My Affair with the Movies

The Lincoln Lawyer

2011-05-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

While my favorite Matthew McConaughey movie (if I had to pick one) would undoubtedly be Dazed and Confused followed closely by his baseball player in Angels in the Outfield. Remember that one? I just kinda blew your mind right there didn't I? But while his not-so-top notch romantic comedies have been dominating as of late, people forget that early in his career there is a gem of a movie called A Time to Kill (which is one of the few movies I'll watch Sam Jackson in). McConaughey hadn't played a lawyer since A Time to Kill until The Lincoln Lawyer and I don't know why because he was fantastic.

So this movie is based on the book by the same name authored by Michael Connelly. Its about a lawyer named Mick Haller (McConaughey) who conducts his business out of the back of a Lincoln town car due to a problem that took place off-screen. He has slightly questionable morals in his choice of clientele. His services are requested to represent wealthy Realtor Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) who is accused of beating and raping a prostitute. As evidence is discovered, Haller starts to make connections between his current case and that of a former case of his, calling Roulet's innocence into question.

This was a great movie in a style that really hasn't been seen in a while. Its not a crime drama but its just so good like A Time to Kill or The Pelican Brief or any John Grisham book brought to the big screen. It's just a good story with strong characters and interesting plot developments.

McConaughey is, as I said before, fantastic. People forget that he can play these serious roles without overacting (Nic Cage, I'm looking at you) and I'm just glad he got the opportunity again. Marissa Tomei plays Haller's ex-wife and prosecutor. I just love her. No matter what she's in or who she's playing I always find myself rooting for her character. William H. Macy plays an associate of Haller's who digs up the dirt on Haller's clients so he knows what's really going on. Frances Fisher plays Roulet's rather protective mother. They worked amazingly well together.

Knowing that Connelly has written several books using the Mick Haller character I really look forward to other movies with these characters. Similar to the way I was looking forward to the Robert Langdon books until I saw Tom Hanks' hair. But Matthew McConaughey always has great hair so I don't think I'm going to be disappointed.

Red Riding Hood

2011-05-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

This movie had potential to be good and if I was 12 years old that would've been enough. The character development just wasn't there. In a paint-by-numbers story such as this, it was really needed.

This is Little Red Riding Hood slightly grown up. Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) is in her early twenties and in love with the bad boy Peter (the very hot Shiloh Fernandez) when her parents arrange her marriage to Henry (Max Irons). As she's dealing with this personal crisis, Valerie's sister is attacked and killed by the wolf who, for some reason, is no longer placated by their offerings.

To hunt down the wolf Father Auguste (Lukas Haas) calls on Father Solomon (my obsession Gary Oldman). The only man who can pull off a purple velvet suit, I might add. Father Solomon's ways are strict and no-nonsense. And so the hunt begins.

While predictable in the fact that you know the wolf is someone close to Valerie - - I did not guess who it was. That was surprising for me. I've seen enough movies to spot plot twists before they happen, therefore making them not so twisty, but I didn't get the wolf.

The movie was visually pretty with Valerie imaging herself in a flowing red riding hood instead of the floor length one she possess, making the juxtaposition between the red and white of the snow very stimulating. Plus the supporting cast was filled with greats: in addition to the above mentioned Gary Oldman and Lukas Haas, there was Billy Burke, Virginia Madsen, and Julie Christie. Julie Christie who's magnificent blue eyes were covered by brown contacts. That was truly disappointing.

The Adjustment Bureau

2011-03-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Imagine that your life is not your own. You can decide what shirt to wear and what toothpaste to buy, but the decisions that will affect the course of your life are decided for you by a team called the Adjustment Bureau. They can see the choices that you will make and alter them to fit The Plan written by The Chairman. If your choice doesn't line up, then you are adjusted to The Plan as long as the ripples don't spread too far. What a great premise!

Matt Damon plays Congressman David Norris who, on the night he looses a Senate bid, meets Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt). She inspires him to be more of himself which leads him to make a concession speech for the ages. He doesn't have her name or her number and by chance he meets her on a bus he was never supposed to get on, due to a mistake by a Bureau caseworker (Anthony Mackie). But David and Elise together are not part of The Plan and when David walks in on an adjustment in progress he learns the truth.

Humanity's major decisions are made for them. . . oh! and that girl from the bus? You can never see her again. But David won't give up on love that easily and continues to look for her even as the Bureau actively tries to keep them apart.

This movie was great. It is a fairly simple science fiction story with great love story in the middle. Damon and Blunt just spark. Their chemistry is palpable and from the moment they meet you want them to be together. The Adjustment Bureau is filled with great actors as well: Anthony Mackie (as mentioned above) plays Harry Mitchell who has been Congressman Norris' caseworker for awhile. John Slattery plays Richardson who is actively keeping David and Elise apart do to the negligence on Harry's part. Then there is Terence Stamp as Thompson "The Hammer." He is brought in when Richardson starts to create too many ripples keeping David apart from Elise.

These actors are all phenomenal. They add a level of reality to a movie that could've, if not properly executed, gone way off on a preachy tangent. It is a really great movie.

Paul

2011-03-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

The dynamic duo that is Simon Pegg and Nick Frost made this movie an automatic see for me. I really liked Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz is in my Top 5 favorite movies of all time. And while Paul was funny it did hold up to the standard set by it's predecessors.

Paul is not the third movie in the Blood and Ice Cream trilogy that involved Pegg, Frost, and director/co-writer Edgar Wright. It doesn't involve Wright at all, but is directed by Greg Mattola (Superbad, Adventureland). I really felt the loss of Wright in ways so subtle that it was a feeling of being unsatisfied by this movie.

Graeme and Clive (Pegg and Frost) are two English nerds heading to their Mecca: San Diego Comic Con. Afterwards they rent an RV and road-trip across America to visit the UFO hot-spots. Upon commencing this trip they witness a car accident and find Paul. An alien that has just escaped captivity after being held for nearly 60 years. They agree to help Paul get to where he needs to go, while being chased by government agents Zoil (Jason Bateman), Haggard (Bill Hader), and O'Reilly (Joe Lo Truglio).

Along the way they pick up Ruth (Kristen Wiig) who is a conservative Christian in the worse sense of the phrase. Wiig does what she can with the role, but it was written like a giant cliche, not to be funny but to be mean-spirited. There is a scene where Ruth decides that she can curse but is not that good at it. At first its funny, then the joke gets hammered and hammered and hammered until eyes begin to roll. A lot of the movie is like that.

I'd say about 30% of the dialogue is original. Sci-fi and fantasy movies are quoted incessantly, sometimes to laughter and sometimes to 'Wait. I've heard that before. What is that from?' There is a lot of cursing in the film but I don't think it takes from the story... with the exception of Ruth's awkwardness.

The best performances go to the government agents Zoil, Haggard, and O'Reilly. I love a straight-playing Jason Bateman. Hader and Lo Truglio played off each other very well. Also Paul himself, voiced by Seth Rogan. Rogan's voice fit amazingly well with this scruffy alien. The chemistry that I've seen from Pegg and Frost previously is just not present in this movie.

What sets Paul apart from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz is that the latter two can be standalone movies in the their genre. While Shaun can be considered a parody of zombie/horror movies, it is also a zombie movie in its own right. Hot Fuzz may pay homage to thirty-odd action movies, but it too is an action movie with it's own plot. Paul can't claim the same. It relies on other science fiction movies to exist.

While Paul has its funny moments, they are not often enough to really satisfy. I would definitely make this a rental if you're torn at the theatre.

Battle: Los Angeles

2011-03-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

If you've seen Alien, Aliens, Independence Day, District 9, The War of the Worlds, or Saving Private Ryan then you've seen Battle: Los Angeles. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just not too original.

Staff Sargent Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) is days away from retirement when he is assigned to a rookie lieutenant for duty. The Marines have been called to keep at bay an alien invasion. They have to evacuate any remaining civilians from the Santa Monica area before the Air Force carpet bombs LA. That's it. That's the plot. Pretty basic.

The opening scenes, which I assume are designed to acclimate you with all the Marines of this platoon (actually, I'm sure if that's the right word... platoon... group may be better). There are so many Marines in the group that when an unfortunate circumstance takes out half of them, its a bit of a relief that there are less people to remember.

This movie has practically every character device ever established. The hardened veteran who is almost at retirement. The possible head-case who might not be able to handle the pressure. The rookie officer who freezes under pressure. The engaged soldier who just wants to see his fiance again. The newbie who has never seen action before. They're all here.

Joining the cast half-way through is Michelle Rodriguez as Technical Sargent Santos. She's the only uniformed woman that the movie gives good access to. One of my favorite scenes involves her with two Marines on the hood of a truck. The Marines are firing on the aliens and TSgt. Santos is hanging back, until she just gets fed up, picks up a gun, and starts firing. I wasn't to sure if the no-woman-on-the-front-line rule applies during an alien invasion.

The movie could've benefited with a little more heart. Independence Day gave us Bill Pullman with his sweeping, unifying speeches. That would've been nice to see here. The one "emotional" scene came across a bit forced.

Oh! If you get sick at the sight of the shaky-cam, this is not the movie for you. The one scene that requires no action (Nantz sitting in a office across from a superior, having a conversation) reads like the camera man is continuously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. It works well in the reality-based invasion, but it is unnecessary in stationary scenes.

While filmed in Louisiana, Los Angeles sets were built for use. I might have found the sets more impressive if I were at all familiar with Santa Monica or the Los Angeles skyline. The movie lost me a bit there as I didn't find the destruction that impressive because I didn't know what the city looked like before. Probably why the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and the Great Pyramids are ideal monuments for destruction: everybody knows what they looked like before.

While you'll definitely spot elements from other alien-based movies, Battle: Los Angeles can stand on its own. Its better than I thought it was going to be and the action was amazing.

Take Me Home Tonight

2011-03-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

This movie is really nothing special. That's not to say it's bad, because it's not. It is just a story that you've seen countless times set to, what I will admit is above average music.

Matt Franklin (Topher Grace) is a graduate of an ivy league school who works at the local video store because he's disgusted with the materialism of the late 80s. He lives at home (to the chagrin of his father) and is just trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life.

Into the store walks his high school crush Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer). He lies to her, saying they're in the same line of work now and a tentative agreement is set to catch up at a Labor Day party that night. Meanwhile, Matt's best friend Barry (Dan Fogler) is getting fired from his job at the car dealership. Both end up going to the party, being held by Matt's equally smart twin sister Wendy's (Anna Faris) dumb-ass boyfriend. And the night that defines their lives begins.

What was really great about this movie were the awesome songs. Every twenty seconds it seemed a different late eighties pop song debuted. Video Killed the Radio Star, Hungry Like the Wolf, Kickstart My Heart, Straight Outta Compton, Safety Dance, Everybody Have Fun Tonight, Come on Eileen, Let My Love Open the Door, and a great cover of Don't You Want Me by Atomic Tom. (The cast is also featured in the music video and reenact at least 40 different movies from the 1980's. You can watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RULH8dxZZ0).

Just a fun movie. It would probably do better as a rental.

Unknown

2011-03-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

Seeing as many movies as I have in my life - - I can usually anticipate an ending. The shocking moment isn't that shocking to me. So I really look to the story-telling ability to hook my interest. So when a movie like Unknown comes along in which I'm not sure until they tell me... its really a rare treat.

Liam Neeson plays Dr. Martin Harris who is in Berlin with his wife Liz (January Jones) for a science conference of some sort. When he forgets his briefcase at the airport and jumps in Gina's cab to retrieve it, an accident happens that ends up with Martin in a coma for four days.

By the time he remembers enough of his life to find his wife, she doesn't remember him. Her husband is Dr. Martin Harris (Aidan Quinn) and neither one of them know Neeson's Dr. Harris.

This movie would've benefited from more action sequences. Throughout the movie, you know that you're missing information. Especially when it comes to Liz: we know she knows Neeson. We've seen them together so why is she lying? So it's not something you as the viewer can figure out on your own... you need the action sequences to keep from trying to figure out where the story is going.

The action that is present is rather contained. There is a fight in the Gina's (Diane Kruger) apartment. But she makes jokes about how small her apartment is. Which is apparent in the fight scene, to the point where they literally break through the wall into the other apartment but end up right back in Gina's living room. There was just no place for them to move and the assailants are no Jack Ryan.

During the car chase, I had a big The Bourne Identity buzz. Liam Neeson is speeding all over Berlin in a clutch BMW cab. A city he admits that he has never been in before but he knows the streets. Remember when Jason Bourne took one look at that map and then went on a high-speed pursuit? Neeson performance has flashes of that but Bourne knows he was trained, Neeson is just a doctor. At least in Taken Nesson's character had background for this type of behavior.

The greatest scene was between two minor characters: Jurgen (Bruno Ganz) and Cole (Frank Langella). There was no action and little dialogue. It was the one scene that would've benefited from less background music. All the music did was add tension that could've made the scene appear melodramatic, if not for the reserved performances of Ganz and Langella.

Quinn was quite forgettable and Jones is either a blank slate or a pissy bitch. She seems to have no happy middle ground in her acting ability. Neeson was not as badass as I would've liked him to be. Kruger was good with the material she had.

I give Unknown props for me not guessing what was going on with Dr. Martin Harris. But it just didn't live up to it's potential.

Beastly

2011-03-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

Beauty and the Beast was my favorite movie when I was a kid. And while Beastly looks really preachy in the previews, I don't not like Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer wasn't horrible in I Am Number Four, so I went in with an open mind.

Kyle (Pettyfer) is the most popular guy in the preppiest school I've ever seen. I can't believe kids actually go to school in a place like that. Kyle is running for president of something-or-other and his platform is he's pretty and popular and he should win because it'll look great on his college application. I find it hard to believe that a person is this shallow and that the student body are such a herd of sheeple.

Meet Lindy (Hudgens). She's a scholarship student who doesn't run with Kyle's crowd, but is strong in her own right. After an accusation by Kyle and a firm rebuke by Lindy, he sees something he might like. This was a nice touch with Kyle's character development. You see that he has the potential to like Lindy before she becomes the only person to give him the time of day.

After a poorly executed "prank" that Kyle attempts to pull on teen-witch Kendra (Mary-Kate Olson) she curses him with ugliness and gives him a year to find someone to love. Kyle's new outward appearance is quite grotesque and yet unique. I found that I would've liked the camera to stay on him more so I could see all the intricacies in more detail.

Kyle ends up living in an apartment away from friends and family, with the exception of the housemaid Zola (Lisa Gay Hamilton) and the blind tutor Will (Neil Patrick Harris). Through circumstances, Lindy also comes to live in that apartment. And so the bond begins to grow... but it's already quite late for Kyle - - who now calls himself Hunter so Lindy won't associate grotesque Hunter with hot Kyle.

Pettyfer has quite a few monologues that deal with Kyle/Hunter either promoting that pretty people deserve power and pleasure or that he knows that Lindy could never love him because of how ugly he is but its what's inside that counts. It comes out very preachy and nobody likes to be preached out.

Neil Patrick Harris provides appropriate comic relief as the blind tutor. Mary-Kate Olson is not as creepy as I think she was supposed to be regarded as. She has great costumes and hairstylists. She definitely looked like she didn't belong in high school.

I can see myself loving this movie at age twelve. That's nothing against the movie - - it just has an audience and if you're not a tween girl, you're not the main demographic but I doubt you'll hate it.

Drive Angry 3D

2011-03-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

Gowdy, Knappster, and I went to see this film. Knapp because he genuinely likes Nic Cage and Gowdy and I to make fun of Nic Cage. We expected a put-your-feet-up, eat some popcorn, B-action movie. It was that and more.

The three of us all walked away actually really liking this movie. Nic Cage (I refuse to call him Nicolas when he does these types of movies) was well tamed for this role. Amber Heard looked good (which is what I expect all she was really hired for). David Fichtner was phenomenal - - he looked like he was having so much fun. Billy Burke didn't quite ride the charismatic/creepy line I think a cult leader should embody, but he wasn't horrible.

So Melton (Cage) escapes from Hell in a very video-game-esque sequence that is all CGI. I thought we were in for quite the campy-movie. But then it actually got kinda good. Melton meets Piper (Heard) who gives him a lift in her '69 Charger and ends up coming to her rescue later. He's being followed by the Accountant (Fichtner) who is the best part of this movie. Melton is searching for cult leader Jonah King (Burke), who murdered Melton's daughter and stole his baby granddaughter.

One reviewer said its like a "balls to the wall, take no prisoners B-movie". He couldn't have put it any better. There is tons of language, sex, and violence. It is just fun from beginning to end. I was especially impressed by the Piper character. She is a take-no-shit kinda woman and sometimes those types of characters get softer as the film progresses. But not Piper and that's really great for the character.

Remember how campy Cage was is The Sorcerer's Apprentice? Or Kick-Ass? That is not how he is here, which was very surprising. It might have benefited from his over-acting style here but the film didn't openly suffer from the lack of it.

Plus, it was the best use of 3D I've ever seen in a live-action movie. It was shot with 3D cameras and so it looks as good as it could. And the music was great! Perfect for the movie and it really tied it all together well. Everlast, UNKLE, April Wine, T-Rex, Peaches, Trooper - - just great rick songs.

If I have some time, I'll definitely check this one out again. It was just a lot of fun!

Hall Pass

2011-03-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

As I've said before, I work at a movie theatre. So I get to see movies for free under the assumption that while waiting for their freshly popped popcorn, you can engage the customer in conversation about their movie. "So what movie are you seeing today?" If I've seen it too, a friendly conversation can be had over the actors and what broad strokes I liked about the movie (so I don't ruin it for them). If I haven't seen it, I can only give second hand information or say I liked the trailer. That conversation turns real stale real quick.

Hall Pass is not a movie I would see under any circumstances unless it was to better my customer service and it didn't cost me a dime. That perfect storm of events led me to an employee showing after a late-night shift.

Don't see this movie. Don't waste your time. Don't waste your money. There is nothing redeemable here. It's not raunchy funny. Just raunchy. Its not sentimental. Its predictable. Owen Wilson is not my favorite Wilson brother, let alone actor. Somebody gave Jenna Fischer a tan which made her hair and skin tone one color. So the only distinguishing feature were her ultra-white teeth. At least their relationship seemed plausible. Christina Applegate and Jason Sudeikis... I don't understand how these two ever became married. It is so unbelievable.

If you come through my line at the theatre you'd get a: "Hall Pass? Yeah I've seen it. It really wasn't my style. There were some funny parts but its not my favorite." Diplomacy in action.

I Am Number Four

2011-02-28T10:03:00.000-08:00

This is a movie I went to see because the trailers wore me down. I work at a theatre and we had a trailer for I Am Number Four attached to so many movies I don't even know how many times I've seen it. But what the trailers don't tell you is that TIMOTHY OLYPHANT IS THIS MOVIE!!!! It's already better than you think it's going to be.

So I Am Number Four is based on a book series (that I haven't read) by Pittacus Love (pen name for Jobie Hughes and James Frey). Its about a planet that was being exterminated by invading aliens, so nine of their children were sent to hide out on Earth with a guardian each. They don't know each other and spend their lives on the run. We meet "John" (Alex Pettyfer) aka Four. After he witnesses Three's death via a telepathic link by the aliens who invaded their planet called Mogadorians, Four and his protector Henri (Olyphant) move from Florida to Ohio. Henri is doing some investigating into the disappearance of a man who was trying to track down all nine of them, and "John" is falling in love with the popular guy's ex, Sarah (Dianna Agron). But the Mogadorians are hot on their trail, along with a mysterious dirty-blond whose affiliations aren't revealed until the end.

Overall - -it wasn't a horrible movie. I would've loved it at fourteen. It appealed enough to my inner science fiction fan and then was brought a level of seriousness with the inclusion of Olyphant. The special effects were good, if maybe a tad over-used at the end. My one big complaint is that I think this movie should've been a stand-alone. I understand that its a book series and the studio obviously wanted to start a franchise, but they left every question unanswered at the end of this movie. There is no resolution at all, except for the identity of the mysterious dirty-blond. A stand-alone film would've not put so much pressure for this film to do so well and might have brought in a larger audience who wouldn't have come before, so they wouldn't have to "commit" to a franchise.

On a personal note: I read that Alex Pettyfer and Dianna Agron were dating and then became engaged over the course of filming. Then I read that she broke up with him because he has a jealous streak and then his garage caught on fire. By her... by him... Who knows? But what are the odds of these two wanting to work together again?

Gnomeo & Juliet

2011-02-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Now, yes, I'm not fond of animated movies or 3D movies. However James McAvoy voices Gnomeo and I would listen to him read a phone book. Onto the movie...

What do you really need to know about this story that you don't already? This is Romeo & Juliet. The blue gnomes belong to Miss Montague and the red gnomes belong to Mr. Capulet. When the owners are away the gnomes will wage war.

While tagging the well where Tybalt Capulet rests, Army Ranger Gnomeo is discovered and races off for a place to hide. Meanwhile, Juliet is tired of her father treating her like she is so delicate, she dresses in a dark sock, like a ninja, and races off to pick a beautiful orchid that will really make her garden the best.

The two meet over the orchid and exchange flirtatious barbs and acrobatic feats in order to be the keeper of the orchid. But a fall into a forgotten pond reveals him as a Blue and her as a Red. Oh the gnome-manity! Juliet protects Gnomeo from being caught by Tybalt, but she herself can't stay away.

Its a really cute version of Romeo & Juliet. William Shakespeare even makes an appearance (being voiced by Patrick Stewart)! The voice-over work was really top notch. James McAvoy, as stated before, voices Gnoemo and Emily Blunt is Juliet. Dame Maggie Smith is Lady Bluebury (Gnomeo's mother) and Michael Caine is Lord Redbrick (Juliet's father).

Also contributing their voices are Jason Statham as Tybalt, Jim Cummings as Featherstone, Ashley Jensen as Nanette, Matt Lucas as Benny... I have a problem with the Benny character.

So Elton John provides ~~a lot~~ all of the music for this movie. Benny is supposed to be Mercutio, Romeo's best friend who gets killed by Tybalt, so Romeo kills Tybalt and then becomes banished and separated from his love, Juliet. I don't know if the powers the be thought kids wouldn't be able to pronounce Mercutio or they wanted a reason to be able to use "Benny and the Jets" on the soundtrack. I think it's the latter.

Other than that, this was a really fun movie. I was surprised at how much I liked it. Great family fun with some jokes that the adults should be able to laugh at.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

2011-02-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

Prior to this movie, I knew absolutely nothing about Justin Bieber. I'd heard maybe one of his songs (the one with Ludacris). I didn't know where he was from or how he got involved in the music industry. I just knew he had feathery hair and was kinda funny after I saw him in a skit on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

It's a documentary using old home video, interviews with the people around him, and the camera follows him on his tour up until his concert at Madison Square Garden. Each new "chapter" of the film is buffered by a concert performance of Justin Bieber (which is the only part of the movie in 3D).

So he seems like a nice kid. He's funny and he likes to joke around. He lives with his mom. His dad has only recently come back into the picture ($ca-ching$). He is very close with his maternal grandparents. The people who work "with" him are the ones that scare me. The interviews kept saying how they're one big family.

"He's like my little cousin."
"She's like his big sister."
"His name is Nephew in my phone."

But all of these people are just controlling him and what he can do. The worst was his vocal coach who chastised him for yelling with his friends on his day off and kept saying, "Do you want this life? Because if you don't, you can go right back to Toronto and we can all go home." What a bitch.

He always brings up a girl from the audience during one song (seemingly to molest her on stage with all the arm and face caresses). He has a lot of duets with established musicians, including Usher, Ludacris, Boys II Men, Sean Kingston. Then he does one with Jaden Smith. He looks like he has a lot of fun.

The problem with the "drama" of the movie is that its not real. He gets a sore throat a few days before the Madison Square Garden concert and has to cancel some shows as a result. He feels horrible about cancelling the shows but knows his voice needs to rest. But through the WHOLE movie we see him perform songs FROM THE CONCERT. We know he sings at it so where is the tension?

While it wasn't a horrible 3D movie, the only time that's used is at the concert. It makes "real" the worst part of a concert: people's heads and waving arms in your line of sight. The movie didn't need the 3D experience at all.

So this is definitely a movie for the fans. If you don't like him, don't see the movie. It worked perfectly as a documentary but not so much as a concert experience.

The Roommate

2011-02-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

All I can say is if you've seen the at least two different previews, you've seen this movie up until the last 10 minutes. It was one not-surprise after another involving a ridiculous amount of WB alumni.

Minka Kelly plays Sara, the freshman. Sara has yet to meet her roommate when she goes to a frat house party with some girls from her dorm, including Tracy (Alyson Michalka, Hellcats) and Kim (Katerina Graham, The Vampire Diaries). Home from her night out after meeting the one saving grace in this movie for me, Stephen (Cam Gigandet), waiting for Sara is her new roommate Rebecca (Leighton Meester, Gossip Girl).

Rebecca's a little quiet but quickly becomes close to Sara. She knows her classes and meets her randomly after them... one might say it's a bit stalkerish. After an altercation with Rebecca (you know the part from the trailer with the shower and the piercing), Tracy changes dorms but Sara doesn't really take heed.

Creepy situation. Sara's ex-boyfriend Jason (Matt Lanter, 90210). Creepy situation. Sara's friend Irene (Danneel Harris, One Tree Hill). Creepy situation.

Rebecca takes Sara home with her for Thanksgiving and starts acting like a spoiled child. Rebecca's mom asks if Rebecca has been taking her medication. Sara knows nothing about that. Rebecca has sketches of a girl up in her room but doesn't want to talk about them. Then they run into that girl, Maria (Nina Dobrev, The Vampire Diaries) while getting coffee, and she is seriously freaked out by Rebecca. But WE DON'T KNOW WHY!

Why is Rebecca on the medication? What happened between her and Maria? Why is she a psychotic bitch? These questions are never answered and would've made for a slightly better movie if they were.

They only interesting part of this movie was the eventual girl-fight at the end between Sara and Rebecca. And, honestly, these two girls look so much alike, sometimes I couldn't tell them apart during this fight. One slightly tanned brunette going after another slightly tanned brunette with light blond highlights. You've seen one you've seen them all.

This movie was just a real blah. It was nothing special.

The King's Speech

2011-02-08T07:37:00.000-08:00

King George VI was a symbol of strength and unity during World War II through his radio broadcasts. What is barely discernible in the broadcasts His Majesty's profound stammer and that is thanks to Lionel Logue, his speech therapist. This friendship is the core of the movie The King's Speech.

Colin Firth plays Albert, Duke of York called affectionately by his family, Bertie. His birth name was Albert Frederick Arthur George. He couldn't be called King Albert, as that was too German, but George was his father's name and lent to itself a nice continuity.

His wife, Elizabeth, Duchess of York (Helena Bonham Carter) found speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) and enlisted him to help her husband with his public speaking engagements. The two did not hit it off right away. It is quite entertaining to watch.

Albert was the second son of the King, making his brother David (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David) first in line to the throne. David (Guy Pearce) has an active social life that includes the twice divorced Mrs. Wallis Simpson. (scandalous.)

This was such a great movie. All the acting was off the charts with the exception of Timothy Spall who played Winston Churchill. I've never seen real videos or heard Churchill speak, but whenever I see him portrayed in a show or a movie, I find the actor to be quite hammy. With Spall, it was like I was watching a caricature of Churchill.

Tom Hooper (the director) had beautiful shots in the film. It was just gorgeous to look at. Alexandre Desplat provided the music. That was truly a joy to listen to. Although there were moments where I was listening and I heard Beethoven. It through me for a loop the first time. :)

I know this isn't the greatest review, but I'm not in the best of moods. Just know that I did really like the movie and you should definitely see it. Colin Firth was just phenomenal.

No Strings Attached

2011-01-24T09:25:00.000-08:00

Ashtun Kutcher doesn't really float my boat. I like him well enough but he is not a box office draw for me. Natalie Portman I really like but wasn't sure what she was trying to say with this movie: that she just needed the money. She wanted people to see her differently? She genuinely liked the script? So I wasn't completely sure what I was going into when I saw this over the weekend.

Adam (Kutcher) keeps running into the girl he met at camp Emma (Portman) at varying intervals of his life. Don't go in thinking they've been best friends their whole lives: not true. They've probably spent a full week in each other's presence when their agreement begins.

The agreement being that they will just use each other for sex. It's more like she'll use him as she is the doctor with odd hours. They establish some ground rules, including whenever one person starts to want more from this relationship besides sex, its over. So instead of boys and girls can't be friends without sex getting in the way, boys and girls can't have sex without love getting in the way.

Besides Kutcher and Portman who were very funny, the supporting cast also held their own. Including Greta Gerwig, Lake Bell, Olivia Thirlby, Ludacris, Jake Johnson, Mindy Kaling, and Kevin Kline (who was a bit of a shock to me).

The relationships felt real, especially between Portman and Thirlby (who play sisters) and Kutcher and Kline (who play father/son). The R rating this movie gets is mainly for language. Which I liked considering its a movie about a sexual relationship. Plus if anybody followed me and my friends around, it would probably be rated R for language as well... mainly because of me.

I found No Strings Attached to be quite funny. It's just an adult romantic-comedy that satisfies. Great for just about every situation (minus children). It promotes what it is. I laughed and ate popcorn and left the theatre not feeling like my time was wasted.

While I saw this movie with a couple ladies from work, one of them said she'd love to take her husband to it. He'd really like it. So it seems to cross-gender and as an added bonus... no fourteen year olds are talking and texting! The R rating keeps out the socially oblivious and you can enjoy your movie in relative peace.

Season of the Witch

2011-01-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

I don't know what's happened to Nicolas Cage lately. It's like he can't act if he can't be campy. That worked well on Kick-Ass but not really in anything else. Season of the Witch is no exception.

So we know that there are witches who are in cahoots with the devil: opening scene. Then we meet up with Cage and Ron Pearlman fighting battle after battle in the Crusades. We're supposed to get this sense of camaraderie between these two men, but it doesn't come across. The dialogue is forced and bogged down with one-liners. After a situation, Cage and Pearlman leave the Crusades and are deemed deserters. After being captured and arrested, they agree to transfer a girl suspected of being a witch to monks who are fit to judge her. It because of this witch that the Black Death as descended in the first place.

Along the way the pick up a priest, another knight, a conman-guide, and an alter boy who wants to be a knight. Strange things happen along the way. Members of their party die. But it never really feels like they're all together on this mission. They want different outcomes for the witch. They are bringing in different baggage. I don't know... maybe I've been spoiled since Fellowship of the Ring, I feel like all missions should be as cohesive as that one.

Besides my disdain for the dialogue and the lack of chemistry between the characters, the fight scenes were pretty good. If they could've just left out the one-liners, they would've been better.

On a side note: the wanna-be-knight/alter boy is named Kay (that's pronounced Kai) and the whole movie I thought he was familiar. Whatever I'd seen him in he was either gay or a male prostitute. HE WAS BOTH! In this great BBC mini-series/movie called Red Riding, Robert Sheehan (Kay) played gay, male prostitute BJ who referred to himself in the third person. :)

Second Side Note: Kay (Kai) is the most pronounceable name in the movie. Hence me not spelling any of the here. FYI.

I hope you don't see this movie expecting epicness. You won't get it. It's a good movie for a lazy afternoon. Afternoon mind you. Don't pay more than a matinee price to see this film.

RED

2011-01-14T09:27:00.000-08:00

I saw this movie a while ago and have no idea why I didn't write about it. So here's what I remember:

I thought this movie was funny. Bruce Willis plays a retired CIA agent who flirts on the phone with the woman who sends out his pension checks, Sarah Ross (Mary-Louise Parker). He gets pulled back in the game, taking Ross with him, to pick up his old gang and try to figure out why someone wants them all dead. Of course, he only contacts the best of the best: Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Brian Cox. Hot on their tale, is up-and-comer at the Agency, William Cooper (Karl Urban).

This movie was fun. Just fun. Don't go in expecting to have to think a whole lot... that there is something deeper in the film. There's not. The acting is pitch-perfect. The plot is great. It was a great, fun film.

Winter's Bone

2011-01-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

I'm not usually a fan of.... what's the word... you know a setting that is so concise, so genuine. I'm used to a more ambiguous setting. A city that could be anywhere. Or a staple city like New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver. If you know what the word is, hit me in the comments cause that's just going to bug me. It's one of the reasons I didn't like Fargo (don't worry, I'm giving it another shot).

Anyway... Winter's Bone is set in the rural, dirt poor backwoods of the Ozarks. That setting is real as can be. We follow Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence), a 17 year old girl, who cares for her withdrawn and depressed mother along with a younger brother and sister. Their father is in and out of prison. They haven't seen him in a while.

Law enforcement shows up and tells Ree that her father put up their house and land as collateral on his bail. If he doesn't show up for his trial, they're going to lose the house. Her father is a drug dealer and crystal meth cooker and the community is a tight-lipped one. Everywhere she goes, Ree is told to keep her nose out of it. Even by her father's own brother Teardrop (John Hawkes).

This was such a great thriller. You're with Ree every step of the way as she searches for her dad and when every person beats her away, you're with her getting the hits.

This was written and directed by Debra Granik and was based off the book by Daniel Woodrell. It shows in the dimensions of the characters on screen. What I mean is you can tell that these characters are further developed in the book and they appear multi-faceted on the screen even if you only see them for a few minutes. You get the impression that everyone has another side. Everyone could've been someone different under different circumstances. Credit for that kind of depth goes not only to Granik but to the actors themselves.

The performances in this film were phenomenal, with special note going out to Lawrence and Hawkes. And like I said, the setting is authentic as I think it could be. This was just a great thriller and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Country Strong

2011-01-11T07:45:00.000-08:00

Take what you will from the fact that I grew up on country music. I'm not the greatest fan of it now because of its poppiness, but classic Reba McIntyre, Trisha Yearwood, Brooks and Dunn, Garth Brooks... those are the songs of my early years.

Country Strong's previews would have you believe that this story is about Kelly Canter (Gwyneth Paltrow) and her recovery from public drunkenness back to the spot light. In a sense that's true... but the movie actually follows Beau Hutton (Garrett Hedlund). He's a tight jean, cowboy-hat wearing, low-voice-singing musician who is deemed the next Merle Haggard (singer/songwriter of great proficiency). Beau works at the rehab clinic Kelly is staying at and she has him be one of her opening acts on her encore tour after her early release.

Kelly's husband/manager James Canter (Tim McGraw) also employs one Chiles Stanton (Leighton Meester) as the other opening act. She's deemed the next Carrie Underwood. Chiles and Beau have a past in that he doesn't like her pageant queen history and her country-pop. He just wants to play good music for good people not for the sound of the applause.

What felt off about the movie to me was the fact that we're coming into Kelly's life at rock bottom. I don't know enough about her to really feel sorry for her. I don't know why she drinks like she does or what makes her weak when it comes to the ability to stop. I don't get a sense of her relationship with her husband. What was it like before the rehab? There was just not enough there to make me really care about her.

The songs were OK. You've definitely heard the theme song of "Country Strong" from the previews. Chiles' songs are of the current poppy variety like a Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift. Beau's songs are more heartfelt and... classic-sounding. There is a duet between Chiles and Beau that sounds like a rip-off of "Jackson" by Johnny Cash and June Carter-Cash but with a slower beat. I didn't mind so much because Beau is real nice to look at.

It's not a great movie. The performances are on the higher end of the spectrum, especially when you take into account the Meester is mostly known for the soap-drama Gossip Girl and Hedlund was in the not-so-great Tron: Legacy. It might be the movie to pass a lazy afternoon... but at home on your couch, not in a theatre.

True Grit

2011-01-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

So... on the first day of the New Year, I was feeling less than stellar in the fact that I was hungover. No pounding headache but very nauseated. I figured it was as good a time as ever to make myself feel better with some movie theatre popcorn, a giant diet mountain dew and a box of DOTS. So I went to see True Grit and forgot about being sick.

True Grit is based on the book of the same name by Charles Portis. It has pretty basic plot. A young girl named Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) hires US Marshall Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to hunt down Tony Cheney (Josh Brolin), the man who killed her father, and bring him back to hang for his crime. On their journey, they're joined by Texas Ranger LeBeouf (Matt Damon) who is after Cheney for crimes he committed in Texas.

Another film of the same name was made in 1969 starring John Wayne (who won the Oscar for Best Actor). Now, I've seen the 1969 version. When you hear people talk about it, you get the sense that it was John Wayne's best movie ever, as it was the only Oscar he'd ever won. While I liked the story I didn't like the movie a whole lot. Kim Darby, who played Mattie Ross, felt off to me during the whole movie. Mattie is a fourteen year old girl, Darby was 22 when she played the role. Glen Campbell as Le Beouf was as odd a casting choice as I've ever seen. I know the character offers some comic relief but Campbell was a ham the whole time. And John Wayne was just too old to play Rooster Cogburn. He was 62 years old when he shot the movie. Give me The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance or The Searchers any day for classic John Wayne. The bright spots of the movie were the surprise appearances by Dennis Hopper and Robert Duvall.

When I first heard of the remake, I thought, 'Who remakes True Grit?' Then I heard that it was Joel and Ethan Coen. And while their last mainstream movie was more of a miss for me (Burn After Reading), I do love Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, and No Country for Old Men. I'm not the biggest fan of Fargo but I think I just watched it too young. Instead of marveling at Frances McDormand's North Dakota accent, I was incessantly irritated by it. I'm going to give it another go. I'm willing to give anything the Coen brothers put together a go.

Then came the news about Jeff Bridges. I don't know what it is about the Coen's and Jeff Bridges but they get wonderful performances from him. Outstanding commitment to the character in every way: so much so that Bridges seems to become the character. It's such a sight to see and very much needed when the action is secondary to the characters - - as most movies should be. Everything about Jeff Bridges the actor was gone and in his place was US Marshall Rooster Cogburn.

The great surprise of this film was Hailee Steinfeld. Hats off for casting a girl who is the appropriate age of her character. Mattie Ross is a very strong-willed, no-nonsense type of girl, who do to being the oldest child and having more wits than her mother, helped her father with his business. Steinfeld does a great job with her. She holds her own against Jeff Bridges! The scenes their in together are dynamite. She was just amazing.

The only bit of casting I was iffy on was Matt Damon as LeBeouf. I know that the character is supposed to provide a bit of comic relief, which he does, but I thought Damon wouldn't be able to pull it off. I was wrong. He's not as strong in character as Bridges or Steinfeld, but that could be because his character doesn't have the depth the others do. Damon held his own and made LeBeouf more than a spot of comedy. He made him a character we can relate to (which is much more than I can say for Glen Campbell).

Let's not forget the great supporting characters of Tom Cheney (Brolin) and Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper). Another set of amazing performances. Bolin's Cheney seems rather slow and almost gets some real sympathy from you for his situation. Ned Pepper also shows a sympathetic side. You can feel some sympathy for the outlaws but not for Rooster Cogburn. He is the way he is by choice on his part. You can relate to the anti-hero but you can't quite sympathize with him as you can all the other characters.

This is just a great American Western. The cinematography is gorgeous. The shots are long and languid, not short and choppy. The costumes and sets seem to be in keeping with the times. That is something the Coen brothers do well. They set their movies in a time that has already taken place. They can then control every aspect of that time to make it as real as it was.

Controlled is definitely a word that describes this movie. It is controlled to perfection.

Black Swan

2010-12-28T07:03:00.000-08:00

All I really want to say in this review is amazing. That's the only word.

I could write your ear off about how great Natalie Portman is. How Mila Kunis just blew me away. How great Barbara Hershey was and how Vincent Cassel was manipulative as hell and I love him for it. That Darren Aronofsky's shots showed both the beauty and the pain of ballet dancing.

But I fear anything I write would give away what makes this movie simply amazing. On the surface this movie is about a ballerina, Nina (Portman) who takes over for an older ballerina (Winona Ryder), in a new version of Swan Lake. Nina then fears that the same thing is happening to her by new ballerina Lily (Kunis). She lives with her over-bearing mother (Hershey) and has to contend with mind games from director Thomas (Cassel).

To be in the Swan Queen in Swan Lake, Nina has to dance both the roles for the Swan Queen and her twin sister, the Black Swan. Nina does great with the Swan Queen but needs to find her inner Black Swan.

That's it. I can't type anymore about the plot. Just know that it's amazing.

The music, on the other hand, I will write about. It was gorgeous. Pytor Tchaikovsky wrote the original music for Swan Lake and Clint Mansell adapted it for Black Swan. It is absolutely gorgeous. The majority of the work is Tchaikovsky with Mansell developing themes and motifs based on the original works. These themes then play several times in several different scenes carrying over the feeling. Scenes connected through the music... it was simply genius. (Unfortunately, Mansell's work won't be nominated for an Academy Award seeing as how his music is an understudy to Tchaikovsky's work. It really is a shame).

OK. Now go and see this movie. I've seen it twice now and just can't get over it. You just need to see this movie. It is simply AMAZING.

The Fighter

2010-12-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this by saying that I grew up on Rocky. All of them... even though I tend to disown Rocky V. So I really like movies where people box. I can just get into it. Yelling at the boxer to get off the ropes or get his arms up and protect his face. I'm just telling you this in case you think my review will be biased on the fact that I'm pre-engineered with a boxing tendency. Now to the actual review.

The Fighter is based on the true story of Micky Ward from Lowell, MA (I can't even type that without using the accent in my head). Ward (Mark Whalberg) is an down-on-his-luck boxer who is constantly in the shadow of his older brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) who knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard once and never got over it. Dicky trains Micky but is constantly high that he forgets training sessions and slacks off... to the detriment of Micky.

His manager is his mother Alice (Melissa Leo) who is all about Dicky's comeback to boxing. She's sure it's going to happen any day. Micky just needs to keep fighting so they'll get paid. The last straw for Micky is when he is pressured by his mother and brother to fight a man who has 20 pounds on Micky.

Lucky for Micky he meets Charlene (Amy Adams) a local bartender who sees through all the bullshit at what's really going on in this family. She helps Micky stay on track to get his life together so he can provide a more stable home for his 9 year old daughter who lives with her mom and step-father (who is more tolerant of Micky than his wife).

Alice and her ~~nest of vipers~~ daughters are not at all found of Charlene and are not afraid to voice it. Some of the funniest scenes in the movie involve Charlene and the sisters. There are too sisters to count and they all have huge hair, wear too much make-up, ill-fitting clothes, and are dumber than shit.

David O. Russell directed this movie and he really likes the close-up frames on the faces of his actors. Which is risky when the real people your film is based on are still alive, but when you have these actors putting forth these amazing performances it pays off. Some of them aren't even actors! Mickey O'Keefe, who helps train Micky Ward in the gym, is played by real-life Mickey O'Keefe!

I'm not the biggest Christian Bale fan... I might have mentioned that before... but since his character was not that likable in the first place it wasn't off-putting for me. Bale's performance was astounding. He just embodied Dicky. It was fascinating.

Melissa Leo and Amy Adams were phenomenal. Leo was unrecognizable (as per usual). She's the common link in all her children (all nine of them) but she doesn't treat them all the same. You almost hate Alice as much as Dicky but you just can't tell if she really knows what she's doing. And Adams... she just blew me away. To listen to her talk in character, to see her see her life in such a stark way, Charlene was definitely my favorite character. Plus I loved the way she looked... real. Her make-ups not perfect, her body is not perfectly toned, she looked like she works at a bar. It was refreshing.

The Fighter seems to hinge on Mark Whalberg as Micky Ward. He's the main character we have to sympathize/empathize with. I don't know how Ward is in real life but Whalberg plays him as constantly... not shy but introverted. He lives in the cracked-out shadow of his older brother who is idolized by their pushy mother. I can see how even at thirty - - Micky Ward could still have that inferiority complex (although Charlene helps with that). There are some scenes where Micky just comes across as whining even when he has a legitimate issue. The introverted-style Whalberg acts under just gets even more dwarfed by the powerhouse performances of Bale, Leo, and Adams.

Now the boxing scenes themselves look like those matches on HBO. You know with all the bright lights and the screaming crowds. The lighting here is harsher than in other scenes. But in some of the boxing scenes Russell zooms in on the faces of the characters in the crowd: Charlene, Alice, George (Alice's husband), Dicky... it's not often of the match itself. I was a little disappointed by that. I would've like to have seen more actual boxing instead of just the ring girls marking time: Round 6... Round 8...

This was a great movie. It has a bit of everything and doesn't fall into the sports movie category that Whalberg has taken part of in the past (Invincible). The performances are stellar and while you probably know how it's going to end it's a great ride to get there.

**This probably won't matter much to you but I am a fan of the band Dropkick Murphys. I thought I recognized a song that plays when Micky boxes Shea Neary who I believe is from Liverpool. During the credits there was a song listed called The Warrior's Code (Live). That was the song I'd recognized. I'd just never heard a live version of it before. Dropkick Murphys named that album The Warrior's Code. It has Micky Ward on the cover art and the song was written about him. Touche The Fighter. Touche.**

Tron: Legacy

2010-12-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

This was only my second 3-D movie and I think I just expect too much from this technology. While true I found the movie visually stunning when on the grid but the 3-D didn't really jump out at me like I thought it should.

That's really all I have to say about this movie. The acting was OK. The characters were rather flat. Jeff Bridges (Kevin Flynn) sounded like he was channeling Lebowski with all his laid-back jargon.

My science fiction interest was peaked when I read the plot summary of this one. The relationships between the programs and the users was intriguing.

Maybe if I were into computer games I would've enjoyed it more.
Maybe if I had seen the original.
Maybe if I'd seen it in 2-D.

Anyway... it was rather forgettable. But if you're a fan of special effects (without 3-D) you'll probably enjoy it more than I did. The games on the grid are visually amazing and so is Olivia Wilde if you swing that way. But other than that it was... eh.

After three Long Islands I did find it exceptionally funny but I think that was unintentional by the filmmakers.

Morning Glory

2010-12-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

This film is exactly what you think its going to be going in. That's not a bad thing here at all because the cast gets it right.

Becky (Rachel McAdams) gets a job executive producing a morning show called Daybreak for the lowest rated station IBS. She's hired by Jerry (Jeff Goldblum) who tells her that if the ratings don't go up the show gets dumped.

But Becky is an eternal optimist who has around 12 other producers including fellow EP Lenny (John Pankow), weatherman Ernie Appleby (Matt Malloy), and new co-anchors Colleen Peck and Mike Pomeroy (Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford).

Harrison Ford was the real draw for me to this movie. I just love him and... I don't even know. I can't explain the loyalty I feel to Harrison Ford for providing me with cinematic enjoyment for his entire career. Then to see him opposite Diane Keaton was great. Those two played off each other so well...

Oh so Colleen has been on the morning show forever. She's been through EPs and co-anchors alike. She likes the fluff pieces that morning shows are known for. Mike has won every news award known to man and feels that morning news is way beneath him. He refuses to do fluff pieces, but will only report "real" news... in fact he refuses to say the word 'fluffy.' He takes offense to it.

Rachel McAdams is simply adorable. I can't think of any other way to describe her. She is every woman. There are some scenes where Becky can't think of the words she wants to say, so she mimes with her hands and makes sounds. She is just so cute doing it. The more of a scatter-brain Becky was the more I liked her. That can all be pinned on the charm of McAdams.

Everybody was just top notch in this movie. There is a plot line where Becky meets good looking Adam (Patrick Wilson) an EP from another floor, but it felt like he was only there to show that Becky was getting rewarded with all her hard-work at Daybreak with a boyfriend.

Harrison Ford is hysterical as the cantankerous news caster. Diane Keaton is up for ANYTHING in this movie. Everybody just plays so nicely against everyone else. It was a funny movie and a great way to spend a night out.

Addendum C

2010-12-14T07:08:00.000-08:00

It has almost been a full year since I started writing these reviews down and you know how I know? Cause it's GOLDEN GLOBES TIME!!!

In case you don't know I love the Golden Globes. I love to see TV people rub shoulders with movie people. Plus it's always funnier than the Oscars... especially this year with Ricky Gervais hosting.

But this year's reviews are going to be a bit different. I'm not so interested in the shows this time around. A) because I've seen most of them... at least an episode or two thanks to my efforts last year. But it turned into quite the chore then and who wants that? This isn't my job. B) I don't have the time to put it bluntly. I'm going to start taking classes again, I work two jobs, I have a book club... there are a lot of other commitments. That's not to say that I won't try, I just won't be actively trying.

I'm in luck this year because most of the movies nominated I've already seen and reviewed or planned on seeing once they hit a theatre near me. That is not the case with the animated movies as I just can't bring myself to spend time watching them. I know I'm probably missing out on... you know something... but it's not what I want to spend my time watching. I've seen Toy Story 3. That's it. And of course, it's hard to find foreign language films that play near me so those I usually miss out on.

Here's a list of the movies that are in the Top 10 at the Golden Globes (Best Picture Drama, Musical/Comedy; Best Actor/Actress Drama, Musical/Comedy; Best Supporting Actor/Actress Drama, Musical/Comedy). The ones linked are the ones I've already reviewed.

Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The King's Speech, The Social Network, Alice in Wonderland, Burlesque, The Kids Are All Right, Red, The Tourist, 127 Hours, Blue Valentine, Frankie and Alice, Rabbit Hole, Winter's Bone, Barney's Version, Love and Other Drugs, Casino Jack, Easy A, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, The Town, Animal Kingdom.

Here are a couple of the shows that I watched and loved or will invest time in seeing prior to the ceremony:

Boardwalk Empire, The Walking Dead, The Big C, The Pillars of the Earth, Luther. I've watched The Walking Dead and The Pillars of the Earth. I might do a write up of each of them as they were phenomenal. Some of the other shows and mini-series nominated I hadn't even heard of before. Some research is needed before I decide to put them on this list.

Here begins the busiest time of the year for me. Oh boy...

Burlesque

2010-12-10T08:44:00.000-08:00

While I didn't have the highest hopes for this movie, I did think it had some potential so I was just bit disappointed in the film as a whole. To see amazing acting from Christina Aguilera (Ally) wasn't going to happen but I expected the dancing to be ridiculously phenomenal but it left some to be wanting.

So the story is about Ally (Aguilera) who leaves very, very small town Iowa to move to Hollywood. In the course of her voice-over song, Ally manages to find a rent-controlled apartment and then she stumbles across the Burlesque Lounge, run by Tess (Cher) and Shawn (Stanley Tucci). She makes friends with a bartender, Jack (Cam Gigandet) and through unfortunate and completely predictable circumstances, she ends up moving in with him on a temporary basis while his fiance is across the country at a job.

Ally waitresses, then auditions, and finally joins the dancers of Burlesque. Subsequent events end up with Ally taking the lead role away from Nikki (Kristen Bell). Then comes the awkward drama that Aguilera just can't quite pull off acting wise. Ally finally finds this great job and new family but Tess is in danger of losing it to the bank.

Overall the story is predictable but I didn't see it for the amazing plot twists I thought were going to get me. I like musicals. Simply put. Unfortunately for Burlesque, most musical characters have so much in them that they don't know how to express themselves but through song. Burlesque doesn't carry on with that tradition. The girls are either lip syncing (quite obviously) or there are original songs written strictly for the movie... but all the songs are sung on a stage, as part of a performance. There are three songs I can recall that also pertain to the situation at hand: Cher's opening number at the burlesque that introduces Ally as well as the audience to what we're in store for, Cher's "not-going-to-get-me-down" song (which in no way, shape, or form needed to be performed with her on a stage with a blue spotlight), and Ally's "in-love" song (which also did not need to be performed on a stage).

Some of the better parts of the movie were the performances themselves. Nobody can deny that Christina Aguilera can sing the hell out of anything. Although it would've been better to have her sing as a total surprise to the audience as well as to Tess. The hinted at history between Tess and Nikki had good background. There seems to have been a genuine friendship there at one point that has faded to a shadow of it's former self. We don't need to see how it started out but to see how its ending shows us a lot. Cam Gigandet. He was surprisingly funny and of course beyond easy on the eyes.

What I felt was a real disappointment was the lack of men. I know that burlesques are usually frequented by men to watch the women (as the stereo-type would go) but when I saw Alan Cumming's name in the opening credits I got very excited that he would get a musical number. No. He got a comedic number and a bit line here and there. The man has won awards for his performance in Cabaret and yet he was just very under-used in Burlesque.

My favorite characters were Stanley Tucci's Shawn, who costumes the burlesque girls, and Cam Gigandet's Jack who was just awesome to look at the whole time. I would see this movie again just to watch him. Especially with the eye liner. I only have three words to describe that: HOT.

I'm pretty sure that girls between the ages of 13-18 would love this movie if they've never seen Chicago or Moulin Rounge!. But then again, men of all ages will love it for the costumes alone.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

2010-12-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

This is the third and (supposedly) final installment of the Millennium Trilogy: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. I've read all three books and reviewed the first two movies: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire. I greatly enjoyed this film. Of course it's not as good as the book. The film rarely is so don't go into this with your hopes up, you will only get them dashed.

Noomi Rapace is once again our anti-heroine Lisbeth Salander. This film picks up just at the end of The Girl Who Played with Fire. There is no time lapse like there was between the first and the second movie. Lisbeth is in the hospital getting a bullet removed from her brain. As she recuperates, she needs to work on her defense. She is being tried for the attempted murder Alexander Zalachenko as well as a list of other crimes. Yet instead of hiring a criminal defense lawyer for Lisbeth, Mikael Blomkvist (the wonderful Micheal Nyqvist) hires his sister Annika (Annika Hallin) who is a lawyer for women's rights.

There is a secret section within the government that has a personal interest in the Salander trial's outcome. Trying to thwart them is Blomkvist who wants to publish is pro-Lisbeth magazine in time for her trial. I don't want to give away too much more of the plot as it builds like a crime drama/mystery.

In a downside of the film, there are a multitude of secondary characters that don't get their full due as they did in the book... naturally. One of the reasons that I like the Swedish films so much is the fact that I have to read the subtitles. While I can't always pronounce the Swedish names in the books, I recognize them when they're written out. So I know that Bublanski and Modig are the good cops and Faste is the dick cop. With the subtitles I can read their names then match up the faces even if their not in the film as long as they should be.

There was also a sub-plot of the book involving Erika Berger that got tweaked. It wasn't a bad tweak as it flowed perfectly well with the plot of the film. I was impressed that they kept as much in of that plot as they did. That being said, the antics in this sub-plot are very amateurish. In the book it's fine because the antics were being carried out by an amateur. Not so in the movie and it seemed to diminish the power of the Big Bad.

Another sub-plot involving government agent Monika Figuerloa and Blomkvist was left out of the film all together. I didn't mind this so much as it became a bit of a loose end in the book. I'm assuming Stieg Larsson meant to wrap it up somewhere in his ten book series, but since he died before he could finish book four, it would've just been a loose end the film couldn't wrap up either.

The very end of the film didn't end exactly the same way as the book either. But this didn't bother me as much. In the book, we read Lisbeth's thoughts so we know the point behind her actions. Since that is a luxury you don't get in a film without a voice-over, the movie ending gets the same message across without using the same actions.

I greatly enjoyed this film. It did what it could with a 576 page book. The movie also spans about two and a half hours and that length is to pack in all of the plot that can fit. That leaves character motivation a bit to be desired in the film, but you can fill in the gaps yourself if you've read the book.

127 Hours

2010-12-06T06:45:00.000-08:00

I really had no motivation to see this movie save for one: I heard that James Franco was absolutely astounding... like Oscar-worthy astounding. I've liked James Franco ever since Freaks and Geeks and I like how he stretches himself in a variety of roles so I said... yeah. I guess I'll see this movie. Oh, I'm so glad that I did.

127 Hours is based on the autobiography of Aron Ralston called Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Which is exactly the plot of the story. For roughly five and a half days, Aron was trapped in a crevice with his forearm pinned between the canyon wall and a boulder that fell with him as he used it for balance. He had told nobody where he was going that weekend when he left in the early morning hours between Friday and Saturday and it wouldn't be until 24 hours after a missed shift on Tuesday that he would even be able to be reported missing.

The whole movie is of Aron trapped in this narrow canyon with limited water, close to no food, and his thoughts. He takes an inventory of what he has, which includes his video camera. He begins to make a mini-movie... a good-bye letter... a record of his experience in case he doesn't make it. The culmination comes from a dehydrated-induced premonition that prompts Aron to cut his arm off just below the elbow... with a dull blade of a pocket knife. This was by no means his first option and he does a good job of explaining why all of his other attempts fail at moving the boulder.

I read accounts that say people fainted at the amputation scene. Let me first say that this movie was directed by Danny Boyle of Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire fame. If you've seen either of those two movies than you know that while he has a stylized eye for directing, that stylization is bathed in almost an ultra-realism. That is the case with this scene. The background music is loud and jarring and plays perfectly against what Aron is pushing himself to do. There is blood but it is not of a gory nature but very based in reality. Nothing is spurting up or splattering.

Since the movie is based off the autobiography of Aron Ralston it can safely be assumed that he lived through his ordeal. What is great about the 127 Hours being based off of Between a Rock and a Hard Place instead of just being based on the story of a guy being trapped in a canyon and having to cut his arm off. You get the story from Ralston own point of view. That includes what he was thinking about while he was working to get himself free. These are thoughts of his recent ex-girlfriend, his parents, a party he had been invited to and is currently missing, his job, everybody who he could've told where he was at but didn't. In these thoughts, Boyle sends the viewer into those memories to get us out of the canyon.

James Franco does a terrific job carrying this movie. He is simply phenomenal and his decent into apparent madness is great to watch. Danny Boyle... he just directed the shit out of this movie. He used limited camera angles so you could only see what Aron saw. At times he seemed to set the camera on the boulder so Franco's whole body wasn't always in view. It gave me the feeling of being trapped in the canyon as well. I could hardly keep still in my seat.

If you get the chance go see 127 Hours. It is simply mesmerizing.

Due Date

2010-12-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

I don't even know where to being with this movie. I thought that the previews weren't the funniest but every time Jamie Foxx went over the drainage ditch in his truck, I laughed. So I figured that had to count for something. I should also mention that I did not find Zach Galifianakis all that funny in The Hangover. All my hope for this movie was hinging on my love for Robert Downey, Jr. Sadly it was not a strong enough obsession to pull me through to the other side.

Peter (Downey, Jr.) is trying to make it from Atlanta to Los Angeles in time for the scheduled birth of his son. But from the moment he meets Ethan (Galifianakis) everything goes wrong and it results in Peter having to drive with Ethan cross-country. Chaos ensues.

Part of the reason I didn't like this movie was because it showed people in positions of power (TSA employees at the airport, Border Patrol) as little boys on a power trip... which I believe some of them to be. It made me more angry at the current state of affairs than a satirical comedy.

Downey, Jr. was great as the asshole who doesn't really change through the movie. Galifianakis was annoying straight through, with the occasional sympathetic angle. While that was believable - - it didn't fit in with the rest of his character. Downey, Jr. blew him out of the water in every scene and he didn't even seem like he was trying that hard.

Unstoppable

2010-11-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

I went into this movie expecting a good popcorn flick of action and that is exactly what I got. It was really just a perfect storm of a combination: A. Denzel Washington instead of Samuel L. Jackson (who seems to be in every movie). B. Chris Pine just brings a soft smile to my lips. C. Tony Scott = little to no extremely noticeable CGI. Then there is the fact that it is loosely based on a true story.

For those who don't know Unstoppable is about a train. A train (777) that ends up un-manned and under power as it goes speeding along the tracks with no air-breaks. Another perfect storm, this one of catastrophe. We meet Will Coulson (Pine) who is a newly minted trainee as he meets the man he's running the train with, 28 year veteran Frank (Washington). These two don't get off to the greatest start but end up coming face to face with the runaway 777. These two decide to drop their cargo and go after the runaway train with their single locomotive... driving it backwards. The idea is that they latch on and then slam on their breaks in the hopes of slowing down 777.

What I loved about this movie is the levity of the conversation as the trains are racing around. Had the dialogue been heavy with concern and melodrama the whole time, this film would've dragged on. But the conversation flowed naturally to attempt to keep the larger drama in check.

The action was great. The train situations looked real (even though I know someone things were CG, I know it had to be, I couldn't see it in the film). Washington and Pine were great! They play great off of each other and the friendship that develops as a result of this situation they find themselves in, feels legitimate.

Co-starring in this movie are Rosario Dawson as Connie, who tracks trains for the company, and Kevin Corrigan, who plays Inspector Warner. He is with Connie for a completely separate issue but ends up being a great help. These two are great supporting characters. I found Connie to be especially real in the fact that she was constantly pulling her hair back and then pulling it down. I do the same thing when I'm stressed... and when my hair is long

Unstoppable is exactly what I thought it was going to be: chalk full of action and drama. My attention barely wandered in this movie. Then it had the added bonus of really good actors and believable dialogue.

Love and Other Drugs

2010-11-24T07:07:00.000-08:00

I really had no interest to see this movie. I like both Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhall (then half-way through the movie made the Brokeback Mountain connection) but this just wasn't my thing. I ended up seeing it with a couple guy friends who were intent on all the nudity.

"Nudity," I asked? "Isn't this rated PG-13?" I received a resounding no. It's rated R for good reason: all the nudity. I don't quite know what people say when they don't mind nudity for art. I say that too and I'm not sure what it means but I do know that wasn't what this was. It wasn't even strippers where you assume someone will be naked at some point. It's just Hathaway and Gyllenhall having sex... all the time... everywhere.

So Gyllenhall is a pharmaceutical rep who is trying to boost sales for Zoloft against the competitor Prozac. He meets Hathaway who is a 26 year old with Stage 1 Parkinson's. They begin a strictly sex relationship that neither one wants to go any farther but situations occur that might change that...

Gyllenhall's character works for Pfizer, a legitimate pharmaceutical company who does produce Zoloft. The went on to produce Viagra. So this would seem like a true story. I don't recall Love and Other Drugs being promoted as a true story or based on true events. At the beginning of the credits there is no plaque describing what happened to the real people. At the end of the credits there is a line that references ... blah blah blah... this movie while based on actual people and events have been characterized for this film... blah blah blah... I became a bit confused at this information and I'd hate to do research on this movie because I honestly didn't care about it that much.

It did not ride the line between comedy and drama very well. I didn't know what to think when things got serious... Am I supposed to take this seriously now? Or are you going to make a joke of it? I didn't like being jerked around like that. Part of this problem came from Gyllenhall's character's brother (Josh Gad). The two are night and day different and I didn't know what to make of it.

I was not too impressed with this movie. But if you just want to go to see Anne Hathaway naked than this is the movie for you. Be warned that this movie takes place in 1996, so the phones are laughable and the music is the soundtrack from my middle school days (that might have been my favorite part!).

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

2010-11-20T13:16:00.000-08:00

I was 11 years old when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone first came out; that is the same age as Harry in the book. This series has literally tracked my childhood and this movie is the beginning of the end of that era. Back in July and August I re-read the entire series. It was the first time since The Deathly Hallows was published that I had re-read the entire series... already knowing how it ended. So the book was pretty fresh in mind when I sat down for the movie.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione do not return to Hogwarts but instead remain on the constant move while trying to track down the five remaining Horocruxes that each contain a piece of Voldemort's soul. However they have no idea where to start looking for a Horocrux nor do they know how to destroy it if they do find one.

I could not imagine watching this movie and not having read the book. For those who have both read the books and watched the series, they know that there are several plot points that were left out of subsequent books because of course time is a factor, unless you took every book since The Prisoner of Azkaban and split it into two movies. But since they only took this route with The Deathly Hallows that means there are several things referenced without proper background knowledge because there simply isn't time to do what should've been done in previous films.

There were only two or three scenes I can think of that weren't directly in the book. They didn't take away from the story at all but I can say that... My favorite scene from the book occurs between Harry and Remus Lupin in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place. They argue about Lupin abandoning his family to go on an adventure and fists are nearly thrown. It is a powerful scene and happens towards the beginning of the book. I think it helps to set the tone of the personal difficulties Harry, Ron, and Hermione will soon face as they take on this challenge alone.

That scene is not in the film. I can say I would rather have seen that scene than the one where Harry and Hermione are dancing, which was not in the book. But when the story of the Three Brothers is told, David Yates gives up the helm of the film to Ben Hibbons extraordinary shadow animation. I'm not sure if that's the technical term but that's what it looks like. The images flowing over into each other like ink running on a page. It was absolutely breathtaking.

For those that haven't read the book, this movie will seem very slowly paced. They spend all their time camping and thinking and talking. There is very little action... that all comes at the end of the book, ergo in Part 2. A bright light in the slowness is the acting of one Emma Watson. She was just exquisite as Hermione in this section. Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe also brought their A game and it's just so wonderful to have seen them grow into these characters.

Also, if you're seeing this in a theatre, you should anticipate the groans when the credits role. It's stupid people who I guess have somehow forgot that they're seeing a movie called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: PART 1. Of course the story isn't going to be finished so don't expect a resolution on anything you've seen in part one. You don't see Hogwarts at all. Professor Snape is briefly in the movie. There is no Professor McGonagall. All of the classmates have.. I would call them cameos in one scene.

This is all about Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Their friendships and their mission.

The Girl Who Played with Fire

2010-10-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

I don't even know how to start this review.... I write a sentence than I delete it and I start another one than delete that...

This time around I read the book first and saw the movie second. This is the opposite of what I did with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In this respect I like the movie of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo better than the book, but I like the book The Girl Who Played with Fire better than the movie. I'll just have to wait until I read The Girl That Kicked the Hornet's Nest to see how the pattern progresses.

The Girl Who Played with Fire starts off about a year after the end of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Lisbeth Salander, once again being played to perfection by Noomi Rapace, has returned to Sweden after a year abroad only to suddenly be the main suspect in a triple homicide. Working to clear her name is Mikael Blomkvist, again played to a t by Michael Nyqvist, who, although he hasn't heard from her in over a year still considers her a friend and perhaps something more.

At the heart of the murders is a story about sex-trafficking. One of the deceased was writing a story for Millennium naming names of high profile johns and another had the unfortunate girls' stories as the heart of her dissertation comparing prostitution and society's lack of concern. The third victim had been a consumer of this industry.

Comparing the film to the book, I was a bit surprised that they kept in the Paolo Roberto plot-line. He's a boxer that has a history with Lisbeth and finds himself teamed up with Blomkvist. Of course, like in any good adaptation, reading the book helps to augment the movie. The book goes into more detail about Roberto and Lisbeth's history, as well as the police investigation against Lisbeth. The movie doesn't have the time to delve that deep.

One thing about the movie is that there is no impression that Lisbeth really is the murderer. The book leaves a big section ambiguous on that note. As we all know from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Lisbeth is capable of murder... or at least of letting someone die that deserves it. The book does a good job making you wonder if it might have indeed been Lisbeth. The film does not let you wonder. Neither do the previews for that matter...

I'll have to give the film another viewing but it was well paced and did as well as could be expected following a novelization. The acting is still superb and brings back the doubts I have about the David Fincher's American version. But I guess we'll just have to see.

Paranormal Activity 2

2010-10-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

I saw Paranormal Activity just a few weeks ago and on the advice of my friend Andrew, I had not watched any of the previews for Paranormal Activity 2 as he said it would give away the movie. So I went into Paranormal Activity 2 not knowing what this movie was about at all.

First of all, Paranormal Activity 2 is not a sequel. It's a prequel until the last five minutes of the movie. Which means that Katie (whom I found annoying) and Micha (who was a total dick) were both present in Paranormal Activity 2. This movie takes place about two months before the events of Paranormal Activity following Katie's sister Kristie and her family: that includes husband (whose name I couldn't care to recall), step-daughter Ali, dog, and new baby Hunter.

After an apparent break-in (where every room is mucked about but Hunter's), the husband decides to install security cameras. They show the front walk, the pool, the kitchen, the living room, the foyer, and Hunter's room. This is both good and bad. It's good in the fact that the shake-y cam from having Micha carry around a hand-held camera is all but gone (there is still some digital camera use) but bad in the fact that the one angle from Paranormal Activity is what made that movie so creepy at night. But if you only had one angle than it would be the same as the first movie.

As things start to happen, step-daughter Ali is the only one who tries to prove anything. Her father is a douche bag who just blows her off and step-mom Kristie doesn't want to talk about it. Neither does Aunt Katie. That leaves Ali alone to research ghosts and demons to see what is happening to her family.

I've also heard people complain about scenes from the trailers that are not in the movie. Kristie getting pulled from the kitchen, Hunter in the street, a dark-haired woman dancing around a baby, etc. No, these scenes were not in the movie. The lack of these scenes seemed to take people out of the movie as they kept waiting for them and they never showed up.

I found Paranormal Activity 2 creepier than the first one. The extra cast wasn't too distracting but it left more room for disbelief and the bit of the movie is spent with one person having to convince another person that this is what happened. Some of the scariness came off as funny in an unintentional way but that's a risk you run when dealing with the paranormal.

**Editor's Note:** I know that review is short but it's hard to talk about this movie without giving a lot away. So from this point down will be rife with elements that might ruin the movie if you want to be totally surprised.**

I didn't like that they kept cycling through the security camera angles at night when nothing was happening in the cameras. Nothing visible happens on the front walk and yet that is the first image that is shown every night. If nothing happens there than don't show me! I do not feel the suspense build or a sense of relief.
Ali discovers that deals are usually made with demons for the first born son. Hunter is the first male born in Kristie's family since the 1930's. So he is the one the demon is after. This is a clever concept considering neither Katie not Kristie seem to know about this deal.
All through the movie, when it's dark they don't turn on any lights or use the night-vision from the hand-held camera to see. These people are rich (as seen by their house and their hiring of a nanny just after Hunter is born), Why don't they have any flashlights? Nowhere. Nobody ever reaches into a closet or the garage and comes back with a flashlight. All that money and no flashlights?
Both Kristie's husband and Micha are complete douche bags. I think the demon should leave them alone as being drawn to these types of men should be punishment enough. I was so glad when Micha finally died in Paranormal Activity and I found Katie annoying as hell that her either a) getting shot by police, b) slicing her own throat, or c) never being heard from again was just fine by me. Then to only to have them both show up in the sequel?!? Disappointing.
I don't understand why these people never have the radio on. I listen to music all the time. If not music, than the TV is on. Its rarely silent. I'm sure they need it quite to hear Hunter if he cries but I just found the total silence weird. Not even street noises or the refrigerator kicking in. Just unrealistic silence. Plus people who investigate noises usually die. TV/music help to drown out sounds you might tell yourself you need to investigate.
They NEVER check the footage of the security cameras. I would be checking it all the time just after I installed them because I could. So I could get everything out of it before the novelty wore off. This family never looks at the camera footage. It was very irritating.
I don't get why Ali didn't just break a window when she was locked out. I would assume a broken window would be nothing compared to leaving a baby alone for an extended period of time.

Secretariat

2010-10-25T06:29:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure why I saw this movie. I work at a movie theatre part-time so I do get to see films for free. I was bored on a Saturday afternoon. I took my mother and my seven year old sister. I like John Malkovich and Diane Lane. But really this movie was muah for me. It was muah for my sister as well.

So Secretariat is all about this horse named Big Red. His stage name when he races is Secretariat. A woman named Penny (Diane Lane) comes home for her mother's funeral to find that her father's horse farm is not doing too hot. She takes charge of the horses and while she's there Big Red is born. There is a bit of technical babble about horse lineage that I couldn't really follow verbally... I needed a flow chart or something.

Penny leaves her family in Colorado and spends more and more time at the farm and then on the road as Big Red does better and better. That's not to say she leaves her family just that she spends more time away from them. She's still married and everything. Penny needs someone to train Red so she is referred to Lucien Laurin (Malkovich). His clothes were a highlight of the movie. Then they find a jockey, Ronnie (played by a real-life jockey, Otto Thorwarth).

So the three of them set off to make Big Red a Triple Crown winner. That means he needs to win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Frankly, I thought this movie should've been more exciting than it was. I understand that Penny had familial issues and women's issues that she had to overcome in the late '60s early '70s, but much about the excitement of the horse race was gone. I didn't know anything about Secretariat, the horse, when I went into this movie. I mean, I know that he'll win the Triple Crown, but before the credits rolled, there was a little blurb on what these people are doing now. There was a paragraph that told how he won the Belmont Stakes with a margin of 31 lengths! And that no horse has come close to that margin since he made it in 1973. I was more excited by that paragraph than I had been in the whole course of the movie.

The performances were good. I was surprised to see Big Red's handler, Eddie Sweat, played by Nelsan Ellis (Lafyette from True Blood. I just love him). Secretariat is a completely standard with a 'sports' movie that it was marketed as. My mother cried. I, apparently, have a heart of stone (direct quote from my mom) as I did not shed a tear. My sister was bored and kept asking how much longer the movie was going be.

Secretariat is family friendly, no doubt, but your whole family isn't going to enjoy it. You will get more out of it if you are a horse racing fan but other than that, it is, unfortunately, a fairly forgettable movie.

Life As We Know It

2010-10-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

This movie is exactly what you'd expect it to be. I saw it last week and have waited to write about it in the hopes that something would stick out in my mind as being particularly memorable to me. Nope.

A couple each set up a friend with the others friend. The date doesn't work out. They spend the opening credits of the movie teasing each other to the point of meanness. These two spend a lot of time together because their friends are married and they are the godparents to their daughter, Sophie. God... I'm bored just writing about that.

Upsides:

1) Josh Lucas. I didn't know he was in this movie and it was a nice surprise. I"m glad his character wasn't a douche bag.

2) Josh Duhamel. I don't care what he's doing, I'll look at him.

3) Christina Hendricks. I just love her on Mad Men. It was good to see her in something else.

4) The neighbors. Slightly cliche but still brought laughs.

5) The little girl, Sophie. She was very cute and adorable. Everything a cute baby should be... or in this case three cute babies as she was played by triplets.

Conclusion: Rent it. This was a way for me to kill time with some friends on a Thursday night. Plus I got in for free.

The Social Network

2010-10-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

**Editor's Note** It was brought to my attention that this review can be read as 'spoiler-y.' So I re-read it and yes... it's spoiler-y. Heads up. **

Let's start by saying that I do have a Facebook account. Mainly because it's easier to keep in touch with my friends who are away at college. Sometimes I do something and I need to tell somebody... I'll post it on my Facebook wall. But that's all I really use it for. Ok... occasionally I creep on former friends pages. But that's only when I'm really bored.

So The Social Network makes me want to delete my account all together. I don't know if that's it's intended purpose but it's how I feel. The film settles around Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg). He is a Harvard undergrad who was recently dumped by his girlfriend because he was a complete dick. That is how the movie opens. It's probably my favorite scene in the movie. The banter is witty and quick. It just screams AARON SORKIN. Made me want to pull out seasons 1-4 of The West Wing.

Mark has one friend in Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield). 1/3 of the movie involves Eduardo suing Mark for upwards of $600,000. Another 1/3 involves Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer) and Divya Narendra suing Mark for stealing their idea to make Facebook. The last 1/3 shows the events of the two depositions playing out.

So Mark made a website called Facemash where he hacked into Harvard's computer system to pull all the girls pictures and then preceded to allow people to vote on which one was hotter: the one on the left or the one on the right. After this incident he was approached by the Winklevoss twins and Narendra to write code for a website they wanted to create called Harvard Connection. Where there would be a profile page and picture and people could... you know... connect.

Then Mark approaches Eduardo to help him with an idea for The Facebook. Which is basically Facebook as we know it today. The point of the movie is for you to decide if Mark stole the code from Narendra and the Winklevi and if he royally screwed over his best friend. I'm of the mindset to believe that he didn't exactly steal from the Winklevi but he was definitely inspired by their concept. And as I previously established he is a dick and he did royally screw over his best friend.

It's in the addition of Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) that Mark really looses his way. Sean infects Mark with his big ideas and Mark is more susceptible to his influence without Eduardo there to set him straight. Sean uses Mark to his own advantage and Mark seems perfectly fine with that.

The Social Network was directed by David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club). It was written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, A Few Good Men). It is superbly acted by Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake. I don't know why but Timberlake surprises me in every film I've seen him in: Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan, The Open Road. He can act and I love the irony that a man known for his musical talents is portraying a man who told everybody that they don't need to pay for music.

The dialogue is smart - - bordering on too smart. It can make the characters, especially Mark, unlikable. The scenes are beautifully shot. I just can't really relate to any of the characters. I did not get a 1600 on my SATs. I didn't go to Harvard. I don't have parents bank rolling my life. I don't expect things to go a certain way for me or for opportunities to fall in my lap. These people did. In the end, I only mildly felt sorry for some of them and not sorry at all for most of them.

But this was a great film. I really enjoyed it. It was a nice balance of humor and drama... the only way Sorkin can write.

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

2010-10-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

I was so adamant that I would not see this movie. I don't see animated movies as a rule. I think they are made for children and so it should be children that go to see them. That being said, while the graphics might be amazing, I expect a very simple story that a five year old doesn't have a lot of trouble following.

But since I'm writing about this you know I broke my rule. I've broken it in the past before as well: Coraline is one that definitely comes to mind. I took my seven year old sister Presley to see this movie - - along with my 22 year old friend Lauren. Lauren loved the movie. I had to take Presley out of the theatre twice for little breaks.

Legend of the Guardians starts off well enough. We meet our soon-to-be-hero Soren and his family: that's one mother, one father, one brother, one baby sister, and one nanny snake. The brothers quarrel as they are ought to do and Soren is obsessed with stories about The Guardians. When Soren turns out to be better at flying than his brother Kludd, the rivalry gets heated up. The brothers are kidnapped and taken many miles away to a place where the owlets are told that their families don't want them and they are to be soldiers in a new order. Soren fights against this while Kludd remains silent. Soren escapes with the help of a few other owls and he sets off the find The Guardians to help free the owlets. Before we even get to this part, I have to take my sister to the lobby.

Very simple story. The brothers will have to face each other eventually. It will be the final battle of the movie. Like I said, I don't go to animated movies due to the simple plots. But the animation itself was amazing. The owls feathers are what stuck with me. There is so much detail and, as Presley informed me, they are real types of owls. They talked about elf owls and snowy owls in science or social studies (she couldn't remember which).

From what I saw of the movie, it is very violent. Director Zach Snyder goes for close-ups and frame-by-frame shots during fight sequences. The music is epic. It has a sweeping score that I would expect to find in a Ridley Scott period-piece rather than the owl movie. That was an element Presley didn't like. The music was loud and scary. Lauren and I loved the voice work. That was an element Presley couldn't appreciate. Jim Sturgess, Ryan Kwanten, Abby Cornish, Sam Neill, Helen Mirren, Geoffrey Rush, Hugo Weaving (who has an amazing voice; I just love it). That was a highlight of the film.

So as a 22 year old - Lauren loved it. As a seven year old - Presley did not. Presley and I took our first break before Soren escapes and when I told her that's what happened when we came back she whispered, "Yeah. I figured that." So the seven year old found the plot predictable yet the movie as a whole scary. A five year old might be surprised by the plot but I would gather terrified by the graphics.

After all this, I'm just not sure who this movie is garnered to. It's too violent to be for kids, and too predictable for adults. So who is supposed to see this movie?

Case 39

2010-10-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

When I got the call that some friends were going to be watching this movie I asked, "What's this about again?" I couldn't get an answer. I went anyway thinking that if I don't know what it's about I can't have high expectations so the movie can't suck all that much. I wasn't entirely right.

When Renee Zellweger's name came up on the opening credits, I groaned. I don't like that you can't really see her eyes or her ridiculously round lips. Then I saw Bradley Cooper and my interest became what it was before I saw Zelleweger's name. Then came Ian McShane and Callum Keith Rennie. Ever since I stumbled across Deadwood, Ian McShane has been a little ray of sadistic sunshine. I never know what role he's going to play (although I hope it is a baddie) and I know I'm not going to be disappointed by what he brings to the table. Callum Keith Rennie falls into the same category. As the wonderfully twisted Leoben in Battlestar: Galactica I have a great surge of hope when I see Rennie's name cross the screen.

Sadly even with these two magnificent actors whom I love, this movie just did not do it for me. So Case 39 is about social worker Emily who gets saddled with her 39th case load that deals with a young girl named Lily Sullivan (Jodelle Ferland). Her grades dropped, she's lost noticeable weight, and she has begun to speak less and less. Her parents insist that nothing is wrong, but when Emily gets a late night phone call from Emily that ends abruptly, she phones her cop friend Mike (McShane) and heads over to the Sullivan's. Once they arrive they find Lily's parents (Rennie and Kerry O'Malley) attempting to burn her alive in the oven. Through subtle and not-so-subtle guilt manipulation, Lily ends up living with Emily. She attends a group therapy session, headed by Emily's wanna-be-boyfriend/best friend Doug (Cooper). Then the paranormal things start to happen.

Now you know that not a lot of people are making it out of this movie alive. Which is fine - - I really didn't expect them too. All I want to say is that thank God Cooper got to take his shirt off before his demise. The movie would've been a real let down if they hadn't. I"m just kidding... it was a let down regardless.

There are some truly scary parts but they are few and far between to make this an interesting movie. Maybe I'm just tired of movies that are only scary through a supernatural element. Ferland plays scared little girl well, and it took me a while to figure out what else I've seen her in (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse in case you were wondering) but in the end she is just that: a little girl. She can change her voice and beat down a door all she wants, but something tells me that if you were to just hit her over the head with a two by four, she'd go down like a sack of bricks.

Overall, there are a few scary moments but not enough to make this a movie worth seeing in a theatre. If you want to rent it and then do some laundry or the dishes while you watch it, that would be a more acceptable forum. Think of it as a cross between Orphan and The Ring for what it's worth.

Easy A

2010-09-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've laughed so much at a movie in forever. So Easy A is about a girl who lies to her best friend about losing her virginity. The lie spreads and turns into gossip which then spirals completely out of control. At least, that's what Easy A is about when boiled down to the bare minimum.

Emma Stone plays Olive, a student that nobody really notices. She's has her best friend Rhi (Aly Michalka) and is generally liked but not popular. Olive doesn't want to go camping with Rhi and her parents (for hilarious flashback reasons) so she lies and says she has a date with a freshman at the local community college. In reality she sat at home all weekend memorizing "I got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine..." from a singing birthday card her grandma had sent her. This part was so funny because it was so real. I've done that before myself: hated a singing birthday card but then ended up listening to that song all the time.

So Rhi becomes convinced that Olive lost her V card to the guy and Olive says yes to shut her up. They are overheard by Marianne (Amanda Bynes) the local Jesus freak. Isn't Amanda Bynes like 24 years old? How is she still playing a high school student? Plus her face is too damn round. I just want to suck some fat out of her cheeks and make her face more flat. So now everybody thinks that Olive is a slut.

In her English class they are studying The Scarlett Letter where Hester Prynne as an affair with a minister and the town makes her embroider a red A onto her clothing for adulteress. When a student tells Olive she should wear a red A on her clothing and then follows it up with tramp or slut, Olive calls her a twat. I cracked up at this part, due to my love of British television. The rest of the audience was silent... I don't think they knew what it meant. In case you don't... think C U Next Tuesday. This lands Olive in trouble with two-dimensional principle Malcolm MacDowell. He sends her to detention with Brandon (Dan Byrd), who is being punished for fighting.

Brandon gets into fights because people think he's gay. He is gay and Olive tells him that high school sucks and he should just pretend to be straight until he can get the hell out of there. Brandon does not find that very inspiring. But then decides to take her words to heart and since she already lost her fake virginity, would she mind pretending to sleep with him so he can have more credibility while he pretends to be straight. Olive decides to help (and in a flashback we see that Olive has a history of lying to help others) but she has to go all out.

Others find out about their arrangement and suddenly Olive is having sex for money. She has also bought new corset tops and sewed on red As to all of her clothing. She decides to embrace this slut mentality as it is getting her noticed - - not for the right reasons but that's not really the point in high school. Rhi is no longer talking to her and has joined Marianne's crusade against Jezebels.

Through it all is Todd (Penn Badgley). A boy who has his own history with Olive and genuinely likes her. He also has the distinguished pleasure of portraying the school mascot (the Blue Devil and then the Woodchuck). Todd is probably the realest character of the movie. He says lines that he knows aren't quite funny and then makes the comment about how their not quite funny. He was great.

So throughout the movie you kind of get an 80s Hughsian feel. Come to find out that Olive wishes her life would be more like an 80s movie, preferably with a random musical number ala Ferris Bueller. I know exactly how she feels. She comments on John Cusack and his boom box, Patrick Dempsey and his lawn mower, Jake Ryan showing up for Samantha, Judd Nelson raising his fist high cause he knows he got the girl. Ahhhh... images my dreams are made of. Now we also get amazing remixes of those classic songs that are completely recognizable for their corresponding 80s teen movie: Don't You by Simple Minds, If You Were Here by The Thompson Twins.

Now I've already mentioned how MacDowell's principle is two-dimensional, that can also be said about other supporting characters: Lisa Kudrow as the guidance counselor Mrs. Griffith and fellow Marianne groupie Micah (Cam Gigandet). Gigandet! He's another one! How old are you? 27, 28 years old? YOU ARE NOT MICHAEL SCHOEFFLING! YOUR AGE SHOWS ON SCREEN! Plus the whole character of Marianne has already been done, much better I might add, by Mandy Moore, as Hillary Faye in Saved!

Now, Thomas Hayden Church's English teacher Mr. Griffith was quite funny. He pulled attention to the fact that this was just a funny teen comedy with cliched lines and situations. Sometimes it didn't come off that well but for the most part it was great comedic timing. Also there are two brilliant supporting characters by the names of Dill and Rosemary (Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson). They play Olive's parents and are hysterical from beginning to end. They are open to everything and non-judgemental. They were just amazing and ridiculously funny. I laughed at all the scenes those two were in.

This movie was hysterical. It recognizes that it is a teen comedy and plays off the fact that parallels from school work to real life that aren't acknowledged in other movies are commented on in this film. I just laughed from beginning to end. It really felt like a high school movie I could relate to, if I think back on it. Just like those great teen flicks from the 80s.

"I got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine. I got a love and I know that its all mine. Oh. Oh Oh Oh. Do what you want but you're never gonna break me. Stick and stones are never gonna shake me. Oh. Oh Oh Oh."

The Town

2010-09-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck's directorial debut) so I had high hopes for The Town which did not disappoint. Then to learn in the credits that he was also a co-writer of the screenplay was a nice treat. This was based on the book Prince of Thieves by Charles Hogan. Brief synopsis: a bank robber starts seeing a woman he met on a heist while planning his next job and trying to stay clear of the FBI.

So this is about a group of friends in Charlestown which is a section of Boston that has the highest robbery rate per capita. Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) and his best friend Jem Coughlin (Jeremy Renner) head of this group of four, which also includes a car guy and a tech guy. In the opening bank robbery we meet bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) who is forced to open the vault with gentle guidance from one of the skeleton masked robbers. Guess which one he is? Seriously, the masks make them look like they could join Slipknot and nobody would really blink an eye. In this robbery we also meet another bank employee played by Victor Garber. I was excited. I didn't know he was in this movie. He's not. That's the only time you see him. I'm hoping he came back later but the scenes had to be cut for time. What a waste if that's not the case.

So these robbers end up with Claire's license and it turns out she lives in Charlestown... not four blocks from where they were holding their clandestine meeting. Coughlin wants to take care of it but MacRay says he'll do it. He chances a meeting with her in a laundromat and they strike up a relationship. I really don't know where he thought this could go. Neither does he.

Then we have F.B.I agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) who keeps getting even more and more pissed that these stupid Boston guys are getting away with robbery after robbery. He is also keeping an eye on Claire.

Lastly there is Jem Coughlin's sister Kirsta (Blake Lively) who has had an on-again-off-again romance with Doug MacRay seemingly her whole life. He would like to keep it in the off-again position. She has a daughter and is constantly high on oxy.

All the performances in this movie are astounding. I'm especially surprised by how two ridiculously pretty people like Jon Hamm and Blake Lively are dirtied up. All the men seemed to have a permanent five o'clock shadow. Lively's Boston accent sounded just like Affleck's, which saying something since he's from Boston and she's a California girl.

I love it when Renner plays slightly crazy. He just does it so well. I'm also loving Hall in this film. She is such a little known actress that I hope she gets some name recognition after this. I enjoyed her so much more than Scarlett in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

If I get the chance I'll see this movie again. The Boston accent can be a little hard at times to make out. Affleck likes close-ups on people's faces while prefer wide shots, but at this point I'm simply nit-picking. It is a really great movie.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2010-08-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying I've gotten into the habit where I don't write reviews about movies I've already seen (perhaps multiple times) or that I watch on DVD. I can't give you my honest first reaction opinion if I've seen it a lot or can hit pause, go away to cut the tension, and then come back. Of course that wasn't the case with my Golden Globe project but it is the precedent now. Since I just told you all of that I will now inform you that I'm breaking my rule. I'm going to write a review about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo even though I watched it last night on DVD because A) it was an amazing movie that I need to write about to work through and B) because I'm planning on the seeing the sequel The Girl Who Plays with Fire this weekend and it would be nice to have something about the first movie in print.

I went into this movie not knowing quite what it was about. I'd read synopsis summing up that a journalist is checking into a 40 year disappearance and engages the aid of a hacker to help him solve the case. Even that seemed convoluted to what I was trying to read into the title. So there is the journalist, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), the hacker, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), and the missing girl Harriet Vanger (Julia Sporre). Lisbeth has been hacking into Mikael's computer where he keeps information on Harriet's case. She solves some clues for him so he invites her to properly join in the the investigation on Harriet's disappearance 40 years ago.

Very little is told about Lisbeth's past although it clearly influences her present. You learn that she is a ward of the State at 24 years old. She reports to a guardian (or probation officer) who controls her finances. It is one of the most disturbing relationships of the movie. You get hints to her past but nothing is explained.

Mikael has six months before he starts to serve a jail sentence for liable - - for which he was set-up. In this downtime he is contacted by Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube) to look into the disappearance of his niece Harriet. This happened over 40 years ago and Henrik is convinced that it is a member of his immediate family that killed Harriet. Her body was never found and the case was never solved.

This movie was so good. It was disturbing and thought-provoking. I've seen enough movies that for me to not figure out the end before the end is unusual. Or at least know that it could go one of x amount of ways. But with this movie I was guessing right up until the end: who was it? There was one piece of information that I felt was held back simply so the idea would not occur to anyone earlier in the film. I thought, 'Oh! Well if I'd known that of course I would've thought this!' It's something that Mikael and Lisbeth knew but they just didn't share with the audience. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

This film is dark: physically, emotionally, and directorally. Niels Arden Oplev directed and it was fantastic. At just over two and a half hours it is well paced incorporating the research with road-trips. The dynamic between Mikael and Lisbeth is hard to discern. I'm not quite sure what either one of them is expecting of the relationship after Mikael's six month leave is up and he must go to jail.

It was such a breath of fresh air! It truly disturbed in a way that was fantastic; I'd become so complacent in my movies thinking that they were all the same. I can honestly say that at 22 years old this is my first adult movie that I've seen that disturbed me enough but makes me want to see it again (unlike, for example, A Clockwork Orange). It's so real that I can see it happening (unlike, for example, Pulp Fiction). That is what makes it such a great movie: the reality of the situation. It just blew my mind away! But like I said - - very adult so if you're easily offended you should see this anyway just to stretch your limits.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

2010-08-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for this movie all summer. Not because I especially love Michael Cera or Jason Schwartzman. Nor have I read the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley that this movie is based on. For the simple truth that I believe that director Edgar Wright and I could be great friends if we ever met. I've been semi-obsessed with him since listening to commentary on the special edition Spaced DVD. I really wanted to see what he could do without Simon Pegg as a writing partner. Without knowing his actors as well as he does Pegg and Nick Frost.

So Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is about a 22 year old boy - guess what his name is? - (Michael Cera) who is dating a 17 year old Catholic school girl of Chinese descent named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). She is too cool for him but too young to know it. It's a nice running gag in the film. Then Scott meets the girl of his dreams, literally, he dreamt about her than met her, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). However in order to date Ramona, Scott must defeat her Seven Evil Exes: Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), Lucas Lee (Chris Evans), Todd the Vegan (Brandon Routh), Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman), the Katayanagi Twins (Keita and Shota Saito), and Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman).

Scott is also in a band called Sex Bob-omb with Stephen Stills (Mark Webber) and Kim Pine (Alison Pill) who used to date Scott in high school. Returning to Scott's life is his ex-ex girlfriend Natalie Adams, who now goes by the name Envy Adams (Brie Lawson) - - lead singer of the band Clash at the Demonhead. Scott's younger sister Stacey (Anna Kendrick) helps him navigate through his tangled web as does his gay roommate Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin).

Out of Ramona's Evil Exes, the first three are the real standouts: Matthew Patel, Lucas Lee, and Todd Ingram. Patel is the most outlandish, Lee eyebrows are so arched you'd think a string was keeping them up, and Todd is Vegan. That one is a little harder to explain but Satya Bhabha, Chris Evans, and Brandon Routh were phenomenal. Then, of course, there is Gideon Graves who organized the League of Evil Exes. Jason Schwartzman is having way too much fun in this role. You can see it in every scene he's in.

Back to the plot: Every ex that Scott defeats turns into coins. Yes coins - - like an awesome old school video game. That is part the charm of this movie. It uses video game sound effects from games you'd play on a Saga or the first PlayStation. Not even just the sound effects but visual effects as well. Wright spent so much time on post-production and that love really shows. Every hit landed is accompanied by a visual on the word it sounds like: THUMP. WHACK. SMASH. CRACK. Think Adam West, 1960s Batman.

I've read other reviews and some of them have had a problem with the learning moment for Scott Pilgrim. Because it's not really a learning moment. Scott's learning moment is like when you die at SuperMario Bros. for N64. You go back to the place where you gained the life and you do it again - - avoiding what made you die in the first place. Scott does the same thing and while you're learning by not doing what you did before and that's not really learning - - it is for us 22 year olds who grew up playing SuperMario Bros. It's like now you know what you're supposed to do and you've learned from your mistakes. In the process if you get more coins than more power to you.

I won't remember this movie for the great acting (although I loved every scene that Kieran Culkin was in) or the little plot developments (I do wish there had been more for Kim Pine - - I sense a story with not enough time to tell). I will remember the amazing directing that was accomplished by Edgar Wright. Not just because I think we could be good friends but because that is what I will remember. The visuals were astounding! It was really like being in a video game from my childhood - - just with brighter colors and a more interesting plot line. Overall, a very enjoyable movie.

The Kids Are All Right

2010-08-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

I saw The Kids Are All Right at this great little theatre in Des Moines called Fleur Cinema and Cafe. I hate to say that part of the reason I liked the movie was because of the theatre I was at. I love the atmosphere of that little four screen building so I left really liking the movie but when I got home I only kind of liked the movie.

So the premise is that this girl Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and her brother Laser (Josh Hutcherson) were both conceived artificially by both of their gay moms: Joni to Nic (Annette Bening) and Laser to Jules (Julianne Moore). Joni has turned 18 and this is her last summer at home before going off to college. At the instance of her 15 year old brother, she contacts the sperm bank where their moms went to locate the donor, Paul (Mark Ruffalo).

Right off the bat you can see that Nic is the "bread-winner" of the family if you will. She is a doctor (I'm pretty sure an OB delivery doctor). She very much wants control and perfection. Jules is much more laid back. She almost seems drunk as she slurs her words a lot, but it is Nic that goes through bottle after bottle of wine. Jules has had several start up businesses that don't seem to go anywhere and is now settled on a landscape design business.

Paul is ridiculously laid back. He has a small organic farm that he owns and uses the vegetables in a small restaurant that he owns. He's very flirtatious and charming and very natural. When Joni first contacts him he is more than happy to meet with her. There's no hesitation or regret just pure curiosity.

While Laser wanted to meet Paul it is Joni who has the most in common with him. When they meet, Paul hugs Joni and then shakes hands with Laser, before pulling him into this half-hug, standing side-by-side, and shoulder-to-shoulder. This is what made the movie real for me.

My brothers and I don't have the greatest relationship with our father and when I have seen him he hugs me the same way: shoulder-to-shoulder. Jules makes a comment that she sees her kids facial expressions when having a conversation with Paul. It's not until I see my father that I'm reminded how much my brothers can look like him.

Anyway, Nic comes to believe that Paul is trying to takeover her family - - her life. In a way, she's not wrong. So she decides that she wants to get to know him better and this is the moment when everything could be OK. Of course it doesn't stay that way but it is a great look at a, slightly-odd, blended family.

I view this movie differently than the girl I saw it with. I brought so much fatherly baggage to the viewing that I have mixed feelings on Paul. I didn't even know that would influence how I see this movie. My friend, who has a whole separate father issue, sees Paul different than me. Even though neither one of us grew up in a lesbian home or never knowing our fathers, like Joni and Laser, this movie was still extremely relatable.

I can say nothing bad about the acting though. Outstanding. Bening and Moore were just phenomenal and Ruffalo was so natural. I can't say that I enjoyed Wasikowska in Alice in Wonderland but I just loved her here. At times I had trouble believing that Hutcherson was playing a 15 year old but the dialogue he was given was great and I think that growing up in a non-typical family situation can make a person grow up a little fast.

I went in anticipating that this movie would be more comedic than it was. Quips from the trailer came off as funny there and a bit mean-spirited in the film. At least through my interpretation. But I can't say that I didn't like it. I'm just still sorting it out.

Inception

2010-08-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

Wow.

Is that enough of a review? Because I don't really know what else I can say about it... Ok, I'll give it a better shot.

Meet Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). They have the ability to enter a person's dreams in order to get secrets. Usually these two are hired by corporations to steal from each other. Cobb wants to go home to be with his children but can't due to pesky extradition laws. That is until a man he was meant to steal secrets from, Saito (Ken Watanabe), offers him a job: instead of extraction (taking a secret) he would like Cobb to perform inception (planting an idea). If Cobb does this successfully then Saito will pull so of his higher-up strings and Cobb can go home.

That synopsis is the most basic outline I can type here and it covers about the first half-hour of the movie. You come to learn that inception is ridiculously harder than extraction as Arthur puts it: "I tell you don't think of elephants. What do you think of?" You always know when someone else gives you an idea: true inspiration is much harder to produce. In order to go into someone else's dream you need uninterrupted sleep requiring a Chemist (Dileep Rao), you need a Forger to represent a real person in the dream (Tom Hardy), and you an Architect to build the dream world (Ellen Page).

Think of the dream world like a video game: there are different levels and you have to "complete" the first level before moving down to the next level. But the more levels you go the more unstable the dream world becomes. The dream world needs to be original, never recreating from memory, or the projections your mind fills the dream with will begin to attack. Described by Cobb like "white blood cells. Nobody likes to feel someone else in their mind."

This movie literally had me holding my breath. Not only was it filled with superb actors (the ones named above and including Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Berenger) but Christopher Nolan has once again blown me away. The first movie of his I saw was Memento. I remember that movie just blowing me away with his directing style - - then I found out he also wrote it. I just had a Batman marathon including Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, and Christian Bale. As much as I'm not a huge fan of those Bale Batmans I, again, have nothing but praise for Nolan's take on the action sequences as well as the screenplays (even if I'm not impressed with the length of The Dark Knight). I'm definitely going out to rent The Prestige. I haven't seen it since theatres and am sure that my current Nolan obsession will make that movie a standout for me right now.

What I loved most about this movie was Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He has these two incredible action sequences in the dream world that blew me away. His awareness of his body and his knowledge of the rules in the dream world are what really take these scenes to the next level. They are my favorite of the whole movie.

I noticed that Nolan is building up a nice pantheon of actors to call on: Bale has been in both Batmans as well as The Prestige. Caine also has both Batmans and The Prestige along with Inception. Cillian Murphy can be seen in Batman Begins and Inception. The same two movies go to Ken Wanatabe as well.

Bottom line: this movie is the most original movie I've seen in years. I will be incredibly disheartened if a sequel is ever made. The ending may strike some as being ambiguous or unexpected. I didn't think that at all. Well it may be a bit ambiguous but the whole movie is about infiltrating a person's sub-conscious what did you really expect?

Dinner for Schmucks

2010-08-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

Premise: In order to get a promotion Tim (Paul Rudd) must find an idiot to bring to a dinner his boss is hosting. He literally runs into Barry (Steve Carrell) and knows he's got his man. However Tim has to hide this from his girlfriend Julie (Stephanie Szotak) who believes that he is better than that.

I thought this movie was going to be funnier than it was. Maybe I empathized too much with Barry... no that's not it. I don't think there is a single person on the planet like Barry. Nobody is that obtuse about his surroundings. I can honestly say that I've never met a single person who even reminds me of Barry. I've never met a person who reminds me of Chewbacca either and that doesn't stop me from enjoying Star Wars but I'm more willing to dispense a bit of belief in that situation. I just can't believe that there is someone out there who is the entire package of Barry.

Tim tells his girlfriend that there are two Tims: the one that she knows and loves and then the other Tim who does the things that need to be done so the Tim that she knows and her can live comfortably. That is a person that I can relate to. You're a different person in different situations with different people.

The two characters I liked the most were Kieran and Darla played by Jermaine Clement and Lucy Punch. It was just great to see Lucy Punch not playing a girl in school or a ditz (although she is bat-shit crazy in the movie). She pulls off lunacy with seeming ease. Clement's character is also crazy but in an he's-an-artist-of-course-he's-crazy kinda way.

The one drawback from Jermaine Clement in the film (along with Kristen Schaal as Tim's assistant) was that I was constantly looking for Bret McKenzie to round out The Flight of the Conchords. I was distracting myself with that task.

I didn't like seeing Ron Livingston in a role that his Office Space character Peter Gibbons would cringe at. Larry Wilmore needs to stick with Daily Show corresponding as every line he said sounded like he was on air. Zach Galifianakis just made me draw back from the entire movie. He had some moments but none of them were dialogue driven.

Dinner for Schmucks is not as funny as you think it's going to be. I remember sitting in the theatre thinking, 'I'm wasting my time.' I could've been home enjoying Shark Week! Plus, this really bugged me, the word schmuck is never used in the movie. It's always the word idiot. So there was clearly some polling done and it was found out that nobody wants to see a movie called Dinner for Idiots. Which is what this movie is... idiotic.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

2010-07-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

Let's just jump into this.

Eclipse brings the love triangle that has been building since the first two movies into prominence. Bella (Kristen Stewart) is with Edward (Robert Pattinson) who doesn't want her to hang out with Jacob (Taylor Lautner) as he is a werewolf and can't control himself. Bella wants to be around Jacob without admitting she loves Jacob. Jacob keeps playing Bella against herself, making Edward mad and jealous.

In reality, this movie is a placeholder. We leave New Moon with Edward proposing marriage to Bella. We end Eclipse with her final decision on that question. But the in between stuff is good enough to keep you mildly entertained.

Eclipse opens with a little back story on Riley which is not in the book. I didn't mind it so much - - it set the tone for the darkness of the events to follow. You know, as dark as the money-hungry studio will let the movie get without going into R territory. I'm not loving Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria. She just doesn't do it for me and was in no way part of my box office draw.

However there was too much Bree. She is in the book for a total of five minutes. At the very end of the battle - - she's never seen in the company of other vampires besides the Cullen's and then the Volturri. But in the movie she gets a scene with Riley. And then we have the camera picking her out of the red-eyed vampire water walk. I don't care about this character at all. Showing me random parts of her existence because you think I don't know what side she's on is condescending. I don't like it.

And I don't know what the name of the actress playing Leah Clearwater is but I don't like her. She plays Leah as mean and angry all the time, when I read her as hurt and passive aggressive. I read somewhere that Vanessa Hudgens tried out for the role of Leah. I wish she would've got it. I can see that as more believable.

I did love both Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) and Rosalie (Nikki Reed) in this chapter of the saga. I was worried since Alice's back story, Carlisle's back story, and most of Esme's back story was cut out from all previous films, that Jasper's would be severely limited and Rosalie's non-existent. But both were represented (with flashbacks!) and done well. If I weren't so hung up on Edward Cullen, Alice would have some serious competition with Jasper Hale. Plus the scene between Rosalie and Bella has me very excited for one particular scene in Breaking Dawn.

I truly don't like the character of Jacob Black. He does absolutely nothing for me and I don't understand why Bella continues to put up with his insentient flirting and touching when she loves Edward. I find Jacob a bit redeemed in the tent scene. He has to use his toasty 108 degree body temperature to keep Bella warm and he ends up having a tense heart to heart with Edward. Lautner did a great job with Jacob Black. I wouldn't go so far as to say he's a scene stealer but he definitely held his own.

Granted that's not saying much when all Pattinson has to do is brood. Be broodily sad; broodily angry. Come on people! I've seen him in How to Be. He showed a good range of emotions! Same in Remember Me. He can act if given the chance to openly express himself without having to brood.

The scenes between Bella and her dad Charlie (Billy Burke) are some of my favorite in the movie. There is a great dynamic there - - I think this is where Stewart shines in the movie. She is truly relaxed and natural and gives her best performance.

Eclipse was directed by David Slade and he did a great job. I have a problem with so many close-ups. Catherine Hardwick did the same thing in Twilight. The camera is so focused on the faces that the rest of the scene is chopped out. I like to see the whole picture. I know that Bella and Charlie are sitting on the couch talking, but I want to see the couch. Body language is so much a part of human language that I feel something is really lost with obsessive close-ups.

There is a scene where Jasper is teaching the Cullen's and the wolf pack how to fight newborns. There are few close-ups here. Its one of my favorite scenes. You see the body language in the fighting between Jasper and Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie, Edward and Carlisle, and finally Jasper and Alice (which is the best part since Alice can "see" what Jasper will do).

I enjoyed this movie immensely more than Twilight and New Moon if only because I feel the actors are now comfortable with their characters. The special effects from Twilight are done better and the acting from New Moon has been stepped up. Characters are getting fleshed out and it's showing. If this one-upping continues, Breaking Dawn should be really badass.

Get Him to the Greek

2010-06-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

The last of the previews fades to black. Up on the screen comes an African village. I lean over to my friend and ask, "Are we in the right movie?" Have no fear: you did not stumble into a Matt Damon saves the day movie, this is the opening to Aldous Snow's music video "African Child." I'm going to let you think on that for a moment.

I can't say that I'm a huge fan of Russell Brand.* I mean I recognized him in Penelope for all of the 30 seconds he was on the screen. He had a bit part in Bedtime Stories. But he's never been in a starring role. I've never really seen him in anything besides Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which sees him as the same character Aldous Snow. But I love Aldous Snow. My love for him cannot be put into words. It makes me grin and feel giddy as sit here and type this.

*Editor's Note** I recently watched a movie entitled St. Trinian's that co-starred Russell Brand. Half-way through the movie he has to play a gay German art dealer. It's one of the funniest acting sequences I've ever seen from him. I am offically a fan of Russell Brand. **

Get Him to the Greek has Brand returning to his scene stealing role as Aldous Snow. He's pretty much the last great rock star. They don't make them like this anymore: sex, drugs, rock n' roll, and inappropriate songs that you don't know are inappropriate until a certain part of the lyrics. Aldous has come upon bad times. "African Child" did not fair well (deemed the worst thing to happen to Africa since the Apartheid). His long-time girlfriend and mother of his son has left him. He hasn't played a show in three years and hasn't had a hit song in ten.

Meet Aaron Green (Jonah Hill), an intern for music producer Sergio Roma (Sean 'Diddy' Combs), he comes up with the idea that to get the company some money they should host a ten year anniversary concert with Aldous Snow at the Greek Theatre. Green is then sent to London to get Snow and bring back to Los Angeles. Comedy ensuses.

While this isn't the funniest movie I've ever watched, it's quite entertaining. There is an orgy of cameos at the beginning that are funny depending on who you pick out. Carla Gallo has a role which I loved because of all the Apatow crowd that get cameos I had yet to see her in anything he's directed or produced since Undeclared.

Diddy is surprisingly funny. He has great comedic timing and is more believable than Tom Cruise was as Les Grossman. But maybe he had to be due to his role being more prominant than Grossman's. I love Elisabeth Moss and her and Jonah Hill actually look like a real couple. She’s not smack you in the head hot and I can see this relationship as more believable than anything from a sitcom. I’m talking about you Jim Belushi and Courtney Thorne-Smith. You too Kevin James and Leah Remini.

The character of Aldous Snow alone should make people go see this movie. You might not be laughing out loud, but you will definitely be chuckling and shaking your head in disbelief.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

2010-06-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

Well... it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. That's a plus. It didn't feel like a wasted evening and I saw it for free. Pluses all around!

Dastan (Jake Gyllenhall): our leading Prince, was seen by the King in the marketplace showing pluck. The King decides he's going to adopt this orphan boy and raise him as a prince. Jump forward about fifteen years to see Dastan's two older brothers and uncle trying to decide to invade a neighboring Holy City while the King is off on a prayer retreat. The Prince Regant needs the council of his brothers...but where is Dastan? Oh! There he is! Street fighting: Parkour style.

The Holy City is invaded because Dastan keeps his reservations to himself. The Holy City is over-taken thanks to Dastan and his street fighters. Princess Tamina (Gemma Aterton) guards the Dagger of something or other. She sends the Dagger to be hidden somewhere, but that man gets into a fight with Dastan who takes the Dagger.

Some things happen... Dastan is on the run, with Tamina, who is constantly trying to get the Dagger back. Through the course of the movie, they grow closer, tolerating each other. Their bickering showing their true feelings... blah, blah, blah.

If the Dagger of something or other breaks the giant sand hour glass (the Sands of Time), the person holding the Dagger can go back to any time they wish to. And the Dagger is the only thing that can pierce the hour glass. So of course the hour glass is merely hidden in a series of caves beneath the temple that holds the Dagger. Smart thinking.

This movie tries to be accurate. The Prince Regeant wants to take Tamina as a wife to win the affection of her conquered people. Dastan makes the comment that he thinks his brother already has enough wives. Nice factual accuracy there Disney.

Although Dastan is not a blood relative, he is treated as blood by his brothers. Thank you Disney for showing that family is what you make of it: blood or street urchin your father took a liking to after three minutes.

The best part of the movie is that a lot of people die. I'm not going to tell you who, but a lot of them die. Every death teaches Dastan, and to some degree Tamina, something about sacrifice, about family, about morality. Of course you don't want all these people to die, but none of them die in vain. That and Alfred Molina.

Molina plays a "sheik" (in quotes because that is not accurate Disney) who rants about taxes and races ostriches. He has great comedic timing and gets the throw away one-liners. Anytime Molina was on the screen is the only time I laughed out loud.

What makes this movie bad is the people not dying. That's all I'm saying on the subject. But bad form Disney. What a cop-out.

I usually enjoy the score music of movies. Even if the movie is bad the score can make up for it. Case in point any of the three Star Wars prequels. Thank God for John Williams. The score for Prince of Persia sucked. Gyllenhall would've been so much funnier if he had the proper music to play to his seemingly witty character. If you want your character to be funny, you can't have serious music all the time! Do you think Denny Crane would've been half as funny as he was if he didn't have the Boston Legal theme song playing behind him? Answer: no.

I would've loved this movie when I was fourteen. Oh! I would've seen it multiple times, worshipped Gyllenhall, wanted to be Aterton. I would've found everything that Dastan said hilarious! At 22 I can only see the flaws. This movie now makes me sad....

Robin Hood

2010-05-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

There are movies that I love that suck. I can admit that - - I can respect criticisim on them even though I might not agree with those reasons. All that being said, I love Kevin Costner's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. I love it. I grew up watching it and I don't care how blatantly Christian it is or how cheesy it looks. I love this movie. Since I do have such strong feelings for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves I really thought that I could keep an open mind for Robin Hood.

I'd read the reviews about how this was just like Gladiator. I know that people just didn't like this movie. I saw it last night and I'm still not sure how I feel about this movie. I know one thing: it shouldn't have been called Robin Hood.

The story opens up with English men fighting their way back through France from the Crusades. King Richard is adequately depicted pillaging France on his return to a country he has barely lived in. Alas Richard does not make it home and his crown must be delivered to the new knig, his brother John. That job falls to one Robert Locksley.

All while this is happening, Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) and a few of his men, Little John, Will Scarlet, and Alan A'Dayle, are making their own way back across the channel. Locksley and his men are ambushed and lay dying when Robin and his men come upon them. Locksley has Longstride promise to return his sword to his father in Nottingham. Robin honors the dying wish meeting Locksley's father and his wife, Marion (Cate Blanchett). So Marion can keep the land and since no one has seen Robert Locksley in ten years, the father Walter Locksley (Max von Sydow) asks Robin to pretend to be his son, and by default, Marion's husband.

This is a clever plot device and a nice twist on the Robin Hood tale. They however loose my interest with a subplot involving Robin's childhood and his relationship with his father. Then by consequence, Robin's father's relationship with Walter Locksley. It got very Braveheart and I really could've cared less. That whole subplot could've been taken out and the movie would've continued along just fine.

The end of the movie reminded me of a combination of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. A lot of attempted epic battles scenes that looked ripped off in the end. Plus, I didn't know that England had aboriginals. Did Crowe and Blanchett bring them over from Australia? In the credits they're listed as "feral children." Haha.

I loved Matthew MacFayden as the Sheriff of Nottingham. But he was hardly in it. His entire plotline could've been left out and the movie would not have suffered. If a sequel is made, his character would be a larger focus. I really hope there's not a sequel.

What I loved most about this movie was the lack of CGI. Ridley Scott might rely heavily on the "epic" battle scenes, but you can pretty much gaurantee that there are several actors (read stuntmen) performing the actions. That there really are boats in the water. That they are riding on real horses. Thank you Ridley Scott for making a movie with real people and locations. I've been missing that lately.

Overall, this was a decent picture. You don't get a real sense of time passing, so I thought the 'I love you' between Robin and Marion came a bit soon, but for all I know he was there months... It's not as much like Gladiator as you think going in. That seemed to be a conscious thought by Scott as the "battle" scenes didn't go as far as they could have. However there also wasn't a great focus on character development. I didn't really understand Robin's motivation for anything: if he was supposed to be a straight up good guy or perhaps a little rakish and a scoundrel. He didn't come across as a good mixture of either or clear cut as either one. Scott should've focused on one aspect (battles or characters) as he didn't do a great job combining the two.

Letters to Juliet

2010-05-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

I caught this movie with a girlfriend last night. It was a perfect chick flick for a Wednesday evening at 7:30. Pure formula romantic comedy. Quite comforting.

Premise: An engaged girl goes to Verona with her fiance and they end up spending all their time apart. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) ends up helping the Secretaries to Juliet. Heartbroken, troubled women write to Juliet Capulet and place the letters on wall outside of her balcony. These secretaries are employed by the government to reply back as Juliet. Sophie finds a letter dated back 50 years from a Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) who didn't go meet the boy she loved at age 15. Sophie replies which leads to Claire coming to find her lost boyfriend Lorenzo, with her grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan).

You know from the previews that Claire will eventually find Lorenzo so the movie is not really about them: it's about Sophie and Charlie. Charlie does not hide his distaste of Sophie. He finds her irritating and resents her for dragging them to Italy. Sophie finds Charlie annoying and pompous. She thinks he only thinks of himself and doesn't understand why he came with Claire at all.

Sophie and Charlie are fun to watch. Their banter while not real quick is real. He says things that as a frequenter of chick flicks, I too think myself. There is a scene where Charlie goes looking for Sophie only to find her on a balcony. "Oh! A balcony! Of course!" He cries out. He's speaking my thoughts. Of course she'd end up on a balcony at some point in the movie - - it's called Letters to Juliet. A Romeo and Juliet moment was inevitable.

Vanessa Redgrave as Claire was simply a delight. She's extactly how I would like to end up. Claire is funny and charming. She knows when to push and what to say to get Charlie to move along, matching his verbal sparring with Sophie. There is a scene where Charlie and Sophie kiss (how else would the second act of the movie get momentum if that didn't happen?) and Claire happens to see it from her bedroom window.

The next morning, not only does she get Sophie to sit in the front seat with Charlie, she sings along with the Italian song on the radio (presumably a love song) and then comments that she had an excellent view from her window last night. I mean, wow! What a lady!

The one character I'm still not sure if I liked was Sophie's finace Victor. He is played by Gael Garcia Bernal, who is Mexican. He can speak both Spanish and English fluently. Sophie and Victor live in New York and his accent is very light. He'll say phrases in Spanish but mostly speaks English - - and then they get to Italy. Suddenly everything he says has an Italian twist. Sophie makes a comment to the effect that he gets to into it if they travel somewhere - - but I found myself questioning Victor's origins whenever he spoke a line of dialoge.

My favorite part of the night however was just after Charlie and Sophie's missed connection. It's the part of the formula where the audience is supposed to think that our two favorites have now moved on to go their separate ways. My friend Lauren leans over and whispers, "That's sad... but you know Claire and Lorenzo are going to get married and then they'll see each other again that's where they'll tell each other they love each other." Yes I did know that because that is how the formual works.

The Hurt Locker

2010-05-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

Let's start off with I don't like Iraq-based movies. I'm not a fan of war movies in general. Its not a situation I can ever see myself in (which is extremely naive of me) but there it is. What made me want to see this movie was the fact that it took so long to make because they couldn't find people who would actually film it on location in Jordan and Kuwait. That's ballsy.

Another fact is Jeremy Renner, who I have had a respectable crush on since S.W.A.T. He just blew me away with his portrayal of an American soldier in Iraq. When I think of this genre - - the image that I conjure up is Jake Gyllenhall in Jarhead.... riding the gun like a buck and wearing a Santa cap. Honest to God that's the only thing I remember from that movie.

But back to The Hurt Locker. I was drawn into this movie. I cared about these characters. I didn't want any of them to get blown up - - which is good. So, Renner's character is a soldier who is brought in to replace the leader of a bomb squad. He is a bit of a wild card - - very cavalier about his life. He breaks the rules when he needs to and is very good at his job (P.S. He knows it).

I found this movie not to be so much about the war but more about the men. These three soldiers are forming a family unit although they still have people they care about at home. Slowly they get to know each other even though they put their lives in each others hands every day.

This was a pleasant surprise for me. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. The acting was extraordinary and the setting was absolutely key.

Then, as a bonus, Colin Farrell said some hilarious remarks about Renner. That was one of the best actor-friend-says-something-nice-about-nominated-actor-friend of the night. Kathryn Bigelow went on to win Best Director - - extremely well deserved. Just on her own - - but made better by her real-life movie beating out ex-husband James Cameron's CGI infested Avatar.

Avatar

2010-05-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

I had absoltuely no desire to see this movie. The characters didn't interest me and I just felt like I'd seen the movie before... guess what? I had. Twice actually in the forms of Dances with Wolves and Fern Gully. Both of those movies were superior to Avatar.

Now before indignation sets in and you stop reading this review, let me say that I admit that the technical marvel that is the entire movie of Avatar is wonderous. The motion capture technology and the language is truly stunning. But a good movie cannot be simply one thing. The fact that Avatar was one of the forerunners for a Best Picture Oscar is completely beyond me. Nominated in one of those open five slots like District 9 sure, but actually in contention with The Hurt Locker and An Education? I just don't understand...

There is something to be said about reusing plot devices. Rarely do we get an original story in the movies these days. We get remakes or reboots or based on the book/comic. But when your screenplay is so predictable that you know the end of the movie by the trailer alone then you have a problem. James Cameron... I just don't know. 10 years spent on this movie? Hopefull it was spent on the technology side and not the story telling side.

Despite the fact that stupid movies top the box office week after week, there are intelligent people that enjoy the movies. And if movies were written for smarter people then the movie goers would become smarter and we wouldn't have to deal with all this ridiculous shit that passes through our local cinemas. Cameron: just because a movie was made almost twenty years ago does not mean it has been forgotten. You can't photocopy that screenplay and tweak it so the Sioux become giant blue aliens with cat-like faces.

I don't understand how people saw this movie again and again and again. I thought it was going to look realistic but it looked like FernGully. Completely pristine and cartoon-y. District 9's prawns looked more realistic than the Nav'i in Avatar. The whole mood of Pandora just seemed like everyone was on Prozac and a completely cliche.

The entire film was a completely cliche. I wouldn't describe myself as pro or anti-military but the way the army was portrayed in this movie was an insult to anyone who wears a uniform. Blind sheep who follow a Colonel on an ego trip for the benefit of the ruthless business man with no soul? They want to mine "unobtanium." Clever word play but you make your audience stupid when you refrain from picking a name that they'll have to remember rather than a name that actually tells them what it is.

The longer this movie played the stupider I felt. It drags on for over two and a half hours and just bored the hell out me. Sigourney Weaver is the only actor in the movie I liked. Sam Worthington was forgettable. Zoe Saldana's voice become irritating - - her "face" not registering enough emotion for the situation she found herself in. Stephen Lang and Giovanni Ribisi were walking talking cliches. But Weaver - - I could see and empathize with her character more than anyone else in this film.

I don't know how James Cameron gets great performances out of her, but I love her in Aliens. That whole movie was a masterpiece James Cameron! How do you go from that sci-fi brilliance to Avatar? I just don't understand...

A Nightmare on Elm Street

2010-05-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

I saw this movie at midnight with a some friends at a showing for employees at the local theatre. You'd think that would add to the scary element. It didn't. Cause this movie isn't scary - - it's a joke.

Let's start off with the fact that Freddy Krueger is my favorite serial killer from gratuitous bloody movies. He beats out Michael Meyers and Jason Voorhees hands down. Robert Englund has played Freddy in every legitimate Nightmare on Elm Street reincarnation, with the exception of Robot Chicken. And yet in this remake, he's played by Jackie Earle Haley.

If A Nightmare on Elm Street had been like the Robot Chicken skit - -it would have been one million bazillion quadrillon times better.

Nothing so much against Haley, its just that if your real face isn't used in over 70% of a movie - - so people recognize you by your voice alone - - you shouldn't continue to take roles like that. The entire movie I kept thinking, "This is Rorschach from Watchmen." He doesn't bother to disguise his voice at all! I didn't find his scary in the least.

Also, Freddy's face in this movie is just a travesty. Instead of keeping the burned, scarred face of Englund's Freddy, Rorschach's Freddy's face was all melt-y. The plains were flat and overlapping instead of scarred and fried. I kept having images of Voldermort pop into my head, taking me right out of the movie.

The real flaw with this movie is that when it starts there are two characters the story focuses on: Kris and Dean. It's quite obvious that Dean (yummy Kellan Lutz) is going to be Freddy's first victim on screen. So we end up following Kris and her on/off boyfriend Jesse (deliciously amazing Thomas Dekker). But guess what? THEY BOTH DIE. Not even halfway through the movie and the two characters we've invested all this time in are gone.

The focus shifts to the two secondary characters who have been literally in the background for the entire beginning of the movie: Nancy and Quentin. You've seen that Quentin has a crush on Nancy and they're friends. Nancy believes there is something else going on, but doesn't do anything about it until the other two of the ensemble cast drop dead.

Oh! The parents are clearly hiding something. Lingering, furitive looks. Hurridley rushing their children away from each other. Being completely evaisive to questions they could've easily lied about. And they all seem to be single parents. It's just Quentin and his dad, Nancy and her mom, Kris and her mom. It's where divorced parents come to band to together and raise their children amongst lies and deciet.

Everytime Freddy's knife fingers cause sparks to fly up off the metal in the boiler room he was casually running his hands over (and it happened often) I could see producer Michael Bay off camera celebrating those mini-explosions.

The entire movie was ridiculous. I'm just happy that I saw it for free and didn't waste any money on this utter waste of time.

Kick-Ass

2010-05-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

I saw this movie a while ago - - so this review will only reflect the elements that have made an impression. I'm not a comic book person. I don't follow them or read them or really care about them. I am a fantasy/sci fi genre person and that is what usually draws me to comic adaptations for movies. But what made me want to see Kick Ass was how grounded in reality it is.

The story is about a boy, Dave, who doesn't really fit in anywhere in school, has a couple of close friends, and loves to read comic books. He gets mugged for his comics quite often as crime seems to be rampant in his city and if he has no money then they take the comic books. He then decides to become a superhero himself and fight back.

Dave's voiceover is recounting what has happened to get us caught up with Kick Ass in his time. Along the way we meet Big Daddy and Hit Girl. I wasn't particularly fond of Hit Girl as every other reviewer I've read has been, but that could be because I don't like child actors with the exception of Natalie Portman in The Professional (Leon). But I digress...

Nicolas Cage as Big Daddy was hysterical. His voice, when he's in costume, sounds like Adam West from those awesome TV shows that played on reruns when I was a kid. The pauses are long and oddly placed: "Well then..........I guess we'd.............better get in..............................the car." He just cracked me up!

I read that the idea for Big Daddy and Hit Girl was what if, in real life, a sociopath like Bruce Wayne actually had a child sidekick? How would that kid turn out? Apparently like Hit Girl... This concept really sealed the deal for me wanting to see this movie. Only a person obsessed with comic books would sit and analyze something like that, and while I couldn't take pleasure in that conversation, I have spent several hours of my life debating the finer points of Star Wars with my friends, so I totally know where they're coming from.

The action sequences are fairly forgettable, with the last scene being an exception. I mean who can forget violence against a child? And of course there is a romantic angle that is quite amusing. The girl, Katie, thinks that Dave is gay and he lets her believe that so they can become really good friends and then he can find the right time to tell her he's actually not gay. She'll be so relieved that he's not unavailable she won't care that he lied to her for X length of time. Doesn't quite play that way...

Overall, I enjoyed this movie. The comic references I got from having seen other comics-turned-movies movies made me laugh. However, I know that for the few I got there were tons more that went right over my head. A comic afficianado will get greater enjoyment from this movie than a person who's knowledge comes from childhood cartoons and the occasional Bryan Singer movie. But those cartoon people will certainly have a good time. I know I did.

Clash of the Titans

2010-04-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Last night, I went out with my friend Toni and we saw Clash of the Titans. I had no intention of seeing this movie, but seeing as how I was in a car accident about a month ago that left me without a car, I jump at any chance to leave the apartment.

When I think of a popcorn movie, I usually think of Independence Day. It's a good action movie, the plot isn't too hard to follow, and the characters are relatable. Clash of the Titans is not like that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's not a popcorn movie (because it totally is), I'm saying that it's not really a good action movie nor are the characters really relatable.

The movie starts off with Gemma Aterton narrating how the Titans were destroyed by their children the Gods. The main three: Zeus, Posiden, and Hades split the world amongst them, Hades getting tricked into ruling the Underworld (also called Hades) while Posiden ruled the sea and Zeus ruled over all. Then we see Aterton watching a baby in a coffin get rescued by a fisherman. She somehow knows that the baby will be named Perseus. Fast forward 20 years and Perseus works on the fishing boat with his father, mother, and younger sister. They are passing a giant sculpture dedicated to Zeus when soldiers from Argos tear it down.

The statue hitting the sea creates waves for the tiny fishing boat and the Hades comes up and decimates the soldiers and then the fishing boat for no good reason. Perseus is the only one that survives and he is taken as a prisoner to Argos. There the King and Queen continue to smack talk the Gods and Hades returns (with persmission from Zeus) and tells them the their beautiful daughter must be sacrificed to appease the Gods. Hades kills the remaining soldiers but Perseus is left standing. Hades finds this interesting and Perseus tried to attack Hades, when Aterton shows up (looking exactly same as 20 years ago) and tells him to wait his time. Hades returns to Olympus and informs Zeus that Argos has a demi-god among them: half-man, half-god and that demi-god is the son of Zeus.

Thus setting the stage for the enemy of my enemy is my firend. Perseus does not consider Zeus his father but they both are after Hades. It puts father/son on the same side but Perseus still does not want to acknowledge the god-half of himself. He wants to be mortal and fight alongside his fellow humans. Admirable. Quite a fitting word to describe Perseus.

Perseus has a couple possible love interests for this film. First there's Princess Andromeda who shows Perseus kindness when he is a prisoner and is over all very philophranthic. Then there's Aterton's character Io. She spends the majority of the movie with Perseus and it's kind of a toss-up as to which one you want him with, if you even really care by the end of the movie. Plus Clash of the Titans steals a rather important scene from King Kong and makes the movie seem even more played out.

The CGI was good. I refused to see it in 3D, but even so -- the dirt looked clean in this movie. Medusa was over the top in a bad way. I don't know why she was all CGI. I'm fairly certain that they could've had her in live action with CGI compliments but nobody asked me. The Kraken was unbelievable though.

Sam Worthington is basically the same character from Avatar - - wanting to save his people and being all noble. Liam Neeson... I just don't know what he was thinking taking this movie. I hope he's just a big fan of the original. Ralph Fiennes was a pleasant surprise for me. I didn't know he was in this movie and he always makes an excellent baddie. There was a character (who's name I can't be bothered to remember) who looked so familliar it was slightly distracting during the movie. The credits informed me it was Mads Mikkelsen - - who was the baddie with the lazy eye from Casino Royale. Mystery solved. My life is now complete.

Overall, it wasn't horrible. If I felt like brushing up on my Greek mythology, I'd go see it again. But don't feel bad about waiting for the rental.

The Blind Side

2010-03-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

I resisted seeing this movie. Even after I knew that the local theatre still had it after about two months and all the buzz that Sandra Bullock was getting about her Oscar-worthy performance. I just figured it was another Glory Road or Invincible. Or, worse, like the movie that started it all Remember the Titans. I was out to dinner with my friend Christopher a couple of weeks ago when he mentioned that The Blind Side was not really a sports movie. It was all about the family. So today, when I was at my grandma's for our weekly family lunch, I noticed the DVD sitting on the stereo.

Now, the Oscars are over, and Sandra Bullock has won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in The Blind Side. The Best Actress Oscar curse has also taken effect and it's being reported that her husband cheated on her while she was making this movie. But I don't want to focus on that.

I was greatly surprised by this movie. The thing that surprised me the most was seeing Tim McGraw's name in the opening credits. The story was of course predictable for me at this point. Due to my brothers and friends, I know that Michael Oher is, today, a football player. So he would've had to stay with the family and all's well that ends well.

Sandra Bullock really deserved all the great press she was getting. The word of mouth that this movie got was all very well deserved and same goes for the accolades to Bullock. She literally became this woman: Leigh Anne. She made me laugh so many times during the film. Mainly because I knew that if she were my mother, we would not get along. There would be many doors slammed and things said wished unsaid. But this was a great family movie. I found myself wishing that other affluent families would give the same attention and care to disadvantaged children.

What a good, family friendly movie. Well deserved awards for Sandra Bullock. All around good time. Plus it was a movie that both my grandma and I enjoyed. And there aren't really a whole lot those these days.

An Education

2010-03-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

I like to think that I've seen Carey Mulligan since the very start of her career. Mind you that contains Pride and Prejudice and the episode "Blink" in Doctor Who. But in all fairness, Pride and Prejudice was Oscar nominated and "Blink" is a truly remarkable episode.

But in An Education she really shines. This movie is about a sixteen year old girl named Jenny (Mullligan) who meets a playboy named David (Peter Sarsgaard). She and her parents have a plan: Oxford but after she David (who is twice her age by the way) suddenly she has another option. This is the 1960s London and David opens up a whole new world for Jenny.

This is marketed as a coming-of-age-film. In most coming of age films I can see absolutely zero parallels to my own coming of ageness and Jenny's has little to no parallels to my own life. For example, I never dated a thirty-two year old man who whisked me off to Paris with a couple of his friends. A thirty-two year old man who my parents approved marriage to as a suitable replacement to a college education at Oxford. Nor did I attend a school where if they even thought you had sex they could expell you.

But the last line of the film: One of the boys I dated, and they were boys, suggested that we go to Paris and I said I'd always wanted to see Paris. As if I'd never been! That line is the line that clicked. I've done that. Not with a trip to Paris but with a date to a movie. "No. I haven't seen that one!" When really, yes I had. That was the line.

The acting in An Education is spectacular. I've already spoken of my admiration of Carey Mulligan. Sarsgaard looked so at ease. His portrayal of David was so you could see why a sixteen year old girl and her parents would want this man in their lives.

Dominic Cooper and Rosamund Pike were adequate in their supporting roles. That's not saying anything of the acting but they didn't have a whole lot to work with in the characters. Same goes for Jenny's parents played by Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour.

The characters of Miss Stubbs, the Headmistresses, and Sarah were top notch. Played by Olivia Williams, Emma Thompson, and Sally Hawkins respectively, these women were extraordinary. Williams with most note, simply because her role has more screen time than Thompson's or Hawkins'.

This movie was brilliant. Wonderful all the way around. It was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress in a Lead Role (for Mulligan) and Best Picture. And at the ceremony, Peter Sarsgaard gave the tribute speech to Mulligan, saying, in jest, that he felt sorry for her because she's fallen in love with him twice, once on stage and again in the movie. Maybe that can atone to some of their chemistry...

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to like this movie. I really did. I love Tim Burton's darker vision. Johnny Depp is a phenomenal actor and I do enjoy his quirky roles. This movie was cater-made for these two. Here's a brief synopsis: Alice is a young woman who is asked for her hand in marriage. But she thinks that she sees the White Rabbit (something from a dream) and she runs to follow it and falls down the Rabbit Hole. There she is told welcome back and she must defeat the Red Queen. Alice continues to believe that the whole thing is a dream. She meets the Dormouse, the March Hare, and other memorable creatures. She's taken to the Hatter who sends her to the White Queen. Alice needs to defeat the Jabberwocky in order to save Wonderland. So why do I think it fell so flat?

1. I saw this movie in 3D. It was my first 3D movie and it was awful. I felt like my eyes were straining the whole movie. Is that supposed to be popping out or do I just think it is? The whole movie had a shade of grey over it from the glasses. I was just uncomfortable. I probably would be more forgiving to the movie if I had a more pleasurable experience just sitting there.

2. Where is the darkness? Tim Burton: that name brings to mind a certain darkness. For me, especially two movies stand out as pitch-perfect-when-I-think-Tim-Burton examples: Sleepy Hollow and Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. These two embody the literal darkness that Burton brings to his films: the gloomy overcast skies, the eery fog rolling in. They also both use the quintessential Tim Burton blood red. It's not the color of real blood nor is it a corn-syrupy blood, it is a red that can only be described as Tim Burton Red.

Alice in Wonderland is a mysterious, curious story. It is not really a children's tale. The darkness is waiting for you to mold it and you try to turn it into Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This movie was trying to be family friendly but not quite suceeding, nor is it an adult take on a memorable story. It was somewhere inbetween and it fell flat.

3. What's up with the Hatter? Alice in Wonderland is my second favorite book (so maybe my expectations were a little high) but I will not cede any point on the Hatter. He is my favorite character and I don't know what the hell happened to him in this movie. Sometimes he's actually mad as a hatter and other times he's just plain pissed off. And when that happens, his eyes change color and he starts talking in a Scottish brogue. Maybe I missed the backstory on the Hatter but I don't know why he does this. I found it distracting.

4. What happened to curious Alice? She dreams about Wonderland every night. This is established at the very beginning, so why when she goes back there does she not remember a thing? Why does she continue to think it's all a dream? Where is the Alice from the story who goes to each new place with a sense of wonder and not with this dreaded fear?

5. Why are amazing actors only used for their voices? Stephen Fry won me over as Gordon Gordon Wyatt on Bones. He is the voice of the Cheshire Cat. I have a full blown crush on the talent of Michael Sheen. His ability to literally become whatever character he's portraying (real or imaginary) is a testiment to his amazing ability. He's the voice of the White Rabbit. Is it weird to say that Alan Rickman has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember? Starting with Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and then Quigly Down Under and Die Hard and Sense and Senseibility, Dogma (these are the order in which I watched them not that they came out... just to clarify). He's the voice of the Blue Caterpillar, Absolem. What a waste of incredible talent. Not that they don't have nice voices but they have even more commanding presences.

6. Where is the backstory? Why are these two Queens fighting? Sisterly rivalry. Why? What happened? You already know my position on the Hatter's backstory. Alice's history is just the same. The random family moments seem forced as does Alice's speech and actions at the end of the movie.

Maybe I expected more from this movie. Helena Bonham Carter seemed to have a lot of fun. I don't know why ~~George McFly~~ Crispin Glover had a CGI body with his real head. That was distracting. Maybe I need to see it again without the 3D. But overall, I was so disappointed. I wasn't filled wonder or amazment. At least I still have the book.

Legion

2010-02-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

I took a spontaneous drive up to Cedar Falls to visit my friend Christopher so we could eat some Hu Hot and then go see Legion. It was a preview both of us were excited about. It looked good and inrtiguing. It also had the added bonus that Paul Bettany looked like a kickass Archangel Michael.

The morning before my journey, Chris text me and said that he had been reading some bad reviews. I said they were just hating on Dennis Quaid - - which Chris claimed to be impossible. So off I went...

I drove up there with limited problems (amazing for me since I think every direction I'm facing is North) and I met his roommates. They seem really nice. Then it was off to lunch where I ran into a boy I graduated with. The food at HuHot is amazing! Eat there if you never have... you can't go wrong since you pick everything you want on your plate.

Are you asking yourself why I'm talking about everything but Legion in a Legion review? I was just so disappointed. It had amazing potential to be something great and it started out that way... until you meet humanity.

The pregnant waitress is not a very sympathetic character. Dennis Quaid is all right but the kid playing his son, Jeep, (who has a Southern drawl that his father lacks) is a major tool. The dysfunctional family was just feed for the slaughter. You just knew after meeting them that they were all going to die. I did like Tyrese. His character had some believablility for his actions.

Bettany's Michael was the best in the cast and that's not really saying much. It seems that every character needed to have an emotional moment with every single person in that diner (ironically named Paradise Falls). This story could've been so much more. It tried to be too much of everything... it needed to committ. Be a scary thriller, or be more spiritually psychological, or completely be self-depricating, or chalk full of emotions... but don't try to be all of them.

I like the movie less after I've read other reviews where people are making the "Jesus" connection. Is this the next coming? Is that baby Jesus? I've read them all. And in truth, the only logical bit of truth I found between this movie and the Jesus Parable is that Jesus' step-father (Joseph) was a carpenter and this baby's step-father (Jeep) is a total tool.

Leap Year

2010-02-02T14:55:00.000-08:00

Ok. So I went to see Leap Year with a girlfriend of mine. Yes it's predictable. No there are no real memorable performances. The biggest flaw with this movie may be that it follows the formula a little too closely.

Amy Adams (whom I like) is hoping her boyfriend will propose before he leaves on a business trip. He doesn't. She's reminded of something her father said (played by John Lithgo who needed much more screen time) about women being able to propose to their boyfriends on Leap Day in Ireland, which is where the business trip is.

Let's leave aside the fact that women can propose to men anytime in any country and go with this premise.

The plane, of course, does not make it to Ireland. It lands in Cardiff. She gets a boat to take her to Ireland where she then must find a ride to Dublin. And a very scruffy looking Matthew Goode is present to be that ride.

They fight and argue to build up the tension that is needed to push this plot forward, but it doesn't quite land right. Of course they fall for each other after being forced to kiss, but when they reach Dublin, her boyfriend proposes to her.

What is Amy Adams to do? I won't ruin the resolution for you because it is the whole point of the movie. We know that Amy Adams and Matthew Goode are going to end up together, the reason we go is to see the journey. And unfortunately, this journey was more miss than hit.

One part I did enjoy immensely, and was a continuing joke, is a miscommunication when Goode is packings Adams suitcase into the car. She asks him to be gentle because it's a Vutton. He doesn't understand and she clarifies: a Louis Vutton. He thinks she has named her suitcase Louis and is off her rocker. For the rest of the movie, he refers to that suitcase as Louis.

The Book of Eli

2010-02-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

Today it is The Book of Eli. I saw this movie opening weekend, although I didn't have to pay to see it - - thank God.

This movie is insane. Even right now, weeks after I first saw it, I'm still not sure if I like it. I wanted to like it. Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman... I simply adore Gary Oldman. But I couldn't like this movie.

Let's start out with a statement: Denzel is a badass. Through out the whole movie he's kicking ass. Post-something... the world has gone to shit. You can go blind just by being outside without sunglasses. And Denzel (Eli) is taking a book somewhere. And he's walking...

Statement Two: Gary Oldman makes a wonderful villain. His character is one of the only people left who is literate. Books are scarce and he collects them. He's looking for one in particular. Guess who has the last copy?

Accompanying these two is Mila Kunis. I liked her well enough. She works for Gary Oldman so he won't hurt her mom. But she couldn't really stand on her own against these two giants. I kept comparing her to Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air against George Clooney and Vera Farmiga and Kunis kept coming up short.

You are either going to love the end and have your mind blown all over the theatre or you will have my reaction, which was to say (in my normal voice, not a whisper) 'Shut.... the fu....ck..... up.' Real slow and drawn out like.

Even after writing this I still don't know what to think!

Addendum B: The End of A Chapter

2010-01-18T17:59:00.000-08:00

So the Golden Globes have come and gone. They happen to be my favorite awards show because they are so casual. I saw Lea Michele from Glee walk past a table with Tom Hanks. They were in the same shot! I love the Golden Globes. I was very disappointed by the James Cameron win for Best Director and Avatar for Best Picture Drama. Really? Best moments included: any time Ricky Gervais was on stage. That man is hilarious. And Robert Downey, Jr.'s acceptance speech for Sherlock Holmes Best Actor Comedy. Jeff Bridges win for Best Actor Drama in Crazy Heart; his acceptance speech was heart-felt, along with Sandra Bullock's for Best Actress Drama for The Blind Side.

So I didn't meet my goal. There are some movies and shows that I watched but didn't get a chance to write about. So I will finish those up. Then I will dedicate the rest of this blog to just plain old movie reviews.

I found that I like writing about movies. So I'm going to keep doing it until I stop liking it. I hope you keep reading.

Invictus

2010-01-17T14:57:00.000-08:00

I had high hopes for this movie. Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman with Matt Damon sprinkled in on top. The story is uplifting enough. But there are a few items that turned me off of this movie.

1. Morgan Freeman's slight limp and limited arm movement became noticeable for me towards the middle end of the movie.

2. Didn't Matt Damon used to be good looking? Maybe it's just me, but it seems like Eastwood did whatever he could to ugly up Damon. And that's just a sin against nature.

3. Isn't rugby supposed to be exciting? I was bored as hell when the World Cup started. Play after play with no real action. Made me realize why I prefer soccer.

This was such a disappointment.

United States of Tara

2010-01-17T14:41:00.000-08:00

Toni Collette = Phenomenal. This seems to be the type role an actor would kill for. Collette plays Tara, a woman who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. She has a husband and two children and her other personalities come out when she is stressed or there is something she doesn't want to deal with. Tara used to take medication that kept her other personalities at bay, but she stopped taking them so they could figure out why these other personalities feel the need to surface.

Tara become a teenager girl, a fifties housewife, and a man. At least those are who I've seen in the episodes I've watched so far. I was surprised to see that this show was created by Diable Cody. Interesting. I'm very interested to see the rest of the season.

Hung

2010-01-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

I've seen the first two episodes of Hung. I'm not entirely impressed.

The premise is that a high school teacher and football coach, who's house inadvertently burns down in an electrical fire. Since he has no insurance, he's camping out on the property, where his high school children refuse to live. His ex-wife and the woman he's slept with twice both told him that the only thing he has going for him now is that he's well hung. So he decides that the woman he's slept with twice will become his pimp and he will become a male prostitute... on the side.

The premise is funny enough, but I don't know how I feel about Thomas Jane in the lead role. He's not naturally comedic, so I think I need to spend some more time with the show.

The Mentalist

2010-01-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

The Mentalist is a show that I've only watched a couple of times. I didn't start at the beginning, just seen a few episodes in the middles of seasons. So while I don't have a whole lot to say on the show, I would like to say that it is a damn shame that Simon Baker has to have an American accent. That man is sexy with his God-given Australian accent and the powers that be at CBS need to leave it that way.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Nurse Jackie

2010-01-16T19:35:00.000-08:00

I have only seen a few episodes of Nurse Jackie, but I love it. Edie Falco is amazing. She plays the title character, who is married, has two kids, addicted to pain killers, and pretends not to be married at work while she has an affair with a man who works in the pharmacy.

Jackie is fiesty and sarcastic and has her perfect counter-part in Dr. Fitch Cooper played hilariously by Peter Facinelli. I was excited when he got cast as Carlisle Cullen in The Twilight Saga because when he walked on scree for the first time, it's really like, "How do you not know he's a vampire?!?"

I'm very eager to finish season one of Nurse Jackie in time to catch up with the season two premiere. This show is going to be greater than it already is.

Lost

2010-01-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

Lost was a show I tried to watch when it started. I think I made it through three episodes. So just last week I rented the first couple discs of season one.

There were things I remembered and lots of things I forgot. I'm liking it though. There are a lot of characters to keep track of. Some of the story-lines seem to be forgotten, but if I know J.J. Abrams, they will pick up again somewhere down the road. But then Abrams left the show after the first season if I remember correctly... to direct Mission Impossible: III.

I hear that Lost only gets better. The season that's nominated is five and the sixth and last is about to be aired on TV. I'm going to continue season one to the end. I'm sure that I'll continue on into season two.

I'm picking up a lot of shows on DVD. It's a wonder I have time to do anything else.

It's Complicated

2010-01-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

I saw It's Complicated earlier this week. I like Nancy Meyers well enough. One of my guilty pleasure movies is The Holiday. She has a knack for writing very casual dialog, but it seems to be hard for the actors to pull off. I don't know what the script looks like, but I have a feeling that if you write How is it going? When you say it, it'll come out How's it goin'? If you write How's it goin'? it comes off forced casual. I saw it most with Jack Black in The Holiday and John Krasinski in It's Complicated. But that is just me nit-picking. It just really bugs me.

I like Meryl Streep. She is just fantastic. I've only just started watching Alec Baldwin in his current years through 30 Rock, but he came off more as creepy than funny. Plus I saw waaaay to much of his body sans clothes. Steve Martin was a pleasant surprise as more stiff than usual. His performance reminded me of Shopgirl.

So the story is that Streep and Baldwin have been divorced for ten years after a twenty year marriage. He's remarried to a much younger woman who has a very young son. Baldwin starts to realize he's still in love with Streep, who might like her house contractor, Martin. And caught in the middle are Streep and Baldwin's three children, and the oldest one's finance (Krasinski), who unfortunately witnesses an afternoon trist and then must keep the secret.

Another slight problem I had with movie was the score. Hans Zimmer has done other Meyers movies in the past, and there was a part in It's Complicated when I had a sudden image of Cameron Diaz running across a field to get to Jude Law. Then I was distracted because I wanted to be running across a field to get to Jude Law. It just threw me a little that after I heard Zimmer's score in Sherlock Holmes (which was fantastic) I get a recycled score.

But it was a nice way to spend an evening on my own. Very pleasant.

House, M.D

2010-01-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

I watched House at the very beginning, I would say for about three seasons before I stopped. I think I missed the season premiere and then realized I didn't miss the show. I did greatly enjoy Hugh Laurie however.

Laurie plays the title character, Dr. Gregory House. He diagnosises (?) the paitents that other doctors can't diagnosis. He has a team of doctors that work under him that he pushes around and insults on a daily basis. They are the ones who run the tests on the paitents to determin what it's not.

Dr. House has interesting sexual tension with his boss, Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) and the only person who can seem to get through to House is his best friend (for lack of other friends) Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) who is an oncologist.

House is irritable. He's addicted to his pain medication, which he takes on account of his bad leg (so bad, he needs a cane to walk). He is sarcastic and antisocial. He can be just plain mean. He is amazing and regardless of his personality, he is the doctor I would want treating me.

Hmmmm. After writing that, I think I might pick the show up again.

Modern Family

2010-01-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

I randomly caught the pilot episode of Modern Family and immediately became hooked. You meet these three individual families who aren't that individual come to see.

First there's Claire and Phil. They are married and have two girls and one boy: Haley, Alex, and Dylan.
Second we have Mitchell and Cameron. They are a gay couple who just adopted a little girl named Lily.
Third there is Jay and his much younger, Columbian wife Gloria (who is about the same age as Claire) and her son Manny (who's the same age as Dylan).

So, what's the connection? Jay is the father of Claire and Mitchell. They are one big family. During the pilot, I didn't put that together at all until they all came into the same room. I thought this documentary was following three separate, unique families.

This show is just a riot. Everything that happens is completely plausible and you've probably seen something similar in your own family. This show is definitely worth a half hour of my time on any night besides Thursdays.

Taking Chance

2010-01-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

This made-for-TV movie is about a Marine, Lieutnant Colonel Michael Strobl who works in a cubicle crucnching numbers, that aren't taken into consideration in decisions because he's been out of the field for too long. He goes home every night to his wife and kids. But every night he checks the list of killed service men. One night he sees the name of a young man named Pfc. Chance Phelps who was from his hometown. He volunteers for escort duty to take Chance home. This story is based on real-life events.

Kevin Bacon blew me away as Lt. Col. Strobl. It's unusual for such a high ranking officer to escort a private, first-class. Everywhere he goes people are saying thank you and asking him to pass their thoughts and prayers along to the family. There is a scene at an airport, the first airport Lt. Col. Strobl goes to and the clerk informs him that she moved him from second class into first and while still staring at the computer screen says, "Thank you... for your service." You know that is why she upped his ticket class, that it was the only way she could think of to show her appreciation. But the look on his face... he hasn't done anything. He's in full dress uniform for the escort so people think that he has seen combat recently. He looks so ashamed or guilty for accepting their gratitude.

I went to school with a boy named Chance who's a Marine. Maybe I really liked Taking Chance because of that. I don't think that's it. I think this is a story that will touch anybody: those who don't agree with the war and those that do, because in the end, this 19 year old kid died fighting. Everyone knows the feeling of loss and can only imagine what it would be like to lose a child.

How I Met Your Mother

2010-01-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

I just recently started watching this show. Literally within the last year, so I've never seen an entire season, just what's in syndication and what's happening live.

It took a couple of episodes to find the funny in the ridiculous. Then that funny was just as easily lost. Still, this show does get a slot on my DVR Series Recordings.

This show is all about Ted and in his voiceovers (voiced by Bob Saget, genius) he's telling his kids the story of how he met their mom. Every episode gets you a little closer, with the series finale probably giving us the answer of who is their mother. Ted tells the story involving his friends, known in voiceovers as Aunt Robin, Uncle Marshall, Aunt Lily, and Uncle Barney.

I could take or leave the women on the show, which is unfortunate. But I don't find Robin (Cobie Smulders) all that funny and I can't help but see shy Willow when I look at Lily (Alyson Hannigan). Barney, Marshall, and Ted however (Neil Partick Harris, Jason Segel, and Josh Radnor respectively) are what keep me coming back.

I'll rent season one here when I have sometime so I can watch some episodes in the order in which they were meant to be seen. Maybe that will change how I feel about the show. Maybe not...

Mad Men

2010-01-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

I remember a time (Regis and Kelly were on in the other room) when Kelly was teasing Regis about his man crush on one John Hamm. Big deal. That guy from that new show. What a silly, silly girl I was.

Mad Men has become an obsession. I did little else but watch season one and then negated all my other Golden Globe watching duties to dive into season two. You can't help but get sucked into this world.

These are not nice guys. I mean, they are but they aren't. Not by today's standards. All the men are cheating on their wives and sexually harassing the women in the office. But you like them. All of them. After a while it becomes, 'That's just who they are.'

I'm not doing a good job articulating my obsession of this show. I guess it's just a feeling in the pit of my stomach. And for all the story lines that focus on John Hamm's character Don Draper, I'm obsessed with Pete Campbell.

He's a dick. At the beginning and through the series. He's petulant and childish. But you start to like him. You learn that, like everybody, he has a past that made him the man-child we see today. Plus when you team him up with Peggy Olson... those two dance around each other all the time. It's so professional but you can never quite forget what happened between the two.

Pete is played by Vincent Kartheiser. I must've watched three episodes looking at the guy and knowing him from somewhere. It wasn't until I actually paid attention to the opening credits and saw his name that I also saw it (in my head) on the opening sequence of Angel, where he played Angel's son Connor. Wow.

Elisabeth Moss, of course, I know from The West Wing, although towards the end of her storyline, she was getting on my nerves. I liked Zoey's sister Eleanor better. But that has nothing to do with Mad Men. Moving on...

I loved Colin Hanks as Father John Gill. He guest role is my favorite so far.

Just, please, watch the show. I'm not doing a good job of explaining why I love. It's something you need to experience. You won't not like it. I promise.

District 9

2010-01-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

I rented this to watch with my friend Andrew. He had seen it before and I had not and when I asked, "Hey, what's this movie about?" He told me that everyone else went in not knowing so he wasn't really going to tell me. So I proceded to talk and ask questions through the movie, except for the part where I passed out for about ten minutes, then woke up and continued to make comments. It's amazing he watched it with me. (I did go back in the morning and watch the part I missed).

So this movie is about aliens who got stuck on Earth. And because their technology is biochemically engineered and humans can't use them, they refuse to let them leave and set them up in districts, similar to relocation camps for refugees, which means they're shit and they are made to live in squalor.

What I liked most about this movie was the direction. Neill Blomkamp directed like a documentary. Interviews were conducted at the beginning and at the end. Long shots were used to make it seem like the characters were alone. Blood spatter got on the camera lenses. Usually just along the edge, as if the camera is hiding behind something.

One of the first questions I asked Andrew was, "Am I going to know anybody in this movie?" Nope. Notta one. And I liked it that way. The only interaction I've had with non-Islamic Africa is through Blood Diamond and a short story called The Moment Before the Gun Went Off by Nadine Gordimer. I like that it was set in Johannesburg, where there are other real problems going on and then they have this to deal with on top it. The aliens get stuck over a city in a country on a continent that they world likes to forget about.

When District 9 was over, I didn't like it. About five minutes later I did like. And when I woke up in the morning, I really liked it. It was a movie that needed to grow on me. I'm torn as to whether I want a sequel or not. I want to know what happens to Wilkus and if Christopher Johnson (I was calling him Marty McFly because of his vest, then I asked Andrew if he had a name and he goes, "Yeah... Christopher Johnson." I laughed at that one. Classic you can't pronounce the name so you change it something you can.) will come back. But that somber ending was perfect.

(I have yet to see Avatar but these aliens seemed much more real than the blue people do on the Avatar previews.)

Grey Gardens

2010-01-13T14:56:00.000-08:00

Now I should say that this is Grey Gardens with Drew Barrymore and Jessican Lange and not the original documentary by the same name. I was confused as to why they would remake a documentary... I've never seen anyone do that before. But it's not quite what they do...

The new Grey Gardens flashes back to when times were good. Let me explain: this is the story of Big Edie and Little Edie. They are the aunt and first cousin to former First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onasis through the Bouvier family. They were in the upper class when the father left the family and paid his wife (Big Edie) $300 a month and she lived at Grey Gardens, their home in the Hamptons. Little Edie was sent to live with her mother after her affair with a married man.

Neither left the Hamptons area for thirty years... Big Edie not even leaving the property. Their house fell into disarray and became decrepit. Cats and racoons were living unchecked in the house. Garbage piled up to the ceilings (coffee grounds, potato peelings, brown bananas, rotten cheese, chunks of sour cottage cheese). The Department of Health put up a notice of eviction and shortly after, Little Edie noticed a man photographing their house, so she invited him in.

The pictures published talked of how Jackie Kennedy's cousins lived in squalor. That's when Jackie came out and saw for herself. She paid to have the house cleaned up (over $10,000). New floors, new paint, all of the garbage removed.

Only after all of that was a documentary made. This new Grey Gardens goes back and forth from when the documentary is being filmed to the events leading up to the filming.

The relationship between Big and Little Edie is so real! That would be me and my mother if we were forced to live together for thirty years. They talk to each other and over each other...not really listening because they know what the other is saying because they've already said it. They sing songs and Little Edie dances. They fight and make up contsantly. This is a real mother/daughter relationship.

This was good. It's sad and moving and emotional. But it's so much more than that. What amazing portrayals by Barrymore and Lange! Wonderfully done. Wonderfully.

The Daybreakers

2010-01-12T11:43:00.000-08:00

Not a Golden Globe movie. But I did see it...

Some friends and I went to see this and I didn’t know a whole lot about it. I’d never seen a preview all the way through or read a review.

In that respect, I really liked it. Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe were a complete surprise and just made the film very enjoyable. Since I had no expectations, nothing was a real let down. It was a great entertainment. There were parts that really made me jump and had me leaning back in my chair.

Two things kept going through my head as I watched the movie:

1. Do we really need another vampire named Edward? They call him Ed a lot of the time which helped.

2. Ray Liotta would have been great as this kind of vampire. I don’t know what role he could have played, maybe the hematologist co-worker. He just would’ve looked amazing with those eyes.

My favorite part is just one shot towards the end of the movie. It’s a wide shot of all the soldiers fighting. It’s in slow motion…every detail. I wanted to rewind so I could see that part again. So much is going on that even in slow motion, you can’t catch it all.

Don’t go in to the movie expecting a great satire on the corporate world. Just go in for entertainment. No expectations.

The Hangover

2010-01-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

I saw The Hangover in a theatre. I laughed. It was funny. Then I promptly forgot about it. It didn't stick with me. I could only remember the parts I didn't like: feeding the tiger and any part with the Asian guy.

Then everyone starts to quote it. Oh my God. 'Yeah I saw it.' 'It was funny at parts.' 'No, I don't remember that.' 'No I don't remember that either.' 'Yes! I really did see it!'

I wasn't planning on ever seeing it again. I bought it for my brother for Christmas, but that was all the contact I had with The Hangover on DVD.

Then some friends came over on New Year's Eve and we watched it.

Ten things I had forgotten about The Hangover:

1. Bradley Cooper = fine. Remember him on Alias?
2. Ed Helms is funny when out of The Office.
3. Jeffrey Tambor needed to have a few more scenes.
4. "Rah-tard."
5. How cute Heather Graham is. Jade the stripper whose son's name is not Carlos.
6. "That's classic."
7. Ken Jeong is less annoying after having gotten use to him on Community.
8. Stu's Song.
9. The wedding singer.
10. Zach Galifianakis has funny one-liners. His character takes some acclimating... I definitely needed a second viewing.

The Good Wife

2010-01-12T11:19:00.000-08:00

I had the intention to watch this show. I like Julianna Margulies. Well, I liked her when she was Carol Hathaway. I like Chris Noth. I liked him when he was Mr. Big and Mike Logan. I watched two episodes of this show. I couldn't get into it.

Maybe I didn't give it the attention it deserved. Maybe I didn't understand exactly what the plot line was about. Maybe I don't like the kid that played Logan on Gilmore Girls so I shot The Good Wife down. Maybe it's not the best because after two episodes I have nothing to say about it or any of the characters.

Glee

2010-01-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

I saw Glee when it debuted. And I thought that I liked the songs in that first episode: Journey's Don't Stop Believing and REO Speedwagon's I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore. These songs kept playing over in my head so that when they replayed the episode, I watched it again. When the series came on it became a Series Recording on my DVR.

The characters are so funny. Rachel: the diva, Finn: the jock, Tina: the stutterer, Artie: the cripple, Kurt: the effeminate, Mercedes: the gossip. Others join to make the team eligible for Sectionals including three cheerleaders (Cheerios) one of whom is Quinn (Finn's president of the celibacy club girlfriend) and three football players, one of who is Finn's best friend Puck.

Drama ensues. Rachel thinks the Glee Club is hers to run and she has a crush on Finn. Kurt also has a crush on Finn. Finn kind of likes Rachel but is dating Quinn. Who cheated on Finn with Puck and got pregnant. Ahhhh! High school troubles.

Glee Club is ran by Mr. Will Schuester. He did Glee in high school and it was the best for him. He married his high school sweetheart, Terri, who is pretending to be pregnant. She's hoping to take Quinn's baby and Will will never know. Miss Emma Pilsbury works as the guidance counselor at the school and is a germaphobe and has unrequited love for Will. Ken Tanaka is the football coach and he has a crush on Emma. Captain of the Cheerios is the one and only Sue Sylvester. She is outstanding. The person you love to hate. She hates Will for taking some of her budget away.

The songs are the real stars of the show. Some of my favorites are Rhianna's Take a Bow, Salt n Pepa's Push It, Carrie Underwood's Last Name, David Bowie's Dancing with Myself, Wicked's Defying Gravity, Cyndi Lauper's True Colors, Lily Allen's Smile, Barbara Streisand's Don't Rain on My Parade. That's only half the season! There were of course songs I just didn't like. Mainly more the popular songs. I'm a fan of musical theatre songs or classics.

This show is just so peppy! Like a new puppy. It seems that it can do no wrong. Some constructive criticisms would be don't make it seem like they are lip syncing. We know they are but the breathing doesn't always match up. Lea Michele (who plays Rachel) is good at it. Especially when she sings Don't Rain on My Parade. I can't wait til the rest of the season airs in April. I don't know why such a long break. Hopefully that will change next season.

True Blood

2010-01-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

I started watching True Blood when a cousin of mine recommended that she thought I would like it. She was wrong... I love it!

It took me a couple of episodes to get into it. I was iffy during the first episode. It seemed really cliched and cheesy. But it ends on such a cliff hanger that I immediately went into the second episode.

Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) is a mind-reading waitress who lives in Bon Temps, Louisiana. In a world where synthetic blood has been developed by the Japanese, vampires have now been able to mainstream and make themselves known. One of these vampires is Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), a Civil War vet who is returning home to Bon Temps.

These two are amazing. There is a connection between Sookie and Bill that is immediately noticed. Other characters include Sookie's brother Jason Stackhouse - - he gets the most sex of anybody in the series... all the time. Sookie's Gran who is the sweetest woman alive. Sam Merlotte is Sookie's boss. He owns Merlotte's where she waitresses. Tara is Sookie's best friend who has problems: both personal and professional. Lafayette is Tara's gay cousin and chef at Merlotte's. Eric Northman is the sheriff of Area 5, where Bon Temps resides. Bill has to answer to him. Eric runs the vampire bar Fangtasia, where tourists can go to get the vampire experience in Shreveport. I love these people or vampires in the case of Bill and Eric.

Two seasons of the show have aired... they're working on the third as of this post. The first season revolves around a killer in Bon Temps, who is going after women who have been with vampires. Through this, we see the relationships with all the people of Bon Temps. Season two centers around a missing vampire with ties to Eric. Eric asks Bill and Sookie to try and find him in Dallas.

I love this show. It's sometimes cheesy but the violence and the sex make up for the occasional lapse in dialog and character development. I can't wait for Season 3 to start.

Wallander

2010-01-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

I was interested in seeing Wallander before I knew it was nominated. I adore Kenneth Branagh. There is something about him that just appeals to me. It could be his love of Shakespeare... I too share that love.

Wallander is three episodes focused on a police inspector named Kurt Wallander in the city of Ystad in Sweden. It's more of a min-series than a season. Branagh is Wallander. He is a man separated from his wife with a slightly tenuious relationship with his daughter. She seems to be the only person who can get him away from his job for short periods of time.

Kenneth Branagh knocked my socks off. His performance as a workaholic with rocky personal relationships is wonderful. You see him emotionally and physically falling, trying to catch himself. He was brilliant.

Even though it is set in Sweden, they don't speak Swedish. So don't worry if you don't like to read subtitles. They speak English. But that doesn't feel out of place.

The episodes have a very natural look to them. I love the scenery. The cinematography is a little blue. everything has a very light bluish tint. At least, I'm chalking it up to the cinematographer: I hope Sweden doesn't have a bluish tinge. But I've never been...

The Office

2010-01-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

I started watching The Office on DVD during the third season. A co-worker of mine could not believe that I hadn't seen it. She knew I sould find it hilarious. So to my local video store I went to rent the only disc of season 1.

I curled up on the couch in the basement, hunkered down in several blankets, and hit play. Three and a half hours later I got up. I love the dry humor and the inappropriateness that stems from the Dunder-Mifflin branch manager Michael Scott, played extraordinarily by Steve Carell. He was a great salesman who never should've been promoted to manager as he doesn't like to make decisions that are unpopular and he can't stand not being able to be friends with his employees.

My favorite character is easily Jim Halpert. Who doesn't love Jim? At the beginning of the series he was a riot. I looked forward to see what prank he would pull on deskmate Dwight Schrute. Those two together had my sides splitting in my blanket cocoon.

You have your basic office setting: manager, receptionist, four salesmen, quality assurance, three accountants, H/R, customer service, and supplier relations. Then you have the warehouse. Of course as the show progresses, more characters come and then some of those leave.

Jim and Pam are my favorite office romance. They are amazingly funny and played beautifully by John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer. Sometimes I think their journey is funnier than their destination.

The character that has changed the most would have to be Kelly Kapoor. Mindy Kaling's character started out as an adult woman in proper work attire and between seasons 1 and 2, she changed into a peppy twenty-something ditz. She's much better this way... if Kelly hadn't changed we wouldn't get her drama-driven relationship with temp turned office salesman Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak).

Out of the original actors: Mindy Kaling (Kelly Kapoor) has written 18 episodes and co-executive produced 67 episodes; Paul Liberstein (Toby Flenderson) has written 12, directed 3, and co-executive produced 90 episodes; B.J. Novak (Ryan Howard) has written 10 and co-executive produced 93 episodes; Steve Carell (Michael Scott) has written 2 episodes and produced another 68.

I love how 'in the family' these actors are. Take Angela Kinsey (Angela Martin): she is the self-proclaimed best friend of Fischer, sister-in-law to Liberstein and Greg Daniels (writer/director/producer/developer of The Office). Krasinski's first play was written and cast by Novak... the two even played on the same Little League team. Carell and Ed Helms (Andy Bernard) were both correspondants on The Daily Show with John Stewart. Numerous actors were also interns on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

While this is about the American version of The Office, it is based off a UK series of the same name. And while the first episodes are very similar and there are repeating jokes (UK creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are both executive producers and developers of the American version) by the second season these two head in different directions. But I like them both.

Don't not watch one because you like the other.

Dexter

2010-01-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

Never have I liked a serial killer more than Hannibal Lector until I met Dexter Morgan. He's funny. Who'd've thought that a man with no emotions could have a developed sense of humor? I genuinely liked him. He wasn't forced upon me at all. You have to resepct what he does. He has problems. He acknowledges these problems and works within them to maintain appearing like everyone else.

This show was good. I was impressed by the story line. At first I thought it was going to be like a CSI or Law & Order, where everything gets wrapped up neatly at the end of the forty-five minutes. But in Dexter, the "friend" is elusive through the whole series. You only get an inkling in the second half of the season of who it is, but you don't know who he really is. I remember thinking, 'I bet it's him.' Then just having that inkling in the way back of my head and when it turned out to be him, I was still surprised because they led me off his trail so completely.

This is hard to write. I don't want to give anything away to those who haven't watched the series. I liked it. I'm not running out to rent the second season or anything, but the next time I have a little down time, I would like to see where it goes.

Unfortunately, the season that's currently nominated is season four. This season has already wrapped so I know that one of the beloved characters is murdered in perhaps one of the worst bubble baths imaginable. I'm not looking forward to that. But other characters could die that I don't know about yet and that will be fun to watch.

Is that wrong? 'fun to watch...' Maybe I should say entertaining. No...that doesn't sound good either. Interesting. There's the word. It would be interesting to watch.

Some of the characters I wasn't fond of:
Deb Morgan - our serial killer's sister. She is too much. I mean at some point don't you go: 'I'm a cop. I'm an adult. I need to not use the word fuck in all of it's gramatical ways.'? I'm a fan of the word myself, but I don't use it in my place of employment... at full volume anyway.
Capt. Maria Laguerta - Dexter's boss. She flirts with Dexter all the time and it looks desperate. She's also all about the press, not the case. They make her aware of the problem in the first season... she's just very predictable. Stereotypical even. I ddin't like her.

That's nothing against the actors. They are playing their characters to the T, which could be a compliment as to why I don't like them... maybe they're not meant to be liked. But Michael C. Hall (who plays our title serial killer) is phenomenal.

I look forward to the casual watching of this series. It will always be a DVD rental for me though. I just don't have room on my DVR, nor the time to catch up on three seasons before it starts up live again. But I'm glad I got into it this much.

Big Love

2010-01-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

I didn't anticipate wanting to continue watching any of the shows that I was watching the first seasons of. 30 Rock solidified that. It was the first season show that I watched on my quest and I didn't want to watch it anymore. There's a reason I didn't watch them when they first aired...they didn't interest me.

And then came Big Love.

This show simply sucked me in. I knew that it was Bill Paxton and he was a polygamist with three wives and, obviously, they were hiding their lives. I didn't know about Jeanne Tripplehorn or Ginnifer Goodwin or Amanda Seyfried or Harry Dean Stanton. Amazing.

Goodwin's 3rd wife, Margene, is my favorite, as of Season 1. She's quirky and naive and she so wants to please. I love that she just kind of stumbled into this life. I don't know what Nicki is doing. She is so crafty and I can easily say that I like her least of the three wives, but she is the strong one. She is the defender of her family and their way of life and you've got to love her for that.

I can't wait until more of the siblings get into school and what the home dynamic will be after that. Or what's going to happen with Nicki's dad, Roman, and his child bride. They are using each other to cause trouble and they don't even know it. What happens if they find out?

Twists and turns in the family dynamic have me ensnared. I don't know where I stand on polygamy as practice. I know that marriage to a child doesn't sit well with me, but this family, with three adult wives, really works for them. And I feel for them and don't want them to break up.

You have to appreciate a show that really makes you think and opens your mind just a bit wider.

30 Rock

2010-01-04T08:50:00.000-08:00

This may come as a shock to some, but I do not watch 30 Rock. The previews have never struck me as funny and there is only so much of Tina Fey I can take.

So I rented Season 1 and gave it a go. I was not all that impressed. It was humouous but utterly forgettable. I can't remember a single episode that I thought was outstanding. I kept wanting to turn the TV off because of Tracy Morgan. Could that character be any more annoying? The one element that this show has that kept me watching is Alec Baldwin.

This man was hilarious. All of my laugh out loud moments (that caught me off gaurd) were the result of him. My cousin Ben thinks that Alec Baldwin is cooler than the Dos Equis guy, which really made me laugh.

I won't be going out of my way to rent Season 2. Nor will I be watching it live after the break. Ben said that the seasons have gotten less funny since mid-3. I don't understand all of the nominations and awards for Best Comedy or for Tina Fey. Alec Baldwin could deserve them. He was my saving grace.

The Princess and the Frog

2010-01-02T18:02:00.000-08:00

My six year old sister woke me up at a quarter to 11:00 this morning with a phone call and asked me if I wanted to go see The Princess and the Frog with her and our mother that afternoon. Two showing times, lunch, and ice cream later I'm able to write about it.

It was nice to see a Disney movie for a change. Don't get me wrong, I like Pixar just fine: Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, I'm warming to Up. But nothing replaces Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, One Hundred and One Dalmatians The Jungle Book, Robin Hood, The Fox and the Hound, The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas... I mean... need I say more? So The Princess and the Frog was just a delight.

All the characters were awesome. Tiana, a hard-working girl saving for her dream. Prince Naveen, a charismatic royal down on the outs with his rich parents. Charlotte, the stereotypical Southern belle. Louis, the trumpet playing crocodile. Lawrence, the prince's valet with troubles of his own. Dr. Facilier aka the Shadow Man, a voo-doo doctor. Ray was my favorite: a Cajun firefly who is in love with a far away fire named Evangeline.

The songs were perfect. Hopeful at the beginning of the movie, then they turned a bit darker when the Shadow Man was introduced. The occasional love ballad and wrapped up with happily-ever-after.

This Shadow Man was a truly scary villain. His song montage reminded me of how I once felt when I watched Cruella DeVil, Professor Ratigan, Ursula the Sea Witch, Jafar, and Scar. They were the villains I was scared of most growing up.

I adored Charlotte, or Lottie as Tiana calls her. She is the quintessential Southern belle. She is Daddy's little princess and always gets what she wants. And even though you can tell that she is well-off, more so than Tiana, she never lets that get in the way of her friendship with Tiana.

This was a very enjoyable movie. It was a great way to spend the afternoon with my mom and little sister.

Prayers for Bobby

2010-01-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

Me seeing this was completely fortuitous. It is on my list and I literally saw it when scanning my cable guide. So onto my DVR it went.

This is incredibly bittersweet as going into it you know that Bobby does kill himself. But I found the beginning rather funny. In a dark, sick way. Everything that Bobby's mother, Mary, (Sigourney Weaver) does to help her son not be gay is funny.

She prays over him. She puts up little notes of Bible verses taped to mirrors and lamp shades and by his pillow. She thinks that as a child he was recruited to be gay and whenever he doesn't come home early thinks he was out at a gay bar.

It's not until he moves away that he becomes comfortable with himself. You still see his mother praying that the devil release his soul, and in a particularly bad bout of depression he drops himself off an overpass. Now it is a story about Mary's quest to find out where her son's soul is: heaven or hell.

I liked this well enough. I never would have watched it had Weaver not been nominated. I'm glad I saw it. It was nice and hopeful. It made me want to send the entire video to my closed-minded aunt with a good, hard full-body shake.

The Young Victoria

2010-01-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

Once again to the wonderful Fleur Theatre to see the little gem of The Young Victoria. The only Golden Globe nomination for this movie is well deserved by its leading lady Emily Blunt in the title role. I love period pieces. I don't think all of them should be nominated as often as they are but I do very much enjoy them.

Queen Victoria has been one of my favorite English monarchs. I have always loved the story between her and Albert. It's just so sweet and one of the few genuine love stories out there.

There's not a whole lot more I can say about this movie. I thought everyone was well cast and the behind-the-scenes with Parliament were a nice touch. It is a mere hour and forty-five minutes and needn't be any longer. Well enough and a great way to spend an evening with some girlfriends.

Entourage

2009-12-29T08:02:00.000-08:00

I started watching Entourage becuase I boy I liked watched it. I wanted us to have something we could talk about. Age old reason I guess, but I did like the show.

I found it smart and funny and it seemed real. I don't live in Hollywood by any means but this scenario seemed very plausible. There wasn't a single character that I didn't like... even Ari. He was the man you loved to hate. And Jeremy Piven was awesome.

I know that if I were to suddenly become famous I would want to take a friend or two with me. The fact that Vince Chase brought two good friends and his C-list actor brother is hilarious. Kevin Dillon... oh my God! He's just perfect. I've heard people say that he's basically playing himself. Not personality wise, but Kevin (at the start of the show) was Matt Dillon's not-so-well-known actor brother.

All of that being said, I haven't watched this show since the third season and it just wrapped its sixth. I didn't have HBO and was watching them as they came out on DVD. For some inexplicable reason, I even own the third season on DVD. Those first seasons were great. I thought it was falling a bit towards the end of the third season. I don't know why I stopped watching it.

But, from what I saw in the first three seasons, it was funny and seemingly real. There are only about 12 episodes a season so they are a quick watch.

Addendum A

2009-12-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

I'm amending my use of this blog. At first it was just going to be for the nominated movies that I will be seeing for the awards season. However, I've also been watching the television shows nominated at the Golden Globes.

I'm not watching every season to catch up nor am I only watching the nominated season. I'm watching the first season of the nominated shows and if I like it I might, at my own leisure, continue the show.

When I decided to do this, this seemed like a very good idea. It didn't leave me tied down and I was able to spend the time I should be using to do other, seemingly important things, in watching quality television that has been nominated several times over the last couple of years.

Little did I know how invested I would become in these characters and stories. Like I don't watch enough TV, I've gone and voluntarily added to my growning Series Recordings setting on my DVR? But no... these will strictly be DVD shows. I will only watch them as they come out on DVD. That sould solve that problem. The other problem being that after I've watched season 1 of Mad Men, I can't wait til my Golden Globe project is over.

I'm horrible at delaying gratification. I want what I want when I want it. Usually that means right now. I'm practicing though. For example: I currently have the Collector's Edition of Spaced sitting on my coffee table and I have yet to watch it (even thought it is in my top five favorite shows of all time) because sitting on top of the Collector's Edition is also season 1 of Lost, Dexter, Big Love, Taking Chances, and Grey Gardens. All of which are nominated and Spaced has, unfortunately, been off the air since 2001.

So, in conclusion, now you will be able to read my ever insightful thoughts on the first seasons of nominated shows as I finish them and those that I currently watch actively.

You lucky people!

Sherlock Holmes

2009-12-26T23:11:00.000-08:00

I just came back from seeing Sherlock Holmes and it was a blast. There is no other word for it. It was fun. It was thought-provoking. It was entertaining.

I have always been a fan of Robert Downey, Jr. I know that in all of my twenty-two years, how long could I really have been a fan? Since I was thirteen years old and saw him on Ally McBeal. Since then I have seen almost everything, some personal favorites being Chaplin, Heart and Souls, Home for the Holidays, Two Girls and a Guy, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, and those are just the ones that precede Iron Man.

Back to Sherlock, Downey, Jr. is the perfect man to play him. He's cocky and arrogant and always gets more than one chance. His accent seems rather accurate...not fake like Dick Van Dyke's, which is easy to do. Downey, Jr. became Holmes: his characterizations and mannerisms were what you would expect from an intoxicated, fighting private detective.

Jude Law made my night as Dr. John Watson. He was just as charasmatic as Downey, Jr. in a more proper way. He was coy about it...the strong and silent type. It was a pleasure to watch. Downey, Jr. and Law were amazing together. Their dialog was clever and witty. They play the heterosexual life-partners so very well. You see how lost Holmes would be without Watson there to rein him in when needed.

The character of Irene Adler was a bit of a disappointment. This is nothing against Rachel McAdams performance, just what they did with the character. She was strong and feisty when first introduced. You know that she has a past with Holmes that is still a sore spot for both of them. But then, towards the end she becomes just another damsel in distress. She's not a damsel for long, but she does need rescued and it demeaned her character for me just a bit.

I adore Mark Strong. He's brilliant in whatever he does and as our villain, Lord Blackwood, he does not disappoint. He is clearly a favorite of Guy Ritchie's (also being in Revolver and RocknRolla) and with good reason. Even though Lord Blackwood is involved in the occult, you know that Holmes will have a scientific answer for every mystical allusion. That doesn't diminish his chillingly creepy demeanor and steady gaze.

Guy Ritchie's directing style is something of an acquired taste. My first Ritchie movie was Snatch, given to me by my brother, and I had to watch it a few times to truly appreciate it. He did a wonderful job with this film; with the screenplay by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, and Simon Kinberg. It was a wonderful combination. It all came together so well.

I loved this movie. I tried to pay close attention to every place the Holmes and Watson went to because I knew that Holmes would bring it back somehow at the end to tie all his theories together. If I find myself with an empty afternoon and my other Golden Globe nomination movies seen or not in my area (because I have to maintain work ethic somewhere in my life) I would definitely spend my money seeing this movie again.

Coraline

2009-12-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

I had been meaning to see this movie for a while. I'm a big fan of Tim Burton and I love The Nightmare Before Christmas (who doesn't am I right?). A friend of mine watched it with her five year old son and she told me that there were parts where he was cuddled next to her in fright.

This movie is more for eight year olds than a five year old. But it strongly reminded me of The Wizard of Oz. Coraline is a girl who discovers a hidden door and behind that door a better life. The problems that bother her in her real life do not exist in this other world. Her other mother cooks dinner and her other father is a successful musician. The other neighbor boy doesn't talk as much (actually not at all) and it is all thanks to the other mother. And they want Coraline to stay with them forever. But Coraline wants her real parents back and has to be cunning and fight her way back home.

The animation is exquisite. Even Coraline and her real parents have a slightly eerie look to them in true Burton fashion. Everything is slightly dark and grey but that's really to be expected.

Overall I really liked this movie. It is a great animated film and teaches good morals to kids. What's not to like?

Up in the Air

2009-12-24T14:13:00.000-08:00

The first thing that grabbed me about this movie were the opening shots. The movie being called Up in the Air I should have anticipated aerial shots, but I didn't. Those shots are amazingly clear and are shown to an excellent version of "This Land is Your Land."

George Clooney is at home playing a permanent bachelor. His character Ryan works for a firm whom people hire when they don't want to fire their own employees. He has spent his entire life up in the air. Then a Cornell grad, Natalie (played by Anna Kendrick) comes in with a new system and becomes a Ryan shadow. She follows him, seeing what he does, and how it can be incorporated to her new system. Amazingly, Ryan finds a female version to himself in Alex (played by Vera Farmiga).

Jason Reitman did well in casting. Anna Kendrick is amazing. I'll admit the first movie I saw her in was Twilight. She reminded me of Kristen Wiig in Knocked Up... all passive aggressive and I loved it. She really shined in Up in the Air. She held her own against Clooney and Farmiga nicely.

Vera Farmiga... I just love her. She plays a smart, sexy working woman who can hold her own in this male world that she works in. She emulates so much with a slight look or a tilt of her head.

The story at times seems...not predictable but as if you could theorize what comes next. But you're not quite right. You could be right to a point as to what happens physically but you will be wrong when it comes to how the characters react emotionally. In that sense it kept me on the edge of my chair.

Up in the Air has scored nominations in top categories for the Golden Globes: Best Drama, Best Actor, both Farmiga and Kendrick for Supporting Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. All well deserved.

Duplicity

2009-12-21T21:34:00.000-08:00

I never had any intention of seeing this movie. I thought someone should inform Julia Roberts that she didn't actually do a whole lot of undercover work in the Ocean's series so why start now? And yet, she is the one who has the Golden Globe nominee.

There were just too many twists and turns in this movie. The dialog is clever at times but also too smart. The beginning was fine. I thought maybe I had misjudged, the whole don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover thing. Then they jumped back again...not as far as the first one. Then they jumped again. There's a point where I didn't know when I was. The last time I felt that way was my first screening of Blade Runner. And I was only fifteen years old at the time.

I will give notice to the score. James Newton Howard wrote the original music and it was fitting. The music sounds like a tender tango that fits the pace and relationship of Julia Roberts and Clive Owen quite well.

Up

2009-12-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

This evening, when I came home from work I put in Up. I thought that this would be a nice kids movie. Nothing I'd have to concentrate too much on. In the first ten minutes, I was sad.

I have a six year old sister and I couldn't imagine taking her to see this movie and have to answer the questions she'd come up with about Carl and Ellie. I liked the movie well enough, but I'm 22 years old. And it made me sad.

The story is about a man named Carl who loves his wife very much. They live a long life together and then she passes away and he becomes slightly bitter, but still very much in love. He's being order to live in a nursing home so he ties hundreds of helium balloons to his house and flies away to Paradise Falls, a fanatical place that he and his wife always wanted to go.

Tagging along for the ride is a young boy scout named Russell. He needs one more badge and needs Carl's help to get it. So they are off on their adventure.

Lessons are learned by all around. It was a very enjoyable movie. But some of the lessons are a bit more adult than kids should be dealing with or can comprehensively understand. At least a targeted age group of 4 - 8. I'm not sure if I would want to explain this to my sister.

The Proposal

2009-12-21T15:03:00.000-08:00

This entry is for The Proposal. Now, I own this movie. It's not something I need to race to see in time for the Golden Globes. But since this blog is all about my effort to see the nominated movies, I thought I would throw in this review for The Proposal.

I rarely buy movies when they first come out. Why? you may ask. It's because I don't have the money. If I had money to burn I would be buying them faster than I could watch them. I have a policy where I don't buy a movie unless I plan on watching it soon after its purchase. I also must have already seen it before. This prevents me having shrink-wrapped movies in my collection.

There are of course exceptions: Trick 'r Treat would be one them: Mike Dougherty's intricately woven Halloween inspired movie. I knew I would like. I just knew it. So I bought it... quite hard to find so here is a thank you to the guy from Best Buy who walked around on a cordless phone looking for this movie for me, found the last copy, and set it aside so I could skip out on my last hour at work and go pick it up. You made my night.

Also, getting movies that I wasn't allowed to take when I moved out of my mother's house: The Mighty Ducks trilogy (my brother claimed those) and the epic Kevin Costner collection I once had access to. Now, I'm just intereseted in once again owning Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Tin Cup, The Bodygaurd... this list could go on and on.

I'd seen The Proposal in theatres. A friend of mine took me because I said how much I didn't like The Ugly Truth. which was out at the same time. The Propsal was so much better.

Ryan Reynolds... I forget how much I like him until I watch him act. It's not that I forget about him, but his comedic timing is right on. His character in this movie is slightly stereotypical of rich boy trying to make it on his own, but Ryan Reynolds makes it work in a fresh way.

His family was also wonderfully cast: Craig T. Nelson as the disapproving father, Mary Steenburgen as the hopefull mother, and the great Betty White as the not-so-crazy Gammy. All three of these actors lended to their characters depth that, if not there, would have limited them to two-dimensional.

Sandra Bullock was just amazing. She really let herself go in this character. She and Ryan Reynolds play off each other so well, I was a little shocked that he didn't get a nod as his counter-part did.

There was the ex-girlfriend played realistically by Malin Ackerman. Too many times the ex is a douchebag or a bitch and you have to think, why were our protagonists with them in the first place? Ackerman's character is sweet and she doesn't try to win Reynold's back. She is a nice person who knows she missed her chance. She's friendly to Bullock's character.

It is these little developments of the secondary characters that makes this a great movie and not just another romantic comedy. It doesn't hurt that Sandra Bullock gets freaky in the woods with Betty White. Plus when you factor in Oscar Nunez as Ramone... hilarity insues.

Inglourious Basterds

2009-12-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

This evening I made myself a couple of cranberry vodkas and sat back to enjoy Inglourious Basterds by the delectable Quentin Tarantino.

And in the opening scene all I could think of was that I wanted it to be over. The tension was absolutely unbearable and all that was happening were two men sitting at a table talking: granted one was a Nazi officer known as "The Jew Hunter" and the other was a French dairy farmer. But the tension was acute.

This scene actually reminded me of Hamlet. There is a scene towards the end of the play where Hamlet and Laertes are fighting, literally on the top of Ophelia's grave. They are standing on her coffin in the ground and because that scene is completely ridiculous in the best use of the term, right before that comes a short little comedy sketch if you will. This releaves the tension that comes so people don't laugh when Hamlet and Laertes fight on the coffin.

In that opening scene of Inglourious Basterds, the Nazi officer pulls out a pipe I last saw when I watched The Great Mouse Detective. It was amazing and helped, a very little, to release the tension.

The characters in this movie are so diverse, and their introductions are memorable. Each actor assumes their character completely and, for the most part, accurately. Occasionally, there is a voice over - - narration done by an actor. I don't know why I was amazed when I heard the voice. I really should've seen it coming.

Astounding is all I can say for this movie. There is a part where a girl is running, and instead of running for the trees, she runs near the trees. Because if she ran straight for them, then the camera would not have been able to follow her through the door frame of the house. She would be out of the camera shot.

But that moment was lost in the absolute hilarity and absurdity of this movie. I would call it a comedy before a drama. You don't want to laugh, but you have to do something since your mouth is already gaping open in shock and bemused horror from the violence that is presented for your enjoyment.