DVD Court: The Words, Looper, Cosmopolis

This week, we put three movies on trial. As The Jury, we recommend what should happen to a particular DVD released today. Voting Burn It, Skip It, Rent It, or Buy It, we come together to deliver a verdict and hope to help you decide what to watch or avoid. Unfortunately, there is no Court of Appeals this week. While applications for new members are closed right now, come January, there will be more spots opening so contact me if you are interested. We have also changed up the feature a little and added Closing Statements, including quotes from our reviews or opinions about each film on trial. This is to give you all a better idea of why we decided how we did. I also have to add that these releases are scattered about the next week or so and I can only assume come the new year, will we get a regular release schedule.

The Jury:
Nick of The Cinematic Katzenjammer
Ries of The Cinematic Katzenjammer
Joe of Two Dude Review
Vern of The Vern’s Videovangaurd
Andrew and Sarah of Two Tickets For…
Dave of Dave Examines Movies
Andy of Andy Watches Movies
Sati of Cinematic Corner
Daniel of Daniel’s Film Reviews
Mavi of FilmScope
Brian of The Soap Box Office
Fernando of Committed to Celluloid

“In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to ‘close the loop’ by transporting back Joe’s future self.”
Directed by: Rian Johnson, Rated: R, 119 minutes

Nick: Buy It
Ries: Buy It
Joe: Buy It
Vern: Buy It
Andrew and Sarah: Buy It
Dave: Buy It
Andy: Rent It
Sati: Buy It
Daniel: Buy It
Mavi: Rent It
Brian: Buy It
Fernando: Buy It

Closing Statements:
Nick (B): “An original and exciting sci-fi thriller that has countless moments that catch you completely off guard. Filmed beautifully, great action sequences, and a whole lot of heart.”
Fernando (B): “Despite not being as action-heavy as you might expect, this is a fascinating and surprisingly poignant sci-fi thriller. Pierce Gagnon is a revelation”
Sati (B): ”One of the most refreshing and unique sci-fi movies in years. With original and thought provoking story and terrific performances it’s one of the absolute best of 2012.”
Ries (B): “One of the best movies of 2012, the film is marked by highly intelligent writing, beautiful camerawork, marvelous acting, and an emotional heart that is at once startling and powerful”
Mavi (R): “The most overrated film of the year”.
Andrew and Sarah (B): “Led by fantastic performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt, the film’s phenomenal first half is only bolstered by a second half you don’t see coming, making this completely original and an exciting sci-fi take on time travel. One of the year’s best films.”
Daniel (B): “A great must-see action/sci-fi film with great characters (like Jeff Daniels’ nice-but-ruthless-when-he-wants-to-be mob boss) and a complex and magnificent concept that’s easy to follow”.

“A writer at the peak of his literary success discovers the steep price he must pay for stealing another man’s work.”
Directed by: Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal, Rated: PG-13, 97 minutes

Nick: Rent It
Ries: Rent It
Joe: Skip It
Vern: Skip It
Andrew and Sarah: Skip It
Dave: Rent It
Andy: Rent It
Sati: Skip It
Daniel: Rent It
Mavi: Skip It
Brian: Skip It
Fernando: Rent It

Closing Statements:
Ries (R): “This is a movie that could have been better, but had an interesting idea at its heart.”
Dave (R): “Slow, but intriguing”.
Mavi (S): “I like Bradley Cooper but his charm alone isn’t enough”
Andrew and Sarah (S): “Though Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Irons give strong lead performances, a curious decision on how to tell the story ultimate derails any enjoyment we found in it.”

“Riding across Manhattan in a stretch limo in order to get a haircut, a 28-year-old billionaire asset manager’s day devolves into an odyssey with a cast of characters that start to tear his world apart.”
Directed by: David Cronenberg, Rated: R, 109 minutes

Nick: Rent It
Ries: Rent It
Joe: Rent It
Vern: Rent It
Andrew and Sarah: Burn It
Dave: Burn It
Andy: Rent It
Sati: Rent It
Daniel: Rent It
Mavi: Rent It
Brian: Skip It
Fernando: Rent It

Closing Statements:
Dave (Bn): “Robotic and emotionless”
Mavi (R): “A good attempt at unfilmable material”
Andrew and Sarah (Bn): “Somewhere deep inside this film is a smart, black comedy screaming to come out, but for all it tries it just comes off as completely pretentious and wooden.”

December 31
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Buy It)
Cosmopolis (Rent It)
Looper (Buy It)

Written By Nick

Nick is a man obsessed with all things related to film. From the most obscure to the very popular, he’s seen it all and hopes to one day turn his obsession into a career that makes a lot of money so he can buy a monkey, a bulldog, and a full size Batman suit.

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