I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS: NOT YOUR AVERAGE JIM CAREY FILM...

Steven Russell: Love sure is a funny thing. Makes you happy, makes you sad, makes you do all sorts of things you never thought you'd do before. In fact, love's the reason I'm laying here dying.

I'm the one who liked Cable Guy and Man on The Moon. I did not like Ace Ventura. That should give you a point of reference for this review. Based on the real life story of Steven Russell (Carey) who while married, has a life revelation, decides to come out of the closet and start living a fabulous life, even if it involved fraud and looming jail time. While in jail he meets Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor) who is a soft spoken southern gentleman who Russell falls head over heels for. While Russell's antics to get out of jail and elude the law are humorous, their relationship is not. In fact, it is touching and lovely and well played by both men. It doesn't mean that Jim Carey isn't just a hoot to watch. This kind of based on reality no one could pen. It's gay and flamboyant while also being meaningful and touching. I looked forward to this movie for some time just to see how it would play out and they did a wonderful job. Not a film for everyone, especially those who like to watch Jim Carey talk out of his butt.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED: HANG ON!

What on the surface appears to be a low budget silly B movie turns quickly into something along the lines of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. A pair of uber slick, but still low rent criminals prepare for something dubious which leads up to the abduction of our heroine Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton). Soon we discover she was targeted for this crime in efforts to gather a ransome from her rich father. What we come to discover is the 6 degrees of separation between the criminals and the victim and oh, what a delightful discovery it is. These are wicked twists and turns that just can't be predicted. Considering there are only three actors in this film, it is a wonder and fun to watch. Not much else to share without giving away the unseen surprises. Be sure to watch the rarely provided bonus gag reel on this type of film. Well done!

TWELVE: A DOZEN TOO MANY

This kid driven film has been compared to Less Than Zero, a better version of spoiled teenagers using drugs and drinking and carrying on far too young. This one follows drug dealer, White Mike (Chase Crawford) as Kieffer Sutherland's throaty voice narrates the action. It's hard to watch as these children try to act like adults... sad actually. There are several other story lines including a murder but nothing is outstanding. The only thing I really enjoyed was the voice over with Sutherland. It's bad enough watching adults try to act like adults.  I wish these kids had waited to walk around in their mom's heels. Not a good film.  

WINTER'S BONE: A HARD KNOCK LIFE BUT A GREAT MOVIE

For her role as Ree Dolly, Jennifer Lawrence had to learn how to skin squirrels, chop wood, and fight.

Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) lives in the Ozarks and with an absent father and mentally absent mother, she raises her two young siblings while battling the harsh world around her. Lawrence gives the performance of a lifetime for such a young woman, and we hope it will not be her last. So poor that they have to depend on eating squirrels to survive, she sets out on a journey to find her absent father in hopes of saving the house put up for bail foreclosure.In the Ozarks, she finds a tight knit group of people, who won't talk to strangers, nonetheless even a stranger they know. Her journey is not an easy one, and is at sometimes painful both physically and mentally, but luckily Ree is tough enough to win to her what she must in order to help her family survive. This film isn't exactly easy to watch, but it is so well done and compelling that it is also hard not to watch it.This was definitely one of the best films of 2011.   

SKYLINE: AND THE WORLD ENDS YET AGAIN

"Jarrod: What are you going to do when all the blinds fall down? It's not exactly like we have a lot more bedsheets!"

However, this time it can be missed. Jarrod and pregnant girlfriend Elaine travel to LA to visit his old and living large friend Terry and his wife Candice. Isn't it just like LA to go and get invaded by aliens just when the party's getting good!? So the movie is mostly everyone running around trying to get away from the aliens, but wait, there is a twist. This movie shows us what happens once one is consumed by the aliens and boy is it far fetched and just plain dumb. A total silly waste of time.

HEREAFTER: NOT AS PEACEFUL AS EXPECTED

Not as magical as I anticipated, this film begins on a vivid and realistic note with a tsunami disaster scene and doesn't brighten up from there. Matt Damon is a reluctant psychic who is brought into the lives of other characters who are meant to cross paths. This could have been a mystical and moving film, but instead, fell flat and trite. Not my favorite film. 

THE SWITCH: GUY BASED ROM-COM

Based on the New York Times magazine story called The Baster... I dislike Jennifer Anniston but adore Jason Bateman, who steals the movie. A man (Bateman) drunkenly switches his spearm with another man's donation meant for his best friend (Anniston) who uses it to impregnate herself. Many years later, Bateman meets this child and the similarities are bountiful. Jeff Goldblume and Juilette Lewis are the best friends and do fine jobs respectively. How many romantic comedies have you seen involving head lice?  Lovely film.

LET ME IN: WELL DONE REMAKE

Director Matt Reeves stated the main thing he loved about the novel 'Let the Right One In' was the fact that Abby wasn't a scheming 250-year old woman inside a 12-year old body. She was very much a child emotionally and has had to protect herself from getting too close with anyone. He believed Abby was testing Owen to see if he would show he cared for her and stay or if he would get scared and stop seeing her.

I loved Chloë Grace Moretz in Kick Ass as Hit Girl. This will be one actress to watch as her career develops. In this remake of the Swedish film Let The Right One In, she is Abby, a "modern day" vampire who befriends awkward Owen. The remake is much more violent, bloody and graphic than the first, but as equally well done. I might be tired of teenage vampires, but the young ones are still cute as a button. Really gives a nice viewpoint of the outcast and ill fitting youth.

CYRUS: AN UNEXPECTED SWEET AND QUIRKY FILM

Unexpectedly sweet but also funny and well done. I thought it was going to be a goofball comedy but it turned into a heartfelt drama with interesting characters. John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei and Jonas Hill all do a spectacular job. Lovely film.