GET SMART.  Entertaining, but nothing special. This is not an origin story (of the CONTROL agency, however it is somewhat for Agent Smart); instead it feels more episodic, like one in a series of movies. The best thing going for it is the perfect casting of Steve Carell, although his chemistry with Anne Hathaway is not quite what I'd hoped.
GIRL ON THE BRIDGE.  Classic French filmmaking through and through. The tone is surprisingly playful given its inherent melancholy, and that balance is very effective. Johnny Depp's wife plays a girl who gives herself away with such reckless abandon that her most stable, life-affirming relationship comes with a man who throws knives at her. This film feels like falling in love, with all its jealousy and heartbreak. And the black-and-white cinematography lends it a certain timelessness.
THE GIRL NEXT DOOR (Ketchum). One of those rare movies that was just like the novel as I'd imagined it in my head while reading. Eerily so. The abuse, and the film's focus upon it, is wrenching and infuriating to watch in a Passion of the Christ-like way. Though dramatized through an imaginary point of view, it's mostly a true story, keeping it from being just torture porn. And yes, that is the older sister from Sixteen Candles playing the evil foster mom.
GO. This was marketed as a sort of Pulp Fiction for college kids, and I bought it. A single night-in-the-life is retold from several different perspectives, and it's clever enough that each act builds on those that came previous. It holds up well to repeat viewings and rewards you for paying attention, such as with individual sides of a phone conversation. Especially brilliant is the section featuring two closeted gay actors busted for dope and forced to cooperate in a drug sting for a cop who has ulterior motives. The subtext is off the charts, and makes a great study for aspiring screenwriters.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD.  What a waste. You'd think DeNiro of all people would understand character development. This is further proof that a story isn't necessarily compelling just because it's true (and it's neither), while completely violating the "show don't tell" principle (strike three). There's no one to root for, no arc, and the Damon character barely twitches a face muscle over the course of nearly three fucking hours.
GONE BABY GONE. Loved it. I think the overall lesson to be gleaned is that the Afflecks should stick to Boston-based material. I nearly spit out my drink when I heard Michelle Monaghan's character say her name was Genarro. But what do I know, I'm just a bear who sucks the heads off fish. Sgt. Taggert was a nice touch, too.
GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON. According to his son, Thompson's suicide was both "the sound of a book dropping" and "a romantic, warm family moment." This docco celebrates the beloved and reviled liberal patriot mostly through interviews, but also via contextualized excerpts read by Johnny Depp. I wish they'd have maintained the stylized visuals and organic graphics of the first ten minutes throughout, and the soundtrack is well-worn '60s nostalgia, but it's an overall fitting tribute.
GOZU. Takeshi Miike up to his usual tricks and never failing to shock in spite of my being prepared for them. He lulls you in like that. Good to see his lactation fetish wasn't just a one-movie stint (Visitor Q), and once again we also have a guy getting himself "stuck" inside a woman, only this time it's not because of rigor mortis, it's because *SPOILER* she's actually hosting his presumed-dead yakuza brother's body whose hand is wrapped around the guy's unit. Yeah.
GRAN TORINO. It's the inverse Karate Kid, where Clint Eastwood plays my grandfather while teaching us a generation's worth of new ethnic slurs. Grizzled to say the least, "(grumbles)" had to be the most-recurring line for his scripted character. Halle-fucking-lujah and pass the ammunition. Thankfully the second and third acts kick classic ass, because the first had me in serious doubt, given its heavy-handed morality and obvious archetypical setups. Actor nominations are in the bag.
THE GRAND. Like many (but apparently not enough), I don't understand the appeal of televised poker, so this mockumentary is made for us. It's actually funnier than the last couple of Christopher Guest movies (not saying much), while aping his style to the letter. I figure anything made by the Incident at Loch Ness guy is worth a look, plus his buddy Werner Herzog on the other side of the camera always makes me laugh. The first half of the flick is fast-paced and really, really funny, but once all these character introductions are over, it loses steam quickly when they hit the tables. So the takeaway here is ... umm ... Jews are good at poker?
GRINDHOUSE. Fuck yeah! The trailers and interstitials were my favorite parts. I preferred Rodriguez's feature to Q's, much grittier and grindier. Q's was a lot slower, more polished (in its way) and a totally different genre (but still a B flick). The contrast was probably a good thing in hindsight, cuz 3.5 hours will test anyone's rear end. I loved how they had (deliberately) bad edits and poor continuity and clichéd dialogue and stuff. See it in a busy theater for best results. By the way, she's still gorgeous, but what's up with Rose McGowan's face lately?
A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS. Pretty good. Definitely for the indie crowd; it's gritty and rough, and a few of the techniques were a little clunky to me. I'm sure it would be more affecting for those who identify with the characters more than I. Some good acting throughout, though. Downey's always awesome, Chazz escapes his typecast, and Shia and Rosario were good choices. Reminded me of Kids just a little. There's lots of Altman-esque chaotic dialogue going on, too.
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