Reviews in brief

Before I reveal my top ten list this weekend, I wanted to give my brief thoughts on movies I did not get a chance to write a full review on from 2009:

Sugar (3 of out of 4) - A great film with a realistic look at the experience of what many baseball players go through when they travel from their home country to Minor League Baseball in the United States.

In The Loop (0 out of 4)- Some critics thought this was the funniest film of the year. Not this critic. Basically a movie with lot of people working in politics in the U.K. and the U.S. squabbling with each other and having egos way too big for their empty moral lacking characters. The general public didn't see this film and neither should you.

A Serious Man (2 out of 4)- The Coen Brothers release another quirky movie about a man trying to find himself as his family is breaking down. This one didn't quite work for me, quirkiness is good, but this one was a bit much.

The Beaches of Agnes (3 out of 4)- A unique autobiographical documentary about New Wave director Agnes Varda, which combines scenes Agnes telling her own story with actors reenacting younger versions of herself. I have not seen any films by Varda or her late husband Jacques Demy, but now I might just give them a look.

The Blind Side (3 out of 4)- Basically a Hallmark feel good movie, but a really good one! Sandra Bullock has one of her best roles (although still not worthy of the Oscar she will win on Sunday) as a southern Christian woman who adopts a homeless black student into her family and gives him the push and the love he needs to succeed in school, on the football field and as a human being.

Crazy Heart (3 out of 4)- A once beloved country singer turned alcoholic singing in bowling alleys and dives gets another shot at love and songwriting. Jeff Bridges will likely win the Oscar for best actor and does an excellent job here. We've seen a lot of music biographical drama films like Ray and Walk the Line beloved by the Academy, so I think Bridges is days away from receiving his statue.