The Spectacular Now (2013), R, 4 stars

Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller.

I have to confess that I have not seen a great teenage movie in a long time where it deals with a slowly revolving relationship that involves two mismatched people. Of course, we had bad comedies about it. But, a teenage drama. This is going to be high praise coming from me. I think this movie really ranks with the John Hughes movies with "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club" and also with "Say Anything". It's that good. Sutter (Miles Teller) is a high school senior who works at a clothing store and has no plans for the future. After he was dumped by his girlfriend (Brie Larson), he goes into a depression which consumes him into alcoholism. He does not have great relationships with his sister, mother and father. (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kyle Chandler). He is found on a lawn by Aimee (Shailene Woodley), a nice girl who has an outlook of her future. They both challenge each other on what's going on in their lives and they form an unusually romantic bond. It's not a light movie as the story goes into deeper and darker territories. Teller and Woodley are sensational as the two lead characters because both are real smart teenage characters with realistic problems and outlooks of life. And, the romance is not corny at all. This movie is a treasure and it is one of the best movies of the year.

****

Comments

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), PG-13, ★★1/2

We're about halfway through the Harry Potter franchise and this is the turning point in which I found the material to be darker and more mature when the storyline surrounding Lord Voldemort grows. And, also we see another new and fresh direction as David Yates comes into the spotlight to finish off the franchise with the last four movies. I remember watching the trailer in the theaters and I was excited for this movie as it was mostly action-packed. The bottom line is despite the camaraderie between the young Hogwarts characters and a real-good action sequence in the climax, it is a choppily edited and more grounded movie that does not provoke much magic or memorable scenery. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is enduring a hot summer and Dudley (Harry Melling) provokes him by making fun of the fact that Harry is haunted by Cedric's death from The Goblet of Fire and also his mom's death. As a storm approaches, demeanors come into the tunnel sucking Dudley's so...

Non-Stop (2014), PG-13, 3 stars

The passengers think Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a terrorist. Airports and airplanes. The lines. The crowds. The delays. Everything that Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) hates about flying. When it comes to airports, I have to go through the procedure with taking your carry-on baggage and luggage on the flight. Then, I go through security which I have to admit is not as bad, just follow the rules and guidelines. After security, what do you do? If you are two or three hours early, you have time to kill: Have something to eat, watch something on your IPad, shop, etc. As you board and get on the plane, anything can happen from turbulence to maybe something unexpected like this movie's situation. This movie is silly and preposterous, but it is a fun movie to watch. The movie opens with Bill Marks tired drinking alcohol and arguing with a supervisor on his cellphone glancing at a photo of his daughter. But, he is trying to get his act together by lighting a cigarette while he is being pus...

The Best Films of the Year (1999, 2003-2025)

I've posted my lists of the best films over the years, 1999, 2003-2025. You can take a look and glance at them. (Revised on 01/5/2026). 1999 1. The Insider (Mann) 2. Magnolia (Anderson) 3. The Matrix (Wachowskis) 4. Being John Malkovich (Jonze) 5. Fight Club (Fincher) 6. The Straight Story (Lynch) 7. The Talented Mr. Ripley (Minghella) 8. Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick) 9. The Iron Giant (Bird) 10. American Beauty (Mendes) 11. The Sixth Sense (Shyamalan) 12. Topsy-Turvy (Leigh) 13. Toy Story 2 (Lasseter) 14. All About My Mother (Almodovar) 15. Galaxy Quest (Parisot) 2003 1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Jackson) 2. Lost In Translation (Coppola) 3. Finding Nemo (Stanton) 4. Memories of Murder (Joon-ho) 5. Oldboy (Chan-Wook) 6. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Verbinski) 7. Mystic River (Eastwood) 8...

Caro the Movie Critic

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