I know I've been slacking. I'm a bit tired but here are a few mini-reviews because I want to.

Love Me If You Dare

A French movie that I recently watched off a recommendation. An interesting concept of kids obsessed with a game of dare, in which the other cannot refuse. They take turns, and the story begins with things such as cursing in class and peeing their pants as kids, but evolves into things such as saying 'No' at their wedding or avoiding each other for ten years.

Now, the two main characters love each other, we see this. They share an uncommon bond, this desire to live dangerously and have momentary power over each other completely. But the problem is that it stretches a little too far for believability, and not far enough to push surrealism. I can't imagine any real person wishing to put themselves through so much anguish, and while the movie was enjoyable, ultimately a bit of a letdown.

Rating: 4/7

2 Days in Paris

I love a good romantic comedy, even the most formulaic of them. But here we get a romantic comedy with a nice mix of quirky mannerisms and some vulgar humor. A great mix for me, personally.

Marion and Jack are in a long relationship, and after somewhat of a European tour, they decide to spend the last two days in Paris, where Marion grew up. They stay in a bedroom above Marion's parents, and throughout the story Jack meets a lot of Marion's friends, and ex-lovers. Naturally it irks him that she has so many old flames around this town, as it would most people.

Where the movie succeeds is in Marion (played by writer/director Julie Delpy), who while not being perfect, is perfectly lovable. At one point she has an emotional breakdown because she reads women use twice as much toilet paper as men since they wipe when they pee, and that means they kill more trees. Whereas Jack can't sleep so he stays up at nights watching 'M' on his laptop.

The movie ended a little too quick for me, but still has one great last line that I won't ruin by quoting.

Rating: 6/7

Eastern Promises

I love the end of the year because that's when all the 'artsy' movies come out. Eastern Promises is really the first of the season -- or at least that I've seen.

This is the story of the Russian mafia in London. The story of a nurse who finds a journal of a woman who died in childbirth. And how the child and journal bring her into contact with the Russians.

I'm not going to spoil because to reveal much more than I said above would ruin the threading of the movie, how it plays out so craftily that it seems like clockwork.

Again, a problem with this movie I have is the ending. There is an inconclusiveness that seemed a bit too open-ended for me. This movie could have been 150 hours instead of 100 minutes, but the team made a decision. Let's just say I would've liked 50 more minutes.

Either way though, still a great movie all around and this is one of my first recommendations of the season.

Rating: 6.5/7

The Game Plan

Okay, I saw this for free.

First, we've all seen this formula a thousand times and all know how it's going to end.

Secondly, 110 minutes? Seriously? Oh, and an agonizing 110 minutes it was. But I have to say, honestly, if the movie had been 90 minutes it could've been decent.

My last major gripe is that for an eight year-old the kid was way, way too smart. Even a gifted precocious kid couldn't have made some of those jokes.

I never thought I would say this, but... even Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock") couldn't save this movie. But he was easily the best part. I'm eagerly waiting for 'Southland Tales' where we can possibly see him outside of his stereotype. We'll see.

Rating: 2/7