[CliffARobinson]

Last updated: 10/24/11

1. Drive- Rated R for graphic violence & adult situations
   Gripping crime drama and character study. Gosling plays a tightly wound stunt car driver who becomes involved more and more in a plot that has no good outcome for anyone involved. Incredible acting, direction and storytelling at its best. Read my full review.
   
   
2. Moneyball - Rated PG-13 for some strong language
   Sports story that operates on all cylinders and manages to remind you why you love baseball so much. Solid performances. Great directing. Red Sox and Yankees fans, especially, should see this movie. Gets you over the taste of defeat and ready for next season.
   
   
3. Contagion - Rated PG-13 for disturbing content & some language
   Edge of your seat thriller based in fact. What would you do if the world as you knew it suddenly stopped because a new virus was spreading across the country, shutting down the most basic services and comforts we expect every day? What will you do when faced with deciding how to feed your family, how to make money, how to survive?Read my review.
   
   
4. Ides of March - Rated R for pervasive language & adult situations
   Political drama which delivers Oscar-worthy performances thanks to precision direction while giving the viewer a taste of how politics is a game of moral relativism, shifting allegiances, and a winner-take-all mentality. Gosling will be up for another nomination here as will Clooney for directing.
   
   
5. Bridesmaids - Rated R for sexual situations and strong language
   Often called the female version of "Hangover", this movie is on par with that first outing, and decisively trounces the failed sequel to the Hangover franchise. A mixture of bawdy bits with situational nuance and charm. Break out performance by scene-stealer Melissa McCarthy as Megan, (a shoe-in for supporting actress nod, following up her Emmy win).
   
   
6. Xmen: First Class - Rated PG-13 for some intense action, partial nudity, and language
   In my opinion, the best of all Xmen movies, and the truest to the original intent of the source material while remaining commercially available to a wider audience. What else can a studio or comic book fan ask for?
   
   
7. Super 8 - Rated PG-13 for some violence, action scenes and language
   I admit to being caught up in the "Spielberg-esque" nostalgia of E.T. and The Goonies. Both classics were templates for J.J. Abrams' story of teenagers who get caught up themselves in a mystery that only they can figure out involving extra terrestrial lifeforms and the military, all set back in Spielberg's sci-fi hey day of the 80s. No sex. Minimal swearing. Great storytelling.
   
   
8. 50/50 - Rated R for sexual situations, language and drug use
   Thanks to the talents of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, this movie turns into a touching story of dealing with one's mortality and the relationships we usually screw up in life for far too long before we come to our senses. Thankfully, Seth Rogen's usual, lazy delivery and thinly crafted character work is minimized by being a supporting role.
   
   
9. Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Rated PG-13 for intense scenes of action and violence
   The marketing of the movie made way too much of how it was made and the importance of the motion capture artist who was stand in for the main ape. But, when you put this technological marvel together, it surprisingly does not fall apart as simply a tech achievement, like Avatar did, in my opinion.
   
   
10. Cedar Rapids - Rated R for crude and sexual behavior and drug use
    A breakout for The Office' Ed Helms, this little movie delivers on all fronts, reminding me a little of 2009's "Up In The Air", starring George Clooney. Both movies mine the same subject matter: mid life crisis and career angst in middle America. This version is a lot more crude, and goes for the laughs harder than "Up", but it's a great effort by all involved.

Let me know what you think by adding your comment to our Facebook Page.