Sophie Scholl was a student involved in die Weiße Rose (The White Rose), an anti-Nazi group. Following her arrest, she is quickly shuttled through the Nazi bureaucratic machine on her way to her trail for treason.

During her imprisonment she stands firm on her beliefs and against the dehumanizing socialist arguments of her interrogator Robert Mohr. The verbal sparring between the two is not only brilliantly written, but is the best clash of worldviews put to film.

This is a well crafted film that brings the final six days of this brave young woman to life and is a fitting tribute to her.




The best recommendation I can give to this movie is that I actually hope they somehow manage to make a sequel. I know it's a cartoon, ahem - sorry it's animated, but I honestly see this as one of the tightest, best written films ever.

The script for this movie is fantastic. It is a text book for how to do it right. Firmly structured, set-ups and payoffs and solid characterizations - wonderful.

Pixar makes great movies and is the most consistent production company of all time. This is their best film and given their catalog, that's saying something. This is good for not only kids but for adults as well. Thanks to my children I have seen this film roughly 8,792 times and I can tell you from experience that this is one of those films that can be enjoyed as much on viewing 7,509 as it is on viewing 311.




A small girl, Ofelia, suffers life under her brutal stepfather, a Captain in Spain’s fascist military in 1944. Ofelia escapes her unforgiving reality by entering into a bizarre underground realm where a mysterious fawn sends her on dangerous quests.

The film is reminiscent of writer/director Guillermo del Toro's previous film The Devil's Backbone both in narrative and design. In this film del Toro's stylistic flair has matured. Even if you're not much for the story, even if you loathe fantasy as a general rule, the sheer visual power of this film is undeniable. The intricate design work from the costumes, to the sets is captivating. Add this to an inspired script and the result is a sincerely great piece of cinema.

Cautions: Violence, too strong for young audiences




The film follows the life of oil prospector Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he builds his empire around the turn-of-the-century. This film is so long it sometimes feels like another century may pass before it ends.

Paul Thomas Anderson is the most visionary director of our generation but, phew he needs to hire someone to tell him when to stop. The film runs for over two and half hours and that time isn't spent watching things happen quickly. This is a pondersome, almost lethargic film made by someone who thought he was being far more interesting that he really was.

The length of the film is not its only notable flaw. One of the main roles is a disaster. Paul Dano's performance as small town preacher Paul Sunday is remarkably two-dimensional and underdeveloped. The character is the counterweight to Plainview and he never once stands as a reasonable rival. Dano is asked to portray a charismatic evangelical and he translated this charge to mean he should bellow and whine all of his lines.

These are serious faults in a production, but yet this is still a stunning film - a great movie. Paul Thomas Anderson creates a fully believable world and populates it with interesting residents. Other than Dano's community theater whimpering, the film doesn't have any moments that feel forced or contrived.

At the heart of the production is Daniel Day-Lewis' performance as Daniel Plainview. Plainview is the definition of human evil. This role would challenge any actor and most would have done well with the full-realized figure. Daniel Day-Lewis takes things to a different level. He honestly gives one of the best performances by any actor on screen. The performance is as close to perfection as a person can get. Yes, he is that good. His commanding work is so strong it overshadows the obvious flaws that otherwise would have sunk this production.

Cautions: Language, violence