My Life at the Movies

The Art of The Steal

2011-04-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

April 12.

This is tough. I agree with the Friends of the Barnes Foundation, the city of Philadelphia stole the Barnes Collection by creating loopholes in Barnes’ will, however, I want to be able to see the greatest collection of art in the United States, so maybe I’m OK with that.

The Art of the Steal chronicles Albert C. Barnes’ life from a poor Philly boy to rich, successful pharmaceutical businessman who starts buying art by Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso, and other great artists before museums were vying for their work. He created the Barnes Foundation as a school for artists and the students are the only people welcome to view the $25 billion art collection. He didn’t want this to be a museum, but a study of art, and he didn’t want the art displayed on empty white walls, like it would have been in a gallery. He was so adamant about the experience viewers had with the art that he put a will together stating the art could never be moved or sold.

After he died in 1951 the story gets interesting. Everyone wants this collection, some, like the Friends of the Barnes Foundation, want the building and art preserved as Barnes wanted it, and others want the works to be accessible to more people.

The movie is completely one sided. Although they do say that most of the people who worked to get the art moved to Philadelphia turned down invitations to be interviewed for the movie. But I can’t help feel like I’ve met the Friends of the Barnes Foundation during my years of covering city council for a small town. Community activists can be … tiring.

So here’s the dilemma – I agree, Barnes bought this art, it was his to do with what he wanted. And what the city did is wrong. What if tomorrow they decide my car needs to be in a museum, can they take it? So, of course, they shouldn’t be able to just do what they want with it, especially since he was very specific about what he wanted. And you have to watch the movie to really understand why he wanted the art to stay in the suburbs. He has compelling reasons. But this isn’t one painting, or five. This is $25 billion of art. So, even though I think it’s wrong, I will go see the collection once it moves to Philadelphia in 2012.

Sorry Mr. Barnes.

Rating: Like

Arthur

2011-04-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

April 12.

I can’t imagine a world where if I was a poor woman scraping money together to pay for a one bedroom apartment in Queens where I lived with my sick father and a billionaire offered me a million dollars as a sorry I lied to you I wouldn’t take it. I know we’re all supposed to pretend we are above money and that integrity is more important, but come on.

This wasn’t the only false part of the Russell Brand reboot of Arthur, but I have to admit, I didn’t hate it like I thought I was going to. It is too sad to really be a comedy and too silly to really be a drama but I found Brand and his nanny, played by Helen Mirren, to be a great team and enjoyed his antics and seeing some beautiful New York scenery.

I saw the original Dudley Moore version but I was a kid and don’t really remember it, actually maybe I only saw part two. Either way, I did think a few times that Brand was trying to imitate Moore, but then I found out that they are from the same area of England. So maybe they just sound the same when they are pretending to be drunk.

Rating: Like

Trois Couleurs: Bleu (Three Colors Blue)

2011-04-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

April 9.

Trois Couleurs is one of those trilogies that has been recommended to me over and over and has been in my Netflix queue for years. I wanted to see it, three great French movies that everyone loves, but I never found the motivation. So when my friend mentioned he had ordered the trilogy last year and finally got it, I guess Amazon didn’t have the motivation to send it, I said OK, let me borrow it. I’m sure he wasn’t going to charge me late fees, but I didn’t feel it was right to hold onto it for months, so finally this weekend I watched part one: Bleu.

So after all this time it’s nice to be able to say Bleu, starring Juliette Binoche as the widow of a famous composer, really lived up to the hype. It was amazing and beautiful and disturbing and sad.

Bleu starts with the car accident that kills Binoche’s husband and daughter and follows her as she tries to live after the tragedy. Bleu is a bit mysterious with unanswered questions and a linear storyline but it seems to be more about the emotion.

I’ve already returned Bleu and have parts two and three. I am excited to see where this trilogy, which is general in theme, (trilogy of films dealing with contemporary French society concerns), goes.

Rating: Love

Source Code

2011-04-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

April 9.

Source Code is Groundhog Day meets Inception meets Avatar ... kind of.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a disoriented soldier who gets to take over the body of a man who is on a train outside of Chicago that is about to blow up. He has eight minutes until the bomb explodes and everyone on board dies. Eight minutes. Over and over again until he can figure out where the bomb is and who planted it. He’s not supposed to be trying to save the people, only learn about the bomber to stop a future attack. This isn’t, as they say, time travel.

There’s a lot of to figure out in the movie – like where is Jake once he’s off the train and in his own body, who are the people who are instructing him in his mission, who’s the bomber, etc., etc.

Source Code is well made and acted and pulled me in from the start. There’s a question I have about Jake and then end, but I don’t want to ruin it for you. So let me know when you’ve seen it and we discuss the ending.

Rating: Like

Hop

2011-04-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

April 5.

Hop is cute. It does a great job of creating Easter folklore for the Easter Bunny like so many Christmas movies have done for Santa. But some of the charm of the great Christmas movies was just missing. I’m not exactly sure why.

Easter Island is as detailed as the North Pole. The chicks working in the candy shop are maybe even cuter than elves, and everything is fun and colorful. Maybe an Easter movie can never be like a Christmas movie because Christmas has a special feeling or because I heard stories about Santa my whole life and those movies just brought it to life rather than trying to create something new. Or maybe Hop just wasn’t a great movie.

The movie starts out good as it introduces the Easter Bunny and his son, E.B., who is supposed to become the Easter Bunny on his next birthday. E.B. isn’t interested in dedicating his life to hiding eggs and wants to become a famous drummer. So he sets off for Hollywood and the home of the Bunny’s – the Playboy Mansion. After getting turned away by Hef he hooks up with freeloader, Fred. There’s the whole part about Fred thinking he’s crazy and E.B. discovering how much fun it is and then how dangerous it is to be among the humans, etc.

The end is where Hop really falls apart though. It crams what should have taken half the movie into about 10 minutes and doesn’t really put an end to everything. And without ruining the ending, some humans seem to accept things a little too easily.

Rating: Ehh

Certified Copy

2011-03-29T01:45:00.000-07:00

March 26.

I had really high expectations for Certified Copy. The French movie set in Tuscany starring Juliette Binoche got rave reviews everywhere I looked. So as the main characters - Binoche, an apparent single mother running an antique shop in small town Italy and William Shimell an art historian and author - have an uncomfortable meeting, full of strange bickering, I wasn't sure what I thought of it.

And then, when the pair started acted as a married couple, but not in a cute, fun way - in a strange sad way, I was actually less uncomfortable but still confused. This couple seemed to truly be married ... I think.

So in the end I wasn't sure what I thought. The conversation was interesting, the scenery and camera angles were gorgeous and interesting. But the story. What had happened? Were they married? Were they strangers? I don't know.

A few days later, I was talking to a coworker about the film and we had similar reactions. But as we talked about it, we both began to appreciate what we saw more and more. There are so many questions. About what happened, sure, but also about the way people speak to each other and why. And there's no denying that the storytelling was like nothing I've ever seen before. So, now I feel like I need to watch this movie again, and that it could be a movie I love, but for now ...

Rating: Like

Limitless

2011-03-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

March 19.

Limitless is stylish and sexy with sweeping, gorgeous views of New York City and Bradley Cooper. Sure the story of a disheveled man with a serious case of writer's block who takes a miracle pill that lets him unlock his full potential has a few holes, but it's fun to watch anyway.

The actors, Cooper, Abbie Cornish, and Robert DeNiro were all really good, even if DeNiro wasn't used enough. There's never a slow or dull moment in Limitless, but this is not the Inception of 2011. The story tries to throw in some twists, but I wasn't shocked and could kind of guess what was coming up.

Still, sometimes fun is all a movie needs to be.

Although, Limitless did make me think a little. If given the power of no limitations would I, or would any of us, do more than Cooper's character Eddie did, which was pretty much impress people with his intelligence like a parlor trick, get girls, and make money? Is Limitless trying to point out the sad state of our society? Or maybe this is just a movie trying to tell an amusing story and not a lesson in morals.

While watching the movie it seemed that the writer, Alan Glynn, of the book, The Dark Fields, which the film was based, was trying to make a statement about illegal drugs. You take them to get you through, feel invincible, can't live with out them, then can't live with them. But I can't find anything to back that up. So I should probably stop trying to read so much into this and focus on what really matters: Bradley Cooper's hot.

Rating: Like

The Illusionist (L'illusionniste)

2011-03-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

March 12.

L'illusionniste is sad. That’s the way I felt the whole movie. Sure there’s a flash of the fun times the magician had when he had a successful act in Paris, but really it’s about his decline. I spent the whole movie waiting for the change, for something good to happen. It didn’t. On his way down, the illusionist spends some time in Scotland where he befriends a young girl, Alice. I thought this was where some happiness would come in. But Alice just seems selfish and unappreciative of his generosity.

Sometimes I enjoy movies like this, a story that is linear seems more honest and life doesn’t always have a happy ending. So maybe it was my mood or maybe I was waiting for some of the silliness that was in The Triplets of Belleville, but it just felt a little empty.

Rating: Ehh

Cedar Rapids

2011-03-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

March 5.

Ed Helms should never stop singing. I love all his nerdy songs. And in Cedar Rapids he belted out the perfect Christmas tune about insurance.

There were other really funny moments in this movie about a sheltered insurance salesman who goes to a conference in the big city - Cedar Rapids. He makes new friends including the bad boy of insurance, John C. Reilly, and a hooker played by Maybe from Arrested Development, which was weird.

Even though I did really like this movie, I laughed a lot, cared about the characters, and was interested the whole way through, I kind of expected more. It got such good reviews and won film fest awards. So I thought I was in for more than a solid comedy.

Rating: Like

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

2011-02-27T18:45:00.000-08:00

February 19.

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium isn't a great movie, but it made me laugh a few times. And I liked seeing familiar faces of the 60s and 70s traveling around Europe together on a bus.

The bus brought me back to the time I spent traveling around Europe on the Plummet Coach. You haven't seen Europe until you've driven it on a bus. Although I never went as far as this group of Americans on a tour of nine countries in 18 days.

The group, led by a cute British tour guide (Ian McShane) starts in London and ends in Rome. All the annoying American stereotypes are there. Suzanne Pleshette (of Oh, God!) plays a single woman on one last jaunt before marrying a man she doesn't love, Norman Fell plays a married man whose wife accidentally gets on the wrong bus and is with a Japanese tour group for most of the trip, there's a bickering married couple, a single man who comes with empty suitcases an steals everything that isn't nailed down, and on and on.

The movie was filmed on location in 1968, and it's awesome to see Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Germany, Venice, and Rome, especially with all the late-60s garb. I visited almost every city the movie does 30 years later, and besides the mini skirts and bell bottoms everything looks exactly the same.

Rating: Like

Arsenic and Old Lace

2011-02-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

February 15.

Arsenic and Old Lace. What a great quirky, silly, old movie. Cary Grant and his two old aunts run around this charming Frank Capra classic Three’s Company Style, and I love it.
On his wedding day, the theater critic (Cary) learns that his spinster aunts murder single, lonely men to put them out of their misery. Even though they’re murderers the aunts are still sweet and thoughtful. People who visit just have to make sure they don’t drink from the wrong bottle of wine. Cary discovers a body and starts putting together a story to get his aunts into a nut house to avoid jail. All this is happening while his uncle, who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, is in the basement digging the Panama Canal.

I know this sounds crazy but it gets even messier from there and it’s still good. Somehow, maybe because Capra is a genius or because Cary is Cary, the movie kept me connected and interested and made the over-the-top story funny rather than stupid.

You should see it. It will make your crazy family seem a little less crazy.

Rating: Love

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2011-02-27T18:39:00.001-08:00

February 14.

The whole world is raving about the book and movie trilogy that starts with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I guess I just missed something.

The story wasn't even about the girl. When the movie flashed to her life it was just one disturbing image after another, but I never really got why I was supposed to care. And her tattoo, was there even a tattoo?

The secondary story, which was the real story, was interesting, but not much more than a good episode of CSI Stockholm.

So although the Swedish movie held my interest I refuse to see part two and don't really think I'll run out to see the American version.

Rating: Ehh

The Triplets of Belleville

2011-02-27T18:37:00.000-08:00

February 14.

I love The Triplets of Belleville. The animation and story are so whimsy, weird and interesting.

The story is about a boy, his dog and a woman I am guessing is his grandmother. They all live in Paris, so from scene one I was in. The boy becomes interested in the Tour de France and starts cycling, with the old woman as his trainer. As he's racing in the Tour De France he gets kidnapped and his grandmother (dog in tow) follow his kidnappers to New York. The grandmother gets help from the expat French triplets, who were a famous singing act about 50 years before.

There are parts of Triplets that seem like a dream, or maybe the whole thing is a dream. I don't know. But I loved it anyway.

Rating: Love

Gnomeo & Juliet

2011-02-27T18:26:00.000-08:00

February 13.

Awwwe. Gnomeo & Juliet is so cute. These angry little garden gnomes live in neighboring English gardens and come to life whenever their owners disappear.

Just like in the original Romeo & Juliet, the two families are feuding but we don't really know why. Gnomeo is a blue and Juliet is a red but when they first see each other they miss the color of the others hat and fall in love.

Things get complicated when they find out who the other is, but anyone who knows Shakespeare's story knows what's coming. Of course this is a cartoon about Gnomes so there isn't as much sex or death, but the general components of the classic tragedy are there.

The story isn't the only thing that's cute. The animation is also unique and creative. The gnomes are all a little scratched and dented, which make them look lifelike.

I should admit, I boycotted the 3D version for the old-fashioned 2D, so I can't comment there. But I don't know that any movie needs 3D, let alone Gnomeo & Juliet.

Rating: Like

The Chateau

2011-01-29T21:31:00.000-08:00

January 29.

Wow, bad movies really are painful.

The Chateau is a comedy about two American brothers (Yes, Paul Rudd and Romany Malco play brothers, and no not like brothas, they are brothers. (Malco is adopted.) A joke which they use about 1,000 times.) who inherit a chateau, along with its staff, in France.

They think they are going to get there, sell it, and pocket the cash but zaniness ensues. It's really not worth getting into what happens or why, honestly, it's not. There's thousands of great movies and there's no reason to watch this ridiculousness.

Rating: Hate

The Affair of the Necklace

2011-01-29T21:30:00.000-08:00

January 29.

No, no, no, no, no. No.

Hilary Swank may have won an Oscar, but she's awful, awful, as a down-on-her-luck aristocrat in pre-revolutionary France. Awful.

I found this movie because I watched a documentary about Marie Antoinette and thought this true story of a necklace scheme, which is credited for starting the French Revolution, was fascinating. But The Affair of the Necklace did not translate. The bad script and bad acting did not bring the story to life or shed a new light on the doomed queen of France.

The whole movie was flat. Swank is not sexy and not even a little French. I still think the story of the extravagant necklace, which the queen might have been trying to buy secretly, as not to incite the people of France who were starving to death, is interesting. Especially since the queen claimed she never agreed to buy the necklace but because the citizens believed the story, or wanted to believe it, it put them over the top and started the French Revolution, which left the queen and her husband headless, and the monarchy dead forever.

But why with such great material, why are so many movies so bad?

Rating: Hate

Marie Antoinette

2011-01-28T21:07:00.001-08:00

January 28.

As a lot of you know, I am obsessed with the British Royals and France. So when I came across this PBS documentary about the last queen of France, Marie Antoinette, I couldn’t resist.

The queen, who famously did or did not tell the starving people of France to eat cake, is such an interesting historical character I can’t believe there aren’t more movies about her. Of course there’s the Sofia Coppola film, and although that movie is pretty and deals with the lavish lifestyle the queen had it doesn’t get to the parts that I was excited to learn about in this documentary.

It explains the affair with the necklace, which was turned into a bad movie a few years ago and was the turning point for the French revolution. It appeared that the queen was sneaking around buying a ridiculously expensive necklace while her people were starving. Whether that’s true or not, no one really knows.

Another aspect of her life the movie looks at is the years after she was taken from Versailles until she was beheaded. I guess I always thought she was killed the same night, but that’s not the case.

This documentary makes me wish there were some great movies about the queen and the French Royals. I guess I’ll just have to find a good book.

Rating: Like

The Heart Specialist

2011-01-28T21:01:00.000-08:00

January 16.

The Heart Specialist is almost a good movie. It’s kinda funny and sort of touching. But I had a hard time getting passed the bad production and the choppiness.

The story follows a Harvard Medical School graduate to an internship in Miami where his ex-girlfriend now lives. Ray becomes friends with Sidney, the chief resident and a woman, who is kind of Sidney’s girlfriend, I think, played by Zoe Saldana. The movie quickly becomes about Sidney, who is a writer and a comedian in addition to being a doctor.

I don’t think every movie should be a mystery but when the story is building up to a reveal that I figured out 40 minutes ago I tend to get annoyed. So I won’t say what the big surprise is here, but if you watch the movie you will know long before you’re told.

Rating: Ehh

Blue Valentine

2011-01-28T20:56:00.000-08:00

January 15.

Well, now I'm depressed.

There are a lot of movies that tell the story of the beginning of a relationship or the end of a relationship. Some even show both, War of the Roses was brutal. But the way Blue Valentine shows snapshots of this married couples start and finish, moving from happy moment to sad, it's wrenching.

Michelle Williams, who was nominated for an Oscar for this role, and Ryan Gosling do an excellent job of playing the young smitten couple as well as the broken married pair.

Usually I agree with one person more than the other, most stories are written that way, but in Blue Valentine it's hard to say who is right and who is wrong. It's just a real, raw marriage that's over.

Rating: Like

Made in Dagenham

2011-01-28T20:51:00.000-08:00

January 15.

I love movies set in places – and times – I want to visit, so a film about England in the 1960’s is perfect for me. Made in Dagenham centers on Rita, a wife, mother, and seamstress at the Ford factory in Daggenham, just outside London. She, along with about 200 other women working for Ford, goes on strike to fight for equal pay for women.

Everyone who works at the factory also seems to live with their families in a sort of dorm right on the property. All the women’s husbands also work at the factory, making a lot more money. So with the help of a union rep, played by Bob Hoskins, Rita becomes the face and voice of the Ford women.

As the strike drags on, and with no seat covers, the factory comes to a halt. No covers, no cars. Rita travels around England to other Ford factories and gets more seamstresses to strike making waves with Ford in the U.S., until she finally gets the attention of national politicians and sets world-wide changes in motion.

Made in Dagenham has great performances, an engaging story, and the music and costumes are fun.

Rating: Like

Season of the Witch

2011-01-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

January 9.

So, Season of the Witch stars Nicolas Cage and Clay from Sons of Anarchy as knights in the 1300s-ish and they’re going to transport a witch for some reason.

This seems to be almost horror – witches get hung and drowned before coming back to life to kill the priest who ordered the execution. I’d probably be scared if I wasn’t laughing at the acting and lack of accents. Nic and Ron Perlman, who are way too old to be running around fighting in the crusades, are using some old English words and speech patterns but with their normal accents and modern slang. Wow, it’s bad. I wonder if there was a script or if the actors were just given an outline of the general story like they do on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Note to writers: these guys need a script. The dialogue is absolutely awful. As I watch Perlman, I can see him laughing at the producers for paying him for this.

Most of the action takes place in front of a green screen and there are a lot of creepy moments just for the sake of being creepy. It seems lazy and thrown together. The storytelling isn’t good either. Towards the end Nic starts explaining what just happened while flashbacks from the movie I’m in the middle of watching appear on the screen. I didn’t forget, I’m not that stupid, and this is not that complicated. On a positive note, there are zombie monks. They are good for a laugh if nothing else.

Rating: Hate

Ang tanging ina mo: Last na 'to!

2011-01-11T16:02:00.000-08:00

January 8.

I thought I was going to be alone watching Ang tanging ina mo: Last na 'to!, but, nope, it seems the entire Las Vegas Filipino expat population is here with me. It’s mostly old people looking at me wondering what I’m doing here. No one is speaking English and it’s weird to be in a place I’ve been hundreds of times and have it feel totally foreign.

Ang tanging ina mo: Last na 'to! is the third and final installment of a popular Filipino comedy series. I haven’t seen the first two but I read about them in preparation. In the first, the main character, Ina, becomes a single mother of 30 or 12 or some ungodly number of children and she has to figure out a way to raise them and earn a living. Sounds funny, right? Hmm. So in part two, Ina, having her life in order, becomes president of the Philippines. Yes, president of the Philippines. So that’s where part three begins, her kids are growing up and she’s president … of a country.

The movie starts with loud, annoying music followed by loud, annoying talking and it takes me a few seconds to realize there are no subtitles. What?! Umm. I don’t speak Tagalog, or whatever this language is. I have seen tons of foreign movies and it never occurred to me that there wouldn’t be subtitles. I have wondered in the past if I would be able to follow a foreign movie without subtitles and I now know the answer: sort of.

The problem with this movie isn’t that I don’t understand what they are saying. I really think I would have thought this was stupid even if I understood. The real problem is that it’s so over-the-top, so loud, and so annoying. I can’t believe people are watching this or that it was entered into film festivals. I keep checking the time and it’s not going fast enough. A baby has been crying for nearly half of the movie and normally I’d be mad that the parents didn't take him outside but I am sort of glad for the distraction and I feel his pain.

Without knowing what is being said it’s hard to gauge when the end is coming, but the end does come, finally.

Rating: Hate

Country Strong

2011-01-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

January 8.

So, here I am, bored to tears, watching my first mess of a movie of the year, Country Strong. It isn't long exactly, but it does feel like it won't end.

There are too many main characters - Gwyneth, a country super star fresh out of rehab; McGraw, her asshole of a husband and manager; and the two young wannabes along for the ride. The writer really should have picked whose story this was before trying to jam all their lives down our throats. As the story builds it feels forced and phony. This is not at all like last year's successful movie about a washed up, drunk country star - Crazy Heart, which was authentic and raw.

Country Strong moves along quickly, it has to in order to fit it all in. Alcoholism, dead babies, affairs, parents in prison, lies, music - this movie has it all. The story isn't unfolding as much as is being thrown at us. The scenes don't build and reveal secrets slowly, they just spat out some issue and then the next scene spats out something new and unbelievable. And even without any build up everything is completely predictable.

I don't really like any of the characters but the secondary leads are better than Tim and Gwyneth. It is weird watching Blair Waldorf sing country music, but she's not bad. The young, sweet country crooner, who prefers singing in honky-tonks to good people who just want to hear some good music while they drink their beer, is cute, but his facial hair is distracting. It's long and straight and grows in patches. He needs to shave.

The end came just in time with a big, sad, to some, dramatic finale that, again, is predictable even though there isn't any preparation for it.

Rating: Hate

The King's Speech

2010-12-30T23:24:00.002-08:00

December 26.

If you follow my blog you know I love the British Royals. So, you can probably guess how excited I was to see such great actors in a movie about a royal story I knew almost nothing about.

Colin Firth plays King George VI, better known to this generation as Queen Elizabeth II's father. I knew his brother was king first and that he abdicated to marry an American divorcee, which made George VI king and Elizabeth heir to the throne; but the stutter was news to me.

"The King's Speech" was a perfect movie. Charming and funny, well written and acted. The story centered around the forgotten prince's speech impediment, his strong-willed wife, and his amazing speech therapist. But in the background was the story of the struggle with his family and his duty to his country just as Hitler was taking over Germany and pulling Europe into war.

I know a lot of people don't think they care about watching a king learn how to speak but I can't think of anyone who wouldn't like this movie.

I Love You Phillip Morris

2010-12-30T23:24:00.001-08:00

December 26.

"I Love You Phillip Morris" is only playing in one theater in Las Vegas so I'm guessing not a lot of people are going to see it. But, it's so good I really hope people find their way to the theater.

Jim Carrey is twisted, touching, and funny in this real-life story of con man Steven Russell, who, after years of marriage, decides he's gay and starts committing insurance fraud to live a new life in Miami. He gets caught, goes to jail, and that's where the story really gets started. He falls in love with the sweet, cute inmate Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). Once out, he pulls a few more successful cons and gets caught and breaks out of jail numerous times - all in the name of love, he says.

The comedy is dark, the sex is explicit, and the story is sort of unbelievable, but it really happened, I looked it up. Although, even if it hadn't it'd still be fun to watch.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

2010-12-30T23:24:00.000-08:00

December 25.

My final Christmas movie of the holiday season is one of the best, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." This is the third "Vacation" and my favorite of the four. The movie does a great job of showing all the good and bad parts of the holidays, mostly how you want your family around but can't stand them once they're there.

The Griswold's are great (with an age shifted Audrey and Rusty) and all the secondary characters including grandparents, the yuppie neighbors, and even Clark's boss are perfect. But, of course, the return of Eddie and Catherine in a broken down trailer really makes the movie - way back when Randy Quaid was just crazy in the movies.

I've been watching this movie since I was a kid and I can't imagine a year without seeing it.

A Christmas Story

2010-12-25T12:38:00.000-08:00

December 25.

Ok, so I didn't start "A Christmas Story" at the beginning, but it doesn't matter. I just watched it through and then let it start again and once the kid stuck his tongue to the pole, again, I knew I'd seen the whole thing.

I didn't really like this movie as a kid. The adults are mean, the kids are mean, Randy's gross, the mom is nuts, Santa's scary. This movie just always made me uncomfortable. But I am an American and I wouldn't want to offend my fellow countrymen. So every year I do my civic duty and watch. Some of it has grown on me. The leg lamp and the Chinese Christmas dinner are my favorite parts.

TBS is taking advantage of all of us though. They know we have to watch so they show these really long commercials for their awful shows. TBS, you can stop, I won't see you again until next year.

It's a Wonderful Life

2010-12-24T19:36:00.000-08:00

December 24.

"Look, Daddy. Teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings." The most classic line in the most classic Christmas movie ever made. I love "It's a Wonderful Life!" James Stewart, Donna Reed, Clarence!

I have always liked the movie but in the last few years I really appreciate it. I think I'm a lot like George Bailey. I grew up with these grand visions of what life would be like, all the places I'd go, the things I'd see. But then one day I woke up and realized this is it. How depressing. Of course George gets to see the world if he'd never been born. He witnesses the lives of all the people he has helped and the good he has done in Bedford Falls. When he realizes he had a wonderful life it's because everyone is falling apart without him. But maybe that is how you're supposed to value your life. And in the end they do save him too.

I don't know if I will ever have that revelation, but it's nice to watch George realize how much his life is worth and that he really has accomplished so much. So no matter how depressing it appears I always feel better when George screams Merry Christmas to Bedford Falls and Zulu squeaks out that famous line.

True Grit

2010-12-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

December 24.

I didn't see the original "True Grit" and don't really have an affinity for Westerns. But when the Coen Brothers make a movie, I make it a point to show up. And again they made an amazing movie. The story was perfect, the dialogue witty, smart, and interesting, and the actors, well they were the best part. A Coen trademark is the actors. From the lead roles or the smallest parts every person is unique to look at and wonderful to watch. "True Grit" was no different.

Jeff Bridges is very Dude, or at least his speech is, as a tough U.S. Marshall, always drunk and a little too old to be running around the Indian territory trying to find a murderer (not that the Dude did that). Although he is great, as is Matt Damon, and even Josh Brolin, it's Hailee Steinfeld, who I've never even seen before, that I fell in love with. Her character, the 14-year-old who hires Bridges to find her father's murderer, is tough and extremely bright for her age.

This is exactly a Christmas movie, but if Christmas is about family and gun fights in the Wild West, then why not.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

2010-12-24T18:30:00.000-08:00

December 23.

Wow. "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" opens with a close up of a makeup-less, 75-year-old Joan Rivers and gets more revealing from there.

This documentary was filmed during what Rivers calls a slow year. She does stand up, puts on a play about her life, and stars on "The Celebrity Apprentice." There are funny moments, well, funny lines. She is funny after all. And there are a lot of clips from her career and pictures of her life, which were awesome to see. But mostly this is a sad, sad look at an insecure old woman who has had a lot of tough times.

She's candid about everything from beauty, sex, plastic surgery, her daughter, and her husband's suicide. "A Piece of Work" is a really well made documentary and you have to give Joan credit for being so open about her life.

The Fighter

2010-12-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

December 18.

Mark Wahlberg was great as the lead in "The Fighter," but Christian Bale is the real star of this true life story about a Boston boxer and his drug addicted brother.

Wahlberg plays stepping stone boxer Micky Ward, who might have the potential for something bigger. He looks up to his crack addicted, larger-than-life older brother, Dicky Eklund (Bale), who had his moment more than a decade ago but won't let go. Micky was a child when Dicky fought (and knocked down) Sugar Ray Leonard. Dicky taught him everything he knows and is still his trainer even though he doesn't always show up. The story takes place while HBO is filming Dicky for his come back, but once he gets arrested it all begins to unravel.

The drama has many heavy moments - some of Ward's beatings are hard to watch, as is the gritty Boston family and Dicky's drug use. But Bale's performance is so amazing everyone should see it. He always puts so much into what he does, physically and mentally. All you have to do is see the real Eklund to know what a transformation the normally sexy Bale made. Make sure you stay for the credits when the real brothers appear, you'll see Bale was not exaggerating.

Although I didn't exactly like Dicky or their mother, I thought Ward showed a lot of character sticking by the family that probably brought him down.

Black Swan

2010-12-23T14:13:00.000-08:00

December 18.

When I first saw the preview for "Black Swan" I knew I wanted to see it but I wasn't sure what exactly was going on. Was Natalie Portman turning into a swan? Was she just freaking out? Was the ballet director making her sleep with him for the part? Was someone beating her? Is Mila Kunis trying to kill her?

Now that I've seen it some of those questions are answered, but I'm still not sure what was real and what was fantasy. This is definitely more than a drama though. Maybe it's horror or at least a psychological thriller.

Either way, director Darren Aronofsky made another too-real, intense, amazing movie. He strips away all the beauty of the ballet and shows the competitive dancing world complete with bloody feet, puking uptight girls, and an aging star who can't handle being replaced. And that doesn't even touch the surface of the actual story.

Some of the beauty does come back during the last act when you see opening night, but I don't want to give anything away so I'll just say see it.

How Do You Know

2010-12-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

December 18.

"How Do You Know" has a few unfortunate pitfalls. It's billed as a comedy and the actors are usually comedic, so obviously you go in thinking it's a comedy. But it's really more of a drama with funny moments. I still liked it though. It's probably a little too long, and maybe they go into each story a little too much. I think that's the problem with stories like this. there are three leads (plus Jack Nicholson!) and way too much going on. It could have been a television show.

To turn this back into a comedy I think it mostly needed focus and editing. The Owen Wilson character, although funny, could have been cut out altogether, or at least made to be more of a sidenote. And Reese Witherspoon, who plays an aging (31) women's softball player who's about to get cut from the team, could have been fired in scene one instead of dragging it out.

The actors are still really good, especially the scenes with Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

2010-12-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

December 12.

I was looking for "Home Alone" on instant Netflix and couldn't find it, but I found "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" and thought well, this will be OK, I'm sure it's just like the first one except set in NYC!

It was a mistake. I barely made it to the end without going crazy. Some of the jokes are exactly the same as the first movie, which seemed stupid. I know this is a kids' movie starring a kid, but does this kid really wish to be alone again just one year after being left alone?

Whatever, it's really stupid and I should have watched any other Christmas movie.

The Tourist

2010-12-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

December 11.

"The Tourist" should have been a good movie, maybe even great. Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in a caper through the romantic canals of Venice is a great set up. But something was missing. Chemistry, I guess.

The storyline was good enough. It starts in Paris where she is being watched by Interpol. She gets a letter from a mysterious man, hops on a train, and per his instructions picks up a look-a-like - Johnny. Depp plays a bumbling American math teacher, set against Angie's cool, very together Brit. But from here it drags. The action never really takes off (and neither do those molasses-style boat chases) and the intrigue isn't really that intriguing.

Johnny is better than Angie. He's a bit charming and a little funny. She doesn't have a moment of levity though. It's also odd to see her looking old and too thin.

La Vie en Rose

2010-12-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

December 10.

Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for her role in "La Vie en Rose," it's set in Paris, and follows the life of the famous French singer Edith Piaf. It really has the makeup of a movie I would love ... but I didn't. I don't know the singer or her music, and maybe that's part of it, even though that hasn't kept me from liking these kinds of movies in the past. ,

Cotillard seemed like she was playing a caricature of Piaf, who had a rough childhood growing up between the streets of Paris and her grandmother's brothel. Although she had bad parents they were both talented and she started performing as a child. She seemed to go from bratty kid to bratty, famous adult without missing a beat and although I felt bad for her I didn't really like her. The whole time I kept thinking I was watching a bad sketch on "Mad TV" played by Nicole Sullivan (she really looks like her).

My other complaint is the way the story skipped around. I don't always mind this, sometimes it's a great technique and adds something to the story, but it just confused me during this movie.

Tangled

2010-12-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

December 5.

"Tangled" is cute enough if you're an eight year old girl, I guess. It has some of those classic Disney Princess moments - princess trapped in tower by evil, old woman, Prince Charming comes to rescue her, etc., etc. And it does move into the 21 Century because Prince Charming isn't actually a Prince and no one seems to care.

But, I don't know. There were no great sidekick like "Aladdin," "The Little Mermaid," or "Lion King" had and the humor didn't extend to the adult audience.

So, "Tangled" is OK but with so many great animated movies out it really doesn't cut it.

127 Hours

2010-11-30T22:28:00.000-08:00

November 27.

"127 Hours" is hard to watch and completely worth it. It made me cringe watching the opening scenes as Aron Ralston (James Franco) greedily chugs water, ignores phone calls from his family, and leaves his apartment without his Swiss Army Knife to go hiking in Utah. I knew he was going to go, not tell anyone where, fall, and that a boulder would trap the hand he'd lose on the trip. But a part of me still hoped for a different outcome.

It didn't happen. About a half hour into the movie he fell, the boulder crushed his hand, and he was trapped. The real-life hiker filmed himself during his 127 hours in the canyon, and Franco and director Danny Boyle are among the few people who have seen these tapes. I'm sure the video helped Franco to pull off the amazing performance he gave expressing the frustration, fear, anger, desperation, and sadness Aron felt.

There's a scene when he's standing there, hand caught, nothing to drink, nothing to eat, where his mind rushes back to the bottle of Gatorade laying in the back seat of his car. Oh, what he'd do for that Gatorade. There's nothing funny about this story, obviously, but the way Boyle tells the story I can't help but laugh. Even though there were lighthearted moments I was just waiting. I knew what was coming. The hand had to go. And he had to be the one to slice it off.

From the time I heard about Aron when he had his accident in 2003 I always said there's no way I could do it. I'd just die there in that canyon. I still think I'd die there. I don't think I would have had the strength to survive what he did (not that I'd ever have been there to begin with). But watching him, how he had given up, knew he was dead, I understand how he did it. Not the physical how, but the emotional how. The physical how, well, that's another story. Watching him snap his bones and hack away at his half dead arm, blood gushing out, just to get to the nerves, which he plucked like guitar strings as he screamed in pain. It is graphic and slow but I felt the relief with him and could breathe again.

The movie ended with a little about Aron and his life since 2003, but I still want to know more. I wonder if he will ever show the real videos? Probably not. "127 Hours" is probably intense enough anyway.

Love & Other Drugs

2010-11-30T21:12:00.000-08:00

November 27.

"Love & Other Drugs." I don't know. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. I don't recommend it. I don't even really have much to say.

Anne and Jake are great. Good actors wasted on a below average script. They play charming and interesting characters. But the story kinda drags and goes back and forth. They are just sleeping together, they are dating, they are back to being casual, they are serious again, and back and forth. Maybe this is the way life works, it doesn't always go beginning, middle, end.

So, ehh. If you really want to see Anne Hathaway naked go ahead and see it, otherwise there's got to be something better to do.

Burlesque

2010-11-30T20:50:00.000-08:00

November 26.

I don't know why I always get sucked into these movies. It's like I see sparkles and hear singing and think "oh, that's going to be good." But it's never good. Never ever ever.

The small town girl with a big heart and even bigger dreams makes her way to the big city. She wants her name in lights and works her way up, standing up to the established stars, proving her talent, and stunning the legend, the boy she likes, and pissing off the current star who's a massive bitch. As she makes her way into the spotlight she dates the wrong guy but eventually finds her way to the nice boy and ends up with everything.

Kinda sounds like "Showgirls" doesn't it? Nope. "Coyote Ugly?" Try again. This is "Burlesque," and it's awful. Sure, Cher and Christina can sing. The dance numbers are fun, the music is great, and Stanley Tucci can do no wrong, but, oh god, the acting, the dialogue, the story. It's so awful.

Elf

2010-11-30T20:31:00.000-08:00

November 25.

To continue my month-long holiday movie marathon (do I have to watch them all at once to call it a marathon? I'm not, so let's move on) I turned on "Elf."

I love this modern day holiday classic and was just thinking everyone must love it, right? They don't! Rotten Tomatoes has it at 84% for critics and 73% for audience. What?!? OK, I don't think this is the best movie ever made, but how could you watch "Elf" and then say, "nah, I didn't like that" or even "ehh, that was ok?"

Will Ferrell as Buddy the (human) elf running around a wintery white NYC in bright yellow tights, what's better than that? And, a great supporting cast with James Caan, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner, and so on.

I don't know Rotten Tomatoes, I think you missed the mark on this one. Viewers and critics should be resurveyed.

Miracle on 34th Street

2010-11-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

November 24.

There's no way you can grow up with a TV and not have seen at least parts of "Miracle on 34th Street." And that's all I saw until now. Even though I'd never seen the iconic movie from start to finish I knew what happened and think I saw at least a part of each scene.

Miracle is super cheesy, maybe the cheesiest of all the Christmas movies, although there are some ridiculous things happening on the Hallmark channel. So even though the point of the movie is figuring out if this old man is just crazy or indeed Santa Claus it's still good and a great way to kick off the Christmas season, which I guess is why it's always on TV starting on Thanksgiving.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

2010-11-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

November 22.

I've heard people say that "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1"is kind of a waste. It doesn't really have a story or stand alone as a movie. I guess I see where these people are coming from, but I still really liked it.

It's beautiful, exciting, and fun. I wasn't bored, didn't think it went on too long, and wasn't ready for it to end. Watching Harry and his friends on the run was spooky and more adult than any of the other movies, which I guess it had to be since they are older, have left Hogwarts, and are running from an army of evil. All of this made it sad too. It's like the long goodbye. They are tying up loose ends, moving towards final declarations, and preparing for it to be over. I know it has to end, no one wants to see a geriatric Harry Potter, but it's still sad.

So maybe this movie is just a set up for Part 2 but it's still a must see for any Harry Potter fan.

The Trouble with Angels

2010-11-29T19:40:00.000-08:00

November 21.

Rosalind Russell in full habit, a bunch of nuns (one with what appears to be a rifle), and a smart ass Hayley Mills ... this doesn't seem like a movie I'd be really interested in. But, my mom, the product of an all girl's Catholic school education, has been asking me to watch "The Trouble with Angels" for almost a year. So one Sunday I finally gave in and we watched.

She remembers the silly movie fondly from when she saw it in her plaid skirt and black and white saddle shoes. It must have seemed exotic to a go off to an old school and cause trouble with friends. And although I've never been to Catholic school and am about 20 years older than she was when she first saw the movie I can see its charm. Even if it is a bit flawed as movies go.

Hayley Mills, Mary, and her best friend Rachel cause, well, trouble for the sisters every chance they get. They lie, smoke, sneak out, start what appears to be a fire, and so on. The movie is cute and harmless but it goes on a little too long and the story doesn't get going until too late. And, the end comes out of nowhere.

But with all that said, young girls would probably still find fun and charm in the campy flick.

Fair Game

2010-11-28T14:38:00.000-08:00

November 20.

"Fair Game" is about Valerie Plame (the undercover CIA Agent who got outed by people working for then-Vice President Dick Cheney). Even the poster shows Naomi Watts, as Plame, upfront. And in the background is Sean Penn, who plays her husband Joe Wilson. But Penn steals the movie. He steals every movie, doesn't he? He might be the best actor working today.

This movie is great. International intrigue. Government cover ups. Great acting. Amazing script. And it's all true. Well, you know... It's based on actual events, who knows how much is actually true.

Sometimes stories like this get completely confusing. But this wasn't at all. Maybe because it was in the papers and I knew most of the story already or maybe it was just done well. Either way it works.

Side note: the actors they got to play Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and the rest of the Bush crew were spot on.

Due Date

2010-11-28T14:20:00.000-08:00

November 20.

I soooo wanted this to be good. A buddy comedy with RDJ, Zach Galifianakis, and that cute dog. It should be funny right? It's not. Not enough at least.

The odd couple works but the story gets too serious and the mishaps are too out there. The two strangers get thrown off a plane together and are forced to travel together in a rental car from Atlanta to LA. RDJ is in a rush because his wife is about to give birth (that's where the due date comes in). Along the way they (mostly RDJ) are shot, drink the ashes of ZA's dead father, are in a way too serious car accident, and get detained at the Mexican border.

I usually hate movies that are made up of a bunch of misunderstandings, when each one is more ridiculous then the next. And, this is a perfect example of all of that. It's a big mess and annoying to watch.

It's too bad but this story was better the first time when it was called "Planes Trains and Automobiles." Hollywood needs to stop remaking the classics.

Prete-Moi Ta Main

2010-11-28T13:28:00.000-08:00

November 13.

Well it happened. I finally found a French, romantic comedy I do not like. "Prete-Moi Ta Main" wasn't as bad as so many Hollywood rom-coms, but it wasn't the cute Frenchie-type that I love.

The English title, "I Do: How to Get Married and Stay Single," is a mouthful! But the story is, well almost, simple. The main guy has a gaggle of overbearing sisters and an even overbearing mother who just want him to get married. So he comes up with the worst plan ever - hire a woman to pretend to be your finance, she stands him up at the altar, he is heartbroken, no one bothers him about marriage again.

Of course the plan goes wrong and he falls in love with the woman who's pretending to be his future wife. So the eternal bachelor has met his match, and so and and so on.

Red

2010-10-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

October 24.

I don't know why old action stars are all coming back to make action movies, and still doing stunts, but "RED" wasn't bad. The cast is great and Bruce Willis is still hot.

The story is pretty simple, retired spies are being targeted by an unknown enemy and are excited to get back in the action because of how boring normal life is. And Willis picks up a love interest, Mary Louise Parker, along the way. I usually hate Parker but she wasn't bad either. I always relate to characters who wish they were doing more exciting things with their lives.

And her life turns pretty exciting once she meets Willis! Running around dodging bullets with a geriatric crowd. Exciting! John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman are all great as always, and even though they probably do more than most seniors could the movie doesn't have them jumping cars or anything crazy.

Hereafter

2010-10-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

October 24.

Religion isn't my thing and psychics, ummm, no. So watching a bunch of people try to figure out what happens after you die seems like a big waste of time, but I agreed to see "Hereafter" anyway. I don't know why. It was set in London, San Francisco, and Paris, three amazing places, but still ...

I liked it more than I thought, even though I don't agree with the message, that there is an afterlife. I think the three stories were all interesting and kept my attention, although others in the theater didn't agree. Two old, annoying women in front of us wouldn't shut up. They hated it and made sure we all knew!

When people hate a movie why don't they just leave? I don't think I've ever walked out of a movie but I also don't say "I hate this" every five minutes. Some movies suck, some are hard to sit through but still, shut up!

The Red Shoes

2010-10-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

October 23.

Roger Ebert tweeted that "The Red Shoes" was going to be on Turner Classic Movies and everyone must see it. So, if I must, I must. I DVRed it and every few days would look at the two-and-a-half-hour run time and think ... tomorrow. Finally tomorrow came and I realized it wasn't really two and a half hours, there were bumpers by Robert Osborne that ate up at least a half hour. Plus, as soon as it started I was hooked.

Set mostly on the stage and mostly in London it is perfect. A young composer and a young ballerina, both looking for stardom, work their way up to the top in a famous, driven ballet producer's company.

When they perform "The Red Shoes" for the first time I was thinking how the special effects, although dated now, must have been amazing in 1948. The red ballet slippers appear on the ballerinas feet instantly, I know! amazing.

Although the dancing is beautiful it's not really until the two young stars fall in love and the producer tries to put an end to it that the movie gets great. But it does get great. Thanks Roger.

Jackass 3D

2010-10-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

October 23.

"Danger, shit, and puke. And sex appeal. That's what it's all about."

Obviously most people think the ridiculous antics of the Jackass crew are funny. The third and 3D version was #1 at the box office. And, I agree. It's funny. But walking away I'm not really thinking of the funny stunts - roller skating with buffalo, midget bar fight, and whatever they were doing with the back of that airplane - I'm thinking how disgusting this movie was. There was so much shitting, pissing, and puking it's all I can remember.

Although the 3D was an interesting element, the slow motion (which I don't remember if they used in previous movies) was what really made some stunts even funnier and even more disgusting.

I recommend "Jackass 3D," but skip the popcorn.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

2010-10-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

October 23.

This is the way a movie about teens should be. It's smart and funny and takes a real look at how scary it is to have everything ahead of you. Your whole life, all your decision, and the potential to screw it all up. Although I'm old enough now to know that's a great place to be at the time it can seem overwhelming.

Zach Galifinakis is funny, he always is, but he's never as good playing a part as when he's just being himself. He felt a little reined in and I could have done with more of him. But this story is really about Craig. A 16-year-old who's having a hard time with school, friends, girls, parents, life. So, he checks himself into the mental ward of a local hospital.

Movies set in mental hospitals always get a lot of their charm from the supporting cast, and "It's Kind of a Funny Story" is no exception. The patients are great and full of familiar faces. (Eh hem, Daniel Faraday from "Lost.") And, being set in a mental hospital there were some similarities to the place I spend my days. Especially the lunchroom. The gray food in their cafeteria looked a lot like what you find at Ciao, the team member dining room at The Venetian. We don't stand in line for our meds, but that doesn't mean that post people aren't on them.

Nowhere Boy

2010-10-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

October 16.

I finally took a break from France and jumped to the gritty, working-class neighborhood of Liverpool, England, circa 1955. A 15-year-old John Lennon (played by Aaron Johnson) was sort of a dork, definitely a trouble maker, and didn't seem to have much of a future, ahem ... "Nowhere Boy" was born.

The whole movie plays out over two years as John, living with his strict Aunt Mimi and secretly visiting his mother, Julia, who abandoned him when he was 6, figures out who he is and falls in love with Elvis and rock 'n' roll.

Although the end sort of turns into a melodramatic, Lifetime movie experience, I cut it a little slack because his life was melodramatic but still interesting. Plus, there was enough music peppered throughout to make me think at any moment I was going to see The Quarrymen transform into The Beatles. The movie ends when John is leaving for Hamburg, so...OK, I didn't actually get to see The Beatles. But, I did see a 15-year-old Paul and a pop-in from a teenage George.

There was definitely enough going on in this story to warrant it's own movie, but I think someone needs to pick up where it leaves off and share the next chapter. If you see it, make sure you stay through the credits for real photos of the boys during the 50s!

French Kiss

2010-10-16T00:11:00.001-07:00

October 15.

Keeping with my Francophile trend, but too tired to read subtitles, I turned to the tried-and-true rom-com "French Kiss."

The main characters are played by Americans, but everyone else is French and about 98% of the movie takes place in France. Kevin Kline, who's always awesome, is great as the grungy, thieving French man, Luc (Luuuuucccc). And, Meg Ryan, as the soon-to-be-Canadian-ex-American, Kate, was still in her cute, girl next door phase.

I love this movie. It's funny and sweet. Beautiful shots of Paris, the French countryside, the coast, lots of wine, cheese, and, of course, kissing. Magnifique.

After I watched it I noticed I could turn the language to French. I might have to do that once I get further into learning the language.

Amelie

2010-10-11T23:11:00.001-07:00

October 11.

Lately I've been a little obsessed with all things French, so to continue with my infatuation I put on one of my favorite French movies, "Amelie." I was just going to watch for a few minutes before I went to sleep but once I started I couldn't turn it off.

"Amelie" is set in a dream-like Paris. It's a fantasy and a painting all in one. And, Audrey Tautou is adorable as the title character with her cute bob, wide eyes, and innocent smile. It's weird to think this movie is really about a group of depressed, lonely people. I don't feel sad as I watch their sadness.

The subtitles go a bit too fast but it doesn't matter. Watching Amelie do good things for everyone around her is sweet. My favorite story is, of course, the traveling gnome. I really hope this was the first traveling gnome and it didn't start in a commercial, but either way ... nothing beats the traveling gnome! I love seeing the photos her dad gets in the mail with his head popping up in front of famous landmarks around the world.

I kinda feel like I want to watch it again right now. Maybe I'll turn the subtitles off and see if I can understand anything they are saying. I am learning French, but I'm on La Femme, L'homme, so this might be jumping the gun a bit.

Secretariat

2010-10-10T23:32:00.001-07:00

October 10.

Stories about horse racing are always interesting to me. Probably because I have a lot of childhood memories at racetracks. Growing up about 5 minutes from Belmont Racetrack with a father who loved the ponies made it so the first time I heard the word fuck was at a racetrack and the first time I gambled was $2 to win on a horse I probably picked because it had the name princess in it or maybe Lauren. My strategy was solid. Cute names, lucky numbers, and pretty colors. I don't have any memories of winning, but I always thought it was fun.

So, when my dad heard Disney was making "Secretariat" he said we had to go even if he didn't have high hopes for how they'd handle the story. After he read a review in The Racing Form, no seriously there was a review of the movie in The Racing Form, he said he was going to hate it but we had to see it anyway.

Neither one of us hated it. I felt it was a little long, Secretariat had only won the first of three Triple Crown races when I started checking the time, but it was a good story and Diane Lane was great as the housewife/horse owner who saves the family stables. Most of the movie my dad whispered – "that's not true" "that's not how it really happened" – but even he liked it, mostly. Maybe they took some creative license, but the essence of the story is there. You root for Big Red (Secretariat) and he wins and you're happy when you leave.

The Madness of King George

2010-10-09T19:15:00.001-07:00

October 9.

I couldn't even finish watching "The Madness of King George." I love movies about the British Royals, but this had everything I hate. King George goes crazy, obviously, and they put him in an insane asylum and torture him, which I guess was what they did to crazy people back in the day. But I don't need to see it.

There's nothing fun, sexy, or really even intriguing about this story. George's son wants him gone so he can rule, but the king is crazy so it's not really like he's going behind his back and making secret deals.

It was just sad and I didn't finish it. All this movie did was make me miss The Tudors.

La Doublure (The Valet)

2010-10-03T12:14:00.001-07:00

October 2.

I love these silly French comedies. The funny farces seem like a throwback to 1960s romantic comedies. Nothing too serious, just good characters playing out romantic scenes in beautiful locations.

"La Doublure" or "The Valet" is the story of a wealthy married man, his supermodel girlfriend and the unlucky-in-love valet driver, Francois Pignon, who was at the wrong (or right) place at the wrong (or right) time.

A paparazzo snaps a picture of Elena (who looks so much like Heidi Klum I keep thinking it's her) standing next to her boyfriend, Levasseur and it gets printed in a newspaper. When Levasseur's wife sees it he tells her he was just passing by and sets out to find Francois who really was just passing by but is in the picture as well. Elena and Francois live together to make people think they are really dating and they even start to fool Levasseur, who set the whole thing up.

I have to find more movies like this!

Bride and Prejudice

2010-10-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

October 2.

I haven't seen many Bollywood-style movies but I love the music, the dancing, and the gorgeous costumes. So, add all that to the Jane Austen classic and how can it go wrong?

"Bride and Prejudice" follows the story of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy almost exactly, some lines are even the same. The difference is it's set in current day India and there's a lot of singing!

I don't love it as much as the Keira Knightley adaptation or the Colin Firth miniseries, but it's still a lot of fun and an interesting take on the story.

The Social Network

2010-10-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

October 2.

Even after "The Social Network" ended I didn't know if I liked or hated Mark Zuckerberg (the creator of Facebook played by Jesse Eisenberg), but I loved the movie either way.

David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin should never stop working together. The story of how Facebook was created by a Harvard undergrad and his friends could be told in a magazine article or story on the news, but it was was turned into an engrossing, funny, interesting movie that I think anyone would like.

The cast of young, mostly unknown, actors is amazing. And, I know people talk about Justin Timberlake being able to do whatever he wants, but I think he really can. He was great as the creator of Napster.

I don't know how accurate the story is or who I side with, but hey they're all rich, so who cares.

Bella

2010-10-01T23:13:00.001-07:00

October 1.

The moment Jose (Eduardo Verastegui) appeared on screen I knew what the title "Bella" was referring to. Well, OK, maybe that's not what it means, but wow, the Mexican actor is gorgeous.

"Bella" is gorgeous, too. The story, which primarily takes place during one day in New York, unfolds in such an interesting way it's hard not to fall in love with all the characters and their imperfections.

Although the movie is billed as a romantic story between Jose, a cook at a Mexican restaurant, and Nina, a pregnant waitress, it's not romantic in a traditional way. It's more about love and family and the path life takes you on.

This is what an indie movie should be. Bella.

Easy A

2010-10-01T23:12:00.000-07:00

October 1.

Ehh. That's what I think of "Easy A." It wasn't awful, there were funny moments, but I didn't exactly like it either.

Emma Stone plays Olive, the invisible girl at school until someone overhears her lying about having sex. The rumors spread and the other kids start paying attention to her. Got it. OK. She comes across as one of those above it kind of teens, but she perpetuates the lies by pretending to sleep with just about everyone at the school.

There was something really false about the characters and their motivations. And, the last quarter of the movie moves really fast - which is just a poor way to tie up loose ends. I hate that. Don't introduce so many characters or try to cram in so much if there isn't enough time to tell the stories.

About halfway through "Easy A," Olive makes mention of the best John Hughes movies every made and there is a montage of clips from these classics. This was a mistake. When you mention the best teenage movies during an average (at best) teen dramedy, it just points out all its flaws and forces the viewer to compare. Maybe the writers really thought this was as good.

I did like some of the adult characters. Olive's parents, played by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson, create the family every kid should want. And her favorite teacher, played by Thomas Hayden Church, is the kind of teacher all parents should want for their kids.

In the Loop

2010-09-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

September 26.

"In the Loop" is a quirky political comedy about the people behind the scenes during the time just before the U.S. and the U.K. entered the Iraq war in 2003.

Now, that's not really a funny topic, but the writing is smart and the story sheds light on some of the ridiculousness of the political machine.

My favorite character is Simon Foster (Tom Hollander), the British Secretary of State for International Development, who accidentally backs military action during an interview. Even though Simon has a big title and gets called up to be 'room meat' in some important meetings across the pond, he still has to deal with his constituents and their problems in small-town England.

I also love the grown-up Anna Chlumsky of "My Girl" fame. She's great in the movie and I hope she keeps acting.

Hors de Prix (Priceless)

2010-09-26T12:42:00.002-07:00

September 25.

J'aime "Hors de Prix" at les films Francais. J'aime aussi Audrey Tautou.

Cette série adorable de film dans Monte Carlo me rappelle d'un autre film préféré qui joue le rôle principal un autre Audrey préféré, "Déjeuner à Tiffany's."

Tautou joue Irene, une femme qui date des hommes avec l'argent comme un mode de vie jusqu'à ce qu'elle va accidentellement après un barman, Jean (Gad Elmaleh), parce qu'elle confondt avec lui un client de l'hôtel. Jean tombe dans l'amour et se maintenir il se trouve une femme avec l'argent, qui fait Irene un peu jaloux.

Ce film est juste amusant avec un beau toile de fond.

**********English Subtitles**********

I love "Priceless" and French films. I also love Audrey Tautou.

This adorable movie set in Monte Carlo reminds me of another favorite movie starring another favorite Audrey, "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

Tautou plays Irene, a woman who dates men with money as a way of life until she accidentally goes after a bartender, Jean (Gad Elmaleh), because she mistakes him for a hotel guest. Jean falls in love and to keep up he finds himself a woman with money, which makes Irene a little jealous.

This movie is just fun with a beautiful backdrop.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

2010-09-26T12:42:00.001-07:00

September 25.

Most of the business talk in "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" went right over my head. Even though the movie fictionalized actual current events, I still couldn't follow. But the general story wasn't hard to get into. It was just hard to get out of.

I recently saw the original "Wall Street" in preparation but I don't think it would have mattered if I hadn't seen it. They make a few comments about things that happened back then, and Shia LaBeouf wears a few 80s-inspired ties, but other than that this is a pretty current movie. Still, the movie has two big flaws.

#1. It is (painfully) an hour too long.

#2. Jake Moore (LaBeouf) is a young, ambitious Wall Street broker who is designed to remind you of what Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) was like at 25. The problem: Jake is engaged to Gordon's daughter, Winnie Gekko (Carey Mulligan), and she hates her father and everything he stands for. So I never buy into her love for Moore. She just wouldn't be with him. Plus, there's that extra dragging 60 minutes of blah that makes me givw up trying to find the reason she's with him.

Moonstruck

2010-09-19T17:34:00.001-07:00

September 19.

It's funny watching "Moonstruck" so many years after it was released. The idea that a 37-year-old woman is a desperate spinster who is waaay too old to have children doesn't seem to make sense since Carrie Bradshaw took over New York City.

But, this crazy Italian family played by Cher, Nicolas Cage, Olympia Dukakis, Danny Aiello, and on and on ... is still so much fun to watch. They are over the top and almost cartoonish. And I don't care that the whole movie is wrapped up in a neat little package at the end. It's still great.

Le Diner de Cons (The Dinner Game)

2010-09-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

September 18.

I was surprised how much "Le Diner de Cons" was like the American version, "Dinner for Schmucks" but how much more I liked it.

A few characters were different and they never made it to the dinner in the original, French version, but the story is the same. Pierre Brochant invites Francois Pignon (who makes models of engineering feats out of matchsticks) to a dinner party for idiots. The biggest idiot wins.

Pierre throws his back out before leaving the house, his wife walks out on him, and Francois is there to help. Although he means well, you feel for Pierre because Francois just keeps making everything worse.

The French film works better because it doesn't try to apologize for what it is. The people who invite idiots to dinner to make fun of them are mean. Pierre's wife tells him he's mean and he says, "OK, but it's fun." And, the story doesn't have a need (as American movies seem to) to be wrapped and happy by the end. There's no way Pierre and Francois are ever going to be buddies. Maybe that's why the Steve Carell/Paul Rudd version didn't work. It just wasn't believable.

The Town

2010-09-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

September 18.

Who knew Ben Affleck would be such a good director and even a really good actor? He does both brilliantly in "The Town."

The action-packed first scene drew me in and I stayed there the whole time. The story about a gritty bunch friends robbing banks in Charlestown, a neighborhood in Boston, reminded me a lot of a Martin Scorsese film. Affleck uses a mix of great actors and real Boston people to let the viewer into the lives of these people who have never even imagined living any other way.

The story starts with a bank robbery gone awry and a hostage being taken. To make sure she's no threat Doug (Affleck) follows the hostage and starts a relationship with her. I will always get caught up in rooting for relationships like this but she has to find out that he was her kidnapper, doesn't she?

Although that is the main story there are a lot of side stories based on the relationships of the makeshift family and an additional side story involving Jon Hamm as the FBI agent out to find the group of robbers.

I'm sure this is just the beginning of Affleck's movies and I wonder if he'll ever make one set outside of Boston, but either way, I can't wait to see more.

Going the Distance

2010-09-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

September 5.

"Going the Distance" is an OK romantic comedy. It's a lot funnier than most chick flicks but the story is a little weak.

Drew Barrymore plays a :::cough::: 31-year-old :::cough::: intern at a New York newspaper, who actually lives in San Francisco where she is finishing her master's degree. A few weeks before she's headed back home she meets Justin Long and they fall in love. Awe.

For most of the movie the two are in different cities trying to work out if they will ever really be together. It doesn't really matter. The jokes are good though. Long and Barrymore are cute and funny. And, the supporting cast of their friends and family, including Christina Applegate, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, and Jim Gaffigan, is great.

La Reine Margot (Queen Margot)

2010-09-04T22:44:00.003-07:00

September 4.

I love movies about the Royals. Usually the British Royals, but Margot, the spoiled, slutty, sister of the King of France, who ruled while Queen Elizabeth 1 was ruling in England, has an incredibly interesting family worthy of many more movies.

"La Reine Margot" is an adaptation of the novel by Alexandre Dumas. It starts on Catholic Margot's wedding night to the Protestant King of Navarre, Henri. The wedding is a political ploy to unite France, which is split because of ... religion.

The movie isn't great. It's seems like a made-for-tv movie, low budget and too much going on for the length, but I loved the story and the characters as Dumas presented them. I hope someone will make a better quality version of this story. Maybe even a four season Showtime series.

The American

2010-09-04T22:44:00.001-07:00

September 4.

I think I liked "The American." It wasn't what I thought, but, I didn't hate it.

It started with George Clooney and a gun fight, so I thought it was going to be an action-packed movie. Even the poster <--- shows Clooney on the run. But, it is not an action movie.

There's a lot of quiet waiting and even the gunfight scenes are quick and clean. Clooney hides out, waiting for his next assignment, in a small Italian village where he befriends a priest and a prostitute.

There's something very cool about the movie, but also something missing. Some sort of ... energy, I guess. I don't think Clooney smiles once. There's no levity.

Happy-Go-Lucky

2010-08-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

August 29.

For the first half hour or so of "Happy-Go-Lucky" the main character Poppy's giggly silliness annoyed me. Then it grew on me. And then the movie seemed to go into a never ending series of nothing.

The description says it's about an eternal optimist who is happy about everything until her bike is stolen and then she has to take driving lessons from an instructor who is her exact opposite.

Well, all that is true. She is the happiest person ever. She has a bike. It gets stolen. She takes driving lessons from an asshole. But so much more happens. Dating, pregnant sisters, conversations with homeless men, Flamenco lessons, sex, drinking, a student (she's a teacher) who's being abused by his mother's boyfriend, and on and on and on. But nothing ever really happens.

It isn't bad exactly. But it isn't good. The acting is good. The characters are great. I really did love Poppy by the end. But, the story needs some editing and some direction. Maybe it would make a better television series.

The Kids Are All Right

2010-08-29T18:20:00.001-07:00

August 29.

"This Kids Are All Right" is as good as the critics say it is. (95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.)

The movie's cast was excellent, with Annette Bening and Julianne Moore as a married, lesbian couple raising two teenagers and Mark Ruffalo as their sperm donor. Every character is likable at times and irritating at others. I didn't always understand their motivation or agree with their choices but that's the way we all feel about one another, isn't it? These characters are all flawed and come across as real, genuine people muddling through a unique situation.

When the older of the two kids, played by Mia Wasikowska, turns 18 she gets in touch with her mothers' sperm donor and, along with her brother played by Josh Hutcherson, the family begins to get to know him.

It seems complicated and difficult but I was rooting for this family to figure it out and make it work the whole time.

Ramona and Beezus

2010-08-28T18:34:00.001-07:00

August 28.

OK. I know this movie is for 12 year old girls. But I grew up with Ramona. And, Beverly Cleary might be the reason I'm a writer. Her books made me love reading, and writing.

"Ramona and Beezus" seemed to take scenes from the entire Ramona series but it's been so long since I read any of the books that I'm not sure how true the story is to its inspiration. The story was simple and probably great for little girls. But whatever. What I loved was when those scenes, which I read more than 20 years ago, would appear and they would take me right back. Like Ramona squeezing an entire tube of toothpaste into the sink. And, running around in her red rain boots!

I love how the movie turned Ramona and Beezus' dad into an illustrator so we got to see drawings of Ramona as they were in the books.

The cast was great, too. Joey King as Ramona, Selena Gomez as Beezus, and the adults - Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Duhamel, John Corbett, Bridget Moynahan, and Sandra Oh.

SALT

2010-08-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

August 28.

"SALT" is a total popcorn movie. Fun and entertaining as long as you don't take it too seriously.

The action started right away and didn't let up until the end, which seemed like a perfect setup for "SALT 2." I've only seen Angelina Jolie in a few movies and she seems good enough. Again, this is an action movie, reality doesn't really come into play. And neither does serious acting. The stunts are crazy and completely unbelievable. But who cares, right? 90 minutes of mindless political espionage and Angelina jumping from moving truck to moving truck ... Well, reality is pretty lame anyway.

Cheri

2010-08-22T16:32:00.001-07:00

August 22.

"Cheri" is the story of a young, French man who is bored with his life of nothingness (his mother, Kathy Bates, made enough money as a courtesan that he doesn't need to work). So, he starts a years long affair with another aging courtesan, played by Michelle Pfeiffer. They seem happy and content until his mother decides it's time for him to get married and rips them apart. Not that either fought the end of the relationship.

There's really nothing else to say. This was a bad, bad movie. Good actors wasted on awful characters that don't have any redeeming qualities. Everyone is sad and pathetic. And, the British and American actors all speak with British accents even though they are supposed to be French. What is that? Why don't they speak with French accents? Or! why don't they speak French?

Dinner for Schmucks

2010-08-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

August 22.

Paul Rudd. Steve Carell. Dead mice dressed up as people. This should have been a great movie. It wasn't.

First, I hate movies where a lot of misunderstandings send characters running and ruin other character's other lives. It was from the same director as "Meet the Parents," so I should have known. Second, there was too much build up getting to the dinner so by the time they got to the dinner it didn't really matter anymore.

There were definitely a lot of Schmucks in the movie. And, a lot of familiar hilarious actors including a few of my favorite British actors.

This was a remake the French film "Le Diner de Cons." And, even though I didn't like this adaptation, I'll have to give the original a try.

The Switch

2010-08-21T23:38:00.001-07:00

August 21.

I really hate Jennifer Aniston movies, but I didn't hate "The Switch." Probably because even though she got top billing the movie was really Jason Bateman's.

I don't think this comedy made much money and I'm sure the critics hated it, but I thought it was funny and cute.

The premise is pretty simple, if not a little out there. Kassie (Aniston) and Murray (Bateman) are friends, and when she decides to have a baby on her own with the help of a sperm donor he gets drunk and dumps the sperm replacing it with his own. He doesn't remember doing that and they both go on (her back home in Minnesota and him in New York) living as if she had what she calls a seed baby. But, after seven years they meet up again, with her son, Sebastian, in the mix and there is no denying her son is also Wally's.

The story is more about the relationship between Wally and Sebastian, and it is a sweet one. There were also great supporting performances by Jeff Goldblum and Juliette Lewis.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

2010-08-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

August 21.

After waiting for "Exit Through the Gift Shop" to finally get to Las Vegas and about five failed attempts to see it with some friends, I snuck off on Saturday afternoon and caught the film in a small, crowded theater.

When reading the description of the movie, which started out as a "filmmaker's" attempt to get the famous and elusive street artist Banksy on film but ended up with Banksy turning the camera on the "filmmaker," I was confused. But, it doesn't matter what the description is or why the movie was made. It is amazing from beginning to end. Even if I didn't completely know what was happening until close to the end. I loved the art and laughed the entire time.

I can't explain what happens without giving away the humor and twist of the story. All I can say is I loved it and can't imagine that anyone wouldn't. If you love art, if you think art can be joke, if you think street art is beautiful or if you think it was cool but now it's not because everyone says it is, if you don't even care about art, I still can't imagine you wouldn't be interested in this movie.

Eat Pray Love

2010-08-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

August 15.

I tired to read "Eat Pray Love: The Book" twice and couldn't even get through Italy, the author's first stop on her spiritual journey. Looking into the depressed mind of a woman who, to me has the most glamorous job ever - a travel writer, is hard to swallow. It's full of self-indulgent, self-pity bullshit, and has a sweeping phoniness about it.

But, for some reason I still wanted to see the movie. Julia Roberts eating her way through Italy and falling in love with Javier Bardem, I couldn't resist. I thought the Hollywood treatment, which has ruined so many books, could make this one enjoyable.

I was wrong. It was more than 2 hours of whiny self-indulgent, self-pity bullshit.

The story is split into three countries, but really it's four because the first quarter takes place in NY, where this glamorous travel writer lives. And, that first quarter drags on and on and on. I think Elizabeth Gilbert went into so much detail about how sad and pathetic (ha) her life was as a way of justifying her journey. But who needs justification for wanting to travel the world? Not me.

Each section was too long. Too much introspection. Too much thought. I really believe no one actually cares what's in someone else's journal. We all feel alone. We're all afraid. We're all disappointed. We've all been hurt. So why is Liz's story so interesting? It's not. She just got a book deal and was able to take a year off and travel the world in search of her balance. Most of us have to settle to finding our balance between our 7 a.m. Starbucks and our 11 p.m. sleeping pill.

Do I sound bitter? I am.

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky

2010-08-14T22:59:00.000-07:00

August 14.

I don't know what my fascination with Coco Chanel is. I'm not into fashion but there's something about the woman who changed the way women dress that fascinates me. Plus, where there's Coco there's Paris.

Last year, I saw and loved "Coco Before Chanel," which chronicles the iconic fashion designer's early life. "Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky" focuses on her relationship with the world-famous Russian composer, and in some ways picks up right after last year's movie ended. She's older, wiser, successful, heart broken, and a lot more tightly wound.

If I compare the two, I enjoyed watching Gabrielle transform into Coco more than watching her as a cold, harsh business woman in a relationship with a married, misogynist (plus the first movie stars Audrey Tautou, my favorite French actress). But, there were moments of this story that I enjoyed. It was sad and moving, and any glimpse I can get into Chanel life I'll take!

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

2010-08-14T22:58:00.001-07:00

August 14.

"Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," with my favorite maybe overexposed geek Michael Cera, is visually interesting and unique but I never really got why he is fighting this girls exes or how all these normal people have super powers. I get that it's fantasy but I don't get the story. The whys.

The critics and a lot of my friends seem to love it, so maybe my problems stem from the fact that I don't play or have any interest in video games or comic books, which this movie seems to be born from.

The premise, Cera has to fight his new girlfriend's seven exes in order to date her, I get (well not why, but OK). But did they have to fight each other to date her? Does the loser of each fight die?

So, I didn't hate it but I don't know. It's probably just not for me.

The Other Guys

2010-08-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

August 14.

I either LOVE or HATE Will Ferrell movies. There's no in between. I don't even give most Will movies a chance. I'm not huge on dumb guy movies (of course there are a few I love, but there's an exception to every rule - right?). I don't know why :::coughmarkwahlbergcough::: but "The Other Guys" looked like a silly guy movie I might like.

So, after a few weeks out of movie commission (back injury), I made my way to "The Other Guys." I was pleasantly surprised. I guess, according to my rule, I have to say I loved it. Maybe I'll break my rule and just say I liked it. Solid like.

It's full of action and humor, Wahlberg and Ferrell play off each other perfectly, and there were enough good jokes to make me OK with the stupid ones.

Inception

2010-08-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

August 1.

I feel like this is getting redundant because I haven't heard many negative things about "Inception" but, I loved it.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, Tom Hardy (who I didn't know but didn't need much time to fall in love with), Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, all directed in a trippy, dreamy caper by Christopher Nolan - how could it go wrong?

Well, maybe it could have gone wrong, since it was sort of complicated and probably completely unbelievable if I stopped long enough to contemplate the reality of it. But, I didn't.

The two negative things I heard from people were, 1. it started slow, I say, "nope" and 2. the relationship between Leo and Marion was not believable, I say, "who even noticed, they were running around in a dream, in a dream, in a dream, in dream."

I loved the story, and the effects, and the style - I loved it all.

Despicable Me

2010-07-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

July 18.

I wasn't even sure what this movie was about when I saw the previews of "Despicable Me." But, the story of the greatest criminal adopting three orphans to help him get money for his ultimate, master plan - the greatest caper ever- was adorable. And, the hundreds of minions didn't hurt either.

This was absolutely the best kids' movie I've seen in a long time.

Cyrus

2010-07-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

July 10.

It was kinda weird watching John C. Reilly fight it out with his girlfriend's son, Jonah Hill, because they reminded me so much of each other. They should have been great friends fast. But, Cyrus (Hill) wasn't into losing his mom (Marisa Tomei) to a new man.

The pace was sometimes off in the movie, but overall "Cyrus" was funny and touching and a little crazy. A little crazy is always good.

Everyone in the cast was great and the cringe factor was in full effect.

Toy Story 3

2010-07-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

July 5.

"Toy Story 3" is everything it promises to be - cute, funny, warm, and touching.

The story brings back all the characters we love from the first and second movies and introduces a few new loveable toys. And, although I was entertained and would definitely say this was a good movie, I can't help but say it seems like all three movies have the same story. The toys get separated from their owner, Andy, and have to find their way back to him. Some think he doesn't love them anymore, but Woody always knows he does.

The difference with part three is that we know, and the toys know, that this is really the end. Andy's going to college and there's not much hope he'll bring his childhood toys with him. But, unless there's a new story to tell, maybe it's good that it's the end.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2010-07-04T16:08:00.001-07:00

July 4.

"For what it's worth, it's never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit - start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. You can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you'll make the best of it. I hope you'll see things that startle you. I hope you'll feel things you've never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again." - Benjamin Button, from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Julie & Julia

2010-07-04T01:25:00.002-07:00

July 4.

I have heard many people say they liked the Julia half of the movie but didn't care about the Julie half. I guess if I had to choose my favorite half, then, yes, I'd choose Julia, too, but I love both parts of "Julie & Julia."

Food, Paris, New York, well Okay, Queens, but still ... I get wrapped up in these stories of culinary obsession every time I turn the movie on.

Julie, played by Amy Adams, does crack under the pressure a few times, and the pressure is sort of silly since it's a self-inflicted deadline of making all of Julia Child's recipes and blogging about them in a year. But, I'm still rooting for her the whole time.

Julia, played my Meryl Streep is the exact opposite of Julie. She never cracks, well maybe once, but she is completely different. And, the marriage between her and her husband Paul is a sweet, unexpected love story.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

2010-07-04T01:25:00.001-07:00

July 3.

I love the Shopaholic book series, so I had to see the movie starring Isla Fisher as Becky Bloomwood.

It was a lot better than I expected. And, Fisher was a perfect choice as Becky. The character can seem a bit overindulgent and selfish but Fisher makes her sympathetic and adorable.

The movie takes the story out of London and brings it to New York. There are a lot of other changes, too, but, Luke Brandon is still a cute British guy. And, even with all the differences, I liked the movie a lot.

The Red Balloon

2010-06-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

June 26.

I first saw "The Red Balloon" in elementary school. Didn't we all? But when I saw it available instantly on Netflix I thought I'd watch again. I really didn't remember much about the short movie, except of course that the little French boy and his red balloon run all over Paris.

The half-hour movie really is cute and Paris is, of course, beautiful.

Au Revoir, les Enfants (Goodbye, Children)

2010-06-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

June 26.

I loved the well-acted and amazingly sad story of "Au Revoir, les Enfants."

The movie is based on writer/director Louis Malle's childhood at a French boarding school run by priests. There are moments in the story, that focuses on the friendship between Julien and Jean, where it seems fun and carefree. But, knowing the story is set during World War 2 and that Jean one of six Jewish kids being hidden at the school by the priests, well, there's always a sense of doom looming.

Even knowing what is coming when it actually happens it's sad and moving and I can see how it would have changed Malle forever.

Art & Copy

2010-06-20T18:22:00.001-07:00

June 20.

I think even people who don't work in advertising will find this documentary about how creative advertising is made interesting.

The PBS documentary features interviews with dozens of past and present creatives in agencies all over the country. They share the stories about how they came up with some of the most memorable ad campaigns, like Just Do It, I Love NY, Where's the Beef?, Got Milk, and Think Different.

It's great to learn how the ideas come about, how they are implemented, and how they affect our culture.

There's even a great story that focuses on a guy who is a third generation billboard installer and what advertising means to him and his family.

Miss Austen Regrets

2010-06-20T18:21:00.001-07:00

June 20.

I think I just hate all stories about Jane Austen. It's probably because I know that historians don't really know the details about her love like that these movies like to show. Not that I can't appreciate a great fantasy. "Girl with a Pearl Earring," starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth, is a great movie, which tells the story of the girl in the famous painting by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. The entire story is fabricated because no one knows who the girl is or what her relationship to the painter was. But, the movie and its story are both incredible.

So, I guess it's just the make believe around Jane Austen that irritates me. This story, "Miss Austen Regrets" was painful. Watching an older Austen help her young niece decide who she should marry, while regretting her own choices, was just sad and not how I want to think about Jane Austen.

From now on, I'll stick to works by, rather than about, Austen.

Surfer, Dude

2010-06-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

June 19.

Matthew McConaughey should have been thrown out of Hollywood for making "Surfer, Dude."

I don't even know where to start with how awful this movie is. The story centers around an aging surfer, Steve played by McConaughey, who has no idea why people pay him to surf. He doesn't realize he is advertising their clothes and surfboards. And, when he somehow gets himself signed up to live in a Real World-style house for famous surfers he decides he can't handle the commercialization. For some reason at this point the waves stop coming and Steve takes off in frustration.

Everything about this movie is bad. Even appearances from McConaughey's friends Willie Nelson and Woody Harrelson couldn't help.

Valentine's Day

2010-06-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

June 19.

Another movie made up of vignettes!

So, this one wasn't exactly perfect. It was a little predictable and some of the star-packed stories were light on the, well, story. But, overall I liked "Valentine's Day" a lot more than I expected to.

My favorite story featured Anne Hathaway as a part-time phone sex operator and Topher Grace as her unsuspecting, new boyfriend. The story was sweet, honest, and the acting was great.

My least favorite stories featured the youngest cast members Emma Roberts, Taylor Swift, and Taylor Lautner. Maybe I'm officially too old for teenage love stories, but I didn't care about the Taylor's characters being in love or Emma's characters virginity.

Avenue Montaigne

2010-06-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

June 15.

I'm sure I've mentioned it before but I'll tell you again - I love to watch movies if the setting is beautiful, exotic, interesting, and a character in the story. I've seen a lot of bad movies due to the lure of a glimpse at a city I love, or think I would love. But, sometimes, like in the case of "Avenue Montaigne," the gamble pays off.

Set during one day in Paris, "Avenue" is cute, funny, touching, and engaging. There wasn't one character I didn't like. The young waitress, the tired concert pianist, the desperate actress, the old art collector - they all had great stories, and I was interested in every one.

So many movies made up of vignettes are lacking and forced. But, "Avenue" has three perfect stories that intertwine to make a great movie.

Get Him to the Greek

2010-06-06T13:45:00.001-07:00

June 5.

I know, I know, Russell Brand is annoying. But, I like him. I can't explain it. He looks dirty and talks too fast and has, if it's possible, an annoying British accent. But, I like him. I also love Jonah Hill. Doesn't everyone? Well, you should.

"Get Him to the Greek" isn't going to change your life, but it's funny. Both guys and their story lines made me laugh and kept me interested. Plus, I got to see Peggy Olson (A.K.A. Elisabeth Moss) as Hill's tired girlfriend, Daphne. Even, Puff Daddy, who is listed in the credits as P. Diddy, gives a good performance as Hill's music executive boss.

Sure, this is just a silly, summer movie, there is some truth to having your first job and what you're willing to do, and probably (I wouldn't know because I've never been famous) what it must be like to be washed up and wanting to hide away.

Babies

2010-05-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

May 31.

"BABIES!"

OK, now, I don't think of myself as an ooey-gooey-must-snuggle-the-babies kinda person, but this movie is so cute. And, maybe more than cute it is enlightening.

Watching the lives of four babies – Bayar in Mongolia, Hattie in San Francisco, Mari in Tokyo, and Ponijao in Namibia – from birth to sleeping, eating, bathing, and first steps, words, and birthdays is really eye opening. It's amazing to see how people live, and don't care about dirt! in other parts of the world. And, honestly, watching the San Franciscan family use a lint roller on Hattie seems ridiculous after watching Ponijao play with dirty water bottles and, well, dirt.

The documentary, made by French film maker, Thomas Balmes, tells the story of life through these babies' eyes. From the low-to-the-floor cameras and no subtitles explaining what the adults are saying, the viewer really gets to experience the world as these babies do.

Robin Hood

2010-05-31T08:37:00.000-07:00

May 30.

Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe teaming up for "Robin Hood" sounded like a great idea. And then the reviews poured in. I almost skipped the movie but still wanted to see what the two could do with this great story. I'm glad I did because I liked it so much more than the critics.

Scott and Crowe gave Robin a real, gritty feel. And, Cate Blanchett, (Maid Marion) can do no wrong. I got a little lost in the history, which is based on folklore, so who knows, but loved the new look at this story I've seen told many ways.

"Robin Hood" takes place before Robin Longstride steals from the rich and gives to the poor. This movie tells the story of how this man became Robin Hood. All I can hope is that there's a part two!