The Godfather: Part III (1990)

I find it's best to view Part III similar to how Dir. Coppola reportedly does, as an epilogue to the Godfather's story as told in Parts I (1972) and II (1974).
A mournful tone segues into the familiar large family gathering, a setting wherein the current Don is lavished with honours and respect. His move into more legitimate business affairs gives the film a different kind of edge, but it's one that's dulled by a screenplay that feels stretched thin. In addition, the appointed successor to the Corleone name is never fully able to step out of the shadow of the characters/actors that came before. Even when considered as a counterpoint, it's not as satisfying as it could've been.
Pacino and Shire are great (and for the record I don't think Sofia deserved the criticism she received), but the highlight is the superb finale, staged at an opera it is itself a beautifully orchestrated piece of pure drama.

3 accounts settled out of 5

FRANKENWEENIE [1984]

Before it was a stop-motion animated film in 2012, Tim Burton's Frankenweenie was a 30-minute black & white live-action short film that got him fired from Disney Studios for being too damned weird for their taste.
After his dog is killed by a car, Young Victor Frankenstein resurrects the poor mutt from the dead much to the dismay of the quiet suburban neighborhood's snooty residents.
It's a pleasant little "horror" film for the whole family with it's Ed Wood-ian like film-making and monster movie aesthetics tossed into a typical white picket fence suburb.  While still an inspired film-maker Burton makes the best with what little budget he had at the time, including some nifty dog POV shots that reminded me of an adorable Evil Dead salute.
It simply tickles the twisted funny bones and reminds one why they liked Burton's work in the first place.

4 jump-starts out of 5

THE BLING RING [2013]

The true story of a pack of bratty Hollywood nobodies that burglarize celebrity's homes is the subject of Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring.
While Coppola always manages to bring the fascinating visuals, great casting choices, wonderful soundtracks and a breezy pace to her films, she never seems to connect emotionally with her tales of the rich and snotty.  I realize we aren't supposed to like these kids but they truly are despicable examples of trashy pop culture of the modern world, which makes for a hollow watch that isn't the least bit interesting.  I caught myself wondering why I wasn't just watching an episode of The Hills instead, so I might at least get a withered laugh out of the constant facepalming.  

2 Hilton monkeys out of 5

Lost in Translation (2003)

Two strangers meet in Tokyo and recognise in each other an absence of something. It's about finding yourself by seeing yourself reflected in another, by recognising what you lost and what you may gain. It’s that lonely feeling you get when in a crowd. That’s really all there is to it on the surface. Beyond that, it’s about the viewer and how much they can connect with the characters. For me, it’s perfection.

5 glasses of whisky at 4am out of 5