The Fighter

With Black Swan last week and The Fighter this week, it's nice to finally be surrounded by good movies. I thought The Fighter was great. It's one of those movies that sucks you in and just makes you want to stand up and cheer. The last 20 minutes or so completely won me over. Very inspiring. There wasn't a bad performance in this picture. Mark Wahlberg as a quiet, gentle giant was the perfect contrast to Christian Bale's wild persona. Amy Adams and Melissa Leo were equally as good.

December 10 Weekend

I don't think I went to the movies the weekend of the 3rd, so let's skip ahead...

Black Swan opened in town. Of course, seeing it was the first thing I did Saturday morning. I've been obsessed with the trailer for months. You never know what you're going to get with director Darren Aronofsky, but it's always interesting. Natalie Portman plays Nina Sayers, a New York City dancer who is cast as the lead in the company's new production of Swan Lake. What follows is a nice little mind game of is Nina having a psychotic breakdown or is the new dancer in town - Mila Kunis - really after her? This movie is stunning to look at. The cinematography and the direction are just exceptional. Equally amazing are the actors. Portman and Kunis are great, as are Vincent Cassel and a very creepy Barbara Hershey.

Two big name movie stars sharing the screen doesn't always equal success. Does anyone remember the garbage that was The Mexican with Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt? While The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, wasn't as bad as The Mexican, it definitely was worse than a movie starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie should be. First of all, both of them were unbearably dull! How can you have a movie where both leads are completely void of emotion and facial expressions? I just wanted at least one of them to move their face! The direction bothered me too. It seemed like the director was too focused on showing the audience, "ooh, look at all the pretty places we filmed."

Thanksgiving Weekend

I was out of town for the holiday, so I missed my usual post-feast movie magic.

Two days later, however, I was able to catch my THIRD showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.
A-W-E-S-O-M-E







When I got back into town, I took in a showing of Love and Other Drugs. I'm a sucker for movies with leads whom I adore and who are adorable. Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal definitely fall into that category. While the movie itself isn't spectacular - it's fine, don't get me wrong - I think it's entertaining and worth seeing for Hathaway and Gyllenhaal. They work great together.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

One of the most important events in the history of movies happened this weekend - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 was released! I've only seen it twice so far. How was it? In a word - AMAZING.

I wish every Harry Potter film had been broken into two movies. They always seem so rushed and choppy, hurrying through every scene. There's a noticeable change in the pacing of Deathly Hallows; it takes its time. It's what every Harry Potter movie should have been - slowly going through the complex stories and infinite details of the characters and plot. It's full of the little things that make the book so enjoyable. That's not to say that Deathly Hallows moves slowly. It doesn't. The 2 1/2 hour running time goes by in a blink of an eye. What makes Deathly Hallows so good is just how closely the movie follows the book. Small scenes, observations and even dialogue are lifted straight from the book and featured in the movie. As an avid reader of the series, I know that's all I ever really want. The storytelling is so good here and what's even better are the performances by everyone, especially the three leads - Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Each has always gotten better from one film to the next, but they all seem to have really stepped it up a notch here. They were on another level. So good! I have to single out Watson for a moment. Never having acted professionally before she was cast as Hermione, she was a revelation in Deathly Hallows. She really blossomed in this installment and came into her own. Deathly Hallows is phenomenal and I can't wait for Part 2.

Hard to believe, but other movies opened this weekend too. Danny Boyle's follow up to Slumdog Millionaire is 127 Hours. Starring James Franco, 127 Hours is the true story of adventurer Aron Ralston who becomes trapped in a canyon when his arm gets pinned by a boulder. This is a tricky film. How entertaining could it be to watch someone stuck in one place for 90 minutes? Turns out very. Boyle deserves a lot of credit here for transcending that possible boundary. The rest of the credit goes to Franco for carrying a film that's more or less just him in a canyon. Great performance by Franco.

The Next Three Days is a very sharp, nice thriller from the director of Crash. When his wife (Elizabeth Banks) is wrongly convicted of murder, Russell Crowe sets out on a plan to break her out of jail. What follows is a very suspenseful story and just a good, solid movie.

Slacker!

Slacker, thy name is The Q. I've been neglecting my blog lately.

Week of November 5

Due Date was a bit of a disappointment. Of course it was funny, but I didn't find it to be consistently funny throughout, like I was expecting. I'm right in the middle on this one - not great, not bad.






She's not a big box office draw, but Hilary Swank has an awesome knack for playing such strong characters. Her role in Conviction is a nice addition to her repertoire. Really strong performances all around here. Very good flick.





Week of Nov 12

Clearly, I could focus on nothing else this week than a new Rachel McAdams movie. The icing on top? She's romancing Patrick Wilson! The casting gods have smiled upon me! The first time I saw Morning Glory (of course I've already seen it twice!), I was a little disappointed that it wasn't perfect and the best movie of all time. Clearly, my expectations were too high. Upon second viewing though, I very much enjoyed the picture. I found it funnier and much more entertaining the second time. And ugh, could Rachel and Patrick be cuter? Geez!

Megamind was great! I typically avoid these kiddie cartoons, but this one is pretty entertaining and actually rather funny.







I'm surprised to say that Unstoppable is quite good! Super exciting and suspenseful. Who knew a train could be so menacing? Good stuff!

New Beginnings

Last week...

It'd been too long since I'd been to the theatre, so I had to see the stage production of Beauty and the Beast for the third time. They've changed the show a little bit since the last time I saw it, but it's still magnifique!





Clint Eastwood movies are like their own genre. There's so often just this peace to his pictures and a warmth to his characters. While I'll concede that Hereafter does not match his previous films like The Bridges of Madison County and Million Dollar Baby, it is a very good picture. Built around the unifying theme of death, Hereafter is a multi-storyline plot that all comes together at the end. It's not exciting and it's not flashy, but the story is solid and the performances are so good that you can't help but enjoy the movie.

Black and Blue and Red All Over

After a long week, there's nothing you want more than to watch a movie that requires you to think so little that your mind actually goes in reverse. Jackass 3D is one such movie. I can't review this like a normal film. No plot. No performances. No screenplay. Jackass is a movie that makes you laugh, cringe, and grimace. Why it works is because it does those things so well in a very entertaining fashion.

Red was terribly fun! I really liked this movie. Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren star as ex-CIA agents trying to survive a hit. How does that not sound brilliant? Red is very funny (thanks in large part to a great performance by Mary-Louise Parker), full of action and is just unique and fun.

Life's Kind of Funny

A great, smaller picture I caught this weekend was It's Kind of a Funny Story. It's about Craig, a 16 year old kid who checks himself into a psyche ward to deal with his depression. It's not the most upbeat plot synopsis, but along the way Craig helps other patients, falls in love and even comes to terms with the issues in his own life. It's Kind of a Funny Story is a very entertaining and sweet picture.

Holly (Heigl) and Messer (Duhamel) become unexpected parents when their best friends die in a car crash, leaving them custody of their one year old daughter in Life as We Know It. There wasn't a person in the theater who didn't know how this movie was going to go. That's okay if the journey there is entertaining. And for the most part, it was. Heigl and Duhamel are a nice onscreen couple and the movie had a surprisingly high number of laughs. My only question is when did Josh Lucas become second fiddle to Josh Duhamel? Actually, I take that back...my second question is, where the hell has Josh Lucas been? Welcome back!

Welcome October

Well, September's over, so that means the good movies can come out and play.

Buried was not an easy film to sit through. Ryan Reynolds portrays Paul, an American truck driver working in Iraq who is taken hostage, placed in a coffin and buried alive. The entire picture takes place within the coffin. The effects this strategy has on the audience is obvious. And it works. Buried is a "gimmick" movie, but it's a very good, unique and well acted movie too.

Speaking of good movies, I have to say that The Social Network is one of the best movies of the year. Little can go wrong when you have David Fincher (amazing!) helming a movie with a script penned by Aaron Sorkin (genius!). What's great about this movie is that it's non-stop. It dives right in from the second it starts and doesn't stop moving until the end credits roll. There's never a dull moment and it's entertaining the entire time. I can't praise Fincher and Sorkin enough.

Very September

And we're back to tradition. That didn't last long. Last weekend proved the point that September is home to some of the poorer film releases of the year.

Judging by the trailer, You Again looked like a potentially promising romantic comedy. It turned out to just be a marginally enjoyable trailer. The film itself had nothing going for it. It just wasn't funny. I really liked the idea of it and in better hands I think it could have actually been a good movie.


Not terrible, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps wasn't terrific either. At times I really liked it - all the slick business moves and dialogue were fun; and I thought LeBeouf was great in what felt like his first truly grown up role. Mulligan was great also, but that goes without saying. What I didn't like were the out of place transitions, too many montages and the unnecessary length of the picture. Had it been shorter and tighter, I think it would have been better.

Very Un-September

The worst movies of the year are traditionally released in September and January. That tradition seems to be slowly changing though. Case in point - the movies this weekend. Two very good films!

Easy A is that rare teen comedy that's actually funny and clever. Emma Stone plays Olive, a high school student who uses her fictional bedroom escapades to put herself on the social map. What's great about Easy A is that it's aware it's a teen comedy. It knows all the genre cliches and that makes it in on the joke, not the butt of it. In addition to Stone (who is perfect in this role), Easy A also features great performances by Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Amanda Bynes and the duo of Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as Olive's parents is terrific! A very good movie!

From light hearted comedy to very serious drama. The Town is Ben Affleck's second directorial effort about a group of bank robbers in the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown. This film too is held together by an exceptional cast - Affleck, Rebecca Hall (great!), Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively (great role for her - very different), and Chris Cooper. Affleck has emerged as a great filmmaker and I think he's very good at capturing ambiance and creating atmosphere in his films.

Sharp!

I'm currently distracted with some guilty pleasure television viewing, so just some quick reviews...

Going the Distance was great. Funny and sweet and it was nice to see a somewhat realistic portrayal of relationships.








I loved the Grindhouse pictures and while I don't think Machete was quite as awesome, it was still super fun and gory.

Bait and Switch

Last week.....

A good B movie is always fun, so I checked out Piranha. No, seriously. Clearly not a thinking man's piece, the only requirement of this film was to be kinda dumb and entertaining. And luckily for me, it succeeded. While I didn't enjoy that it was basically a Girls Gone Wild video, I did think the movie was over the top and funny enough to be a "winner." My only real complaint for a movie like this is that it wasn't quite campy enough. The filmmakers almost took their film too seriously, the humor could have been even broader and funnier.


I might be over hyping this a little, but I totally loved The Switch. I think it's one of Jennifer Aniston's best movies. Your best friend hijacking your planned insemination isn't really a storyline you see a lot - or ever - so I was really won over by the unique plot. The stellar cast didn't hurt either. I could watch Jason Bateman read the phone book. Everything he says is hilarious. Jeff Goldblum was great as well and Patrick Wilson...*sigh* Oh, Patrick Wilson..... Anyway, I thought The Switch was very sweet and funny. And that little boy was adorable!

Around the World

If you like your movies entertaining and full of fun, then Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is your best bet. I really enjoyed this movie. Based on the popular graphic novels, Scott Pilgrim is overflowing with pop culture references, clever dialogue and style. My goodness, the style! The filmmakers really geeked this movie out and it's all the better for it. Not going all out in this context would have been a bad choice. As Scott battles each of Ramona's evil exes, there's no denying the escalating humor and jubilance.

I'm all for letting yourself go and marveling at the world, but I don't think Eat Pray Love quite hit all the right notes here. I don't think the first half hour or so is particularly great and I wasn't buying James Franco and Julia Roberts as a couple. Thankfully once Jules began her trip, the film found its stride. Particularly enjoyable were the locals that Jules met on her journey. Richard Jenkins and Javier Bardem were both outstanding. These small roles made a big difference. For me, this film definitely inspired me to travel and see the world, and it was entertaining, I just wasn't all that attached or invested in Jules' self discovery.

The Other Guys

Can anyone else remember the last time Will Ferrell made a good movie? Me either. At least he's redeemed himself with The Other Guys. In a summer that's been noticeably lacking of decent comedies (I liked Get Him to the Greek, but no one else saw it), The Other Guys is a welcome addition. As the cops who try so hard, but never seem to do anything right Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg have an absurd and very entertaining chemistry. They're perfectly cast in their scared of danger/let's get bad guys personas. The rest of the cast more than holds their own too. I thought Michael Keaton and Eva Mendes had a few nice moments, as did Sam Jackson and Dwayne Johnson. The Other Guys is silly, but it's the good kind of silly that makes you laugh, not want to walk out of the theater (see last week's review).

Salty and (Bitter)Sweet

Last week I saw the newest Angelina Jolie "I'm a tough chick who can beat anyone up" movie, Salt. I have to admit that I liked this movie a lot more than I thought I would. Jolie plays a CIA agent accused of being a Russian spy who then goes on the lam to clear her name. I didn't quite buy the final showdown - a fist fight between Jolie and a guy (I won't spoil who) with at least 100 pounds on her - but it did have some fun action and a clever plot.

Who can resist Zac Efron? I saw Charlie St. Cloud, so draw your own conclusions. This is a sweet picture. Overcome with grief after losing his brother, Charlie becomes a shell of his former self; giving up everything he loves and taking a job at the cemetery where his brother is buried. It's a somber picture - and I will concede that it sometimes feels like a modeling ad of Efron - but it's ultimately uplifting and nice story about letting go and moving on.

I'm not going to lie, I wanted to walk out of Dinner for Schmucks. Not because it was super terrible, but because I HATED Steve Carell's character. I wanted to scream expletives at the screen and just punch his face until I lost feeling in my hand. Even looking at his face in the poster - I want to kick his teeth in! The movie wasn't as awful as I thought it would be, but that doesn't mean it was good. I laughed once and smiled once. I will admit though that the audience I saw it with was laughing pretty hard and often.

FINALLY!

Finally two - TWO - great movies worth seeing!

If you haven't seen Inception yet, stop reading my blog and go see it right now. I'm not going to embarrass myself by trying to explain the plot to you - there are entire websites devoted to that topic and more. In addition to being completely engrossing and whip smart, Inception is a hell of a mind bender. Just when you think you've got it figured out, Christopher Nolan (genius!) takes you for another spin. Go see Inception...and then go see it again!

The Kids are All Right is our first quirky, super good indie hit of the summer! This movie is like a breath of fresh air. It's so unique and different and yet it's a film about family and the commonalities that they all share, regardless of composition. It's very funny and super entertaining.

Agents and Aliens

Maybe if this summer's crop of blockbusters were actually blockbusters, I'd be more inclined to update my blog in a timely manner. As such.....

Last week I saw Knight and Day. Tom Cruise plays a rogue secret agent out to clear his name and Cameron Diaz is the woman who becomes inadvertently entangled in his web. This is obviously not the most original idea and the movie is nothing out of the ordinary. What saves this film for me, however, from being written off are the leads. Cruise and Diaz have an ease and playful chemistry together. Their characters and interaction are fun to watch.

I am (clearly) not the kind of person who enjoys sci-fi/alien/outter space kinds of things; so my viewing of Predators probably seems a little odd. I'm not familiar with the original Predator and I hated AVP, but Predators wasn't actually that bad. I really liked how the film jumped right into the story - no boring exposition to sit through (an achievement I accredit to the director, whose previous film, Vacancy, was very similar). It had some good action and who knew Adrien Brody could be so hunky....from the neck down, anyway. :)

As Long As We Have Each Other

Only a week late....

Please Give is a nice little independent picture that I had the pleasure of checking out. It's hard to really give a quick synopsis of this film. It's about greed, selflessness, family, life, death...I could really write a paper on it. I'd recommend it though. I thought it was both funny and touching.



Toy Story 3 is the best movie of the year so far. It'd be difficult for a third picture to live up to the first two Toy Story pictures, but 3 is an instant classic. I challenge anyone to sit through this picture and not be moved or touched by the sweetness and sincerity of this story and its characters.

The A-Team

I had a really good time at The A-Team. I loved this show as a kid, although I wish I could remember it. Putting aside the unbelievability of nearly every stunt they performed, I thought The A-Team was a great popcorn flick with a nice story to boot. I loved Patrick Wilson's villainous turn - still super dreamy as the bad guy!

Catching Up

I know, I know. I'm behind. Quick catch up....

Splice was weird. I'm a little irritated that they marketed it as a horror film - it's far from frightening. As a drama, I think it's okay; interesting and different enough not to be awful.






I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed Get Him to the Greek. It was super funny and entertaining. I just love Russell Brand. I wish his BBC radio show was still around. It was golden!

Sex and the Sand

I saw The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time six days ago and I can't really remember it. Maybe that should be my review right there. I remember it being kind of silly and corny. When movies are based on video games, what else do you expect? It wasn't awful, just not that memorable.



I really liked the first Sex and the City movie (despite Jennifer Hudson nearly ruining the entire picture), so I've been looking forward to Sex and the City 2 for some time now. If you really want to enjoy the picture, my suggestion is that you skip the first 20-30 minutes. Unfortunately Anthony and Stanford's wedding was far from entertaining and the dialogue was terrible and felt forced. However, once the movie found its footing and rhythm is was a fun, girl power time, just not quite as much fun as the original.

MacGruber and Shrek

I saw MacGruber hoping it'd be one of those intentionally dumb movies that's actually quite entertaining. Unfortunately, it's just intentionally dumb. It does have a couple of nice laughs and some silly moments, but just not quite enough for my taste.




I'll admit, I don't think the world needed yet another installment of Shrek as it is. The filmmakers must have sensed this very same notion because they cleverly gave us a fourth Shrek that feels like a first Shrek. Shrek Ever After puts a nice spin on the characters we've come to know so well. While it isn't as entertaining as the first Shrek (or second, in my opinion), it is leaps and bounds better than the third, which is all I really wanted.

Robin and Juliet

I will say this about Robin Hood, it was a lot better than I thought it would be. I especially thought the film found some great momentum once Robin and his three travel mates made it to Nottingham and he assumed the identity of Robert Loxley, the husband of Marion, played by Cate Blanchett. I thought Blanchett was great and once the film got to this point it had some great humor and the story really came together. My gripes about Robin Hood are that it's not precisely about "Robin Hood." The movie ends where the real story of Robin Hood begins. My other complaint was that I often had a difficult time understanding what the characters were saying. Mumbling must have been very popular at the turn of the 12th century.


There hasn't been a sweeter, more harmless movie than Letters to Juliet in quite some time. Fifty years after writing to Juliet at a famous wall in Verona, Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) receives a response from one of the "secretaries of Juliet," Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). What follows is a journey across Italy as Sophie, Claire and her grandson Charlie, attempt to find Claire's long lost love Lorenzo. Letters to Juliet is romantic and pretty and just a happy picture that makes you feel good.