Despicable Me (2010)

4.9/5

Despicable Me is an absolutely delightful film no matter how you slice it. The plot follows Gru (Carell), whose only goal in life is to become the greatest supervillain in the world. When the Great Pyramid of Giza is stolen by Vector (Segel), he steals Gru's media limelight and becomes Gru's new archenemy. So Gru decides to adopt three little orphans and use them in his master plot to steal the moon and embarrass Vector at the same time.

This movie is the first feature film for the new Illumination Animation studio and, if they keep making movies of this quality, their success is guaranteed. The directing is pitch-perfect. It deftly blends comedy with excitement, family appeal with evil intentions. The feel is a combination of Tim Burton and Pixar; the union manifests itself as a wholly realized alternate reality, but cutesy instead of scary. I absolutely adore how they play with their self-imposed rules to enthrall and surprise you (e.g., cracking and shaking up the minion to generate light). The comic timing and the editing are spectacular, resulting in an experience that is enjoyable without a single wasted second or shot. The voice-acting was impeccable. Even though they used big names, they were so well disguised that you felt as if you saw and hear each character, not the actor (everyone except Jack McBrayer, that is).

And it is not just for kids either. It has a lot of mature thematic content (and references to movies like The Godfather). It subtly delves into the reasons people act the way they do and dream the things they dream. But the heart of the movie is a compelling and uplifting story about family. Despite everything else this movie does right (and it does nearly everything right), what will imprint this movie in the memories of its viewers is its heartfelt storytelling. What more can you ask in a movie than to come out of the theater feeling rejuvenated and inspired?

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323594/

Torn Curtain (1966)

4/5

The first half of Torn Curtain was absolutely amazing (Hitchcock at his best), while the second half was simply disappointing. The plot follows Michael Armstrong (Paul Newman), an American physicist during the Cold War who pretends to defect to gain nuclear secrets from a (much-smarter) Communist scientist there. His fiancée (Julie Andrews) has followed him against his will and unaware of his pretense.

The tension, the wit, and the romance in the first half were all there, and in just the right quantities. The characters were well-developed, and the acting stellar. Our hearts are with the protagonists every step of the way. The pacing and editing were extremely precise. The shots, as always, were incredible. The music, though not by Herrmann, was still riveting and a good accompaniment to the movie's mood. But the best part of the first half is that it contained one of the most incredible murder scenes ever committed to film--I was nearly breathless the entire time. This movie should be seen just for that one scene. The second half was marred by a meandering, overlong escape, the introduction of a million worthless side characters, and a complete lack of progression and build-up. I did like the very unexpected re-introduction of a very minor character from the first half of the movie, but that is pretty much it. Despite moments of tension, it just didn't build up to anything and bored me. I was just waiting for it to end. The finale has nothing on The Great Escape. Even with the problems in the second half, the first half is just too good not to recommend it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0061107/