So it's been an interesting week. My car didn't start the other day. Turned out I needed a new starter motor. Money, money. Also had to take a bunch of days off work because they're upgrading the computer system. And my auntie and cousins are visiting. So it's been good.

'Up In The Air' (2009) directed by Jason Reitman

Cool film. It's clever, has interesting characters and while some bits are a little predictable, the overall arc of the film did not end up where I expected. A pleasant surprise, that. George Clooney is excellent in the main role, as is Anna Kendrick playing the main supporting role. Together they work well as a different take on the classic odd couple dynamic. So yeah, I thought it was sharply written and worked well, it's funny but also has a lot of depth. Jason Reitman is certainly shaping up to be an excellent director. Oh, the other thing that was cool was the presence of some excellent comic actors in small supporting roles, including Zach Galifianakis, Danny McBride and Jason Bateman.

'The Princess And The Frog' (2009) directed by Ron Clements and John Musker

I took some of my young cousins along to see this and it was pretty enjoyable overall. Perhaps it's the fact that I'm a bit older these days but it didn't quite seem to have the same charm or humour as some of Disney's earlier animated films. I'm thinking mainly of films like 'Aladdin', 'The Lion King' or 'The Emperor's New Groove'. This film feels a little smaller in scale than those films, less epic somehow, but it's still good fun. The hand drawn animation is in stark contrast to the now more prevalent 3D computer generated style, but it still looks great. The story in this film is perhaps a little bit weak, the bad guy's plan seemed pretty convoluted and silly to me and the essential underlying moral of the film seemed a little unclear at times. Basically though, this film isn't aimed towards me, it's aimed at a much younger audience and the kids I was with seemed to enjoy it.

'The Square' (2008) directed by Nash Edgerton

Really solid, tightly written Australian thriller about a man whose life slowly unravels around him following a series of poor choices. It's well acted and feels very gritty and realistic. In terms of lighting, the film is quite dark in parts; scenes could perhaps have been better lit. Overall though, a very satisfying and gripping thriller.

'Stranger Than Fiction' (2006) directed by Marc Forster

This film is about a man who starts hearing a voice that is narrating his life as he lives it. Based on this premise, I was expecting this film to be a bit cheesy and to not quite work. However, it really won me over and I enjoyed the film a lot. This is largely due to the strong cast, the relationship between Harold (Will Ferrell) and Ana (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is convincing and compelling while there are strong supporting roles provided by Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. The story progresses well and I found the conclusion satisfying and not predictable. Worth watching.

'Good Night, and Good Luck' (2005) directed by George Clooney

Well made and brilliantly shot in black and white, I found this to be a really interesting film despite not knowing much detail about the period in history that it represented. It's very well acted, particularly noteworthy is the central performance of David Strathairn.

'Yes Man' (2008) directed by Peyton Reed

Really enjoyable light comedy. I quite like Jim Carrey and although the story is pretty unbelievable in parts, I couldn't help but smile most of the way through. Rhys Darby is an excellent supporting comic actor too.