Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows : Part 1

Last night my husband and I went to see the new HP film, part one of the last two films left in the incredibly successful JK Rowling series. We carefully planned our evening, so that we could try and avoid hysterical lineups, frustration and the frigid weather outside...so we arrived at the theatre at 540pm...and found ourselves sitting warmly in a dark theatre by 615pm for the 700pm show...pheew. It's always interesting going to HP movies on their opening weekends, as usually it's only dire hard HP fanatics that go and spend the time to wait in line and re-read the books 100 times (no that's silly, I've read them about 20 times a piece). The line ups are filled with people talking about the books, reading the books, giving away bits of information about the movies or just generally being super excited to see their favorite characters living out the stories on the big screen. I myself, in case you haven't realized yet...is one of these fanatics.
This movie is very true to the book...it's the only movie so far, that I wasn't disappointed in the film. I've always gone to see the movies several times in the theatres as I always get disappointed in the first viewing, I'm sure I'm the only person on the planet who WOULD sit for 9 hours in a movie theatre, so that they can put all the extra information from the books in the movies, but I do relunctantly understand why they can't. This chapter is very dark and scary and filled with death. I've been sitting here trying to sum up and give a general story line to this film, but really I know too much. Harry, Ron and Hermione set off to locate and destroy Horcruxes...Dumbledore had left Harry this task and so the three of them set off together to put the pieces in motion so that Lord Voldemort can indeed be killed at the end. Now along their way, there are house elves, thieves, death eaters, snatchers, Nagini, patronuses, young love, broken wands, the imperious curse, wizarding fables and a Weasley wedding. Sigh...and I didn't even scratch the surface. I can't go on, I'll give too much away...and if you don't understand...pick up a BOOK and enjoy the great read.
One of the criticisms of the movie, I've heard is that it can't stand alone as a film without all the HP knowledge that one should have to help you understand...I have one thing to say about all that...
OF COURSE IT CAN'T STAND ALONE...IT'S THE 1ST PART OF THE SEVENTH FILM FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE...BE REASONABLE PEOPLE. IF YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HARRY POTTER - READ THE BOOKS AND THEN SEE THE MOVIE. THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!!!
There, I feel better now that I've gotten that out of my system.
The movie is an intense and very frightening 2 1/2 hours. We were going to bring our 10year old, but I'm not sure any more. For Harry Potter fans, this will be a movie to remember, well written, great effects and the kids aren't kids any more - they are more mature and can handle themselves on screen with much more realistic conviction and ease than before.
I can't believe that we now have to wait until mid July before the final chapter comes to the theatres...oh well, I guess I'll have to go back again this week to experience this one again. Who wants to join me?

Here or Hereafter

I have to say that Clint Eastwood is probably one of the best storytellers of all time. He really has his finger on the pulse of the story, how to inspire his actors to award nominations as well as developing his signature sound with his background music. I wasn't an early Eastwood fan - my husband is and has stuck by him for decades - I, myself took my own time.

'Hereafter' is a story about an American man who is able to make a "connection" with people who have passed away, a French journalist's experience in an Tsunami and a British boy's struggle with his own loss. Each storyline is poignant and interesting as they try to figure out some basic (and currently unanswered) questions about life and death...namely...what happens when we die and are those who have gone truly gone?

These aren't easy questions and I am by no means an expert in this subject, but this movie explores several different aspects of how these questions (and lack of answers) affect us all...perhaps not all at the same time, but certainly at some point in all our lives. I don't think that we have to wait until we die to understand it all...I think that people have different experiences with life and death all the time, but these are sometimes disregarded or ignored. When we, as individuals, are ready to accept the uncertainties, I think that more will become clear. Perhaps this is just 'happy, go lucky' Allison speaking, but really can you tell me for certain that I'm wrong. Anyone who claims to have any understanding with the world beyond is almost always classified as nuts and everyone rolls their eyes...but what if we are the ones who just don't get it.

When my grandfather passed away, it certainly made me feel better to think that even though his body was physically in the ground, his soul was watching from the sky or heavens and keeping a close eye on me and my family. Silly of course, one young woman's crazy attachment to her grandfather or perhaps not.

This movie pushes you to think differently about people who claim that they have 'psychic powers' or people who have had some type out out of body (0r mind) experience. Who are we to judge anyone else's experiences or knowledge without having our own to compare it to? I definitely felt more sympathetic than I normally do when dealing with things that aren't tangible to me and lord knows that I am a tangible type of gal.

Well, I apologize, I've certainly digressed enough...let's get back to the movie. The music was great...all Eastwood compositions, of course...I'm getting to love his signature, jazzy sound. The acting was effortless and smooth. It was as if Matt Damon had played this Psychic role for many, many years, tormented by his gift and not being able to accept or manage it. The French journalist, Cecile de France was fantastic. I haven't seen her in anything else so far, but I'll be checking her out on imdb.com to try to rent some of her other works. She is lovely and holds herself with such grace on screen. Twins Frankie and George McLaren were absolutely fabulous as the young boy searching for some answers and understanding about death. Clear emotions, easy transitions, it really was a pleasure to watch them on screen, together and separately. The supporting cast was also good, an aging yet engaging Jay Mohr and the always lovely and charismatic Bryce Dallas Howard just to mention a couple.
The movie didn't move fast or blind you with insane special effects, though I have to say that the Tsunami scene is absolutely horrifying and frighteningly realistic. I welcomed the movie's slow pace. It allowed me to create relationships with the onscreen characters and sympathize with each of them at different times and yet throughout the entire movie. Eastwood's direction was steady and the writing was even and unsurprising. Given the over the top explosive blockbusters that have been inundating our multiplexes recently, this was a pleasure. Emotionally draining - yes, but a pleasure none the less. What else do you have in store for us next year, Mr. Eastwood?

Homeward Bound

Three pets (Chance, a young dog unfamiliar with the world; Shadow, an aging, wise dog; and Sassy, a snobby cat) are left behind when their family goes on vacation. Unsure of what happened, the animals set out on a quest to find their family. This journey across America is very dangerous and the animals risk never seeing their masters again. The group of pets travel across forested mountains and areas of wide-open countryside, while their family searches for them in the same areas IMDb

I just thought I'd give a quick review about the movie we rented yesterday as a family. My daughters viewed it for the first time. I loved it just as much as I did the first time I saw it. I think my husband got teary like the rest of us but don't quote me on that one. Michael J Fox as Chance was awesome.

We couldn't decide if we liked Chance or Shadow better. Today all I hear from the kids is:" Can we get a golden retriever?" EVEN JON!! sigh! :)

I have to say that when the movie "Babe" came out, the animation world got really excited, it was the first time they were able to make the mouth of an animal move naturally when it spoke. Like a human would. In this movie, the mouths don't move when they speak and I like it better, it's more natural.. more real!

It's strange to use the word real when we all know animals don't speak but you get my point. :D

Letters to Juliet

When Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a young American, travels to Verona, Italy—the romantic city where Romeo first met Juliet—she meets a group of volunteers who respond to letters written to Juliet seeking romantic advice. Sophie finds and answers a letter that has been lost for 50 years, and is stunned when its author Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) arrives in Italy with her handsome but overprotective grandson (Christopher Egan) to find the fiance she left decades before.

Fascinated by Claire's quest, Sophie joins them on an adventure through the beautiful hills of Tuscany searching for Claire's long lost Lorenzo. The journey will change their lives forever, as they discover it's never too late to find true love.

Tribute.ca

In 15 lines or less - I thought the movie was cute. It made me want to go to Italy and work for Juliet. The scenery was fantastic, I mean, you can't go wrong with Italy, it's just beautiful!

I really liked the character Claire portrayed, she's the kind of woman I'd like to be when I grow up... :-P I cried when she brushed Sophie's hair. It made me remember how important it is for a girl to have a mother to rock you gently, play with your hair and kiss your face when things get tough. I'm glad I'm here for my daughters, I hope they'll always feel the love I have for them.

To talk about Sophie's own love story in the movie - I didn't really buy it. I didn't feel fuzzy about any of the guys. I thought her fiance was kind of right, he had to research he couldn't really be taking walks holding hands. I mean, opening a restaurant is huge! It takes passion and dedication. They didn't share each other's passion so it wouldn't have worked in the long run. The romance between Claire's son and her? There was no chemistry between them in my opinion...kind of awkward actually. True love??? I don't think so.

All in all, It was an ok movie but I expected more.

And I wrote more than 15 lines....

Is it really? No! Really?? It's Avatar.

Sometimes I'm wrong. There I've said it. It does happen occasionally, so I figured when it does I should fess up and be honest. When I heard that James Cameron was making this film, I really thought that this was such a horrible idea. James Cameron...he's a decent film maker but really his scripts are horrible and are so basic. Since Titanic, I really lost a lot of respect for him and was not looking forward to this new film.

I saw the film a couple of months ago and I have to say that it didn't speak to me. I thought that the computer generated creatures and lcoations were very nice but that doesn't make a film. What about the storyline, the acting, the characters? I really felt like once again, Cameron came in and went for more expensive thrills instead of a decent story. I looked at the movie like it was an animated attempt for a comeback for Cameron...can you tell that I wasn't impressed. I saw the movie with my hubby and just wasn't into it.

When Nat suggested that we go again this past week, I thought well, ok, I'll sit through it again. Maybe I'll like it more than before if not let's sit at the back and I'll play on my iphone. Now wait for it...I LOVED IT! I sat there next to Nat and soaked up every minute of the music, the beautiful colors and interesting creatures.

I was completely enchanted with this film. I can't believe that I am writing this, but I really enjoyed this film. I thought that the nature themes that he included were very timely and appropriate. I even appreciated the writing more the second time around, but still I don't feel like Cameron's strength is in his script writing...directing yes, producing yes, writing...not so much, but I will admit that he's getting better.

This time around, the movie overwhelmed me. It conjured up all sorts of feelings and emotions. I got completley inveolved with the film, hook line and sinker. I cried. I laughed. I cried more. I smiled. I cried more. I enjoyed it and then I cried more.

I tried to understand the film as a whole and give myself completely while I watched it. I really enjoyed it. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD, I'd like to show my daughter. The first thing I did when I got home was chat with my son, about how I had changed my opionion of the film. He smiled and listened to me as I described my experience the second time around. He was suprised. I was surprised. I can't wait to see it again and go back to Pandora.

Longest Date Night Ever

Every week, my husband and I go on a date night. It used to be Saturday evenings, but apparently, we were cramping my teenager's social life, so we've moved it to Sundays. Have you ever seen an early evening film on it's opening weekend on a Sunday evening? It's fabulous...there's nobody there.
Ok, I have digressed...let's get to the point...last night on our date night, I saw "Date Night" with Tina Fey and Steve Carrell. I really wanted to see something light and fluffy, so it was either "A Single Man" or this...yeah the choice was pretty easy. I went into this film, thinking that I would have a fine time, the movie would be cutzy but nothing special. What a surprise! I really enjoyed this movie. It's the story of a couple who after many years of marriage have settled into a mundane routine. They decide to shake up their weekly date night (sound familiar) at the local restaurant - where they order the same food every time (at least we go to different places) - and go and have an expensive dinner in New York City. Once at the restaurant, they are trapped in a web of mistaken identity which throws them into crazy situations. That NEVER happens on my date nights!
I was not expecting to laugh in this film, but it was pretty impossible not to. The writing is quite decent, the situations were hilarious and Tina Fey is great. I think that she is absolutely fearless comedically. Steve Carrell is still a bit bumbling for me, but he's easier to take in this film. Their chemistry got better throughout the film...the beginning was a little strange, but it all seemed to come together at the end.
One of the lovely surprises was Mark Wahlberg, who plays an old client of Tina's (she's a realtor), who is fantastic and by the way - his Hebrew is remarkable! Mila Kunis and James Franco are also funny, charming and a little scary.
It's really a story about a couple who were in danger of losing themselves and each other who end up discovering all the great things that made them fall in love in the first place. There were some parts which hit a bit too close to home, but that's what made the movie good. The thoughts and feelings came from a real place, but what they did with them was pretty impossible and some were extremely funny to watch.
Was this my favorite movie??? Well, no...but it was a fast paced, adult oriented comedy about family life that dabbled in the insane. I'm glad I watched it with my husband, there were mostly couples in the audience so it felt like the entire theatre was on a date night and it was a fun way of spending our evening. Who knew that Marky Mark (without a shirt, mind you) would be so much fun? (Ok, seriously - that was totally rhetorical)

A Story about Loving Capitalism?

Over the past weekend, my hubby and I saw Michael Moore's current documentary/dramady "Capitalism, A Love Story." I usually enjoy Michael's films, as I find him intelligent, creative and quite thought provoking. He has a tendency to lean towards the dramatics to make his point, but he's always fun to watch and I tend to agree with most of his politics. I find that it's usually the manner in which he tries to make his points that gets him into trouble.
I enjoyed this film, but I'm not certain that enjoy is the correct word. I appreciated this film. The movie also made me laugh, cry and become quite frustrated. It's a difficult film to watch. It's essentially the history of capitalism in the USA and how it became so prevalent. It was hard watching scenes of the economic crisis over and over again. It's just so heart wrenching.
It's tough seeing ways of how many of these tragedies could have been avoided if the powers that be acted on behalf of the greater American public instead of their own personal gain. That's a tough nut to crack. What happens now to all that's been corrupted and troubled? Who is able to help? How are they going to do that? Is it even conceivable that help is possible?
I was quite thrilled, I have to say when President Obama took office last year. He certainly had the intelligence, charm and wit that I wanted with a new president. He also had decency, good sense, progressive thinking and diplomacy which I feel has been lacking in the White House for many years. While watching this film, it became quite clear that President Obama has inherited a large pile of poop from previous administrations. I can't blame the Bush administration for everything (even though that would be fun) but Clinton had a hand in it, Bush senior as well as Reagan. I really don't know what poor President Obama will be able to accomplish, but Heath Care is on it's way and it's a start.
The movie shows the audience all the worst things about politics. Things that you thought would be done for the greater good, wasn't. Things that big business wanted to push in order to increase their own profits, were allowed and supported by high levels of government. It's incredibly sad. It seems to me that the American government has really failed the American people.
As an American Canadian living in Vancouver, I thank my lucky stars that I live in Canada and not the US. We may not get all the wonderful things that living in the US would give me, like frozen fat free pizza and fat free twinkies but I'm willing to give that up for so many of the incredible things that I take for granted here. Well...I wouldn't mind a fat free twinkie sometimes.

The Dragon Whisperer

I have a cat. His name is Sam. Sam looks like the dragon in this movie. Now before we go any further, I will admit, that I cried during this film. Not copious amounts, but really for a woman to become weepy because her cat looks like a cartoon dragon, I realize that I may not be entirely normal.
That being said (or written), I really enjoyed this film. The animation was great and the writing was fantastic. As I would tell my father...it was a sweet film. He would always answer - how can a film be sweet, it's not dessert - ahhh, Daddy, you give up too easily. This was a bright, funny and creative animated film from Dreamworks which gives us an interesting take on the Vikings and their creatures of torment...dragons.
Hiccup, voiced by Jay Baruchel, is a small viking, the son of the village leader and trying desperately to be taken seriously by his father in warrior viking ways, he ends up injuring a dragon, not just any dragon, but the most feared of all the dragons. Hiccup ends up learning a lot from his dragon friend and ends up teaching him a thing or two as well. It reminded me of the man that Oprah had on her show...this guy that can figure out how to deal with dogs and they call him the Dog Whisperer...For me, Hiccup was the Dragon Whisperer.
One of my favorite parts of this movie is how Jay voiced his character. His voice has a sweetness (yes, I wrote that, Daddy) to it which brings out some fantastic comedic timing and definite leading man material. I really enjoyed listening to him bring the teenager out of Hiccup in a very real, but tender way. As the mother of a teenage boy, I really appreciated that.
Gerald Butler voices Hiccup's father, Stoick and also has a loving way of maneuvering through the script. I understand that the 300 star isn't married or has children, but he was able to bring out the concerns, worry and frustration that having children, particularly teenagers can bring out in their parents. Oy!
The other characters were voiced by the talented America Ferrera, Kristin Wiig, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Jonah Hill to name just a few. They were all great. It's a lot more fun to go to the movies, when you have a decent storyline. I find that too often animated films get thrown together and aren't creative or witty or fun to watch. This movie was an animated action film...it was quick witted, interesting and as in all animated films, it's not too difficult to figure out the ending in the first 10 minutes or so. The trick with a decent animated film, is the manner of which the filmmakers develop the storyline in order to keep you focused and interested from start to finish. Can you enjoy the ride to the end?
Take your kids to see this film. It's worth the ticket price. My kids ended up seeing it without me, but I made my hubby take me later on that same weekend. I think that when we saw it, there were more adults than children in the theatre. I thought that this was hilarious. That is until one of the little boys turned around and asked me if I needed a tissue...apparently I was a little too emotional about the cat/oops, I mean the dragon.

Hot Tub Time Wasting Machine

I am a John Cusack fan. I always have been and I suppose I always will be to some degree. Recently he has been making it very difficult for me to see his movies, as he has been doing some crapola films. This new film, "Hot Tub Time Machine", is no exception to the crapola genre of movie making. It's horrible.
The basic premise is that 3 old high school friends and one nephew head to a weekend getaway at the same place that they used haunt back in high school. They are frustrated with their own lives and are at the same time trying to live in the past. They find a hot tub time machine...yes, they do...I usually do also when I head to Bowen Island or up to Whistler when I am trying to relive my glory high school days. Sigh, really people keep up here. So they find the time machine and it takes them back to the exact same place but in 1986, when they were supposed to be cool and had their whole pathetic lives ahead of them. Yup, that's the story. They end up spending the rest of the movie, trying to get back to 2010 while trying not to disrupt the natural turn of events that occurred originally. Did you get this incredibly complex story line? It's so "Back to the Future" with several major exceptions...."Back to the Future" was funny, well written, innovative, creative and included many talented actors...acting well.
Yeah. This movie was one that I really didn't need to see on the big screen. Well, to be completely honest, I really didn't need to see it at all. I would have happily spent my days rewatching all those glory Cusack moments in "Say Anything" or "The Sure Thing" or even his little role in "Sixteen Candles". John, John! Where did you go wrong?
Are there no more creative ideas floating around Hollywood that James Cameron can't put onto 3D? I don't understand why anyone would have made this film. It was ridiculously stupid, poorly written and just plain silly. It should have been called the "Sad Hot Tub Time Machine" as I am certain that everyone involved was so sad that they had to associate themselves with this crapola film. Where was the acting? Well, I think there was anything for the actors to work with and quite frankly there wasn't a whole lot of acting going on.
My son told me that this movie is being compared to "The Hangover" from last year. Let me make myself perfectly clear (in case the last several paragraphs were too vague), this movie is nothing like it. "The Hangover" was hilarious, over the top, provacative, funny, strange and pushed the boundaries of decent film making with good lines and many surprises.
"Hot Tub Time Machine" owes me 90 minutes, a diet coke and $11.99 Canadian. Where should I send my receipts? Mr. Cusack?

Alice, are we in Wonderland again?

There are times when a film maker just gets it. Tim Burton the creative genius behind Edward Scissorhands and Sweeney Todd, is really one of the best directors of his time. His dark, gloomy, dramatic, over the top, insanely creative movies have been wonderful showcases for talented character actors like Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. See, Tim gets it. He finds a story, arranges for a top notch screen play, enlists some of the the most creative and innovative actors of all time and makes a movie.

Over the weekend, I saw "Alice in Wonderland". I was a little apprehensive, as I have this thing about eyes and when I saw previews of Johnny Depps' Mad Hatter and how they did his eyes...well, lets just say that I was almost ready not to see this film until it came out on DVD. That being said, I am really pleased that I took the plunge and watched this in 3D on the big screen. It was excellent.

The story is about Alice who ends up back in Wonderland after many years and what task she must take on. She reconnects with all those original characters and now there are more to enjoy. Burton's version of this story includes parts from both books, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. His talent for picking his actors is really second to none. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter was able to make himself sympathetic while carefully crafting crazy. Helena Bonham Carter (Burton's real life partner) as the Red Queen, has some serious family issues that she needs to address. One of my personal faves, Anne Hathaway as the angelic White Witch and the lovely Mia Wasikowska as the demure yet outspoken Alice. The always scary Crispin Glover as the Red Queen's right hand man, Stayne is also excellent.

Some of the additional actors that are attached to this film through their voices are Timothy Spall, Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry and the absolutely perfectly voiced Blue Caterpillar by Alan Rickman.....'whoooo arrreeee yooooou?' Shiver....the voices were perfect. Did I mention that the voices were excellent?

I enjoyed many, many things about this film. It wasn't overly violent - the last Burton film that I saw was Sweeney Todd and that was a bit too violent for me. It was also visually appealing. The colours that pop off the screen and right into your 3D glassed eyes were fantastic. The backgrounds, the make up, the costumes, the voices, the script, the music. Ahhh, I almost forgot about the music...which matched the film perfectly. It really was an integral part of the story telling and I appreciate the creativity that it took to match music with such an script.

I realized last night when I was watching this film that I was really at a loss for words. It captivated me for the entire time. I didn't lose my focus or check my watch. For me - that's quite a feat. I didn't know how many ways that I could express my amazement and enjoyment without completely boring you all to death. It was very much like a bed time story for adults, except that it didn't make me sleepy. It renewed my appreciation for Mr. Burton, strengthened my adoration for Johnny Depp and gave me a new understanding for the 3D world. Go see this film. It's worth the time and effort to see it on the big screen. It'll be in my dreams for a long, long time.

The District 9 Ghetto

After a long, long time, I finally succumbed to watch this movie. I had my hubby watch it with me and we saw it at home, so that we could pause it whenever I had a question...which I have to say was often. Nat had seen it already and had been bugging me to see it before the Academy Awards, but there was too much to see, so it had to wait.
I really didn't know what to expect with this movie. It's a Peter Jackson film, so I expected a higher quality film already. Hmmm, interesting premise for the film. The basic storyline is that an alien ship stops over Johanesburg and when it's infiltrated aliens are found to be malnurished and in serious need of help. An area is set up for them called District 9 (somewhat like the ghettos that my grandparents were forced to live in during WW2) to contain and manage these creatures. The film follows one man who works for the company dealing with alien/human relations and what happens to him as he tries to get the aliens to move from one area to another, estentially because the govenment is evicting the creatures from their homes.
I found that the documentary type of film making with all these interviews etc was a tiring after a while and I longed for a "normal" story line. It was so sad. So sad all the time. It took me a while to get my head around the fact that we as a people/human beings apparently learned nothing from the Nazis, nothing from Apartheid and nothing from any other horrible situation in our history where humans vilified other humans for being different. These creatures were reasonably intelligent, and had language skills and could parent and keep a home for themselves. There was no reason for us to assume that they weren't capable of handling themselves. The keep them powerless and hungry and under constant surveillence, makes anyone frustrated, defensive and aggressive. These aliens (and yes, I just said that) were being attacked, tortured and demeaned for being themselves. It was hard for me to find any type of compassion for our tortured soul who ends up in the middle of a large scandalous situation where in the end he must join forces with the very beings that he found so unpleasant. He was incapable of seeing them as other living creatures that needed assistance and generosity. He used derogatory language and aggression to get what he wanted. It was very difficult for me to feel anything for him...I spent much of this movie with my mouth hanging open trying to follow.
The script was decent and I thought that the story was interesting and reasonably clever...but I don't mean in a cutzy way. This movie really bothered me. It wasn't horrible or bad, but it was incredibly difficult and forced me to watch things on screen that made me uncomfortable.
I'm glad that I finally saw the film, but I was left with a feeling of overwhelming ambivalence...I didn't know what to feel or what to think. These weren't cute little forest creatures who needed some help to keep their homes, these were ugly and scary creatures who had unfortunately relied upon another planet to help during a time of dire need and necessity. It was pretty obvious that the aliens made the wrong choice by coming to Earth. It was a sad commentary on what Jackson thinks of us.

The Lovely Bones

I forgot to mention that I loooved the special affects in The Lovely Bones. It was a nice way to change the mood throughout the movie.

Just thought I'd write something positive.

:-D

The Disturbingly Lovely Bones

This week's movie was "The Lovely Bones" with Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and the uber scary Stanley Tucci. I think that Nat had a tougher time with this one than I did. It's the story about a murdered teen in the mid seventies and how she watches over her family as they try to grieve their loss as well as find her killer. She is caught in an area of "the in between" and has her own struggles with her loss of family, friends and love and life but is still acutely aware of her anger and need for revenge.
Now, I understand that my Mr. Julia Child, the incredibly versatile Stanley Tucci is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for this years Oscars and I'll speak about him in a minute, but I need to mention the incredible talent of this young woman...Ms. Saoirse Ronan who plays the lovely but unfortunate character of the murdered Suzie Salmon. I last saw Saoirse (I don't know how to pronounce it, so it's a good thing that this isn't a video blog) was in Atonement. Did you see that one...she was the little sister, who basically causes all the trouble. She was great in Atonement. She was fantastic in The Lovely Bones. She was fresh and light and carefree all the attributes that you would think about with regards to a young girl in the 70's. She is a good student, has friends, is a loving sister and has a new crush at school. The manner in which Peter Jackson shows the approach of our sinister Mr. Tucci towards our young beauty Saoirse, is very frightening. Absolutely every parent's nightmare and nearly impossible to move on from.
This movie posed all those horrific questions...what happens if you lose a child? How does a parent cope? How do you deal with your other children? How do you connect with your spouse?
It's a sad day in my mind when a parent outlives their child. No matter how old your child is - whether they are 5, 25 or even 50 years old- it's absolutely wrong in my book. In this movie you have two parents both grieving so intensely and trying to deal with these disgusting circumstances but in such different ways. It was tough to watch, as your mind always flickers to your own children and what you think you would be doing in this situation.
It was nice for me to see Mark Wahlberg in parental role. He's married with several children now, so this must have been quite a challenge for him. He was very sweet, tender and controlled in this movie. Rachel Weisz was also decent, but I didn't connect with her as much as I thought that I would. Her mother was played by Susan Sarandon, whom is always a delight to see on screen. She was hip and funny and brought some interesting family dynamics into play.
Ok, so now of course is the time where I have to discuss the ultra scary and very unstable Mr. Tucci's Mr. Harvey. This character scared the living bejesus out of me. He was careful and matriculate. He carefully planned and orchestrated his actions and was very deliberate. That's the part that freaked me out...everything was done for a reason. It was hard watching him keeping an eye out on the neighbourhood. It all seemed so wrong. He just seemed wrong...out of place. Clearly this was a family filled area, with children's bikes and scooters and lots of laughter and toy cars strewn on the lawn. Seeing this man standing in his house, overlooking all this was very unnerving. I appreciated the nomination for him...I don't believe that he will win this year, but he certainly raised the bar when I think of movie murderers. Yeesh! I still get goosebumps.

The Lovely Bones (Spoiler alert!)

It's going to be short and quick...

Now I understand what the title means... Yikes!

You have to forgive me I don't read about the movies I go to. It's usually me asking Allie what the movie is about in the car on the way to it. So yeah, I saw the preview, I knew the girl was killed by a predator and was living in the "in between" until...she was ready to... you know ...commit... to heaven...I guessed.

I came out of the movie aching to squeeze my daughters. I almost woke them up when I got home stumbling into their bedrooms.

What a disturbing movie! That poor little girl, once she got into that hole, there was nothing to save her.

(Having lost a dear friend of mine by the hands of a murderer to then lose our old beloved Jack Russell recently. Maybe it wasn't the best choice of movie for me.) It touched me to the core and scared me a little. Life is so short.

Strangely enough the only time I cried was when she kissed the boy. Go figure.

And the time I felt sick to my stomach the most is when Suzie named all the children who were killed by that man.

I loved Mark Walhberg even though it was hard for me to take him seriously at times. (If you'd watch SNL regularly, you'd understand Allie.)

Even though Mr Harvey was scary, (camera angle and make up in my opinion) I don't think Stanley Tucci deserves an Oscar nomination. His make up and hair piece was too obviously fake. He didn't do much besides staring out of his windows and walk around his house or passing by in his car.

My favorite character was Suzie, so soft and sweet. Typical young tween. Her big blue eyes. Not too Hollywood pretty, I really got into her character and fell her pain.

Oh and something else. I wanted to see Mr Harvey suffer more in the end.

I wanted that smoking girl to push him over.

Now back to the book I'm reading :"My life in France" from Julia Child" Waaay lighter.

Comedy next week? Allie?

Don't mind my grammar please. English is my second language.

Am I Imagining Doctor Parnassus?

Confusing, confusing, confusing.

I remember where I was when I found out about Heath Ledger's passing. I was sitting at my desk working and found out from my colleague who works in film here in Vancouver. I found out before people.com even. I know....impressive. You can't review this film without talking about the loss of Heath Ledger. You cannot deny that he was an absolutely fearless actor, intent on taking risks and reveling in challenging roles. OK. I have done my duty...Heath - what the hell were you thinking when you took on this role? Who knows....

You know, I appreciate that I may not be the deepest person in the ocean of intelligence but I really, really, really don't understand Terry Gilliam. I can't argue that he is a talented director/ film maker but I have seen many of his films, and honestly I really can't remember one that I understood without significant assistance from others. This movie was no exception. It was strange, weird and funny. Gilliam who wrote it as well, created some very bizarre story lines and characters. Here's what I think...it's a story about a man that joins a traveling group who's Dr. Parnassus is able to send people through a special time/space/travel thingy (yes, people that's the technical word for it). Now sometimes people go through this time/space/travel thingy on purpose to for a positive outcome but sometimes people went through by accident and ended up in a little hot H2O.

One thing you can't deny with this film is that the calliber of actors who are a part of this complex story is very high. Heath, Lily Cole, Christopher Plummer to name a few of the original actors and then of course Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell jumped in once Heath had passed away to help Gilliam complete this crazy two hour film. The writing was witty, even though I didn't always understand it. The colors and cinematopghy were excellent and I enjoyed the musical aspect of it all.

My mother always reminds me not to give away any of the story lines when I do my reviews...well Ma - you don't have to worry about this one. I can't give it away even if I tried! I can't explain it regardless.

Let's sum this up...I saw this movie. It amused but confused me. I can't explain it but I did enjoy the two hours that I spent being in the theatre. Don't ask me why, but I did.

Twilight, needs a new moon and add in some sun

So, really? Another movie about vampires, werewolves and teenagers.

Yeah.

When the first installment of this movie franchise came to theatres, I took my teenage son and it was fine. Fine enough to at least give me some inkling of wanting to go see their number two, just to see how the story turned out of course...strictly professional interest here.

Now before I continue, I have to say first and foremost, I love the fact that they film these movies in the Vancouver area. Yay for YVR and Yay for BC film in general. That being said, it would be great if they would film movies here with decent story lines, character development and good script. This of course does not apply to our Twilight Installment Numero Deux.

How do I write this....hmmm.... I have to be nice, my son reads my blog...this film was very, very - what's the word...not good. The acting was dull. The story was ridiculous - well not like the first one was any better - and the teenage drama was childish. It's the story of this girl Bella, who falls in love with Edward who happens to be a vegetarian vampire. The ever cool Edward ends up moving away from Bella - to keep her safe, of course - and so Bella's friend Jacob is there to help her pick up the pieces and mend her broken heart. Jacob, however wants some of this Bella action himself and falls for her too. Much to everyone's surprise his special ability is that he can turn into a werewolf. I must ask...was anyone surprised given extraordinary amount of promotion that went into this movie. I don't think so...but I digress....now poor, poor Bella must choose. It's poetic. Yeah...whom do you go for the vampire or the werewolf?

Now here is the big question....why doesn't Bella not have any human boys that are interested in her? I don't understand why anyone would put themselves in such danger all the time as this girl. Seriously, this is a ridiculous character, whiny and unreasonable and quite frankly a little stupid.

On a different not, the acting was another aspect of this film that didn't impress me. I was happy to see that my Anna Kendrick whom I loved in Up in the Air had a small role here, so hopefully that won't tarnish her 'up and coming' reputation. There is way too much being written about these characters and the actors who play them. I am not impressed with Kirsten Stewart or Robert Pattinson (who will always be Cedric Diggory to me - ha!) Taylor Lautner...really, my big question for him would be `why did you and Taylor Swift break up...my daughter was soooooooo sad.'

I always thought that if you had a good book, you can pretty much make anything into a decent movie...I have been proven wrong. Arrgh. Now we have two more movies that are being made in the Vancouver area and thousands of teenage girls are thrilled about it. Me....not so much.

A Single Man singled out by Mr. Firth

As I have been ticking these nominated films off my list, so that I am ready for Academy Awards season 2010, I've been interested in seeing this film. Colin Firth has been a pretty dependable actor over the years, you know sweet, sensitive and cute...here he takes a walk on the emotional, dark and troubled side of being a gay professor in California in the 1960's. A bit of a departure for him, don't you think?
Firth plays a college professor riddled with the sudden loss of his long time partner. As George, his grief is so raw, that there were times in the theatre where it was hard to watch him. It felt like you were intruding on his own personal, private time. His performance is believable, tender and yet incredibly powerful. He captivated me completely and held my interest throughout the entire film. He was strongly supported by the rest of the cast.To name just a few, our Julianne Moore was fantastic too. As beautiful as ever, she plays George's old friend Charley, em passioned, dynamic and sad. George's partner, Jim is played by the charming and handsome Matthew Goode. They have a wonderful sweetness together, I really enjoyed watching both of them on screen.
The film shows how George goes about his day to day life once hearing the news that Jim had died. He struggles to make himself continue acting normal and carry on about his life, even though it's quite clear that for him there is nothing normal about a life without Jim. His interactions with his students, other staff, Charley or the frustrating family who live next door are all essentially distractions from the inevitable truth that he is now alone.
This film is wonderfully directed by Tom Ford, fashion designer extraordinaire. He took control over the story and lets the audience in only a piece at a time. His screenplay is understated and touching yet witty and smooth. I thought that he captured life in the 60s for a gay professional very well.
The reason that I was interested in seeing the film was for the performances. The reason I am recommending this film is for the performances. I think that this was the best performance by a male actor for 2009. Unfortunately, I don't think that Firth will take home the Oscar next month, but if I was voting...and really people shouldn't I be...he would.

The Fine Young Victoria

This past weekend, Nat and I took our girls and her mother in law to see this movie. I wanted to see it as I heard that Emily Blunt was wonderful in this role and I wanted to see her in something a little meatier than Sunshine Cleaning. Nat and I chatted about it and decided that we would bring our 9 year olds to the movie to show them how "princesses/queens" looked like in "real life" which is really nothing like Barbie at all. I also wanted them to have some understanding of the incredible tasks that Victoria and her husband Albert were able to do for England.
Sometimes I find period pieces a bit daunting. Sometimes they are filled with over drama. Sometimes you get lost in a story so filled with history that you can't remember why you went to see the film in the first place. I found The Young Victoria, to be a reasonable and realistic tale of the first few years when Victoria came into power in Britain. It shows her being pulled and manipulated like a pawn by everyone, family, politician and foe alike. Since she was so young, her mother, the Duchess wanted her to sign a regency act, which would allow the Duchess to govern England for her until she was old enough. I have to say that with Miranda Richardson as Victoria's mother...well, how do I put it...this woman scared me. She was powerful and arrogant. She was tough as nails and yet you could sense the vulnerability of the character.
Victoria was played tenderly by Emily Blunt. She captured the essence of this young queen beautifully. She was lovely, sweet and naive. Charming but thoughtful and very bright. She wanted to think for herself and answer to no one but her country. I really enjoyed watching her on screen. Her husband, Prince Albert from Germany, was played by Rupert Friend...was enchanting. Watching the two of them on screen, when they were beginning their love affair was thrilling and they had fantastic chemistry. I loved watching them. It was hard to pull my eyes away.
Additional supporting cast includes Paul Bettany as Lord Melbourne - the current politician at the time who also vies for Victoria's support and Jim Broadbent, who played King William, Victoria's uncle. These additions were fantastic. The actors were charming and like able...even when you knew they shouldn't be.
The Young Victoria, shows how a young mind or rather two young minds in England were able to do great, great things. Welfare, education and housing for the poor are issues that Victoria and Albert fought for. That is all fine and dandy and yay for England... but really. This film is just as much a love story. It's about Victoria, of course, but it also shows such a loving tender side of both of them. It shows what happened when these two people fell in love and what they were able to achieve to better a nation.

Nine...or was it ten...nope maybe it was three

Hmmm, "Nine"...the musical starring such big names as Daniel Day Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren and Fergie. What did I expect from the director of the much loved "Chicago"....more. I expected more.
Oy, Guido! You have some serious issues with women. Every woman that you come into contact with. haunts you - Your dead mother returning in your daydreams, the prostitute that you found when you were a little boy, your lusty mistress ready whenever you are, your delicate muse anticipating your new film endeavour, your trusty costume designer assistant dishing out advice, the American fashion writer desperate to become another notch on your bedpost and the wife desperate for attention from her philandering husband.
This movie disappointed me. It was too long. It was very, very choppy. For me it was basically like this...scene one: Guido can't find inspiration to create a new script, a woman arrives, she sings, there's a little dancing and cut to the next scene. Scene two, Guido can't find inspiration to create a new script, a woman arrives, she sings, there's a little dancing and cut to the next scene. Over two hours of this! You know when you have a film filled with actors who can sing, act, dance and are so electrically charged on the big screen it almost seems a disservice when you don't use them to the best of their abilities. This film lost my interest in the first quarter and never got it back.
There were small parts of the movie that I did enjoy. For instance Penelope Cruz and Marion Cotillard were absolutely my favourite ladies. Emotionally driven and filled with love, pride and intensity - both women grabbed my attention as soon as they were on screen and never let go. The music of the film was good. There were lots of songs, but only a couple that really resonated with me. Fergie's "Be Italian" was excellent. I would have loved to have seen more of her, but the role was small. Thank heavens her musical number was fantastic. I loved the song. Kate Hudson had a fun filled, high energy number that she did which was also quite good. But I don't want to mistake a fun dance number with a decent song. Sophia Loren, eh. Judi Dench - good as always but never stole the show.
Daniel Day Lewis. Daniel Day Lewis. I expected more from such a picky and established actor. Surprisingly, he sang better than I had anticipated but he was always so moody and egocentric, it was hard to watch him make all these poor choices. He acted like such a spoiled child with all the adults around to pick up his dirty socks...that's really how I felt. This was not the movie that I thought he would pick. He really didn't turn it on for me here. It was a sad situation that he had created for himself...quite self destructive. Maybe if it hadn't been filmed like MTV in 60's Italy, I would have found it more interesting. I needed more story in the storyline, not just song fillers.

Mr. Fox was Fantastic

Finally!
An animated film that kept me captivated and interested. This was a different type of animated film. My daughter was a little worried when I told her that we were going to see this movie. I don't know what concerned her but the lack of princesses, singing frogs or dancing cows intrigued me to go and see this movie. Now that being said, I do understand that Mr. George Clooney voices the title character of Mr. Fox...and still I saw this film...and dare I say it - gasp - I enjoyed it.
This movie which is based on a children's book is absolutely wonderful. Smart and witty, the script is great. Wes Anderson, the director of such wacky films as The Royal Tenenbaums and the Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou, does a great job of bringing this film a strange and yet youthful quality. It was such fun to watch and the character actors that gave their voices to this film are brilliant.
Meryl, Meryl, Meryl...can this woman do no wrong? She plays Mrs. Fox and her sweetness and likability compliments Clooney's charming and cheeky character. There are so many brilliant actors in this film...Bill Murray, Michael Gambon (Harry Potter's Dumbledore), Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman just to name a few. Their energy comes through their voices and the audience feels it and it's infectious.
The story is simple enough...Mr. Fox is a thief and promises the Mrs. that he will never steal again...of course when they move they end up close to three farms...this proves too much for Mr. Fox who enlists the help of his friends to hit all three farms. Once the farmers are on his trail they stop at nothing to put an end to all this thieving. Simple but not basic. Fun and very entertaining.
It really was a pleasure to sit in the theatre and watch this film. It's not for very young children as the humour would be too advanced for them. My daughter ended up loving it and my 14yr son, enjoyed it very much as well. I looked at it as an animated film for adults without all the X rated crap that South Park puts out.
This was an original concept in animation. It was an innovative film and renewed my faith in animated films. Thank heavens...this woman can't live on Disney alone.

The Frogger Princess

I took my daughter to go see the new Disney film, The Princess and the Frog a few weeks ago. I don't really know where to start with this movie. My daughter loved it. I have to say in all honesty. She really did...well - she is 9. I however am older than 9 and paid to see this film and again, another animated film fell flat to me.
I have to give kudos though to Disney for creating a story with the first African-American Princess. I know that this was a long time coming and good for them for taking the plunge.
This was a strange movie for me. It was filled with black magic, food from the Bayou and music trying to be similar to the Beauty and the Beast. They tried...they really did. I just didn't connect with this film. I found that the lead character was sweet enough and she had side kicks that were supposed to be hilarious...but it wasn't enough to keep me interested. The music was OK, nothing special and certainly no songs that made want to jump up and add to my ipod. You know the typical story...if you've heard it once you've heard it a thousand times...prince turns into frog, girl finds frog, girl kisses frog, girl becomes frog, both frogs head out to find cure and encounter many woodland creatures while singing...it is a Disney film for heaven's sake! The voices were fine, the animation was fine...nothing was spectacular.
Maybe I am just expecting too much for an animated film. Who knows...I used to enjoy animated films when I took my kids to see them and now, not so much. I really expected to love this film and be touched by it...but I wasn't. Maybe it's because I'm not black. Maybe it's because I'm not southern - though I was born in South Carolina. Maybe it's because the music wasn't phenomenal. Maybe it's because parts were quite scary with witch doctors and I couldn't relate to it. I don't know what it was, but this film didn't do it for me.
Maybe it's time for Disney to make a Jewish Princess from Montreal in one of their films. I'm pretty sure that I'd relate to that.

Is It Complicated? Or Just Hilarious...

Nat and I ended up in "It's Complicated" last week, the new comedy for mature adults. This is yet another vehicle for the ultra incredible Meryl Streep to show off how fantastic an actress she really is...and she really, really is. Now, Meryl was in some great company with this film. Steve Martin, playing a subdued, vulnerable architect, love interest and Alec Baldwin, playing her emotionally challenged and egocentric ex husband.
First, I have to acknowledge that the script written by Nancy Meyers is fantastic. Not overly fluffy or sentimental, but realistic, charming and so, so funny. It was like being a fly on the wall of their home/hotel room/bathroom whatever and watching this craziness take place. While I understand that it's a challenge to find decent stories for actors/actresses who are over 50 years old in Hollywood - this was such a wonderful surprise and exception to that. There are scenes in the film that I still replay in my mind which makes me laugh out loud and I saw the film over a week ago.
The actors who play the three adult children in the film are also great. Meyers created good supporting roles in a really great comedy. The one addition that I must mention that stands out is John Krasinski, who plays the older daughter's fiance - he steals the show sometimes and standing out next to Meryl, Steve and Alec is quite a feat.
The story is about Jane (Meryl), who's been divorced for 10years from her cheating ex husband Jake (Alec). She has just become an empty nester, with her last daughter leaving the house, her son graduating from college and is now ready financially and emotionally to do some much needed renovations on her home...in steps Adam (Steve). When Jake's second wife can't make it to the graduation, Jake and Jane end up in a "complicated" situation which then throws the poor woman into a bit of a tizzy. What does she do? How does she handle it? It's not only complicated...it's incredibly hilarious.
I really enjoyed this film. I enjoyed it so much that I saw it a second time with my husband....and I have to say...it was still hilarious the second time around. The chemistry between the leads is electric and they play off each other in a very relaxed manner, as if they have been doing this together for years and years. This is one of my favorite comedies this year. Not blatant and in your face as The Hangover, but it challenged me to think of how funny regular life with normal people can be without crazy, over the top situations like The Hangover. Life is complicated, overwhelming, unfair, sweet and different for everyone. Sometimes all you need is a decent chocolate croissant when you are stoned and then it really becomes hilarious.