UPDATE 2/13/12 In reviewing the Academy Award nominations, I have a different opinion regarding a few movies. I didn't appreciate HUGO or TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY as much as the critics. I may be wrong. Also WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and SARAH'S KEY didn't receive the recognition they deserve. For best actor Leonardo DeCaprio did not make the cut and should have. Three great performances by Keira Knightly, Kristen Scott Thomas, and Chalize Theron were not recognized. Oh well, you can't win them all. With another few weeks to go for the 2011 Academy Awards cut off, here are my personal selections for Best Movie, Actor, and Actress: Best Movie 2011: THE HELP SARAH'S KEY THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO WATER FOR ELEPHANTS MIDNIGHT IN PARIS J. EDGAR HOOVER MY WEEK WITH MARILYN THE DEBT THE DESCENDANTS THE ARTIST Best Actor 2011: Jean Dujardin - THE ARTIST Leonardo DiCaprio - J. EDGAR HOOVER Brad Pitt - MONEYBALL Hunter McCracken - THE TREE OF LIFE Robert Pattinson - WATER FOR ELEPHANTS George Clooney - THE DESCENDANTS Thomas Horn - EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE Best Actress: Meryl Streep - THE IRON LADY Keira Knightley - A DANGEROUS METHOD Rooney Mara - THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Berenice Bejo - THE ARTIST Charize Theron - YOUNG ADULT Michelle Williams - MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Viola Davis - THE HELP Kristen Scott Thomas - SARAH'S KEY Welcome to "SIRS AT THE MOVIES", which is your website for movie recommendations, critiques, and comments. A number of people have asked me how I determine what to see, and how I base my ratings. I do read the critics to determine whether a movie is worth seeing. I will usually avoid movies where the consensus rating is C- or below. I also avoid movies exclusively for children, although I may see some with my grand kids, and will comment on those. I also avoid most bathroom and casual sex comedies with little redeeming value. Finally graphic horror movies are not my thing regardless of the rating. This filtering is the reason that most of my ratings are C or better. While eliminating movies as described above, my ratings are exclusively my own thinking, with some help from my wife. When my ratings differ significantly from newspapers or internet, I will specify that, particularly the SRV Times, where I have many differences. Each week I will give brief recommendations and critiques for movies that we have seen, and update a list of our top movies of 2011 (post Academly Awards). I will leave the recommendations on the website for the remainder of the year.
I have also included movies reviewed from 2008 and 2010, many of which were NOT nominated for Academy Awards.
Please send comments to my email address: rlyons1009@sbcglobal.net.
I hope you find this entertaining.
Bob Lyons (SIRS #122) |