Django Unchained--8/10
It was good, and extremely bold, but pending a rewatch of Death Proof as a standalone film (because Grindhouse as a total package was a ton of fun but the individual movies aren't great), Django is easily my least favorite Tarantino movie. QT has always liked excess, and it I think it might have finally gotten the better of him. The movie would have lost nothing by cutting out 20 minutes of the characters traveling. I certainly wasn't offended by Django's violence, but the Kill Bills and Inglourious Basterds really made me think about fictional violence, while Django didn't; its themes didn't run as deep because it exaggerated a subject that was bad to begin with. I do think, though, it's an interesting way to get modern audiences to think about slavery since it's so different from a historical drama. And of course, the actors were great and the writing had some really good parts even though the story's length was a bit bloated.
Lincoln--10/10
I was blown away. I think Lincoln is the first movie I've seen in theaters in a couple years that I immediately thought was a "10" right after I saw it (usually rate more things that way in retrospect or on second viewing). Daniel Day-Lewis was perfect as the president, and everything else lived up to the performance. I loved how understated the movie was; most historical biopics are grandiose in their drama, but Lincoln was much more subtly emotional (and the one or two more grandiose scenes were very hard-hitting because they were unexpected). This mood, along with Lincoln's characterization, make him feel like a realistic, normal person, rather than a larger-than-life presence. Adding to this feeling of genuine humanity, I also loved how the film didn't hold back on how the politicians used, erm, politician tactics to get the 13th Amendment passed.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes--8-8.5/10
They actually made the whole "apes take over the earth" concept seem pretty plausible.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask--7.5/10
The segments vary in their quality, but they're pretty funny on the whole, especially the last one with Allen as a neurotic sperm. Worth watching if you're a fan of Allen's schtick.
Sunshine Cleaning--7.5-8/10
A nice little story, if not a little simplistic. The characters had solid development, and Amy Adams and Emily Blunt brought a lot of charm to the main two. And it doesn't hurt that they're both beautiful.
