San Diego Reader

January must be over, because suddenly, the stars are shining in the cinematic firmament...

You know what I think? I think Scott Marks has a soft spot for small-time crooks. First, he got all misty-eyed over Killing Them Softly. Now, he's gone gaga for both Bullet to the Head and Stand Up Guys, both opening today.

And me? I broke out my first four-star review since taking this gig for this year's Oscar-nominated live-action short films. The animated entries weren't quite as impressive, and I admit I'm kinda mystified by the hubbub over Disney's Paperman. Yeah, it looks great, but really, that's it, and even that's mostly because they plundered the look of 101 Dalmatians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aTLySbGoMX0

But if Paperman was disappointing, Warm Bodies was an unexpected delight. Quite possibly the most feel-good movie of 2013 (so far).