Isaac's Film Reviews

Live and die on this day.  Full review by Isaac Handelman As soon as The Grey ended, I let out a long sigh. But then I realized it wasn’t a sigh. It was a gasp for air, as I had apparently not been breathing normally throughout the large majority of the film. Writer/director Joe Carnahan is known for big-budget, ridiculous action movies like Shoot ‘Em Up and The A-Team . The Grey is a huge departure from anything the director has done in the past. Startlingly intense, yet surprisingly simple, The Grey plays its hand with care. It’s got its flaws, but when a film manages to keep its viewers pasted to the edge of their seats for nearly two hours, it has to be doing something right. Liam Neeson takes center stage as Ottway, and delivers a fantastic performance to boot. Though his character is never fleshed out or explained in full, what we do see of Ottway’s obviously troubled past lets us connect with the character without forcing the film to carry on a pointless side-plot. Ottw

Well, 2011 has come to a close, and boy was it a big year for movies. The year offered up some highly anticipated films, some huge surprises and a few big disappointments. But, now that it's all said and done, which films were the best of the best? What movies stood above the rest and truly provided great cinema experiences? Here, I'll crown the best films each genre had to offer in 2011, as well as crown one film as 2011's best. Keep in mind the winners aren't necessarily reflective of the nominee that received the highest score. Best Comedy The Nominees: The Hangover: Part II The Green Hornet Tower Heist Winner: TOWER HEIST 2011 wasn't exactly a winning year in comedy. A few notable exceptions stand out, however, most notably the surprisingly hilarious Tower Heist . A Ben Stiller vehicle on the surface, Heist actually acted more as a revitalization of the comedic careers of two burnt-out stars, Eddie Murphy and Matthew Broderick, both of which deliver h