Three films, three reviews (short, medium, long)

The Last Exorcism - A very promising but ultimately ineffective horror film that's centered around a specific subgenre that's kinda been done to death over the past few years. There are couple of things that work in this film, however. The mockumentary aspect of the film definitely keeps it from being too familiar and the lead character is very charismatic and likable so it makes it easier for you to follow him and what he does. The concept is also pretty unique and I like how they go about the story. Ashley Bell, who played Nell, was great as the girl who has the exorcism performed on her. There was something very creepy and unsettling about her even when she appeared perfectly normal. There are some pretty tense moments in the film and the plot unfolds in a pretty clever way. Ultimately, however, they aren't able to pull the whole thing off successfully and the ending kind of ruins the rest of the film. Overall, it doesn't all work, but it's definitely not a mediocre film. Rating: 6/10

Kick-Ass (DVD) - Kick-Ass is one hell of a fun film to watch as it wastes no time getting to what the film is about and the first-person narration makes it easy to get involved with the film. Dave, played by Aaron Johnson, is the definition of the average teenager (or at least that's what the movie is trying to sell you), but unlike other teenagers who aspire to be something extraordinary, Dave actually attempts to be extraordinary. He can't understand why there aren't people out there who try to be superheroes and he decides he has to become one himself. What he doesn't know is that there are people out there attempting to be superheroes and little does he know that he's starting to get in their way. This is when you are introduced to one of the biggest scene stealers in recent memory: Hit Girl, aka Mindy Macready (played by Chloe Moretz). She, along with her father (Nicolas Cage), have been attempting to take down the local crime organization that's been running the city for quite some time now. Of course her father, Damon, is the brains behind the operation, but Hit Girl is definitely the muscle.

There are some excellently filmed and very violent scenes involing Hit Girl that some people may not be to keen on. The idea of a 12-year old girl committing such violent acts towards others (albeit bad guys) can be unsettling to some. And yeah, the whole thing does kinda throw you in for a loop as you realize what it is you are watching. That is where Kick-Ass sort of goes wrong. On one hand, the action scenes involing Hit Girl are brilliant, funny, and fun to watch. On the other hand, it's gimmicky and slightly disturbing. You can go either way on it depending on how you feel about the situation, personally, I was a bit mixed.

However, that never ruins the film for me like it did for Roger Ebert. Although Christopher Mintz-Plasse almost ruins the film for me. He plays the geeky son of the crime boss and his whole character just didn't work for me. You never really understand what his motivations are for wanting to be Kick-Ass's (sort of) villain. Does he want his father's approval? Does he actually like Kick-Ass? Does he want to steal attention from Kick-Ass? And I'm sorry but Mintz-Plasse just doesn't do the character justice. People complain about Michael Cera playing the same character in all his films but Michael Cera manages to make most of those characters work in their own unique and entertaining way. Christopher Mintz-Plasse's character is either not written well enough or he just does a poor job with the character. I can't really tell. Either way, I just wasn't sold on him. Also, I really am getting tired of Mark Strong being the bad guy in almost every film. Mark Strong is also a very one-note actor and all his bad guy roles are the same. He's just no fun and he isn't much fun in this movie either.

Overall though, everyone else did a pretty great job, even Nicolas Cage. And despite all those little problems with the film, like I said, it's still a really fun movie to watch. The climactic action sequences are just so wonderfully inspired and well done that you can forgive the film for its mishaps. A fun movie, but not necessarily a great one. Rating: 7.5/10

Winter's Bone - Here's a movie that makes absolutely no attempt to try to win you over. From the start, you are introduced to a very dark, cold, and not-so-distant world where people rely on criminal activity in order to get by. This is a very intense drama that doesn't let up, not even at the end. Jennifer Lawrence as Ree is one of the best performances of the year and the rest of the cast does a great job of keeping up with her.

In fact, the performances are so strong that it helps make the rest of the story utterly convincing. Since the movie is pretty thin on plot and the heroine's quest is pretty simple, it relies on its dark and tense mood to get its point across. With the actors' help, it's all pulled off quite amazingly. You really feel like you would find these types of characters in the backwoods of the Ozark Mountains. You would never want to hang out with any of these folks in real life.

Even the real small performances are great. The Army recruiter, Sheriff Baskin, little Arthur... everyone does a fantastic job here and their performances force you to get sucked into the story. By the end, during the film's most intense sequences, you can't help but feel for Ree as she attempts to find out the truth about her missing father.

The film is really just about Ree and her family. Her father is a meth dealer and has his share of run-ins with the law. He's been missing for many weeks now and the police are looking for him so he will show up for his next court date. If he doesn't show, Ree and her family lose the house. So Ree sets out to find her father and has to deal with a full array of terrifying and bleak characters. You're scared for her, you feel bad for her, but you're also in awe of how fearless she is.

Winter's Bone is a serious drama and that, at times, can be a problem. It's dead serious for the whole 100 minutes and everything is so bleak and dark that it can be a bit much at times. The film is powerful, but at times it's almost too dark for its own good. So while the movie does everything well, it tends to tread a very thin line. It gets a bit difficult to stay with the film when it looks and feels so unwelcoming.

The movie begins and ends with leaving you feel cold, but I feel like that's part of why it's so strong. It's a slice of life, a very bleak life. These characters will go on living the way they do and someone like Ree doesn't care if you think little of her and her situation. Winter's Bone shows that even those who live in world that seems so hopeless can be strong and do the right thing even if there's nobody else to guide them and tell them what's right and what's wrong. Ree is one of the most fascinating characters in one of the most fascinating films of the year. Rating: 9/10