Well it's over. And I'm just a little glad. Five movies in one day is a strain, but it's a bigger strain if they aren't the best movies. And of the bunch there isn't one I'd wholeheartedly recommend. Next year I'm going to go easy on movies in the few weeks running up to my birthday so as to leave some winners. And I may pull back to four movies next year. Give myself a chance to breathe and, more importantly, eat. Anyhoo, here's the rundown.

• Closer: A think I'm a little too pro-marriage to enjoy this one. It just came across as nasty to me. Though Natalie Portman did look very hot in that pink wig.
• The Aviator: The best of the bunch, and much much better than Gangs of New York by the same director and star. Is it superficial for me to say Hughes' womanizing should have had more on-screen time? As for Cate Blanchett's much-lauded turn as Katherine Hepburn, I love Cate and she did a great job but I never forgot it was her.
• Ocean's Twelve: This franchise remains surprisingly strong after eleven sequels. Mostly suffered from the sense that the filmmakers expected us to remember (and adore) everything about the last movie.
• House of Flying Daggers: Pretty, very very pretty, with amazing fight choreography. But a few too many attempted rapes for my simple tastes.
• Phantom of the Opera: Without question the best movie that could be made of this musical, which I know by heart. But after seeing it on stage and now on screen I must conclude that it's rather boring. I left about half an hour early and didn't feel that I'd missed anything.

Already looking forward to next year.