My Review of The Ides of March

Before seeing The Ides of March, you might want to either do a quick read of Julius Caesar, or at least the synopsis.  It may help you find the story a bit more interesting.  It's not a completely boring story, it's just a little slow going.  Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and George Clooney do wonders to keep the action moving along.
Stephen Meyers (Gosling) is a lead staffer on the campaign to get Clooney (Gov. Mike Morrise) elected to the President of the United States.  He supports people and causes he actually believes in, which we all can see is quite rare in politics.  He believes his candidate is exactly what the country needs.  But when scandals ensue, which isn't a total surprise in a political movie, which master will be choose to become a servant of?
Much like Brutus in Julius Caesar, Stephen starts out being motivated by patriotism and honor.  But will he follow Cassius and become engulfed in greed and envy?  The Ides of March does a very good job of not defining characters as mere heroes or villains.  It is more complicated than that, as it most always is.  If you choose to parallel the story with Julius Caesar, as I clearly have, the ending will be somewhat satisfying to you.  If you choose to look at this story on its own, you will walk away wanting more resolution.
The biggest flaw here is that there were some crucial bits of story that we did not get to see, but merely heard about.  I'm fine with not getting to see every little  moment in the story, but when you build up to something, you need to reward your audience.
The story is okay.  If you are going to try and parallel such a well known story, you should really stick to it.  There were some surprising twist and turns.  And others that were not so surprising.  But that's not the reason to see this movie.  The reason to see The Ides of March is for the incredible acting performances by a dream team of actors.  This movie is loaded with amazing acting moments, the kitchen confrontation between Gosling and Clooney is particularly good.
The Ides of March is a one time see, but a one time see that is worth your time if you want to invest in some great acting.

My Review of War Horse

If the masses were given the list of this years nine Oscar nominees for Best Picture, War Horse would have an excellent chance at winning the prize.  Throw in Steven Spielberg and the fact that it is somewhat of a war epic film, and even the Academy might vote for this horse.  Unfortunately for all involved in the making of this movie, The Artist is also up for Best Picture, and it is going to win.  But if War Horse somehow pulls a Crash, I wouldn't be one bit disappointed.  It may be a movie that plays better in more rural areas than in urban ones simple because it requires some sympathy with the down and out farmer type.
Joey, the main...uh...actor(?) in War Horse comes to us by way of Michael Morpurgo's short story of the same name, which was then made into a stage play that opened on Broadway last April and has gone on to win 5 Tony awards.  Look some of the stage scenes up on youtube.  The way the horses are done is incredible.  Just as in the movie, there is something larger-than-life about Joey and War Horse.
At points during the movie I thought it was going to get too predictable and too sappy.  It may be a bit predictable, but you are so drawn in to the characters and Joey's journey that all the negatives you may be able to point out, fall to the wayside.  If ever I have seen or may have seen an animal act, it is in this movie.  We see how Joey is tamed and raised by poor farm boy Albert.  How they are torn apart. And how their friendship battles the ultimate tests as they try to find one another in a world savaged by war.  
Joey wends his way in and out of several peoples lives who are as much affected by him as he is by them.  War Horse gives us something greater to believe in.  And reminds us that maybe our lot isn't so bad.  But if there comes times of trouble, you just keep fighting.  You just keep going.  "Walk on Joey.  Walk on."

My Review of The Artist

Yes, I saw.  Yes, I liked it.  No, not everyone will, not by a long shot.
Basic premise, George Valentin is a huge success as a silent movie star but can he stay relevant as talking pictures arrive.
The two leads, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, you probably haven't seen in anything else.  I sure haven't.  I was surprised, however at how many of the supporting characters were familiar.  Dujardin is so charming and so reminiscent of Gene Kelley that he completely captivates your attention anytime he is on the screen.  I guess I thought this movie would feel more like a foreign film, but it didn't at all.  It's a silent film shot in black and white with a fairly simple story line.  And that's what I love about it.  Its simplicity.  The Artist is a breath of fresh air compared to the whiz-bang movies we're accustomed to.  There's something romantic about the nostalgia of it all.  The music is amazing, which it better be if you're watching a silent movie.  And if Alfred Hitchcock showed us anything, it's how powerful silence can be.  This movie uses complete silence rarely, and to great emotional effect.  (for another great example of this see the scene in the rain in Road to Perdition.
The Artist will win the Oscar for Best Picture.  And I would say it is worthy of it for several reasons, one of which being that the filmmakers created something totally unique in today's market and made it very entertaining.  I expected  a bit of campiness and was pleased to find not a shred of it.  If you are willing to take a chance on this movie, you are in for a pleasant, sweet, and thoughtful surprise.  And it's "artsy" enough for the Academy to pay attention to (unlike anything Christopher Nolan does, which is always brilliant but never an "oscar-type-of-movie").
Go in with an open mind and a good sense of humor.  If you have no interest in seeing it, don't torture yourself because you will hate it.  If you have the attention span of a gnat, definitely skip The Artist because it does actually require you to pay attention, but know that you are missing out on something special.