Week 12 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2020 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)

Texans and Lions fans alike were thankful for Watson's Turkey Day explosion (318 YDS/4 TD/0 INT/1 2-PT CNV/24 Rushing YDS) that brought Houston a W and an end to the pitiful Matt Patricia-era in Detroit. While Will Fuller's season-ending suspension is certainly a blow to Watson's stock, he's been playing far too well over the past 8 weeks or so to consider benching him.   

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

LVP: Kyler Murray (Cardinals)

Looks like Murray is capable of disappointing his fantasy owners in 2020 after all. A combination of an ailing shoulder that limited his rushing attempts and Bill Belichick cooking up a solid defensive gameplan kept the rising star QB (178 YDS/0 TD/1 INT/31 rushing YDS) in check throughout a tough 20-17 loss against the Patriots. A tough Rams defense awaits Murray in Week 13.

Dishonorable Mentions: Jared Goff (Rams), Cam Newton (Patriots), Derek Carr (Raiders)

Running Back

MVP: Derrick Henry (Titans)

Just 2 weeks after the Colts made him a non-factor outside of garbage time, Henry powered the Titans to a blowout victory in their 2nd matchup with their divisional foe-rushing for 178 YDS and 3 TD's on 27 carries. An up-and-down Browns front are the next group of unlucky souls that will be tasked with trying to slow down the most powerful runner in football.

Honorable Mentions: Antonio Gibson (Washington Football Team), Nick Chubb (Browns), James Robinson (Jaguars)

LVP: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)

A week after posting his best game since Dak Prescott went down for the year, Elliott went straight back to the dumpster-registering only 39 YDS on 11 touches and losing yet another back-breaking fumble in a horrible Thanksgiving loss to Washington. This season has been nothing short of a prolonged nightmare for Zeke and any owner that used a top 3-5 pick on him has to be extremely disappointed with his poor production and ball security issues.

Dishonorable Mentions: Miles Sanders (Eagles), Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Alvin Kamara (Saints)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) 

Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting are probably somewhere in Central Florida right now still trying to catch the Cheetah. Hill flat-out victimized a woefully unprepared Bucs defense to the tune of 13 catches for 269 YDS and 3 TD's. After a relatively quiet 2019 by his standards, Hill is playing the best football of his career in 2020 and should continue to be a massive asset for his fantasy owners for the upcoming playoff run.

Honorable Mentions: Will Fuller (Texans), Jarvis Landry (Browns), Allen Robinson (Bears)

LVP: Tyler Lockett (Seahawks) 

D.K. Metcalf was the only Seahawk that really did anything of note in the passing game on Monday night and Lockett's sad statline (3 REC/23 YDS) is a testament to how good job of the Eagles did at containing everyone that wasn't wearing #14. The relatively up-and-down Lockett will look to bounce back against a solid-ish Giants secondary in Week 13. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Tyler Boyd (Bengals), Darius Slayton (Giants), Christian Kirk (Cardinals)

Tight End

MVP: Dallas Goedert (Eagles)

In a rough outing for the entire Eagles offense against the Seahawks, Goedert emerged as the lone bright spot-putting up 7 catches for 75 YDS and a TD. Even with Zach Ertz presumably returning for this week's game against the Packers, Goedert should gobble up enough targets in this talent-depleted receiving corps to remain a viable TE1. 

Honorable Mentions: Robert Tonyan (Packers), Evan Engram (Giants), Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers) 

LVP: Jonnu Smith (Titans)

Derrick Henry's aforementioned monster performance effectively took Smith out of the gameplan, as he didn't even see a target on a day where Ryan Tannehill only attempted 22 passes. The largely TE-dependent Smith should be more involved in Week 13 when the Titans square off with a Browns defense that is weaker against the pass than the run.

Dishonorable Mentions: Jared Cook (Saints), Darren Waller (Raiders), Noah Fant (Broncos)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Rams 

Despite coming out on the losing end of a 23-20 rock fight with the 49ers, the Rams D shined once again forcing 3 turnovers (1 INT, 2 FUM REC's), getting 2 sacks and only surrendering 17 points (one of San Fran's TD's was a pick 6). This group may be the most underrated in the league right now and another strong performance in Week 13 against a suddenly vulnerable Cardinals offense should be in the cards.

Honorable Mentions: Packers, Dolphins, Steelers

LVP: Browns 

The Browns D proved their below average status by failing to get a sack or takeaway in their 28-25 victory over the Mike Glennon-led Jaguars last Sunday. Don't bother starting them again until they play the Jets in Week 16.

Dishonorable Mentions: Colts, Bears, Chiefs

2020 NFL Power Rankings: Week 13

 ()=previous ranking

1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) Week 13 opponent: Denver Broncos

2.(2) Pittsburgh Steelers (11-0) Week 13 opponent: Washington Football Team

3.(3) New Orleans Saints (9-2) Week 13 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

4.(5) Green Bay Packers (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

5.(7) Seattle Seahawks (8-3) Week 13 opponent: New York Giants

6.(10) Tennessee Titans (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Cleveland Browns

7.(8) Buffalo Bills (8-3) Week 13 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

8.(4) Indianapolis Colts (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Houston Texans

9.(6) Los Angeles Rams (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

10.(12) Cleveland Browns (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Tennessee Titans

11.(15) Miami Dolphins (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

12.(9) Arizona Cardinals (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

13.(13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) Week 13 opponent: Bye

14.(11) Baltimore Ravens (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

15.(16) Minnesota Vikings (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

16.(14) Las Vegas Raiders (6-5) Week 13 opponent: New York Jets

17.(17) New England Patriots (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

18.(19) San Francisco 49ers (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Buffalo Bills

19.(22) New York Giants (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

20.(25) Houston Texans (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

21.(27) Atlanta Falcons (4-7) Week 13 opponent: New Orleans Saints

22.(28) Washington Football Team (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

23.(18) Chicago Bears (5-6) Week 13 opponent: Detroit Lions

24.(20) Carolina Panthers (4-8) Week 13 opponent: Bye

25.(21) Denver Broncos (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

26.(24) Los Angeles Chargers (3-8) Week 13 opponent: New England Patriots

27.(26) Philadelphia Eagles (3-7-1) Week 13 opponent: Green Bay Packers

28.(23) Detroit Lions (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Chicago Bears

29.(29) Dallas Cowboys (3-8) Week 13 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

30.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (2-8-1) Week 13 opponent: Miami Dolphins

31.(31) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10) Week 13 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

32.(32) New York Jets (0-11) Week 13 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

Quick Movie Reviews: Freaky, Run, Hillbilly Elegy, Happiest Season

Freaky: The master of slasher reworkings of classic films Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) is at it again with Freaky-which takes the body swap mechanics of Freaky Friday and applies them to a story involving a high school senior (Kathryn Newton) and masked serial killer known as The Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn) that switch places after the Butcher stabs his intended victim with a stolen enchanted dagger. An R-rating and a pair of leads that fully commit to their spiritual switcheroo allow Landon to dig fully into his bag of tricks and create the ultimate goofy, gory slasher comedy that pays homage to the genre classics while carving out its own voice that is reflective of today's society. It's a shame that just about everyone outside of Australia-where the movie is currently enjoying a successful theatrical run- will be deprived of seeing this with a crowd because this is the type of movie that would work even better with an audience to feed off its slick energy, wild kills and amusing body swap shenanigans.      

Grade: B+

Run: Writer/director Aneesh Chaganty quickly made a name for himself in the summer of 2018 with the release of Searching, a tightly-made mystery thriller that featured an innovative storytelling style and career-best work from John Cho as a widowed father heading up a search for his missing daughter. His follow-up Run proves that cinephiles were perhaps too quick to crown him the next great genre director. This is the rare "psychological" thriller that is in short supply of everything besides idiocy and unintentional comedy. Chaganty displays no feel for the material as he shifts from 0 to 100 on a whim without ever bothering to build suspense, the script starts piling on boneheaded twists/narrative contrivances around the halfway mark until it arrives at a preposterous conclusion that spawns perhaps the most gut-bustlingly funny scene of 2020 and the acting from both newcomer Kiera Allen and the typically great Sarah Paulson fails to convince. Even with the big time potential stinker Songbird set for release in 10 days, it's going to take some monumental ineptitude for anything released for the rest of the year to top the jaw-dropping stupidity that drives this stunningly hacky film.         

Grade: D

Hillbilly Elegy: Full disclosure: I know nothing about J.D Vance or the accuracy of the events depicted in the film or the memoir in which its based on. What I will say is that having acting titans Amy Adams and Glenn Close onboard does wonders for an otherwise pretty vanilla family melodrama that's mostly set in rural Ohio in the late 90's/early 2000's. They bring a sense of passion, gravitas and emotional honesty to the screen that keeps this story compelling as it works its way through the soapy troubled upbringing playbook (abuse, addiction, death, bad behavior, eventual forgiveness/redemption) that audiences have seen a million times. While I'm not confident if that's enough for either of them to win the Oscars that have somehow alluded them throughout their careers, they certainly both deserve nominations for working their magic and significantly elevating this project.    

Grade: B

Happiest Season: Happiest Season may be a minor film in the grand scheme of the cinematic artform, but it's going to have a major impact on a number of people. A mainstream Christmas movie has never been led by gay characters before and this subtly groundbreaking moment thankfully occurs in a quality project. Although the film poignantly deals with the underdiscussed issue of members of the LBTQ community who chose to remain in the closet to their family out of the fear that they'll disown them if that revelation comes to light, it remains a very traditional holiday-set romantic comedy at its corps. Its got the effortlessly likable main character (Kristen Stewart-adding yet another notch to her increasing acting range) struggling to get along with the family (Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Alison Brie, Mary Holland-who is the unsung MVP of the entire movie) of her partner (Mackenzie Davis) upon meeting them for the first time, relationship strains caused by the behavioral/environmental changes that stem from one half of the couple returning home, supporting characters (Dan Levy, Aubrey Plaza) breezing into add accelerant to the situational comedy and offer some sage advice to Stewart's character and of course, the big, sappy finale where all of the problems that had emerged along the way wash away with an almost supernatural ease and everybody lives happily ever. To put it more succinctly, it hits all of its intended warm, whimsical notes with ease and subsequently solidifies itself as a no-brainer addition to any seasonal viewing rotation.       

Grade: B  

David Fincher Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of David Fincher-whose latest project "Mank" debuts on Netflix this Friday.

David Fincher's Filmography Ranked:

8.The Game (C)

7.Panic Room (C+)

6.Zodiac (B)

5.Seven (A-)

4.The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (A)

3.The Social Network (A)

2.Gone Girl (A)

1.Fight Club (A+)

Top Dog: Fight Club (1999)

I'm not a big reader, but Fight Club is an incredible novel that ranks very high on the shortlist of books I would call my favorites. Fincher's film adaptation pulled off the unthinkable by actually improving upon the spectacular source material. Courtesy of an overload of visceral punk energy and ensemble cast (Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Jared Leto, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier) that fearlessly tackled this complex material that could've easily gone sideways in the hands of less committed performers, Fincher brought the dark wit, rampant mindfuckery and smart commentary on toxic masculinity that drives the novel to life in truly flawless fashion.

Lowlight: The Game (1997)

Gone Girl showed that Fincher could gracefully handle a thriller that is full of salacious, unexpected and borderline insane turns. Whether it was because of his relative inexperience as a narrative filmmaker at the time of its release or just poor writing, his first crack with material of that nature didn't go nearly as well. The Game squanders a strong start that is full of Fincher's signature tension/narrative misdirection with a flurry of convoluted plot twists and a truly awful climactic reveal that cheapens the entire mystery that drives the plot.

Most Underrated: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

English language remakes often get killed on principle in film nerd circles and there have been some cases in recent years (Oldboy, The Upside) where the American versions fell short of the quality of the subtitled original. Then there are instances like with Fincher's version of the Swedish mystery thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo where the quality is the same, if not better as the initial film. Fincher's gift for creating tense, haunting atmospheres made him the perfect director to bring this bleak yet compelling slow burn of a story to a wider audience and the astonishing work Rooney Mara does as Lisbeth Salander-the hacker protagonist with a traumatic past-has a layer of visible emotional anguish beneath the character's stoic intensity that Noomi Rapace's more widely lauded performance simply didn't have. 

Most Overrated: Zodiac (2007)

Zodiac is a smart, well-acted mystery thriller that does a good job of introducing the lore of perhaps the most notorious serial killer in American history to unfamiliar audiences, I'm just not onboard with the increasingly popular take that it's one of the best movies of the past 20 years. Its 157-minute runtime is kind of hard to justify considering the several pockets of narrative dead air that arise throughout and while inevitable considering that the identity of the Zodiac has never been discovered, the ambiguous ending is a letdown after spending 2.5 hours watching people dedicate their lives to figuring out who was responsible for the killings. 

An Entire Paragraph Gushing About Gone Girl:

While truly excellent films tend to emerge at least a few times every year, it's not very often that something floors you to the point where it renders you speechless. The last time this phenomenon occurred to me was a little over six years ago when I saw Gone Girl in theaters on opening night. Making a project that succeeds as a twisty mystery thriller and a wide-ranging satire requires smart writing, confident directing and dynamic acting to pull off and the efforts of the individuals responsible for helping pull off this delicate balancing act can not be undersold. Gillian Flynn's script is immensely detailed and completely unpredictable, Fincher manufactures a feeling of uneasiness that maximizes the effectiveness of the frequent game-changing revelations this story offers up and the acting of everyone from leads Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck down to the small supporting players such as Kim Dickens, Casey Wilson and Tyler Perry couldn't have possibly been any better.

Week 11 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2020 Edition

Quarterback
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans)

A Patriots team that was just starting to build confidence ran into a buzzsaw this week in the form of peak Watson. The Texans QB put together an absolute gem of a performance against a defense that had looked pretty good in recent weeks-throwing for 344 YDS and 2 TD's while adding another 36 YDS and TD on the ground. Watson has overcome a slow start and poor supporting cast on both sides of the ball to put forth another incredible season and will look to keep rolling against a soft Lions defense on Thanksgiving.

Honorable Mentions: Justin Herbert (Chargers), Jared Goff (Rams), Taysom Hill (Saints)

LVP: Matt Ryan (Falcons)

Julio Jones' absence for most of the game along with the Saints resurgent defense teeing off on him was a very bad formula for Ryan-who finished with 232 YDS, 0 TD's and 2 INT's in another rough loss for the Falcons. Even if Jones' hamstring issue holds him out, Ryan should be able to rebound in Week 12 against a putrid Raiders secondary. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Buccaneers), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Matthew Stafford (Lions)

Running Back

MVP: Dalvin Cook (Vikings) 

While it was a modest performance (160 scrimmage YDS, TD and a lost fumble on 32 touches) in comparison to the complete eviscerations of the Lions and Packers he put together earlier this month, Cook's strong showing against the Cowboys allowed him to return to the top of the RB leaderboards a week after being effectively shut down by the Bears. 2020's Fantasy Football MVP has a date with the Panthers improving, but still not very good rush D next.   

Honorable Mentions: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs), Derrick Henry (Titans), Melvin Gordon (Broncos)

LVP: Duke Johnson (Texans)

On a day where everyone from starters in Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller down to scarcely-used backups like Jordan Akins and Keke Coutee were contributing for the Texans offense, Johnson was seemingly the only one left out of the fun. The interim starting running back got stuffed on every handoff (10 CAR/15 YDS) and only added 3 catches for 20 YDS in his traditional checkdown role in the passing game. Johnson will once again be a volatile RB3/FLEX play against the Lions terrible defense. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Ronald Jones (Buccaneers), Todd Gurley (Falcons), Adrian Peterson (Lions)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Adam Thielen (Vikings) 

A week after getting outshined by Justin Jefferson in Chicago, Thielen reminded the promising rookie that he's still the top wideout on the team by dominating the Cowboys poor secondary for 123 YDS and 2 TD's on 8 catches. Unfortunately, Thielen was added to the COVID list yesterday (seemingly as a close contact, not a positive test), so his status for Week 12 is up in the air for now.  

Honorable Mentions: Keenan Allen (Chargers), Robert Woods (Rams), Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)

LVP: Marquise Brown (Ravens)

Brown's brutal 2020 campaign arguably hit a new low on Sunday when he no-showed in a prime matchup against a banged-up Titans secondary- failing to secure any of his 3 targets in a tough OT loss for the struggling Ravens. While Lamar Jackson's poor passing season certainly hasn't helped his development in year 2, Brown's habit of dropping passes and struggling to get open has made him a difficult guy to trust in an offense that is starving for reliable pass-catchers outside of Mark Andrews. For now, he shouldn't be started and deserves to be viewed as a prospective drop candidate in 10-team leagues. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Jarvis Landry (Browns), Tee Higgins (Bengals), Travis Fulgham (Eagles) 

Tight End

MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs) 

I honestly should just start penciling Kelce's name into this spot before the games are even played. The Raiders were the latest team to be victimized by the All-Pro-who posted 8 catches for 127 YDS and a way too easy game-winning TD. Anybody who took Kelce early in the draft has been treated to even better than usual production from the future HOF'er and is probably at the very least in the title hunt because of it.  

Honorable Mentions: Mark Andrews (Ravens), Darren Waller (Raiders), Dallas Goedert (Eagles)

LVP: Hayden Hurst (Falcons) 

Hurst has needed Matt Ryan to be really cooking to produce this season, so it's not particularly shocking that he put up a goose egg in what was arguably the worst game of the year for his quarterback so far. A bad Raiders defense will give Hurst a great chance to get back in the good graces of his fantasy owners. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers), Logan Thomas (Washington Football Team), Jared Cook (Saints)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Browns 

A streaming option that actually delivered in 2020? Say it ain't so! The Browns generally average-to-below-average defense was treated to all of the joys of playing against the sloppy, often bonehead Eagles offense as they secured 5 sacks, 2 INT's (including a crucial pick 6 early in the game), FUM REC and a safety in their 24-17 victory on Sunday. They'll be on the streaming radar again in Week 12 when they take on the stumbling Jaguars  

Honorable Mentions: Steelers, Saints, Washington Football Team

LVP: Patriots

It's not like a Bill Belichick-coached team to fail to exploit an opponent's weakness, but that's exactly what happened on Sunday. The Pats failed to secure a sack or a takeaway in their 27-20 loss to the Texans, despite Houston being without left tackle (and only reliable offensive lineman) Laremy Tunsil. This surprisingly up-and-down group won't be a viable starting option against a dynamic Cardinals offense in Week 12.

Dishonorable Mentions: Buccaneers, Vikings, Ravens

2020 NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

 =previous ranking

1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) Week 12 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

2.(2) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-0) Week 12 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

3.(4) New Orleans Saints (8-2) Week 12 opponent: Denver Broncos

4.(6) Indianapolis Colts (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Tennessee Titans

5.(3) Green Bay Packers (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Chicago Bears

6.(10) Los Angeles Rams (7-3) Week 12 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

7.(13) Seattle Seahawks (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

8.(8) Buffalo Bills (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

9.(7) Arizona Cardinals (6-4) Week 12 opponent: New England Patriots

10.(12) Tennessee Titans (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

11.(5) Baltimore Ravens (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

12.(15) Cleveland Browns (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

13.(11) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4) Week 12 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

14.(14) Las Vegas Raiders (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

15.(9) Miami Dolphins (6-4) Week 12 opponent: New York Jets

16.(16) Minnesota Vikings (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Carolina Panthers

17.(17) New England Patriots (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

18.(18) Chicago Bears (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Green Bay Packers

19.(20) San Francisco 49ers (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

20.(24) Carolina Panthers (4-7) Week 12 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

21.(26) Denver Broncos (4-6) Week 12 opponent: New Orleans Saints

22.(23) New York Giants (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

23.(19) Detroit Lions (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Houston Texans

24.(27) Los Angeles Chargers (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Buffalo Bills 

25.(28) Houston Texans (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Detroit Lions

26.(21) Philadelphia Eagles (3-6-1) Week 12 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

27.(22) Atlanta Falcons (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

28.(29) Washington Football Team (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

29.(30) Dallas Cowboys (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Washington Football Team

30.(25) Cincinnati Bengals (2-7-1) Week 12 opponent: New York Giants

31.(31) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9) Week 12 opponent: Cleveland Browns

32.(32) New York Jets (0-10) Week 12 opponent: Miami Dolphins

Amy Adams Ranked

 Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Amy Adams-whose latest project "Hillbilly Elegy" hits Netflix tomorrow. 

Amy Adams' Filmography Ranked:

21.Man of Steel (D)

20.Sunshine Cleaning (C-)

19.Julie & Julia (C)

18.Junebug (C+)

17.Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (B-)

16.The Muppets (B-)

15.Charlie Wilson's War (B)

14.Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (B)

13.Nocturnal Animals (B)

12.Big Eyes (B+)

11.Trouble with the Curve (B+)

10.Justice League (B+)

9.Catch Me If You Can (B+)

8.Her (B+)

7.Drop Dead Gorgeous (B+)

6.Vice (A-)

5.Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (A-)

4.Doubt (A-)

3.Arrival (A-)

2.The Fighter (A)

1.American Hustle (A) 

Top Dog: American Hustle (2013)

Slick writing, infectious energy and a magnificent acting ensemble (Christian Bale, Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Michael Pena, Robert De Niro) makes American Hustle a brilliant crime drama that ranks near the top of David O. Russell's terrific filmography.  

Lowlight: Man of Steel (2013)

Re-releasing Catwoman would've been the only way the DCU could've got off to a worse start than it did with Man of Steel. With its combination of glacial pacing, needlessly chaotic action sequences and acting that is either stiff to the point where it appears rigor mortis has set in (Henry Cavill, Adams, Diane Lane) or unfittingly over-the-top (Michael Shannon), Zack Snyder's first (and only solo) Superman film is a boring, catastrophically messy disaster that flirts with hitting the rock bottom of the superhero genre.  

Most Overrated: Julie & Julia (2009)

While there's certainly some enjoyment to be had in watching Meryl Streep's uncanny Julia Child impression, it's not enough to propel Julia & Julia out of its deep-rooted mediocrity. The late Nora Ephron's swan song aims to weave together the stories of Child's rise from bored housewife of a US diplomat (Stanley Tucci) to culinary icon and a New York-based call center worker (Adams) who re-discovers her passion for writing after starting a blog that details her journey cooking her way through Child's The Art of French Cooking over the course of a year, but only the portions with Child are consistently engaging-leaving this as an uneven and overlong biopic that misses its heartwarming target. 

Most Underrated: Doubt (2008)

I'd argue that Doubt is one of the most overlooked films of the past 20 years. This adaptation of the Tony Award winning-play uses its understated direction and performances from its tiny cast (Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffmann, Adams, Viola Davis) to craft a complex, morally ambiguous story about an alleged sexual assault by a priest at a Bronx Catholic School in the 1960's that offers no clean or easy answers about the innerworkings of the Catholic Church or the incident itself.   

Top Cult Classic: Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

Beauty pageants are the perfect target for a mockumentary and Drop Dead Gorgeous hits the bullseye with ease. By deeply committing to skewering the ruthlessness, superficiality and abundant absurdity that defines the subculture, the writer/director team of Michael Patrick Jann and Lona Williams are able to craft a pitch black satire that uses its heightened real world observations to fuel a smart, bitingly hilarious comedy that was practically readymade for passionate niche audiences.                    

Most Inexplicable Faceplant: Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

How does one waste the talent of Adams and Emily Blunt? Cast them in a charmless indie dramedy of course! Sunshine Cleaning is a product of the post-Garden State indie wave where quirky melodramas that dealt with "taboo subjects" like mental illness or teen pregnancy were the hottest shit on the scene and while its never as insufferable as Zack Braff's Hall of Fame pseudo-intellectual circle jerk, its clumsy commentary on handling the suicide of a loved one and unmemorable characters make it a relatively miserable watch.