Million Dollar Baby (2004) - ★★★½

Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers: Paul Haggis (Screenplay), F.X. Toole (Stories)
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Margo Martindale, Jay Baruchel, Lucia Rikjer, Mike Colter

Million Dollar Baby is great in someways, and average in others. It's very thrilling, meticulously acted by most, and very well put together. BUT I just don't see why people think it's one of the best movies of the decade. I just finished reading Roger Ebert's thoughts on the film, and he hailed it as a masterpiece! Well I guess this is yet another one of those films that I "Just don't get." I can definitely see how someone can have their heartstrings pulled by this movie. I'm not saying that people are wrong for lauding Million Dollar Baby as a great film, but I am saying that it's far from a faultless masterpiece.

The King's Speech (2010) - ★★★★½

Director: Tom Hooper
Writer: David Seidler (Screenplay)
Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Jennifer Ehle, Timothy Spall

The King's Speech is a film that had me grinning like an idiot the whole way through. I just loved this movie. LOVED IT! There are many reasons why. First of all, I think the performances are spectacular. Colin Firth sealed himself as one of the all time greatest actors with his royal performance, and Geoffrey Rush added another flawless performance to his already flawless resume. It concerns one of the most interesting times in British history (IMO), which was accompanied by a masterful choice in music and really effective cinematography. If it weren't for the tiny amount of 'schmaltz' or 'cheese' injected into the storyline, I'd call it a perfect film.

The Lives of Others (2006) - ★★★★★

Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Writer: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Stars: Ulrich Muhe, Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme, Hans-Uwe Bauer

The Lives of Others is one of the most interesting films I've ever seen. Not so much because of the story, but because of the character Ulrich Muhe plays. Muhe's performance is remarkable, no, it's masterful. The 'Sonata for a Good Man' will always remind me of him. I was riveted by this film. It was sometimes suspenseful, sometimes very touching, and always brilliant. 2006 was a good year for foreign films, and this film would be my second favourite of the year. My favourite being Pan's Labyrinth. I didn't know what to expect when I bought The Lives of Others, but after watching it, I can safely say that it's a pure masterpiece of cinema.

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) - ★★★★

Director: Robert Benton
Writers: Avery Corman (Novel), Robert Benton (screenplay)
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry, Jane Alexander, Howard Duff, George Coe, JoBeth Williams

Kramer vs. Kramer is one of those movies that makes your brain spin, trying to decide who is right, who is wrong, and what's the best possible outcome. It gives us the complicated story of a broken family, never picking one side over the other. It's not a funny, entertaining film at all. This movie is the very definition of a drama. The feelings of the characters and their circumstances are presented beautifully, and performed masterfully by Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep and Justin Henry. This is a movie that is sure to cause conflict among viewers. Heated debates and discussions are sure to follow after watching this movie, because in the end, everyone has their own opinion on who deserved custody of the child. That's what makes this such a great movie.

The Cove (2009) - ★★★★½

Director: Louie Psihoyos
Writer: Mark Monroe

The Cove won the Best Documentary Oscar at the 2009 Academy Awards, and it was a very well deserved win. It takes a special kind of film to evoke so much emotion out of me. By the end of the film, I was left speechless. There was so much that I wanted to say, but I couldn't, because I found it too hard to say anything without crying profusely. It's a very informative look at the cruelty towards dolphins, whether it be from captivity in aquariums, amusement parks, or the killing of them for meat. The primary focus of this film is to show the world the horrific slaughter of dolphins at a cove in Taijii, Japan. Not only do we see their suffering, but we hear their suffering too. It's one of the most powerful scenes in cinematic history, and a scene that moved me to tears.

Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939) - ★★★★½

Director: Sam Wood
Writers: R.C. Sherriff, Claudine West, Eric Maschwitz (screenplay, James Hilton (Author of the book)
Stars: Robert Donat, Greer Garson, Paul Henreid, Terry Kilburn

Goodbye Mr. Chips is a personal favorite of mine that has always affected me deeply. I think it's the purely magnificent performance by Robert Donat as Mr. Chipping. Of all the fictional characters in cinematic history, he would have to be up there with my absolute favorites. This is a movie that isn't perfect by any means, but has the beautiful ability to tug at your heart strings.

The story follows a teacher named Mr. Chips, who at the very beginning of the film just transports to a new school. It's a period drama, where time goes by and we see Chips grow older. We see the world through his eyes in events such as the WWI and emotions such as love. Our hearts break with his when former students and friends die, our hearts jump for joy when he finally finds love in Kathy (Greer Garson). Above all, we get to know and love this character through time in a masterful way.

Robert Donat was absolutely fantastic. He has the uncanny ability to show how the character has grown, not only through his dialogue, but through his facial expressions. It's wonderful when he finally meets Kathy, for the chemistry between Donat and Garson is really special. One of the most heart-wrenching scenes I've ever seen in a film comes between the two, where Donat gives one of the greatest performances in movie history.

It's one of those movies where you either love it, or you leave it. I truly loved this film for everything it achieved. Not since Captains Courageous have I encountered a film that made me as happy and as sad as this film does. Goodbye Mr. Chips will forever be one of my favorite movies of all time. The line "Goodbye Mr. Chips, Goodbye..." spoken by Terry Kilburn gave me chills; I'll never forget that scene.