Jane (Heigl) has always been good at taking care of others, but not so much in looking after herself. Her entire life has been about making people happy – and she has a closet full of 27 bridesmaid dresses to prove it. One memorable evening, Jane manages to shuttle between wedding receptions in Manhattan and Brooklyn, a feat witnessed by Kevin (James Marsden), a newspaper reporter who realizes that a story about this wedding junkie is his ticket off the newspaper's bridal beat. Jane finds Kevin's cynicism counter to everything she holds dear – namely weddings, and the two lock horns. Further complicating Jane's once perfectly-ordered life is the arrival of younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman). Tess immediately captures the heart of Jane's boss, George (Edward Burns) whom Jane has been in love with for years. Tess enlists her always-accommodating sister to plan yet another wedding – Tess and George's – but Jane's feelings for him lead to shocking revelations... and maybe the beginning of a new life.
This was a total chick flick. I was cracking up at how out of 300 people that go to see this movie, about ten of them would be guys. Well, I was one of them and I have to admit that I ended up not minding this movie at all. See, the deal breaker with chick flicks is always the supporting characters. James Marsden was great in this, but the real scene stealer was Heigl's best friend. She had perfect timing with her one liners and 9 times out of 10 would say the line that I was thinking in my head in response to the situation that was going on. The two of them combined to make this movie pretty enjoyable and helped to get by the atrocious acting of Heigl's sister. That lady could go ahead and never get an acting job again and I'd be thrilled to death.
I'd fully recommend this movie. Its a great date movie and not one of those painful ones for the guys that go.
The Golden Compass
Based on author Philip Pullman's novel, The Golden Compass tells the first story in Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. The Golden Compass is an exciting fantasy adventure, set in an alternative world where people's souls manifest themselves as animals, talking bears fight wars, and Gyptians and witches co-exist. At the center of the story is Lyra (played by Dakota Blue Richards), a 12-year-old girl who starts out trying to rescue a friend who's been kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as the Gobblers - and winds up on an epic quest to save not only her world, but ours as well.
Before reviewing this movie, I would like to address the church protesting this movie. STOP! All the church is doing is giving the movie more publicity and making people who probably wouldn't have bothered to go and see it now go and see it. The church is making money for the movie at this point . . . . just like with The DaVinci Code (both book and movie). Think about how the book was simply a book until the church went all bonkers and then it became the biggest selling book of all time. The church really needs to take in to account how there is no better press than negative press and if they really want to hurt something, issue one statement and leave it alone. Besides the fact that it is a FANTASY movie. Its not literal or factual in any way. Its some guy's creative material and the church is going all self-conscious and bringing so much more attention to something that would simply go away if left alone.
Now that I got that out of the way, I really enjoyed the movie. I had read the book and didn't think that they would be able to do a good job of transferring it to the screen. I was pleasantly surprised at how they were able to pull it off. The key to any good fantasy movie is character development. This movie did a great job of having Lyra meet each of the important supporting characters and then bring them all together for the awesome climatic battle scene. The only real problem that I had with the movie was that the movie ended soon after the big battle scene when there was still about 20-25 minutes left in accordance to the book. The actual bridge to the next book was left on the cutting room floor. I don't really know why this was done because it made the ending of the movie kind of abrupt when the movie was so well paced throughout. Regardless, this was a really enjoyable fantasy movie. Its nowhere near a Lord Of The Rings quality fantasy movie, but I would say its on par with The Chronicles Of Narnia for me.
I would recommend people checking this out (regardless of what the Catholic church thinks). If you like fantasy movies like this - its worth the price of rental.
Before reviewing this movie, I would like to address the church protesting this movie. STOP! All the church is doing is giving the movie more publicity and making people who probably wouldn't have bothered to go and see it now go and see it. The church is making money for the movie at this point . . . . just like with The DaVinci Code (both book and movie). Think about how the book was simply a book until the church went all bonkers and then it became the biggest selling book of all time. The church really needs to take in to account how there is no better press than negative press and if they really want to hurt something, issue one statement and leave it alone. Besides the fact that it is a FANTASY movie. Its not literal or factual in any way. Its some guy's creative material and the church is going all self-conscious and bringing so much more attention to something that would simply go away if left alone.
Now that I got that out of the way, I really enjoyed the movie. I had read the book and didn't think that they would be able to do a good job of transferring it to the screen. I was pleasantly surprised at how they were able to pull it off. The key to any good fantasy movie is character development. This movie did a great job of having Lyra meet each of the important supporting characters and then bring them all together for the awesome climatic battle scene. The only real problem that I had with the movie was that the movie ended soon after the big battle scene when there was still about 20-25 minutes left in accordance to the book. The actual bridge to the next book was left on the cutting room floor. I don't really know why this was done because it made the ending of the movie kind of abrupt when the movie was so well paced throughout. Regardless, this was a really enjoyable fantasy movie. Its nowhere near a Lord Of The Rings quality fantasy movie, but I would say its on par with The Chronicles Of Narnia for me.
I would recommend people checking this out (regardless of what the Catholic church thinks). If you like fantasy movies like this - its worth the price of rental.
The Orphanage
The Orphanage centers on Laura (Belén Rueda) who purchases her beloved childhood orphanage with dreams of restoring and reopening the long abandoned facility as a place for disabled children. Once there, Laura discovers that the new environment awakens her son's imagination, but the ongoing fantasy games he plays with an invisible friend quickly turn into something more disturbing. Upon seeing her family increasingly threatened by the strange occurrences in the house, Laura looks to a group of parapsychologists for help in unraveling the mystery that has taken over the place.
I was hoping that this movie would be available in English on DVD. Sadly, I was wrong. I thought that having to read during a scary movie would totally ruin the experience. Luckily, I was wrong. This movie, even with the subtitles, was a really intense spookfest. It wasn't cheesy scary. It wasn't gory. It was a really well done psychological thriller where you find yourself intensely staring at the screen and jumping numerous times throughout.
I would recommend people checking this one out. If you can tolerate the subtitles - it really is a well done thriller.
The Savages
An irreverent look at life, love and mortality – through the lens of one of the most surreal experiences facing American families: when adult siblings are plucked from their everyday, ordinary, self-centered lives to care for an estranged elderly parent. There is a moment in everyone's life when childhood ends and adulthood begins, for Jon and Wendy Savage that moment is now.
This movie started out awesome. It simply felt very very very real. The characters and their situations were so dead on with real life experiences. Philip Seymour Hoffman was awesome as always. Laura Linney was a little bit too whiny though. The only problem with the movie is that it started to drag as it went on. Even with the terrible ordeal these two adult kids were going through with watching their father degenerate and die, I found myself caring less and less as the movie went on. It hooked me so well in the beginning but just couldn't hold on even though the performances and script were really good.
I'd lukewarmly recommend this movie to people. I enjoyed it but not as much as I wanted to. Perhaps my expectations ruined the movie for me and you'll like it more than I did.
This movie started out awesome. It simply felt very very very real. The characters and their situations were so dead on with real life experiences. Philip Seymour Hoffman was awesome as always. Laura Linney was a little bit too whiny though. The only problem with the movie is that it started to drag as it went on. Even with the terrible ordeal these two adult kids were going through with watching their father degenerate and die, I found myself caring less and less as the movie went on. It hooked me so well in the beginning but just couldn't hold on even though the performances and script were really good.
I'd lukewarmly recommend this movie to people. I enjoyed it but not as much as I wanted to. Perhaps my expectations ruined the movie for me and you'll like it more than I did.
One Missed Call
In One Missed Call, a chain of people receive terrifying cell phone messages of their own final fatal moments. Though the messages can be deleted, their number is up. Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon) is traumatized when she witnesses the gruesome deaths of two friends just days apart. Even more disturbing, she knows that both of them had received chilling cell phone messages—actual recordings of their own horrifying last moments. Impossibly, the calls were received days before they died, but each death occurred precisely when and how the messages foretold. The police think Beth is delusional—except for Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns) whose own sister was killed in a freak accident that bears a strange similarity to the deaths of Beth's friends. Together, Jack and Beth work feverishly to unravel the mystery behind the ominous calls. But even as they get closer to the truth, Beth's cell phone begins to ring with an eerie tune, and the readout says One Missed Call.
This movie is another one of those Japanese thriller remakes for American audiences a la The Ring or The Grudge. Ironically enough - it was kind of the same movie as The Ring with getting "one missed call" on your cell phone replacing the watching of the weird video. WW loves these kinds of movies so her opinion should be shared here. "It wasn't The Grudge, but I still liked it," says my loyal movie going companion. I concur with her assessment of the movie. It was definitely watchable, but nowhere near the level of creepiness of the other Japanese remade movies.
If you are in to movies like this - its worth the trip to the video store. If these bad boys are not your cup of tea - don't ever bother checking it out.
This movie is another one of those Japanese thriller remakes for American audiences a la The Ring or The Grudge. Ironically enough - it was kind of the same movie as The Ring with getting "one missed call" on your cell phone replacing the watching of the weird video. WW loves these kinds of movies so her opinion should be shared here. "It wasn't The Grudge, but I still liked it," says my loyal movie going companion. I concur with her assessment of the movie. It was definitely watchable, but nowhere near the level of creepiness of the other Japanese remade movies.
If you are in to movies like this - its worth the trip to the video store. If these bad boys are not your cup of tea - don't ever bother checking it out.
Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson (Hanks) was a bachelor congressman from Texas who had a habit of showing up in hot tubs with strippers and cocaine. His exterior, however, masked an extraordinary mind, a deep sense of patriotism and a passion for the underdog, and in the early 1980s the underdog was Afghanistan—which had just invaded by the Russians. Charlie's longtime friend was Joanne Herring (Roberts), one of the wealthiest women in Texas and a big anti-communist. Believing the American response to the Russian invasion was anemic at best, she prods Charlie into doing more for the Mujahideen (Afghan freedom fighters). Charlie's partner in this uphill endeavor is CIA Agent Gust Avrakotos (Hoffman), a blue-collar operative in a company of Ivy League blue bloods. Together, the three of them—Charlie, Joanne and Gust—travel the world to form unlikely alliances among the Pakistanis, Israelis, Egyptians, arms dealers, law makers and a belly dancer.
I was pretty skeptical going in to this movie because I am not a big political thinker whatsoever. I figured that this would be one of those movies that I would know was well done and what not but basically not really care at all. I ended up really enjoying it. Tom Hanks was great (as always), the dialogue was excellent and Phillip Seymour Hoffman was phenomenal. Julia Roberts overall continued her road of not worth the hype, but played well against Hanks and Hoffman. The movie was very humorous but drove home a lot of thinking about how things went down years back.
I would recommend everyone checking this out. Its not to politically heavy, has great star power and performances and is worth the price of rental.
I was pretty skeptical going in to this movie because I am not a big political thinker whatsoever. I figured that this would be one of those movies that I would know was well done and what not but basically not really care at all. I ended up really enjoying it. Tom Hanks was great (as always), the dialogue was excellent and Phillip Seymour Hoffman was phenomenal. Julia Roberts overall continued her road of not worth the hype, but played well against Hanks and Hoffman. The movie was very humorous but drove home a lot of thinking about how things went down years back.
I would recommend everyone checking this out. Its not to politically heavy, has great star power and performances and is worth the price of rental.
Cloverfield
Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.
I'm not really sure what to think of this movie. Part of me wishes that it wasn't done on the personal video camera with all of the running and shakiness. But then I realize that this would be nothing more than a weak version of War Of The Worlds. Part of me realizes that what gives the movie its edge is the fact that its filmed Blair Witch style and it really was well done considering it had such a small budget. There were definite parts of the movie where I found myself tensed up and then there were times where I felt that the camera work totally took away from the movie. I can easily see how a lot of people are going to see this and think that it sucked because of there being waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much hype for it. I find myself thinking that the movie was good. It wasn't great. It wasn't bad. Its kind of locked in between.
I'd recommend people checking this out. Just try to keep your expectations in check. If you are the type of person that gets sick from watching home videos with all the motion though stay far far away from this movie.
I'm not really sure what to think of this movie. Part of me wishes that it wasn't done on the personal video camera with all of the running and shakiness. But then I realize that this would be nothing more than a weak version of War Of The Worlds. Part of me realizes that what gives the movie its edge is the fact that its filmed Blair Witch style and it really was well done considering it had such a small budget. There were definite parts of the movie where I found myself tensed up and then there were times where I felt that the camera work totally took away from the movie. I can easily see how a lot of people are going to see this and think that it sucked because of there being waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much hype for it. I find myself thinking that the movie was good. It wasn't great. It wasn't bad. Its kind of locked in between.
I'd recommend people checking this out. Just try to keep your expectations in check. If you are the type of person that gets sick from watching home videos with all the motion though stay far far away from this movie.
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Andy, an overextended broker who lures his younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke) into a larcenous scheme. The pair will rob a suburban mom-and-pop jewelry store that appears to be an easy target. The problem is, the store owners are Andy and Hank's actual mom and pop and, when the seemingly perfect crime goes awry, the damage lands right at their doorstep.
The acting in this movie was so top notch. Philip Seymour Hoffman continues to cement himself as one of the best in Hollywood. Ethan Hawke and Albert Finney were also great. I don't really think that Marisa Tomei's character was necessary to the overall scope of the movie. They could have cut her out and saved 20 minutes of running time to make this movie even tighter. The intensity of it all was what really made this one of those movies that keeps your eyes glued to the screen the whole time. The storytelling of going back and forth between past and present was a little bit frustrating at first but then ended up being the movies best quality. All around - this was a really great film.
I would fully recommend everyone checking this bad boy out. It is definitely worth the rental.
Lars And The Real Girl
Lars and the Real Girl is a heartfelt comedy starring Ryan Gosling as Lars Lindstrom, a loveable introvert whose emotional baggage has kept him from fully embracing life. After years of what is almost solitude, he invites Bianca, a friend he met on the internet to visit him. He introduces Bianca to his Brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and his wife Karen (Emily Mortimer) and they are stunned. They don't know what to say to Lars or Bianca because she is a life-size doll, not a real person and he is treating her as though she is alive. They consult the family doctor Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson) who explains this is a delusion he's created – for what reason she doesn't yet know but they should all go along with it. What follows is an emotional journey for Lars and the people around him.
This movie was amazing. Ryan Gosling continued his ascent toward acting excellency. I was so torn between laughing my ass off and feeling genuine compassion for what his character was going through. On the one hand you have this guy walking around with a doll pretending its a real person. How can that not be laughed at!?! On the other hand, you feel so bad for this guy who was so scarred that he has to explain how's he hurting by projecting it on to the doll. The brother and sister in law were the picture perfect performances to display both ways of looking at what Lars was going through. The brother's facial reactions to what was going on and one liners were priceless while the sister-in-law getting everyone to go through with it to help Lars work through his issues was beautiful. They walked the line of laughter/crying exceptionally well and truly made an excellent movie.
I am giving this bad boy the stamp of must see, people! You should go and rent it right now. What are you still reading this for? GO!
This movie was amazing. Ryan Gosling continued his ascent toward acting excellency. I was so torn between laughing my ass off and feeling genuine compassion for what his character was going through. On the one hand you have this guy walking around with a doll pretending its a real person. How can that not be laughed at!?! On the other hand, you feel so bad for this guy who was so scarred that he has to explain how's he hurting by projecting it on to the doll. The brother and sister in law were the picture perfect performances to display both ways of looking at what Lars was going through. The brother's facial reactions to what was going on and one liners were priceless while the sister-in-law getting everyone to go through with it to help Lars work through his issues was beautiful. They walked the line of laughter/crying exceptionally well and truly made an excellent movie.
I am giving this bad boy the stamp of must see, people! You should go and rent it right now. What are you still reading this for? GO!
The Final Season
In the small town of Norway, Iowa, everyone comes together for high school baseball. But life throws curve balls; and the passionate young players, rookie coach Kent Stock (Sean Astin), and the hometown fans find that life's greatest challenges strike off the diamond. The Final Season is the true story of a coach who inspired his team and brought hope to a town when they needed it most.
This movie is a textbook small town sports movie. It had every possible cliche. It had great heart to hear moments. It had the occasional humorous moments. It had the whole underdog aura thing going on. Hell, it even had "Rudy" being a coach of a bunch of . . . . . . Rudies. Regardless, I enjoyed it. I don't know that I'll ever not enjoy one of these movies because I have always had such a soft spot for them. I thought that Sean Astin was great and so were the kids on the baseball team.
I'd recommend anyone who enjoys sports movie go ahead and check this one out. Its not a must see by any means, but is pretty worth the watch.
This movie is a textbook small town sports movie. It had every possible cliche. It had great heart to hear moments. It had the occasional humorous moments. It had the whole underdog aura thing going on. Hell, it even had "Rudy" being a coach of a bunch of . . . . . . Rudies. Regardless, I enjoyed it. I don't know that I'll ever not enjoy one of these movies because I have always had such a soft spot for them. I thought that Sean Astin was great and so were the kids on the baseball team.
I'd recommend anyone who enjoys sports movie go ahead and check this one out. Its not a must see by any means, but is pretty worth the watch.
In The Name Of The King
A simple family man (Jason Statham) is forced to take up arms after an evil sorcerer (Ray Liotta) unleashes an army of bloodthirsty beasts that destroy his small village and capture his wife (Claire Forlani). As the marauding forces overrun the land in an effort to overthrow the king (Burt Reynolds) and his loyal magus (John Rhys-Davies), the once peace-loving peasant and his two companions (Ron Perlman and Will Sanderson) venture on a daring rescue mission.
Let me just blatantly say that this is a low budget knock off of Lord Of The Rings. The characters, the battles and the journey are all carbon copies. Why a studio would give Uwe Boll the chance to direct such a blatant rip off after his horrid resume of House Of The Dead, Bloodrayne and Alone In The Dark is completely beyond me. The only thing more shocking than that is how all these people decided to play a part in this movie. Its not that the movie is the worst thing I've ever seen. Mine eyes have taken in much worse pieces of garbage than this, but the movie is very weak in all areas.
I really wouldn't recommend anyone checking this out. Its basically a cable watch when you are laying in bed on a weekend morning and there isn't anything else on.
Let me just blatantly say that this is a low budget knock off of Lord Of The Rings. The characters, the battles and the journey are all carbon copies. Why a studio would give Uwe Boll the chance to direct such a blatant rip off after his horrid resume of House Of The Dead, Bloodrayne and Alone In The Dark is completely beyond me. The only thing more shocking than that is how all these people decided to play a part in this movie. Its not that the movie is the worst thing I've ever seen. Mine eyes have taken in much worse pieces of garbage than this, but the movie is very weak in all areas.
I really wouldn't recommend anyone checking this out. Its basically a cable watch when you are laying in bed on a weekend morning and there isn't anything else on.
Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem
In this follow-up to Alien vs. Predator, the monsters from two of the scariest film franchises ever, wage war in an American Midwestern town – with the residents caught in the middle.
Aliens and Predator were two of my favorite movies growing up. I was so psyched to see the original Alien Vs. Predator movie because I was a huge fan of the comic books. Ultimately, I ended up being pretty disappointed because of where it took place and what not and because the movie was rated PG-13. When I saw that they were making this one with it taking place in a town and that it was rated R, I thought I was finally going to get to see the version I wanted. OH MY GOD! I can't remember the last time that I was so disappointed in a movie. This movie was horrid! The script was one of the worst things ever written. The acting was so bad that I was rooting for all of them to get killed asap. Then there was how bad the interaction between the Aliens and the Predator was. They filmed every fight sequence in the dark so you basically had no clue what was actually going on. As for the desired gore that necessitated a R rating - there was no limit to the lengths that they went in this movie. The face hugger aliens attacking a little boy? The lead alien making pregnant women ingest the alien babies so they can then blow out their pregnant stomachs? How can they screw up such a simple concept so badly!?!
I wouldn't recommend that anyone check this piece of turd out. And that is coming from a huge Aliens and Predator fan.
Aliens and Predator were two of my favorite movies growing up. I was so psyched to see the original Alien Vs. Predator movie because I was a huge fan of the comic books. Ultimately, I ended up being pretty disappointed because of where it took place and what not and because the movie was rated PG-13. When I saw that they were making this one with it taking place in a town and that it was rated R, I thought I was finally going to get to see the version I wanted. OH MY GOD! I can't remember the last time that I was so disappointed in a movie. This movie was horrid! The script was one of the worst things ever written. The acting was so bad that I was rooting for all of them to get killed asap. Then there was how bad the interaction between the Aliens and the Predator was. They filmed every fight sequence in the dark so you basically had no clue what was actually going on. As for the desired gore that necessitated a R rating - there was no limit to the lengths that they went in this movie. The face hugger aliens attacking a little boy? The lead alien making pregnant women ingest the alien babies so they can then blow out their pregnant stomachs? How can they screw up such a simple concept so badly!?!
I wouldn't recommend that anyone check this piece of turd out. And that is coming from a huge Aliens and Predator fan.
Juno
Juno stars Ellen Page as the title character, a wiseass teen confronting an unplanned pregnancy by her classmate Bleeker (Cera). With the help of her friend Leah (Thirlby), Juno finds her unborn child a "perfect" set of parents: an affluent suburban couple, Mark and Vanessa (Bateman and Garner), longing to adopt. Luckily, Juno has the total support of her parents (Simmons and Janney) as she faces some tough decisions, flirts with adulthood and ultimately figures out where she belongs.
This movie is a perfect example of what happens when you hear too much about a movie before seeing it. I found myself uncontrollably thinking that this movie wasn't as great as everyone had said it was the entire time. I thought that Ellen Page was great and some of her one-liners were hysterical, but that this was nowhere near top ten status like most critics said. It was cute. It was really funny for a while but then spiralled in to a big drama for a while and that sort of killed it for me.
I don't really know whether or not to recommend this movie because my opinion was definitely effected by all the rave reviews I had heard. It's quirky. It's cute at times. I just didn't think it was that great.
This movie is a perfect example of what happens when you hear too much about a movie before seeing it. I found myself uncontrollably thinking that this movie wasn't as great as everyone had said it was the entire time. I thought that Ellen Page was great and some of her one-liners were hysterical, but that this was nowhere near top ten status like most critics said. It was cute. It was really funny for a while but then spiralled in to a big drama for a while and that sort of killed it for me.
I don't really know whether or not to recommend this movie because my opinion was definitely effected by all the rave reviews I had heard. It's quirky. It's cute at times. I just didn't think it was that great.
P2
It's Christmas Eve. Angela Bridges (Rachel Nichols), an ambitious young executive, works late before she leaves for her family's holiday party. When she gets down to the parking garage, she discovers that her car won't start. The garage is deserted and her cell phone doesn't get a signal underground. When Thomas (Wes Bentley), a friendly security guard, comes along and offers to help, Angela nervously accepts his gesture of good will. Soon after a failed attempt to start her car, he invites her to stay and share a small Christmas dinner he's preparing in the parking office, but she laughs it off. Angela doesn't realize this is no laughing matter – Thomas has been watching her closely...for months. His dinner invitation is not optional. If Angela wants to live to see Christmas morning, she must find a way to escape from level P2 of the parking garage.
This movie is yet another of those movies that could be good if they stick to the creepiness level but they move towards the goofy/excess gore level instead. The premise was great because lets be honest - how scary can parking garages be, people. Those things freak me out. Not on a bird attack/crazy squirrel level, but pretty close. Unfortunately, both of the actors stunk. The gore was really nasty at times but then totally non-existent at others so they couldn't even rest their hat on that. I stopped caring all together about 30 minutes in to the movie.
I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this out. Not even horror fans like WW. She disliked it as much as I did. Its pretty much poop.
This movie is yet another of those movies that could be good if they stick to the creepiness level but they move towards the goofy/excess gore level instead. The premise was great because lets be honest - how scary can parking garages be, people. Those things freak me out. Not on a bird attack/crazy squirrel level, but pretty close. Unfortunately, both of the actors stunk. The gore was really nasty at times but then totally non-existent at others so they couldn't even rest their hat on that. I stopped caring all together about 30 minutes in to the movie.
I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this out. Not even horror fans like WW. She disliked it as much as I did. Its pretty much poop.
Reservation Road
A tale of anger, revenge, and great courage, Reservation Road follows two fathers as their families and lives converge. On a warm September evening, college professor Ethan Learner (Joaquin Phoenix), his wife Grace (Jennifer Connelly), and their daughter Emma (Elle Fanning) are attending a recital. Their 10-year-old son Josh (Sean Curley) is playing cello – beautifully, as usual. His younger sister looks up to him, and his parents are proud of their son. On the way home, they all stop at a gas station on Reservation Road. There, in one terrible instant, he is taken from them forever. On that same, warm September evening, law associate Dwight Arno (Mark Ruffalo) and his 11-year-old son Lucas (Eddie Alderson) are attending a Red Sox game. Dwight cherishes his time spent with Lucas. Driving his son back to his ex-wife, Lucas' mother Ruth Wheldon (Mira Sorvino), Dwight heads towards his fateful encounter at Reservation Road. The accident happens so fast that Lucas is all but unaware, while Ethan – the only witness – is all too aware, as a panicked Dwight speeds away. The police are called, and an investigation begins. Haunted by the tragedy, both fathers react in unexpected ways, as do Grace and Emma. As a reckoning looms, the two fathers are forced to make the hardest choices of their lives.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. It was an excellently done character drama. You find yourself almost immediately attached to all the characters and all of the emotions that they go through. It was so well crafted that I found myself feeling bad for Mark Ruffalo even though he ran a kid down and took off. It really makes you wonder how you would feel if put in their different points of view.
I very strongly recommend people checking this one out. Its not exactly the easiest watch because at times its so gut wrenching, but it is one of the better movies out there.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. It was an excellently done character drama. You find yourself almost immediately attached to all the characters and all of the emotions that they go through. It was so well crafted that I found myself feeling bad for Mark Ruffalo even though he ran a kid down and took off. It really makes you wonder how you would feel if put in their different points of view.
I very strongly recommend people checking this one out. Its not exactly the easiest watch because at times its so gut wrenching, but it is one of the better movies out there.
The Water Horse
In The Water Horse, Angus, a young Scottish boy, finds an enchanted egg. Taking it home, he soon finds himself face-to-face with an amazing creature: the mythical "water horse" of Scottish lore. Angus begins a journey of discovery, facing his greatest fears and risking his life to protect a secret that would give birth to a legend.
This movie was watchable, but not overly entertaining by any means. It reminded me a lot of Free Willy but without that same great, emotional attachment to the story. The underwater scenes were really great but outside of that there wasn't much excitement whatsoever. The beginning with the hiding of the baby horse would have been great if I hadn't seen it a couple hundred times in the commercials.
I would lukewarmly recommend this movie to people. Its one of those you saw the preview - you saw the movie type deals and its not an automatic great view for the kiddies because it drags at times and has a coinciding war time story going on.
This movie was watchable, but not overly entertaining by any means. It reminded me a lot of Free Willy but without that same great, emotional attachment to the story. The underwater scenes were really great but outside of that there wasn't much excitement whatsoever. The beginning with the hiding of the baby horse would have been great if I hadn't seen it a couple hundred times in the commercials.
I would lukewarmly recommend this movie to people. Its one of those you saw the preview - you saw the movie type deals and its not an automatic great view for the kiddies because it drags at times and has a coinciding war time story going on.
Lions For Lambs
Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise star in Lions for Lambs, a story that digs behind the news, the politics and a nation divided to explore the human consequences of a complicated war. The story begins after two determined students at a West Coast University, Arian (Derek Luke) and Ernest (Michael Pena), follow the inspiration of their idealistic professor, Dr. Malley (Redford), and attempt to do something important with their lives. But when the two make the bold decision to join the battle in Afghanistan, Malley is both moved and distraught. Now, as Arian and Ernest fight for survival in the field, they become the string that binds together two disparate stories on opposite sides of America. In California, an anguished Dr. Malley attempts to reach a privileged but disaffected student (Andrew Garfield) who is the very opposite of Arian and Ernest. Meanwhile, in Washington D.C. the charismatic Presidential hopeful, Senator Jasper Irving (Cruise), is about to give a bombshell story to a probing TV journalist (Streep) that may affect Arian and Ernest’s fates. As arguments, memories and bullets fly, the three stories are woven ever more tightly together, revealing how each of these Americans has a profound impact.
I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. I'm not remtoely a news/politics follower. I actually found myself feeling a lot like the student that Robert Redford was talking to during this movie because I tend to choose ignorance over having to deal with whats going on in the world and the propoganda that goes with it. I'm not one of those morons that hangs on to the latest happenings of Brittny Spears or the "tragic" death of Anna Nicole, but it simply depresses me to much to really follow all of the happenings that I tend to feel are in vain. Anywho - that's enough personal commentary. Let's get back to the movie. This movie was essentially two seperate converstaions going on while two troops are stuck under attack. I loved the back and forth of the conversations/stranded soldiers and it came together tighter as the movie went on. Even though I kind of felt like this movie was more of a public service announcement than a movie, I thought that it was very well done, written, and acted.
I would recommend people checking this out. It might not be a lot of peoples cup of tea, but it wasn't really mine either and I ended up liking it a lot.
I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. I'm not remtoely a news/politics follower. I actually found myself feeling a lot like the student that Robert Redford was talking to during this movie because I tend to choose ignorance over having to deal with whats going on in the world and the propoganda that goes with it. I'm not one of those morons that hangs on to the latest happenings of Brittny Spears or the "tragic" death of Anna Nicole, but it simply depresses me to much to really follow all of the happenings that I tend to feel are in vain. Anywho - that's enough personal commentary. Let's get back to the movie. This movie was essentially two seperate converstaions going on while two troops are stuck under attack. I loved the back and forth of the conversations/stranded soldiers and it came together tighter as the movie went on. Even though I kind of felt like this movie was more of a public service announcement than a movie, I thought that it was very well done, written, and acted.
I would recommend people checking this out. It might not be a lot of peoples cup of tea, but it wasn't really mine either and I ended up liking it a lot.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
America loves Cox! But behind the music is the up-and-down-and-up-again story of a musician whose songs would change a nation. On his rock 'n roll spiral, Cox sleeps with 411 women, marries three times, has 22 kids and 14 stepkids, stars in his own 70s TV show, collects friends ranging from Elvis to the Beatles to a chimp, and gets addicted to -- and then kicks -- every drug known to man... but despite it all, Cox grows into a national icon and eventually earns the love of a good woman -- longtime backup singer Darlene (Jenna Fischer).
Overall, this movie was incredibly silly. There were some really big laughs thoughout the movie though. The way that they satirize music from the 50s to the 70s is great. I especially enjoyed it because of how it mocked the fact that in every musician biographical movie, the superstar had to go on the drug ride. The scenes where Tim Meadows from SNL describes drugs to Dewey Cox were so funny I had tears rolling down my face from laughing. John Reilly has always done a phenomenal job in supporting performances in some really good comedies and it was nice to finally see him have a starring vehicle.
I'd recommend people check this movie out. There is no rush and its not a must see, but it has enough laughs to make your viewing of it worthwhile.
Overall, this movie was incredibly silly. There were some really big laughs thoughout the movie though. The way that they satirize music from the 50s to the 70s is great. I especially enjoyed it because of how it mocked the fact that in every musician biographical movie, the superstar had to go on the drug ride. The scenes where Tim Meadows from SNL describes drugs to Dewey Cox were so funny I had tears rolling down my face from laughing. John Reilly has always done a phenomenal job in supporting performances in some really good comedies and it was nice to finally see him have a starring vehicle.
I'd recommend people check this movie out. There is no rush and its not a must see, but it has enough laughs to make your viewing of it worthwhile.
There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood is set on the frontier of California's turn-of-the-century petroleum boom. The story chronicles the life and times of one Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), who transforms himself from a down-and-out silver miner raising a son on his own into a self-made oil tycoon. When Plainview gets a mysterious tip-off that there's a little town out West where an ocean of oil is oozing out of the ground, he heads with his son, H.W. (Dillon Freasier), to take their chances in dust-worn Little Boston. In this hardscrabble town, where the main excitement centers around the holy roller church of charismatic preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), Plainview and H.W. make their lucky strike. But even as the well raises all of their fortunes, nothing will remain the same as conflicts escalate and every human value – love, hope, community, belief, ambition and even the bond between father and son – is imperiled by corruption, deception and the flow of oil.
First of all - let's just say that There Will Be Blood could have easily been called There Will Be Numb Asses. The movie is a little bit longer than 2 1/2 hours. Luckily, it doesn't feel it at all for the first hour and half but then it does kind of slow down a bit before turning really good again. Daniel Day-Lewis is phenomenal. Then again, when is that man not? Think about it. Have you ever see him in a less than stellar role? Anywho - he's awesome and his presence is so commanding that you find yourself not realizing that there isn't even any dialogue for the first 20 minutes of the movie. You're just watching him doing whatever he is doing. It was to the point that by the time he did speak I jumped a little out of shock. This cinematography of this movie is also great. The area where they are drilling is just as much of a character as the actors themselves and it was well caught. The weirdest thing about this movie was the non-stop over the top sound. It was like an orchestra was playing the whole time that they were filming. In any other movie - this would have probably driven me nuts. However, it was great in this movie and you end up liking it. This movie was awesome. I wouldn't go so far as to say the best movie of 2007 like many critics did, but it was definitely up there.
I would strongly recommend people checking this one out. It isn't necessarily mainstream fair, but for those of you in to the somewhat artsy movies - this is a must see.
First of all - let's just say that There Will Be Blood could have easily been called There Will Be Numb Asses. The movie is a little bit longer than 2 1/2 hours. Luckily, it doesn't feel it at all for the first hour and half but then it does kind of slow down a bit before turning really good again. Daniel Day-Lewis is phenomenal. Then again, when is that man not? Think about it. Have you ever see him in a less than stellar role? Anywho - he's awesome and his presence is so commanding that you find yourself not realizing that there isn't even any dialogue for the first 20 minutes of the movie. You're just watching him doing whatever he is doing. It was to the point that by the time he did speak I jumped a little out of shock. This cinematography of this movie is also great. The area where they are drilling is just as much of a character as the actors themselves and it was well caught. The weirdest thing about this movie was the non-stop over the top sound. It was like an orchestra was playing the whole time that they were filming. In any other movie - this would have probably driven me nuts. However, it was great in this movie and you end up liking it. This movie was awesome. I wouldn't go so far as to say the best movie of 2007 like many critics did, but it was definitely up there.
I would strongly recommend people checking this one out. It isn't necessarily mainstream fair, but for those of you in to the somewhat artsy movies - this is a must see.
Resurrecting The Champ
When up-and-coming sports writer Erik Kernan saves a homeless man from a scrape with a group of rowdy college kids, he unwittingly finds himself face to face with no ordinary bum, but Champ, the one-time boxing great Bob Satterfield. What begins as a story resurrecting a once-great man turns into an incredible journey, and an opportunity for Erik to reexamine his own life, his relationship with his young son and his recently separated wife.
This was actually a pretty decent character drama with a fathers/sons storyline. I don't have any faith in Josh Hartnett's acting ability whatsoever but he ended up being somewhat tolerable in this movie. This was probably the best performance by Samuel Jackson in a couple of years. Unfortunately, I can't decide if that was because of his role in this movie or because of the horrendous casting choices he's been making. Anywho, the movie was definitely watchable and the whole how fathers are seen through the eyes of their sons seem pretty accurate.
I would somewhat recommend people checking this out. Its not a must see by any means whatsoever, but its kind of worth the rental if you had interest in checking it out.
This was actually a pretty decent character drama with a fathers/sons storyline. I don't have any faith in Josh Hartnett's acting ability whatsoever but he ended up being somewhat tolerable in this movie. This was probably the best performance by Samuel Jackson in a couple of years. Unfortunately, I can't decide if that was because of his role in this movie or because of the horrendous casting choices he's been making. Anywho, the movie was definitely watchable and the whole how fathers are seen through the eyes of their sons seem pretty accurate.
I would somewhat recommend people checking this out. Its not a must see by any means whatsoever, but its kind of worth the rental if you had interest in checking it out.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton join forces again in a big-screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Depp stars in the title role as a man unjustly sent to prison who vows revenge, not only for that cruel punishment, but for the devastating consequences of what happened to his wife and daughter. When he returns to reopen his barber shop, Sweeney Todd becomes the Demon Barber of Fleet Street who "shaved the heads of gentlemen who never thereafter were heard from again." Joining Depp is Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney's amorous accomplice, who creates diabolical meat pies. The cast also includes Alan Rickman, who portrays the evil Judge Turpin, who sends Sweeney to prison and Timothy Spall as the Judge's wicked associate Beadle Bamford and Sacha Baron Cohen is a rival barber, the flamboyant Signor Adolfo Pirelli.
I know of the Sweeney Todd story, but never really saw the original movie or the broadway show. I still went in to this movie with really big expectations because there is no combination that I enjoy more in Hollywood than Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. These guys really can't do anything wrong when they work together. Their combined quirkiness gave this movie such a great, unexplainable feel to it. I was a little bit skeptical about it being a musical though. Musicals are like foreign movies with subtitles in that you can tell how good they are by how phased or non-phased you are by the subtitles. If you find yourself struggling to read and watch at the same time - the movie isn't that good. In a musical - if you find yourself following the movie along even though they are singing instead of talking, then its all good. This movie was able to do that perfectly. And at the risk of sounding like a total movie nerd - the cinematography and overall sound of this movie were phenomenal. There were definite points in the movie where the gore gets to you so be warned.
I would fully recommend everyone checking this out, especially if you are a Tim Burton fan. I truly enjoyed it and thinks its one of the best movies to come out last year.
I know of the Sweeney Todd story, but never really saw the original movie or the broadway show. I still went in to this movie with really big expectations because there is no combination that I enjoy more in Hollywood than Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. These guys really can't do anything wrong when they work together. Their combined quirkiness gave this movie such a great, unexplainable feel to it. I was a little bit skeptical about it being a musical though. Musicals are like foreign movies with subtitles in that you can tell how good they are by how phased or non-phased you are by the subtitles. If you find yourself struggling to read and watch at the same time - the movie isn't that good. In a musical - if you find yourself following the movie along even though they are singing instead of talking, then its all good. This movie was able to do that perfectly. And at the risk of sounding like a total movie nerd - the cinematography and overall sound of this movie were phenomenal. There were definite points in the movie where the gore gets to you so be warned.
I would fully recommend everyone checking this out, especially if you are a Tim Burton fan. I truly enjoyed it and thinks its one of the best movies to come out last year.
Alvin & The Chipmunks
Jason Lee stars as David Seville in the CG/live-action hybrid film, based on the 1950s cartoon series about chipmunks Alvin, Simon and Theodore, who lay waste to Seville's surroundings and sing in three-part harmony.
This movie was pretty much exactly what you would have expected from the commercial. Its a cutesy family movie with the adults being somewhat entertained while the kids love it. The chipmunks are pretty cute and Jason Lee is perfect casting as Dave Seville, even if he has much more acting ability than he gets to put forth in this role. The only thing that is upsetting about this movie is that all children think that this is all some new/original idea and that it hasn't been around for 50 plus years. They keep talking about it like we don't know who Alvin & The Chimpmunks are. Come on now!
I would recommend anyone with kids checking this out. The kids will love it and it isn't too painful for the adults either.
This movie was pretty much exactly what you would have expected from the commercial. Its a cutesy family movie with the adults being somewhat entertained while the kids love it. The chipmunks are pretty cute and Jason Lee is perfect casting as Dave Seville, even if he has much more acting ability than he gets to put forth in this role. The only thing that is upsetting about this movie is that all children think that this is all some new/original idea and that it hasn't been around for 50 plus years. They keep talking about it like we don't know who Alvin & The Chimpmunks are. Come on now!
I would recommend anyone with kids checking this out. The kids will love it and it isn't too painful for the adults either.
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