Friday, May 30, 2008

No Country For Old Men


When a broke hunter (Josh Brolin ) is out hunting one he stumbles across a drug deal gone bad and $2 million dollars in cash. He takes the money but then has to quickly flee the area because the folks who lost the money want it back. The guy they send to find the money (Javier Bardem) will stop at nothing to get it back, and Brolin is trying to stay one step ahead of him. This is a violent, but very good movie. It is obvious why it won so many awards including Best Picture.

Mad Money


Bridget (Diane Keaton) a wealthy upper class stay-at-home wife's life suddenly changes when her husband loses his job and she has to go to work. The only job she can find is a janitorial job at a bank. She comes up with a plan to take the money going to the shredder and needs to find a few more ladies to make her plan a success. She enlists Nina (Queen Latifah) and Jackie (Katie Holmes) to help. This movie got horrible reviews, but if you watch if for pure entertainment value it is not bad.

Juno


When young Juno (Ellen Page) gets pregnant she realizes she cannot go through with an abortion and decides she wants to give her baby up for adoption. She finds the perfect couple to adopt when she meets Mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa (Jennifer Garner). As the pregnancy progresses she realizes that this will be tougher than she first thought. This is a wonderful movie. Very funny in its sarcastic wit and the characters are all perfectly chosen.

P.S. I Love You


Hillary Swank plays Holly a happily married woman who is devastated by the very early death of her Irish husband Gerry (Gerard Butler). When notes and gifts start arriving from him she is first angry until she realizes this is his way of helping her move on with her life. I am not a huge Swank fan, but I really enjoyed this movie. I thought the chemistry of the main characters was great and overall she did a great job in this role.

Silk



When Herve (Michael Pitt) is called upon to save his town by traveling to the dangerous country of Japan to bring back silk worms, he must leave his bride (Keira Knightley) and risk his life to make the journey. When he is there he is intrigued with the wife of the Japanese man he is trading with and begins to jeopardize his mission with his obsession. I am a huge fan of Knightley but was disappointed with this film. It was slow and I really disliked Pitt's character by the end.

27 Dresses


This is the story of Jane (Katherine Heigl) who is so busy planning other people's weddings that she is not really living her own life. She is secretly in love with her boss and when her sister goes after him and a reporter wants to do a story about how many weddings she has been involved in things start to unravel. This probably would not have been an enjoyable movie if Heigl were not the star, but I enjoyed it because she made it fun to watch.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Enchanted


In the fairy tale world of Andalasia Giselle (Amy Adams) has finally found her prince, but on the day she is to wed him his evil step-mother pushes her into a well that magically transports her to the real world. In this strange new place (New York City) she comes across a man and his daughter who are nice enough to give her a place to stay while she waits for Prince Edward to find her. This was a really cute and funny movie that I think the adults enjoy as much as the children do. A must see!

The Golden Compass


This story is based on the book about an alternate universe where humans' souls live outside their body and are called daemons. These daemons take on an animal form and if they are injured the human feels it as well. This film is about a young girl who is the only one who can read a magical golden compass and ventures off on an expedition to find some missing children. Along the way she plans to help her uncle who is trying to find information about a mysterious substance called dust that is supposed to be able to connect the various universes. For me this film was a little confusing and would have to be watched a few times to get all the details straight. It leaves the ending wide open so you know there will be a sequel coming.

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep


Based around the legend of the Lock Ness Monster this film attempts to explain how that legend came to exist. When a sad young boy finds an unusual egg that quickly hatches into a water creature he is determined to keep and raise the creature without letting his mother know. With the help of his sister and the new handyman he succeeds for a time, but as the creature begins to grow at an alarming rate he has a lot more trouble keeping it hidden. This is a really cute film that the whole family will enjoy.

Into the Wild


After graduating from college Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) decides he does not want to get a job and have a normal life, but instead he is going to go on an adventure to find "ultimate freedom". Unhappy with his parents he proceeds to change his name, give away most of his money (burn the rest) and back pack around the United States. He meets some great people along the way, but he is determined to make it to Alaska and survive on his own. Unfortunately the trip is not always what he hopes for. This was a good movie and Hirsch did a great job. It was easy to see why he was nominated for so many awards for this role.

Nancy Drew


The famous young detective from the Nancy Drew novels comes to the big screen in this film. Even though Nancy Drew promises her dad she will take a break from detective work, when they decide to take a trip to Hollywood she can't resist staying in the home of one of the most famous unsolved murders of all time. She is torn between wanting to keep her promise to her dad and doing what she does best. Not great acting, but a family friendly film.

I Am Legend


Will Smith plays Robert Neville a scientist who is trying to figure out a way to reverse a horrible man-made virus that either killed off most of humanity or turned them into vampire-like creatures. As the last human survivor he is determined to find a cure before time runs out. Not really my type of movie, so not one I will watch again.

Awake


Hayden Christenson plays Clayton, a wealthy young man who is awaiting a heart transplant. When he finally gets the call that they have a donor and he goes in for surgery he suffers from a rare condition called "anesthetic awareness" where even though he cannot move or speak he is aware of what is going on during his surgery. I thought this was a good movie that a pretty good twist in the end.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street


The famous musical comes to the big screen where Johnny Depp takes on the role of Sweeney Todd. Todd is a bitter and angry man who is falsely imprisoned by a man who covets his beautiful wife and daughter. Once he is released he is determined to get revenge for all he and his family have suffered. With the help of local "meat" pie maker he begins his quest to punish the folks of London in the most gruesome way.

Alvin and the Chipmunks


When struggling songwriter Dave Seville (Jason Lee) is just about to throw in the towel and give up his dream of making it big in the music industry he comes across 3 singing chipmunks. The fun trio of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are more like mischievous children and they make Dave's life a roller coaster of success and chaos. I think they did a great job with this movie, it is fun to watch for the whole family.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age


In this sequel to Elizabeth from 1998 Cate Blanchett returns to the role of beloved Queen Elizabeth. In this film you learn of her interest in Sir Walter Raleigh and her pressure to marry and produce heirs at the same time she is trying to take her country to war. I think Blanchett is an amazing Elizabeth and it makes perfect sense why she was nominated for Best Actress for this role.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium


Dustin Hoffman plays Mr. Magorium who owns a "magical" toy store where anything is possible. Natalie Portman plays his store manager who he surprises one day by giving her the store. She begins to doubt her ability to keep the magic going and in doing so causes the magic to begin to fade. She has to continue to believe in the store and herself to keep the magic alive. I think it was an okay movie, but not really as good as I thought it was going to be.

The Brave One


After a brutal beating leaves Neil Jordan (Jodie Foster) fighting for her life and her fiance dead she struggles to get the courage to face life again. Finally she gets frustrated with being afraid and buys herself a gun. When she stumbles across another violent crime she realizes she can be the victim once again, or this time she can fight back. I didn't really think I was going to like this movie, but I actually did. I like the combination of Foster and Terrance Howard.

Atonement



This highly awarded film is about a pair of unlikely lovers (a high class lady Cecelia and a housekeeper's son Robbie) who just as they are finding their way to each other are torn apart by a false accusation by Cecelia's young sister Briony. As WWII breaks out Robbie is given the choice of enlisting or prison, so he chooses to enlist. As time passes Briony realizes her mistake but unfortunately it is too late to make amends. This was a great film and when you watch it you realize why it was nominated for so many awards.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Bee Movie


The movie starts out with the graduation of Barry Benson (Jerry Seinfeld) who quickly realizes that now he is doomed to work in the honey industry for the rest of his life. Realizing he wants more of a choice in his life he leaves the hive to see what is on the outside. He makes friends with a human florist and on one of their outings realizes that the humans eat the honey that they work so hard to make. He sets out to sue the humans for stealing their work. Not the best animated movie, but I'm sure kids will still enjoy watching it.

Rendition


When Anwar El-Ibrahimi mysteriously never gets off the plane in Washington that his wife (Reese Witherspoon) has proof he boarded in South Africa she begins a frantic search to find out where he is. At the same time the CIA agent (Jake Gyllenhaal) in charge of investigating whether El-Ibrahimi is a terrorist starts to question the techniques his country is using to solicit information. The movie can be a tad slow at times, but overall it was not bad.

The Jane Austen Book Club



A group of friends decide to help out one of their own who has recently divorced by starting up a book club. They decide to discuss a different Jane Austen book each time they meet. As they progress they each battle some relationship issues in their own lives. Filled with a great group of actresses I found this movie cute and a lot of fun to watch.

Dan in Real Life


Dan (Steve Carell) a widower raising 3 girls on his own and writing a parenting advice column is making it one day at a time. Then one day he runs into a woman that he is instantly attracted to, but unfortunately quickly finds out has just started dating his brother. When they are all stuck together on vacation Dan just hopes to survive. This is a great movie full of great actors. You fall in love with the whole family.

Hitman



A group of young boys are taken in at an early age by the "Agency" and trained to be the perfect assassins. They do not have an identity other than a number and live only for the job. When one assignment starts to go wrong Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant) starts to question his job for the first time. I thought this movie was great. It is action packed and Olyphant does a great job.

August Rush


The movie begins when a singer/guitar player and a cellist meet and have one amazing night together. They unknowingly create a baby and when they are forced to part after their one night the father doesn't even know the result. When the mother is told that the baby didn't make it through delivery she tries to go on with life, but no longer finds joy in music. After 11 years of being raised in an orphanage Evan runs off to the city and is quickly discovered to have an amazing musical talent. Evan is determined that through his music he will find his parents. A really cute movie that I recommend watching.

Lust, Caution


During WWII the Chinese are resistant to the Japanese occupation of China and one group of college theater students decide they are going to do something about it. They decide one of the girls Wong Chia Chi is going to pose as fictitious Mr. Mak's wife and try and lure Mr. Yee (a "traitor") into an affair so the troupe can kill him. As time goes on the charade gets more and more complicated and difficult to play. This was a really good film that is worth watching.

Michael Clayton


Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is the clean up guy for a major corporate law firm and is great at what he does. He keeps the firm out of trouble and the clients happy. When one of the firms' lawyers and Clayton's friend (Tom Wilkinson) goes crazy and decides to work against the firm Clayton is called in to clean up the mess. This time he is torn between his job and what he knows is right. The movie is a little slow at the beginning, but if you can get through the first part it keeps getting better. I thought it was worth watching!

American Gangster



Denzel Washington, usually such a typical "good guy", shows a different side when he plays Frank Lucas a Harlem Gangster who rules the streets with his pure heroin and his vicious enforcement. Russell Crowe takes on the role of "good guy" by playing Richie Roberts the cop leading the unit trying to take down the key drug lords. I thought this was pretty good. It has kind of a small plot twist in the end that I thought really made the movie enjoyable.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Sicko



This is Michael Moore's Documentary about the state of the Health Care System in the United States. He talks about U.S. Health Care in comparison to come other countries such as Canada and France. I thought this was excellent and it definitely makes you wonder if we could do to fix such a broken system.

Becoming Jane


Anne Hathaway plays Jane Austen in this film about how she became one of the most famous female authors of fiction. This movie shows that she grew up in a modest home and her parents really wanted her to marry for wealth. She chose instead to stay single and support herself by her pen. There is definitely some fiction mixed in with fact that I'm sure was added to make it a more enjoyable movie. Being a Jane Austen fan I enjoyed the movie.

The Comebacks


David Koechner plays coach Lambeau Fields a really bad coach who takes a job coaching a really bad football team. The goal is to make the team a success before he loses his family. I don't know if I just don't like these types of movies, but I thought this movie was so bad I shut it off half way through.

Shoot 'Em Up


Clive Owen plays "Smith" a guy who happens along just in time to rescue a baby the "bad" guys are trying to assassinate. If you like nothing but violence then this is a movie for you. The action sequences are so far fetched that none of them are realistic, but if that doesn't bother you then you might like the movie. I thought it was too over the top so didn't really enjoy it.

Martian Child


When widower David Gordan (John Cusack) decides to adopt a strange but lovable child he didn't realize how tough it was going to be dealing with the boys' belief that he is from another planet. I love John Cusack but the movie was definitely slow and not one of the better ones I have seen.

We Own the Night


In this film Joaquin Phoenix plays a man torn between his life, which is intertwined with some shady characters, and his family full of police officers. When his family wants his help gathering evidence against the people he considers friends he is torn between the 2 groups. I was really excited to see this movie with all the great actors in it (Phoenix, Robert Duvall, & Mark Wahlberg) but was really disappointed. I found it very slow and hard to make it through.

Rush Hour 3


Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are back for another Rush Hour and this time they are going up against a strong Chinese Triad group. Their journey takes them to Paris where one of the main villains is someone close to Lee. I found this kind of boring and not really very funny. I have to admit I kept hoping Tucker's character would get shot.

War


Jason Statham plays John Crawford, a bitter cop set on revenge against the person (The Rogue) who murdered his partner. After years of chasing his tail he thinks he might finally be on the trail of the infamous Rogue (Jet Li). I know this movie got horrible reviews, but as an action movie lover I thought it was pretty good. I liked the match up between Statham and Li and the twist at the end of the movie.

Live Free or Die Hard


John McClane (Bruce Willis) is back and this Die Hard is just as action packed as all the previous 3 if not more so. In this Die Hard what McClane thinks will be an easy assignment, pick up a computer hacker and bring him in, ends up getting him involved in a Global attack on all of the United States technology systems. I enjoyed the match between Willis and Justin Long and thought this was a really enjoyable movie. Probably my 2nd favorite Die Hard (the 1st being the best).

3:10 to Yuma


When famous outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) finally gets captured no-one is brave enough to volunteer to transport him to Yuma. Finally quiet rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale) takes the job and along the way the 2 men develop a respect for each other. I really enjoyed this movie which is surprising because it does not have the happiest of endings. The characters were likable and the relationship between the 2 men was enjoyable to watch.

The Game Plan


In this movie "The Rock" plays Joe Kingman, a professional and highly loved football star whose life is turned upside down when a daughter he didn't know he had shows up on his doorstep. I thought this was a very cute family movie. The little girl steals the show.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Good Luck Chuck



Dane Cook plays Charlie Logan, a boy who seems to be a good luck charm for women who want to find their true love. Once they have been with him the next person they date is "the one". At first "Chuck" loves the attention, but when he meets a girl he wants to keep for himself (Jessica Alba) he tries to figure out how to break the curse. I made it through the movie, but it was really not very funny.

Sydney White


When Sydney White first gets to college she is excited to pledge the same sorority that her deceased mother was previously in. Unfortunately when she starts getting to know the girls in that sorority she quickly realizes that they are not a good match and she gets kicked out. Not knowing what to do, she joins a bunch of misfit boys and decides to go up against the Greek system to make some changes. I enjoy Amanda Bynes and I thought this was a silly but cute movie.



Saturday, January 12, 2008

Eastern Promises


When a 14-year old girl dies giving birth to a baby girl the midwife, with only the girls diary (written in Russian) to go on, goes on a search to find the babies family. As the diary is translated she realizes the girl had some involvement with the Russian mafia and that horrible things have been happening. Viggo Mortensen plays the chauffer/enforcer of the mafia bosses wayward son, and soon the 2 are involved in over their heads. Mortensen's acting was great in this movie. I enjoyed this film and I can see why it is up for many awards.

The Kingdom


After a terrorist attack on an American compound in Saudi Arabia kills 2 FBI agents special agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) is determined to go help with the investigation. When the powers that be tell him no, he takes a team and goes anyway to see what he can do to help find those responsible. This is an enjoyable action movie/drama that to me seemed sad in its realism.

Heartbreak Kid


Eddie Cantrow (Ben Stiller) is tired of getting static about being 40 and still not married, so when he meets a great girl he decides to take the plunge. Soon after the wedding he realizes he might have made a mistake because everything starts to go wrong. On his honeymoon he meets another great girl and tries to figure out how he can get out of his marriage with out losing the new girl. This movie was awful! I was so disappointed in Ben Stiller for even making a movie like this. It was so degrading and not remotely funny. It was a huge waste of time to watch.

Stardust


This movie tells the story about a falling star (Claire Danes) that turns into human form as she lands on earth. She carries with her the gift of eternal life and unfortunately that makes her hunted by witches that need her power to stay young and beautiful. The star and her protector Tristan (Charlie Cox) begin a journey that if filled with interesting characters and lots of adventure. I loved this movie. I thought it was very funny and intriguing at the same time.

Bring It On: In It To Win It


Bring It On is back again with the next round. In this movie it is East Coast vs. West Coast with both being determined to win. When a romance sparks between the 2 teams so does the friction. Eventually the 2 teams must either unite or forfeit. I'm not sure why they keep making more of these movies because they just get worse and worse. This newest Bring It On is really bad!

High School Musical 2


All of your favorite characters are back in the 2nd High School Musical. This movie is about the Wildcats summer vacation where they all end up at a Country Club either working or vacationing. Sharpay tries to win over Troy and in doing so causes some friction between him and Gabriella as well as the other Wildcats. A fun family film that makes you want to sing along.

Underdog


This movie is based on the old Underdog cartoon where a dog accidentally gets transformed into a "super" dog. He had to use his new powers to perform heroic acts and battle the mad scientist. This is a cute family film that won't win any awards, but is enjoyable to watch.

This Film Is Not Yet Rated


This film is a documentary about the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rating system and how much power they have in deciding the success of films today. The main focus is on the more controversial films of the recent past and the secrecy and "politics" of the MPAA organization. I found this very interesting since I did not know a while lot about how the rating system works.