Inception - Christopher Nolan - 2010

Inception was a film that I knew very little about when I went to see it opening day. It was a film whose marketing campaign was designed to keep you interested visually without revealing anything major about the plot. Personally I remember being a little mad that Christopher Nolan was following The Dark Knight with a new original film. However after seeing Inception the first time in theaters I quickly forgave him.

Inception was both original and somewhat formulaic. It was somewhat formulaic in the structure which was built around the heist man doing one last job, what was original was both it's setting (the mind of a dreamer) and it's execution.

The casting of the film was great and included both household names (Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Caine) and some talented little known actors (Tom Hardy).

Inception is an entertaining and multilayered action film that is easy to follow thanks to the simple goal of the protagonist (to see his kids again). It is a fun ride with an ending so memorable that you will forget all the small errors in it.

Exit Through The Gift Shop - Banksy - 2010

I have some ground to make up due to a nasty cold that took me out of commission for a few days.

I will start with Exit Through The Gift Shop a documentary that really took me by surprise. Exit Through The Gift Shop is an inside look at the growing world of street art shot from a French outsider who becomes a successful street artist in his own right.

The film feels more amateur than most other major documentaries and I mean that in a good way. The film is shot mostly by the main subject a frenchman named Thierry Guetta (aka Mr. Brainwash). The footage was meant just to be "home movie" type stuff that is until Banksy got his hands on it.

Exit Through The Gift Shop is a well made and entertaining documentary that really shines a light on the beauty that today's street artists create and will make you look at graffiti in a whole new way.

UHF - Jay Levey - 1989

UHF is by no means a classic example of a masterpiece, but that doesn't mean that the film isn't classic. It is an odd comedy with seemingly no real rhyme or reason for most of what's going on, but that doesn't matter. It is what it is.

UHF follows a man named George Newman (Weird Al Yankovic) who is put in charge of a failing local station. However, the station quickly becomes a hit thanks to the oddball programs that it airs including a show hosted by station janitor Stanley Spadowski (Michael Richards).

The film is so off the beaten path that I still find it fresh and enjoyable. Especially the odd programming that is put on the station such as Wheel Of Fish. I personally feel that the film is more relevant today due to the amount of odd game shows that plagued the airwaves for many years.

This is a must see for any Seinfeld fan because you get a look at Michael Richards using physical comedy perfectly in a pre-Seinfeld performance.

Many of you might hate the film as it is in fact pretty stupid. But for those of you able to just sit back and enjoy the film for what it is, you will find it to be a pleasant surprise.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - David Yates - 2011

Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a polar opposite to the first film in terms of pacing. It is a high energy film from the get go and never really drops in pace.

With that being said the film has as much heart as the previous Potter films. It is a sad action film with a high body count on both sides of the fight for good and evil.

The film is mostly made up of the final battle but is structured in a way where the plot take preeminence and the characters are able to develop in the middle of all hell breaking loose.

The sequences that I really loved about the film was the calm before the storm moments where the characters are all trying to prepare themselves for the eventual death and destruction that is sure to come. The fact that the characters are children that we have seen grow makes these moments far more profound.

Like Dobby in Part 1, Neville is a big surprise in the film and becomes a total badass by the end of the film.

Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a rush and is a perfect way to end the series. It manages to be both fun and depressing and is a film (and a series) that should not be missed.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - David Yates - 20010

Today is a double dose since I didn't blog yesterday so to make up for it I will be recommending the final Two films that make up the last Harry Potter book. Personally I loved the whole series and strongly recommend watching the series as a whole. But rather than talk about all 8 films I will discuss the two films that make up the films conclusion (as spoiler free as possible).

The Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a departure from the rest of the Potter films. It is a darker and slower paced film than anything else before it. The 3 main characters Harry, Ron, and Hermione are out on their own in an extremely dangerous world with next to no clue as to who to trust.

The film was criticized for being too slow but personally I felt that the film was perfectly paced in that it matched the pace of the first part of the book, which does have some big set pieces including the beginning of the film which helps set up the danger that the three must face.

The relationship between the three leads is the centerpiece of the film and it is a relationship that is tested heavily. They are three teens trying to save the world from it's worst threat that it has ever faced. They are angry, sad, and desperately trying to cling onto whatever feeling of youth and love that they can.

Both films have a character that takes you by surprise in them. In Part 1 that character is Dobby who creates some of the most memorable scenes in the film.

Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a great character drama that has you on edge the whole time. It is a film that sets up the dark nature of this once friendly world and is a perfect setup to the final film.