Some DVDs I’ve watched since the beginning of the year:
Stranger Than Fiction: It’s hard to take Will Ferrell seriously, and for some strange reason, that’s why this story works — seriously. A great philosophical film with laughs along the way. [7 out of 10]
The Prestige: Any film directed by Christopher Nolan is worth seeing. While I figured out the twist in this movie pretty early, it still held my interest. The plot is slightly too complicated for it to be one of the all time greats, but it’s creative nevertheless. Great acting by Michael Caine and Christian Bale. [7 out of 10]
The Illusionist: This film is the one that’s like The Prestige, but not quite as good. I figured out this movie’s “twist” even earlier, but Edward Norton’s eeriness is enough to keep you watching. [6 out of 10]
The Holiday: All guys (at least the ones who know what’s good for them) know that sooner or later, they’ll have to watch a chick flick. A word to the wise: make sure it’s not this one. Two hours you can’t get back. [2 out of 10]
Click: This movie surprised me. I expected, well, an Adam Sandler movie. What I got instead, was a somewhat thought-provoking Capra-esque tale. [6 out of 10]
Superman Returns: Yawn. What can I say? The Man of Steel is a bit rusty in this one. Imagine Pierce Brosnan doing an impersonation of Sean Connery and passing it off as playing Bond. Brandon Routh is no Christopher Reeve, so why does he try to be? [5 out of 10]
Casino Royale: Since we’re talking about Bond, Casino Royale is without a doubt the best Bond movie in modern history. The opening scene will leave you shaken and stirred. [7 out of 10]
Sophie Scholl: The Final Days: One of the best I’ve seen in a long time. This beautiful, yet terrifying true story of students imprisoned for resisting the Nazis in 1943 Germany will stick with you for a long time. I don’t know if it’s intentional or not, but it has a lot of Christian parallels. Hauntingly good. [9 out of 10]
I don’t see a lot of movies (I do see a lot of the Food Network), but I did see a couple on your list. I’d agree with your rating of “Stranger Than Fiction”, which I liked despite the fact that I love Will Ferrell and this was so not a typical Will Ferrell film. “Click”, however, was a big disappointment. I felt it had a lot of potential, but it was just too ridiculous. And then I got mad that I cried at the end, because a ridiculous movie should not make me cry (unless I’m crying about the time wasted watching the movie, like I nearly did after “Magnolia”). I sort of saw “The Prestige”, as it was playing while I was on a plane, and I did listen to the audio for a while, but I got confused and went to sleep. So I can’t truly weigh in on that one. The husband tried to explain it to me later, but I still didn’t understand. Great cast, though.