The Q's Views

Holiday Round Up

2012-01-02T19:15:00.001-08:00

I had a bit of time off during the holidays and, of course, I spent most of it at the theater!

Young Adult - I didn't get it. I mean, I understood it, but I don't get why this was marketed as a comedy. It's really not. It's rather sad and depressing. Charlize Theron does do a good job of playing a really messed up person, though.

Shame - My first NC-17 movie! Very subtle, nice picture. Not flashy, but it doesn't need to be. Quiet, but powerful performance by Michael Fassbender.

We Bought a Zoo - I'm a sucker for Cameron Crowe and while this picture is no Almost Famous (what is, really?), it's still super sweet and entertaining.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I'm a sucker for David Fincher too, but this one didn't quite meet my expectations. Still good, but I think because the original Swedish film was SO GOOD, this one just couldn't match it.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - Super fun popcorn flick!

The Artist - Silent film in the tradition of Hollywood classics from the 1920's. So charming and cute! Great!

Carnage - I think it works better as a play, but I still really liked this one; especially once the characters begin to unravel. I'd hang out with Kate Winslet any day of the week and twice on Tuesday!

What?

2011-12-18T18:05:00.000-08:00

Ugh, I don't even remember which films I've seen since I last posted. The ones I do remember are...

Like Crazy - Such an honest and touching love story. Very realistic and heartbreaking. Very good.

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas - Mindless, silly fun. NPH!

Puss in Boots - Not as clever and entertaining as Shrek, but those kitties are so cute!

The Descendants - I still dislike Clooney, but The Descendants was fantastic. Very funny and a great story. Outstanding performance by Shailene Woodley.

My Week with Marilyn - Nice picture. Stellar performance by Michelle Williams.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - It's always a treat to see Downey and Law interact with one another. They have great onscreen chemistry. This installment wasn't quite as fun as the original, but was still quite a good time. Needed more McAdams!

New Year's Eve - I will give it this - it got better as it went on. Zac Efron!

Take Shelter

2011-11-06T17:24:00.000-08:00

It's been like a month since the major studios released something worth seeing. Thank goodness the independent studios are still making good movies. Take Shelter stars Michael Shannon as a small town construction worker who begins to experience delusions and fears that he may be suffering from schizophrenia. I liked this picture. It's not showy, but it's interesting and has some good performances.

Also, Martha Marcy May Marlene opened this week. I highly recommend that picture.

The Rum Diary

2011-11-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I saw The Rum Diary. It's not as trippy as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (another Hunt S. Thompson story), but it's quirky and funny and moderately enjoyable.

October 7 Weekend

2011-10-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

The title rhymes. Enough said.

As much as I dislike Clooney as an actor, I will give him props as a filmmaker. The Ides of March is a terrific picture full of great performances (Gosling!) and slick movie making.

September 30 Weekend

2011-10-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

Despite (my arch nemesis) Seth Rogen being in the cast, 50/50 is a great dramedy with a lot of heart. Funny and sweet picture.

I think Anna Faris is hilarious and I really like Chris Evans, so I was disappointed that What's Your Number? wasn't all that great. Truth be told, I'm still kind of torn about this one. It started off dreadfully, but I will give it credit for getting better as it went on and it did make me laugh a few times.

Moneyball

2011-09-25T15:36:00.001-07:00

I'm not all about Brad Pitt, nor am I all about baseball (I'd rather watch paint dry), but put them together and it's a winning combination. Moneyball is a great film. Good, solid storytelling (Sorkin can do no wrong) and terrific performances.

Drive

2011-09-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Drive stars the always fantastic Ryan Gosling as a professional stunt driver and part time getaway driver who gets mixed up with the wrong crowd. It's a super stylish, noir-ish kind of crime drama. Totally captivating.

Contagion

2011-09-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

The big draw in this picture is the terrific ensemble cast - and it doesn't disappoint. Contagion is a clever and slick Outbreak-y picture depicting the spread of an unknown virus. It's scary in a "this could happen" kind of way and the story telling makes it gripping.

This is Embarrassing

2011-09-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

Let me see if I can even remember all of the movies I've seen....

The Change-Up: Pretty decent comedy. Not the gold medal I was hoping for, but Bateman and Reynolds save it.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Like everyone else, I thought this was surprisingly good!

The Help: Clearly one of the best pictures of the year thus far. Great film.

30 Minutes or Less: Beyond bored at this one. I think Eisenberg was terribly miscast.

One Day: My second most anticipated movie of the summer. Sweet and funny; great love story.

Our Idiot Brother: Good comedy. Great cast.

The Debt: Great, great thriller.

Sarah's Key: Wonderful movie. Engrossing, heartbreaking story.

The Whistleblower: Solid picture based on true events. Worth seeing for Weisz's performance.

Martha Marcy May Marlene: Sneak preview showing of this. Even got to participate in a Q & A with the writer/director Sean Durkin and star Elizabeth Olsen. This was a truly terrific indie film. Very subtle, but haunting. Great performance by Elizabeth Olsen.

I really hope I didn't forget anything.

July 29 Weekend

2011-08-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

Not quite what I was expecting, but still good. Worth seeing for Ryan Gosling alone.

Nice action flick! Good film, but I felt like there was something missing, though.

Maybe I Should Just Rename My Blog "Catch Up"

2011-08-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Finally saw this one. Very stylish! Good flick!

Super good! I love that it felt like an old movie. Very well done.

So funny! Sweet too. Better than No Strings Attached. Great cameo from the always awesome Emma Stone.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

2011-07-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

Farewell, dear friends.

4th of July and Week After

2011-07-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

I lived through Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon. I mean, I didn't gnaw off my arm off from boredom or anything. It was okay. There's always good action, but the two and a half hour running time was unnecessary.

The same weekend, I saw Larry Crowne. Eh, it was okay. Rather flat, though. Not very many laughs. I did enjoy Julia Roberts' character though. She made me chuckle a few times.

A film that was not flat and had quite a few laughs was Horrible Bosses. I really liked this movie! The cast was great - Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day were hysterical together. Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Ferrell were so good at being bad. It was a laugh out loud kind of movie.

By the way, on June 10, I saw Kung Fu Panda 2, but for some reason, neglected to blog about it. It was pretty cute, as far as kiddie animated films go. Had some nice laughs.

The Good and the Bad

2011-06-26T21:36:00.001-07:00

I'll surely update this post with more details, but I wanted to at least get it on the board.

Last week I saw The Tree of Life. If you've read/heard anything about this movie, you know that I just can't sum it up in a few words. This one will definitely take some time.

A great smaller picture I saw this week was Beginners. It's a quiet, quirky portrait of loss, love and the relationships that make us who we are. It's a great picture.

I was deeply disappointed with Bad Teacher. I was expecting awesome raunchy fun like Bad Santa and instead I felt like I was watching Mildly Inappropriate Teacher. I was really looking forward to this one...too bad. I'm hoping Horrible Bosses will be everything this movie is not.

Super

2011-06-18T19:01:00.001-07:00

Last week I saw Super 8. It was super awesome! Super good story! Super good cast! Super entertaining!

Speaking of super, this week I checked out the latest super hero flick, Green Lantern. I have to say that it was just okay; bit disappointing. It wasn't very super. Ryan Reynolds was yummy though.

Last Week

2011-06-11T15:04:00.001-07:00

So last week I saw X-Men: First Class. It was really good! I don't know enough about comic book lore to judge how true the movie is to the original story, but I thought it was darn good on its own. Nice performances and cool effects too!

Big Recap

2011-05-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I've lost interest in my blog. Let's see if I can even remember all of the movies I haven't posted about yet. These aren't even in order...

The Hangover II - It was okay. Not as much fun as the original, though.

Midnight in Paris - So charming! Really cute picture. Allen's best since Match Point. Although, I thought Owen Wilson was unbelievably annoying. Thank goodness Rachel McAdams was there!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Proved my theory that another Pirates movie was unnecessary. Bit of a bore.

Bridesmaids - I saw this movie twice! I loved it. Super funny!!

Something Borrowed - I was pleasantly surprised! This movie was actually funny and entertaining. Not as good as the book, but nothing ever is.

Thor - Pretty good super hero flick. Didn't seem to have a lot of depth though. The parts on Earth were by far the best! Go Natalie!

Insidious - Fine little fright flick. Not too bad. Patrick Wilson goodness!

Scream 4 - I'm a huge Scream fan, so I was a little disappointed that Scream 4 didn't live up to my dreams. I did like it though. And look at Emma Roberts as the bad girl. Wow!

Your Highness - Good for a couple of laughs. The ridiculousness made me chuckle.

Arthur - Wasn't as funny as I was hoping, but not too bad. I'm still waiting for American filmmakers to create the perfect vehicle for Russell Brand. He's great!

Hanna - Very sharp and strong little action thriller.

Source Code

2011-04-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

What I liked about Source Code was that it was super original. It was very creative and wasn't your typical action movie. Good flick!

March 25 Weekend

2011-04-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

I checked out Cedar Rapids this weekend. This was a good smaller picture. Pretty funny and rather inappropriate. Always a good combination.

March 18 Weekend

2011-04-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

The Lincoln Lawyer was a solid legal thriller. Good story and pretty entertaining. I thought I'd be thinking of Jake Brigance the entire time, but I wasn't. McConaughey did a good job. It was kinda fun to see he and Josh Lucas share the screen - good to know they're not the same person. Haha!

I loved Paul! I thought this movie was really clever and super funny! Go see Paul!

Battle: Los Angeles

2011-03-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Battle: Los Angeles got railed on by the critics, but it's really not that bad. It reminded me of other ensemble military action flicks like Black Hawk Down, although it's not quite as good. Good characters (Eckhart!!), a fine enough story and plenty of action throughout. A nice introduction to the big action blockbusters of the year.

March is Here

2011-03-15T18:55:00.001-07:00

We're finally moving into spring and leaving behind the doldrums of winter cinema.

That being said, Take Me Home Tonight is a movie that should have opened in January or September. The long delayed film was somewhat of a bore to sit through and it just wasn't very funny.

The Adjustment Bureau was supposed to open in July 2010. After seeing it, I can see why it was moved to March of this year (after being slated for September of last year as well). That's not a negative in this case. I think it would have gotten lost among all of the summer blockbusters. I really liked this movie! What I adored was the interaction between Damon and Blunt. It was irresistible. My only complaint is that I wanted more of it. Actually, that would be my only complaint for the entire picture - I think it could have been longer and more detailed. As it is, it's a very tight picture and very entertaining, but I would have enjoyed an expanded version that explored everything a little more. I'll have to wait for the DVD.

Oscar Night

2011-03-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

Even my Oscar post is late!!

The Oscars weren't particularly exciting this year...chalk it up to predictability. No surprise winners (mild surprise for Best Director) and no stunning moments from the broadcast. Franco and Hathaway got slammed for their lackluster hosting abilities, but I think more fault lies with the producers and writers of the show for not giving them good material to work with. They did the best with what they had, which wasn't much. I did think that Bullock was the best presenter - of course. Here's a pic of the well deserved winners.

Looking Forward to March

2011-02-27T12:17:00.001-08:00

The movies haven't gotten off to a very stellar start this year. Quick reviews from weeks past...

I remember when The Company Men played at Sundance in January 2010. It got great reviews and I thought it'd be an Oscar contender this year, but the buzz for it kind of fizzled. It is a good movie, though. Fine performances and a good story. I wish it had just a little more heart, but otherwise a reasonably solid film.

While in California, I checked out the new Liam Neeson thriller Unknown. Neeson's carved out a nice action hero niche for himself and Unknown is a nice addition to his resume. My only complaint is that it seemed a little too long, but otherwise I thought it was a pretty fun action thriller. And I agree with my movie going companion - very Jason Bourne-y. :)

Have the Farrelly Brothers become irrelevant? I would expect so much more from them than the new comedy Hall Pass. The best parts are in the trailer and the rest of the movie just seems stale and poorly written. However, I will say that there one or two nice "red band" moments that weren't in the trailer, but not enough for my recommendation.

Oscar Time

2011-01-30T17:38:00.001-08:00

I'm not going to do a post about the Oscar nominations. I think they were pretty much what everyone was expecting. And I do agree that Mila Kunis, The Town and Christopher Nolan (!!!) got snubbed.

If you haven't seen this promo yet, check it out. So cute!! I can't wait to see what Franco and Hathaway do as Oscar hosts.

A Couple of Weeks Ago

2011-01-30T17:18:00.001-08:00

Over the past couple of weeks I've only seen three films. Well, four, if you count seeing The Social Network again.

I saw The Green Hornet purely for the director. I love everything Michel Gondry does. I'll give him credit for making The Greeen Hornet visually entertaining and worth while. Ultimately, I think it would have been a better movie if Seth Rogen had nothing to do with it. He pretty much sank it.

Blue Valentine was superb. Raw, emotionally rich and heart-wrenching performances from Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. Very good movie.

I felt a little deceived by the marketing of No Strings Attached. I thought Ashton and Natalie were supposed to be best friends. Not friends who barely knew each other. Additionally, the funniest scenes were in the trailer...and those scenes were cut from the movie! Poor choices. Ashton and Natalie did make a nice pairing and it was great to see Portman cut loose and have fun on screen, rather than shouldering another heavy role.

Holiday Round Up

2011-01-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

I haven't been very motivated to keep up with my blog...Chalk it up to the poorest batch of holiday movies in recent years. There have been very few that I've even been slightly interested in seeing. That being said, I have been quite pleased with my few choices.

The King's Speech was great! A truly great story and told superbly.

True Grit was equally as superb. It was a truly fantastic film as well.

Rabbit Hole I thought was good, but it lacked a little bit of a punch. I think it works better as a play. I'm not complaining, I'll take any excuse to stare at Aaron Eckhart for two hours.

Oh, and I saw Black Swan for the second time. Go Natalie!

The Fighter

2010-12-18T22:02:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-18T21:29:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

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

2010-10-31T11:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-19T21:29:00.001-07:00

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

2010-10-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-03T17:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-03T17:13:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-22T20:21:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

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.

Summer is Here!

2010-05-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

The Summer Movie Season kicked off last weekend with Iron Man 2. I loved the first Iron Man and Tony Stark has become the ruler by which I measure all other charming and suave movie men. I did also like Iron Man 2 quite a bit, but I don't think it quite matched the original. It was fun, very entertaining and it had some great humor, but there seemed to be just the smallest something missing. Overall though, I'm glad I've seen it twice so far.

Comic Craze

2010-05-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

We've had kind of a lull at the cineplex lately, so I haven't been very motivated to post. Let's catch up before all the summer blockbusters are unleashed.

I'm not really into comic books, but I think that if I was, I would have LOVED Kick-Ass. As it is, I'm not and therefore didn't love Kick-Ass as I would have hoped. I will give it its props though for direction, style and fun. It had those in excess.

Yet another comic book movie is the aptly titled The Losers. This movie just felt flat to me. It too did have some nice stylistic touches, but nothing really beyond that. I felt sorry for (hunky) Chris Evans trying to be funny and pump life into the film, but the screenplay wasn't doing him any favors.

I got to see Date Night again. Kill shot!

100th Post

2010-04-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

The best comedy team in a long while was born in the new movie Date Night. I could watch Tina Fey in anything. She's a genius. And Steve Carell - well, he was less irritating with Fey. Don't get me wrong, he's hilarious too, but often falls into the dangerous Stiller/Vaughn category of playing the same character over and over again. Date Night finds Fey and Carell, a "boring married couple from New Jersey", on the run in NYC after a case of mistaken identity. What follows is hilarious and awesome. There were tons of terrific cameos (which I won't spoil for you here) and the banter and chemistry between Fey and Carell was just priceless. Date Night is so much fun, I can't wait to see it again. One of my favorite lines: "They stabbed a chicken nugget with a sharpie. These are bad people."

Speaking of Stiller, I saw Greenberg last week, but didn't post about it. I wasn't really a fan of this movie. I thought the premise and relationship between the characters was interesting, but just too irritating. I found myself getting annoyed by the characters rather than being drawn to them. I did think Greta Gerwig was pretty good. She had a nice Kate Winslet-ian quality. Waste of Chris Messina though.

So Bad it's Good

2010-03-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

Amanda Seyfried portrays the title character in Chloe, a young prostitute hired by Catherine (Julianne Moore) to tempt her husband (Liam Neeson), whom she believes is cheating. Things get complicated when Catherine finds herself drawn to Chloe and the two women are unable to untangle themselves from one another. Based on a 2003 French film, Chloe kind of reminds me of Closer - with its very adult storyline and frank sexual talk. While I don't think I enjoyed Chloe as much as Closer, I did think Chloe was interesting and quite entertaining.

Next we have Hot Tub Time Machine. Can you guess what it's about? Yep, four friends are transported back to 1986 in, you guessed it, a hot tub time machine! This is the type of movie that's aware of its nonsense and is intentionally silly and dumb. And it does it really well. Hot Tub Time Machine is raunchy and foul...and completely entertaining and funny.

And for those of you keeping track, I saw The Blind Side for the fourth time this weekend.

Spring Break

2010-03-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

The fabulous Broadway musical Avenue Q was in town and of course I had to see it again. Hilarious, sweet and inappropriate - it's a total winner!

She's Out of My League was a cute idea, but it just didn't deliver. The movie was way too short on laughs and appeared to be under the impression that cursing every 30 seconds equaled comedy. Wrong. What mildly saved this film was the sweet, likable cast of characters. I would have liked to have seen them in a better film.

I really liked the new Matt Damon flick Green Zone. It wasn't Bourne level action, but it still had quite a bit of adrenaline. Unlike every other war themed movie we've seen recently that has focused on soldiers' families and loved ones, I really loved how Green Zone was all about the political aspect to war and the complexities and dangers of warfare.

The Bounty Hunter wasn't terrible, but it was circling the neighborhood. The screenplay was dreadful and terribly unfunny. I'm wondering if Aniston and Butler even read it before shooting began. Their constant bickering was irritating more than humorous or endearing and I'm not sure I even wanted them to get back together. I definitely wasn't "rooting" for them. I did mildly smile at a couple of scenes, but most of those starred Jason Sudeikis.

Oscar Night

2010-03-07T21:06:00.000-08:00

It's official: Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock.

The Oscars were tonight and while I don't think it was as good of a show as last year when the adorable Hugh Jackman hosted, it was still a rather entertaining evening. I thought the opening NPH number was a little flat and not very funny or clever; nor was the opening bit by co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Thank goodness it got better as the night when on. Highlights for me included the presenting team of Tina Fey and Robert Downey, Jr., Ben Stiller as a member of the Na'vi tribe and I really enjoyed the Best Actor and Best Actress introductions by previous collaborators of the nominees. I thought that was a sweet touch. Acting accolades went to Jeff Bridges for Best Actor, Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor and Mo'Nique for Best Supporting Actress. All well deserved. The Hurt Locker took home the Best Picture prize as well as Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow. My only real disappointment came in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. I really wanted Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner to win for Up in the Air, but Geoffrey Fletcher took home the honor for Precious. Overall, it was a great night and a wonderful celebration of movies capped off by a very special moment for me....and I think we all know what that was.

You Gotta Love Her!

2010-03-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

Clearly, the most entertaining part of this awards season has been Sandy Bullock's self-deprecating humor and endless charm. From her "feud" with Meryl Streep, to her hilarious lifetime achievement award presentation to Betty White, to her personally accepting the award for Worst Actress at the Razzies the night before the Oscars; she has been perfect!

Alice in Brooklyn...Wait, That's Not Right

2010-03-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

The new Alice in Wonderland, a sequel of sorts to the animated Disney classic, is a tricky idea. I like the imagination and I think the film was visually stunning - a usual compliment to the team of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp who consistently produce "weird" films, but in a good way. I also loved the non-Wonderland scenes and thought Mia Wasikowsa, who portrayed Alice, was fantastic. What I didn't love, oddly enough, was the whole Wonderland part of the film. The effects and make up were awesome and as I said it looked really cool, but I don't think it had a strong enough story to compliment all of the eye candy. And I'd have to agree with a thread on over on IMDB, I couldn't understand half of what the characters said either.

A movie I wasn't expecting to like as much as I did was Brooklyn's Finest. This film tells three different stories of three different cops all working at the same Brooklyn precinct. I really liked all of the stories and thought they were held together well by Gere, Hawke, Cheadle and Snipes. I really would have liked the characters to have crossed paths a little more, sometimes it distinctly felt like three different films, but I did like how their storylines ended in the same location albeit again with minimal path crossing.

We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes

2010-02-28T14:04:00.000-08:00

If you want to have a spooky good time at the movies, I suggest you check out The Crazies. What makes The Crazies work so well is its realistic approach. There isn't over the top acting or any unnecessary plot twists or rampant monsters running around. It has a good, solid story at its core, plenty of gore and is a fun example of survival and the drastic means people will take to achieve that goal.

I finally saw The Last Station this weekend, which means I can fully enjoy The Oscars next weekend having seen every single nominated performance (and every picture minus A Serious Man, which I have zero interest in). The Last Station centers around the last year in Leo Tolstoy's life and the tumultuous, but loving relationships he shares with his family. I enjoyed this film quite a bit. It had a wonderful cast (Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti, James McAvoy) and had great moments of humor to balance the dramatic tone.

Shutter Island

2010-02-24T19:15:00.000-08:00

What's great about Shutter Island is how closely it followed the book. It didn't leave you wishing Scorsese and Co. hadn't done this or changed that. I think it's the loyalty to the book that made me like the movie even more. Shutter Island is a fun psychological thriller that was always engrossing. It's tense and entertaining and is filled with great performances.

Hungry Like the Wolf

2010-02-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

Finally a weekend with two movies worth seeing. The long delayed revamp The Wolfman finally made it into theaters this weekend and it wasn't half bad! In fact, it was actually kind of scary. The good, entertaining kind of scary. I'd say the only drawback to this film was the story. It was too simplistic. The filmmakers really could have spent more time on the lore and mythology of wolfmen and developed a history. I very much enjoyed the other elements of the film - the art direction and special effects, especially. In contrast to my arguments regarding The Edge of Darkness, the violence in The Wolfman was pretty extreme, but it served a purpose and was entertaining.

Taking a complete 180 degree turn in tone takes us to the ensemble comedy Valentine's Day. I liked this movie about the same as The Wolfman and actually think it had the same drawback - a weak storyline at times. I thought Valentine's Day started out a little wobbly, but it gained some nice momentum as it progressed. There were quite a few bright spots - Anne Hathaway and Taylor Swift (believe me, I'm as shocked as you are) are a couple that come to mind. And the Pretty Woman-esque outtake with Julia Roberts at the end was great.

Dear John

2010-02-07T12:05:00.000-08:00

Dear John,
While you're hot and super nice to look at, I so wish that you were a better actor. You can cry and show emotion, but it always comes off as flat and just...bad. Maybe if you moved your face a little more it would help. I could see poor Savannah trying so hard and just pleading for some kind of reciprocation and chemistry from you during your scenes together. I don't think your story was particularly bad, it just wasn't overwhelmingly great. I will say that I thought it was super sweet and I did like the storyline involving your dad. Maybe just work on your acting a bit.

I'll see you soon then.
The Q

YES!

2010-02-02T05:54:00.000-08:00

Academy Award nominee Sandra Bullock. I like the sound of that!

Dark and Light

2010-01-31T16:26:00.000-08:00

Based on a (probably better) BBC miniseries, Edge of Darkness is about the lengths a father will go to in order to unravel the mystery surrounding his daughter's murder. What I didn't like about Darkness was that it was too slow and randomly violent. The story - government cover ups, nuclear weapons - is intriguing and interesting, I just don't think it was told well. By randomly violent, I mean violent just for violent's sake. I understand violence is often necessary and I'm all for destruction and mayhem, but the degree and severity of violence here just seemed excessive and unneeded. It's not that Edge of Darkness is bad, it's just that it's not great. If you want to see a great movie based on a BBC miniseries, go out and rent State of Play!

Surprisingly not (completely) awful was When in Rome. What's shocking is the the cast that was able to be assembled for this mediocre rom com. Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Will Arnett, Dax Shephard, Jon Heder, Danny DeVito, Don Johnson and Anjelica Huston. Angelica Huston! I guess given the cast, this movie should have been a lot better, but as it is it's cute, harmless and sweet. However, I'm still trying to figure out why there was an unnecessary Napoleon Dynamite reunion.

Did you catch SNL this weekend? It was a great show! Below is one of the best skits of the night.

Awards Season

2010-01-24T14:00:00.001-08:00

The best part of the new year is awards season. And it's been super fun thus far. It's looking more and more like Jeff Bridges, Mo'Nique, Christoph Waltz and Sandra Bullock (I will try to contain my excitement) will be the actors to beat come Oscar night. The best highlight so far comes from the Critics' Choice Awards where Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock tied for best actress, pretended to fight and then kissed and made up!

Sandra Bullock Kiss Meryl Streep

Catching Up

2010-01-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

Blogs aren't easy to keep up with when you're lazy. Here are some quick reviews, starting with last week.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus irritated me to no end. The dialogue, the characters, even the wardrobe bothered me and made me want to scream at the screen. There were parts of the movie that were unique and some of the effects were kinda cool - due mainly to director Terry Gilliam who is as weird as Tim Burton is imaginative, but there just wasn't enough. The only saving grace of Parnassus was seeing Heath Ledger's final performance.

If you've read The Lovely Bones (like I have), you'd understand what a difficult story it is to translate to film. I don't think Peter Jackson's adaptation is particuarly bad, there just seems to be something off in it - the focus perhaps. I didn't even really mind the the things from the book that they left out of the movie. What keeps this movie engaging is the wonderul young actress Saoirse Ronan - so great in Atonement and just as good here.

The Book of Eli surprised me a bit. I thought the idea of a post apocalyptic world searching for a book for survival was an interesting idea. It was unique enough to keep me interested, as was some of the action and Denzel Washington.

A friend of mine suggested we see To Save a Life - a film I had not heard about. It's a tiny, low budget film about compassion and realizing that helping others can be more rewarding and more important than anything you could ever do for yourself. I was a little split on this film. I did enjoy the story and was very entertained by the picture, but the often bad acting and the length of the film were a turn off.

When God loses faith in mankind, it's up to a fallen angel and a group of strangers at a diner in the middle of nowhere to protect and defend the world. That's the synopsis for Legion, a fun little picture with some nice action.

Doppelganger and Dublin

2010-01-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

In Youth in Revolt, Michael Cera turns to his evil alter ego Francois Dillinger in order to win over the love of his life and finally lose his virginity. While I don't think Youth in Revolt is particularly exceptional, I did think it was original, quite funny and I loved Michael Cera...as usual.

There's not a person alive who couldn't guess the ending (or other major plot points) to Leap Year. In these formulaic romantic comedies, it's the journey that counts since we all know where we're going to end up. The journey in Leap Year starts off awkward and terribly unfunny, but it soon finds a nice rhythm in the beautiful Irish scenery. Also saving the film are stars Amy Adams and Matthew Goode (yes!) - each delightful individually, but doubly so together.

Holiday Feast Part 2

2010-01-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

In Did You Hear About the Morgans?, Paul and Meryl Morgan (Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker) are whisked to Wyoming into the witness protection program after witnessing a murder in Manhattan. If I were Grant, Parker or more specifically writer/director Marc Lawrence, I would have hid in Wyoming when this stinker was released. Lawrence's dialogue always seems awkward and disjointed (look up his other films if you don't believe me), not to mention only mildly amusing - not exactly what you want in a comedy. Thankfully this is Grant's third film with Lawrence, so he was at least able to breathe some life into it. Very little life.

A Single Man takes us on an exploration of grief after George (Colin Firth) suddenly loses his partner of 16 years in a car accident. I had mixed feelings on this picture. I thought the film moved way too slowly at some points. It was like the film was holding its breath. I also thought first time director Tom Ford tried to do too much within such a small picture. It was like he wanted to try every camera trick he's ever learned. It was distracting. However, there were one or two camera tricks that actually worked, specifically the color effects. What I really liked was the whole look of the film - a very smooth 60's style. Colin Firth was amazingly solemn and bleak, while Julianne Moore was jubilantly damaged.

Jeff Bridges is great and nearly unrecognizable as a past his prime, alcoholic Country & Western singer/songwriter in Crazy Heart. After his romance with a local Santa Fe reporter, played nicely by Maggie Gyllenhaal, fizzles in dramatic fashion, Bad Blake finally realizes he's headed for an early grave if he doesn't change his life. I liked Crazy Heart and thought it had a great soundtrack.

I rarely say this, but I wished The Young Victoria was longer! Rather than telling her life story, this picture focuses solely on Queen Victoria (the glorious Emily Blunt) coming into power and selecting a husband. I wish we had gotten to see even more of her life and what happened further into her reign and marriage. The love story is incredibly sweet and the film is beautiful - costumes, sets, direction - all beautiful.

I'm not a fan of Nancy Meyers movies. They're always too long and they always seem too "grown up" and hoity toity for their own good. That's how the trailer for It's Complicated looked to me too. And that's how part of the movie went as well. Obviously, I was not a fan of that part of the movie. However, about half way through the movie it got fun - thanks largely to the repoire between Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. That is worth watching. What's also worth watching is a great supporting performance by John Krasinski. He definitely stole a few scenes.

Holiday Feast Part 1

2009-12-25T21:21:00.000-08:00

Busy time of year...

Following up the highest grossing movie of all time isn't an easy task, but James Cameron gives it a helluva try with Avatar. It's grand, visually stunning and captivating. However, the core elements of the story aren't very original (outsider is welcomed into foreign community, becomes their savior) and the acting/screenplay was a little bumpy at times.

Those of you who know me, know how I feel about George Clooney, but I saw Up in the Air anyway. What dazzled in this picture was the screenplay. It was great! A couple of the scenes were so elegantly choreographed with dialogue, I just had to smile. Supporting performances by Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick were also wonderful. The general concept of a loner realizing life is better when he's surrounded with loved ones isn't anything new, but I liked the mix of light and dark here, although the real life interviews with people who have been fired didn't really work.

Putting aside the irritation I feel that this is not a true adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, I have to say that Guy Ritchie's vision of the clever detective is beyond fun. I loved this movie as soon as I saw the Warner Bros. logo in the cobblestone streets of 19th century London. The costumes, the scenery, the action, the slick dialogue, Downey, Law - it was clicking on all cylinders. And is there a better Christmas present than Rachel McAdams?

I was underwhelmed by Nine not so much because it wasn't a good picture, but because Chicago blew my socks off, I was expecting something spectacular. Nine further proves my point that solemn, dramatic musicals (Rent, Phantom of the Opera) don't translate as well to the big screen as happy, bubble gum musicals do (Hairspray, Mamma Mia!). Nine was visually appealing - the sets and the costumes were great - and I really loved how so many of the scenes were intercut with black and white footage. Penelope Cruz and Marion Cotillard stood out in an already great ensemble.

Invictus

2009-12-13T17:28:00.000-08:00

A Clint Eastwood film vying for Oscar attention has become a nice tradition. This year the attention is focused on his newest film Invictus starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. After years of apartheid in South Africa newly elected president Nelson Mandela (Freeman) uses the nation's commonalities and affections for rugby to unite the country. Mandela inspires not only team captain Francois Pienaar (Damon), but an entire nation to come together as one. While I thought Invictus took a little while to get going, I never thought it dragged and once it did find its momentum it was unstoppable. Freeman, as always, was terrific and Damon gave one of his best performances ever. Invictus is smart, uplifting and truly inspirational.

Everybody Hurts

2009-12-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

Again I was duped by dodgy Hollywood marketing. Everybody's Fine looked like a fun, quirky holiday family film. Look at the poster! But it's not. It's really not. I won't ruin the surprises for you, but nobody's really fine and the film is incredibly sad. Judging it as it is, Everybody's Fine isn't all that great of a picture - especially disappointing because of the great cast. There were a couple of scenes that I thought were flat out bad, but what was good was De Niro. He's in nearly every scene and does his best to carry a weak film.

Finally! Oscar bait! It's pretty safe to say that every film for the rest of the year will have Academy Award aspirations. And it's about time! Kicking it off is Brothers. When Grace's (Natalie Portman) husband, Marines Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) is presumed dead while in Afghanistan, she and her daughters find comfort in Cahill's trouble maker brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), only to find out later that Cahill is not actually dead. I really liked this film a lot. There's something enjoyable and satisfying about watching a good movie starring people that are your age. That's not why I liked it, that's just a bonus. I liked this movie because of the story and the performances. Maguire, with his wide vacant eyes, was volatile and explosive while still bleeding vulnerability. Portman (I've missed her!) was heartbreaking and raw. Gyllenhaal (yes!) had a more understated role, but carried it off with quiet confidence.

The Messenger

2009-11-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

In one of the most boring cinematic Thanksgiving weekends in recent memory, my movie options this week included dying a slow and painful death while watching Old Dogs or seeing The Blind Side for the third time (which I nearly did). Thankfully a third option presented itself, the independent film The Messenger. Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster star in this film as soldiers assigned the heartbreaking task of having to inform next of kin that their loved ones have died in battle. This is a great film that subtlely explores the range of human emotion as well as the effects of war. Ben Foster, so good in 3:10 to Yuma, is even better here and Steve Buscemi in a very small role is perfect.

Precious

2009-11-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

Generating a lot of awards buzz is Precious, the Tyler Perry/Oprah Winfrey produced pic about a deeply troubled Harlem teenager. What stands out in this movie are the performances. Newcomer Gabby Sidibe and Mo'Nique are stellar as the title character and her abusive mother. What I particularly enjoyed though were the smaller, less flashy roles. Mariah Carey (yes, Mariah Carey!) was great as Precious's social worker and even better was Paula Patton as Precious's cares too much teacher. Patton really stood out. While I wouldn't classify Precious as "entertaining" - it's far too depressing and disturbing for that and not something you would want to voluntarily watch on a nice sunny afternoon - it is a good and strong movie.

This weekend I also saw The Blind Side again and loved it even more. If you want to see a great movie that just inspires you and makes you feel good, I can't emplore you enough to check out The Blind Side.

Life Boats

2009-11-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

Nothing like an apocalyptic disaster movie to spread holiday cheer. Based on an ancient Mayan belief (among others) that the world will come to an end on December 12, 2012, the movie 2012 is a great ride. When you go to see a movie like this you go to see the special effects and absolute destruction, plot is an afterthought. Thankfully the special effects do not disappoint and were jaw droppingly spectacular. The plot is fine, about what you would expect for a disaster flick - it could have been a lot worse had there not been such a good cast. This is definitely a film that deserves to be seen on the big screen.

Believe it or not, during rock & roll's heyday, the songs were taboo on British radio. Enter Radio Rock, a ship anchored off the coast of Great Britain that broadcast classic rock & roll music. What came to be known as Pirate Radio is the basis for the movie by the same name. I had a great time with this movie. Not only does it have some of the greatest music of all time, but it was just fun to peek into the lives of these DJ's and see how they lived off of their love for music. An obvious flaw in the movie, however, is the unexplained absence of Beatles music. I assume royalty issues were to blame, but it's bizarre to watch a movie that takes place in Britain in 1966 and not hear a Beatles song. Kind of puts a damper on the film. What certainly does not put a damper on the film is the (all too brief) cameo by the always amazing Emma Thompson. Brilliant!

The Blind Side

2009-11-12T20:53:00.000-08:00

It had been too long since I treated myself to an advance screening, so on Thursday night I saw The Blind Side (opening November 20). I was a little skeptical at first. How many touchy feely, underdog triumphs sports movies can they make? While it's not groundbreaking in its genre, The Blind Side is a great film and I enjoyed it immensely. Based on an incredible true story, The Blind Side is uplifting, sweet, funny and just makes you want to get up and cheer - which many people literally did during the show. Sandra Bullock gave a wonderful, sassy performance and is matched by every one of her co-stars - each of whom were perfect. If you're looking for a great, feel good movie that'll make you laugh and cry, then you should definitely see The Blind Side!

A Little Bit of Magic

2009-11-08T15:41:00.001-08:00

A Christmas Carol is one of my favorite stories. It's a complete classic, basically Shakespeare. In fact, it's a classic story that references Shakespeare. How perfect is that? Unfortunately I don't think the latest big screen adaptation was nearly perfect enough. Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol is visually stunning to a fault. The filmmakers seemed to be so enthralled with making a movie that looks appealing, that not a lot of time appears to have been spent on anything else. The dialogue, while I appreciate that most of it came straight from Dickens, didn't translate well to the screen. Additionally, performances by Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman were overshadowed by the glitzy stage spectacles. I also thought Carrey's accent was horrible. Scrooge is supposed to be British, right? Maybe they didn't know. And lastly I have to mention how oddly frightening this film was. It's being marketed as a fun family film (and does have nice moments and elements to that effect), but I would not be comfortable taking young children to see this. It's often very dark and I'm pretty sure The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come is a dementor!

On a lighter note, The Men Who Stare At Goats was a good film that I really liked. Ewan McGregor portrays a Michigan journalist who unwittingly stumbles into a story about the U.S. Military training psychic jedi warriors. No, really. I have to admit that half the fun is watching McGregor, Obi-Wan himself, discuss real life jedis. There's a nice wink to the audience in that. Goats is smart and funny and I just loved the overall tone.

Higher Learning

2009-11-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

I started Halloween week off with a stage production of The Phantom of the Opera. It was my second time seeing this show, so needless to say, I enjoy it. The music is beautiful and the stage production is just extraordinary. If you haven't seen this show live on stage you're totally missing out.

I had to see what all the fuss was about, so I saw Paranormal Activity this weekend. This is a good fright flick! It's spooky, suspenseful and makes your heart race; everything you'd want from a scary movie.

I changed things up a bit once November hit and saw An Education. Taking place in England in 1961, An Education tells the story of Jenny (Carey Mulligan), a very clever 16 year old on her way to Oxford, who embarks on a romance with David, a charming and substantially older man (Peter Sarsgaard). This is a great movie that I quite enjoyed. Mulligan is excellent as the naive teenager who all too eagerly tries to grow up. Sarsgaard is wonderful as David and is able to be suave and engaging while all the time portraying a character that is essentially kinda creepy. The supporting cast featuring Dominic Cooper, Alfred Molina and the magnificent Emma Thompson is also outstanding. And I have to mention the sharp and often witty screenplay by Nick Hornby, which made a rather ordinary story sparkle.

Highs and Low

2009-10-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

I rarely go to the theater and see a movie I don't like. It's only happened once so far this year, that I can remember. Well, now twice. New York, I Love You is a mess. This movie was shot like a bad 70's TV show. I'm serious, that's what it looked like. There were very few characters or storylines that were even watchable and some of it was just plain boring. You don't start an ensemble piece featuring people like Shia LeBeouf and Robin Wright Penn with Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson. You kill the movie before it even gets started. I spent the first ten minutes trying to figure out which one I hated more. Bilson won, for the record. I loved Paris, je'taime, I thought that was a great film. New York, I Love You completely pales in comparison. If you see this movie stay for the Chris Cooper, Julie Christie, Anton Yelchin, Cloris Leachman and Ethan Hawke storylines - skip the rest.

Immediately after New York, I Love You ended, I went and saw The Boys Are Back. I had to redeem filmmaking as an art. Based on a true story, The Boys Are Back stars Clive Owen as a widower who is forced to reconnect with his sons after his wife's untimely death. I loved quite a bit about this film. Clive Owen was great. He doesn't get the chance to carry whole films by himself very often, but he's more than capable. I really liked the father/son relationships here too - another facet that isn't often shown on film. The relationships are fun, complicated and heartbreaking while still being entertaining. The young boys who played Owen's sons were also exceptional. Lastly, I loved the cinematography. Filmed mainly in Australia, the scenery was gorgeous.

Another fine and beautifully shot film was the Amelia Earhart biopic, Amelia. It's not exceptionally flashy or bold, but it's a good, solid dramatic picture that has the feel of old time Hollywood. I really like how the filmmakers zeroed in on a particularly time in Earhart's life and told that story thoroughly. Hilary Swank did an excellent job of capturing Earhart during the prime of her life. Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor were also great. I was surprised by how compelling the film was. You know how the story ends, but I still found myself on the edge of my seat hoping for a safe landing.

Island Living

2009-10-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we had a fun Vince Vaughn comedy (Four Christmases was pretty underwhelming), so I was really looking forward to Couples Retreat. And it wasn't half bad. The story focuses on four different couples who've come to tropical Eden East for some fun on the beach and marital counseling. Couples Retreat didn't disappoint on the laughs and it was actually kind of sweet. And while I bag on Vince Vaughn (and people like Ben Stiller) for never playing an actual character, just their talkative manic selves, the Vince Vaughn shtick works in this context and is enjoyable.

I don't know about Where the Wild Things Are. Based on the (very simple) children's book, there's really not enough plot here to carry a 90 minute movie. The young star, Max Records, does a really good job by essentially carrying the film, but the rest of the film is lacking and Max's outbursts are a little jarring. Even when Max arrives at Wild Thing Island, there seems to be half a storyline missing. I do think the puppeteering and animation of the Wild Things were extraordinary, but that doesn't mean they still weren't weird to look at.

Jim & Pam

2009-10-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

The wedding of the year (decade? century?), the one we've all been waiting for, finally happened this past Thursday night. The cutest couple ever, Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly from The Office tied the knot in fantastic fashion! It was a funny and touching episode full of those special Jim and Pam moments that I look forward to every week. They just make you feel good. Great, great episode.

In movie news this week, I spent three hours at the theater watching Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3D! The Toy Story films are my favorite Disney/Pixar creation and it was such a treat to see them again on the big screen. They're just as cute and charming as they were when they were originally released.

Get Some

2009-10-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

After a month of crap (sans The Informant!) Hollywood has decided to unleash a cartel of worthy films all on the same weekend. Marketing geniuses! Needless to say, it created an unnecessarily busy weekend for me. Zombieland was my first stop. Even the title makes me smile. Zombieland is the simple story of a group of travelers trying to stay alive in a world that has been overrun by those pesky non-dead cannibals. Zombieland is sharp and cheeky and I loved its style. The slow motion scenes, the numbered rule graphics, the gore - it all worked for me.

I love Ricky Gervais (and Stephen Merchant). If you haven't seen the UK version of The Office or Extras, rent or download them immediately. Absolutely hilarious. To quote my own blog, I "adored" Gervais's last starring role, Ghost Town, so I was really looking forward to The Invention of Lying. I'm sorry to say that I was severely disappointed with Lying. It just wasn't that funny. It had its moments, but the movie is more or less a drama depicting a religious allegory. It does have an awesome cast, including some really fun cameos, but it's just unfortunate that they all came together for a less than average movie. How long do we have to wait for a Gervais/Merchant penned feature?

"Be your own hero." I love that sentiment and I love the movie it comes from - Whip It. Directed by Drew Barrymore (she does it all!) Ellen Page plays Bliss Cavendar, a ho-hum Bodeen, TX high schooler who comes into her own when she discovers the rock 'em sock 'em world of roller derby. This movie too just made me smile. I loved its energy and its humor. It has a great coming of age element and an awesome "girls just wanna have fun"/girl power mentality. I want my own derby name! :)

OMG You Guys!

2009-09-27T10:19:00.001-07:00

The title of this post refers to one of the uppity numbers from the stage musical Legally Blonde. Based on the popular Reese Witherspoon movie, the stage show is pure fun! You can't help tapping your toe and smiling during the entire show. It's happy and pink and funny and sweet...and better than the movie!

Elsewhere, the new TV season is upon us. Unfortunately, I'm too lazy to add any new shows to my repertoire, so I'm relying on my old stand bys - The Biggest Loser, Law & Order: SVU and NBC's Thursday night line up. It's too early to say how the season will go, but I'm optimistic. I'm looking forward to the October 8th episode of The Office when Jim and Pam finally tie the knot! The Emmys were last week...yea! Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, this year's show was leaps and bounds better than last year when the show was hosted by awful reality show hosts (OMG you guys. See? It's catchy!). I wasn't overly excited about any of the winners (again because I don't watch many of the other shows), but I still enjoyed the broadcast. And at least 30 Rock won again.

Jennifers

2009-09-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

I think Jennifer's Body has a clever premise: high school cheerleader turns demon, personifies evil and not just high school evil. There's a lot of good possibilities there. And in the hands of the woman who gave us Juno (honest to blog!)? Slam dunk, right? No. Gosh, no. Jennifer's Body is a mess. It's not entertaining, it's not funny, it's not cheeky or clever. I can't tell if the director and Megan Fox (gag!) butchered Diablo Cody's script or if the script was just that awful to begin with. I'd like to think it wasn't.

Love Happens packs a wallop of an emotional punch. Aaron Eckhart (the charming and beautiful) plays Burke Ryan, a widower and self help guru who can't follow his own advice. While teaching a seminar in Seattle, he meets Eloise (Jennifer Aniston), a local florist who helps him to realize he's "really messed up." But in a good, I can work with this kind of way. Love Happens is a great looking picture. The cinematography, the Seattle scenery, even the wardrobe is splendid. There is a love story here, but the bulk of the story deals with grieving the loss of loved ones and the complexities of that task - hence the emotional punch. It's not one of the best romances of recent memory, but Love Happens is unique and alluring because of Eckhart and Aniston.

The Informant!

2009-09-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

This is a tricky little movie to sell...or describe for that matter. Based on a true story, Matt Damon plays Mark Whitacre, a big wig at the agricultural firm ADM who turns informant for the FBI when he learns his company is involved with price fixing. Got it? The Informant! is a quirky, funny picture that definitely succeeds because of Damon. He is great as Whitacre and I have to say that my favorite parts were his absurd and random thoughts. Classic!

All About Steve

2009-09-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know me, you know how hard it is for me to not be 100% in love with a Sandy Bullock movie. I'll be honest, All About Steve looked awful. I was not so secretly hoping it would be quietly released straight to DVD and bypass any theatrical embarrassment. Aside from the delayed release date and the unfunny previews, I could smell Steve a mile away because of its writer - Kim Barker. This is the woman who was responsible for the colossal waste of time that was License to Wed. Who gave her another writing job? What kind of actors would agree to be in a movie written by this person? Do they not use imdb? Do they not do research? On what planet is the phrase "from the writer of License to Wed" a good thing? Whew. Now that I've gotten all of that off of my chest, let me say that All About Steve is not entirely awful, although the things that are wrong with it, I blame on the uneven screenplay. I found the character of Mary Horowitz (Bullock) to often be annoying. And why does she have a lisp? What purpose does that serve? Steve is the kind of movie that's silly and just wants to make you smile and feel good about who you are....and for the most part, mildly succeeds.

Oh, and I saw Extract again. :)

Extract

2009-09-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

I was able to catch an advance screening of Extract this week. This movie is a great comedy. It's not the kind of movie that has you belly laughing, but it is pretty funny throughout. I wouldn't say it's as good as The Hangover, but it's definitely one of the better comedies of the year.

Death and Music

2009-08-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Because I've seen the first three films, I thought it only appropriate that I see The Final Destination. Unfortunately, I thought this was the worst of the Final Destination films. Like The Goods, this movie seems to be comprised of spare footage that was just laying around a studio somewhere. The script is - wait, I take that back - there was no script. In movies like this the script seems to be an after thought. The death scenes were pretty neat, but the sheer unbelievability of all the events and the poor, never realistic special effects more than bugged.

Taking Woodstock is based on the true story of how the locale for Woodstock came to be. It centers on the Teichberg family and how their family owned motel becomes the epicenter of a hippie invasion. There are a lot of things to like about Taking Woodstock. I liked the story, the characters, the humor. It's a great little gem of a movie. My only complaint is the wall it hit about 4/5 of the way through. Elliot's acid trip totally tripped up the movie's momentum and made the rest of the film drag. But aside from that one nuisance, I really liked Taking Woodstock.

Mad Men

2009-08-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

Randomly and because of a lack of creativity, I decided to check out The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard this weekend. I obviously was not expecting a lot, but alas I was still disappointed. Jeremy Piven (generally delightful, excruciatingly irritating here) plays Don Ready, the man with the golden touch when it comes to selling used cars. A floundering Temecula car dealership hires the services of Ready and his team to ensure big sales during their 4th of July event. What follows is one lame joke and plot contrivence after another. Some jokes land, but most fall flat. The Goods seems like the kind of movie that was quickly thrown together by a bunch of guys who found their own jokes to be so funny they didn't realize they were the only ones laughing.

I'm torn on Tarantino. I love how his movies are always a big event. They're big and bold and grand. I like that. I'm not a big fan of Pulp Fiction, but I absolutely love Death Proof. Go figure. I think I fall right in the middle with Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino sure does like his dialogue and there was a lot of it in Basterds. Sometimes it worked beautifully, sometimes I got impatient waiting for the characters to get to the point. I think that general opinion sort of applies to the whole movie for me. There were parts of the movie that were clicking along and were great fun and had a lot of laughs, but there were also a couple of scenes that I just wished would end.

Time and Space

2009-08-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

I saw The Time Traveler's Wife twice this weekend. The second time I really liked it. When I watched it the first time I was too busy comparing it to the book. The book was better - but isn't that always the case? During my second viewing I was able to see the movie on its own merits. Although I think a little more character development would have been ideal, I was completely engaged with Clare and Henry's endruing love story. It is a very sad and heartbreaking story, but ultimately leaves you hopeful with a smile. And has McAdams ever looked more beautiful?

I'm not a big sci-fi nut, but if I was, I think I would have enjoyed District 9 even more. As it is, I was thoroughly entertained. I really liked the documentary style in which the story was told. It immediately sucks you into the picture and keeps you interested until the very end. District 9 was a nice surprise and something totally different to see at the movie theater.

It's official: I'm in love with Summer. I have to mention how much more I loved 500 Days of Summer after seeing it for the second time. If you haven't seen this little gem, I'd advise you to check it out very soon.

August Rush

2009-08-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy week. Just some quick reviews.

Saw an advance screening of Adam. Great picture. I really liked it. Improbable romance between an NY teacher and a man with Asperger's syndrome. Sweet, funny, emotionally satisfying. All good.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra was pretty good. You won't learn anything while watching, but it had some fun action. Too bad our hero Duke (Channing Tatum) is dreadfully dull.

The documentary about the existence of love, Paper Heart, had just that. It's a delightful film, if a little safe. The romance between star Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera was adorable.

Julie & Julia was a great time. I liked this one a lot too. Laughs, heart and I think Ephron really wove the two stories together well. Streep gives a jubilantly glowing performance of Julia Child - no doubt on her way to her 394th Oscar nomination.

A friend of mine mentioned how much the previews for A Perfect Getaway terrified her, so naturally I had to see this picture in order to tease her relentlessly. Unfortunately, I guess the joke's on me. This movie isn't even worth reviewing.

Oh and I knocked out viewing number three of The Proposal. Check it out!

Relatively Amusing People

2009-08-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

In Funny People, Adam Sandler plays George Simmons, a stand up comedian and actor who's forced to take stock of his life once he learns he has a terminal disease, only to find out soon after that he's in remission. Unfortunately, this is the weakest of the three Judd Apatow directed films. For me, it didn't have the great mixture of heart and laughs that make the other Apatow films so great. Funny People had its moments, but they were too few and far between. In addition to being (almost an hour?) too long, the film doesn't cover any new ground. How many times can the same group of actors have the same conversations about love and sex? It gets tiring - especially for Seth Rogen; although I will say that he was by far less annoying in this picture. I also thought that Eric Bana was wasted in his small role. He's a great comedian (no, seriously - YouTube it) and I wish they had given him something funny to do.

July Out

2009-07-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2009-07-05T20:00:00.001-07:00

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.

Robots and Family

2009-06-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for action, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is definitely your ticket. If, however, you're looking for an actual plot or anything resembling reality, you may have to find a different ticket. Transformers is fun enough and has some funny moments, but you can only watch two nearly indestructible entities try to destroy each other for so long.

Having read the book, I think My Sister's Keeper is a very difficult story to translate to film. That being said, I'm not surprised that it was not done well. Putting aside the altered ending and the absence of a main character, there was additionally just too much missing from the film. The details, the struggles, the memories - all of the little things that made the book compelling - were omitted from the film. It left me with an empty feeling. A lot could have been incorporated into the film if so much time had not been wasted with unnecessarily long, heavy handed, maudlin scenes. All of the actors gave fine performances, but I just wish they had more/better material to work with.

The Proposal

2009-06-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

What's tricky about The Proposal is that you know exactly what's going to happen before the movie even starts. The challenge then becomes to make the oh-so-familiar journey entertaining and fun. The Proposal accepts this challenge and wildly succeeds. Sandra Bullock plays tough as nails book editor Margaret Tate, who forces her weary assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her in order to prevent her deportation to Canada. Not completely original, The Proposal is filled with echoes of previous films like The Devil Wears Prada and While You Were Sleeping, to name a couple. A little unimaginative, but okay with me since I love both of those movies. What I liked about The Proposal was that it didn't hit you over the head with the idea that Margaret and Andrew were falling in love. It was very subtle and sweet. In addition to sweet, this movie is laugh out loud funny and one of the most enjoyable romantic comedies in recent years. Bullock and Reynolds are wonderful together and have amazing chemistry.

Mid Week and Sneak Peak

2009-06-18T13:12:00.001-07:00

Not often do I go to the movies during the week, but this time I ventured out on a Monday night to take in a viewing of Easy Virtue. When the dashing John (Ben Barnes) marries American race car driver Larita (Jessica Biel) and whisks her off to England to meet his family, not everyone is pleased with his bride of choice. (Despite Biel) Easy Virtue is a very funny and charming period piece. There's plenty of that sly Brit wit to go around and I was very fond of a lot of the characters. Colin Firth, as John's father, is depressingly entertaining and I loved Kris Marshall as their butler Furber. I wish there was more of him. Kirstin Scott Thomas was delightfully cold and even Ben Barnes had some good moments. The only element that struck me as odd was that the film made a point of saying how much younger John was than Larita, but Ben Barnes and Jessica Biel are the same age. Why even bring it up? But overall, Easy Virtue was an entertaining picture.

Got in to see an advance screening of Year One last night. Jack Black and Michael Cera are cavemen type guys who leave their tribe to see the world and experience life. As far as plot goes, this one's paper thin. I guess you could say it's about Zed (Black) and Oh (Cera) saving their unrequited loves from slavery, but even that storyline comes and goes. Year One doesn't feel very conducive, instead it often seems like just a collection of scenes loosely tied together. Black and Cera also don't seem to be playing characters. Black is doing what he does in every movie, the same tired personality performance we get continuously from Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn, and Cera also seems to be playing the same sensitive nerd we've already seen in Juno and Superbad. The movie does, however, have quite a few funny moments and fun supporting roles from Oliver Platt and a blink-and-you'll-miss-him Bill Hader.