Black Widow

This felt like filler. Knowing that the title character already has an ultimate destiny kind of puts a damper on the proceedings from the start. Then there’s also the confusing backstory, seeming double crosses that really aren’t, and then preposterous finale which is overly convenient, not to mention vigorously defiant of both geography and physics … it’s all a not-quite-rich tapestry. Bottom line: it appears the MCU is sometimes deficient in IQ; at the very least, they outsmarted themselves with this piece. Not incompetent, at least not completely, but also not particularly necessary.

Hugo

Martin Scorsese finally discovers subtlety. It's worth noting, perhaps, that if even one of the characters in this movie had simply told the honest truth from the beginning, much trouble could have been averted. Then again, we wouldn't have had much of a movie. And this is much of a movie: a wonderful, deeply involving--at times riveting--story about life, hope, and redemption that also makes a powerful case for the director's pet passion of film preservation. The film's look is gorgeous; the 3D aspects, even in a 2D presentation, never overwhelm the storytelling. And pitch perfect performances from the terrific cast (even from Sacha Baron Cohen's almost over the top station inspector) bring the story alive and make for a deeply affecting movie experience. A must see.

The Departed

The good news: Scorsese put together a hell of a cast for this film. The bad news: it was Scorsese directing them. This movie neatly exposes and sums up the Scorsese problem: a technically fine film that lacks something, or is off-putting in some crucial way. That aforementioned cast is a case in point: as in all this director's movies, everyone throws himself too forcefully into his role; you can practically see the actors look at the camera and say, "Check out how intense I make this scene." The effect is not one of intensity, but of actors trying too hard (at best) or chewing the scenery (at worst). And it's up to the director to reel that in and hit just the right note. As usual, Scorsese doesn't do that here. And the movie is consequently less than it should be.

Cold Mountain

A story as old as The Odyssey--an appropriate comparison, given the film's occasional forays into something close to lyricism. It's a story that has been told so many times, but the strength here lies in the performances: strong work by leads Nicole Kidman, Jude Law and Renée Zellweger, along with a host of actors in supporting roles. The movie runs long, but the story holds your interest most of the way through. Worth a look.

Sexy Beast

This one earns its wings mostly on the performance of Ben Kingsley; he's a riot. It's also fairly stylish, with the kind of flair that keeps you smiling most of the way through. Interesting sidebar: it's a movie about criminals, but there's barely any hint of finger-wagging at the characters' misdeeds. You're never led to think, "When are the cops going to bag these guys?" Is our society so inured against concepts of right and wrong? Something to ponder as you laugh at Kingsley's lunatic.