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Felix Quinonez: The Hobbit - I thought it had great moments and a winning performance by Martin Freeman buried underneath this mess of a movie. I hate to say it because I really wanted to love this movie, but it's clear that they were just trying to stretch it into three movies to make more money not because the story necessitated it.

Argo - I thought this was a phenomenal movie with great acting and directing. Even though I knew what would happen I was completely riveted.

Django Unchained - Another phenomenal movie. Christoph Waltz stole the show. Everyone was great but in my opinion he was the best part of the movie. I loved it.

Lincoln - I thought Daniel Day-Lewis was really great in this movie but, If I'm just being honest, I thought the movie was a bit boring. But I still liked it.

Zero Dark Thirty - I loved it. It was a great movie, but I don't think it's as brilliant as people are making it out to be.

Max Braden: I've been trying to squeeze in as many movies as I've been able to in the last two months.

In theaters:

I was very impressed by Lincoln. I think the country's general mental image of Lincoln is the sonorous, wise statesman. Daniel Day-Lewis really made him human with the self-amusing stories and even explosive temper. I also liked the history lesson given by the presence of Thaddeus Stevens, who I knew nothing about before the movie.

Silver Linings Playbook is my favorite of the Best Picture list. At first I didn't buy Bradley Cooper's midnight manic sessions, but as he mellowed through the movie I saw him more as a character. Jennifer Lawrence of course is amazing, both emotionally and physically.

Life of Pi has exceptionally sharp cinematography with the 3D format, particularly the early zoo scenes. There are also some great images throughout the movie. I'm not a big fan of the bookending format for the story, because like Atonement and Sarah's Key, these are events that happened so far in the past of the main character's life, they become less relevant. I would have preferred the Cast Away approach of just showing it in live time, but then the keynote of the reveal would have been lost.

The Sessions is like one long hot date, and by gradually easing into the sex act, it really makes you slow down and appreciate the human body and intimacy. Hawkes and Hunt are both very good.

I was really, really looking forward to Jack Reacher based on the kickass trailer. The movie unfortunately let me down, mostly because the music did not support what was happening on screen at all. With long periods between action, it felt very dull. Still, I like the Jack Reacher character. I haven't read the novels, but I think I'd prefer the Tom Cruise size Reacher over someone like Dolf Lundgren.

Django Unchained is good, but not as good as Tarantino's best. I was a little uncomfortable during some of the more violent scenes but I appreciated having them in there as a reminder of the history. What is it about seeing Walton Groggins on screen that makes everything better?

The Impossible is heart-wrenching. I haven't heard so much audience sniffling since I saw My Life twenty years ago. It's probably the best of the Oscar movies that nobody is seeing. I don't understand why this was limited to a platform release and not just put out wide to start.

Zero Dark Thirty is good, but like Jack Reacher, the music was fairly weak. And I just can't buy Bert Macklin as a DEVGRU guy.

I've seen over 30 movies on DVD in the same time period. Some highlights:

Dark Shadows: Johnny Depp is perfect for something like this, so why was it so damn uninteresting?

Safety Not Guaranteed: I of course have a huge crush on Aubrey Plaza because of Parks and Rec, and this movie is like an extension of that. It's a nice, quirky romance.

Liberal Arts: My crush on Elizabeth Olsen is even bigger, especially in a romance like this. Unfortunately her storyline is repeatedly dropped and picked up. This movie would probably be better as a novel.

A Christmas Story 2 was released in December, ruining some wonderful childhood memories.

10 Years: Instantly one of my top five favorite movies of the year. It's great to see all the cast members, and Oscar Isaac's love song to Kate Mara is wonderful. Lynn Collins is also great.

Arbitrage: Also a great movie that nobody is seeing because it was quietly released on video. The mix of thriller and drama is really well balanced, and even though you shouldn't be rooting for Richard Gere's nefarious tycoon, you want to see if he can squirm his way out of trouble.

Rock of Ages: This movie starts off *horribly.* Instead of honoring the '80s, it tarnishes the '80s with flat notes. But you have to see it for Tom Cruise's rocker. It's hard to decide who goes over the top more, him or Matthew McConaughey as Killer Joe.

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