Lincoln (2012)

Succeeds in it’s goals, in that the character work is as inspiring as it tries to be and the political maneuvering is as fun and exciting as it tries to be. But it’s more remarkable that it’s mostly successful in combining the two into a single coherent narrative. There are a few moments here and there that feel a bit more generic bio-pic than they should (the exploration of Mary Todd’s mental illness, the inclusion of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character, the fact that the assassination is included at all) but you really do get the idea that the extraordinary politicking of the 14th amendment couldn’t have happened at that time without a mind and conviction like Lincoln’s. A little too flabby and reverent for my personal tastes, but what else do you expect from Spielberg at this point? B

 

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Simultaneously the darkest, silliest, most brutal and dumb film of the series. It’s a total fucking mess, but a rather enjoyable one, which I will take over the highly controlled boredom of Batman Begins. C+

Inception (2010)

The second viewing really makes the clunky exposition even clunkier, but it really does a lot of astonishing things that far outweigh those annoyances. A-

Halloween: H20 (1998)

A well-made and stylish slasher, but it feels extremely light. References to the first two films feel forced. Probably one of the better entries in the 90’s slasher revival, and one of the better entries in the Halloween series. B-