| 1. |
|
01/05/10 |
Good (Not Great) |
"...the tone is uneven, the satire is blunt, the comedy rarely generates more than feeble laughs, and the lead character never comes fully to life." |
| 2. |
|
01/06/10 |
Moderate |
"By the time the lovers are going through the motions of succumbing to Cupid, there's neither heat nor passion. We believe the dislike at the onset but not the romance..." |
| 3. |
|
01/08/10 |
Very Good |
"...loaded with impressive touches... it's refreshing to discover directors who return to the old school concepts as an inspiration for something different..." |
| 4. |
|
01/13/10 |
Good (Not Great) |
"For about 3/4 of the running length, the movie holds together reasonably well... Unfortunately, it all falls apart during the final half hour..." |
| 5. |
|
01/15/10 |
Moderate |
"...lightweight and inconsequential... Although the story is derivative and not entirely credible, the main problem germinates from unconvincing performances." |
| 6. |
|
01/21/10 |
Moderate |
"...a generally insipid feel-good production that's high on sentiment and manipulation but low on genuine drama and good acting." |
| 7. |
|
01/27/10 |
Moderate |
"...the final product lacks momentum and direction... instead of a tense, tightly-plotted thriller, we're saddled with a lumbering misfire." |
| 8. |
|
01/28/10 |
Good (Not Great) |
"...finally provides Bell the opportunity to exude a little of that 'Veronica Mars' charm on the big screen." |
| 9. |
|
02/02/10 |
Very Good |
"Both Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren are in top form. Scenes in which they appear, either with each other or in the company of other actors, are often electrifying." |
| 10. |
|
02/04/10 |
Very Good |
"...intellectually flat but viscerally involving... The story is far from airtight but it's good enough to get the viewer from Point A to Point B, which is all that's necessary..." |
| 11. |
|
02/05/10 |
Moderate |
"...pretty much what one would expect from an adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel: a high-profile downer of a Harlequin romance.... lays it on thick..." |
| 12. |
|
02/09/10 |
Outstanding |
"The characters feel real. They talk like real people. And, most importantly, they do not seem to be acting to conform to the contortions of a script.... compelling drama..." |
| 13. |
|
02/11/10 |
Moderate |
"...between the restrained, atmosphere-soaked Universal horror classic and the grotesque likes of 'An American Werewolf in London' and 'The Howling.' It doesn't work." |
| 14. |
|
02/12/10 |
Moderate |
"...feels like a parade of famous faces, not a motion picture. And, while a few of the skits show glimmers of promise, many are time wasters." |
| 15. |
|
02/16/10 |
Very Good |
"Polanski can still craft compelling thrillers.... It's an 'adult' thriller as opposed to one designed for viewers suffering from ADD." |
| 16. |
|
02/18/10 |
Very Good |
"...addresses some powerful, disturbing concepts but, despite effective performances by the leads, the movie's psychological impact is minimal." |
| 17. |
|
02/24/10 |
Very Good |
"...more uncompromising than most.... Not cheerful material, to be sure, but memorable stuff..." |
| 18. |
|
02/25/10 |
Moderate |
"...does a lot of things but none of them well. The comedy is lukewarm. The action is boring.... And the dramatic elements, lightweight though they may be, fail to resonate." |
| 19. |
|
02/25/10 |
Good (Not Great) |
"...the fast pace and generally sympathetic characters will keep most viewers interested, at least until the final 30 minutes when it begins to wear out its reputation..." |
| 20. |
|
03/02/10 |
Good (Not Great) |
"Fuqua's goal is to do something meaningful with a familiar genre, but his decision to employ so many stale conventions is one of the things that dooms the effort." |