Her

On the risk of repeating myself: Joaquin Phoenix is a gorgeous, gorgeous man. True, it took me a minute to get over the 'stache, but even that most horrible of fashion fads (yes, it looks bad on everyone) cannot hide the fact for too long.

Also, I'm sure we can all agree that he is a brilliant actor on top of this. For a film like Her nobody of lesser acting ability would do. It takes a lot to keep an audience focused and involved in a film that mostly shows the same person throughout. Here, he is put into a film that is all atmosphere. The surroundings, however bleak at times, are stunning. The music is pretty, too.

Much has been said about Scarlett Johansson's exceptional performance as the voice that Theodore, the character played by Joaquin Phoenix, falls in love with (and she/it with him). The few actual supporting actors around Phoenix are ideally cast, as well. Amy Adams especially (also not at her best looking), who plays the role of old friend, gives an understated and believable performance.

Of course, the film is not perfect. The operating system ("Samantha") tends to be annoyingly whiny at times and I am sure that the relatively slow pace is not for everyone, but the story is beautifully embedded into a bleak yet beautiful world.

You won't see many films like this one.

8/10

Deadfall

Well, this was always going to end badly.

Two siblings, along with the driver of their getaway car, go through the middle of nowhere (somewhere in Michigan, I guess) on snow covered country roads. The idea is to get to Canada after having pulled off a heist. They are dressed to the nines and one of the siblings, Liza, is wearing a skimpy dress, counting money on the backseat. Then, the car hits a deer and skitters off the road, turning over and landing upside down, killing the driver. Liza and her brother Addison make it out without a scratch.

A patrol car happens by and calls in the accident. As Addison gets out of the car he apologizes to the cop before shooting him. The siblings flee the scene further into nowhere and the oncoming heavy snow. To better their chances of getting away, they split up and try to make it to Canada, separately.

Addison walks off into the woods and runs into a native American, who has difficulties re-starting his snow mobile. The two men start fighting which costs Addison a pinky and leaves the other man dead. He moves on from one chance encounter to the next, picking up vehicles along the way and leaving a trail of bodies for the cops, who have by now found the body of the patrol man, to follow.

Liza gets picked up by Jay, who is on the way to see his parents in a remote farm house after just getting out of jail. Barely freed for a few hours, he accidentally kills his former boxing coach and thinks the road blocks he sees set up are there for him (I assume). As he drives away from one, he finds Liza who, despite having changed into something more appropriate, stands by the road freezing terribly. In the car, she finds out where Jay is headed and after spending the night with him at a motel, she calls her brother and leaves a message with the location of the farm house of Jay's parents.

Addison, wounded by now, makes it there first and takes Jay's parents hostage and together they sit down for Thanksgiving dinner. When Jay arrives he has Liza in tow and at first the two siblings do not acknowledge each other but soon enough old wounds break open. Liza told Jay earlier that her father, the devil, was killed right in front of her and her brother took care of her ever since. The relationship between the two siblings appears to a little too close for comfort and it also seems that Addison, who was the one to kill their father, took over the role of would-be devil in his sister's life.

At this point, a police woman comes by, looking for Jay because of a call she got from Detroit. She also ends up a 'guest' at the dinner table. Ultimately, law enforcement catches up with Addison and the distraction caused by the local sheriff - the police woman's father - gives Jay the chance to overwhelm Addison (Jay is, after all, a former champion boxer and silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics). In the end, it is Liza who shoot Addison to end his torment of the family and free herself.

I thought the police woman with the daddy issues was just one complicated family relationship too many. Otherwise, quite interesting.

6/10

Butter

US State Fairs are wondrous and exciting things. Of course, one wants to be the one to represent one's county at the State Fair in the butter carving contest. I understand this.

I have been to the Iowa State Fair in the year 1990 (yes, a long time ago) and I generally like films set in places I have been - here, besides the Fair itself we also have a car dealership in Iowa Falls. I lived a 20 minute drive from Iowa Falls! OMG!

...

(C'mon, now! Calm down!)

...

Right, Butter.

In the Midwest, people value family and the little joys in life - like winning the regional butter carving contest. Professional wife Laura Pickler (Jennifer Garner) is not at all happy with the committee's decision that her husband Bob (Ty Burrell), the carving champion for 15 years running, will be kept out of the competition and is supposed to be 'promoted' to judge status.

Laura is not one to take this lying down and takes matters or, rather, butter into her own hands and plans to keep the crown in the family, when out of nowhere this little foster child Destiny, who appears to be a natural in sculpting butter, comes to compete with her. Destiny is backed by her new foster parents (Rob Dorddry and Alicia Silverstone) and Bob's discarded lover/pole dancer Brooke (Olivia Wilde). Not even lies and manipulation, all courtesy of Laura's car dealer/lap dog (Hugh Jackman), can keep young Destiny from beating Laura.

Kinda cute.

6/10

People Like Us

After his estranged father dies, selfish hot shot (with money and possibly pending legal problems) Sam finds out he has a sister he never knew about. He is supposed to get in touch with her and give her and her troubled 11-yr. old son Josh $ 150.000,--. Sam, needing the money and generally upset, wants to keep it for himself but is still curious about this unknown family branch.

He starts stalking her, basically. He worms his way into her life and of course she mistakes his brotherly feelings for something different until he eventually spits out the truth. They clash, she throws him out, takes the money, moves to a new house.

Thanks to precocious little Josh, however, they manage to reconnect and make peace.

...and they all lived happily ever after. You know, just like in real life.

3/10

The Words

This is a story about a book about a book.

Let me explain:
Author Dennis Quaid wore a book about wannabe author Bradley Cooper who found a manuskript inside a leather bag his wife bought for him while on honeymoon in Paris. The manuskript is, of course, awesome. Bradley Cooper, not scheming or anything, types it into his computer (like you do). His wife Zoe Salander 'finds' it and tells him how wonderful it is.

It finally gets him an agent and success. The original author, Jeremy Irsons, one day walks into a bookstore and stumbles upon the book that he wrote. He follows Copper into Central Park one day to talk to him about the hi-jacked book. Or rather, he tells him his life story (the story in the book). Why? Not sure. It's not like he wants anything for it, it seems.

And Dennis Quaid reads all this to an audience that includes grad student Olivia Wilde, who is, like, totally intrigued by the tale and ends up in Quaid's apartment (of course). When he tells her the ending (Cooper comes clean to his wife and publisher, but they all keep mum and enjoy the money reaped fromt he stolen book), Wilde is for some reason unhappy with it, because that is not what she expected or wanted.

Whatever.

3/10