There you go being a curmudgeon again. Try The Help, Moneyball, Margin Call, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Zodiac and Contagion. Any CGI in any of those is purely incidental to avoid mat paintings (it’s a lot easier to make movies in the past with some CGI for skylines and stuff).
You can stay on your rock, but complaining it’s not comfortable is all on you. If what you want is actors acting no thrills no spills no CGI watch Winters Bones. It’s on Netflix instant, it’s one of the best movies that’s been made in years. If you don’t watch it you lose all ability to complain about the quality of movies being made, if you do watch it there’s a 50/50 shot it will replace Silence as your favorite movie.
Well, even though I maintain my rock position, I hadn’t seen Contagion yet and am interested to, and Winters Bones, though I’ve not heard of it, sounds intruiging based upon your statement.
What I really lament in movies these days is the move away from plot driven movies to special effects driven movies, and the non replenishing of acting talent, for the most part, in Hollywood.
‘Zodiac’ is one of my favorite American films of the decade. It improves with each viewing.