Gory Girl Movie Reviews

Crazy Heart

I'm not in to Country music at all but I popped in the DVD screener of this movie just based on all the hoopla surrounding Jeff Bridges performance.

All I can say about this movie is that if you have a chance to see it at your local movie house you should. It was a very moving film with amazing performances by both Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who's had way too many marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times. And yet, Bad can't help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean, a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician.

Jeff Bridges already won the Golden Globe for his performance and now he is up for the Oscar. I for one think he deserves it, he was convincing as the alcoholic with a heart of gold whose love for a woman and her son makes him realize that he has to get sober...

Ghost Writer

This movie dragged on with not very convincing performances.

The trailer was cut together so well that I thought I was going to an edge on your seat thriller and I basically got an edge of my sleep doozie!

The only thing keeping me interested in this was Ewan McGregor. Kim Cattrall started the movie with a not so good English accent and by the end of it she was sounding American, slipping in and out of it so much it was rather distracting.

By the end of this film I was hoping for a good payoff but it never came. This is a brief synopsis of the film but I wouldn't recommend spending your hard earned money on it.

When a successful British ghostwriter, 'The Ghost,' agrees to complete the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang, his agent assures him it's the opportunity of a lifetime.

But the project seems doomed from the start - not least because his predecessor on the project, Lang's long-term aide, died in an unfortunate accident...

Shutter Island

This drama is set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.

In the first 10 minutes of this film I was saying to myself, WOW, this movie is going to suck. It's shot crappy and the acting is way to on the nose...

By the middle of the film I was thinking that Marty had lost his damn mind and made this film on magic mushrooms...

3/4 of the way in I started to appreciate the way he was unravelling a mystery in a forties style fashion. Nice and methodical, slow and well thought out. By the end of the movie I was lost for words at how utterly brilliant this movie was and the performances by everyone in the film.

It's a movie that needs time to breath and by the end all your doubts about it and why this looked like that or why he acted like this were all answered. The best for me was even after the whole thing is done the final scene still has you reverting back to a certain train of thought, even though you know it isn't the correct one.

I know this review sounds cryptic but it has to so that when you go and see the film you will not be spoiled by too much information.

Go see it, I promise you will leave it happy.

The Wolfman

The only thing that I enjoyed about this movie was the food at the after party...

Yep, it was that icky. I can't even explain to you why it was bad either, it just was what it was.

The actors did what they could with what they were given. There was just nothing really to the story and it hopped around so fast that you couldn't really learn anything about the characters.

The special effects are what you would expect, nothing mind blowing. The movie tried to take a bit of a fresh approach to the story but it failed miserably. This, however will not spoil my appetite for the actors involved. I look forward to seeing them in more appropriate roles that will showcase how talented these actors truly are. If you are in the mood for a werewolf film skip this and rent the classic American Werewolf in London.

Here is a brief synopsis of the film...

Universal Studios resurrects the classic lycanthrope with this tale of a man who experiences an unsettling transformation after he returns to his ancestral home in Victorian-era Great Britain and gets attacked by a rampaging werewolf.

When haunted nobleman Lawrence Talbot's (Benicio Del Toro) brother disappears without a trace, Lawrence returns to his family estate to investigate. Upon reuniting with his estranged father (Anthony Hopkins), however, he discovers a destiny far darker than his blackest nightmares.

Dear John

I was looking forward to a good love story and since I LOVED The Notebook, I was hoping that maybe lightning could strike twice.

Special Forces Army Sergeant John Tyree (Channing Tatum) is home on a two-week leave from Germany. He meets Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) after he dives into the ocean to retrieve Savannah's purse that had fallen off the pier.

During the Two weeks of courtship they fall in love, until she has to return to college and he to his post in the special forces. During the year overseas they promise to write each other and tell each other everything about themselves.

Instead of returning home to her, he reenlists after the attacks on September 11th, 2001. Time and distance begin to take a toll on the young lovers.

I was more invested in John and the relationship with his father than I was with his love for Savannah. I could see what was coming and it was predictable. I had a hard time getting behind his love for her for many reasons.

One being the unearned relationship with her Neighbor and his autistic son. I cant talk too much about it without spoiling some of the plot...

I loved Channing and found him to be really believable and I wanted to know more about him and his backstory. When I did manage to shed a tear it had nothing at all to do with his love for her or visa versa.

Then there was the LAME and completely unfinished ending. It felt as though they ran out of film and money.

It's a DVD rental at best.

Lovely Bones

I had a feeling the type of movie this was going to be. I was a tad off. It was to say the least a bit trippy. The Lovely Bones is a story about a young girl who was lured to her death by a neighbourhood pedophile. As with most films we get a minor background look at her family - a happy home, mom and dad and siblings. It is Susie Salmon the oldest daughter who one day goes missing on her way home from school. She is pubescent, and just shy of getting her first kiss from the new boy in school - this is a plot point in the movie though I am not sure why - perhaps something left undone? I have a feeling that in the novel it had a more pivotal focus - and the script writers felt that they had to represent it.

In typical Hollywood fashion we see the breakdown of the family after the incident, the desperation of the father as he desperately pushes the police to look at people he suspects might have been responsible. Midway through the movie mom - Abigail Salmon, played by Rachel Weisz, leaves because she is coming unhinged. Sadly we don't really see much of this. It is mentioned by Susan Sarandon - who plays the grandmother in the film, but not truly demonstrated.

We are aware from the beginning of the movie who the pedophile is, and he is simply repulsive in his boringness. There is a lack of detail in the attack which is something I felt twofold about. I admit I don't get any pleasure in watching a child murdered, but if you aren’t going to present this on film there should be something to fill in the detail... dialogue from the police? It doesn't even have to be something that was presented to the parents, but rather perhaps in conversation between two cops? I found myself wondering about the details.

The movie is intercut with the Susie being caught in a place between heaven and hell, where she develops a friendship with another girl. We find out later what their connection is and it is interesting in a way that is important to the plot - but unfortunately it has not been given the weight it should have been. There is a tree... it is meant to represent the portal to heaven, but she refuses to go there preferring instead to watch over her family. At some point she decides to go into a "house" - which she has also been avoiding, and finally finds out some more about the man who has killed her.

It was an interesting story, and probably a great read, but I think it could have been brought to film a little differently. A little less of the trippy stuff (pretty cinematography of the in between world - and Picasso type imagery), maybe a little more focus on the "girl" who could see ghosts and their connection - there was so little of her there that she felt more like plot filler, rather than a character - though again I suspect she may have had a more important role in the novel.

I have to say I believe Mark Wahlberg is incredibly talented (he was spectacular in The Departed), and he did a good job with what he had to work with, but it was hardly stellar. I loved Susan Sarandon; she stole the show, and scarily reminded me a LOT of my own mother. For the most part it was an okay movie, if not a little unfocused and scattered. There are two things at the end that left me feeling a little unsatisfied. I won’t tell you what since that would ruin it for you, but I think ultimately I would save my money and watch it on TV at some point.

Edge of Darkness

I'm not a fan of Mel Gibson's beliefs but I must say that I really enjoyed seeing him back on the screen. Martin Campbell directs this remake of his own BBC Mini series.

As homicide detective Thomas Craven investigates the death of his activist daughter, he uncovers not only her secret life, but a corporate cover-up and government collusion that attracts an agent tasked with cleaning up the evidence.

Mel Gibson is intense through this movie and you are right there with him every step of the way. Some of the government coverups you see coming a mile away but some you don't see at all and there for they made you jump right out of your seat when they happened.

I love that Mel's back and kicking ass as he is always believable as an unpredictable cop. You really feel for him as a grieving father too as he watches his daughter die.

Let's hope Mel can keep on making good films and as long as he keeps his religious views to himself, I will be more than happy to pay the ticket price to see them.

Legion

In the supernatural action thriller Legion, an out-of-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race.

When God loses faith in Mankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity’s only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner and the Archangel Michael (Paul Bettany).

Legion also stars Dennis Quaid, Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson, Kate Walsh, Adrianne Palicki, Charles S. Dutton and Willa Holland. The movie is directed by Scott Stewart.

This was a fun movie and made me jump and squirm here and there. The beginning had a bit of a Sarah Conner feel to it with dialog I swear I heard in the first Terminator movie.

I was expecting more fight scenes from the angels than I got. But I must say that when Gabriel did show up to kick some butt it was cool with fresh ideas on the whole angle thing. They advertise Paul Bettany's fantastic abs and wings on the posters around town but you never really see them in the movie so that was a bummer.

If you like horror/action films this is a fun start. It has its share of cheesy moments but I enjoyed it none the less.

A Single Man

This film was an absolute pleasure to sit through. Yes, it is film noir at its best. I found it to be stylish with a subtle message. Collin Firth was brilliant as a broken hearted gay man living in the sixties. There is a lot of buzz about the performances in this movie and with good reason. First time director Tom Ford (former Gucci creative director and fashion designer) directed this with the same care that he crafts his clothing. It was beautiful to watch.

In Los Angeles, 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis George Falconer, a 52 year old British college professor is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long time partner, Jim. George dwells on the past and cannot see his future as we follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters, ultimately lead him to decide if there is a meaning to life.

"We're always looking for those performances that truly define an actor, where we can sit back and simply watch the talent soar. For Colin Firth, A Single Man is that film." Los Angeles Times - Betsy Sharkey

The Book of Eli

Eli (Denzel Washington) has been on a journey for 30 years, walking west across America after a cataclysmic war that turned the Earth into a total wasteland.

The world has become a lawless civilization where people must kill or be killed. The barren roads belong to gangs of cutthroats, who rob and kill for water, a pair of shoes, a lighter or just for fun.

Eli is a peaceful man who only acts in self defense and becomes a warrior with unbelievable killing skills when he is challenged. After the war and the 'Big Flash', Eli was guided by a higher power to a hidden book and given the task of protecting the book and taking it to its final destination.

Eli guards the book with his life, because he knows that the book is the only hope that humanity has for its future.

I was expecting to hate this movie but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It took a bit to get going being that for the first 20 minutes or so Eli is just walking around in utter desolate destruction but when he does come across people it picks up rather fast.

I would have liked to get more backstory on the 'flash' itself and the shaking of the people you hear about but never actually see. Throughout the movie they check peoples hands to see if they have them for a reason that they never really go in to.

This movie lets you make your own assumptions and that can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you like.

I can't really go in to it more without spoiling some of the surprises - and there are pleasantly a few of those throughout the film.

Leap Year

Wow, was this a crap film. I am not big in to romantic comedies but this just made me hate them. The basis of this movie wanted to be cute but it missed the mark for me.

When yet another anniversary passes by without a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, Anna (Amy Adams) decides to take action. Aware of an Irish tradition that allows women to pop the question on February 29th, Anna plans to follow her lover to Dublin and ask him to marry her. Fate has other plans, however, and Anna winds up on the other side of the Emerald Isle with a handsome, but surly, Irishman named Declan - who may just lead Anna down the road to true love.

Amy Adams plays the same cute, slightly uptight role as we have all seen her in before. YAWN and Matthew Goode I found to be rather annoying through most of the film. This film had every damn Irish cliche ever heard and I found it to be rather insulting.

The backdrops in some of the scenes were down right horrific at best - it managed to make a daytime soap look good.

This was a predictable movie with very few laughs. I wanted to like it but it was dull and didn't even make Ireland itself look appealing.

Daybreakers

In the year 2019, a plague has transformed almost every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vampires on a way to save humankind.

This to me had an interesting twist on the Vampire movie and that was refreshing. The acting was not the best but it had the gore factor that most sci-fi fans will like. It's no Twilight and that in itself is a reason to go see the film. There is a bit of meat to this story when detailing Bromley's (Sam Neil) plagued relationship with his daughter and his farming of the Human race for profit.

Edward (Ethan Hawke) loyally works for Bromley, but he has ulterior motives. His job is to find a blood substitute or so he is told, but he’s also a man who loathes who he has become, and wants a way to survive without drinking human blood. Elvis (Dafoe), a former vampire who has unexpectedly reverted to his human state. His cure, somehow involving a skin-sizzling exposure to sunlight, could be the answer to the survival of the human race.

This is an action packed horror flick with all the thrills you can expect. A nice change of pace from the Twilight Vampire series.

Sherlock Holmes

You gotta love Guy Ritchie for bringing us a sexy Watson!

It looks as if Guy got his groove back post Madonna and thank goodness for that. Just in case you didn't catch the trailer here is the jest of the story...

After finally catching a serial killer and occult 'sorcerer', Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Doctor Watson can close yet another successful case. However, when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again.

What I liked about this film is the new approach that was taken (although much more inline with the original books than past Hollywood films). Watson was not some oldish bumbling man but a charming sexy and brawny Doctor who Holmes depended on a great deal. Holmes, thinking that Watson was 'leaving him' to be with his future bride, becomes crazy! These character straits and the unmistakable chemistry between the two payed off nicely.

Rachel McAdams was refreshing as a thief and con girl that outsmarted her former love, Sherlock Holmes. The film has moments of talking over you as opposed to to you and that sometimes got a bit much. The main story line was a bit far fetched but overall I was entertained and left excited to see the new duo in future sequels.

Robert Downey Jr can do no wrong in my book and made a GREAT Sherlock.

Nine

Arrogant, self-centered movie director Guido Contini finds himself struggling to find meaning, purpose and a script for his latest film endeavor. With only a week left before shooting begins, he desperately searches for answers and inspiration from his wife, his mistress, his muse and his mother. As his chaotic profession steadily destroys his personal life, Guido must find a balance between creating art and succumbing to its obsessive demand.

This is one movie that I think is going to easily sweep at the Globes and the Oscars and well it should. The performances were fantastic, from Daniel Day Lewis singing with a Italian accent to Dame Judi Dench singing an entire song in French.

Penelope Cruz sizzles every time she came on screen, for me she stole the show among the women playing Guido's mistresses. Visually, this was a much better looking film than Chicago and I was both captivated and transported - that's what I think a film should do when you go to see it.

Now for the not so fantastic parts. Nicole Kidman, although she tried, had a really hard time with the accent and it was slightly uncomfortable to watch. Kate Hudson was a spitting image of her mother and even though she got the catchy song number her dancing was a little, well...OFF. That took me out of the movie a bit.

Lucky for us the performances that they gave were short and were not bad enough to ruin the film for me. Overall I think it was a good film and worth seeing and I can see why it was nominated for so many awards.

Avatar

That was the most insane piece of filmaking I have ever seen!

Go see it in IMAX 3D. It was amazing top to bottom You can't put in to words what you are watching....I'm speechless.

Brilliant. I am so going to see it again.

WOW!!!!

Precious

First and foremost, I must acknowledge that I did not read Push by Sapphire of which Precious is based. If you have not read the book, seen the movie, heard anything about it, a quick summary:

“Claireece Precious Jones endures unimaginable hardships in her young life. Abused by her mother, raped by her father, she grows up poor, angry, illiterate, fat, unloved and generally unnoticed. So what better way to learn about her than through her own, halting dialect?”

The story is gripping, it is deep, and it brings to light the very important topic of abuse of various degrees, which tends to be swept under the rug in many communities, not just the African American community.

A lot of the hype and buzz around the film was the actors who portrayed the characters, most notably Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe as Precious, Mo'Nique as Mary (Precious’ Mom), and Mariah Carey as Mrs. Weiss (the social worker). Both Gabby and Monique’s acting was spot on, and I would not be surprised at all if they won Golden Globes. Unfortunately, I wasn’t impressed at all with Mariah Carey's performance as Mrs. Weiss, the social worker, and I strongly believe it did this film a disservice. The character of Mrs. Weiss would have been better suited for a lesser known name and it is unfortunate because I really felt Carey’s name took the spotlight away from Paula Patton, who portrays Precious’ teacher Ms. Rain brilliantly.

I also found myself a little disappointed at the end, not by the story or the dialogue that this powerful film brings to the surface, but because we aren’t giving to the opportunity to continue on with Precious to see how she fared. I wish Lee Daniels, the film’s director, had given us more resolution, maybe given us a peak at Precious six months or a year down the road.

It's Complicated

Meryl Streep and Alec Bladwin star in this quirky movie about post divorce hookups. This is the main synopsis of the film:

During her son's college graduation, Jane hooks up with her ex-husband, Jake, who's married to a younger woman. As if being your ex's mistress isn't tough enough, Jane also finds herself drawn to Adam, a smitten architect.

It had some really amusing moments like the pot scene for example but it really didnt have enough of them. I felt the movie kind of dragged on a bit and I felt the kids were kind of pointless and didn't add much to the story.

Meryl Streep is once again in the kitchen baking but her performance was no where near as good as her previous culinary movie, where she played Julia Child. Steve Martin was great as always but I would liked to have seen more of him in the film.

My father enjoyed it and I think that most Seniors will but for my age group it fell a little flat. Also, seeing Alec naked in more than one scene was a bit too much for me to stomach to be honest!

Ninja Assassin

This movie was just kick ass fun and well worth my 11 bucks.

The gore alone was worth it. Ninja Assassin follows Raizo (Rain), one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth.

But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge. Revenge is what he got...

Some parts of the movie had me cringing in pain and there is so much blood spilled that by the end of the film you could barely recognize the main character.

This movie also had a pretty good story line too and except for the English bloke in it that annoyed me to no end the performances were rather solid.

If you like body parts flying you will LOVE this film. Gore Galore.

Brothers

I left this movie feeling half pleased with it. I loved the performances given by Toby, Jake and Natalie but the story let me down a bit. This is a remake of a Danish film made in 2004.

The story centers around 2 brothers, 1 being a married marine with a wife and 2 young daughters and the other a newly released screw up, just out of prison.

When Sam is presumed dead in Afghanistan his brother is left to help pick up the pieces. When Sam gets rescued and returns home, the mental trauma from being captive is almost too much for him and he is unable to go back to a normal life.

If you are going to see this film based on the fact that you think the brother sleeps with the wife you will be going to see the wrong film. This is more about the war and the coping of it. I had a problem with the love between Nat and Toby. I think they rushed it a bit in the beginning so I didn't get a huge sense of loss when he was gone. It was neat and tidy writing wise and I think they could have delved in to the backstory a little bit deeper.

Toby had the crazy eyes thing down and I found his performance compelling but I didn't really feel that he was tortured enough to spark that kind of reaction and the Afghan soldiers were a bit too much of a cliche for me.

The children's reaction about their father being home was really on point and helps with the tensions created by the closeness that developed between Tommy (Jake) and Grace (Natalie).

I enjoyed the film, I just didn't LOVE IT like I thought I would.

New Moon

After all the hassle of having to take my review for New Moon down the internet has been full of less than generous reviews so I guess it is safe for me to post mine back up again! Enjoy it if you missed out last time...

I was lucky enough to be able to go to a press screening of New Moon on Friday and I have a lot to say on this subject. For those who have not read the books. GO READ THEM. For those who did may I just state that I'm a bit disappointed. Here is a brief synopsis of the movie.

Following Bella's ill-fated 18th birthday party, EDWARD CULLEN (Robert Pattinson) and his family abandon the town of Forks, Washington, in an effort to protect her from the dangers inherent in their world. As the heartbroken Bella sleepwalks through her senior year of high school, numb and alone, she discovers Edward's image comes to her whenever she puts herself in jeopardy. Her desire to be with him at any cost leads her to take greater and greater risks.

With the help of her childhood friend JACOB BLACK (Taylor Lautner), Bella refurbishes an old motorbike to carry her on her adventures. Bellas frozen heart is gradually thawed by her budding relationship with Jacob, a member of the mysterious Quileute tribe, who has a supernatural secret of his own.

When a chance encounter brings Bella face to face with a former nemesis, only the intervention of a pack of supernaturally large wolves saves her from a grisly fate. The encounter makes it frighteningly clear that Bella is still in grave danger. In a race against the clock, Bella learns the secret of the Quileutes and Edwards true motivation for leaving her. She also faces the prospect of a potentially deadly reunion with her beloved that is a far cry from the one she'd hoped for.

I thought that Taylor was robbed of his role a bit on this. The movie was rushed and therefore you were never really able to invest in the new sparked love between Jacob and Bella. The Score of the movie was so cheesy that I needed crackers. It was soap opera bad at times.

The acting was a little over done but Taylor was really rather good and I'm glad they kept him in it. I would have loved to see more of the special moments they shared in the book.

If you loved the book I think you're going to hate it. I wasn't impressed with the directing AT ALL. I liked the color of the first one and this one was BRIGHT and, ummmmm, Edward glitters - so why the hell is he out in the light? I feel that they should have at least attempted to make it overcast like in the first film.

The best part of the movie for sure was the Volturi at the end (Oh, and Jacobs abs!). Let's hope the new director for Eclipse can do better.

Sorry folks I really wanted to love it.

“Sorry Edward...not even your jaw line can save this movie...”

The Blind Side

'The Blind Side' depicts the remarkable true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential.

At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.

I LOVED THIS MOVIE. Top to bottom. I think that Sandra Bullock was fantastic as the Southern, rich, white former cheerleader with Christian morals.The entire cast was believable and the performances were moving and all for different reasons.

I cried during the entire thing but it was a good cry. It did slow down a bit for my husband in the third act but it was subtle and I preferred it to an over the top moment. This is a definite heart tugger and worth seeing. There are some really funny moments in the film thanks to the little brother played by Jae Head who is the cutest child actor since Culkin in the first Home Alone.

This move takes its time and therefore you are committed 100% by the end of it.

Pirate Radio

In 1966, BBC radio in the UK broadcast less than an hour of pop music a day, forcing pirate DJs to take up the slack from boats anchored outside British waters. Quentin (Bill Nighy) is the commander of such a pirate station, overseeing a host of seedy, lusty and dope-smoking DJs, including The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Dave (Nick Frost), who makes it his personal mission to see to it that Quentin's newly arrived godson (Tom Sturridge) loses his virginity. That is the basic story of this movie and the best explanation I could find for it!

I went in to this movie thinking it was going to be laugh out loud funny and it wasn't. The characters were entertaining but it seemed to be a bit pointless at times. It even got a little boring for me towards the middle bit.

The soundtrack of the movie is fantastic and if it's available for purchase would be well worth the money. My husband on the other hand loved it top to bottom and found it to be something he would see again. I didnt find much of a movie there and other that a few really witty performances I found the story fell a bit flat.

The Men Who Stare At Goats

A reporter, trying to lose himself in the romance of war after his marriage fails, gets more than he bargains for when he meets a special forces agent who reveals the existence of a secret, psychic military unit whose goal is to end war as we know it. The founder of the unit has gone missing and the trail leads to another psychic soldier who has distorted the mission to serve his own ends.

I loved this movie top to bottom. It was well written and perfectly cast. George Clooney plays Lyn Cassady, a quirky military man recruited by Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) in to a cult style secret military black ops group. Ewan McGregor plays the reporter broken hearted by the betrayal of his wife who heads off to Iraq to try and find danger. He somehow ends up on a mission with Lyn. This war movie is sure to make you laugh. I would highly recommend it.

It doesn't have much of a story but is entertaining none the less. I read a few reviews on this film before I went to see it and they were all bad. It is a dark satire army film but its light hearted approach and cloud bursting carryings on just made it that much more funny and clever to me.

If you are going to see this film for a laugh it's well worth it but if you want a heavy story line and semi-serious war film you will not last 5 minutes.

Clooney really has the knack of being serious and funny at the same time and that's why this movie for me was such a joy to watch. It's just silly fun.

2012

2012 tells the story of natural disasters foretold by an ancient calendar.

Sun storms are affecting Earth, culminating in tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanos. John Cusak plays a washed up writer whose day job is a limo driver for a rich Russian. His wealthy boss has bought a seat on the so called Arc - built to save the rich and famous. His ex-wife is played by Amanda Peet. It's a 2 hour and 45 min film and it is definitely your run of the mill 'end of the world' disaster movie.

I found it extremely stressful to watch. It was an endless barrage of city after city being demolished. I got the gist of it after the first 2 earthquakes and a couple tsunamis. At one point I thought to myself "OK, are they really going to show each city in the world get destroyed over and over in the same way?". Oliver Platt played the President's (Danny Glover) right hand man and 'ass hole politician' and did a fairly good job.

Overall it was what it sets out to be and that is an end of the world movie with rather good special effects. I found out that both my LA and my Vegas house get destroyed in the movie and that gave me a chuckle. It was also fun to pick out all the bad details in the film, like no one being cold in the snowy Himalayan mountains while only wearing light clothing.

I would have to say that this film is terribly 'ok' and If you have 3 hours of doing nothing I would see it on the big screen. I would not, however, plan a night around it. It's Award Season and that gives us plenty of quality things to see.

The Young Victoria

I was lucky enough to get a copy of this film before its release in the US.

I have always been fascinated by English Royalty and the relationships they have. Victoria and Albert were rumored to have had a very fiery relationship and were mad for each other until his death. This movie stars Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend and Paul Bettany. The Young Victoria, which is directed by the Canadian Jean-Marc Vallée and produced by, among others, the odd-couple partnership of Martin Scorsese and Sarah Ferguson - Duchess of York, bears a fleeting family resemblance to Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth.

I found this to be a charming film about the difficulties of being a young Queen and the budding romance of her soon to be husband. Paul Bettany was defiantly a scene stealer as Lord Melbourne the Prime Minister and Victoria's advisor. I am sure they added a bit of drama here and there. I was annoyed by some of the small inaccuracies in the film (Albert was never really shot protecting her). Emily Blunt was very well cast in my opinion and did a fantastic job playing the sometimes stubborn queen.

If you like period pieces then I would say defiantly see it. I enjoyed it and it is well worth seeing.

Where The Wild Things Are

I took my 8 year old son to see this movie and we were really excited to see it. I am not a huge Spike Jonz fan but I loved the children's book and the previews looked promising.

This is an adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world. In his mind, Max imagines a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.

I didn't, however, care too much where this movie went. I always thought of the Wild Things as rather happy and it seems that in this film they are riddled with issues and unhappy. Tension is shown throughout the film between the Wild Things and there ends up being a lot of bickering and complaining. I thought the voice acting was excellent although when you hear James Gandolfini talking you think Tony Soprano is the monster the whole time! My son was also a bit bored during the film and I can't stress enough that it is more of an adult take than a fun kids take. My husband on the other hand found it well done and very moving with great story arcs. SO, you just may have to go judge this one for yourself.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. I found it over rated and disappointing story wise but cleverly artistic film-making for sure.

Couples Retreat

I was in the mood for a few laughs and that's what I got when I watched this very funny movie.

I was expecting it to be mildly funny but there were a few times where I found myself laughing out loud and I think in this day and age it's rare to find movies that have more than one or two funny scenes. This was scripted by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn and I think they did what they set out to do by taking the audience along with them on their crazy vacation.

This comedy is centered around four couples who settle into a tropical island resort for a vacation. While one of the couples is there to work on their marriage, the others fail to realize that participation in the resort's therapy sessions is not optional. There were some bad acting moments but overall I bought in to what they were trying to sell relationship wise. If you're married there is plenty to identify with and laugh about...

Great date movie and if you're in the need for a few laughs, this should do the trick.

Law Abiding Citizen

As you previously read I attended the premier of this starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. The plot focuses on a man who, ten years after his wife and daughter are brutally murdered, returns to extract justice from the assistant district attorney who prosecuted the case against their killers. His vengeance threatens not only the man who allowed mercy to supersede justice, but also the system and the city that made it so.

I liked it a lot and thought he did a great job as a grieving father and Jamie Foxx you liked but disliked throughout the movie. I thought the story was good and there were a couple of really great moments that even made my husband jump. The acting overall was great but I would have loved for him to have done it in his native scottish tongue. I hate when they make actors try to do an American accent it sounds muddled to me. Anyway It was well worth seeing and I would defiantly recommend it. The beginning is a bit hard to watch but I think thats the point so that your behind him all the way. I know I was.

Surrogates

Firstly, I have been really excited about this film since I stumbled across the trailer a few months ago - and then I saw it. It wasn't a bad film but it wasn't great and action packed either. They did a great job glossing over the actors that played the robot versions of them selves and roughing up the 'real' humans. It was very believable.

Bruce Willis has his rough cop charm going on throughout the film - which is what we expect but where it lacked a bit for me was the actual story. The concept as a whole was okay - it had a few holes and unfortunately, it seemed to wrap up very quickly without unfolding through the movie. We all know if this kind of technology was possible we all would most likely have one but I would think that it would only be available to the rich and in this movie 90% of the population have one.

The outlaws that were against the surrogates lived in slums and were led by "The Profit" played by Ving Rhames. So the fact that everyone could afford it was a little unrealistic and did not tie in with this part of the story. I would have much preferred they write it as only 'the rich, the military and the police' could have them - all others would then have to live among them that would have made looking for the murderer a little bit more interesting.

Overall I would say that it's worth seeing as a matinee or waiting until the DVD release. Good and entertaining but not GREAT...the ad campaign for the film was fantastic, however, it's a shame all those beautiful people on the billboard ads never made it on screen.

Capitalism: A Love Story

Last night I took my father to see the new Michael Moore film. Overall I think it was good and informative. He goes on to tell us about how evil the corporations are and how back in the day it used to be different. The lower class and poor had more of an opportunity and how Reagan basically fucked us by letting himself be governed by the big banks.

Further more, we are told how big business killed GM and other car companies, when the Unions were pushed out. It's his normal 'government hating' kind of stuff that we can always expect. Half of which I agree with and half is just... well, Michael Moore style movie making. I agree that the banks got rich off the poor but the poor allowed it to to a certain extent. I don't sign anything without reading the fine print and there comes a time where EVERYONE has to own up to their part in this whole mess.

There was a definite scam going on but plenty of hands were out ready to take their money as well. If you own a house and you refinance that house for a loan and it says that in 2 years your interest can be changed to WHATEVER the bank want - you HAVE got to be prepared to pay more or loose that house. I think the middle classes and the poor got screwed and that's what he is trying to say. However, some people also ALLOWED themselves to be screwed as well, so I would have preferred a bit more balance in his film making.

I for example pay 35% in tax and when I die and 45% in death tax - so what does that leave me with... NOT MUCH!! Yes, we have a 45% death tax over $2 million. Yes, to most they never have to worry about that but to the people that made a LOT from NOTHING we do. I for one am going to get screwed as well. Well not me...but my kids and their kids will. The government sucks and that's pretty much what you'll hear when seeing this film. Moore and I have one thing in common and thats hope that the American people will stop listening to propaganda and start making informed decisions on their own. This is a definite DVD purchase and I would buy it to teach our kids in their teen years what NOT to put up with.

Surrogates will be my next review. I'm now ready to be entertained!

Bright Star

Bright Star tells the story of the love affair between John Keats and Fanny Brown.

I have one word for this movie...DEEP. However, it's deep in a make you cry, beautifully crafted love story kind of way. I enjoyed it top to bottom and was really moved by the performances from both Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish.

Abbie plays an 18 year old who is creative and skilled in fashion and becomes his muse. It's a cleverly written, charming and poetic production. The connection between the two was very believable and I bought it all the way through. The writer took the time to really develop the relationship. Nothing about this movie was forced and I followed it almost as well as one of Keats poems.

If you are not a fan of Keats you certainly will be after this film. I see many nominations for this movie come award season. I highly recommend it, as it was well worth the $12.50 ticket price - a rare thing these days!