EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP - A-

Documentary
Gift Shop is such an engaging portrait of one man’s obsession with street art that only after it is over does one begins to think about the issues it raises as to what makes art and what makes an artist. The fact that graffiti artist-turned-director Banksy is ultimately raising these questions about himself as well only makes the film that much more fantastic.

MOVIE MATH: Man on Wire x (Basquiat + Man on the Moon)

SEX AND THE CITY 2 - D+

Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis
The original 2008 Sex and the City movie is a portrait of elegant restraint compared to this crass and culturally insensitive retread. All four women here act as though the whole world revolves around them, destroying any man, culture or moment of good taste that gets in their way.

MOVIE MATH: Sex and the City x (ugly American stereotypes) - good taste

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - B

Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin
Imagine Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist: The Videogame and you’ll still be in for plenty of kicky surprises with this off-the-wall romance. The visuals are packed with innovation as Scott fights for the woman he loves, even if the film doesn’t quite have enough heart to pull it all off.

MOVIE MATH: [Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist + Ghost World) x Kick-Ass] x SQROOT(PlayStation)

TOY STORY 3 - A

Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Joan Cusack
The Toy Story series ends as it began, with a sense of pure, unbridled pleasure that taps directly into one’s inner child and a truly breathtaking look at what it means to be a toy. At turns heartbreaking, laugh-out-load hilarious and touchingly thoughtful, Toy Story 3 is all-around remarkable.

MOVIE MATH: Toy Story + AVERAGE(Up, Chicken Run)

SECRET OF KELLS, THE - C+

Evan McGuire, Brendan Gleeson, Christen Mooney
The Secret of Kells was a surprise Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature and, from a purely visual point of view, it is easy to see why: The ornate images are beautiful and genuinely appealing. But Kells’ storyline is vague and flat, resulting in a film that appeals to the eyes only.

MOVIE MATH: (Secret of Roan Inish - Ondine) + (The Village - Lady in the Water)

GHOST WRITER, THE - B+

Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams
Roman Polanski’s political thriller builds slowly, but the lack of contrivance and clichéd trickery adds to the unsettling atmosphere of dread at the secrets unveiled. Brosnan does some of his best work as an embattled former PM working with a canny McGregor on his memoirs.

MOVIE MATH: Michael Clayton x (Chinatown + State of Play)

OCEANS - B

Documentary
Though Disneynature’s Oceans suffers from a general lack of flow in structure, the visuals in this aquatic documentary are as gorgeous as anything in 2009’s Earth, with the added treat of delivering images of many undersea creatures so fascinating in their absolute weirdness.

MOVIE MATH: Earth (2009) - (March of the Penguins + Winged Migration + Two Brothers)