Up!
Nov.18, 2009, under 5 stars, Family
I knew I would love this movie before the previews even began. I mean really, how can you go wrong with Disney Pixar? They have yet to disappoint me. Those of you who know me know that I am quite biased, but nonetheless this movie was delightful.
The animation is, as usual, mind blowing. You think to yourself “how do they do it”, it’s just THAT good! The story is, as usual, genuine and heartfelt. I think it takes a bit of Disney magic (and some pixie dust) to make a story that an adult and child can both watch and enjoy equally. Nothing is dumbed down and nothing goes over your head. It is just plain and simple good story telling.
The characters are so easy to love, you almost forget they are fictional. Carl is the grumpy old man who has recently lost his wife. He is cranky and a hermit, which invites the attention of Russell, the eager boy scout. Together they set off on an adventure to move Carl’s home to South America, where his wife always dreamed of visiting. Along the way they meet “Kevin”, a bird and “Doug” the dog. I kid you not, if you do not fall in love with Doug immediately, you may not have a soul! Not only does the movie convey the idea of embracing adventure, but also it communicates the idea of looking out for others, whether it is man or animal or nature.
It would have been great to see this in 3D, but fear not those who did not venture to the theatre in time, but fear not, nothing is lost! Watching it at home on the couch in 2D is good too! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Now let’s all go to Disneyland, shall we?!
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The Brothers Bloom
Nov.12, 2009, under 3.5 stars, Comedy, She says...
Bear with me here. It’s been a few weeks since watching “the Brother’s Bloom” so my mind is a little fuzzy.
The female characters in this film really stole the show! Rachel Weisz is always incredible in everything she does, so that is really no surprise. The woman who plays Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi) was absolutely the highlight of the movie. I’m not even sure she had a single line, but her facial expressions, body language, and costumes made her completely entertaining! And the guys weren’t bad either. Mark Ruffalo and Adrian Brody were really good, and I even had a small crush on Bloom (Brody) throughout the film.
The plot was alright. I don’t want to ruin this for anyone, but if you’re looking for a huge Hitchcock-styled plot twist (like I was) you might be disappointed. It is a story of very imaginative con men. Stephen (Ruffalo) is the brains of the operations. He concocts these elaborate plans to swindle people out of money. Bloom is the younger brother with the heart of gold who is growing tired of the whole charade. Eventually the story becomes about trust, or a lack of trust, between the brothers as Bloom falls in love with Penelope (Weisz), a wealthy young woman who is the intended victim of the brothers most recent scam. Bang Bang is a mysterious character, who just showed up one day and helps the brothers, but they are always aware that one day she will disappear just as quickly as she appeared the first time. The plot keeps you guessing whether or not what you’re seeing is actually part of the con.
I don’t remember enjoying it immediately after watching it, but the more I think about it now, it was actually very good.
Rating: 
Transformers (1 and 2)
Oct.29, 2009, under 2 stars, Action
Look, I will admit I do have a soft spot in my heart for quite a few big budget summer blockbusters, but my friends, Transformers ain’t one of them! It was just too much, which I realize is one of the main factors too any blockbuster, but it was just TOO much, except dialogue. Was there even a script for it? The acting was okay, as good as acting can be against a green screen. I just felt like this film took all of the clichés and crammed them into these two films. Michael Bay has a simple formula that he follows to produce these movies, and it’s getting stale.
Transformers (the first one) was alright. This story showed the human aspect of the machines, and gave us insight into the lives of the characters before the inevitable war between their two worlds. I actually didn’t mind this one too much. Shia LaBeouf is really funny in this film, which I wasn’t expecting. His character, Sam Witwicky is charming and you connect with him because he plays a great underdog who is easy to route for. Megan Fox wasn’t half as bad as I was expecting. Granted, they didn’t give her much to work, dialogue or wardrobe, but she made the best out of the hand she was dealt. But the true highlights of this movie (or both, as a matter of fact) are Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky, played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White. Hands down, the greatest part of the film franchise. Please don’t even ask me about the plot or the special effects, because quite frankly I don’t know what I was watching half the time. It was a bunch of robots running into each other and after five seconds, all the pieces just blend into each other and you really don’t have a clue how they are destroying each other, or who is winning. My suggest: color coordination. If you could just make the Decepticons one color (green, for example) and the Autobots another (orange) it might be helpful.
Transformers: Rise of the Fallen (number 2) didn’t need to bother with formalities or introductions, so it just delved right into the action. Sam goes off to college, leaving the love of his life with a kiss and a webcam. The mom, bless her heart, gets a hold of some “magic brownies”, and that is where the fun begins! Sam meets a girl who is actually a Decepticon, but after they get rid of her, it’s never mentioned about how dangerous it actually is that the machines have evolved into looking like people! The other thing that really bothered me about this film is the fact that they walk into a museum in Washington DC, and somehow walk out the back in the Boneyard (plane grave yard) in Tucson, AZ. Please give the audience a little credit here. Even if you don’t know it’s the Boneyard, it is easy to figure out that the surrounds in DC look nothing remotely similar to those of Arizona! I also hate when the result of the big action sequence is the destruction of a historical landmark. It was hard for me to watch them destroy the pyramids and surrounding areas. I just don’t think anything can be gained from showing a machine ripping apart a historical icon like that.
These movies are certainly a great escape from every day life, which is why I love cinema, but these movies just weren’t for me. I can see why they have such appeal, and why they make millions at the box office. There will certainly be another Transformers soon. It just doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Easy Virtue
Oct.27, 2009, under 3 stars, Comedy, She says...
For all intents and purpose, I really enjoyed this movie. It took a while to get into the plot and understand what they were talking about, but after about 10 minutes of introducing the characters and setting, it is a fun film. It is about an American girl who marries a young Englishman from a seemingly wealthy family. You can guess the general plot line from there: girl versus overbearing mother-in-law. They both hold their own quite well, and watching the battle is fun for both the on screen characters as well as the off screen viewers.
The actors are all very well cast. Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian: Chronicles of Narnia) plays the young husband, John. Jessica Biel plays the young bride, Larita. Colin Firth, always brilliant, is the reserved and very distant father in contrast to Kristin Scott Thomas’ overbearing and tightly wound mother in law, Mr. and Mrs. Whitaker. There is an assortment of other characters in the film, such as the nagging spinster sisters and the nosey neighbors, but the true highlight has got to be the family butler, Furber. Kris Marshall is the actor, who might be best known as “Colin, god of sex” in Love, Actually. He is full of wry one liners and subtly hysterical facial expressions.
Like I said earlier, the battle between the mother and daughter-in-law is the driving force of the film. They continually trump each other in the effort to convince John (Barnes) what to do with the couples future. Larita (Biel) wishes to move to the city, while the mother wants him to stay at the family home and take over its care. One of the most clever scenes is during the annual fox hunt. Mrs. Whitaker (Scott-Thomas) insists that Larita ride, and she agrees, but what she doesn’t tell her is that she chooses to ride a horse of a different kind: a motorcycle. The scenes are charming and full of quick humor.
My only complaint about this film is the relationship between Larita and her father-in-law (Firth). It seems innocent and kind, but at the end they share a dance that leads the viewer to believe it is something more. The end, which I do not want to give away, certainly makes us feel as though we’ve been missing something the entire time. But all in all, I thought it was a fun film, which doesn’t require too much thought, just perhaps turn on the subtitles.
Conversations with Other Women
Oct.22, 2009, under 4.5 Stars, Drama, She says...
The viewer is first introduced to this couple as if they were strangers, but as the story progresses you realize they were married and divorced, and embarking on a one night stand after the mans sisters wedding. My question is this, who would be a bridesmaid at their ex husbands sisters wedding?! Alas, these are the things I think about when the movie is at a lull. The details of their lives are revealed randomly through their conversation, and it is much like watching two old friends catch up: they never actually refer to the fact that they are discussing themselves, instead he says things like “well my ex wife used to say that” and then you realize he is actually referring to her. It is a very intimate film, although you do not realize until the end that you never even know their names. They are simply listed as “man” and “woman” in the credits.
I am always a fan of the films Helena Bonham Carter chooses to star in. Aaron Eckhart stars opposite her, and they are both brilliant. They have great chemistry between them and never once does it feel forced. I highly recommend this movie to anyone.
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