'Invictus' ***1/2stars

in lesser hands this might have been titled 'guess who's coming to the world cup'. however, damn good direction (clint eastwood) and two amazing performances by morgan freeman and matt damon raise this film above the sentimental or just another sports film based on historical events. trust me i know nothing, zero, nada about sports nor do i want to but the final minutes of this film had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breathe. eastwood did something my parents never could: get me interested in sports. trust me it's surely a once in a lifetime moment. god i pray it is.

rent this or buy this...just see it.

p.s. yet this is another 2009 film that lost the oscar to 'the hurt locker'.actually it wasn't even nominated for best picture. i still don't get it!

'Shutter Island' ***1/2stars Available on Blu Ray and DVD

the best film of 2010 so far. that really may not be saying very much due to all the crap that's come out but this is a damn good film. something different and if not completely unique it's the best of it's kind since 2005's 'the jacket'.

an excellent supporting cast is headed by leo dicaprio in a great performance the oscars will probably once again ignore. mark ruffalo as always is perfect and will be forever ignored by the academy.

max von sydow and ben kingsley support admirably. but it is the always good and always underestimated/underrated patricia clarkson that turns out the type of worthy of a nomination supporting role people remember.

personally i think this is martin scorsese's best directorial effort in years. truth be told he really lost me ages ago retreading the same old same old. here he tries something new with good results.

my verdict is rent it, make popcorn and get caught up in it's web.

'Precious' Now on DVD and Blu Ray: ***1/2stars

i have to admit i avoided 'precious' when it was released. i just didn't want to deal with incest, child abuse and the poverty depicted. i come from nyc where i saw all this first hand especially when i taught in an inner-city school. well i have now seen it on blu ray and have to say it is great bordering on brilliant. it is gritty and real. it can even seem hopeful. i highly recommend 'precious' now.

it also is yet one more oscar nominated film that could have won the oscar for 'best picture' over the dreadful 'the hurt locker'.

'Up in the Air': ***1/2stars

i had no desire to see this film when it opened. i had been disappointed by most of george clooney's films. color me wrong! thank the gods for netflix. this is one helluva brilliant film. i now think it was the best film of 2009. and clooney was brilliant and brilliantly supported by the always amazing vera farmiga and the up and coming anna kendrick. director jason reitman has made a classic film.

so now i had to re-look at and readjust my best of the past decade and add this brilliant work. and as an aside it also has the best opening credits i've ever seen on film.