The Day the Earth Stood Still

Awful. I don't usually like Connelly very much, but I liked her in this. I can't remember why I don't like her though. The only thing that comes to mind is that awful film with Ruffalo, Phoenix and her, and then I vaguely remember why. Why I thought this was awful was for two main reasons. Firstly: What is it with human beings that ET either have to take on the human form because they would scare us if we saw them in the true form or that they look like they came from Earth because they possess traits that exist on Earth like arms and legs or in this case looked like insects that exist on Earth. The human mind is incapablee of creating something that doesn't look like its from this world or this galaxy. Considering how imaginitive the human mind is, this happens to be one of those limits which drives me crazy when it comes to seeing it in movies. I don't read this stuff... but if I did, this would bother me in books too. Secondly: This is one of those movies that supposed to show how retched human beings really are and that we need a second party to come in and save the beauty of the world that we're destroying. The fact that we think we own Earth, but in actuality we don't. I'm not going to even go there in a review, though I really could. Apparently our self-sacrifice for our loved ones is enough to save humans for. Sadly not all humans beings have the capacity or the ability to even want to self-sacrifice themselves for their own family. For this film to take any effect on making humans feel the need to be better... which trust me... is impossible... they had to really go all out by showing everything. They didn't. Because they either didn't want to show just how retched we are, or they don't think we're that retched. Reeves' character had more hope in humanity than I do. Which is why I didn't like the film. It was unrealistic in too many ways. Even the human part was unrealistic.

Traitor

This was a very slow paced political/philosophical/theological film. I watched this with my parents, both of which fell asleep. I on the other hand loved it. I wish I would have seen it sooner than waiting for it on DVD. I really liked Don Cheadle's character. He's what I think of when I think of how religious people should be. The sad thing is, he's unusual, because many people do not act this way when it comes to religion. People are either extemists or what Kierkegaard calls Sunday... somethings. I'm sure you could figure out what I mean. Don Cheadle was right in the middle. Pearce's character could have been played by anyone. I was surprised to see Jeff Daniels in this. He hasn't dine much, especially political films. It was nice to see this perspective being pursued from a Muslim point of view. Body of Lies had the same sort of idea, except that DiCaprio was born most likely Judeo-Christian which sets the tone a little differently, than being born into the religion. If it wouldn't have been Don Cheadle, then this film probably wouldn't have been good. Cheadle made the movie good, otherwise it wouldn't have been good.

The Women

This felt like it was a remake of a 1939 film. The dialogue and the reactions felt like it was a 1939 film. I do have to say though... the fact that everyone was a woman including extras drove me crazy. I think there was a male waiter... maybe. I understood the concept, but it was not reflecting reality so well. Maybe in 1939 this was empowering, but now it just seems patronizing and overly feminisitic. It was still hard to relate to these women because they had money, success and a reputation. I was wary about seeing Jada Pinkett-Smith has a lesbian, but she was AWESOME. She was probably the best character in the film. It was about friendship, love, power and self-endurance. It was always the older women who were giving advice. There were lots of things I liked about it, but I just didn't care for it. It was just too women-lib for the time or just showing women-lib where we have already have it. It would be interesting to see the exact opposite of this film, except men acting like women. Maybe...

Seven Pounds

I enjoyed this film. I'm going to try not to talk about the plot too much since I went into this not knowing what it was about because I liked the mystery that the trailer left. I avoided imdb-ing this or reading any reviews which can be hard sometimes since I like to do both. Smith's character was painfully trying to get through life. I liked his relationship with Dawson. I thought they had great chemistry. They played off each other's emotions well. Seeing two lonely people reach out to each other was interesting. This was a heartbreaking film, but I liked it regradless of it being a Will Smith movie, which can put on a tone to it before even watching it. Its a movie you should try to give a chance... even if you just rent it and not tell anyone about it.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

This looked like a Canadian film with absolutely no budget... which the film coincidently was about. I thought it was graphic in some parts. I should hope this was R or 18A in the theatres. There were elements I liked other than the film being funny. I liked their first idea better than their coffee shop porn. The high school reunion with Justin Long was hilarious. It was really good acting for a comedy. It would be nice if Rogen would stop acting like a pot head loser in all his films. He could do other comedies that don't have that entity in it, except for the 2 computer generated family films he's done the voices for. It was funny though. It had new jokes which is always nice to see since there are so many comedies.

The X-Files: I Want To Believe

I used to watch the show when I was a kid and it always scared me. So I guess I had a child's perspective when watching this because I was expecting to be scared, but I never was. I liked the mystery ending. It was certainly not what I thought. The priest's bit has still left me wondering if it was coincidence or if it on purpose that he had his visions. Its one of those movies you watch because you want to watch something new and it just happens to be lying around and its entertaining enough that you can sit through the whole thing. I wouldn't say that I would have gone out of my way to rent, buy or go see this if it didn't happen to be in my house.

Australia

This was great. It had magic, romance, fighting, adventure... I didn't realize that the movie was so long because it was so entertaining. The film had two parts. It almost felt like there should have been an intermission like they did in the past like Gone With the Wind and so many others. The first part was about the Outback and the second part was about the War. Its too bad that this movie was placed in the era it was. It seems that contemporary times cannot be portrayed like this unless its an epic and its historical. The little biy had a great voice, both singing and how he spoke English. This was a beautiful film.

Four Christmases

I liked this movie. I wasn't my favourite Christmas movie or my favourite comedy either. Because of a course I took I really liked the evangelist scene because it reminded me of a joke. I also liked that because both of them had divorced parents, they didn't want to get married because they thought they would love each other less. It was cute. Strange how Vince Vaughn's last film was a Christmas movie too.

Hancock

I liked this film. It certainly was cheesy especially the beginning. The more you get into the film, you realize there actually is a serious plot. I thought it was a comedy, I heard "asshole" way too many times then was necessary. I would have changed the film entirely. I thought the second plot was interesting and that part of the film should have been explored instead of being a hated super hero. Maybe the second plot would have been more like an M.N. Shaymayalan film, but it would have been way better. I guess the second plot was put in there to explain his super human powers and so forth. This film is not for everyone, but if you're considering, maybe you should just watch it.

Twilight

This was amazing. I'm glad I chose not to read the book because its possible that I would have liked the film less than I do now. I loved the scenery, the characters... the sexual tension was explosive. I read a review that made the non-sex in the film like a metaphor for AIDS. I don't see it. Maybe other STI's, but AIDS? I wasn't aware that it was still an epidemic in the U.S. I'm sure Edward didn't have sex with anyone after being a vampire. I think that's a bit of a stretch. Pattinson and Stewart were incredible together. I thought that all the students were bizarrely nice to her and were already talking about her before she came to Forks, but I guess that was in the book, which seemed unrealistic, even for a small town. Unless the movie never depicted her being popular because of her father being the chief of police in the town. Either way, I could watch this movie mutliple times and still enjoy it as much as the first time.

Flashbacks of a Fool

I really liked this film. I urge you to watch it. There was just so much that I appreciated. I didn't appreciate Claire Forlani. I'm not sure why I don't like her, but I just don't. I liked the music, except the credit song didn't make sense to me at all. I was surprised that Eve could act. The best line that comes out of her mouth is "your a disgrace to white people." I really liked the flashbacks too. I like the music scene where young Joe and Ruth sing. In the flashbacks you really see why Joe is such an asshole. All events change people in certain ways and the film shows the changes in the characters. I thought it was brilliant. It could have used a few less sex scenes. Especially in the flashback.

Quantum Of Solace

Casino Royale was a slower passed Bond film, compared to this one and all the other ones in the past. The beginning is intense. The action never stopped and the story needed to come into play, but the beginning was necessary. The titles were AMAZING. The music was great. The acting was great. I was especially annoyed but the amount of attention made to both the Bond Girls. Miss. Fields was barely in the film, yet the actress seemed to garner too much media attention before the film. Her role was minute, yet it was affectual to Bond's actions. I did like that they reused to dead body in the bed. It was clever and a nice homage to the old 007 films. Daniel Craig is hot hot hot. Which is another reason worth watching this. No really, the new Bond films have changed 007 to a more realistic secret agent, yet the stunts he can perform seem not so common for agents to perform like all the jumping and running through and on buildings at the beginning. Anyways, it was nice to see Bond with compassion and remorse or sympathy. I also think the leading lady was WAY more attractive than the last one, yet her character lacked the intellect that Vesper had which made her intriguing to Bond on a romantic level. To the point, this was an amazing film.

The Rocker

I L-O-V-E-ed this movie. It was hilarious. It had a moral, it had friendship, it had loyalty. This film was deep... for a comedy. The many layers peel away as the facade of the comedy reveals itself as a commentary on how to behave socially and ethically. This is a must see even though no one talked about it. I think too many comedies overshadowed it in theatres like Pineapple Express. I think the timing is what made this movie not as popular as it should have been because it was really funny. Rainn Wilson was as brilliant as he usually is. There was another film he was in where he was a male pig, but I honestly can't remember at this moment. When it hits DVD, definitely give this one a chance.

Sleepwalking

How come all parents who can't afford to take care of their kids in movies are always trailer trash? It is also apparent that messed up people in films are either rich or poor, but never middle class. This was definitely bizarre. There was the re-enacting of Theron's Wisconsin character/accent of North Country. I thought Nick Stahl was very becoming. I'm not sure if he's as young as he looks or the character he portrayed, but as a grown man he was still innocent and child-like which was endearing. I wish that I could have saveed him from his fate, even though he seemed to think it was what had... I'm not going to ruin the film, I guess you will just have to find out. Probably the best part of the movie was the scene where AnnaSophia Robb skates around a pool and fascinates a bunch of young boys. I'm not sure if it was a dream or if it was real, I would be inclined to say it was real if there was acrually a pool in the motel. Either way, it was quite charming and hilarious and totally out of the blue in the film. I still haven't decided whether I liked it or not.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

I loved this movie. I was too embarrassed to watch this in theatres because it was 3D so I bought it. I didn't watch it in 3D, but I will eventually. I thought that I would find it difficult to accept that there was living life in the middle of the Earth, but the film itself had some kind of evidence to support its idea which was good enough for me to accept the idea in the film. I liked the family bond between Fraser and Hutcherson. I also got to apply my geology knowledge to this film which was enjoyable for the fact that I actually got to use that knowledge in some way. Although I dislike CGI since it has yet to grasp the realness of actual physical objects, it was okay in this film. Now I didn't say it was great, but it was okay. The scene with the magnetic rocks was cool. After going to Walking With the Dinosaurs, the T-Rex just didn't do it for me visually. The slobber though was pretty funny. It was an awesome family movie.

The Incredible Hulk

I never watched the 2003 Hulk movie, but I thought this one was really good for a marvel comic turned movie. I liked Edward Norton's acting and character. I thought him and Liv Tyler had smoking hot chemistry. The special effects were good. I watched this awhile ago, so I can't remember what all that I liked about it, but I do know that I'm excited for the Hulk and Iron Man to be in the same film.

Pride and Glory

I wasn't sure whether I wanted to watch this one or not. I thought that Norton and Farrell were brothers, but they were brothers-in-law which made it easier to swallow. I love when the good guys do the right thing. I love when the bad good guys do the right thing too. These cop movies are like Western movies thrown into an modern urban society. The same vices of human beings hasn't changed since the ancient times. This movie reminded me why I think most people are not good by nature and why I'm ashamed to be a human some times. The acting was great. I thought Voigt's character needed a slap in the face. It would have been nice if Farrell's wife got some more face time, especially in the end, but alas, that didn't happen. It was a good gritty cop/crime/drama and this has been the first once since We Own the Night that was good, or maybe this was the only one after. Either way, this movie shouldn't disappoint.

HSM3: Senior Year

The first theartrical version was just like the cast- all grown up. The songs were better, the acting was better... I do still think that the choreography was still cheesey and some bad outfits for Sharpe were still present like the rain coat dress. I wore high heels to school once in grade 12, I can't believe that most of the girls were wearing heels. What is this world coming to? Kids should stay kids for as long as possible, because once you're an adult, the whole world changes when you are independent and responsible. The ending was good. The movie left room for a new one, but with the cast that they introduced as the juniors. It is what it is, a high school musical. The only thing I thought of was that this is the equivalent to a Bollywood film... no wonder I like both.

The Strangers

This was scary. I did have some problems with it after though, now thinking about it. None of the victims ever really ran. Its as if the killers knew that they were always going to end up back in the house or something. The killers were so calm and collected and never lost their cool. I think the foley had a great time making the sounds in this. I could hear certain objects they would have used to make the banging in the tool shed/garage. I also loved when Tyler grabs a knife for the first time and it makes that shwing noise even though she didn't pull it out of a block. There was no needless gore or physical harm done until... well I'm not going to ruin it. I certainly thought the girl killer that actually had lines had an annoying voice. I hope I don't see or hear her in anything else. The male killer had asthma or something, which I didn't think needed to be in there unless one of the victims scared him so that he had an asthma attack and collapsed and they got away or something. Nonetheless it was scary. And that's what scary movies are supposed to be like- scary.

Max Payne

I really liked this movie. I don't think its for everyone. I went 2 co-workers of mine. One hated it and the other thought it was so-so and thought some things were overly obvious. I used to play the game and watched others play it for hours. It was true to the game to an extent. There was less narrative, they only used one scene where they slow down the shooting- I can imagine how tiring that would be to watch repeatedly- it moved a bit slow, but it had great effects, motive, emotion, hope and compassion. I liked the use of colour, the cinematography was well crafted, it was definitely a visually appealing film. This one isn't for everyone though, but it wasn't crap like some people have said. I think too many people expect too much from movies this day. Everything has to have a twist and keep you guessing all the time... this was based on a game, and gamees have to be somewhat predictable so that you can figure out what to do next. I thought the confession made sense. Everyone has to confess their dirty secrets, especially when they tell them to hurt others. It wasn't awesome, but it was good.

Body of Lies

This was a very good political/drama/action film. I thought Russel Crowe played an arrogant American beaurocratic government official quite well. Its how we all see higher CIA agents being. Fat, impatient, manipulative and intelligent- or well that's how I see them as. Leonardo Dicaprio was also great. I don't think I've ever seen him play an agent before. This movie was relevant to the war efforts in the Middle East. It was a new perspective on what's going on down there. I liked the ending. I sort of guessed it. This movie also reminded me of Spy Games a little bit... but only just a little bit. This movie had a good plot and great acting. Its nice to see a movie that means something without having to overly reflect on human nature.

Son of Rambow

It took me awhile before I sat down and actually watched the film. It was just as I expected it to be. I have to say that the French exchange friend was a nice little bonus. I dig the 80's clothing and the small amount of music that was played that was relevant to the decade. Its a story about friendship, faith and growing. Two boys from two different worlds make an unlikely friendship that makes their world seem clearer than ever and what really is important in life. This is a must see film that you can enjoy with no matter who your company is.

Then She Found Me

For a debut directing Helen Hunt, this was good. It still had B movie quality with A-list actors. Well for the most part. The title has a double meaning, which fit wonderfully. I didn't like Broderick. After hearing about him cheating, this just made him seem like he really is a little slimy man in real life too. It could be just good acting. As always Firth was incredible. If I heard those things that he said coming from someone else's mouth, it might scare me, but if he said those things to me, I would swoon. It was a good film to curl up on the couch and just relax to. I hope to see more films directed by Helen Hunt. I've always enjoyed her acting. She has a down-to-earth sophistication about her that draws in the audience.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

I read a review of this film in Time and it made me wary of watching this because of the criticisms it gave. I'm glad I still watched it. It was cute. It made my heart swell 5 sizes larger, and then after it made me feel lonely because I have no one, but the latter is completely irrelevant. The antagonists were awkward, which is like most people when they are attracted to another person they don't really know that well. I like the jokes, I liked the gay friends, which I don't think are gay in real life. I also liked the drunk friend. Trish, Cera's character's ex was like all girls who like to destroy other human beings because they can. She was also in Fool's Gold, but she looked better and older with the brown hair. The toilet scene was disgusting, the piece of gum was worse. I didn't appreciate the whole orgasm bit and the moaning. SO INNAPPROPRIATE. I think it was in there for dirty perverts who think they need to have some sort of sex scene to like a film. Its a good date film, its a ggood friend film and its a good make you feel happy film. Time was bit to critical of the film if you ask me.

Cassandra's Dream

I'm not going to lie, this isn't my favourite Woody Allen film. I do appreciate that Allen is now making films in which he doesn't star in, although, Scoop was hilarious in his last performance in his films. After watching this, my sister and I started debriefing the film and she mentioned to look at the forums in imdb. I was actually disgusted by the lack of critical knowledge by the buffoons who posted on that particular forum. Either people thought it was horrible or the bad English accents by both McGregor and Farrell. For one, neither of them are American, they both are from the UK and neither of them did any other accent than the one they actually have. IDIOTS. What comes to mind was the awful music. I always enjoy Allen's picks, but this was just bad. The film also had a bit of Matchpoint decisions like the hiding in the apartment and choosing a gun. It was ironic, there was foreshadowing and there was duality between all the characters. The brothers and the girlfriends to be a bit more precise. I also enjoyed the play on words of the title throughout the film. I couldn't quite remember which Greek myth this was but once I checked it out, I remembered clearly. The title fits well with a lot of things going on in the film. I do have to say that the poster looks better than the film, but like any Allen fan, this one is definitetly worth watching. You can decide for yourself whether you like it or not.

Burn After Reading

What can I say? This was down right hilarious. I was the only person laughing at everything. Either I'm a dumbass or everyone else is a comedic philistine. It was witty, sarcastic, subtle, intelligent... Everyone was great in this. There were some shockers in it. I didn't expect the one scene with Pitt and then the scene where Malkovich goes ape shit, but then I was kindly reminded that the Coen brothers usually do this sort of fair, like Fargo and the end scene with the body being shredded. Or in No Country For Old Men, and Bardem puts his feet up so that he doesn't get Harrelson's blood on his cowboy boots. There is so much to talk about with this one. The satire on the CIA, the superficial materialism (I especially loved McDormand who wanted liposuction when she worked at a gym where if she just worked out she could tone her entire body so that she wouldn't need to go to her measure of stupidity), shallow sex... What really stood out was a line Malkovich said, something like this is a world of morons composing the masses and something something. I can't quite remember. It made me think of the class I'm taking in political philosophy, and the notion that the elite need the status quo to make everyone go along with whatever it is they feed the masses for their own personal gain. I definitely love a film with layers so that after just enjoying the film, you can truly appreciate what was going on after watching it. Sometimes a movie just needs to make you think.

Appaloosa

This was a bit dry. Everyone in the theatre was retired. I'm not sure if that's coincidence, or that was the only age group that was interested in the film. Ed Harris directed, co-wrote and acted in the film. Something was missing. For instance the scene where Zellweger comes into town and instantly falls for her, but that's basically where that ends. I guess cowboys don't tell their friends they saw her first and let the alpha male get what he wants. Each of the three main characters has strong character traits that make it realistic. I definitetly didn't like Jeremy Irons. He is always playing a snake and then Lolita comes to mind and I think he must be a dispicable person in real life and then I think but he was such a good guy hero in Man in the Iron Mask. Certainly a strange film. The beginning was good... and then the ending was the best. If only there were more honourable men out there. This was not like any of the other oscar nominated westerns from last year, but nonetheless it managed to keep my interest.

Nights In Rodanthe

Richard Gere and Diane Lane have great chemistry together. What a turn for them from the last movie they did together (Unfaithful) to this. What a tear jerker. I failed to commit myself to part of the movie because I knew how it would end, because once you've had true love, you know its fated for something to happen. The book that this is based on, the author always has heartache, so presumably, people do expect something from what might happen. It was passionate, romantic, life-changing and unexpected. I certainly don't think this is a date movie. Especially if the person you're on a date with doesn't make you feel like "anything can happen" and makes you "the best version of yourself."

Pathology

This was a strange movie. When I started it I was like "what the hell is pathology" and then I thought maybe I should have looked it up before I put it in. It reminded me of Flatliners and a little bit of that ambulance Scorcese film. Anyways it was some sick demented group of pathologists making a game of how people died and so forth. Milo (I don't know his last name, but I do know its too long to type out) moves to the city, meets this group and then gets sucked into this whirlwind situation of drugs, alcohol, sex and murder. Seeing someone with a little more values still being a bad guy just didn't sit well with me. The beginning scene before the titles (or was it the titles) was horrific for me. Anyways it had a creepy bizarre ending that reminded me of Awake. I just didn't quite like it enough because the antagonist never did the right thing.

Ghost Town

Watching the preview for this, I thought it was going to be mainly a comedy. I was mistaken, and I'm glad it was. It was heartfelt, touching, super hilarious to the point of tears in some scenes and yet it was philosophic, but not down your throat kind of way. As always, Ricky Gervais does subtle sarcasm, blunt honesty and crude behaviour well. It seems only the British can exemplify this humor and not be hated. Gervais didn't write the script or direct the film, but he still made the part his own. This film was a wonderful treat. Leoni and Kinear were great, as well as the other dentist. The perfect film for a Sunday afternoon.

88 Minutes

This was a nice psychological thriller. Some serial killings, action, explosions, guess work. It had it all. I was tired when I watched this so its likely that I may have guessed the killer sooner than later. I did like that the suspects were shown at the beginning, and not some ambiguous character they showed for a possible of 2 minutes. No wonder you can't guess who it is because you saw them as a minor character. Al Pacino is certainly getting old, he keeps playing the cliche role of an asshole which he has always played, minus being the good guy in this. I didn't like some of the actresses in this film like the teacher's aid and Lee Lee Sobieski, but then again I never cared for them in the past either. It was an all together not a bad film to watch.

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2

As a sequel it wasn't bad. The girls were older, more mature and growing apart. It was realistic as to what happens when everyone leaves home to go to school. Probably the only thing that annoyed me was that all the girls were extremely smart to get into ivy league schools and I guess their families were rich too. I would have liked more romance. Sadly, the kind of love they portray in this movie between Lena and Costas seems unrealistic. I don't know how possible it is to be a young student and have a relationship with someone half way around the world from you. Lots of crying, lots of laughing and lots of emotions. These girls and their bond with each other can make anything happen. If only life were really like that.

The Dark Knight

I waited awhile to see this because of all the Heath Ledger hype around it. I heard some mixed reviews solely based on Ledger's performance. To say the least, Ledger doesn't deserve an Oscar for this role. If and when Oscar season rolls around, and he is nominated I will be very upset. I don't see it. Ledger took Nicholson's performance, or very characteristic laugh, and made it his own while he the new Joker was edgier or realistic because that's what the new batman movies are supposed to be. I didn't care for this one nearly as much as the first one. There are so many reasons. There is too much going on with all the characters. The movie revolves around Rachel, Dent, that cop, Joker and Batman. I was a fan of the effects for Two Face. I liked that Gyllenhaal replaced Holmes. Bale looked like he hadn't recovered yet from his Vietnam movie. That was a good movie. The first Batman he was really bulked up, but in this film his face looked sallow. Needless to say, too much happened, it was way too long and the 2nd villian didn't need to take place. I was also annoyed with the philosophical entity to the Joker. Like the Joker had some unknowing wisdom that no one else knew, yet he was a crazy psycho who liked to kill people and destroy the good of the world. It could be referenced biblically I bet, or at least from a theological perspective. TOO MUCH WAS GOING ON and not enough BALE.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Sometimes I like Woody Allen films and sometimes I don't. I'd have to say Annie Hall is one of his best earlier films. In the last few years, he's really changed his style when it comes to movies. This movie and Matchpoint have a certain maturity to it, and it is possible that its because Allen doesn't act in either of them. Suffice to say, it removes his neurotic, narcissistic sex fiend self out of the film. Back to this... I just loved this. There were few people after the movie whom I overheard that didn't like it or didn't get it. One of the two or both. This movie has a true realism of personal human condition where even after new experiences in life, the person doesn't change their core being into who the viewer thinks they should become. It was witty, charming, shocking, cultured as always and the European flare really made the characters stand out on their own. This is a must see for anyone who loves Woody Allen. He justs gets better and better. The role of Cristina was obviously made for Scarlett Johansson. I wonder what it would be like to be the muse inspiring a very worldly famous director/writer.

Virgin Territory

What can I say about this very unique little movie?? Hayden Christensen's British accent is pretty bad at the beginning. I can't remember if it gets any better because he doesn't talk much. I didn't like the voice of the narrator. The clothing was just a bit too flowy for the time period and the girls kept lifting their dresses to high for the time period. I knew it was going to be bad, but I still enjoyed it anyway. I would NEVER recommend the movie to anyone though. Tim Roth is a very detestable character, but there is one scene where he is so wonderful. He's giving confession and he says "that's so mean" like repenting is worse than his sins. Which in this movie is not the case. The gay son from Brothers and Sisters was in it, and I highly enjoyed his fake accent that went from Russian to Italian at some point or it wavered. It was just a bad movie.

Married Life

This movie didn't meet my expectations. I was expecting better acting. Something was missing. The movie didn't -figure of speech- roll off the tongue. A good movie rolls off the tongue. Even a good movie has bad parts. Maybe I just didn't see any passion between any of the characters. The lack of chemistry made the whole thing feel like it was acting and not reality. I'm not sure what I think of it. There was a lack of emotional commitment in the film for me.

Death Race

I was reluctant to watch this one because it looked like it was a movie only made to make money and nothing more. I felt guilty when I started enjoying it. Statham is hot, and I wish that he would do more grittier roles like this one, instead of making a Crank 2 and Transporter 3. He's above those now, but with a Knight's Tale or something or other, that was a crap film. There are hot men, cars, action, murder, some badass women, gore and explosions. What else could you want from a movie that happens in prison??? Exactly. This is definitely a guy's film, and it was pretty damn good!

What Happens in Vegas

I just loved this movie. I should have bought it. I have something for wedding movies. I really don't know why. Usually they're romantic comedies. Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz have the best on screen chemistry in this film. Their antics to break up the marriage weren't over done or under done. This was a cute film and looked like lots of fun to make. When the actors look like they're having a good time, it makes the film contagious.

The Ruins

I've been getting bored so I've been catching up on some DVD's that came out a month ago that I have been waiting to watch. I wish I kept waiting to see this one. Not so good. I'm not sure what was bad about it. Basically some Mexican aboriginals trapped this group of 5 travellers on these ancient ruins with carniverous plants. That sums up the entire movie. What's worse is the twist in the end, which is the last shot before they show some Greeks. Boo. I liked the actors in this one, but not the film. Apparently being trapped on a ruin for 2 days without food or water creates cabin fever.

Mirrors

This was a pretty good scary movie. It had some gore, great special effects, mystery and a decent story. I also liked the ending of this. Sometimes a good scary movie can be ruined by its ending. Especially when dealing with the paranormal. It reminded me of 1408 and the Ring. Both which were great. I'm not so sure I like watching movies where people are scaling the walls like a spider or worse, a spider monkey. The older Keifer Sutherland gets, the more he looks like his father. Since I only saw some resemblance before in them, its strange now how much they look alike. I definitely will recommend this one to people. Its sooo good. Scary movie season is coming up, which hopefully there are movies just as well done as this one. I didn't watch the preview for this one, so I'm not going to spoil some of the plot. That's the only way to watch some movies.

December Boys

So I wanted to rent this one a few weeks back, but it wasn't in the movie stores so I had to buy it. This movie was lovely. It left me with warm fuzzies all over. Part of the reason I wanted to watch it so bad was because Daniel Radcliffe was in it and I was determined that he could actually act. I was right. I hope that he can eventually get out of his HP role and that people will give hima chance to show his acting skills. He was also so hilarious in Extras. So this movie is about 4 boys who are best friends, and live in an orphanage. Some money gets donated and since its the month of December, it makes sense to send the birthday boys first. The key part of the plot is that a couple living next door to where the boys are staying are unable to conceive, so they think about adopting 1 of the 4 boys. This leads to a competition. This was a touching movie and I'm so glad that I bought it. If you can find it, you should definitely watch it.

The House Bunny

So Anna Faris is probably one of the young female comedians whose pretty good. It also stars Emma Stone from Superbad and also Rocker which I haven't seen. She's also a new breaking female comedian. The preview made this movie look like its all jokes, but the movie had some substance and a message. Of course. I'm guessing after watching this, that its a chick flick. I'll be quoting lines from this movie for a while. Being a Canadian I don't get the preppy girl cliche of sororities. UNLESS, by "preppy" they mean girls who wear A&F, because the people that work there are stuck-up assholes. The whole preppy thing would make sense to me. Otherwise in Canada, its all the girls who dress to the 9 that are the bitches who will do anything to destroy other people that get noticed. Anyways, I loved it. I'll be buying this one once its out on DVD.

Sex and Death 101

This was more B movie than I thought it would be. Considering this movie is about a list of women Simon Baker has had sex with and who he will have sex with and then he supposedly thinks he will die when he finds out that the last woman on his list is actually a "killer", but really she's more like a woman on a mission to punish men for hurting women and making them go into a coma. It was cute and funny, and a little strange. Its possible that this movie could have been a theatre movie if the cast were different. I could have predicted the ending if they didn't keep throwing it off all the time. This was a strange movie, and not in an artistic make you think way either.

Marigold

I love anything that Bollywood meets Hollywood. Ali Larter is a beautiful woman, but she wasn't right for the role. Plus, she didn't look that great in Indian dress. It has romance, comedy, Indian philosophy, tradition and personal growth. The first time these two dance, it breaks out into a song, and the singing on her part is bad, which makes this hard to watch. I love the blowing hair in the movie. This was a cute movie. I wonder when a bollywood film will hit a North American theatre. That would be lovely!

Some films with great acting...

I just finished watching Mr. Brooks for the second time. I'm not sure why I love the film, but I just do. I didn't get a lot of hype, but I think its a gem that's slightly over looked. Who cares about Moore or Cook in the film, they are just character fillers for the main characters. The film has so many dimensions to it, that it obscures the best parts of the film, like the shooting scene at the end where Moore catches the Hangman Killer and his femme fatale. It seems strange that its in it. Like Moore's character should be the main character of her own film, but somehow is a minor detail in this one. Dane Cook doesn't do drama so well. In fact, I'm not so sure I like him as an actor, though I've seen all his films. So I have picked out some films that I enjoy, especially for the reason that I simply enjoy the acting.

Kevin Costner and William Hurt. The duo where Costner praises Hurt's brilliance, or tries to escape the hunger of Hurt. The whole second psyche, and that the two think separately from each other is phenomenal. I also love how when Hurt appears when Costner is around other people was done smartly. They show Costner's two psyches as two physical characters to represent what's actually going on his mind. Almost like a soliloquy, except that there are two people present and not just one, even though it is just one person. Its just brilliant. Cinematic poetry, but not on an indie film level.

Mel Gibson in this film is amazing. Seeing him play a father, in a way that he acts like himself makes this movie so charming. I think that this was his last film he acted in. Shame. He's talented, regardless of his bigotry and racism or whatever else he said to offend the public. His character's relationship with faith, is almost the same as a childhood friend. At some point in life, someone you trust and have leaned on and grew with your whole life suddenly does something to hurt you indirectly that completely changes you in ways that you never could have imagined. Shyamalan is usually a good writer, he sometimes is not so great, but the part seemed to be made for Mel Gibson. Gibson delivers the perfect amount of tenderness to this film that makes the film that much more amazing. I also like to note that Joaquin Phoenix is also very good in this film. I had seen him in some other movies before, but this is the movie that made me love him as an actor and to watch for all his movies. My favourite scene in the movie is when the sheriff comes to the house and the three of them have a conversation about what they saw the night before. Phoenix really needs to do some comedy, at least one. I don't care what kind. He has a coyness in his facial expressions that make him enjoyable to watch. Phoenix's character shares a story about how he almost made out with a girl at a party, but he had gum in his mouth, so he found something to place the gum. When he turned around, the girl had thrown up all over herself. He told this story like it really could have been his story. The two of them alone make up for the ending.

This movie has a great cast, but Natalie Portman steals the show with her brilliant acting. The older she gets and the more films she does, she really seems to expand her craft. Considering her age, she will only get better in the future. The part where she really starts to get into her character is when Anne gets back from Paris and at supper she already flirtatiously challenges Bana. This is probably one weapon women have over men is their ability to use their sexuality in an intelligent manner that commands attention and power. In this case, challenging a king is probably not the best way to use your manipulative skill for ambition. Sexuality has a limit when it comes to who has the most power.

Continuing with Natalie Portman is that she is also great in Closer. There is something in her character's naivety that really seems to speak louder than words. Her childish nature seems to draw others to her in this film. Natalie Portman has very seductive powers or acts like she has phenomenal sexuality, which is close enough. This film is also great because Clive Owen is just as equally a show stopper. These two characters are the victims of lust, and together they made a great pair, even though it was short lived. Owen is very raw, honest and abrupt in this film. His rugged good looks reflect his character well. I especially enjoy his dirty mouth and revengeful attitude. Sartre said there was a fine line between love and disgust. This film couldn't portray this element any finer. I could go on and on about how wonderful this film is, but I just wanted to talk about some movies with really great acting.

Steve Carell is just wonderful in this film. He always plays a goof when he acts. For some reason he seems more real and not so over done like he usually does in his other films. The Office is simply a different nature and I won't talk about his acting in the hit show. A could relate to the humanism portrayed in this film. Carell's character is pathetic, lonely and lost. Something we can all relate to... unless you have no sense of humour for life and its miseries, and in that case, I feel sorry for you. This is why comedians are usually depressed. Comedy and sadness are closely tied together. Funny how that is.

Finally, Lady in the Water. Paul Giamati is a wizard at acting. His fine acting skills shine in this film. Thinking about it now, this film and Dan in Real Life share the same kind of commonality of loss. This was not intentional. The best part of the film is when Giamati wants to hear the rest of the story, but because he is a stranger he must act innocent to warm the girl's mother so that she reveals the rest of the myth. The whole leaving milk in his moustache and lying down on the couch and pulling his feet up and behaving like a child were just sensational. I saw Giamati in a new light. His acting holds up the movie. If anyone else would have played the role, the movie would have sucked. Sometimes I think Shyamalan makes movies that can only be played by a specific actor, and that the wrong actor would destroy the delivery of the story. I think that's why The Happening failed. As much as I love Zooey Deschanel, I don't think she was quite right for the part. To go even mor off topic, Wahlberg was perfect for the role of Elliot. He does comedy well too.

To conclude the rest of the post, I'd have to say some of the best films that can be rewatched over and over contain some sort of comedy or wit to it. I read my electronic fortune cookie and it said something very true. "Life is tragic for those who feel. Life is a comedy when you have humor" or something along those lines. I couldn't have said it better. That's what all these films have in common. No wonder I like them so much.