The Godfather (1972)

Even though Mumble Brando sounds like a man with a gob full of marbles, his diction literally governs the first part of Coppola's Mafia trilogy. The Godfather's words linger, influencing scenes he isn't even a part of. His voice whispers innocuous assurances while his persona threatens: all who come seeking Don Vito's aid leave thinking themselves fortuitous but each one leaves bent to the Don's will, crippled by a future repayment favour.
The remainder of the film is electrically charged by Pacino and Caan. For both men the Corleone name opens doors and closes coffin lids.
Coppola is self-indulgent in the first half hour but assuredly precise with the story and with his direction once things really kick off.

4½ offers that can't be refused out of 5

Rollerball (1975)

Rollerball isn't a typical sports movie. It's a futuristic, gladiatorial arena bout on skates with the added danger of motorbikes circling the course. Crippling the opposing team is as important as winning; more so to some people.
The players are stars but they're also pawns, shuffled around a board that's hidden from the world at large by the corporation and in the narrative structure by the writers, hinted at by the edgy camera-work and overall feeling of unease that permeates every part. It dares to apply as much emotion off of the playing-field as it does on it, and it excels in doing so.

4 spiked gloves out of 5

ELF [2003]

I normally steer clear of Will Ferrell films but I have a big ol' soft spot for director Jon Favreau's refreshing Christmas comedy Elf.
Ferrell plays a hopelessly optimistic man, raised by Santa's elves, who finds himself searching for his roots in the cynical world of New York City.  It follows some pretty clichéd plot-points and you know exactly where it's headed within the first 5 minutes but due to Ferrell and the rest of the cast you can't help but find your heart warming up to it's simplicity.  As safe as it is for the kids, it thankfully supplies enough laughs for the whole family to enjoy, with a few faces gramps will recognize as well.

4 Cotten-Headed Ninny Muggins out of 5

Alien Nation (1988)

A buddy cop movie with a difference: one of the cops is an alien and the other is a contemptuous, racist and xenophobic human who debases the entire alien race on a daily basis, so not exactly buddies. Nevertheless, they've a case to solve, so they knuckle down to work.
It works best if you view the aliens as representative of cultural minorities in our own society, but you can ignore that aspect completely and enjoy it as a straight up cop movie if you want because Caan and Patinkin have the kind of onscreen chemistry that would be a joy to watch even if they were investigating the murder of a goldfish.

3½ inappropriate names out of 5

SMALL APARTMENTS [2012]

Director Jonas Åkerlund's insanely weird black comedy Small Apartments is the type of film that could fall flat on it's face if not for it's perfect casting of each character.
It centers around Matt Lucas as a strange little bald man, who lives alone (with the exception of his landlord's corpse) and wears nothing but his undies & a new wig with each venture into the cruel world that surrounds him.  Åkerlund seems to have a firm grasp on his characters, as each aren't particularly great people but all are interesting and sympathetic.  The only problem is the narrative occasionally loses it's balance with some wonky pacing.  All in all, it's an enjoyable, sad and thoughtful quirky comedy that disturbs just as much as it makes you laugh.

3½ merkins out of 5

Misery (1990)

Dir. Rob Reiner’s vision of a different kind of terror from Stephen King is bursting with Hitchcockian style but never quite reaches the heights the fat man would’ve taken it. No matter, it has Kathy Bates to detract from that. She's simply amazing as an obsessed fan with an unpredictable on/off switch in her brain. At her mercy is a writer, whose imagination could be the only thing that saves him from her tough love.
Despite some major changes, including the addition of an entirely new character and subplot, William Goldman’s screenplay captures the essence of the novel admirably.

4  _umber o_e fa_s out of 5

DETACHMENT [2011]

Not since American History X has a film left me feeling so horrible, so it came as no surprise when I found out Detachment's director Tony Kaye is the same guy.
It's a stark look at the youth of today and they way we as adults tend to forget our responsibility towards them.  It's wonderfully acted by a talented ensemble cast, filmed with thoughtful intimacy and aided by some interesting animation to tell the story that rips out your heart and stomps all over it.  Unfortunately it can be a bit too much at times and takes you out of the harsh reality that it's trying to portray.  Still by the end of the film it leaves the impact it's meant to make, meaning it made it's point with success.

3½ sad cupcakes out of 5

Henry's Crime (2010)

Keanu Reeves (channeling Edward Scissorhands) plays mild-mannered Henry, an innocent man wrongly accused and punished in this strange, meandering film that you're never quite sure where it's going. James Caan puts in an excellent performance as the confidence man he meets in jail. It's an interesting watch, until it all falls apart near the end. Oh well.

3 fast ones out of 5