Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

[Seen at BFI IMAX, London Waterloo]

8 / 10

The American

7.5 / 10

George Clooney as an ageing hit man hiding out in a small Italian town.  A dreamy storyline, not as much action as one might expect based on the marketing.  Beautiful cinematography.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

[Seen at the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill]

7.5 / 10

Inception

8 / 10.

Up in the Air

At the turn of the millennium I was flying around 40 - 50 times a year, had Gold status in the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, and had a six month period in my life where the longest stay in my home city was 8 days. I was young and got a buzz out of being flexible and in demand, the consultant that was willing to drop everything and spend a few days in another city, week in week out.

Ryan Bingham, the corporate downsizing expert played by George Clooney in Up in the Air, takes it to the next level, spending his life in hotels and on planes, drinking in hotel bars and eating in hotel restaurants every night, visiting three to five cities a week, and he absolutely loves it. Never tied down. Always aiming for frequent flyer mile targets and chasing status privileges that mean you can bypass the queues at check-in, get a seat at the front of the plane, get a double upgrade at the car rental desk, etc.

Like Thank You for Smoking before it, I really enjoyed Jason Reitman's new film Up in the Air.

The casting was most impressive. Relative newcomer Anna Kendrick did a fantastic job portraying the go-getter well-educated 23-year-old colleague that thinks they can change the world (been there ;-). Clooney is Clooney - brilliant and fun to watch. And in a respectful acknowledgement of the subject matter in the film, most of the characters that get fired in the film were actually played by non-actors, re-enacting their experiences of getting fired in real life middle America in the months prior to filming.

This is a clever film, with a well-written script, fun, funny, yet respectful.

8 / 10

The Road

Viggo Mortensen and newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee shine as a man and his son travelling across the wasteland and struggling to survive in a post apocalyptic world. Based on a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Cormac McCarthy (author of No Country for Old Men), this is a thoroughly depressing movie, offering a slight glimmer of hope in an otherwise grey and inhumane world where the default option is to trust no one. Robert Duvall is brilliant in a brief, but welcome, cameo appearance as an old man they encounter along their travels.

7 / 10

Sherlock Holmes

Guy Ritchie's first mainstream movie, set in London's seedy heyday. Robert Downey Jnr and Jude Law are brilliantly cast. Heaps of fun, amazing sets, and in true Guy Ritchie style, awesomely shot fight scenes.

8 / 10.

The Invention of Lying

Amusing, but forgettable, movie set in a rather drab alternative reality where there is no concept of lying. Great cameo by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Ricky Gervais' motion picture directing debut.

7/10

Inglourious Basterds

8.5 / 10

Star Trek (2009)

J.J. Abrams reboots the Star Trek franchise. Impressive cinematography. Great new (young) cast playing the roles of Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Scotty, Uhura, and Chekov in a alternate Star Trek universe this is fun, well-conceived, and action paced.

9 / 10

Changeling

8 / 10

Slumdog Millionaire

8.5 / 10

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

9 / 10

Australia

Put on a Baz lense, and this epic / satire about cattle droving, the Stolen Generation, and the Japanese invasion in northern Australia in 1942 is thoroughly enjoyable.

Fantastic sets, amusing fake product placement (look out for Kanga Beer and Poor Fella Rum), and a clever storyline that puts the Aboriginal characters on equal footing in the hero stakes.

Brilliant casting too. Byran Brown, Jack Thompson, and David Wenham all feature in supporting roles. Hugh Jackman, as always, is brilliant to watch. Nicole Kidman is the necessary centrepiece (Nicole is to Baz what Scarlett is to Woody), perhaps lacking in depth, but who needs depth in a Baz film. Brandon Walters makes an enchanting debut as Nullah, the half-caste Aboriginal at the centre of the story.

Not quite on par with Moulin Rouge, but definitely worth your $15. Go out and see it on Australia Day.

7.5 / 10

Quantum of Solace

Most Bond films stand alone as an independent story, but Quantum of Solace is actually a continuation of the Casino Royale storyline with a series of disjointed scenes and lots and lots of action. Lots of hand-held camera work and rapid editing. See it in the cinemas, but only add it to your DVD collection if you're a dedicated fan.

7/10

Burn After Reading

7/10