i've been on a james mcavoy and jane austen binge. my sister started my stint with jane austen with showing me 'persuasion' (2007 TV) (novel by jane austen screenplay written by simon burke). it was good, but not as good as the other movies adapted by ms. austen's novels. the best part of the movie was the hottie lead, rupert penry-jones. now i've somewhat accidentally saught out jane austen related flicks that i have not seen. i stumbled upon 'pride & prejudice' on comcast on demand, then 'becoming jane'. however, after having seen 'atonement' and 'penelope', i am crushing on james mcavoy something fierce (as christian, winner of project runway, might say). so mcavoy is the real reason i paid $4.99 for 'becoming jane'. stop reading if you have no interest in either james or jane. read on if you appreciate either or both. cheers, y'all :0p
atonement
starring james mcavoy, kiera knightley, saoirse ronan (briony tallis age 13), romola garai (briony age 18), vanessa redgrave (briony older)
novel by ian mcewan
screenplay by christopher hampton
directed by joe wright
atonement started out so intensely it had me on edge. saoirse played briony to the letter. i was terrified of the little girl. the older briony was sooooo weak in comparison. the love story between robbie turner (james (hmmm audible sigh - looks good in a tank top or a tux)) and cecelia tallis (kiera) was tense and raw and so new (library scene) before it was ripped apart by briony. after the start, the middle to end was good, but the intensity level dropped remarkably. in some ways it had to because of the story line, but i think the disparity of the performances changed it too. i have to mention that the cinematography is simply stunning with colors, angles and clarity to really pull you in. the ending was interesting and very well cast with vanessa redgrave. perhaps i am being a bit vague and jumbly with my thoughts, but i can't give away too much if you have not read the book or seen the movie. i am going to read the book now and see how it compares. i do recommend atonement even though i am criticizing the inconsistency of the performances and intensity levels.
pride and prejudice (2005)
starring kiera knightley (miss elizabeth bennett), matthew mcfayden (mr. darcy), donald sutherland (mr. bennett), brenda blethyn (mrs. bennett)
novel by jane austen
screenplay by deborah moggach
good performances turned in by kiera, matthew, donald and brenda. this film had all of the pieces of austen's writing: romance, troubles, miscommunication, pomp and circumstance, and finally resolution. however, the ending was a little too mushy, even for me. sense and sensibility is still my favorite so far of the jane austen flicks i've seen.
becoming jane (2007)
starring james mcavoy (tom lefroy), anne hathaway (jane austen), maggie smith (lady gresham), julie walters (mrs. austen), james cromwell (reverend austen)
directed by julian jarrold
written by kevin hood and the letters of jane austen
"A woman especially if she has the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can." -Jane Austen
this biopic (with artistic license) was wonderful - full of romance, comedy, irony, tragedy. of course i cried. and of course i fell in love with james mcavoy all over again. he has beauty, a softness and vulnerability of the eyes. he was perfectly cast as the irishman with a reputation to steal jane austen's heart. ok, i'll stop gushing about james now. anne hathaway was fantastic as jane austen. anne had showed the smarts and independence required of the role. of course, i'll never know for sure what the real ms. austen was like. if this depiction was anything close to how ms. austen really lived, you could see how she was inspired to write with tidbits of her own life thrown into her stories. i think i would have been miserable if i lived in the same era as ms. austen. a woman could not speak her mind nor make her own way. in some ways that has not changed too much, but in others, we have come a long way, baby. i highly recommend 'becoming jane' (0r 'sense & sensibility') when you need a good cry and a dose of romance that tugs at the heart strings.
yours truly,
chloe
p.s. i prefer all lower case, so i do not apologize for my choice of style. however, i do apologize for my blatant disregard for proper grammar sometimes (shout out to k.a.l.)
Friday, March 14, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
creative liberties
the other boleyn girl - eric bana, scarlett johansson, natalie portman, kristin scott thomas
"the only thing that could come between these sisters... is a kingdom." wow, very dramatic. i hadn't read the book so i had no idea what to expect. also i am completely ignorant of history. my sister informed me of some creative liberties taken with the historical content. it is historical fiction after all. all that aside, this is an incredibly impactful film. i am so glad to be living in this day and age and not have to witness the cut-throat, ruthless attempts to further one's station, at any cost. wait, that still happens today... scarlett and natalie, as mary and anne boleyn respectively, put out some powerful performances, enough to make me squirm. eric did his dastardly best as well. ms. scott thomas was also convincing as the mother and the voice of good. my only quip was that there is some forgiveness that i had a tough time believing. i won't ruin it for you, but there is one part that is believable and another not so believable. i tend to tangle with the art of suspending belief and the degree of it when it comes to movies. anyway, this is an intense flick, not a happy one either. go if you want to see some gut-renching drama and pick up some historical tidbits, some true and some not so true.
for more info:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467200/
"the only thing that could come between these sisters... is a kingdom." wow, very dramatic. i hadn't read the book so i had no idea what to expect. also i am completely ignorant of history. my sister informed me of some creative liberties taken with the historical content. it is historical fiction after all. all that aside, this is an incredibly impactful film. i am so glad to be living in this day and age and not have to witness the cut-throat, ruthless attempts to further one's station, at any cost. wait, that still happens today... scarlett and natalie, as mary and anne boleyn respectively, put out some powerful performances, enough to make me squirm. eric did his dastardly best as well. ms. scott thomas was also convincing as the mother and the voice of good. my only quip was that there is some forgiveness that i had a tough time believing. i won't ruin it for you, but there is one part that is believable and another not so believable. i tend to tangle with the art of suspending belief and the degree of it when it comes to movies. anyway, this is an intense flick, not a happy one either. go if you want to see some gut-renching drama and pick up some historical tidbits, some true and some not so true.
for more info:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467200/
archive: domino
hey fellow cinephiles,
it's been a while. what can i say? i haven't stopped
watching movies. i just took a hiatus from writing.
if you're still interested, please let me know if you
want to stay on the distribution list. i can't
promise any regularity. all i can promise is that
i'll share my opinion when i'm in a writing mood.
***
domino - directed by tony scott, starring keira
knightley, mickey rourke, et al... "my name is domino
harvey. i am a bounty hunter."
great action drama. go see it. violent, edgy, funny
at the right moments and even touching without being
too cheesy. keira kicked ass and the story line was
cool, even though exaggerated. i feel motivated to
build my workout room and buy that boxing bag i've
been talking about. and the coolest actors' credits i
think i've seen.
***
history of violence - starring vigo mortensen and
maria bello. i don't remember who directed the film.
this film had so much potential and fell flat. the
good: vigo & maria are great. and i know this sounds
weird, and although the sex scenes were graphic, i
felt that there was honesty in them. what went wrong:
the film was too slow. i had expected a speed and
intensity like the movie "payback". no go. the worst
error was the ending. it fell so flat. my impulse is
to tell you to skip it. however, you decide if your
curiosity is peeked.
***
upside of anger - starring joan allen and kevin
costner. it's not the easiest film to watch. a
friend peeked my interest when she said that she had
watched it and that the ending redeems the difficulty
she had watching the movie. i think she meant
witnessing all the anger and bitterness. although the
ending is redeeming, i don't know if it was quite
worth the time i devoted to watching the movie.
***
the corpse bride - tim burton's film i don't know if
you call it claymation like "wallace & grommit". so
animated is the description i'm choosing. i don't
know if it was any shorter than "a nightmare before
christas". the film just seemed really short. it is
an interesting and dark film - big surprise, huh?
anyway, you could wait 'til the dvd. it's cute, but
not as good as "edward scissorhands" nor "a nightmare
before christmas".
***
that's it for this edition.
it's been a while. what can i say? i haven't stopped
watching movies. i just took a hiatus from writing.
if you're still interested, please let me know if you
want to stay on the distribution list. i can't
promise any regularity. all i can promise is that
i'll share my opinion when i'm in a writing mood.
***
domino - directed by tony scott, starring keira
knightley, mickey rourke, et al... "my name is domino
harvey. i am a bounty hunter."
great action drama. go see it. violent, edgy, funny
at the right moments and even touching without being
too cheesy. keira kicked ass and the story line was
cool, even though exaggerated. i feel motivated to
build my workout room and buy that boxing bag i've
been talking about. and the coolest actors' credits i
think i've seen.
***
history of violence - starring vigo mortensen and
maria bello. i don't remember who directed the film.
this film had so much potential and fell flat. the
good: vigo & maria are great. and i know this sounds
weird, and although the sex scenes were graphic, i
felt that there was honesty in them. what went wrong:
the film was too slow. i had expected a speed and
intensity like the movie "payback". no go. the worst
error was the ending. it fell so flat. my impulse is
to tell you to skip it. however, you decide if your
curiosity is peeked.
***
upside of anger - starring joan allen and kevin
costner. it's not the easiest film to watch. a
friend peeked my interest when she said that she had
watched it and that the ending redeems the difficulty
she had watching the movie. i think she meant
witnessing all the anger and bitterness. although the
ending is redeeming, i don't know if it was quite
worth the time i devoted to watching the movie.
***
the corpse bride - tim burton's film i don't know if
you call it claymation like "wallace & grommit". so
animated is the description i'm choosing. i don't
know if it was any shorter than "a nightmare before
christas". the film just seemed really short. it is
an interesting and dark film - big surprise, huh?
anyway, you could wait 'til the dvd. it's cute, but
not as good as "edward scissorhands" nor "a nightmare
before christmas".
***
that's it for this edition.
archive: weatherman
weatherman - nicholas cage and michael caine (and
guest appearance by chuck stubbings). too neurotic
for my taste and lots of strange interjections of
vulgarity. i am still scarred by it. i do not care
what people say, there were no oscar-worthy
performances in this flick. the upside - some
beautiful cinematography and shots of chicago (and
apparently, the cold). also, cheers to chuck for
surviving the cutting room.
jarhead - jake gyllenhal, jamie foxx and peter
scarsgard. it started out strong with humor and
poignant moments. there is a particular sniper scene
with jake & peter that was great. however, the pace
of the movie slowed to a snail's pace and lacked the
intensity of a movie like 'blackhawk down'. ladies
and boyz, there are some great gratuitous body shots
of jake that are pleasing to the eye. you can wait
until the dvd to view these and freeze frame. save
your $10 for harry potter.
guest appearance by chuck stubbings). too neurotic
for my taste and lots of strange interjections of
vulgarity. i am still scarred by it. i do not care
what people say, there were no oscar-worthy
performances in this flick. the upside - some
beautiful cinematography and shots of chicago (and
apparently, the cold). also, cheers to chuck for
surviving the cutting room.
jarhead - jake gyllenhal, jamie foxx and peter
scarsgard. it started out strong with humor and
poignant moments. there is a particular sniper scene
with jake & peter that was great. however, the pace
of the movie slowed to a snail's pace and lacked the
intensity of a movie like 'blackhawk down'. ladies
and boyz, there are some great gratuitous body shots
of jake that are pleasing to the eye. you can wait
until the dvd to view these and freeze frame. save
your $10 for harry potter.
archive: harry potter & the goblet of fire
i've come in from twenty degree (yes, that's
fahrenheit) chilly winds and peeled off the layers of
gloves, scarves and turtleneck and i'm curled up under
a fluffy blanket on my couch. i am still feeling the
magic of 'harry potter the goblet of fire'. sure it's
not oscar buzz, but it's fun and wonderful. the cgi
and special effects create beautiful and magical
scenes. i even teared up when... i don't want to
spoil it if you haven't read the books or seen the
movie. it's a good movie to go to to escape chicago's
cold. even if it isn't cold where you are, harry
potter is worth going inside to see if you enjoy the
series. i don't know if they're going to make any
more harry potter movies, the actors have grown so
much. the actors are teenagers playing pre-teens. it
adds to the humor and diversity of the characters.
the weasley brothers are spot on, and harry, hermione
and ron deal with the awkward growing pains of
actually liking the opposite sex. anyway, go see it
for smiles.
***
now on dvd
me and you and everyone we know (written by miranda
july? sorry i am so bad with names.)
if you like indie movies, this is definitely an indie.
it got several nods from the independent film
festivals. i liked the sweet and bittersweet romance
story and the some of the funny and awkward moments.
however, there are some strange plot lines. but i
guess that's the appeal of indie films - creative
license. these days i've been very on the fence on
whether to recommend certain movies or not. in this
case, if you are an avid indie watcher, this would be
a good study for you. if you prefer a little more
traditional, you can pass on this one. how about that
for non-commital?
***
i'm looking forward to 'memoirs of a geisha'. tune in
next time :0)
if i don't see you or write to you beforehand, have a
warm and fantastic holiday season!
fahrenheit) chilly winds and peeled off the layers of
gloves, scarves and turtleneck and i'm curled up under
a fluffy blanket on my couch. i am still feeling the
magic of 'harry potter the goblet of fire'. sure it's
not oscar buzz, but it's fun and wonderful. the cgi
and special effects create beautiful and magical
scenes. i even teared up when... i don't want to
spoil it if you haven't read the books or seen the
movie. it's a good movie to go to to escape chicago's
cold. even if it isn't cold where you are, harry
potter is worth going inside to see if you enjoy the
series. i don't know if they're going to make any
more harry potter movies, the actors have grown so
much. the actors are teenagers playing pre-teens. it
adds to the humor and diversity of the characters.
the weasley brothers are spot on, and harry, hermione
and ron deal with the awkward growing pains of
actually liking the opposite sex. anyway, go see it
for smiles.
***
now on dvd
me and you and everyone we know (written by miranda
july? sorry i am so bad with names.)
if you like indie movies, this is definitely an indie.
it got several nods from the independent film
festivals. i liked the sweet and bittersweet romance
story and the some of the funny and awkward moments.
however, there are some strange plot lines. but i
guess that's the appeal of indie films - creative
license. these days i've been very on the fence on
whether to recommend certain movies or not. in this
case, if you are an avid indie watcher, this would be
a good study for you. if you prefer a little more
traditional, you can pass on this one. how about that
for non-commital?
***
i'm looking forward to 'memoirs of a geisha'. tune in
next time :0)
if i don't see you or write to you beforehand, have a
warm and fantastic holiday season!
archive: chronicles of narnia
the chronicles of narnia - the lion the witch and the
wardrobe
wonderful. for fans, if it's any indication, several
audience members clapped when the movie ended. it is
just as i remember the novel, one of my favorites
growing up (c.s. lewis showed me that reading could be
magical.) narnia has been portrayed beautifully. new
zealand is a perfect backdrop for narnia. it seems
the popular spot (lord of the rings). all of narnia's
creatures are magnificent and unique. i was most
taken by the rendering of aslan. he is beautiful,
better than i would have imagined. i wanted to reach
through the screen and touch his mane. (doesn't hurt
that liam neeson is aslan's voice) the white witch is
fiendish and wicked. they cast the actress well. (i
believe she played gabriel in 'constantine'.) the
young actors were a little weak in spots. i think the
boys are stronger than the girls in the acting
department, especially young edmond. do you have any
inkling of the characters i'm describing? i have
assumed you have read 'the chronicles of narnia'. if
not, take some time to read them or see the movies. i
have a feeling that they will continue the series.
sure it is fantastical, but it is fantasy fiction
after all.
may peace and imagination fill your hearts.
wardrobe
wonderful. for fans, if it's any indication, several
audience members clapped when the movie ended. it is
just as i remember the novel, one of my favorites
growing up (c.s. lewis showed me that reading could be
magical.) narnia has been portrayed beautifully. new
zealand is a perfect backdrop for narnia. it seems
the popular spot (lord of the rings). all of narnia's
creatures are magnificent and unique. i was most
taken by the rendering of aslan. he is beautiful,
better than i would have imagined. i wanted to reach
through the screen and touch his mane. (doesn't hurt
that liam neeson is aslan's voice) the white witch is
fiendish and wicked. they cast the actress well. (i
believe she played gabriel in 'constantine'.) the
young actors were a little weak in spots. i think the
boys are stronger than the girls in the acting
department, especially young edmond. do you have any
inkling of the characters i'm describing? i have
assumed you have read 'the chronicles of narnia'. if
not, take some time to read them or see the movies. i
have a feeling that they will continue the series.
sure it is fantastical, but it is fantasy fiction
after all.
may peace and imagination fill your hearts.
archive: december 2005
now on dvd:
kinsey - liam neeson, laura linney, peter scarsborough
(love him, but not sure that's his last name. you
know how my memory is going...) and chris o'donnell
very interesting. makes you think. hmm. liam gives
a great performance as professor kinsey, aka "prok" as
does laura linney. both are extremely believable as
quirky, nerdy, and sexual beings. there is some
graphic display of genitalia and more than suggestive
sex scenes. however, it plays well in this movie. if
we are to believe that they were true to the real
story, then kinsey was very ground breaking in his
research, influence of bringing light to the
misconceptions about sex and about how far he really
took sexual experimentation. worth renting even if
just to satisfy your curiosity.
bewitched - will ferrell and nicole kidman
you can skip it. too cutesy and predictable.
i don't know if i've mentioned 'crash' in a previous
issue. rent 'crash' if you haven't seen it yet. very
intense and extremely well woven story about racial
tensions in l.a. someone also mentioned an oldie,
'grand canyon' - also great, but slower in its telling
and pace. 'crash' moves better, but i do recommend
both.
now in theatres:
memoirs of a geisha - zhang ziyi, michelle yeoh, ken
watanabe
beautifully filmed and well acted. not a happy film;
it is a drama folks. the story is very engaging and
gives a glimpse of the toll women had to pay when they
were made geishas. i did not read 'memoirs of a
geisha'. i had heard it acted by b.d. wong as a book
on tape. very different to actually hear a woman's
voice narrate in the movie. i don't remember enough
detail to tell you if the movie is true to the book.
i do remember enough to feel that the book, rather the
book on tape, was a little grittier. that might just
be because on the big screen, the characters were
portrayed by such beautiful actors and that the
scenery and all the nuances were made bigger. i am
curious too as to why there were two chinese actresses
playing the lead roles instead of japanese actresses.
then again, i see why they chose zhang ziyi and
michelle yeoh. they are veterans to big epics and not
bad to look at either and let's not forget dreamy ken
watanabe. it is his silent strength and demeanor that
draw you in. mm mm. where was i? anyway, memoirs of
a geisha is worth the price of admission.
that's all folks. wishing you and yours a wonderful
new year's! may 2006 be good to you.
kinsey - liam neeson, laura linney, peter scarsborough
(love him, but not sure that's his last name. you
know how my memory is going...) and chris o'donnell
very interesting. makes you think. hmm. liam gives
a great performance as professor kinsey, aka "prok" as
does laura linney. both are extremely believable as
quirky, nerdy, and sexual beings. there is some
graphic display of genitalia and more than suggestive
sex scenes. however, it plays well in this movie. if
we are to believe that they were true to the real
story, then kinsey was very ground breaking in his
research, influence of bringing light to the
misconceptions about sex and about how far he really
took sexual experimentation. worth renting even if
just to satisfy your curiosity.
bewitched - will ferrell and nicole kidman
you can skip it. too cutesy and predictable.
i don't know if i've mentioned 'crash' in a previous
issue. rent 'crash' if you haven't seen it yet. very
intense and extremely well woven story about racial
tensions in l.a. someone also mentioned an oldie,
'grand canyon' - also great, but slower in its telling
and pace. 'crash' moves better, but i do recommend
both.
now in theatres:
memoirs of a geisha - zhang ziyi, michelle yeoh, ken
watanabe
beautifully filmed and well acted. not a happy film;
it is a drama folks. the story is very engaging and
gives a glimpse of the toll women had to pay when they
were made geishas. i did not read 'memoirs of a
geisha'. i had heard it acted by b.d. wong as a book
on tape. very different to actually hear a woman's
voice narrate in the movie. i don't remember enough
detail to tell you if the movie is true to the book.
i do remember enough to feel that the book, rather the
book on tape, was a little grittier. that might just
be because on the big screen, the characters were
portrayed by such beautiful actors and that the
scenery and all the nuances were made bigger. i am
curious too as to why there were two chinese actresses
playing the lead roles instead of japanese actresses.
then again, i see why they chose zhang ziyi and
michelle yeoh. they are veterans to big epics and not
bad to look at either and let's not forget dreamy ken
watanabe. it is his silent strength and demeanor that
draw you in. mm mm. where was i? anyway, memoirs of
a geisha is worth the price of admission.
that's all folks. wishing you and yours a wonderful
new year's! may 2006 be good to you.
archive: february 2006
i can't believe that the oscars are in a couple weeks.
best picture noms: brokeback mountain, capote, good
night and good luck, munich and crash. i haven't seen
any of the nominees except 'crash'. crash is
excellent. rent it. for the rest, let's see if i can
catch up before oscar night, march 5...
i have seen 'nanny mcphee', 'last holiday',
'underworld: evolution' - all fun movies to lift me up
during my busy work season.
nanny mcphee - colin firth, emma thompson, kelly
macdonald, thomas sangster (kid from 'love actually')
a wonderful family movie. very sweet, funny and fairy
tale fantasy. great feel-good and emma thompson wrote
the screenplay. cheers to emma. come to think of it,
i think that she adapted the screenplay for sense and
sensibility too.
last holiday - queen latifah, l.l. cool j, gerard
depardieu, timothy hutton and others i'm sure you
recognize
yes, it's cheesy. but it is a fun little movie. good
for renting on a rainy night or a little pick me up
chick flick.
underworld: evolution - kate beckinsale, scott
speedman
now this one is for the boys and action junkies like
me. not nearly as good as the first in terms of story
line, but there are a lot of cgi fight scenes. and
for you kate fans, this one is directed by her husband
so she is the main show. scott is just the sidekick.
there is one great scott booty shot for us girls and
the brokeback mountain boyz ;0)
btw - i can research my memory lapses for actors names
and for movie facts on www.imdb.com. no promises, but
i will try to get better at the details for you.
best picture noms: brokeback mountain, capote, good
night and good luck, munich and crash. i haven't seen
any of the nominees except 'crash'. crash is
excellent. rent it. for the rest, let's see if i can
catch up before oscar night, march 5...
i have seen 'nanny mcphee', 'last holiday',
'underworld: evolution' - all fun movies to lift me up
during my busy work season.
nanny mcphee - colin firth, emma thompson, kelly
macdonald, thomas sangster (kid from 'love actually')
a wonderful family movie. very sweet, funny and fairy
tale fantasy. great feel-good and emma thompson wrote
the screenplay. cheers to emma. come to think of it,
i think that she adapted the screenplay for sense and
sensibility too.
last holiday - queen latifah, l.l. cool j, gerard
depardieu, timothy hutton and others i'm sure you
recognize
yes, it's cheesy. but it is a fun little movie. good
for renting on a rainy night or a little pick me up
chick flick.
underworld: evolution - kate beckinsale, scott
speedman
now this one is for the boys and action junkies like
me. not nearly as good as the first in terms of story
line, but there are a lot of cgi fight scenes. and
for you kate fans, this one is directed by her husband
so she is the main show. scott is just the sidekick.
there is one great scott booty shot for us girls and
the brokeback mountain boyz ;0)
btw - i can research my memory lapses for actors names
and for movie facts on www.imdb.com. no promises, but
i will try to get better at the details for you.
archive: tristan & isolde
in the last edition i forgot to review tristan &
isolde (james franco & sophia myles). i had not
wanted to see the movie because they kept billing it
"before there was romeo & juliet..." it was better
than i expected. you could rent it for a some
entertainment. there were some gaps in logic, but it
is a movie.
last one before i sign off - on dvd & comcast on
demand: two for the money (al pacino, matthew
mcconaughey, & rene russo) - surprisingly good and
gritty movie about sports gambling, transformations,
and pushing people to the edge. you love to hate al
pacino in this role as walter, a shady gambling addict
and cut-throat manipulative s.o.b. matthew
mcconaughey was so believable and sexy in his role as
brandon/john anthony. rene had a supporting role as
toni, a loving wife to walter and a good woman, who
was important to the dynamic of walter and brandon. i
found myself hating walter and being surprised by
brandon's transformation. and oh man! there is a
shockingly explicit sex scene. ladies may be
offended, but it was very appropriate for the context
and character. there is reprieve from the intensity
with a good ending that was not too hollywood. i
really think this is intended to be a man's man movie
but still can appeal to everyone for the link to
different themes to which we can relate on some level.
well that's it for this edition. good night and good
luck.
isolde (james franco & sophia myles). i had not
wanted to see the movie because they kept billing it
"before there was romeo & juliet..." it was better
than i expected. you could rent it for a some
entertainment. there were some gaps in logic, but it
is a movie.
last one before i sign off - on dvd & comcast on
demand: two for the money (al pacino, matthew
mcconaughey, & rene russo) - surprisingly good and
gritty movie about sports gambling, transformations,
and pushing people to the edge. you love to hate al
pacino in this role as walter, a shady gambling addict
and cut-throat manipulative s.o.b. matthew
mcconaughey was so believable and sexy in his role as
brandon/john anthony. rene had a supporting role as
toni, a loving wife to walter and a good woman, who
was important to the dynamic of walter and brandon. i
found myself hating walter and being surprised by
brandon's transformation. and oh man! there is a
shockingly explicit sex scene. ladies may be
offended, but it was very appropriate for the context
and character. there is reprieve from the intensity
with a good ending that was not too hollywood. i
really think this is intended to be a man's man movie
but still can appeal to everyone for the link to
different themes to which we can relate on some level.
well that's it for this edition. good night and good
luck.
archive: remember remember the 5th of november
v for vendetta - brought to you by the wachowski brothers (the matrix series); directed by james mcteigue. natalie portman, hugh weaving, stephen rea - bloody brilliant! loved it. yes, it makes political statements. what does it take to make people defy the tyranny of a government? no it is not necessarily advocating terrorism per se, but the need to stand up for one's beliefs. yes, it is more of a drama than an action film. natalie was great. she shows vulnerability and strength as evey, a young woman who by "coincidence" steps into the world of v. ("there are no coincidences.") hugh weaving is wonderful as v. i don't even know who hugh weaving is. but his voice and his body language completely portray v in a believable way. he has vengeance on his mind, but you feel his pain. my cousin disagrees with me completely. he was hoping to be entertained and did not want to be politicized. however, we agreed to disagree. i think the movie spoke to me because of its relevance with current events - subjugation by fear. and i really connected to emotionally to the characters. i cared about the characters and felt with them as i watched them struggle. anyway, please go see for yourself.
failure to launch - sarah jessica parker, matthew mcconaughey, terry bradshaw and kathy bates. i liked this movie more than i thought i would. there are some really goofy and funny moments. it's always a good sign when the audience is laughing aloud. there's more of terry bradshaw's butt than any of us ever wanted to see. matthew is adorable as ever (thanks to the powers that be for the gratuitous shirtless scenes) and sarah jessica was cute, less out there than sex-in-the-city-carrie. the downside was the cheesy hollywood ending, but what is a romantic comedy if not hollywood fantasy?
now on dvd:
in her shoes - toni collette, cameron diaz, and shirley mcclaine. surprisingly poignant little drama. collette is endearing as the straight-laced, insecure, older sibling, rose, who has to deal with an immature, beautiful, crazy, and insecure sister rose (diaz). the sisters each go through self-discovery and transformation. a good story about how even through the tears, sisters have a powerful bond.
flight plan - jodie foster, peter scarsgaard, and sean bean. not the best thriller i've seen, however, i did enjoy and feel moments of tension as a thriller should make you feel. there's something about peter scarsgaard that is so appealing. can't put my finger on it. jodie is always great. you do question whether or not she had a child with her on the plan. and even though he only played a small role, sean bean was nice to see. maybe a b - rating for this one. not a bad rental for a rainy day.
elizabeth town - orlando bloom, kirsten dunst, susan sarandon; written and directed by cameron crowe. this one is a little older. i just never got around to renting it. drew baylor (bloom) fails miserably at a product design and his father dies unexpectedly. drew returns to the south for a memorial and discovers claire (dunst). there are some really great moments in this film, but it tried to accomplish way too much. in certain spots it lacks cohesiveness and there are whole sub-plots of the movie which you could take out and it would have been better, for example the entire plot line of drew's failed product design. and there are moments that stand out and are very moving - hollie baylor's (sarandon) tribute to her deceased husband; drew's roadtrip with his father's ashes, all of the interactions with drew & claire after the initial plane scene which was horrible. these are the parts of the movie worth seeing. the question is: do you watch a movie that has too much extra stuff just to get to the good stuff?
that's a wrap friends. may we continue to find movies that speak to us.
penelope
movie produced by reese witherspoon
directed by mark palansky
written by leslie caveny
starring christina ricci, james mcavoy and reese witherspoon
sweet, sweet movie with a positive message re: strength, self realization and self acceptance. very original story with sweet moments and good laughs. james mcavoy is so yummy. christina ricci is endearing as penelope. reese's small role is cute - loved the hair. although i do recommend this movie, you could wait until dvd if you wanted to save some moola.
directed by mark palansky
written by leslie caveny
starring christina ricci, james mcavoy and reese witherspoon
sweet, sweet movie with a positive message re: strength, self realization and self acceptance. very original story with sweet moments and good laughs. james mcavoy is so yummy. christina ricci is endearing as penelope. reese's small role is cute - loved the hair. although i do recommend this movie, you could wait until dvd if you wanted to save some moola.
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