Wizzums’s Film Reviews

221 Films have been rated or reviewed by Wizzums.

Hugo (2011): Hugo is unashamedly old–fashioned, and a rare treasure. A children’s film this may be, but it is The Godfather of children’s films; a perfectly crafted masterpiece steeped in rarefied class and unmatched beauty. In a word, magic.; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
In Bruges (2008): A sharp, savage comedy with acidic wit and a dark heart. It\'s bold, brutal and brilliant.
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007): Bold, vivid and brilliant. A ferocious thriller that drags you in, with an exceptional performance from Hoffman.
Drive (2011): It seems to be a fairytale crossed with a nightmare; the simple sweetness of the central relationship mingled with the chilling horror of a bloody curb–stomp, and it is ultra–stylish, ultra–cool and utterly mesmerising.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Help, The (2011): The acting is excellent, but the film itself is limited, condescending and sappy.
Tree of Life, The (2011): Vast and thought provoking. A very beautiful experience.
Blue Valentine (2010): The story is powerful and the direction is wonderful, but it is Gosling and Williams who steal the show with a pair of incredible performances.
French Connection, The (1971): Intense, brilliantly made thriller with incredible set–pieces and an outstanding performance from Gene Hackman.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Taxi Driver (1976): Powerful beyond words. De Niro gives an exceptional performance, keeping the viewer mesmerized throughout a stunning portrait of post–war angst. Haunting, unforgettable viewing.
Goodfellas (1990): Powerful, insightful and gripping gangster flick. Absolutely incredible.; Blu-Ray ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Leon The Professional, The (Professional, The) (1994): Ultra–stylish, with the story and intelligence to match. Gary Oldman is totally unforgettable.; Blu-Ray $49.95
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): Absolutely brilliant. Full of signature Anderson quirks and charms, this is sharp, enchanting, hilarious and utterly fantastic.
Social Network, The (2010): Well–made and well–acted with a very strong script.
Biutiful (2010): A sea of heart–wrenching emotion held together by (another) truly incredible and unforgettable performance form Javier Bardem.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Sling Blade (1997): Slow, powerful and methodical. Billy Bob Thornton gives the film true inteillgence, wisdom and grace as he delivers a fantastic script, performance and directorial effort.
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The (2004): Enjoyable film, full of laughs and delightful Anderson details, but the plot is too disjointed for it to live up too earlier Anderson films.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
In the Valley of Elah (2007): More subtle than Crash, but also less impacting. Jones is easily the best thing about it, delivering an outstanding, powerful performance.
American Gangster (2007): Solid all–round, with a powerful lead performance from Washington.
Get Low (2010): It\'s enjoyable, Duvall and Murray especially, but not anything special.
A Single Man (2009): A beautiful reflection of life and love, both visually and emotionally. Colin Firth is sublime.
Beetlejuice (1988): Stunning. Full of flair, style, originality, imagination and jet–black wit.
Appaloosa (2008): Flat and forgettable. Mortensen, Harris and Irons are wasted. Not bad exactly, but not good enough to invest the time.
No Country for Old Men (2007): Thrilling, dark, intense and brutal. All of the classic Coen hallmarks are present, including a layer of dark, biting wit. Javier Bardem is unforgettable as he delivers one of the best performances of all time. A truly brilliant, truly faultless film.
Rango (2011): Twisted, off–beat and hilarious. A brilliant homage to a ton of classic films.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005): Val Kilmer is brilliant and the story is decent, but instead of avioding convention and clichè, the film instead chooses to highlight it with painfully self–aware narration that tries too hard to be cool and pretty much ruins the experience.
Unforgiven (1992): A ferocious masterpiece of a Western. Eastwood has yet to top this as an actor, or a director. He, Hackman, Freeman and Harris are all brilliant, as is the script and the outstanding direction.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Spider-Man 3 (Spiderman 3) (2007): Flat–out awful. Raimi adds absurd humour which could have worked, but only in a completely different film, such as a horrible song/dance number. Too many characters and poor acting doesn\'t help.
Spider-Man 2 (Spiderman 2) (2004): An improvement over the original mainly because of a fantastic turn from Alfred Molina as Dr Ock.
Spider-Man (Spiderman) (2002): Flashy but conventional with the acting ranging from entertainingly hammy (Dafoe, Simmons) to flat–out awful (Maguire, Franco).
Patriot Games (1992): Competent in some places, slow and laggy in others. Sean Bean provides the most entertainment as the IRA terrorist baddie.
Kung Fu Panda (2008): Fast, flash and fun, with a lot of heart and some stunning animation.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): It rides on convention, but it rides high, with plenty of flair and emotion.
Shakespeare in Love (1998): The script, acting and visual flair are all sublime.
Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, The (2008): Solid directon and acting, but its too long and too Forrest Gump–like to be truly impacting.
Grizzly Man (2005): A mesmerising, devastating and tragic portrait of a man who\'s immense passion is so misguided that he harms rather than protects the animals he loves.
Babel (2006): The individual stories are fantasic, but the structure muddles the experience. It probably would have been better in a series of short films.
Juno (2007): An appealing, quriky gem, full of life and emotion.
Braveheart (1995): Dodgy in places, but overall, an iconic epic full of emotion and spectacle.
Ocean's Eleven (Ocean's 11) (2001): Witty, entertaining and pretty damn cool.
Predators (2010): Actually pretty solid, entertaining stuff.
Predator (1987): A fun and surprisingly tense actioner.; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
Jurassic Park (1993): The best Hollywood blockbuster ever.
Gone Baby Gone (2007): Powerful stuff. Moving and intense with a perfect ending.
Alien vs. Predator (AVP) (2004): A laughably poor effort to revive two iconic franchises. It will cop the most loathing from fanboys, but the overall poor quality is evident to all.
Terminator, The (1984): Exciting and satisfying actioner.
Terminator Salvation (2009): Average and ultimately forgettable. Worthington is flat and Bale is growly, as per usual.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991): It has a good go at connecting with the audience, with sometimes dubious results, but the action is still great.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): It dulls a bit over age, but Holy Grail is still packed with iconic comedy moments.
Fighter, The (2010): The cast is great, but this is pretty much a run–of–the–mill boxing film. There\'s nothing new here.
King's Speech, The (2010): A solid crowd–pleaser with fine period detail and excellent performances from Firth, Rush, Bonham Carter and Pearce.
Black Swan (2010): Portman\'s performance is sometimes the only thing that keeps the film from being almost laughably melodramatic.
Aliens (1986): A successful genre change makes for a fine action film, but it fails to match the greatness of the first.
Crazy Heart (2009): Bridges is brilliant, and Gyllenhaal almost matches him, but otherwise the film treads through convention after convention.
Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End (2007): The entertainment and charm that was found in the first film is almost completely lost here in a needlessly over–complicated and ultimately stupid plot.
Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest (2006): Still entertaining, but the plot begins to drag.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003): Hugely enjoyable. Depp and Rush are great.
Heat (1995): De Niro and Pacino are good, but it is the stellar shoot–outs that lift an all–around solid film.
Schindler's List (1993): A rich, powerful and haunting experience with an excellent cast, including an incredible Fiennes. Well worth a look.; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Scarface (1983): Pacino is entertaining, and the film has some great moments, but it is very patchy in both pace and quality.
Life of David Gale, The (2002): Spacey and Winslet\'s considerable talents lift an already solid, if a bit predictable, thriller.
Tracker (2010): Winstone, Morrison and the scenery are all great, but the quality of the script veers wildly from solid to soap–opera levels of dull and over–done.
Thor (2011): Big, flashy and entertaining. Its not original, but it still feels fresh and exciting.
City Lights (1931): Literally poetry in motion. Chaplin brings joy and heart to the screen in his best ever outing.
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987): Robin Williams gives an incredibly funny and touching performance. He lifts the film above the clichè that is apparent elsewhere.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Gangs of New York (2002): The story is a bit long and contrived, and Diaz is horribly miscast, but Daniel Day–Lewis dominates the screen with an iconic performance and the costumes and art–direction are both excellent.
Boy (2010): Funny and affecting. An inspired of examination of the father–son relationship. Eketone–Whitu steals the show as the titular Boy\'s younger brother.
Bourne Ultimatum, The (2007): A thunderous conclusion to the trilogy, packed with action, excitement, intelligence, heart and soul.
Bourne Supremacy, The (2004): A great follow up that matches Bourne\'s first outing, now with added Kiwi in Karl Urban!
Bourne Identity, The (2002): Fast, intense and action–packed, but with is also has a brain, and that\'s what makes it so special.
Iron Man 2 (2010): Solid, but it doesn\'t live up to the promise of the first as it cycles through convention and clichè. Rockwell and Rourke make the best impression as the two villains.
Iron Man (2008): Sharp, fresh, exciting and a ton of fun.; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
Reservoir Dogs (1992): It makes its intention to be cool painfully clear, referencing pop culture and film trivia every few minutes. Its works in places, but overall it tries far too hard. The soundtrack is excellent though. I\'ve got it on my IPod...; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Up in the Air (2009): Clooney is sensational and this is an all around great movie, with lots of laughs and sobering turns.
Shaun of the Dead (2004): A real riot, full of laugh–out–loud moments, and its a damn fine zombie film to boot.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Blood Diamond (2006): DiCaprio and Hounsou ensure that this has enough heart and soul to lift it above the ordinary action film.
Intolerable Cruelty (2003): It doesn\'t come together with the usual Coen brilliance, but it is still miles ahead of the dull tropes of the rom–com genre.
Thank You For Smoking (2005): A snappy, savvy and searing black comedy.
Burn After Reading (2008): It isn\'t as seemlessly brilliant as other Coen films, but it is still a hugely enjoyable and wonderfully acted black comedy.
Source Code (2011): Flashy, intelligent and exciting. It doesn\'t have the depth, impact or sheer brilliance of Moon, but this is still way above average for the sci–fi/action genre.
Alien (1979): Visually spectacular and insanely suspenseful.
Blues Brothers, The (1980): A great film great laughs and brilliant music.
Dancer Upstairs, The (2002): Competent, but generally slow with only Javier Bardem\'s performance lifting it from the doldrums.; Poster (VG) $12.95
Shawshank Redemption, The (1994): It is powerful and emotional, but when I look back at it, I can\'t really remember why.
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968): A grand, dazzling and sweeping epic.
Men in Black (1997): Sharp, imaginative and mostly funny. Tommy Lee Jones in particular is wonderful.
Gladiator (2000): A true epic; full of adventure, beauty and heart.
Hudsucker Proxy, The (1994): While the overall film is a softer effort from the Coens, its still full of wonderful and hilarious moments.
Chinatown (1974): A hard–boiled, smart and well acted detective thriller. Nicholson in particular is brilliant.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Platoon (1986): Sheen seems to falter somewhat with carrying the film, but Berenger and Dafoe are fantastic and the overall film is superb.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Heavenly Creatures (1994): An emotional, affecting and ultimately disturbing film with a sharp script and intense performances.
Godfather Part 3, The (1990): It looks great, but the film lags in all the wrong places. The absense of Duvall is strongly felt. The last two films were building up to a confrontation between his and Pacino\'s characters, and this seems like a big let–down.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Godfather Part 2, The (1974): Matches the original in every way. De Niro in particular is outstanding.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Godfather, The (1972): Vivid, superbly crafted film full of brilliant performances. While I didn\'t like it as much as most, it is still a must see experience.
Monsters (2010): An insightful, original and satisfying road movie with clever sci–fi elements and great chemistry between the leads.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966): A largely successful experiment that is mostly hilarious in a clever and unexpected way. This kind of thing should be done more often.
Empire of the Sun (1987): A well crafted epic with a great debut performance from Christian Bale that he is yet to match.; DVD $19.95
Good Will Hunting (1997): A well written, well acted and satisfying film; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
King Kong (2005): It drags in more than a few places, but Peter Jackson\'s passion project makes up for it with breathtaking spectacle.; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
Sting, The (1973): A classic, fun–filled film with a classic soundtrack and rewarding story.
Amelie (2001): A light, whistful and enchanting film full of vibrant life, humour and charm.; DVD $14.95
Silence of the Lambs, The (1991): Hopkins gives an over–acted but contextually perfect performance, Foster is outstanding and the film is at is best when it explores the dynamics between the two.
Pink Floyd - The Wall (1982): A bizarre, harrowing and unforgettable experience.
Being John Malkovich (1999): A really bizarre film, but it works for the most part, with one brilliant scene when Malkovich enters Malkovich\'s mind and Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich....
Girl, Interrupted (1999): A well–told, affecting film with great performances from Ryder and Jolie.
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (Romeo + Juliet) (1997): A brilliant revival of the Bard\'s work, with effortless style and the wonder of the original dialogue.
Lost in Translation (2003): The script, Murry and Johanssen are all excellent. A clever and subtle film with emotion and soul.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Henry V (1989): A highly entertaining and well–made spectacle.
Dead Man Walking (1996): A solid film, lifted by a great performance from Sarandon and an exceptional and raw turn from Penn.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Life Is Beautiful (La vita e bella) (1998): Hilarious and heart–breaking. Essential.
Road To Perdition (2002): Beautifully shot, with great performances and a solid script.
Network (1976): A brilliant script, with brilliant performances. Intelligent and thought–provoking.
Wrestler, The (2008): Rourke is sensational, and overall the film is an emotional powerhouse.; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
Battleship Potemkin (1925): Still extremely powerful, even this far on. A damn sight better than many films that have sound and colour. The Odessa steps sequence is still brilliant and iconic.
Letters From Iwo Jima (2006): A very affecting, human war film, with great scenery and a top–notch cast.
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992): Savagely funny with a brilliant ensemble, with Lemmon as the highlight.
Incredibles, The (2004): Funny, fresh, clever and entertaining for children and adults.
American Splendor (2003): Giamatti is superb in this entertaining, funny and affecting biopic.
Snatch (2000): Hilarious and fun–filled film packed with violence, dark humour and off–kilter performances.
V for Vendetta (2005): Super stylish as well as intelligent, this is an action film that is a cut above the rest.
Road, The (2009): A very bleak, but compelling depiction of the future with a brilliant performance from Mortensen.
Mongol (2007): A spectacular, brutal, fierce and beautiful historical epic. It is everything Braveheart so desperately wanted to be.
Paths of Glory (1957): Stunning anit–war film. Full of pitch–perfect drama and emotion.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Sea Inside, The (Mar Adentro) (2004): Sad, but powerful and inspirational. Bardem\'s performance is a landmark in cinema history, unmatched in power and heart–wrenching emotion. One of the best performances of all time from an extraordinary actor.
Wall-E (2008): Beautiful. Absolutely spectacular. The first 40 minutes is an amazing throwback to silent films, the rest is a stunning Pixar adventure.
Zodiac (2007): Brilliantly made and told murder mystery. The atmosphere is incredible and the performances are great. A film that rewards the patient viewer.
Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The (1967): In a word, brilliant. Beautiful scenery, great performances, an incredible score and a spectacular ending are among the many things that make this a landmark of the genre, as well as films in general.
Inglourious Basterds (Inglorious Bastards) (2009): Basterds is relatively free of the Tarantino clichè of over–indulgent film–geekiness and what little there is is disguised as period detail, making this by far the most enjoyable of his films to date. Waltz is also sublime.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Man Who Wasn't There, The (2001): Sharp and stylish, with the usual Coen marks of quality. Great performaces from Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand and Scarlett Johansson.
Utu (1983): Incredibly entertaining New Zealand epic full of fun and a spectacular cast, Anzac Wallace being the highlight.
Chopper (2000): A brutal but hilarious and enjoyable faux–biopic lead by a brilliant Eric Bana.; DVD $29.95
Blood Simple (1984): A scorching debut from the Coens, full of colourful characters, suspenseful mystery and sinister humour.
Rear Window (1954): A bona–fide classic. Incredibley intense and rewarding with a sublime James Stewart and an enchanting Grace Kelly.
A History of Violence (2005): The atmosphere throughtout the film and a couple of scenes in paticular seem a little off, but a brilliant lead performance from Mortensen and great supporting turns from Harris and Hurt make up for it in spades.
Barry Lyndon (1975): Visually impeccable. Brilliant direction and a great cast makes every second of its three hour run time a real treat.
Lolita (1962): Full of intrugue and jet–black humour. An absolute pleasure to watch.
Crash (2005): Yes, it\'s pure Hollywood, but it\'s Hollwood at it\'s very, very best, with a great cast and some truly heart–wrenching moments.
Donnie Brasco (1997): Depp is great, Pacino isn\'t constantly shouting and the script is full of tension and a surprising amount of humour. A hugely enjoyable gangster flick.
Raising Arizona (1985): Gleefully quirky, wildly original and extremely funny.
Truman Show, The (1998): A smart, insightful dramedy with a brilliant sense of style and heart as well as a stunning performance fom Carrey.; DVD $19.95
City of God (Cidade de Deus) (2002): Moving, action–packed and gripping. A real treasure.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Psycho (1960): Absorbing and creepy even now after thousands of inferior copy–cats have dulled the genre.
Three Kings (1999): A bomb–bastic, darkly funny war film unlike any other.
Rushmore (1998): Sharp, witty and hugely enjoyable, with wonderful performances including a career–best from the brilliant Bill Murry.
Winter's Bone (2010): A haunting, beautiful film, carried by an intensely powerful, unforgettable performance from Jennier Lawrence.
Departed, The (2006): A rip–roaring modern gangster film packed full of violence, intelligence and wit.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): An incredible film that is still unmatched in terms of scope, vision and spectacle.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Seven (Se7en) (1995): Stylish and brutal, Fincher delivers a brilliant trio of performances from Freeman, Pitt and an incredible Spacey, as well as an edge–of–your–seat dectective mystery with a shocking, unforgettable ending.
Butterfly Effect, The (2003): A solid lead, a twisty, engaging plot and a ton of dark humour make for a pretty damn spectacular film in my opinion. Then again, it can\'t hold a candle to a certain time–travelling teen and his psychotic rabbit.
Animal Kingdom (2010): Sensational. An enthralling, brutal gangster film. A shining example for the genre.
Dead Poet's Society (1989): Brilliant, inspirational and uplifting.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Town, The (2010): Affleck proves himself as a director and Jeremy Renner steals the show with a spectacular performance as an unpredictable bank robber.
Batman: The Dark Knight (2008): Heath Ledger is phenomenal and takes the Joker in a direction never seen before, but apart from him and an overlooked Gary Oldman, it is nothing more than a solid crime film, with the Batman element being entirely forgettable.
Batman Begins (2005): Nolan's direction and the script is solid, but Cillian Murphy's talents are underused, Bale's Bruce Wayne is stale and the film is entirely forgettable.
Batman Returns (1992): Nowhere near as good at the first Burton installment, but still solid and full of style and excitement.
Batman (1989): Easily the best Batman film, as well as the best superhero film, ever. It boasts a wonderful visual style and score, Keaton as the best Bruce Wayne ever, and an incredible performance from Nicholsen.
Clockwork Orange, A (1971): A violent, disturbing vision that will shock you to the core.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Big Fish (2003): A wonderful, enthralling fantasy.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000): Full of fun, humour, music, wit and charm. An unforgettable comedy classic.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Serious Man, A (2009): Not only is this full of the Coen\'s trademark dark humour and expert craftsmanship, but it is their most grounded, mysterious, wise and ultimately human film to date.
Elephant Man, The (1980): Truly inspirational and moving without manipulation or clichè. Incredible.
Seven Samurai, The (1954): Beautiful, powerful and epic, with unique characters and awesome action.
Green Mile, The (1999): A tad lenghty, but full of power and emotion as well as an often overlooked, but brilliant supporting performance from Sam Rockwell.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000): Beautiful and compelling but it doesn\'t quite match the power and spectacle of Zhang Yimou\'s \'Hero.\'
Last Samurai, The (2003): Wildly inconsistant as it veers from spectacular to very, very dull.
10,000 B.C. (2008): Stupid, stupid, stupid. Sooooo stupid. Laughably stupid in fact.
Avatar (2009): Pretty visuals do not make up for flat, uninteresting characters and an atrociously boring and unoriginal story.
Gone with the Wind (1939): A real classic of incredible craft and sweeping beauty that deserves credit for being compelling enough to hold one\'s attention for a full four hours.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70 | Blu-Ray ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Swimming with Sharks (Buddy Factor, The) (1995): Full of dark, devilish humour with a screen–swallowing performance from Spacey.
Let The Right One In (2008): Absolutely incredible, full of suspense and style as well as a truly touching and compelling story.
Edward Scissorhands (1991): Truly beautiful and heartfelt, with a wonderful cast and an incredible visual style.
Cry-Baby (Cry baby) (1990): A fun, camp, hugely enjoyable classic with hilarious performances and an awesome soundtrack.
There Will Be Blood (2007): Daniel Day–Lewis dominates this film with an incredible sense of power and purpose. He is matched by a superb story and beautiful camerawork.
Proposition, The (2005): Bold, brutal and brilliant with an exceptional script, director, cinematography and cast.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Barton Fink (1991): Full of iconic characters and moments, with biting humour and a real sense of humanity and wisdom.
Shining, The (1980): A film packed with incredible intensity and atmosphere without reliance on gore, its one of the few horror films I can watch and enjoy. Genuinely frightening with incredible acting, brilliant direction, it is also surprisingly intelligent and resonant.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Star Trek (Star Trek XI (Reboot)) (2009): For someone with absolutely no intrest in the franchise, this is a really sharp, exciting and fresh experience.
Out of the Blue (Aramoana) (2006): A haunting, resonant masterpiece with an incredibe sense of humanity and spirit. Not just the best New Zealand film, but amongst the best period.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Saving Private Ryan (1998): Apart from a really, incredible Normandy Landing scene, it\'s a pretty standard war film populated with stock–standard characters.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Black Hawk Down (2001): Makes up for flat characterisation and dodgy politics with absolutely riveting action.
Men Who Stare at Goats, The (2009): A truly hilarious film with great performances from Clooney, Bridges and Spacey that is let down by a pretty shoddy ending.
300 (2006): Far too much style and nowhere near enough substance
A-Team, The (2010): Surprisingly entertaining, but forgettable reboot, with Copley being by far the best thing about it.
District 9 (2009): A wonderfully original and clever sci–fi, with stunning special effects and an absorbing performance from Copley.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Hurt Locker, The (2008): An expertly made, almost painfully suspenseful film, with compelling drama, heart–pumping action and a truly brilliant lead performance from Jeremy Renner.
Four Lions (2010): A film that is both hilarious and tragic. It will leave you shaken.
Prestige, The (2006): The story is solid and the visuals are wonderful, but the two leads and the final twist left me disinterested and unimpressed.
Memento (2000): Nolan\'s finest film to date with a brilliant, complex narrative and another fine turn from Guy Pearce.
Inception (2010): While it doesn\'t quite achieve its ambition, Incepton is none the less an excellent film. A triumph or originality and character in the usually tepid waters of the Holywood blockbuster.
Sucker Punch (2011): At its best, Sucker Punch is dull and uninspired. At its worst, it\'s trashy and downright offensive. A messy, mindless, boring and sexist pile of trash.
Jarhead (2005): While there are some beautiful shots and some solid acting, it\'s tone ranges from dull to unappealingly harsh, and that\'s not due to the film\'s lack of action; it simply fails to engage on an emotional level.
Shutter Island (2010): A dark horse from Scorsese that turns into an intense, thought–provoking thriller with a stellar turn from DiCaprio.
Magnolia (2000): An emotional rollercoaster ride with a top–notch ensemble cast and the most heart–breaking sing–along in cinematic history.
Eastern Promises (2007): A simple but well made and rewarding film with a great supporting cast and an exceptional, Oscar–worthy turn from Mortensen. Easily the best gangster film of the last decade.
Fight Club (1999): Fast, funny, dark and stylish, with excellent performances from Pitt, Bonham–Carter and Norton.
Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, The (2005): A powerful tale of friendship and redemption which is perfectly reaslised with an excellent cast and director.
Ed Wood (1994): A real pleasure, full of charm, quirkiness, emotion and personality. This is both Depp and Burton at their very best.
Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007): A wonderfully dark, atmosphereic film that relishes in the gore and black humour. A real delight, with a fantastic cast. The songs aren\'t half bad either.; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Half Nelson (2006): Insightful, powerful and deeply moving. This film is anchored by an unspeakably brilliant, heart–rendering, emotional powerhouse of a performance from young Ryan Gosling.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $19.95
American Beauty (1999): Beautiful cinematography, a screenplay laced with dark humour and tragedy, and a game supporting cast all wrap around an absolutely spectacular, heart–breakingly moving performance from Kevin Spacey.
Usual Suspects, The (1995): A film that is always remembered for its legendary ending, but should also be credited for its solid direction and great cast. Kevin Spacey is utterly fantastic.
Aladdin (1993): Beautiful, smart, stylish, entertaining and all–out brilliant.
Big Lebowski, The (1998): A brilliant cast and a supremely smart, quirky script make for one of the most entertaining and hilarious films ever made.; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Moon (2009): Rockwell is astonishingly brilliant, and Duncan Jones\' smart script and direction make Moon someting very special. Oh, and the Kevin Spacey robot is pretty cool too.
True Grit (2010): While the trademark Coen wit is still very much present, it is the performances that carry this simple but well–told story. Damon is perfect and Bridges is exceptional, but its young Hailee Steinfeld who steals the show with a revelation of a performance.
Twelve Monkeys (12 Monkeys) (1996): A perfect mix of intelligent sci–fi, compelling characters, emotional impact and dark, quirky humour and style.
Miller's Crossing (1990): Dark, complex and violent, with classic Coen humour and memorable characters.
L.A. Confidential (1997): An immaculate film with a gripping, twist–filled story. Guy Pearce and Kevin Spacey are highlights of the near–perfect cast.
Hero (2002): A visual masterpiece, with stunning set pieces and fight scenes that are some of the most beautiful ever put to film. Supplemented with a compelling story and great performances from the cast.
Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The (2007): A majestic masterpiece of a film. Brad Pitt proves his worth as an actor with a haunting, unforgettable performance. Affleck, Rockwell and Renner add their considerable talents to this thoughtful and beautiful film that strikes every note perfectly.
Fifth Element, The (1997): It may not be for everyone, but its style, action, intelligence and heart, make, for me, an incredibly loveable and endlessly entertaining sci–fi adventure.; DVD $14.95 | Blu-Ray $19.95
Full Metal Jacket (1987): Kubrick delivers a thoughtful and disturbing film which explores the themes of war in ways that have never been matched. Without a doubt the best war film ever made.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del fauno) (2006): A sublime film which delivers both dazzling visuals and a deep, powerful emotional impact.
Dr. Strangelove (or; How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) (1963): A brilliant, striking film with iconic characters and a dark, witty story that balances perfectly between subtlety and absurdity. A hugely enjoyable and utterly hilarious gem of a film.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Royal Tenenbaums, The (2001): A beautiful, poignant mix of emotion, dark humour and irresistible qurikiness. The brilliant screenplay is lifted even higher by the incredible cast, perfect soundtrack and Anderson\'s talent for portraying both style and substance in equal measure.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975): Funny, moving and immensely powerful, One Flew Over Cuckoo\'s Nest is a genuine classic, with a brilliant lead performance from Jack Nicholson.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Donnie Darko (2001): An incredible trumph of a film that affects both the head and the heart. The sum of all its perfect parts makes a truly special film.; DVD $19.95 | Blu-Ray $24.95
Fargo (1996): Exceptional on pretty much every level including the stunning cinematography, a career–best performance from McDormand, but it\'s greatest asset is the sly, subtle, dark and hilarious screenplay and direction form the infallible Coen Brothers.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers (2002): Breaks all notion of being the \'tricky middle one\' in the trilogy with grand, sweeping imagery, thrilling battle scenes and a great ensemble cast.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (2003): Brilliant, brilliant, billiant. A stunning conclusion to the landmark triliogy.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (2001): With a perfect balance of spectacle and story, its an incredible, unmissable epic.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004): Beautiful, flawless film–making. And absolute triumph on every level, from the acting to the screenplay to the direction. In my opinion, the best film ever made.

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Wizzums’s Film Reviews