Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan is the psychological thriller by Darren Aronofsky that scored Natalie Portman an Oscar for her portrayal of Nina, an obsessive ballerina.  The film follows Nina as she tries out for the lead role in Swan Lake and starts to become the characters she will portray in the ballet.  Mila Kunis has a surprising role as a company member who might be trying to sabotage Nina's breakout role.  Winona Ryder made an appearance as an older ballerina being forced into retirement while Barbara Hershey played Nina's controlling and overly concerned mother.  Several strange things happen throughout the film, and you are often wondering whether these things are really happening or if they are just figments of Nina's deranged mind.  The film does show just how hard ballerinas work and how the struggle for perfection can take a real toll on the mind.
This film is a bit twisted and leaves you feeling disturbed, but it has a great story, great acting, and fabulous dancing and music.  I am really impressed by Portman's role in the film.  She definitely deserved the Academy Award.  This film gets 4 out of 5 stars.

There's Something About Mary (1998)

There's Something About Mary was a groundbreaking comedy when it came out in 1998.  I remember seeing it in the theatre when I was in high school and laughing through most of the movie.  I recently watched this comedy classic again, and I enjoyed the film so much.  Ben Stiller plays a guy who wonders what happened to his high school crush, Mary, played by Cameron Diaz.  He hires Matt Dillon to spy on her, and Dillon instantly falls in love with Mary and pursues her himself.  The film is full of raunchy humor, like the scenes from prom, the old woman who rooms with Mary, and the crazy dog on various meds.  I forgot all about the famous scene where Mary borrows some "hair gel."  There were so many comedic gems throughout the film.  It is a classic that stays funny with time.
It gets 4 out of 5 stars.

Ghostbusters (1984)

I recently watched the classic Ghostbusters for the first time in years.  I forgot what an enjoyable and groundbreaking film this was!  It stars Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Sigourney Weaver, to name a few.  A group of unconventional scientists led by the quirky Murray get kicked out of their university and open their own business for exterminating ghosts in NYC.  The film had great effects for the 1980s, lots of silly banter, and a fun plot.  I found myself laughing at many little jokes that I would have missed as a kid.  I highly recommend watching this film again as an adult and seeing all the great details.
This film gets 4 out of 5 stars.

Green Lantern (2011)

Green Lantern is based on the comic books and stars Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.  Blake Lively surprised me with her more serious role as a business woman and pilot.  Reynolds played an immature pilot who was chosen by a dying alien to take over his role as a Green Lantern, or a protector of the universe.  Tim Robbins also made an appearance as a senator in the film.  The world was threatened by fear, the most powerful enemy in the universe, but the Green Lantern fought fear with his imagination.  The film was fun and I enjoyed seeing Ryan Reynolds play a superhero, but the film wasn't as good as it could have been.  It was a slight let down, but it held my attention through most of the story.
This film gets 3 ½ out of 5 stars.  It was entertaining, but after all the hype, it was a bit of a letdown.

Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011)

Mr. Popper's Penguins was a delightful comedy starring Jim Carrey and five cute penguins.  The premise of this children's story revolves around a busy business man who doesn't have time for his family.  His father sends him penguins in the mail, and they quickly take over his NYC apartment.  The penguins cause mayhem and lots of laughs.  Along the way, the children want to spend more time with their father because of the penguins and his new outlook on life.  I enjoyed the film and thought the penguins were the true stars.  They were so cute and made me laugh.
This gets 3 ½ out of 5 stars.  It is a great film for children and adults.

The King's Speech (2010)

I finally got around to watching "The King's Speech" tonight.  I loved this movie!  Colin Firth rightfully earned an Oscar for his portrayal of King George VI in this film.  This film is based on the true story of the King of England, and father of Queen Elizabeth.  The king always lived in the shadow of his older brother, especially since he suffered from stuttering.  With the invention of the radio and microphones, the British royalty are now required to make more public speeches.  Geoffrey Rush did a tremendous job as the speech therapist who helped the king overcome his stutter with his very unconventional methods.  Despite the serious content matter of the film, it was heartwarming and had many funny moments.  I would recommend this film to anyone, even those who are hesitant about historical dramas or British films.
The film was practically perfect.  The story flowed well, the characters were well-developed, the cinematography was great, and the acting was superb.  It gets 5 out of 5 stars.  Go watch it today!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

I thoroughly enjoyed the first three installments in the Pirates of the Caribbean series.  I went and saw "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" in 3D.  This film was definitely worth seeing in 3D unlike several of the others I have paid more to see recently.  It had all the classic elements of the first three films with Johnny Depp's great flair as Captain Jack Sparrow.  This installment had less elements of the supernatural, but told the story of Blackbeard.  Penelope Cruz played Blackbeard's daughter and Jack's former flame.  The story involves the search for the Fountain of Youth and Ponce de Leon's ship.  Along the way, they encounter mermaids and other adventures.  I very much enjoyed the film, even more so than most of the sequels, but nothing compares to the original.

I give it 3 ½ out of 5 stars.

Opa! (2005)

"Opa!" is a romantic comedy set in Greece that stars Matthew Modine, a star from 80s rom coms.  The film is about an archaeologist who travels to Greece to look for St. John's cup.  While there he falls for the owner of a local taverna.  The two develop a courtship while the town is threatened to be torn apart by the archaeologist's dig.  He has to choose between love and his lifelong dreams through his career.  It is an interesting story that is slow at times, but has a refreshing ending.  I enjoyed the film, but probably won't watch it again.

It gets 3 out of 5 stars.

The Social Network (2010

I just watched the Oscar nominated movie, "The Social Network."  While I didn't find the film itself Oscar-worthy, it was definitely a great biography.  Jesse Eisenberg did a terrific job playing the socially inept founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg.  The movie tells the story of the founding of Facebook from the view of the founder as well as the plaintiffs in his two lawsuits.  The story was very intricate, and you really got wrapped up in the excitement behind the technology and innovation that went into the design of Facebook.  At the end of the film, you still don't know what actually happened, but that's how it is in reality as well.  The film was produced very well and had great music from Trent Reznor.  
It gets 4 out of 5 stars.  I could definitely watch the film again.