Slumdog Millionaire

I loved loved loved this film. I watched it the Fridat before the oscars. I rooted for this movie to pick up as many oscars as it could. I read an article on it, and I think it was in Time, whom whoever wrote it really didn't give this movie much credit. If you look at a summary of what the story and plot is, it looks generic and just like any other love story. This movie was just so much more. The flashbacks were great. My favourite flashback is the autograph one. Any movie that tugs on the heart strings of hope and humanity and tells it like it is, is a great story. It was simply beautiful. I thought Jamal and Salim were quite opposite. Had Salim not been the kind of personality that he was, I don't think those boys would have survived. As humble as Jamal was, I'm surprised he still loved Latika, even after she sold her soul. I don't care what anyone says, treating yourself as an object is not a last resort when you're old enough to know better. What a beautiful story. Almost magical. I think everyone should see this.

Amal

I loved this film. But I also love movies about India. This one switches back and forth between English and Hindi. I think it characterizes well that only the wealthy people speak English. This movie was humble, heart warming and admirable. The actor who played Amal really captured the modesty and ethical character of Amal. I think that is what the wealthy old man saw in him. An honest man who respects their customers and never gets frustrated. The amount Amal sacrificed for the child was tremendous and not once did he act like he wasted his time or regretted his decisions. I certainly would have felt guilty about the state of the little girl, regardless if she was a thief. I really disliked the younger son, who was a complete disappointment because of his greed. I'm surprised by the amount of wealthy and privledged children there are that have no respect and spit on their opportunity. I saw the Western parallel between wealthy and the Amal representing maybe what old India may have been in the past. I could most likely be wrong, but being honest and humble seems to be traits that were once prized and normal for all people to behave that way. I can see how Amal's pureness was an attractive force to want to reward someone for being that way. The thing about Amal was that he just was that man. There was no other motivating factors. The ending was wonderful. Sometimes a movie is good, but it also comes to how well an ending is too. I thought it was perfect and summed up everything the story was about. This is certainly something to watch.

How To Lose Friends and Alienate People

I liked this. Partly because I love crude British humour. Simon Pegg is a working man's comedian... or at least that's what I call him. Ricky Gervais is definitely a more refined comedian. Anyways back to the film. It was slap stick, honest and neurotic. I enjoy the idea of taking down hollywood talent that are not so talented. I thought all the major stars lived in L.A... No? It would be nice of the title wasn't so long. I think its part of the reason I haven't brought it up in a coversation yet. Maybe. Just maybe I might. I watched it a week ago, but I vaguely remember what I really liked. I thought the parody of the vegan actress who loves animals was hilarious. Too bad they didn't make a stab at celebs adopting. The guru type man at the 4th of July was fresh and I liked the ode to Britian when the band was playing some American tune. I don't get the dynamic of these women who aren't interested in men unless they are successful and completely pull a 180 after they insulted them behind their back. Is that why men end up sleeping with them, to get back? I thought that there was no romantic chemistry between Dunst and Pegg, yet the pulled it off like they could have possibly been attracted to each other in real life if they were these characters. This was okay. It could have been better. In fact, I bet the book is better. A whole lot funnier and endgier and the characters probably move seemlessly together. Which is hard when adapting a book. Finding the right actor and having all the actors blend together so that it feels realistic.

Coraline

This was a cute little film. The 3D was very subtle. There aren't too many times where things really "pop out" of the screen. The story basically revolves around a house and a little door. I'm not sure if its a ghost story or a parallel universe or some black hole dimension. I'm thinking black hole where another world can reach another through small portals. It certainly has a moral message for children. That being: just because you don't get what you want, doesn't mean your life isn't good. If you give it time, life will turn around. I also think that maybe what Coraline experiences really is just fantasy because she's just so bored and alone. The connection between dreams could probably be analyzed Freudian-like. I think that it is explicit enough to make the psyhco analysis clearly. The cat adds the was it really real or not? I also like the cat superstition. It always has to be a black cat I suppose. I'm sure this would be scary for children. I enjoyed the Botticelli reference and that other one which I think was Van Gogh or in the style of Van Gogh. This was good, just not phenomenal like The Nightmare Before Christmas, which may be why it rated it lower than I normally would for something of this genre and style.

The International

   This was a good dramatic thriller. Anything with Owen though is a good watch. It was nice to see him in something a little less comic then he has done in awhile. For some reason I found this film graphic. There aren't any body parts being strewn around or people being hacked up, but there was an awful lot of blood. My only complaint is this poster. I can't figure out why Watts is on it... she wasn't even in the Guggenheim. I also liked this because they showed some city shots of Istanbul where you can see the Hagia Sophia. As well as the painting of the Lamentation. I don't know who painted that one though. I thought Sting could actually act. It just didn't end the way I thought it would. I really don't want to give it away. I'm looking forward to Clive Owen's next film Duplicity coming out next week. The movie was missing something. I just can't quite place what it was that was missing. 

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

   A little less of the King Lemur, a little more of all the characters and even less penguins. My least favourite thing about the film was the Ukranian old lady. It was reminiscent of Lion King for me. Regardless this movie was a good time and I loved it. Its not my favourite animation, but its still good enough to watch. I just don't get why Alec Baldwin even as an animated lion, still looks and acts like he usually does. Is it just me? I loved fufu and their room lights, a.k.a. fireflies and squishing them to put out the lights. The chimps were pretty fun too. I did miss a bit of the lemur fun though. 

Blindness

   I loved the beginning of the film... the middle was hard to take in, but completely realistic to some degree and then the end saved the film. It was a commentary on society... or Western society and a little ounce of hope. It is about a city and possibly a worldwide epidemic of this blind whiteness disease that slowly affects anyone near someone who has contracted whatever it is. The only person who doesn't catch the disease is Moore, who has to bear the burden of seeing what no one else is able to see, and yet still stays to help everyone who needs help. I think it was true to what would happen if all mankind lost their eyesight and how people would react and behave to a situation like this. I think it was a commentary on how we are all blind to the world and taking our "sight" for granted. Its a thinking movie and one that may turn your stomach just from the reality of how a situation occur. I don't want to recommend it because its not for everyone, but it was really good and something I would watch again surprisingly. 

He's Just Not That Into You

   This film has mixed reviews. People either love it or hate it. I'm on the side of loved it. I knew it was based on a self help book so I knew it play out like one. There are all these side stories and then the male narrative on how to tell that he's just not that into you by giving advice to Gigi, the typical girl who doesn't pick up the signals that he's just not that into you. I thought Gigi was a bit naive. Even I'm not dumb enough to not pick up on the not interested. But I guess since this was made into a book and then a movie... it seems there are many women like Gigi around blind to the truth. She does make a good point that at least she puts herself out there so that she does find love instead of being like Justin Long's character who just isn't interested in anyone, and so he is no where near finding love like Gigi. I don't know if they named the character Gigi after the movie, but since I can't quite remember I may have to rewatch it so see if my hunch is right. I really liked the in between commentaries the film had as it played out the chapters of scenarios people find themselves in from getting in, to he's not marrying you and so on. It was a cute spin on the classic romcom style. If you know it plays out like a book and if you're dating/married life isn't boring in real life, you most likely might like it. Otherwise you probably won't.

RocknRolla

   This seems like the typical UK fanfare brutes, villains, thieves, crooks, and businessmen fanfare that hits North America. It seems stereotypical. I certainly had enough with the junkie rocknrolla by the time the end of the film. It had some cute and funny twists. It was funny and a good time. I don't think there is much else to say about it. It is basically about millions being stolen, bribing city officials, sex, a junkie and a painting. I loved Tom Wilkinson in this film. I just love him in everything though. What can I say? Plus the cast in the film is extremely tall. Maybe British actors are taller than North American actors. I might have to make a case study of this by checking out imdb. I could be onto something. I watched this two weeks ago so the details and my opinion are vague at this point. 

New In Town

   This was chicklit film. Why it is chicklit is because its about a career successful woman in her 30's whom is single and falls for a man that drives her crazy because his views are so different than his. My mother said this should have been a Hallmark made for TV movie. I think it should have been just a book. It may be based on one, but I didn't see the based on at the beginning so maybe it really was just an original screenplay. I think the movie was written on cliches... a small Minnesotan town which loves bad wallpaper, outdated clothes, hockey, tapioca, bad accents (which I think Americans think that Canadian's possess these accents, but in actuality these accents are American) meets a city girl from Miami who dresses to the nine. It was a sweet little movie about love, friendship and doing the right thing. I think it should have been a book just for the sole purpose of not having to hear those awful accents that those states actually possess. Though had it of been a TV movie, it definitely wouldn't have turned out nearly this good. I'm on the fence. I liked it, but not enough to recommend.

The Secret Life of Bees

   Chick flick/Mother daughter/family movie. What else can I say? The majority of the cast is a family of black women who take in Fanning and Hudson. A bunch of events ensue. Tragic, happy, beautiful, feminism and civil rights... It has it all. It has a great wardrobe i.e. Alicia Keys' skinny high waisted jeans with a white tee tucked in. Loved it. This is a movie you cry in. Both of joy and sadness. Some of it was strange, but I guess when you write about the South and base a story on the metaphor of bees, what else could it become? Based on a book, I'm thinking it might be pretty close and true to what happens in the book. The movie certainly felt like it was a book. The movie centralizes on Fanning and her obsession about the truth about her past of whether her mother left her or was coming for her when she was a child. Her past is holding her back from saving herself and she searches out to find out more about her mother she never knew, and in turn she finds out more about herself and guides the family of women into the directions they needed to go in. It was a beautiful story. It was a lovely little film.

Bottle Shock

   Wine movies for me are like taking a bite out of a warm brownie of which you haven't had in at least 3 months and having the chocolate melt in your mouth so seductively, you can't believe food could do those things to your mouth ie. taste buds. Its a true story about Napa Valley and a divorced father with a failing vineyard and a good for nothing son, when Alan Rickman sets for the U.S. for wine tasting to compare that French wine is better than American wine. It seems fitting that a British man is defending the wine of France. For some reason I don't feel like telling more than the back of the DVD would, because well, wine movies are just too good to ruin. If wine movies make you just as happy as they do me, you should watch it. Even if you don't like wine movies, it is still a little gem. I thought this was coming to theatres as I waited for it, then I realized it was coming to DVD. It could have played in the theatres, but I don't think it would have made much money. My only gripe is that Chris Pine's wig is just awful in this film. Can't movies spend a little more money on wigs?

Repo! The Genetic Opera

   Since I'm already talking about horror movies, I thought I should do this one next. It is basically a movie about a man who repossesses people's organs and returns them to Geneco and while his daughter is dying of some blood disease set in the future... plus its a musical. I liked it... sort of. It would have been so much better had the songs been better written, articulated and thought of. I felt like the songs lacked any depth for a musical. Even a cheesy musical has songs that save the movie. I felt the songs brought down the movie for the lack of craft in them. Though I higly appreciated the choir singing "Repo!" throughout the film. It was a little Sweeney Todd meets the future and kids. The effects were fantastic. The black wig could have been nicer. The daughter had a great singing voice. There is an opera, but only Paul Sorvino and Sarah Brightman can actually sing in the operatic style. The movie store guys said if I liked weird music I would like this. I don't think it was weird. It had that sweet sing-song style of musical paired with rock music. Think Dracula Rock Musical in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Its along those lines of style as this film... minus puppets, but I'm sure you get the point. I was disappointed just because of the terrible lyrics. Its still worth watching for the horror movie effects, the camp relationship between father and daughter and the narrative of the Grave Robber/pimp/drug dealer. 

My Bloody Valentine 3D

   Who doesn't want to see a lot of gore in 3D? Plus Jansen Ackles is extremely good looking. I didn't know this was a remake of a 1981 Canadian film. Now I have to see the original because its Canadian and its just as gory. There were some really neat elements visually that had nothing to do with slashing. Hearing the breathing in the mask is definitely worth it. I want to give a hint to the ending but once I do, its really like the ending of another film I just watched recently. I heard some guy compare this to wanting to watch Pochahontas again instead of this film. I don't count the opinions of retards who wear the 3D glasses 15 minutes before the film started and someone who ignorantly told me when I was leaving for the washroom to make sure I had a pair of I couldn't watch it. I will take into account that maybe people didn't like it, but for a horror film that was supposed to be a slasher it did deliver and it delivered beautifully. It was pretty good for gore and horror movie fan fare.