Beaux's Movie Blog: The First Three Years-A Look Back

The Tree of Life

Below you will find a list of all of my full reviews published on this blog during the three years I have been writing on it. Included with each is a brief quotation from the review and the ten-star rating I assigned the film. If you want to read a full review, I guess you’ll have to google it or something because I certainly don’t have time to make all those links.

The Tree of Life (2011) “It defies all attempts of comparison to any other work…It is almost painfully beautiful.” 10/10

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) “…one of the rare experiences that reaffirms faith in an art form, and makes me proud to have witnessed it first-hand.” 10/10

The Artist (2011) “[Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo] don’t need dialogue. They have faces.” 10/10

Cloud Atlas (2012) “The only thing you can do with a movie like this is see it no matter what, think about it for a few days and see it again.” 10/10

Amour (2012) “I can’t help but admire its nerve [in] fully capturing grief even in the face of almost guaranteed audience hatred.” 10/10

Hugo (2011) “It encourages kids towards ideas of creative thinking rather than filling their minds with random stupidity…It is more alive and exciting than any other movie this year.” 10/10

Argo (2012) “[It] is a riveting experience that should not be missed…Offhand, I can’t think of a single flaw.” 10/10

Les Miserables (2012) “…one of the most compelling and powerful movies I have ever seen in theatres.” 10/10

The Master (2012) “I am doing [it] an incredible injustice by building it up simultaneously as an awe-inspiring work of art and an ugly piece of trash, which is sure to inspire ideas of the sort of thing it isn’t.” 10/10

Drive (2011) “After seeing so many movies this year that function only as immediate distractions, how refreshing it was to see a movie that…is a rewarding experience.” 10/10

Silver Linings Playbook (2012) “It is one of those movies where everything just clicks so perfectly…It doesn’t wear its greatness on its sleeve.” 10/10

Titanic (2012 re-release) “The fact that so many years have passed and it is still as exciting and enjoyable as it ever was proves that time will be kind to this little epic…” 10/10

Django Unchained (2012) “It is flashy, restrained, frightening, funny, moving and thoroughly unforgettable.” 10/10

The Impossible (2012) “I can say without embarrassment that this is a film that moved and unnerved me.” 10/10

Skyfall (2012) “It can be quite frustrating talking to die-hard fans of the [007] series, because I can never remember which movie was which, who was in it or what happened. I will not have that problem with Skyfall.” 10/10

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) “You know you have a good movie when you remain on the edge of your seat despite already knowing how it turns out.” 10/10

My Week with Marilyn (2011) “I loved that this movie was not full of conspiracy theories or scandalous accounts, but had an actual interest and love for its subject.” 10/10

Mud (2013) “Pardon my awe, but [this] is just one of those movies that actually deserves it.” 10/10

Upstream Color (2013) “…an uncompromising behemoth of cinematic creativity.” 10/10

The Place Beyond the Pines (2013) “It’s everything a great movie should be…[It] actually has a reason for existing, with a complete story to tell.” 10/10

The Future (2011) “…a wonderful, even invigorating beginning to the end of an otherwise drab year.” 10/10

War Horse (2011) “It is a testament to the film’s greatness that even with all the perfectly timed moments involving the emotional struggle of the humans, the horse Joey is the character with whom we most associate.” 10/10

Stoker (2013) “This is why I go to the movies, to see things no other medium can offer made by those people who have an earnest desire to create and not just imitate.” 10/10

Flight (2012) “[It] asks questions we never would have thought of and goes places we didn’t think it could.” 10/10

Seven Psychopaths (2012) “It is positively loaded with surprises, even for someone who’s seen just about everything Hollywood’s thrown at us.” 10/10

The Lion King (2011 re-release) “All major animation studios, including Disney, should watch [this movie] again…because they’re obviously doing something wrong.” 9/10

The Descendants (2011) “…a nearly perfect drama headlined by unbeatable performances…Shailene Woodley is…quite remarkable.” 9/10

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) “Suspenseful films depend entirely on timing; on the build-up of terror. [This film] has all the patience necessary to do things right.” 9/10

Prometheus (2012) “It has the good taste to treat its audience intelligently, assuming that we are actually paying attention to the journey, not just taking a ride.” 9/10

Bernie (2012) “[Jack Black] proves that he has enormous talent and it would be impossible to see this movie and take him for granted, because he is the movie.” 9/10

To the Wonder (2013) “Terrence Malick [is] possibly the greatest of all active filmmakers.” 9/10

Lawless (2012) “…one of the best movies of the year because it follows the same strange logic that allows corrupt movie characters like Alex DeLarge and Hannibal Lector to continue to be endearing.” 9/10

Arbitrage (2012) “[It] is such a well-made, well-played, thought-provoking little thriller that it would be nearly impossible [to watch it and not] want justice to be defeated.” 9/10

Haywire (2012) “Your brain can gain weight like everything else without exercise. [This] is one of the rare fat-free action movies.” 9/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II (2011) “…a triumphant and very fitting conclusion to one of the biggest phenomenons of my lifetime. I must say I’m glad to have been a part of it.” 9/10

Hit & Run (2012) “…refreshingly fun for its own sake. I feel that if it closes after a week, its creators will still be pleased.” 9/10

42 (2013) “This is drama with a capital D…[but] it can be a truly uplifting and captivating experience.” 9/10

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011) “There is…a spark of enjoyment this movie possesses that is not similar to any other I’ve recently experienced…fun, exciting and, best of all, smart.” 9/10

Life of Pi (2012) “How well [it] works on an emotional level will vary from person to person.” 8/10

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) “The first viewing was like seeing a bunch of puzzle pieces scattered all over a table and the second was like seeing the whole puzzle, complete and logical.” 8/10

The Help (2011) “It is an extremely enjoyable concoction of effective drama, comforting comedy and fantastic acting. If that’s not enough to make a good movie, I don’t know what is.” 8/10

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) “How this little thing (Quevanshane Wallis) can deliver her lines with such mature sincerity and understanding is beyond me.” 8/10

Brave (2012) “[It] is a wonderfully entertaining movie, one that probably doesn’t have any major competition for greatness in its field this year.” 8/10

ParaNorman (2012) “Most movies for kids underestimate their audience and assume they are too stupid to want anything but the traditional throwaway gags. [This movie] is incredible partly because it doesn’t talk down…” 8/10

The Intouchables (2012) “This material could have easily risen no higher than your standard sitcom, but it somehow reaches a peak of entertainment clarity.” 8/10

21 Jump Street (2012) “…equally crass and charming, low-brow and intelligent…It made me laugh.” 8/10

The Iron Lady (2011) “The fact that we do forget that it is Meryl Streep under all that [heavy make-up] is a…prime example of a one-woman show at work.” 8/10

The Ides of March (2011) “[Ryan Gosling] is really one of the best and most versatile stars in Hollywood. But, the film technically succeeds because of George Clooney’s vigorous direction.” 8/10

Monsters University (2013) “[Pixar movies] are never cheap, dumb or unnecessarily nasty and they always push themselves farther with each film. The results speak for themselves.” 8/10

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) “Many will be completely turned off by its unwavering feel-good nature, but there are many who will love it for that very reason.” 8/10

Zero Dark Thirty (2012) “It all plays out like a mystery story without clues and in which you are told who did it at the start.” 8/10

Rango (2011) “It has accomplished something that has previously pretty much only ever been done by Pixar and Walt Disney himself: it is a truly good animated movie.” 8/10

Only God Forgives (2013) “I enjoyed [it] because it is stunning because it is beautiful because it is ugly.” 8/10

Quartet (2012) “I’ll give you twelve guesses as to how it all turns out and the first eleven don’t count.” 8/10

The Conspirator (2011) “Despite some big faults, [this] is a competent and entertaining drama and, these days, that’s enough.” 8/10

Our Idiot Brother (2011) “It isn’t hateful or snarky or excessively crass. It is just a good-hearted movie…” 8/10

This is the End (2013) “Vulgarity is a difficult medium to master…but Seth Rogen and company have proven they are capable.” 8/10

Side Effects (2013) “It’s possible that I’m a complete idiot, but [it] fooled me.” 8/10

Sinister (2012) “It is old-fashioned, terrifying fun that you will remember far longer than the other rubbish of this Saw-inspired generation.” 8/10

J. Edgar (2011) “This is the carefully painted portrait of a man with so many morals that he must have had a dark side. Just don’t expect that side to be spelled out for you.” 8/10

Trouble with the Curve (2012) “For every part of the movie soaked in ridiculous sentimentality, its stars rise to the challenge of making us care, and they generally succeed.” 8/10

Iron Man 3 (2013) “On paper it sounds terribly typical, but this is one example of delivery saving the joke.” 8/10

Now You See Me (2013) “It is a great trick not because of what it does, but how it does it.” 8/10

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) “Only towards the end does it fall into the usual mindless superhero mode, but everything leading up to that is surprisingly captivating.” 8/10

Total Recall (2012) “I offer this remake as proof that straight-forward action doesn’t have to be a bland, by-the-numbers bore.” 8/10

Insidious (2011) “Those who think being scared is a good old time at the movies will find this one a real hoot, ‘cause is it ever scary.” 7/10

Killer Joe (2012) “I wouldn’t say I enjoyed [it]…but I admired its audacity.” 7/10

The Conjuring (2013) “…if an apparition manifested itself in front of me…I hope I would be bright enough not to follow it around the corner.” 7/10

Prisoners (2013) “…the whole production becomes a simple series of crazy people doing crazy things because they’re crazy.” 7/10http://infinitecrescendo.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/the-tree-of-life-61.jpg

Evil Dead (2013) “It is actually worth something, but for horror fans only. Everyone else won’t make it twelve minutes.” 7/10

Frankenweenie (2012) “Besides looking neat, it’s a Tim Burton movie that made me feel good things rather than aggravation, and that’s something…Also, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are nowhere to be found, and that’s something else.” 7/10

Premium Rush (2012) “I admire a movie that overcomes its own foolishness and entertains in spite of itself.” 7/10

The Cabin in the Woods (2012) “This may not be great horror or even great comedy, but it is great criticism. Now, if we would just learn our lesson.” 7/10

Men in Black 3 (2012) “It does have an interesting story that keeps your attention, and the focus mostly stays on this plot rather than on the clunky jokes.” 7/10

Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2012) “[It] does some good by being so quiet and charming…though there are funnier, more carefree comedies available.” 7/10

The Woman in Black (2012) “I can only assume [it] does justice to the book…How does that work anyway? I can’t imagine a lengthy description of how Arthur Kipps looked out the window because he thought he saw something, only for the sinister specter to suddenly appear behind him and disappear when he turned around being all that scary.” 7/10

The Muppets (2011) Director James Bobin clearly loves the Muppets and projects that fondness clearly in an overall enjoyable movie. I just wish he had…thrown out some of the rambling bits.” 7/10

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) “There are some scenes that are so sensationally crafted that they can’t help but inspire awe, but for what purpose?” 7/10

Red 2 (2013) “…the sort of thing people who use the word ‘cute’ describe with it.” 7/10

The Great Gatsby (2013) “…presents viewers with a dizzying spectacle of great showmanship, but forces scenes to drag while we wait for something of any actual value to happen.” 7/10

Anna Karenina (2012) “Every time a scene begins promisingly, Joe Wright swoops back in and makes it all crazy.” 7/10

Hitchcock (2012) “Anthony Hopkins is a great actor and he does well here, but the entire film hinges on whether or not we believe that he is Hitchcock and I didn’t for a second.” 7/10

The Adventures of Tintin (2011) “Movies become weak when we are not drawn in, and I spent the whole film sitting outside of it, thinking of ways it could have been improved.” 7/10

In Time (2011) “This is a movie easy to recommend because of the promise it shows, which is only bogged down by the problems it can’t overcome.” 7/10

Wanderlust (2012) “So many romantic duos these days try to cover up a lack of chemistry with more jokes, but this movie doesn’t need to.” 7/10

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) “Just look at that title for a minute. Let it sink in…Ridiculous, isn’t it? Of course it is.” 7/10

The Possession (2012) “…definitely a chilling experience, but not scary.” 7/10

Straw Dogs (2011) “This remake is a pretty good movie, but only because everything about it recalls the original, which was a great movie.” 7/10

The Debt (2011) “With a simple shift in editing, this would have been a good movie. As it is, it is only acceptable.” 7/10

Super 8 (2011) “If the whole movie had been like the first half, instead of indulging in a silly bunch of pseudo-horror filler, I would have been much more enthusiastic about it.” 7/10

Ted (2012) “There are times when I enjoy Seth MacFarlane’s style and times when it grates on my nerves. I could easily be persuaded to label the guy as funny, but only until the point at which he isn’t.” 7/10

Cars 2 (2011) “Nothing special. Nothing bad.” 7/10

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) “The story was not nearly solid or interesting enough to warrant two hours of film.” 7/10

The Company You Keep (2013) “…a fun picture to watch purely for the vast amount of talented individuals brought together to create this spectacle of great character acting.” 7/10

The Family (2013) “…Goodfellas Lite.” 7/10

Savages (2012) This is purely an exercise in razzmatazz…a bad movie that manages to get away with being good entertainment.” 7/10

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) “Not for lack of trying, it would be impossible for these faux realistic creatures to be convincing.” 6/10

Crazy Stupid Love (2011) “It does have a few notable performances from some very talented actors, which does little to save the project’s forgettability as a whole.” 6/10

Mama (2013) “Inspired moments get lost among more typical ones, like the tiresome use of ‘ghost appearing behind character who doesn’t see it, but we do and everyone screams’ bit.” 6/10

Fast and Furious 6 (2013) “[It] isn’t very mature, but it’s still one heck of an action movie.” 6/10

The Hunger Games (2012) “[My criticisms are] more accurately aimed at the book, but this is still the story I was asked to believe, and I had a hard time doing it.” 6/10

Insidious: Chapter Two (2013) “There is a bit too much of running in and out of rooms and perhaps not enough satisfying reason as to why spooky things are happening…” 6/10

Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) “J. J. Abrams could have done virtually anything with this movie and took the easy route…it’s just incredibly pointless…” 6/10

Fast Five (2011) “Does a roller coaster need a great plot to be fun?” 6/10

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011) “I would like to have known more about [Max von Sydow’s character] than about this annoying little brat that headlines the film.” 6/10

Contagion (2011) “A bat spits on a pig, a woman eats the pig, the woman gets an illness before running all around a casino touching everything she passes, then half of America gets it. The end.” 6/10

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas (2011) “If the sight of a toddler getting very wasted, or large animated genitals being thrust at the screen, or Santa being graphically shot in the head offend you, well, I applaud your good taste.” 6/10

Arthur (2011) “There is no way to watch [this remake] without comparing it to the original…it gives us the same movie all over again without really adding anything new of its own.” 6/10

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) “Is it just me or is the world ending a lot lately?” 6/10

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) “It doesn’t have any of the oomph that its predecessors had and is without question the weakest entry in the franchise.” 6/10

The Raid: Redemption (2012) “The artistry of the direction cannot be denied…[but] it is very much in awe of itself.” 5/10

Dead Man Down (2013) “…confidently executed, but with a story as bland and uninteresting as they come.” 5/10

The Wolverine (2013) “…prime example of a pointless, not that enjoyable franchise that may not ever end.” 5/10

The Heat (2013) “If [Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy] were able to save this movie from being completely unwatchable, imagine what they could do with good material.” 5/10

X-Men: First Class (2011) “Modern filmmakers do know how to make an entertaining summer blockbuster. If only they could make them memorable after a few weeks.” 5/10

Broken City (2013) “Russell Crowe is worth seeing. This movie is not.” 5/10

The Bourne Legacy (2012) “We get lots of flashy editing, a bit of high-voltage action and a significant lack of anything to care about.” 5/10

Safe House (2012) “I think that one of the things I most hate about modern action movies is this pretension the writers have that the story matters in the slightest.” 5/10

Parker (2013) “Jason Statham…is likeable and has a naturally stern face. I wonder if he is even capable of doing anything else, if the camera remained still and actually demanded a performance.” 5/10

Cowboys and Aliens (2011) “The Smurfs beat Cowboys and Aliens at the box office…I hope this puts similarly crazy ideas out of studios’ heads.” 5/10

Thor (2011) “The better computer effects get, the harder it is for me to be impressed.” 5/10

Tower Heist (2011) “[It was not] a success as a comedy or a thriller, because each relied too heavily on the other, with neither delivering.” 5/10

New Year’s Eve (2011) “It will be irrelevant next month.” 5/10

Nobody Walks (2012) “It all too eagerly enters soap opera territory as loyalties are altered, feelings are hurt, marriages are wrecked and our interest disappears.” 5/10

Oblivion (2013) “[It doesn’t have] any real merit as a movie, a story, a star vehicle, an adrenaline rush, or really anything much more than an example of how to throw away $120,000,000 and still come out ahead.” 5/10

Pacific Rim (2013) “If I were a child, I would have no desire to collect the movie’s action figures. They’d all look the same.” 4/10

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) “I suppose there are worse things you and your family could see, but there are also far, far better ones.” 4/10

The Sitter (2011) “[It’s] so overflowing with ludicrous nonsense that it forgets that there isn’t anything funny or original about anything going on here.” 4/10

The Lone Ranger (2013) “[Johnny Depp] is just one miscalculation in a movie made up of almost nothing but.” 4/10

Fright Night (2011) “I am reminded of a vampire horror/comedy that did work as a comedy and a thriller on equal levels while also being creative and stylish. That movie was The Lost Boys. Watch it instead.” 4/10

Final Destination 5 (2011) “It’s just the same grisly accidents thrown at the viewer over and over again.” 4/10

Shadow Dancer (2013) “As much clarity as the story already lacks, [director James Marsh] makes things worse by pacing it with the speed of a handicapped snail.” 4/10

Casa de mi Padre (2012) “If you or someone you know enjoyed [this movie], please leave a comment. I want to know why.” 4/10

Gangster Squad (2013) “It gets everything very, very wrong. Oscar season is over…time to lower those expectations.” 4/10

The Change-Up (2011) “If the movie had focused on the actual bizarre situation and built some gags off of that, perhaps it could have been better. Then again, probably not.” 4/10

Dark Shadows (2012) “Main characters come and go at random, other characters do things out of plot necessity even though they don’t make sense, important subplots are abandoned willy-nilly and absolutely nothing funny happens.” 4/10

Man of Steel (2013) “…an idiotic, repulsive, nauseating, worthless, joyless excuse for a movie.” 4/10

World War Z (2013) “…someone [needs to tell] director Marc Forster that a zombie movie can’t work unless we either care about the victims or are at least scared of the zombies.” 3/10

Olympus Has Fallen (2013) “It does indeed fall and then lies there rotting for a couple hours.” 3/10

Jobs (2013) “[It] isn’t worthy of middle-of-the-night television.” 3/10

The Campaign (2012) “Just ignore it and maybe it’ll go away.” 3/10

The Man with the Iron Fists (2012) “Some of you will not take my advice to ignore this movie’s existence and will see it based on the pretense that it will be fun…It isn’t.” 3/10

House at the End of the Street (2012) “All the elements that could have made for some frightening moments are there, but instead of using them for even the most silly jumps, the movie would rather prolong its increasingly boring story...This is not rocket science.” 3/10

The Expendables 2 (2012) “[Seeing the movie] was like being at a pep rally for a high school with a bad team and overzealous parents.” 3/10

Something Borrowed (2011) “Guys: if your girls drag you to see this movie, you have my sympathy. Girls: be better to your guys. Don’t make them watch Something Borrowed.” 3/10

Underworld: Awakening (2012) “For all anyone knows, [Kate Beckinsale] could be a truly great actress, but we can’t ever find out if she only agrees to appear in movies that require nothing of her but to look good in an illogically designed action suit thing.” 3/10

The Avengers (2012) “My patience for these rotten things has run out…Wasn’t it just a bit disappointing? Wasn’t it all just a bit pointless? Didn’t it make you feel just a bit stupid?” 3/10

Immortals (2011) “I hated this movie.” 3/10

30 Minutes or Less (2011) “…one of the very rare times I truly contemplated getting up and leaving the theater, and if I had I would have been better for it.” 3/10

A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) “I refuse to accept that anybody with the gift of reasonable thought can like anything about it…Do not watch [it] for any reason.” 2/10

Project X (2012) “Why this thing needed two screenwriters I have no idea…It is one of the worst movies I have seen.”