Was interested in seeing this movie not so much because I was actually interested in it, but more for the awards side of things. What a waste of time...
Slow. Boring. Predictable. Uninteresting.
I understand that a lot of people are pulling for Annette Bening because it's just time she actually won, but I sincerely hope it's not for this movie. She did a perfectly adequate job, as did all the actors in the movie. It was not badly acted at all, but the movie itself lacked just about everything that makes a movie worth while. If you really want to see Annette Bening show off her great acting skills and in a movie that's actually worth watching, go back to 1999 and watch 'American Beauty'.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Black Swan
Awards season is just around the corner -- one of my favorite parts of the year. And I try my best to see as many of the nominations as possible. Black Swan, however, I not only wanted to see before the awards shows, but also because I just thought it looked like a great movie.
Great movie might be an overstatement, and good movie might be more appropriate. It is somewhat difficult to find great movies these days, although I still have my hopes up for 'Blue Valentine' (which I plan on seeing this weekend).
One thing that is truly great about 'Black Swan' is Natalie Portman's performance. She embodied the innocence and darkness of the character perfectly, and I truly believe that if it weren't for her the movie would have been dull and slow. One reason her character was so great was thanks to the playing off of Mila Kunis' performance. While not quite at the same level of Natalie Portman, Mila's role was very surprising and refreshing when compared to roles she has been attached to in the past.
As far as the movie in general goes, it is definitely not for everyone. It is not just a movie about dance like Center Stage, for example, but it is a movie about how dance can truly affect some people. It can take over their lives, both physically and mentally, and essentially turn them into a dark person that lets nothing get in their way of gaining recognition and moving up in the company. The line between reality and fantasy becomes blurred, and in this case the fantasy, albeit a very dark fantasy, takes over.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Last Song
Again, not much to say about this one. Partly because I'm just not really in the mood to post anything, but I might as well.
The only reason I saw this movie is because I read the book. And just in case you were wondering, all Nicholas Sparks books are pretty much the same. While reading a few of them I kept noticing certain plot points and details that seemed to be duplicates of each other.
As far as the movie goes, it was okay. Of course it strayed a little bit from the book -- some character development was greatly shortened and the general emotion in the book just didn't present itself in the movie. And let's face it, Miley Cyrus is a much better actress when she doesn't speak. Sad, but very true.
Also, this book/movie seems like a total rip-off of Life as a House. Before Garden State existed, Life as a House was my favorite movie. Phenomenal acting by the entire cast. While that will be reviewed in another post at some point, I'll still say here that Hayden Christensen was amazing in his early days. Not too crazy about his movie choices as of late, but give Life as a House a go and you'll know that Hayden does have some serious credibility.
The only reason I saw this movie is because I read the book. And just in case you were wondering, all Nicholas Sparks books are pretty much the same. While reading a few of them I kept noticing certain plot points and details that seemed to be duplicates of each other.
As far as the movie goes, it was okay. Of course it strayed a little bit from the book -- some character development was greatly shortened and the general emotion in the book just didn't present itself in the movie. And let's face it, Miley Cyrus is a much better actress when she doesn't speak. Sad, but very true.
Also, this book/movie seems like a total rip-off of Life as a House. Before Garden State existed, Life as a House was my favorite movie. Phenomenal acting by the entire cast. While that will be reviewed in another post at some point, I'll still say here that Hayden Christensen was amazing in his early days. Not too crazy about his movie choices as of late, but give Life as a House a go and you'll know that Hayden does have some serious credibility.
The Hangover
I don't really have much to post about this movie.
Was it funny? Yes.
Was it funny enough for all the hype and claims about how awesome it is? No.
Was it funny? Yes.
Was it funny enough for all the hype and claims about how awesome it is? No.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I was so excited to see this movie in part because the book was great and in part because so many people on Netflix gave it 4 and 5 stars, praising how great of an adaptation it was. Remind me to never again base my expectations on such comments.
Yes, it was a good movie and a decent adaptation. However, this movie bothered me more than I enjoyed it. There were so many pieces that they changed in some way or completely left out, and some of the plot points that were left out were important. I realize that things have to be altered and cut in order to get a long book to fit into a normal movie length – this movie was still 2 ½ hours even with the plot changes. They also added a few things though, which didn’t seem necessary to me when you consider what they cut out. Maybe what they added has more to do with foreshadowing the next movie? I couldn’t say because I haven’t read the next book yet.
The actors did a good job – but again some of their parts were drastically cut down. I’m curious to see how the American version of the movie will turn out, where Daniel Craig is said to be the lead character, Mikael Blomkvist. I’m not sure why the Swedish version isn’t good enough and we have to go and make our own… Who am I kidding; of course I know why. Our country loves to make money and capitalize on other people’s accomplishments.
Anyways, overall it’s an okay movie. Not amazing and not horrible. But as usual, the book is far better.
Yes, it was a good movie and a decent adaptation. However, this movie bothered me more than I enjoyed it. There were so many pieces that they changed in some way or completely left out, and some of the plot points that were left out were important. I realize that things have to be altered and cut in order to get a long book to fit into a normal movie length – this movie was still 2 ½ hours even with the plot changes. They also added a few things though, which didn’t seem necessary to me when you consider what they cut out. Maybe what they added has more to do with foreshadowing the next movie? I couldn’t say because I haven’t read the next book yet.
The actors did a good job – but again some of their parts were drastically cut down. I’m curious to see how the American version of the movie will turn out, where Daniel Craig is said to be the lead character, Mikael Blomkvist. I’m not sure why the Swedish version isn’t good enough and we have to go and make our own… Who am I kidding; of course I know why. Our country loves to make money and capitalize on other people’s accomplishments.
Anyways, overall it’s an okay movie. Not amazing and not horrible. But as usual, the book is far better.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Blow
Who doesn't love Johnny Depp? Aside from his good looks, he's one of the most diverse actors ever. Throw any role his way and he'll give it 110% -- and do it well.
Blow is based on a book and a true story, about a guy who grows up in a mid-low class family that always has financial issues. He doesn't want this life, and after he and his best friend move out to California, they discover how much money you can make when you're in the drug business. Over time he goes from weed to cocaine, and of course there are some bumps along the way.
Even though this guy is a drug dealer that makes millions of dollars illegally, you still can't help but like him and feel sorry for him when he is forced to face certain consequences. Penelope Cruz also does a great job portraying a very hypocritical woman, in my opinion. I've seen this movie quite a few times now, and just now I realized that the little girl in the film is played by Emma Roberts. Amazing, she was actually a cute and decent little actress before she started growing up.
I'd definitely put this movie towards the top of my Johnny Depp favorites list.
Blow is based on a book and a true story, about a guy who grows up in a mid-low class family that always has financial issues. He doesn't want this life, and after he and his best friend move out to California, they discover how much money you can make when you're in the drug business. Over time he goes from weed to cocaine, and of course there are some bumps along the way.
Even though this guy is a drug dealer that makes millions of dollars illegally, you still can't help but like him and feel sorry for him when he is forced to face certain consequences. Penelope Cruz also does a great job portraying a very hypocritical woman, in my opinion. I've seen this movie quite a few times now, and just now I realized that the little girl in the film is played by Emma Roberts. Amazing, she was actually a cute and decent little actress before she started growing up.
I'd definitely put this movie towards the top of my Johnny Depp favorites list.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Snow Angels
In general, Snow Angels is a solid film. Impeccable acting and a heart wrenching story. I would actually like to read the novel it’s based off of and see if the adaptation was worthy enough.
The dynamic of the main family in this movie is pretty heartbreaking. Started a family too young and ended up completely broken. I feel bad for the little girl – stuck between two parents that hate each other, one more than the other, but is too young to really understand what is going on. I’m definitely not an advocate for staying together for the kids, but I wish people could just learn to be civil. Apparently that’s too hard for some people.
In this story the mother, played by Kate Beckinsale, is supposed to be the responsible one and has custody over her daughter. The dad is the crazy one that tried to commit suicide, then found God, but still has a dark side and a horrible temper. The mother, however, is completely irresponsible and has an affair with her friend’s husband and falls asleep one day while her daughter wanders outside and falls in a lake and gets trapped under the ice. I’d go with the conclusion that they’re both actually crazy and couldn’t get past their own issues to give their daughter a proper environment. If the father weren’t a total maniac the tired mother that had a cold could have asked him to watch their daughter. But they’re both crazy and she’s stubborn, so that didn’t happen.
Another little storyline in the movie is about a high school boy that works with the previously mentioned mother at a restaurant. She was his babysitter when he was a kid and he had a huge crush on her. But honestly, who wouldn’t have a crush on Kate Beckinsale? As he’s coming of age and dating the somewhat odd, new girl in school, he still finds himself connected to the mother since he’s known her practically his whole life. He’s the one that actually finds her daughter. I can’t imagine finding a 4-year-old girl floating beneath the iced-over lake. I also couldn’t imagine losing your child, especially your only child. That, in my opinion, would be the most devastating thing that could ever happen in life.
In the end, the crazy father stays his crazy self and kills his ex-wife then commits suicide. So much for finding God. The one thing I did like about the crazy guy was that before he killed himself while sitting in his truck, he let his dog out and run free so he wasn’t left in the cab with his dead owner.
Overall I think the film is done beautifully and is very well acted. Definitely worth a watch.
The dynamic of the main family in this movie is pretty heartbreaking. Started a family too young and ended up completely broken. I feel bad for the little girl – stuck between two parents that hate each other, one more than the other, but is too young to really understand what is going on. I’m definitely not an advocate for staying together for the kids, but I wish people could just learn to be civil. Apparently that’s too hard for some people.
In this story the mother, played by Kate Beckinsale, is supposed to be the responsible one and has custody over her daughter. The dad is the crazy one that tried to commit suicide, then found God, but still has a dark side and a horrible temper. The mother, however, is completely irresponsible and has an affair with her friend’s husband and falls asleep one day while her daughter wanders outside and falls in a lake and gets trapped under the ice. I’d go with the conclusion that they’re both actually crazy and couldn’t get past their own issues to give their daughter a proper environment. If the father weren’t a total maniac the tired mother that had a cold could have asked him to watch their daughter. But they’re both crazy and she’s stubborn, so that didn’t happen.
Another little storyline in the movie is about a high school boy that works with the previously mentioned mother at a restaurant. She was his babysitter when he was a kid and he had a huge crush on her. But honestly, who wouldn’t have a crush on Kate Beckinsale? As he’s coming of age and dating the somewhat odd, new girl in school, he still finds himself connected to the mother since he’s known her practically his whole life. He’s the one that actually finds her daughter. I can’t imagine finding a 4-year-old girl floating beneath the iced-over lake. I also couldn’t imagine losing your child, especially your only child. That, in my opinion, would be the most devastating thing that could ever happen in life.
In the end, the crazy father stays his crazy self and kills his ex-wife then commits suicide. So much for finding God. The one thing I did like about the crazy guy was that before he killed himself while sitting in his truck, he let his dog out and run free so he wasn’t left in the cab with his dead owner.
Overall I think the film is done beautifully and is very well acted. Definitely worth a watch.
Garden State
Ah, my favorite movie. Before Garden State blossomed out of Zach Braff’s mind, Life as a House was my favorite movie. And that’s one I’ve yet to replace and put back into my movie collection. I should do that soon – I haven’t seen that movie in years. But as far as Garden State is concerned, it still reigns as the top contender on my list.
It’s the perfect mix of tragedy and drama and humor and romance. Even in the midst of great tragedy can come pleasantly unexpected things. Such a simple concept makes people hopeful about life and what might be coming their way.
One thing in particular that resonated with me this time is the conversation that Large and Sam have in the pool. The point Large makes is that at a certain point home becomes an imaginary place that doesn’t really exist anymore. That is, of course, until you make a new home for yourself with your family. One day you wake up and realize that home isn’t there anymore, and now it’s up to you to create a new home. This exact thing hit me today, realizing that my best friend and my dad are both leaving what I call home, Florida, and soon my mom and my best friend’s dad will be leaving also. My home really isn’t there anymore, and I don’t know where home will be for me. I’ve always willingly left home, whether it be for school or an internship, but it never really hit me that one day everyone else would move on to and my idea of home will disappear. And as of now I have no idea where I’m going to end up. It’s kind of a scary thought.
Back to Garden State. Another reason I love this movie is because of the actors. In particular Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard. Zach Braff does a great job too, but in this case I commend him more for his writing and directing skills. Natalie Portman portrays the perfect amount of quirkiness and naivety. Peter Sarsgaard, well he’s just an amazing actor in general. He’s capable of doing such a wide variety of roles, and he does the too-old-to-still-be-living-at-home stoner type flawlessly. Not to mention he has the pleasure of saying my favorite line in the movie, “Don’t tease me about my hobbies; I don’t tease you about being an asshole.” Love it!
It’s the perfect mix of tragedy and drama and humor and romance. Even in the midst of great tragedy can come pleasantly unexpected things. Such a simple concept makes people hopeful about life and what might be coming their way.
One thing in particular that resonated with me this time is the conversation that Large and Sam have in the pool. The point Large makes is that at a certain point home becomes an imaginary place that doesn’t really exist anymore. That is, of course, until you make a new home for yourself with your family. One day you wake up and realize that home isn’t there anymore, and now it’s up to you to create a new home. This exact thing hit me today, realizing that my best friend and my dad are both leaving what I call home, Florida, and soon my mom and my best friend’s dad will be leaving also. My home really isn’t there anymore, and I don’t know where home will be for me. I’ve always willingly left home, whether it be for school or an internship, but it never really hit me that one day everyone else would move on to and my idea of home will disappear. And as of now I have no idea where I’m going to end up. It’s kind of a scary thought.
Back to Garden State. Another reason I love this movie is because of the actors. In particular Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard. Zach Braff does a great job too, but in this case I commend him more for his writing and directing skills. Natalie Portman portrays the perfect amount of quirkiness and naivety. Peter Sarsgaard, well he’s just an amazing actor in general. He’s capable of doing such a wide variety of roles, and he does the too-old-to-still-be-living-at-home stoner type flawlessly. Not to mention he has the pleasure of saying my favorite line in the movie, “Don’t tease me about my hobbies; I don’t tease you about being an asshole.” Love it!
Daybreakers
Let me start off by saying that is was nice to see some real vampires for a change. Not that there’s anything wrong with the pretty vampires that sparkle, but getting back to the horror of the vampire world is refreshing.
For those of you that aren’t a fan of seriously creepy looking monster-types and a decent amount of gore (but nothing over-the-top in my opinion), be cautious when watching this movie. When these vampires become blood-deprived they turn into ghastly creatures that even I wasn’t too fond of. And I’m the type that usually laughs during horror movies.
Other than the occasional appearance of the creepsters, this movie was very good. The entire concept was interesting and well played out, and the various ways that the concept of humanity was tested was very nice.
And who doesn’t love Willem Dafoe? “Being human in a vampire world is about as safe as bare-backing a $5 whore.” If I were one of the 5% of humans left in 2019 and the rest were vampires, I’d definitely have a less stressful time if Willem Dafoe was there with his perfectly humorous lines.
For those of you that aren’t a fan of seriously creepy looking monster-types and a decent amount of gore (but nothing over-the-top in my opinion), be cautious when watching this movie. When these vampires become blood-deprived they turn into ghastly creatures that even I wasn’t too fond of. And I’m the type that usually laughs during horror movies.
Other than the occasional appearance of the creepsters, this movie was very good. The entire concept was interesting and well played out, and the various ways that the concept of humanity was tested was very nice.
And who doesn’t love Willem Dafoe? “Being human in a vampire world is about as safe as bare-backing a $5 whore.” If I were one of the 5% of humans left in 2019 and the rest were vampires, I’d definitely have a less stressful time if Willem Dafoe was there with his perfectly humorous lines.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Inception
I had made a sort of deal with myself that I wasn't going to go to the movies again until I went out and met some people that I could go to the movies with. Well, since that process has been going fairly slow for me, I just couldn't wait any longer. How can you pass up a Christopher Nolan film (he directed 'The Dark Knight' for those of you who don't know) with a cast as amazing as Leonardo Dicaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Michael Caine. Leo has come a long way from his 'Growing Pains' days, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt the same from his '3rd Rock from the Sun' days. They've both grown tremendously as actors, and have gotten much better looking with age, in my opinion. That definitely adds to the reason to see this movie. Ellen Page was fine -- she still has some maturing to do as an actor. Even with a more serious role, I still picture her with SunnyD and a hamburger phone (and it probably doesn't help that even though she's a year older than me, she still could pass as a 15-year-old).
This movie was very interesting. The entire concept of invading people's dreams, and especially multiple times over, is very cool. There was a perfect mix of action and drama, and I think it could please just about anyone no matter their particular genre preferences. I honestly don't have much to say about the movie itself -- partly because I need to start writing these things much sooner after I see the movie and also because it was so mind-boggling and amazing that I'm left with few words. It's a must-see, even if you wait until it comes out on DVD. Just see it! If you're disappointed then you can blame the time you wasted on me.
I do still wonder about the ending. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that it left me flustered.
This movie was very interesting. The entire concept of invading people's dreams, and especially multiple times over, is very cool. There was a perfect mix of action and drama, and I think it could please just about anyone no matter their particular genre preferences. I honestly don't have much to say about the movie itself -- partly because I need to start writing these things much sooner after I see the movie and also because it was so mind-boggling and amazing that I'm left with few words. It's a must-see, even if you wait until it comes out on DVD. Just see it! If you're disappointed then you can blame the time you wasted on me.
I do still wonder about the ending. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that it left me flustered.
Precious
If you know me at all you know that I try and make time to watch the majority of Academy or Oscar nominees/winners. After picking up some sugar-free syrup and reduced-sugar cake mix (kill me now) I decided to see what the redbox had to offer. I was hoping to get Youth in Revolt but found it was out of stock. Then I stumbled upon Precious and remembered that I have been meaning to give that movie a once-over for quite some time now.
At first I was very bored. I’d look at the clock and only ten minutes had passed when it felt like an hour. A slow start, but definitely something worth getting through. The woman who played Precious’ mom did an amazing job. How she managed to portray a mother with so much passionate hatred toward her daughter is beyond me. While some of her actions were completely uncalled for, some of it did remind me of reality. I don’t mean to sound stereotypical or racist at all, but it is more common to see black women smacking their kids around, even in public. It’s very sad to think there probably are some children out there, and by children I mean anyone under the age of 18, that are so intensely abused by their parents.
Another major topic in the movie has also been popping up often in the past couple of days. In the movie, Precious’ mom hates her because the mom’s boyfriend/Precious’ father sexually abused Precious and gave her 2 children. The mother blamed Precious for “taking her man from her” while the mother did nothing to stop the abuse. Just last night on the show “Rookie Blue” a domestic violence case was dealt with, and in the end the woman who was being beat up blamed herself and basically said if she just behaved and didn’t argue he wouldn’t hurt her again. I hate to be so blatant about this, but women can be so helpless and just plain stupid. Of course men can too – helplessness isn’t discriminatory – but I really just don’t understand how those types of women can’t see that somewhere out there is a better life for them.
And that’s the one thing that Precious did do. She realized she had potential, no matter how many people told her she was worthless and dumb, and she got herself and her two children out of a bad situation. Now that’s a pretty smart move for someone who was apparently so dumb, if you ask me.
At first I was very bored. I’d look at the clock and only ten minutes had passed when it felt like an hour. A slow start, but definitely something worth getting through. The woman who played Precious’ mom did an amazing job. How she managed to portray a mother with so much passionate hatred toward her daughter is beyond me. While some of her actions were completely uncalled for, some of it did remind me of reality. I don’t mean to sound stereotypical or racist at all, but it is more common to see black women smacking their kids around, even in public. It’s very sad to think there probably are some children out there, and by children I mean anyone under the age of 18, that are so intensely abused by their parents.
Another major topic in the movie has also been popping up often in the past couple of days. In the movie, Precious’ mom hates her because the mom’s boyfriend/Precious’ father sexually abused Precious and gave her 2 children. The mother blamed Precious for “taking her man from her” while the mother did nothing to stop the abuse. Just last night on the show “Rookie Blue” a domestic violence case was dealt with, and in the end the woman who was being beat up blamed herself and basically said if she just behaved and didn’t argue he wouldn’t hurt her again. I hate to be so blatant about this, but women can be so helpless and just plain stupid. Of course men can too – helplessness isn’t discriminatory – but I really just don’t understand how those types of women can’t see that somewhere out there is a better life for them.
And that’s the one thing that Precious did do. She realized she had potential, no matter how many people told her she was worthless and dumb, and she got herself and her two children out of a bad situation. Now that’s a pretty smart move for someone who was apparently so dumb, if you ask me.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Remember Me
I decided not to see this movie in theaters partly because I didn't want to spend any money and partly because I'm not the biggest Robert Pattinson fan. Thanks to Redbox's $1 per night rentals I decided to give it ago. (On a side note, while I do love Redbox, I plan on restarting my Netflix soon).
I decided after the first three minutes of the movie that I liked it. It was refreshing throughout the movie to have a plot that wasn't solely a romance between two 21-year-olds, but rather a story about all relationships including romantic, friends, and family. I thought the little girl who played the younger sister did a great job -- she truly captured some of the terrors of being a child. And, although I still don't find Robert Pattinson the least bit attractive, I will give him some credit for his acting abilities.
Still I cannot believe that I didn't see the ending. I already knew *spoiler alert* that he was going to die, and as soon as the score towards the end started playing I knew it was going to happen soon, but they drew that out longer than normal to build up the anticipation. From the beginning of the movie I noted in my head that it was 2001, the year of the terrorist attacks, and towards the end I noticed the date September 11 on the classroom chalk board. Still didn't put it together. His dad was going to be late getting to the office, but as he was going up to his office to wait I literally said to myself "floors in the 80s, wow that's a tall building." Then when he stood by the window to look outside I thought "those are cool windows." And I still didn't put it together. Kind of feel ridiculous for that one. Now, however, I wonder what kind of emotional connection Robert Pattinson felt with the film considering he's not American.
Overall, I liked this movie. I plan on buying it, but not until it goes on sale again.
I decided after the first three minutes of the movie that I liked it. It was refreshing throughout the movie to have a plot that wasn't solely a romance between two 21-year-olds, but rather a story about all relationships including romantic, friends, and family. I thought the little girl who played the younger sister did a great job -- she truly captured some of the terrors of being a child. And, although I still don't find Robert Pattinson the least bit attractive, I will give him some credit for his acting abilities.
Still I cannot believe that I didn't see the ending. I already knew *spoiler alert* that he was going to die, and as soon as the score towards the end started playing I knew it was going to happen soon, but they drew that out longer than normal to build up the anticipation. From the beginning of the movie I noted in my head that it was 2001, the year of the terrorist attacks, and towards the end I noticed the date September 11 on the classroom chalk board. Still didn't put it together. His dad was going to be late getting to the office, but as he was going up to his office to wait I literally said to myself "floors in the 80s, wow that's a tall building." Then when he stood by the window to look outside I thought "those are cool windows." And I still didn't put it together. Kind of feel ridiculous for that one. Now, however, I wonder what kind of emotional connection Robert Pattinson felt with the film considering he's not American.
Overall, I liked this movie. I plan on buying it, but not until it goes on sale again.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Get Him to the Greek
(On a side note first, I have quite a list going of movies I need to update with. I'll eventually get to some of those.)
One of my first weekends in Santa Fe by myself I couldn't think of much to do, wasn't really sure where to go, so I decided on checking out a movie. The only thing out that looked even halfway decent was 'Get Him to the Greek.' I had a chance to see a free screening of this sometime towards the end of the last semester, but it was the end of the semester and I had lots of other things that needed to be done. And I was pleasantly surprised when I bought my ticket for the movie as matinee prices here are still good until 6pm. Amazing considering ticket prices back home (Boston and Orlando) are only matinee before about 2pm, which is nearly impossible unless you want to see a movie at 10:30 in the morning.
Anywho, I figured I'd enjoy this movie since it was based on characters from 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall', which I loved. In the end, I still like 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' a lot better, but 'Get Him to the Greek' was still amusing and enjoyable. I later found out that some of the more innapropriate scenes were pretty much taken from Russell Brand's real life, but that's not surprising. Aldous Snow basically seems to be Russell Brand magnified on the big screen, just instead of his real-life comedian/actor gig he's a recording artist. I'm still not a huge fan of Jonah Hill though. He can be funny and all, but for me he's missing some kind of comic spark that some of his previous costars have, like Russell Brand or Jason Segel.
My favorite character in the movie, however, was Sergio, played by the one and only Sean Combs/P. Diddy. Whatever you want to call him, I don't really care, but he was pretty awesome. His character also has my favorite line in the movie: "Do you have any idea how many Air Jordans 6 black kids wear?" So stereotypical, but so true. Hilarious.
And I almost forgot! The cameos were great. Particularly the one by Tom Felton.
One of my first weekends in Santa Fe by myself I couldn't think of much to do, wasn't really sure where to go, so I decided on checking out a movie. The only thing out that looked even halfway decent was 'Get Him to the Greek.' I had a chance to see a free screening of this sometime towards the end of the last semester, but it was the end of the semester and I had lots of other things that needed to be done. And I was pleasantly surprised when I bought my ticket for the movie as matinee prices here are still good until 6pm. Amazing considering ticket prices back home (Boston and Orlando) are only matinee before about 2pm, which is nearly impossible unless you want to see a movie at 10:30 in the morning.
Anywho, I figured I'd enjoy this movie since it was based on characters from 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall', which I loved. In the end, I still like 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' a lot better, but 'Get Him to the Greek' was still amusing and enjoyable. I later found out that some of the more innapropriate scenes were pretty much taken from Russell Brand's real life, but that's not surprising. Aldous Snow basically seems to be Russell Brand magnified on the big screen, just instead of his real-life comedian/actor gig he's a recording artist. I'm still not a huge fan of Jonah Hill though. He can be funny and all, but for me he's missing some kind of comic spark that some of his previous costars have, like Russell Brand or Jason Segel.
My favorite character in the movie, however, was Sergio, played by the one and only Sean Combs/P. Diddy. Whatever you want to call him, I don't really care, but he was pretty awesome. His character also has my favorite line in the movie: "Do you have any idea how many Air Jordans 6 black kids wear?" So stereotypical, but so true. Hilarious.
And I almost forgot! The cameos were great. Particularly the one by Tom Felton.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Meet Joe Black
i don't remember exactly the first time i saw this movie, but i know i was probably too young to really understand it. i was only ten or eleven years old. even though i didn't remember specifics about it since it had been so long since i'd seen it, i did remember that i liked it. hopefully i'll find it in the five dollar movie section sometime soon.
i came across it on hbo a little while ago, around midnight, and totally forgot it's one of those three-hour movies. good thing being alert in class the next day wasn't all that important. i would definitely say this movie is in my top ten somewhere. there's something intriguing about it, and maybe i'm just a sucker for brad pitt's earlier days. i'm not so sure age has really helped him as an actor, although he did do a good job in 'the curious case of benjamin button.' i also really enjoy claire forlani's performance. the only other thing i have ever seen her in was 'boys and girls', back in the day when freddie prinze, jr. was popular.
i really can't pinpoint exactly what i love about this movie. you'll just have to watch it and maybe you'll understand.
i came across it on hbo a little while ago, around midnight, and totally forgot it's one of those three-hour movies. good thing being alert in class the next day wasn't all that important. i would definitely say this movie is in my top ten somewhere. there's something intriguing about it, and maybe i'm just a sucker for brad pitt's earlier days. i'm not so sure age has really helped him as an actor, although he did do a good job in 'the curious case of benjamin button.' i also really enjoy claire forlani's performance. the only other thing i have ever seen her in was 'boys and girls', back in the day when freddie prinze, jr. was popular.
i really can't pinpoint exactly what i love about this movie. you'll just have to watch it and maybe you'll understand.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
No Country for Old Men
I've been meaning to watch this movie ever since it won an Oscar for Best Picture. Well, I finally got around to it, and I must say I liked it. I honestly had no idea what it was about before, I just have a need to watch Academy Award winning movies to see for myself. I don't really have anything specific to say about it -- there were no parts that I was particularly dazzled or disappointed by, I just liked it in general. I wasn't paying total attention towards the end, and the ending completely confused me. So I rewound it a little bit, paid attention this time, and was still confused. I googled it and found out what the ending meant, and I think if I watched it again I might notice different things throughout the film that would make the understanding of the ending easier. If you have two hours to kill, and don't mind some blood from gunshot wounds, then I recommend a once-over.
Monday, January 18, 2010
67th Annual Golden Globes
Tis the season of awards shows. This is one thing I look forward to year after year, even if I haven't seen a majority of the nominations. Since I don't get a chance to see many of the nominations before the awards show, I'm biased when it comes to who I want to win. This time around only a few that I was hoping for made the final cut:
Best Actress in a Television Series, Drama: Julianna Margulies, 'The Good Wife'
Best Screenplay, Motion Picture: 'Up in the Air', Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama: Sandra Bullock, 'The Blind Side'
Even though I knew it wasn't probably going to happen, I had my fingers crossed for Joseph Gordon-Levitt and '(500) Days of Summer.' It was great that the film was even nominated, and every time they showed him when they said the nominations he looked so excited just to be there. His previous co-star, John Lithgow, did win for 'Dexter.' Kind of makes me curious about that show.
Like I said before, there were a lot of nominations that I haven't had the chance to see yet. After the awards there are a few I want to take a look at, and that still doesn't include 'Avatar.' Yes, I've heard its praises from practically everyone I know, and it took home Best Director and Best Movie and probably something else, but it still doesn't interest me. Maybe I'll give it a whirl once it comes out on DVD, but for now, the rest of the world can enjoy it without me.
I did also watch the People's Choice Awards about a week and a half ago. I'll post something later about who I wanted to win and who did win. In the meantime, some others to look forward to:
More upcoming awards shows:
SAG Awards - January 23
Academy Awards - March 7
Best Actress in a Television Series, Drama: Julianna Margulies, 'The Good Wife'
Best Screenplay, Motion Picture: 'Up in the Air', Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama: Sandra Bullock, 'The Blind Side'
Even though I knew it wasn't probably going to happen, I had my fingers crossed for Joseph Gordon-Levitt and '(500) Days of Summer.' It was great that the film was even nominated, and every time they showed him when they said the nominations he looked so excited just to be there. His previous co-star, John Lithgow, did win for 'Dexter.' Kind of makes me curious about that show.
Like I said before, there were a lot of nominations that I haven't had the chance to see yet. After the awards there are a few I want to take a look at, and that still doesn't include 'Avatar.' Yes, I've heard its praises from practically everyone I know, and it took home Best Director and Best Movie and probably something else, but it still doesn't interest me. Maybe I'll give it a whirl once it comes out on DVD, but for now, the rest of the world can enjoy it without me.
I did also watch the People's Choice Awards about a week and a half ago. I'll post something later about who I wanted to win and who did win. In the meantime, some others to look forward to:
More upcoming awards shows:
SAG Awards - January 23
Academy Awards - March 7
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