Flickpicks 2012

Updated April 14, 2012

As I never have time for a writing a full length review, I list and write a quick review of the films I see at the cinema.

Movies take a long time to reach Japan, so for people outside Japan, these might make good rental choices. For people in Japan I'll hopefully give you an idea if you want to spend your hard-earned yen on these movies.

Please comment if you agree or disagree with my reviews. I enjoy well thought-out feedback!

• 13) John Carter - Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Ciaran Hinds, James Purefoy (April 14, 2012)

  A fun version of some of Edgar Rice Burroughs lessor (to me) stories of John Carter, a man from Earth who becomes a great warrior on Mars. The story is a little silly, but beats the heck out of anything Michael Bay has done recently.

  Enjoyable schlocky movie. If this was made in the 60’s it would have had a minuscule budget, but now they can spend a lot of money on it. Worth seeing if you like old style sci-fi. I do, so really enjoyed this.

• 12)50/50 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Anjelica Huston (April 7, 2012)

  A young man is diagnosed with a deadly spinal cancer and must fight to stay alive. He is aided by his best friend and his girlfriend.

  Despite the serious subject matter, a very funny film that has plenty to say about relationships and love. Equally funny and touching. Much more enjoyable than it sounds.

• 11) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris, Stephen Fry (March 17, 2012)

  Downey and Law are back with more of the same Sherlock. This time, Watson does get married, but has an unfortunate occurrence happen on his honeymoon…thanks to Holmes. Holmes is up against his nemesis, Professor Moriarty, a worthy opponent.

  There are a lot of guns and explosions in this movie, and it doesn’t always make a lot of sense as to why things are happening, but it is quite a fun time at the movies, if you like this sort of thing. Happily, I do!

• 10) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Reviewed below (March 14, 2012)
• 9) Hugo - Chloe Grace Moritz, Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Helen McCrory (March 11, 2012)

  Martin Scorsese’s love letter to the pioneers of movies is a treat. Hugo tries to repair the automaton that his father brought home, and solve the mystery behind the device. He is friended by a young girl and the two find more secrets than they expected. A lovely look at another time and place, when films were new and mysterious.

  Definitely worth seeing for fans of film history.

• 8) War Horse - Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston (March 9, 2012)

  Spielberg takes on World War One for the look at a horse and his boy. I liked it for the horse, the people in some parts were a let down. We watch the horse named Joey from his birth through various owners, through the war. He is sold to be a war horse and battles just to stay alive. It’s a good film, although it is quite manipulative in parts.

  Worth seeing for the gorgeous cinematography and the horse scenes, which are very well done.

• 7) In Time - Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy (February 25, 2012)

  A movie that is better in theory than in actuality, it still provides a bit of fun at the movies. The actors are the weak point in this story of a world where the currency is time, and people either have too much or not enough.

  Will Salas (Timberlake) is gifted some time and tries to make time freer for everyone. The establishment doesn’t like it, and tries to stop him. He kidnaps Sylvia(Seyfried) and the two go on a spree.

  Fun, just don’t think about it too hard!

• 6) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Robin Wright, Christopher Plummer (February 10, 2012)

  The English version of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo packs a punch. NOT for family viewing or for the squeamish, but for fans of the book or a good investigation, this is a rewarding film.

  In Japan, many of the more intimate scenes were pixilated and I wonder as well whether the scenes were cut at all for the delicate Japanese sensibilities. However, a great film. My husband, who has no connection at all to the books enjoyed it as much as I did. If you are interested, see it.

• 5) The Ghost Writer - Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, Kim Cattrall (February 4, 2012)

  An excellent film about a man hired to be a replacement ghost writer for a former Prime Minister of Great Britain. He is flown to a secluded island and is faced with a growing dread that something is going on. He tries to get to the bottom of the mystery, but forces conspire against him.

  This is a great movie. It never stops, it is intelligent and engrossing. I had very little idea what would happen next. Very much worth seeing.

• 4) Fright Night - Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, David Tennant, Imogen Poots (January 15, 2012)

  A remake of the old shlock film isn’t quite as much fun as the original, but there is still a good sense of humour here. A high school student becomes convinced that his new neighbour is a vampire and tries to protect both his mother and girlfriend. David Tennant is great, but there isn’t enough of him!

• 3) Let Me In - Richard Jenkins, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Grace Moretz, Elias Koteas (January 8, 2012)

  The US remake of the fabulous Swedish Let The Right One In is much better than it should be. I liked it a lot. Not quite as dark as the original, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is a moody, dark drama about a boy and his new neighbour. She has a big secret that he would be better off not knowing.

  The performances are great and if you didn’t see the Swedish one, definitely worth watching. Not for children…this is a movie with a lot of realistic gore.

• 2) Real Steel - Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo, Hope Davis (January 3, 2012)

  A deadbeat dad who works with fighting robots get a second chance to be a father to his abandoned son in this surprisingly moving story. It’s Rocky for families, but well acted and the robots and the child are not as annoying as the other Robot series (Hello Transformers!) I enjoyed it a lot.

• 1) Paul - Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kirsten Wiig, (January 2, 2012)

  Two vacationing Englishmen have a close encounter with a being from another planet. They have to take him on a cross country trip to meet up with his rescuers. So far, so E.T.? Nope. Paul is foul mouthed and very intelligent.

  Another film from the people that brought us Shaun of the Dead. Very funny, but people who don’t swear, or dyed in the wool Christians may not like it. I liked it a lot.