

As I'm not an Allen fan I was surprised at how charming & witty I found this & great acting of course. 3.5/5

Midnight in Paris on Netflix

Passion

What the hell happened to De Palma? This horrid mess made no sense - I wanted to claw my eyes out a few times. Bad. 1.5/5

Passion on Netflix

To The Wonder

I'm so done with Malick's "visual poetry" - I find it boring, pretentious & masturbatory. It's just not for me. 2/5

To The Wonder on Netflix

The Vow

This tender romance didn't set off any of my people-behaving-badly bells - it was sweet, charming & well acted. 3.5/5

The Vow on Netflix

Morninig Glory

This movie was honest-to-God LOL funny, but only for the second half. Acting was spot on though - I'm mixed. 3.5/5

Morning Glory on Netflix

Sling & Arrows Season 1

Wonderfully perfect Canadian series about people who love Shakespeare. Paul Gross is _so_ very good in this.

Whoops. Forgot the stars. Five stars. Six, even. I rank this up there with the UK Office, it's that good. And that was only season one!

More: Why isn't Paul Gross a bigger star? Seriously. He's so good in this it's ridiculous. It;s the kind of performance that could make you want to chuck your life and go try to be an actor just so maybe someday you get to be 1/5th as good in something.

Slings and Arrows Season One at Netflix