ALL THE REAL GIRLS [2003]

Director/co-writer David Gordon Green introduces this generation to one of the first mumblecore films with the romantic All The Real Girls.
It's a quiet, dreamy heartfelt drama that perfects those familiar moments of nervous love, both happy and hurt, with poetic perfection.  Beautifully shot, well-acted and each cast member suits their role with comfort and believability.  It slow-burns it's way through the moments but it's so well done there are 15 second scenes with a single line of dialogue that speaks so much more than some films with scenes that drag on for 5 minutes.
An amazing second feature from DGG that feels like lingers like it was part of your own life.

4 clowny clown clowns out of 5

WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY [2006]

Wristcutters: A Love Story is a romantic black comedy road trip flick from Croatian short film director Goran Dukić.

It takes place in a miserable afterlife world inhabited only by people who have committed suicide.  As dark & twisted as the unique idea is, it somehow comes off as charming and cute as well with an underlining melancholy thoughtfulness to give it brains.  It's filled with interesting characters both leading and bit parts, strange fantasy elements and stark photography.  It's greatest weakness is the third act which gets a bit messy but ties it up nicely by the final moments.

3½ black holes out of 5

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK [2012]

Director David O. Russell goes against his usual and makes a quiet & sensitive little drama about mental illness in Silver Linings Playbook. 

Normally I haven't enjoyed Bradley Cooper in...well...anything but here he excels with a wonderfully layered performance opposite Jennifer Lawrence who is equally as good.  Backed by Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver, the actors all play off each other with exceptional believability.  It's a story that could have easily fallen into shitty rom-com territory but with the direction, characters and actors, the film rises far above that genre with the perfect amount of warmth and thoughtfulness.

4 midnight meat trains out of 5