For some reason, I’ve been watching a lot of movies lately. Here are the ones I can remember:

Smokin’ Aces: I was expecting something so horribly over-the-top that it would be laughable. But really, it wasn’t so bad. I wouldn’t recommend it to just anyone, but it wasn’t a bad viewing. Don’t watch it if you’re up for something artsy or intelligent, but guns and bounty hunters and cops and Ryan Reynolds? What more could anyone ask for? I’d watch it again sometime, I think.

The Incredible Hulk: Sigh. Fantastic movie, and for someone like me who isn’t big on comic book movies, that’s saying something. Not to mention that Edward Norton’s breathing heavy throughout the movie helped boost the entertainment and enjoyment factor. I never saw the first one, so I can’t compare it, but I do remember the shows from my childhood. And who better to recreate that character than the one and only, most talented, most handsome Eddie Dear? Exactly. Has anyone else noticed that my dear Mr. Norton always plays a role of some sort of split personality? It’s the same way Will Smith’s always the one saving the universe. Anyway, I had a new appreciation of Liv Tyler by the closing credits.

Batman Begins: Loved it. LOVED IT. First Batman movie I ever saw in its entirety, and it blew me away. After this and the Hulk, perhaps I won’t dismiss comic book movies as easily as I have before. I won’t dwell on this one because most of you by now know I’ve somehow turned into a Batman fanatic as a result.

Lars and the Real Girl: A great, adorable movie. Ryan Gosling is always a star, and the supporting cast is just as charming. Bianca’s character seemed a little one-sided, but other than that, it definitely gets five blue stars in my book. (That was a joke, back there.) The social awkwardness of the film is delightfully entertaining, and I recommend this one to anyone and everyone. It’s even kid-safe, as I remember. I was surprised to find it’s PG-13, because it definitely seems PG to me.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead: Well, let’s see. The opening scene is some serious Philip Seymour Hoffman doggie-style sexing for Marissa Tomei, and the movie’s pretty much downhill from there. My poor Ethan Hawke has somehow let himself go so far, I’m honestly concerned about his health. The story line is okay, and the Tarantino-style shifts back and forth from points of view get old fast and have a very boring effect. I actually stopped it and had to force myself to continue it the next day. The cover art of the film is what initially got my attention. Well, that, and my withering-away-sweet Mr. Hawke.

Notes on a Scandal: I haven’t loved a movie this much since Half Nelson or Pieces of April. It was flawless and moving and everything a great movie should be. The writing was impeccable and struck chords of jealousy along my spine. It damn well should have won every single award for which it was nominated. It made me want to write again. It made me want to teach. It made me want to craft and paint and mold. It made me want to rat my hair and tear apart someone’s home. It made me want to be married with children and have an affair with a student. Okay, not that last one. But it motivated me to do more and be more. This movie redeemed Cate Blanchett the way Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind recreated Jim Carrey into an actor worth watching. If you’re in to great stories, great acting, great directing, great cinematography and costuming, you simply must check it out. Okay. That’s all I’ll say about it. But I do love it so. Oh, and I want to use the word “poppets” to refer to children from now on.

Charlie Bartlett: Cute, funny, smart. It’s worth watching, but not for children. That’s all on that.

Batman Returns: Tim Burton is a sick, demented fellow. Of course you know this. But his twisted attempts at emphasizing the “goth” in “Gotham City” exploded into a disgusting mess so aesthetically un-pleasing, it made me want to remove my eyeballs and gag myself with them.

The Lake House: This is one of those movies I’m a little ashamed to admit my feelings about. My mom loved it so much that at one point she was watching it every day, and I–without seeing it–repeatedly teased her about it. Now that I’ve seen it, though, I can understand why she liked it. I won’t watch it every day (that’s reserved for Pride and Prejudice), but I have to admit I enjoyed it and found myself grinning stupidly once or twice. Don’t try to figure out how the whole time-thing works or you’ll drive yourself crazy worse than a Sliders marathon. If you have a secret appreciation of romantic chick flicks, this is one you’ll want to add to your Netflix queue.

Evan Almighty: Yes, it’s a little cutesy and corny and cheesy, but it’s definitely a good family film. I had a hard time believing Lauren Graham to be Steve Carell’s wife, though. It was easier for me to see her with Billy Bob in Bad Santa. But one very inspirational comment by Morgan Freeman really struck me: “If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?” Who would have thought I’d find something so meaningful in a Steve Carell flick?

The Omen: Okay, it was on TV and I didn’t want to go to sleep, so I settled for watching it because I think Julia Stiles is pretty swell. Um. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t all that great. It certainly didn’t terrify me like The Strangers did. Lame.

Vantage Point: It’s very hard for me to see Forest Whitaker as anything other than the evil dictator in The Last King of Scotland or the disgruntled ex-patient in ER. And I can’t see Dennis Quaid without feeling sorry for him about that whole Meg Ryan thing. Other than that, though, I’d say it was a good enough movie. It almost had my complete attention, and I might be persuaded to watch it again while multi-tasking. I’ll give it a three out of five blue stars.

The Good Shepherd: In short, it was good. I saw a snippet of a review somewhere online where the reviewer had written something along the lines of, “finally, a movie that doesn’t assume we’re idiots.” True, but that also means if you watch part of it one day and more of it other days all the while multi-tasking, you’re probably going to miss something and fail to connect some of the dots. And by “you” in this case, I mean “me.” Also, the movie spans several decades, but Matt Damon looks exactly the same in every shot, while DeNiro loses body parts right and left while aging. I also most definitely wouldn’t have cast Ms. Angie Jolie in that role. The family dynamic would have benefitted from someone a little more classic, like Rachel McAdams or Kate Beckinsale or even Charlize Theron could’ve done a convincing job like she did in The Devil’s Advocate way-back-when.

So.
I’m so excited for The Dark Knight, I can hardly contain myself. We’re going to a Saturday matinee. I also want to see the new X-Files movie. Oh, and Get Smart. And The Fall, as soon as it comes this way, via DVD or whatever.
Also, in related news, this is really cool. They should have included The Number 23 and Arlington Road and Se7en and others I can’t think of right now.
In almost completely unrelated news, I do love snowglobes.

Next up: the Mapquest vs. Google Maps debate. Stay tuned.

Peace, love, and five-and-a-half blue stars.