ViewGuide

This story turns into a bigger story film starts with Ryan Gosling, perfect at the 'reckless ex-con dad' conflicted over his desire to be a loving dad then morphs in to a bad-cop movie focusing on Bradley Cooper (and what bad-cop movie could be without Ray Liotta) and then brings it full circle. This interconnected web of stories is done really well for the story itself, but is made great by the very good cast of characters who glue the drama together in fine form.

So, Hitchcock the man was every bit as creepy as his movies, but in a much different way. Anthony Hopkins displays his mastery as he gives us a glimpse in to Hitch's ups and downs during the making of 'Psycho'. Behind every great man is a great woman, and Hellen Mirren (whom I love) is the stalwart that keeps everything together so that the mastermind could do his thing. What an unexpected treat this movie was – I would love to see more about Hollywood's not-so-obvious history.

A tremendous cast makes short work of an overwrought but underdone story in Broken City. Crowe, Wahlberg and Zeta-Jones are the single-namers, and Kyle Chandler should be. They're not all. The strong supporting cast includes Barry Pepper, luscious Natalie Martinez and engaging newcomer Britney Theriot.

Russell Crowe plays the Mayor of New York like a Godfather in pinstripes, at daggers with Katherine Zeta-Jones as his wife, and a hero to the gay community. The Mayor sacks Mark Wahlberg's NYPD Detective after a good kill gone bad, then brings him back seven years later to get incrimi…

Kick-Ass 2 could've gotten by with Very Good given how beloved Kick-Ass was. Yet it reaches greatness, notwithstanding its horridly extreme edginess: Beware the crap in this movie because it is voluminous.

You end up with a bunch of LOL lines and gags, interspersed with vomit-inducing rudeness and violence. The effect is disconcerting, but doesn't outweigh the copious cleverness and winsome performances.

Much of the cleverness comes from the High School settings. It's been a long time since I've walked those halls, but most underclassmen and seniors alike will recognize the situatio…

Wahlberg maximizes the moroseness of Hugh Jackman and the understated intensity of Jake Gyllenhaal and intertwines them into a great 'whodunnit' thriller. Kudos for a great cast and an interesting non-obvious plot line

A characteristically strong female vibe emotes from Enough Said, writer-director Nicole Holofcener's latest. Her romcom is not all feminine however. Some men are required. Good thing they got a real one.

James Gandolfini – in his final role – charms as a divorced Dad who likes to be comfortable. He develops considerable chemistry and several laughs with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Of course, we expect nothing less from her, a Comedy Queen who has developed sexy-funny chemistry with so many actors going back at least as far as "Seinfeld":http://www.viewguide.com/movies/365349-seinfeld. S…

The Coen Brothers latest is one of their best, strong praise indeed for the creators of classics that include The Big Lebowski, Intolerable Cruelty and Miller's Crossing. Yet their evocation of a fictionalized early Sixties folk scene is pitch perfect. Star turns, outstanding songs and more than a few laughs elevate Inside Llewyn Davis into their pantheon and easily make it one of "the great movies of 2013":http://www.viewguide.com/vulists/752-2013-great-movies.

Hear the whistle blow 500 miles, Inside Llewyn Davis is in the pantheon now, away from home no more.

Oscar Isaac cut…

Time hasn't been kind to The Fisher King, a bum's view of New York during the doleful Dinkins years. Terry Gilliam's film of Richard LaGravenese's screenplay is a dystopian tour through NYC in its Hobbesian pre-Giuliani days. Yes, it's still a great movie, albeit its whine doesn't stand the test of time.

Jeff Bridges plays a pre-Howard Stern shock jock with strong traces of a lefty take on Rush Limbaugh, the man who had just then taken over American talk radio. It's a savage set-up to take down American excess, complete with major star power and more than a touch of Monty Python-style…

Tye Sheridan continues his JLaw moviestar ascent as yet another grievously put-upon Southern boy in Joe. Nicolas Cage delivers one of his best roles in years as Joe: classic Cage, peccadilloes galore, heavily armed. Textbook movie drama ensues. A wastrel man is made better by protecting an upright boy. Cage & Sheridan play these parts about as well as they can possibly be played. It's still hard to watch, savagely sordid as it is.

David Gordon Green's movie brings to life a dog-eat-dog world, literally dog-eat-dog. It's taken from a Larry Brown novel – Brown being the subject of …

An impactful true story about love and war. Such intensity and complexity – and very British – not a normal take, and one that will stand out from others on the same subject. The suffering endured by POWs in Asia was incredible, as is the story of survival and forgiveness.

Cool mind-stretching Sci-fi thriller that puts concepts like alternate reality and parallel universe to good use to keep you guessing until its creepy ending. The film has a 'made for the stage' feel, with a small cast and limited setting. That is actually refreshing in that it keeps your focus on the story – a very necessary thing to do in this case if you want to follow along.

Matthew Mcconaughey and his Newton bros robbing and gallivanting with reckless abandon; blowing up things, getting the cash, and getting the women. That's over 80 banks and 6 trains folks! And the kicker? Judges anoint them as just good 'ol boys and give them a relative slap on the wrist. The film provides a fun journey back to cops and robbers circa early 1920's and a special slice of Americana.

Wacky, messy, and a bit over the top – Super seems a movie designed to be a cult favorite for Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page – who are among the few actors that can pull off this type of comedy. Despite lots head-shaking moments, the movie keeps you heavily intrigued, and if you are like me, you'll forgive the sometimes ridiculous turn of events.

Brett Ratner does a better than expected job with the Dwane Johnson version of Hercules. The Rock threatens to take Hercules to new heights of the 'brawn over brain' casting pitfall, but he holds his own and at times actually comes across as brainy in addition to brawny. The other great thing about this movie is that it avoids the traditional cheesiness of mythology based movies. The mythology is present, but the focus on the mercenaries who are convinced to do good is a much more compelling story for today's movie goers. You'll get your kick ass action, monsters, and a great complementi…

his film shows what happens when you pair a great John le Carré novel with world class acting from Phillip Seymour Hoffman. This is spook film done old-school — no flashy action or outrageous special effects necessary. I didn't miss it at all. The thick tension, important yet nuanced detail, top notch acting, and the unique take on terrorism was all that was needed to make the 2 hours fly by. Great entertainment.