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Ok so everyone is saying go see Midnight in Paris, even though I hate Woody Allen, and I guess I still might, but first I fit in one more not quite summer blockbuster. I’m generally not a huge fan of what I’ll call the stupid comedy, and the first Hangover certainly fits within that category. But it also brought something else to it, a sort of interesting formula. And a good cast and some funny jokes didn’t hurt.

Well if you liked the first one then they did their darnedest to recreate it. Going in and expecting that but not as good was the right strategy. The guys are reunited for another wedding and somehow ‘it happened again.’ I was mostly able to suspend disbelief, and was only somewhat annoyed by the resolution of some of the situations. The far off setting of Thailand was able to top the Vegas setting and make the ridiculous possible and I was overall able to go along for the ride of yet another uncovering of a forgotten night to save the day.

At times it takes more than a normal step over the edge of good taste, but to have them uncover tasteful behavior would be disappointing. The guys again are all good in their wacky friendship and I should admit I still could just watch Bradley Cooper in anything. It ended up being a fun ride and a good excuse for popcorn. And if you didn’t see the first one I wouldn’t start with the second, get your Netflix on.

Notable dvd releases 7/5 and 7/12:

• 13 Assassins – An elite team of assassins, perhaps…
• Arthur* – This Russell Brand remake just appeared dreadful.
• Insidious – Haunted house is supposed to be pretty well done but not so much in my wheelhouse.
• The Lincoln Lawyer – Caught this McConaughey flick based on the Connelly book and it make good plane entertainment.
• Of Gods and Men – This monks among Muslims is supposed to be quite good, might see it.
• Rango* – Depp voicing over this cartoon lizard western isn’t enough draw for me.
• The Cape (Season 1) – Only a season of this ridiculous attempt at superhero appeal.
• Damages (Season 3) – I never quite got into this Glen Close legal machinations.
• Entourage (Season 7) – If you’re still with the guys they’re almost done.
• Eureka (Season 4) – For a light but fun fictional science to the max goes awry town.

* releases 7/15

X-Men: First Class

So I’m not a particular X-Men fan, but I have seen the earlier ones, I do in general like a good comic book flick, and I particularly like an origin flick. The reviews were in and it was supposed to be entertaining so it sounded like a good matinee, and the right time and place doesn’t hurt.

It’s called first class so you kind of know where the story is going, but it’s basically framed around the origins of and the relationship between Professor X and Magneto. Because they have a lot of story that they’re trying to tell the movie keeps moving. Unfortunately because they’re cranking through so much territory, and because you basically have a clear idea where things are going, you’re never quite invested.

Being a comic book franchise it makes it sort of ok that the characters are basically cartoonish, not just in their abilities but in their dimensionality (or lack thereof). What worked for them was the casting of James McAvoy (Atonement) as an idealistic man, a born leader able to bridge the gap between mutant and human using his mentalist abilities always for good, and Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds) as a tortured boy and man who is clear that his abilities to manipulate metal make him separate from humans. They each capture the essence of where Charles (X) and Eric (Magneto) come from and map to who we see them as later in life.

So I can’t for the life of me keep all of these characters straight and I might have appreciated it more (or noticed inconsistencies more) if I were an avid follower. But overall I was able to appreciate some of the character development as well as a couple of cameos. All in all it did in fact keep me entertained as a good summer matinee.

Most intriguing preview: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara/Least intriguing preview: The Change-Up with Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds

Notable dvd releases 6/28:

• Barney’s Version – Dustin Hoffman looks back on his/Barney’s life – probably skip it
• Beastly – A cocky hot dude, Alex Pettyfer, gets the tables turned and must gain depth and love, Vanessa Hudgens – definite pass
• Cyrus – Can romance survive an awkward mother son relationship, with John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei – uncomfortable humor mostly worked
• Sucker Punch – Comic booky fake reality to escape prison – definite pass
• Law & Order: CI (Season 6) – More crazy criminals – for the usual fans
• Rizzoli & Isles (Season 1) – Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander do the cop coroner buddy thing – for fluffy formula fans
• Warehouse 13 (Season 2) – Weird things get found and stored, a syfy twist on partner cop formula – for syfy formula fans

Pchron reader Tom recently asked me, “Hey why don’t you write about movies?” (or something more elaborate than that). And as much as I love a good flick, or even sometimes a not so good one, I don’t always keep up to date. Feast or famine is sort of my way, but since I’m heading into a feast phase I thought I might take a stab at it and see how it goes. I’m still not thinking his suggestion to start reviewing international books is going to happen anytime soon…

Super 8

I had read good reviews and also seen some tweets about not spoiling it so I put this at the top of my list. I’m a fan of writer, director, and producer J.J. Abrams who we may most know from television for Felicity, Alias, and Lost but is no stranger to film-making with Mission Impossible III and Star Trek among others. But as we all know fandom can only get you so far in a movie.

In this case I wasn’t disappointed. The success of this film is taking a big budget, big action, big concept idea and telling it through a small lens. The movie is set in 1979 in a small Ohio town where they’re able to emphasize the simple things, kids riding bikes through the streets, great styling clothes, fun music, and of course make it possible for kids to be shooting a movie that takes time to develop (no flip cameras here). Showing the movie through the eyes of the kids was a strong choice, it just makes things able to be more pure. Our child protagonist suffering a recent loss was a great ambassador to their world and their summer. They’re helping a friend shoot his zombie movie and when something unexpected happens the town shows greater and greater signs that this isn’t your regular incident.

None of that would have been believable or engaging if the kids weren’t able to pull it off. Fresh talent Joel Courtney does an excellent job as well as his pack of misfit friends and of course love interest, the latest Fanning. The adults don’t have to be much more than archetypes which in this case works fine. As with any movie with a certain amount of action, and any sort of unknown, you need to suspend your disbelief, and in this case for the most part I was able. There is something about not only the world created and the way the story is told but also the juxtaposition of the kids making a movie that made some of the common themes of these movies resonate when they could have easily seemed trite. A very good summer showing.

Most intriguing preview: Cowboys & Aliens with Daniel Craig/Least intriguing preview: Zookeeper with Kevin James

Coming out on dvd 6/21:

• The Adjustment Bureau – Matt Damon runs around with a girl he’s not fated to be with – I’ll probably skip it
• Cedar Rapids – Naive Ed Helms get the full hotel convention treatment – Might catch it
• Unknown – Liam Neeson’s life is erased after a car crash, or is it? – I’ll probably skip it
• The Closer (6th Season) -Krya Sedgwick and her department are entertaining if not ground breaking solving ‘major crimes’ – Recommend for procedural likers
• Louie (1st Season) – This is definitely an offbeat comedian sitcom but give it a shot you might be one of the folks who find it hilarious – Recommend for comedian or quirky enthusiasts
• Medium (Full Series) – Turns out I don’t love Patricia Arquette in this but lots of fans out there enjoyed the her as seeing the dead helps solve a case wife and mother – Didn’t watch

In case I can’t keep up to date with flicks I thought I might keep an eye on what notable videos might be in the mix but we’ll see how this nets out as I move along.

I was just having a conversation with a friend about what makes a ‘best picture’ (Oscar-wise) and I had always sort of thought of best pictures as trying to be something a little bit grander, excelling in multiple areas. But after more thought on this and my best pic lists it mostly comes down to what I enjoy. Here are some of the movies that I thought were doing something right (standard caveats apply, and if you’re interested in my pool of pics take a look at those I’ve seen, bolded on critic’s pics):

• Black Swan – I dig a little weird in my films and Aronofsky didn’t disappoint, with Portman and Kunis giving lovely portrayals of the fine line between ballet and insanity.
• Easy A – This flick, and Emma Stone in the lead, hit all the right notes in this perfectly modern take on Scarlett Letter themes with a perfect nod to teen flicks I’ve adored (harder to do than one might think).
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World/Kick-Ass – I like a comic booky story (or graphic novel story) and thought that while Scott Pilgrim did a wonderful job of using a number of methods to create a unique world representative of the journey of battles, Kick-Ass did a surprisingly good job of putting the comic book in the real world (or at least movie real), it’s not so simple to be a superhero.
• The King’s Speech/The Social Network – I’m going to mention these two movies together because they were both somewhat unremarkable, simple stories where not a ton happens, but they both managed to weave a tale together with characters that kept me engaged throughout.
• The Town - Ben Affleck is doing a nice job carving out the directing and writing of work that creates worlds where you see inside the characters, in this the struggle of the primary character with his past, present, and future with love, family, and crime is nicely done.
• It’s Kind of a Funny Story – I at some point noted that this was kind of a sweet story, where we follow a teen who checks himself into a psych ward, with some of the somewhat predictable occurrences, the sincerity that they wove into each character drew me in.
• Inception – This is one of those movies that I give a little extra credit to because it tried to do something different, and I think it was mostly successful, though I mean really a dream inside a dream…
• 127 Hours – This movie goes against my rules of enjoyment because not only was this movie awful, it was worse than I expected, the reason it’s on this list is because despite my girlish squirming, eye covering, and nausea I was engaged throughout.

Honorable mentions: The Fighter (loved Bale, movie not the best of its ilk), True Grit (well done but meh), Winter’s Bone (yes it was good and I can’t quite tell you why I’m not more enamored), The Kids Are Alright (many very good things in this but a plot line that for a bit irritated me just enough to leave off).

Well I certainly can’t be exhaustive on this, I mean everyone does a top ten movie list, but following is a gathering of some of the critics and awards. The attributions with links are listed below and movies I’ve seen are bolded (a gal’s gotta keep track somehow), I can’t see them all but will cobble together my must see list after a quick run to the movies.

• 127 Hours – AFI, TC, LS, OG, Sat, AOS, RD, PGA, BM, BFCA, AA
• Ajami – OG
• Alice in Wonderland – GG
• Animal Kingdom – LS, Sat
• Another Year – LS, OG, SH
• The Art of the Steal – RD
• Black Swan – AFI, GG, MD, AOS, OFC, PGA, BAFTA, BFCA, CFC, GIFA, AA
• Blue Valentine – OG, Sat, GIFA
• Boxing Gym – MD
• Burlesque – GG
• Carlos – TC, MD, AOS, SH
• Cyrus – Sat
• Edge of Darkness – BM
• Exit Through the Gift Shop – TC, OG
• The Fighter – AFI, GG, AOS, PGA, BM, BFCA, AA
• Four Lions – RC
• Get Low – Sat
• The Ghost Writer – LS, OG, Sat, MD, BM
• Greenberg – AOS
• Green Zone – SK, RC
• Inception – SK, AFI, GG, Sat, MD, SH, OFC, RD, PGA, BAFTA, BFCA, CFC, AA
• Inside Job – RC, SH
• Jackass 3D – SK
• Kick-Ass – SK, RD
• The King’s Speech – GG, Sat, SH, PGA, BAFTA, BM, BFCA, CFC, AA
• The Kids Are Alright – AFI, LS, OG, GG, Sat, AOS, SH, PGA, GIFA, AA
• Knight and Day – BM
• Last Train Home – LS
• Let Me In – SK, TC, GIFA
• Life During Wartime – RC
• MacGruber – BM
• Made in Dagenham – Sat
• Monsters – SK
• Mother – TC
• My Dog Tulip – SH
• Never Let Me Go – RC
• The Other Guys – Sat, BM
• Please Give – Sat
• A Prophet – LS, MD
• Rabbit Hole – RC, RD
• RED – GG, Sat
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World – Sat
• Shutter Island – TC, RD
• The Social Network – SK, RC, LAFC, AFI, TC, LS, OG, GG, Sat, MD, SH, OFC, RD, PGA, BAFTA, BM, BFCA, CFC, NYFCC, SFFC, AA
• Solitary Man – RD
• Somewhere – AOS
• Splice – SK
• Sweetgrass – MD
• Takers – SK
• The Tillman Story – RD
• The Town – SK, AFI, OG, Sat, PGA, BM, BFCA
• The Tourist – GG
• Toy Story 3 – RC, AFI, TC, LS, OG, AOS, SH, OFC, PGA, BM, BFCA, AA
• True Grit – AFI, TC, MD, OFC, PGA, BAFTA, BFCA, AA
• Vincere – AOS
• Waiting for ‘Superman’ – RC
• Wild Grass – RC, MD
• Winter’s Bone – AFI, TC, LS, Sat, AOS, SH, OFC, RD, BFCA, CFC, GIFA, AA

AA – Academy Award Nominations, AOS – AO Scott for NYTimes, AFI – American Film Institute, BAFTA – British Academy Film Awards, GG – Golden Globe Nominations, BM – Ben Mankiewicz for Huggington Post, BSFC – Boston Society of Film Critics, BFCA – Broadcast Film Critics Association, CFC – Chicago Film Critics, GIFA – Gotham Independent Film Awards, LAFC – LA Film Critics, LS – Lisa Schwarzbaum for EW, NYFCC - New York Film Critic Circle, MD – Manohla Dargis for NYTimes,  OFC – Online Film Critics, OG – Owen Gleiberman for EW, PGA – Producers Guild, RC – Richard Corliss for Time, RD – Rossiter Drake for 7×7, Sat – Satellite Awards, SFFC – San Francisco Film Critics, SH – Stephen Holden for NYTimes, SK – Stephen King for EW, TC – Tom Charity for CNN

Well I think it was fun. It wasn’t the best show, and it never will be… I love Neil Patrick Harris and he can do no wrong, but that opening number just didn’t go anywhere good. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin played a nice game of ‘look there is (insert actor name here) (insert joke here)’ but though their pairing didn’t bring anything  greater than an individual host, and maybe not even as good as either of them might have been alone, they popped out often enough and made amusing enough comments.

The awards were relatively predictable, though I somehow lost my Oscar pool. The main highlights were the weird ‘Kanye moment’ when the Best Documentary Short winner’s off screen struggles hit the mic, Salon has some of the reported backstory. And when The Cove winners were cut short, was it because the Academy only allows limited time and a single speaker, or was it because one of the dudes pulled out a message to text Dolphin. And the drama around the memorial inclusions, they can’t include everyone but should they have included Farrah Fawcett instead of Michael Jackson?

But most importantly the fashion… no swans this year but a few hits and what I considered misses. I’m not a huge fan of the asymmetrical dress or the nude tones but Sandra Bullock was working it, love to see the best actress be in a stunner. I also dug the patterns of Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams (who I somehow kept thinking was one of the Kates). And Carey Mulligan not only worked a fun classic silhouette with a twist, but in close up you could see the little scissors and forks that the little bejeweling on her dress were made up of, adorable. As for the misses, I could have done without the overdetailed Zoe Saldana, Vera Farmiga, Jennifer Lopez, and Charlize Theron.

And if you’re so inclined check out the full list of winners at Oscar.com.

Well the big ten are here and the only real surprise in Best Picture is The Blind Side. Does that mean I have to go see it?

• Avatar
• The Blind Side
• District 9
• An Education
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
• A Serious Man
• Up
• Up in the Air

I do try to see the films that are nominated in the major categories (picture, director, actor/actress, screenplay) and so far am doing pretty well. I am at peace with my decision not to see animated films so I’m free on Up. Other than that I’ve been dragging my feet on Invictus, I missed The Messenger and its Netflix release date is still ‘unknown’, and The Last Station isn’t even out yet (um, it’s February).

So who will be the big winner? Avatar and Hurt Locker are tied with nine nominations each, and if you’ve been paying attention you know who I’m rooting for. The Oscars are March 7, so first I need to get objective for my Oscar pool… For the full list of nominations go to: http://oscar.go.com/nominations/nominees

Oh and Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow so we’re looking at six more weeks of winter. Cold weather is always a nice occasion to see a movie!

For someone who sees a lot of movies in a year it’s always a pleasure to recommend ten. Though as with most years, at any given time depending on mood and what I’ve seen when, or if I’ve just talked about a film this list might be different. And although I do see quite a few films, I didn’t see them all, so for reference you can check out the critic’s roundup where all those that I’ve seen are in bold.

• Where the Wild Things Are – I will admit that I have a general weakness for creatures and although I can’t argue that everyone will love this film, I did, they created a beautiful world that felt true to spirit of the book (whose story was nearly all in the emotion of illustrations), particularly the way the characters conveyed moments of wondrous joy and frustration that is Max, and extra credit in my book for a risk that is pulled off, is Spike Jonze single?
• The Hurt Locker – A critical darling for good reason, the wonderful portrayal of the characters and situations of this bomb unit in Iraq, it focuses more on the small unit than the large battle and I was surprised at the tension and the suspense brought out in nearly each and every moment, it kept me on the edge of my seat.
• A Single Man – I love that fashion designer Tom Ford’s first feature was not only an incredible visual presentation of a tragically heartbroken man in the 60s, but was a touching moment of a story with incredible performances, particularly Firth in the title role.
• An Education – I would love to be won over by Peter Sarsgaard but watching a delightful young student well played by Carey Mulligan is almost as fun, the screenplay by Nick Hornby (another fav) brings us along for the ride in a fun and heartbreaking journey with the characters through England in the 60s, hmm maybe I like the 60s.
• Star Trek – Another soft spot for the Star Trek legacy but though they lost me on the last series of films this relaunch is quite fun, with nods to the original that don’t require a lifelong dedication to appreciate, the action and story stands on its own, thanks JJ Abrams.
• Sunshine Cleaning – Though put out early enough not to be on more folk’s radar, it was a wonderful small film where Amy Adams plays a single mom who was clearly trying to get it all together even if she’s often only almost successful, her move into the world of crime scene cleanup brings humor as well as poignant moments with a wonderful supporting cast.
• Up in the Air – Entering into the isolated world of downsizing and living on the road, or more aptly in the air, we catch George Clooney at a time where things could all change and we keep wondering if and how they will, Clooney leads a talented cast who is able to bring the humor and drama to moments well crafted by Jason Reitman.
• District 9 – Who doesn’t like a moral that is actually told through a well crafted engaging story (not pointing fingers at anything that rhymes with schmavatar), it was amazing to watch the totally unrelatable lead character transform himself literally and figuratively throughout his struggle, starting with the attempt to relocate a ghetto of aliens.
• Inglourious Basterds – I dragged my feet as long as I could, the previews of Brad, his accent, and that screaming Hitler just didn’t give me confidence that Tarantino hadn’t gone totally over the edge but this fictionalized look at WWII dragged me in with its characters, its scheming plots, and yes the Tarantino violence.
• Whip It/Zombieland – Sometimes a matinee, a fresh popcorn & soda, and low expectations are met with a delightful afternoon, and that’s what these two movies were, I just had fun at both of them, from girl power through roller derby (I almost walked out and got a shoulder tiger tattoo to match Wiig’s) to a few folks left to fend off the zombies, all you need is a good set of rules and a plan (always remember the double tap).

The award season isn’t over but many nominees are in and most of the critics have spoken. So get ready to add some titles to your Netflix queue. In alphabetical order, initials referenced are noted and linked where possible below. The flicks in bold are those that I’ve seen… always too many, never enough. Stay tuned for my favorites of the year.

• Adventureland – PH, MP
• Amreeka – GA
• Avatar – CC, GG, PH, DE, AOS, Bafta
• Bad Lieutenant – RE
• Big Fan – GA
• Bright Star – SA, AOS
• Brothers – DE
• Cheri – MLS
• Coraline – AFI, PH, DE
• The Cove – PH
• Crazy Heart – RE
• The Damned United – PH
• District 9 – RC, PH, BM
• An Education – CC, SAG, RE, SA, BM, Bafta
• Everlasting Moments – DE
• Every Little Step – BM
• Fantastic Mr. Fox – RC, DE
• 500 Days of Summer – GG
• Food, Inc. – MLS, DE
• Funny People – MLS, AOS
• Gomorrah – AOS
• Goodbye Solo – AOS
• The Hangover – AFI, GG
• The Headless Woman – Sla
• The Hurt Locker – RC, AFI, CC, GG, SAG, RE, CFC, SA, NYFCC, BSFC, LAFC, SFFC, GA, PH, MLS, BM, Sla, NSFC, MP, AOS, Bafta
• I Love You Man – BM
• The Informant – SA
• Inglorious Basterds – CC, GG, SAG, RE, CFC, PH, MLS, BM, Sla
• In the Loop – BM, DE, MP
• Invictus – CC
• It’s Complicated – GG, SA
• Julia – Sla
• Julie & Julia – GG, SA
• Knowing – RE
• The Maid – GA
• Me and Orson Welles – MP
• The Messenger – AFI, SA
• Nine – CC, GG, SAG, SA
• Of Time and the City – RC, DE, MP
• Precious – AFI, CC, GG, SAG, RE, SA, PH, MLS, AOS, Bafta
• The Princess and the Frog – RC
• Revanche – MLS, Sla
• A Serious Man – AFI, CC, RE, CFC, SA, GA, Sla, DE, MP
• A Single Man – RC, AFI, MP
• Sin Nombre – BM
• The Stoning of Soraya M. – SA
• Sugar – AFI, BM, MP
• Summer Hours – MLS, DE, AOS
• The Sun – Sla
• Tetro – Sla
• Thirst – RC
• 35 Shots of Rum – Sla
• Two Lovers – MLS, Sla
• Tyson – DE
• Up – RC, AFI, CC, BM, MP
• Up in the Air – NBR, RC, AFI, CC, GG, RE, CFC, SA, PH, MLS, BM, AOS, Bafta
• Where the Wild Things Are – CFC, MP, AOS
• The White Ribbon – RC, RE

AFI, AOS – AO Scott for At the Movies, Bafta – British Academy of Film and Television Arts, BM – Ben Mankiewicz, BSFC – Boston Society of Film Critics, CC – Critic’s Choice Awards, CFC – Chicago Film Critics, DE – David Edelstein for New York, GA – Gotham Independent Film , GG – Golden Globes, LAFC – Los Angeles Film Critics, MLS – Mick LaSalle for SF Chronicle, MP – Michael Phillips for At the Movies, NBR – National Board of Review, NSFC -  National Society of Film Critics, NYFCC- New York Film Critic’s Circle, PH – Peter Hartlaub for SF Chronicle,  RC – Richard Corliss for Time, RE - Roger Ebert, SA – Satellite Awards, SAG – Screen Actors Guild (best ensemble), SFFC – San Francisco Film Critics, Sla – Slant Magazine (see site for full lists)

* As always the list isn’t comprehensive just those I’ve run across, feel free to add additional notes in comments.

Every year I do a top ten movie list and every year it causes me tons of anguish. Have I seen all of the top rated films? If I see just one more movie will it be one of the best? Am I really placing the movies in the order that I liked them most? Do I even remember that movie I saw last Feb? I could probably come up with ten variations on this list but what it comes down to is there is just a time to throw down and pick ten, and that time was a month ago, so here goes.

• Slumdog Millionaire – This was just a great movie, the epic setting in India, the love story, and the method of telling the story of a dramatic past through the ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ answers was as entertaining as it was unbelievable.
• Milk – The movie did a great job of capturing not only Milk, Sean Penn did an amazing job, but the characters and flavor of the time, it might have been even more impactful as a SF resident viewer during Prop 8.
• The Dark Knight – I love Christian Bale and the whole new Christopher Nolan take on this franchise, and though I actually thought the last Batman was a better story, you can’t argue with the Heath Ledger Joker performance and Maggie Gyllenhaal was a refreshing change from Katie Holmes.
• Frost/Nixon – I might have liked this movie so much because I walked in expecting not to, reenacting the time around the famous interviews it was a piece of history I wasn’t as familiar with and a captivating story of these two well played men at a momentous time in their lives.
• The Wrestler – A rough look at the life of a has-been, and who better than Rourke to bring it to life, what’s painful, and therefore good, is seeing how it could go either way and seeing why it went the way it did.
• Changeling – This Clint film tells the ‘based on a true story’ that is just crazy enough to be interesting, beautifully set in the 20s with an impressive performance by Jolie as we look for her missing son and see her stand her ground with the police.
• Rachel Getting Married – Hathaway makes us feel incredibly uncomfortable as she returns from rehab for her sister’s wedding and we get a glimpse into the layers that can bring a family together and drive them apart.
• Speed Racer – Ok so this movie isn’t for everyone, but I was a fan of the original series (which i retried and is admittedly unwatchable), but I thought the update captured the sentiment of the original and by taking the cartoon aspect to a special effects crazy it made it a fun film.
• The Visitor – Jenkins’ character comes alive with the beat of the drum of illegal immigrants, whose lives he becomes enmeshed in, and watching the personal impact that the deportation can take on those around him was compelling.
• Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day – I saw this movie early last year and just remember it being a delightful day to spend with McDormand and Adams, the romance, the period costumes, and the pursuit of true love just felt like an update to an old Hollywood film.

And for the record I haven’t seen everything, though I thought I did pretty well this year, and I’ve noted the critic’s picks that I’ve seen.