"An Education"

Mmmm--eating brownies and writing a review--what can be better?

Well, first of all, I want to vent about Up.  Cute?  Yes.  Disappointing?  Yes!  I heard so much about how great Up was and I was disappointed.  Nothing I haven't seen before.  Perhaps I am becoming entirely too jaded but I really have trouble enjoying a film, despite how wonderful it looks, if it does not do anything new and innovative!  I love Pixar--Toy Story, Monsters, Inc, Finding Nemo (probably my all-time favorite Pixar film)--great, creative, new stories.  Wall-E?  I guess.  It was cute, as well, but robots taking over the earth?  People getting lazy and fat?  Nothing new.  Up?  Ok, so the guy flew in his house by balloon(s), the dogs can talk, kind-of...But I was nonetheless disappointed by a film that I felt followed every cliche' in the film book.  Cranky, sad old man meets young boy (and talking dog) who make him feel young and happy again despite losing his wife.  Yawn! 

Ok, so on to what I did like:

An Education.  Old story with a new twist--try this on for size--young girl meets and falls for (much!) older man and, what?  Mom and Pop are okay with it?  Now, we're talking 1960s London and her parents are totally fine with her dating this man who is at least twice her age!  However, I like it.  I knew there was something fishy going on but I didn't pick up on it right away and I thoroughly enjoyed the film which presents an interesting look into a young girl learning about life the hard way--and a relationship between a young girl and a man.  Also interesting to think about is another recent film dealing with a similar topic, relationship between an older woman and a young boy, and how each film deals with the subject...

I am very upset that I did not manage to see Monsters vs. Aliens (yes, I was on a cartoon kick) but I will see it!  I promise!  And a review will follow for sure.  That one looks good--we'll see if it can impress me more than Up.  Also up?  Away We Go with John Krasinski (I have recently fallen in love with The Office) and, dare I say it?  Possibly Twilight.  I feel as though I must see what all the ridiculousness is all about.   And, yea, well, the preview for New Moon looks pretty interesting so I feel as though I should see the first before the second...

Also looking forward to Precious which was at Sundance last year but I was unable to catch it but heard it was really good--as well as Sherlock Holmes.  I may even go see it on Christmas!  Or maybe the day after but I want to be there--it looks really good.

Two other films of note that I saw previews for yesterday--Alice in Wonderland (thank you Tim Burton for your eccentric, crazy visions) and From Paris with Love (can we say: John Travolta?  Is that YOU??)  They look very intriguing.

As always, thanks for reading and be sure to check out the daily movie preview at the top of the blog!

Zombieland--It's a wild ride!

So in honor of Halloween, I have been getting my fill of horror films lately, as this and the last post can attest to! I absolutely love Halloween and my favorite way to get psyched is to watch scary movies...however, this has been a bit of a fail, somewhat, because my last two horror flicks have been--gasp--comedies!

Nonetheless, thoroughly enjoyable. Zombieland is hilarious! Woody Harrelson has really surprised me lately with his choice of roles--I used to dislike him for the most part but as of late, Harrelson has been making the most of his somewhat B-status to play some very fun and outlandish roles. I admire his freedom and willingness to, essentially, do whatever he wants. It's definitely working for him.

And then there's Zombieland's unlikely hero, Jesse Eisenberg, makes you cringe with his awkwardness but you can't help but like him and appreciate his nerdy candor with the audience. He is unabashedly a dork and it's alright.

There aren't really any surprises in Zombieland, outside of some of the gore that makes you cringe...at first. Then you get used to it. There are some twists but don't expect anything out of the ordinary other than some really great laughs and creativity--the story, however, is a bit run of the mill and predictable (survivors team up and kill zombies, boy (spoiler alert!) gets the girl). A few scenes revolving around Bill Murray will surprise you, though. Overall, it's the dialogue and the great performances that make this movie a true jewel among zombie flicks--think Shaun of the Dead, kind of--and it gets a 3 1/2 out of 4 stars. Check it out.

I swear that I will see Paranormal Activity before Halloween--I have to! Even if I go alone...ooooo!!! Scary!!! Seriously, though, it's next on my list.

Speaking of lists, I'm working on a Top Halloween Movie list--any suggestions? I'm all ears! Or rather, eyes...

Til next time, kiddies!

Drag me to HELL!!!

Wow. Sam Raimi has done it again. Here is a movie I thought I would hate--let's also take for an example Raimi's previous flick Evil Dead which my Dad turned me onto--or at least think was ridiculous...but much to my surprise, I found myself truly enjoying it just as I did Evil Dead.

Not your run of the mill horror flick, at least by anyone but Raimi's standards, Drag me to Hell is gross and full of surprises, the most surprising being the tricky ending. I won't ruin it for you but it might just catch you off guard (and then likely you'll feel like me--stupid--that you didn't see it coming! Or maybe it was just me...) Seriously, though, this film was so gross I had to laugh--poor Christine (Alison Lohman) gets so much nastiness thrown into her face and mouth you can't help but laugh out loud! It reminded me of Final Destination 3, I think it was, where the death scenes were so outrageous and crazily creative that I found myself laughing more than gasping. The same happened with Drag me to Hell--I could not believe the lengths Raimi went to in order to gross out his audience...and essentially torture his poor actress!

Honestly, see this movie. Don't necessarily prepare yourself to be scared--if you want scary, go see Paranormal Activity which is high on my list right now--but if you want to enjoy yourself, check out Drag me to Hell. It doesn't do much for the horror genre plot-wise, honestly you've seen most of it before in one form or another, but it's fun and just so over the top.

I hope you like it--happy early Halloween!!

Oh, and as a side-note, I know I basically reserve this blog for movies but I think I have to start mentioning some television shows as I am a true TV fanatic as well. Supernatural on the CW is a truly under-rated show that anyone who enjoys horror films and a good story should definitely get into. I have stuck with it for all five seasons and it has never disappointed. Great characters, interesting plots and excellent writing--it amazes me sometimes how creative the writers on this show can be--really, check out Supernatural if you haven't already.

Next up? I gotta see Paranormal Activity. No one wants to go see it with me! They're too scared! Ridiculous...

Yet again, the Return of the Elusive Cineblogger!

Sorry to have been so remiss in my blogging! To be very honest, life has not been so good to me lately...However, I am now picking up the pieces and trying to work it out--in fact, in some crazy way the bad that life has sent my way has actually made me somewhat more sensitive to films and their messages, especially when it comes to losing someone very close to you...and this is where I move on to the film Sunshine Cleaning:

Ah, Amy Adams. So cute, so tug-at-my-heartstrings good in this film. In the right role, Amy Adams can be very wonderful and charming. This was a good part for her, although I wasn't sure if I bought her attempt at playing a mother, but the point was made: Adams is playing a former head cheerleader whose life did not turn out at all like she had expected.

At the start of the film, Adams' character Rose is working a crummy job cleaning houses, sleeping with her married (but not to her obviously) ex-boyfriend and picking up her son from school where he has gotten into trouble yet again. She is not having a good time. By the end of the film, Rose doesn't have it all figured out but she has started to unravel the mess of her life and has found a job--the title's Sunshine Cleaning (for crime scenes). There are some people that I would have liked to have known more about, stories that were left untold, but overall I highly recommend Sunshine Cleaning. It is heartfelt and it means well, regardless of the fact that it smacks a bit of Hope Floats.

Julie and Julia:

Yet another film starring Amy Adams, Julie and Julia was, well, a bit of a disappointment on her part. First of all, let me say that Meryl Streep is amazing as Julia Child. Seriously, hands down. She made Julia Child--who I vaguely remember clicking past on the television (probably in repeats by then) as a child--interesting and fun. Who knew Julia Child was a feminist pioneer, in her own way? Who knew she and her husband had such a wonderful love and mutual respect for each other? Child's story is truly the pinnacle of this film. Honestly, it would almost be better viewing it at home so that you can fast forward through the Julie parts.

Granted, I see why they combined the two stories into one film--Julie is young, she's conventional and can reach a younger audience than Meryl Streep can. Young women can (supposedly) identify with her and with her desire to blog about cooking all of Julia Child's French recipes. However, I found her tiresome and whiney--and I'm really not that old! Amy Adams is aggravating in this role and the little tears that love to climb into the corners of her eyes, almost incessantly so, that worked so well in Sunshine Cleaning do not work the same magic in Julie and Julia. In fact, one often wonders why it is so necessary to boo-hoo constantly about life when, heck, her life's not so bad!

It's unfortunate because I really wanted to love Julie and Julia. However, I recommend a viewing, just be aware that you will love Julia but Julie will leave you basically annoyed.

9:

Last up is a great little film entitled simply 9. The story is taken a bit from the Matrix and the characters are basically cartoon cliches, but putting that aside as forgiven, visually the film is phenomenal and definitely worth watching. It is an intriguing topic that the film chooses to build around--what would earth be like without us--but one that I feel gets a bit lost in the excitement over an evil machine that is trying to kill off the cute and cuddly numbered self-animated puppets that are basically all that is left of humanity.

Check it out on the big screen if you can and see the visual effects properly! Just know that there are not a lot of surprises outside of the cool visuals in 9.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment--I would love to discuss!

A Lovely "Elegy" on "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

Elegy, starring Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz, tells the story of a mismatched couple who find dysfunctional and anti-Hollywood love for a short period of time as their lives cross. Despite its lack of warmth about love (this is no romantic comedy) it is somewhat refreshing how realistic their story is. He is an aging professor who falls into lust with his young student; she is a beautiful and intelligent young woman who is apparently seduced by David's knowledge of and passion for culture, literature and art. Eventually, however, they seem to discover a real love for each other but unfortunately it cannot survive David's fear of commitment and they go their separate ways. Without giving away the entire story, I have to say that although it is a bit slow-moving, it is a wonderful portrayal and reminder of the importance of everyone we have known and loved in life--and that just when you think you have moved on, you may be surprised how quickly they can return to your life...then you discover that your love for them was never really gone and that they had more of an effect on you than you would have liked to believe.

Ah, Keanu Reeves and your bad acting. It worked perfectly for your role in The Matrix and it works pretty well for Klatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still as well. I picked this one up for a fun diversion to go along with Elegy's much more serious topic matter and I was not disappointed. The special effects are okay--lots of bright light to make up for a lack of originality--and the plot is derived from the original story; aliens come to earth to save the planet from humans. The original had a preachy speech about protecting the planet--the new version's aliens propose to kill us off. My overall opinion of the film is that it is mediocre--Reeves sleep-walks through this role even more than usual, reading lines with a monotony typically to his performances but even more so due to his playing an alien. Like I said, it works for this film but...let's just hope he keeps getting roles where he can do his usual. Jennifer Connelly is the stand-out in this film, giving a believable and compassionate performance--although her relationship with her stepson (Jaden Smith) is pretty cliche and predictable (he moves from calling her Helen and she to referring to him as her son to him finally calling her Mom; it's something we've seen time and time again). Final verdict? See it if you get it for free.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

I love Underworld and Underworld: Evolution. Excellent special effects, interesting story, awesome heroine--to read more about my thoughts on Kate Beckinsale's Selene, see my essay on cinemaperspective.com under Perspectives. So, obviously, when I saw previews for Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, I was pretty excited. Yes, it is a different director (Beckinsale's hubby directed the first two) and yes, it is a different female star (and Beckinsale lookalike). Nonetheless, I was willing to give it a chance.

And the verdict? Not too shabby. The special effects are a bit rushed and very dark, likely to cover up a lack of budget--the camera moves around a lot to compensate for the lackluster effects and things like trees are used to cover up 'transformations' that the producers lacked the proper fundage to create. The female lead, played less than superbly by Rhona Mitra, is the daughter of the evil head-vampire Viktor. She defies him by falling in love with a Lycan (werewolf) named Lucian. This conflict ultimately triggers the war that is ongoing through the previous films (as Rise is a prequel).

For those who are new to the series, make sure you start with Underworld and then move on to Evolution and Rise. You'll encounter too many spoilers if you watch Rise first. For those who, like me, are fans of the series or just enjoy the films for their special effects, I recommend you check the film out--it's not the best movie in the series by any means, but it is worth watching to watch the backstory play out. No new information is provided, however, so do not expect to be surprised by the events as they unfold or by the story that is told; do expect to be sufficiently pleased with director Patrick Tatopoulos' contribution to the Underworld series.

Wolverine rocks my world!

Yes! A great comic book movie to kick-off the summer movie season--check out X-men Origins: Wolverine if you have not already. It is non-stop action--somewhat predictable storyline but that is to be expected for the most part, right? New mutants that are great and look cool (Gambit is my absolute new favorite mutant replacing Mystique and Lady Deathstrike--although they both hold a very special place in my comic-book-movie-dork heart). He flips around with a stick and shakes the earth with each strike! Very cool. To sum it up in a few words, Wolverine does what a comic book movie does best and does it well. I was thoroughly entertained and excited by the final scene--which is after the credits so make sure you hang in there--that suggested a pending sequel! I'm so there!

Slumdog Millionaire
I have to be honest: I usually hate the Best Picture Oscar winner. Every year. No joke. I mean, how could No Country for Old Men beat out There Will Be Blood? Or how about Crash robbing Brokeback Mountain? Don't get me started! However, Slumdog was a pleasant surprise (well, maybe pleasant isn't the word because some of the things that happen to the characters). The story is a tad predictable and a bit too unbelievable--a young girl who manages to escape a major mobster to be with her true love? It seemed just a bit too easy. Nonetheless, Slumdog provides an eye-opening view of India's slums and the lives of India's people and children. There is violence, there is corruption...and yet there is hope and love. This message of truth in itself makes this film worth watching. An interesting story (slumdog achieves on Who Wants to be a Millionaire!), good acting and great cinematography combined with bright colors and quick, moving shots make it a must-see.