July Out

The Hurt Locker has been getting such amazing reviews, I had to check it out. My review isn't quite as glowing as the others, but I can understand why everyone has been raving about it. Set in Baghdad in 2004, The Hurt Locker tells the story of Bravo Company's bomb squad, an expert crew whose responsibility is to defuse (or otherwise extinguish) explosives. The movie more than delivers its share of suspense and tension. At times it's riveting. What else stands out are the strong performances from a mostly not-so-famous cast. What was missing for me, however, was a unifying story. So much of the film was just day after day of defusing bombs, which can be entertaining, but wains after a while. There's no real arc or journey to follow. Additionally, the film severely lacked character development, which prohibited me from really caring or getting involved with the characters on screen.

The tagline is "There's something wrong with Esther." I'd like to change that to "There are some things wrong with Esther." Or better yet, "Esther is messed up. Big time." After the loss of their unborn child, Kate and Tom Sullivan (Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard) adopt Esther, a nine-year-old girl, who has....issues. Orphan begins with a horrific nightmare and soon finds its footing as a satisfying drama with a couple of thrills. I really liked the family dynamic here - especially Farmiga and Sarsgaard. I wish we could have explored their relationship a little further. What also stands out in this film are the children. Isabelle Fuhrman, as the title psycho, is extraordinarily evil and so dang good at it. The Sullivan's other two young children played by Jimmy Bennett and Aryana Engineer are also exceptional. Orphan is not for the squeamish, as some scenes do become quite graphically violent, but if you're looking for a good summer thriller, I'd give it a go.

Ah, Summer. I've been waiting for months for the release of 500 Days of Summer. And the previews were right - this is not a love story, this is a story about love. The authenticity of this film really got me. It doesn't shy away from the ugly relationship stuff and does its best to present an accurate, non-Hollywood, version of love. It presents the happy, wonderful moments of course, but I think the movie excels when it shows the heartbreak and utter despair and anguish without glossing over it. What knocks this movie out of the park for me is the cast. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Tom) and Zooey Deschanel (Summer) are simply wonderful together. I say simply because their chemistry and character portrayals appear completely effortless. We see Summer and understand how Tom could fall in love with her. We see Tom and understand his sorrow over losing Summer. 500 Days of Summer is blithe while being grounded in something real.

And just to note, I saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince again and totally loved it more the second time!

Harry Potter!

I always seem to be disappointed with the Harry Potter films. Not because they are weak films, but because I've read each of the seven books at least twice. Because the books are so great, the films always seem like a let down. I do love every Harry Potter film (and was giddy with excitement for the sixth enstallment), but because I know what happens next or what's left out of each story, it always feels like the films are choppy and rushed. It's hard to view them in a purely movie context. However, in my attempt to do just that, I have to say that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is a great movie and stayed relatively true to the book. I'm most appreciative when scenes and even dialogue are lifted straight from Rowling herself. Even the some of the omitted material didn't bother me too much. (For example, the end battle sequence at Hogwarts was cut, but I think it's for the best since Deathly Hallows covers the same material). What does irk me is when the filmmakers cut sequences from the book, but then go ahead and make up their own scenes to use instead, i.e. the attack on the Burrow. Absolutely unnecessary. Even though I thought it was lacking some action and excitement, I really enjoyed Half Blood Prince for the wonderful humor, story and further character development. I think it serves as a great set up for Deathly Hallows and I can't wait!

I'm Brüno

Yes, I saw Brüno. Yes, it is the most inappropriate, offensive, vulgar movie since Borat. Yes, it is wildly laugh out loud funny. And yes, I did it enjoy it quite a bit.

WICKED!!!

Best week ever! I was able to catch two (two!) performances this week of the Broadway musical Wicked. I absolutely love this show. The music is wonderful, the characters are incredibly delightful and it is laugh out loud funny. Additionally, the story is uplifting and inspiring; and teaches friendship, acceptance and equality without ever losing its zest or charm. Wicked is enormously engaging and beyond bewitching.

The movie of choice this Independence Day weekend was Public Enemies. Johnny Depp portrays famous bank robber John Dillinger and Christian Bale plays Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent trying to catch him. I liked how the movie started already mid-story, there was no boring exposition to sit through. Solid performances from the three leads - Depp, Bale and Marion Cotillard as Dillinger's love interest - also worked. While I was never really bored and quite enjoyed the cat and mouse moments, I don't think the movie needed to be as long as it was and it ultimately left me wanting just a little more.