Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Loved it. The best Harry Potter so far. The problem with any Harry Potter movie is that there's too much plot and too many CGI set pieces. This one has a warm ease with the characters (which is why we all love this ridiculous story to begin with), and handles its expository duties with ingenious, fast-moving transitions.

The Triple Agent

Pre-WWII intrigue in Paris. It might be a little boring, but it's the most interesting boring film I've ever seen. Evasive as its protagonist. Terrific clothes. A painless way to finally understand the difference between White Russians and Red Russians.

Pan's Labyrinth

Ugh. Jesus Fuck, what a convoluted, overwrought pile of garbage. Did a 14-year old write this script? All the moral seriousness of a Nu Metal video, and about as dated, what with all its "freaky" imagery. Fuck this movie.

Enchanted

Other than the heinously cute little CGI mouse and tediously spectacular climax, there's not a damn thing wrong with this movie. So many great, witty little details. Amy Adams is a genius. The scene where she imposes her cartoon reality on Central Park is a masterpiece. Patrick Dempsey is adequate.

Juno

This fucking movie—with its absurd, paper-thin characters and simpering, pandering indie cutesiness smothered from one asshole to the other in the worst fucking precious toddler music that ever induced self-inflicted gunshot wounds—actually got me to watch right up to its just-follow-your-adorable-little-heart climax, when the DVD crapped out on me and I had to go online to read a synopsis because I still wanted to know what would happen to the baby.

The Bank Job

Good-not-great heist flick with great 70s British fashions.

Lake City

Why go to the trouble of making an indie film if you're going to fill it with nothing but clichés? They even do the thing where the bad guy is about to shoot the good guy and then there's a shot and the bad guy slumps over dead to reveal the sheriff standing there with his barrel still smoking because he's arrived unseen just in time. Sissy Spacek is in it though. Weirdly, Dave Matthews is, too. He's not bad as a junior bad guy.

Whale Rider

The third time we watched it I cried at all the same parts.

The Dead Sleep Well

I wish Kurosawa had made more crime flicks. Love this shit. I get sick of samurais. Wait, I got the title wrong. I think it's actually called "The Bad Sleep Well." Anyway, it's brutal and told with fantastic gusto.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Great art direction (if a little too CGIish) but too many set pieces for Jim Carrey and the other adult egomaniacs in this thing. The poor kids are supposed to be the goddamn stars. "The books are funnier," says Kaia, who would know.

Chun King Express

Two quirky, interlocking love stories tales that wander through a sensuous wonderland of Hong Kong textures. Gorgeous, confidently loopy cinematography.