Posted on November 2, 2012 in Monthly Movies
The Avengers (October 28th 2012) – Finally got around to watching this. I even had a dream about this movie last month. In the dream, I was tempted to side with Loki and I kinda was during the movie if only because Tom Hiddleston is very charismatic and really steals all his scenes. The only other person to rival him in the cast charisma was Robert Downey Jr. I liked the other actors OK, but they really didn’t hold up to RDJ and TH. Otherwise, it was a decent action flick and Whedon’s script made sure all the Avengers had a vital role in the climactic scene. It wasn’t as funny as I thought it would be, and I felt the team was good, but perhaps needed another member to balance it out. Colbie Smulders impressed as well, and I wish she got more roles than just being in “How I met your mother”. She needs a get a bigger role in the next Avengers movie; I’d be willing to ship Maria Hill/Captain America. All in all, very few directors could have done as well with this movie than Joss Whedon and the supporting character death count was low for Joss too so yay. Fun stuff.
Posted on October 5, 2012 in Monthly Movies
I only saw two things in August: “Northanger Abbey” 1986 (24 08 2012) and “Pride and Prejudice” 1980 (27-8 08 2012). Both reviewed in Austen Adaptations.
September
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (08 09 2012) – I knew I would love this movie when I heard about it. Stellar cast, lovely setting, and touching storytelling. It had some slight moments of cheese, but it is such a nice feel-good movie.
Intouchables (09 09 2012) – I have a European friend who recommends a lot of French movies to me because i have generally always liked French movies. She told me about this one when it came out on DVD in France some months ago, and since it has taken the theatres here in NA, I finally got around to it. The version I saw did not have subtitles which means I understand most of everything in the movie, but not all the little nuances. Still, you don’t really need to know a lot the language since the humor and beauty of this film comes from largely from what you see and from the actors. The two actors have expressive faces and Omar Sy is one good looking man. A lovely human film.
Father Goose (23 09 2012) – Got this for Cary Grant. I’d never heard of this film before. It stars Leslie Caron too. It’s a bit slow paced and not the best classic or Grant movie, but it has its cute moments because of Grant. He is decidedly undapper in this role. He is not as suave and very Bogart actually. The girls in the movie are rather annoying at times though.
Notably Rewatched
My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away (09 09 2012) – Hayao Miyazaki is a genius. I only use the word genius rarely. To me, Miyazaki is one because he puts down in words, film, and animations such things that are part of all of us. He is able to capture emotions from when we were younger and there is such a beautiful optimism and realism in his works. 
I really can’t stress out how much I love his movies. Totoro is light and amusing. It has no real plot other than being a wonderful time with some fun characters. Spirited Away is amazing in every way and the most romantic of all of Miyazaki’s works, and in some ways, one of the most real in terms of growing up.
Posted on August 3, 2012 in Monthly Movies
Magic Mike (29 07 2012) – Generally, I don’t really go to movies in theatres anymore because I can wait for the DVD. I also am use to watching movies alone, but the hype for this movie and how fun it was got to me. So I gave in and thought it would a good idea to go with a good girlfriend of mine and her friend too. It was fun; the dance sequences were very good. I went in going for Channing Tatum and left not feeling very impressed with anyone else. Most of the other dancers were not explored. Matthew McConaughey was standard greedy, unctuous business owner. The soundtrack was decent, but other than that, this movie doesn’t have much going on aside from the dance numbers. There was too much plot. I would have preferred just to watch a long music video of male strippers. It really was the only good thing about the movie. I knew going in that Cody Horn would probably not be good. In the scene where she sees him dance on stage, she looked angry and bored. I don’t think that was what the actor was going for. She was boring and had no chemisty with Tatum. While heis not the most talented actor ever, he is charismatic and has decent chemistry with many of his past co-stars, but with Horn, they had none. There was too much plot, and I kept thinking, “Forget this emoness and talking, let’s go back to the dancing”. Also, the writing was a bit lame. Why were the college guys in the sorority scene? Secondly, I have liked Steven Soderbergh in the past, but with The Girlfriend Experience and this, I have not been overly impressed with his work lately. His casting and certain visual choices leave some things to be desired. This movie had some very yellow scenes. I guess it was to emphasize the atmosphere and the location of Florida, but it was too golden sometimes. In any case, who cares about acting, plot, direction, and cinematography? The only reason I and any woman (or gay man) would see this again is for the dancing and the grinding scenes.
Posted on July 10, 2012 in Monthly Movies
A lot more movie watching this month due to a heat wave and knitting.
Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows (13,15 06 2012) – Had some decent action sequences, but didn’t seem to have the impact of the first film. I do like the chemistry between RDJ and Jude Law though. I am not a huge JL fan, but I feel he is a great Watson. I love his and Martin Freeman’s the best, and he slightly edges over the latter by being a tad more badass. It was also surprising to see Lane Pryce as Moraiarity and to watch Lisebth Salander as a gypsy. All in all, an ok sequel, but I will keep watching.
Black Swan (15 06 2012) – Yes, I finally saw this. What a trip. This movie was creepy and messed up. There is a reason why I haven’t watched Darren Aronofsky movies until now. I don’t watch horror films in general and this borders on that with psychological thriller. I found this movie was a tad too long. As a ballerina movie, I prefer The Red Shoes. I think it was worthwhile to see BS because it seemed everyone I knew had seen it. Why are there two major film works about the nature of ballerinas and self-destruction? I guess it is a harsh art form. The dance sequences were good. I liked the Black Swan stage dance the most. Good casting with all the females. I’ve watched Natalie Portman in a number of roles. She has been an ingenue for a long time. Since The Professional, her role as the innocent beauty has been cemented. She is the most innocent and fragile in this movie and also the reverse. It’s not really a surprise she won the Oscar for this role. I’ve liked Mila Kunis since “That 70s Show” and am glad she got this role to elevate her career. I do think some images from the film are memorable enough and it does stay with you.
Shame (20 06 2012) – Ahh, Michael Fassbender, how I adore thee. This movie lives up to its hype, it was well shot, had great acting, emotionally difficult to watch, and had a fantastic soundtrack. It was also very realistic in its awkwardness and depressing tone. Most of the sex scenes in this movie are very unsexy. The more you watched the film, the sadder it became. Like Ebert, I found this movie great, but I doubt I will watch it a second time because of how real it was.
Cleopatra (21-22 06 2012) – The most expensive film ever made. Epic, lush, and with a star studded cast, this was probably one of the last epic films of the pre-1970s film era. It’s always fascinating to watch such films before computer generated graphics. Rex Harrison was the right Caesar. Richard Burton was over the top, but Elizabeth Taylor looked fantastic. She was gorgeous and had such an amazing wardrobe. I believed the Cleopatra romance with Caesar but, I didn’t see how Cleopatra fell in love with Mark Anthony. I guess it was just love at first sight for both of them. Octavian is an ass through this whole film and oddly flamboyant for a general. This movie flopped at the box office and no surprise because while extremely well done, it was too long. I had to fast forward through some of the second half. It was dragging. Unlike say “Ben-Hur” or “The Ten Commandments”, this movie doesn’t have the Christian connection which probably made audiences less likely to watch it all the way through. I’m glad I watched it, but I don’t think I could rewatch it just because it really wore on.
Beginners (25 06 2012) – A sweet, slow and reflective film with a great cast. How can Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor ever be wrong? It was also lovely to see Mélanie Laurent again after “Inglorious Basterds”. Plummer is lovely, but Ewan is so quiet in this role. I rarely have seen him so vulnerable. Also, I liked the Jack Russell terrier.
Death on the Nile (25 06 2012) – This should have been called Deaths on the Nile. This was a bloody one. I don’t remember much of prequel Murder on the Orient Express, but I think I saw it. I any case, I know I have seen this Poirot before. It’s an amusing film like most Christie adaptations are. They shot it on location in Egypt and it looks good. The costumes and the cast are the best parts. Angela Lansbury’s character spends the whole thing drunk. David Niven looks only about ten years older than he did in he 1930s; I do like the Niven. I found Mia Farrow believably English in this too. I also like Poirot pops up everywhere and randomly eavesdropping on everywhere.
Posted on June 4, 2012 in Monthly Movies
Escaflowne: the movie or Escaflowne: Girl in Gaea (05-06 05 2012) – I am trying to remember if I watched this film before, and I don’t think I did. I did watch all of the anime in the 1990s though. It is probably one of my favourite animes in terms of how memorable it was for me. The visuals and soundtrack in this film are good, just like the anime was. Hitomi is a tad emo in this though. There were some weird monologues going on and a lot of rushed characterizations. Folkien was two dimensional and everyone kept talking about how sad they were. Still, this is a decent intro to the anime series in that it only makes you want to watch the anime again.
She’s the Man (23-24 05 2012) – Notably Rewatched. ALl the genderbending and crossdressing from the Heyer novels reminded me of this. I really like Twelfth Night so I watched this a couple years ago. This movie is cheesy but underrated. It has a cult following in a way. It is a feel good movie and is immensely rewatchable.
I only watched one new movie this month. I was taking a certification so I was in school for most of this month and my hobbies suffered. Still, I am watching less movies nowadays. I prioritize reading and knitting over films now. Furthermore, I tend to watch more tv shows. I think the quality of TV has actually improved over the years so I follow more shows.
I do still like watching movies, but I can live without watching too many. There is a difficult in that I hoard films so I have a large queue of unwatched movies.
Posted on May 7, 2012 in Monthly Movies
The Hunger Games (03 04 2012) – In theatres, see post here.
The Muppets (09 04 2012) – I use to watch “The Muppet Show” as a kid and have seen a couple of the Muppet movies (love a Muppets Christmas Carol) so it was a given to watch this. Additionally, I like Jason Segal’s work in both HIMYM and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. This movie had its moments; I usually like Kermit et al., but of the human cast, one highlight was Chris Cooper. I like him in almost everything. It was light and good to see the muppets again.
The Castle of Cagliostro (13, 15 04 2012) – The original Japanese version with English subtitles. I saw this partially on a road trip. I got it from the library because it was directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Actually, this was his feature film directorial debut. Made in 1979, this film does not boast the best animation, but it’s light hearted, fun and has Miyazaki’s touch of story telling tinged with nostalgia, romance and history.
Posted on April 1, 2012 in Monthly Movies
The Secret World of Arrietty (12 03 2012) – I watched the British dub version. I love Studio Ghibli movies. I think Hayao Miyazaki is an absolute world treasure. His films always make me feel at ease, comfortable and child like. I know no one other director/ producer / writer that does that. The universes he creates are so marked by his imaginative and beautiful style even when he didn’t direct his film, his writing reflected it. I must admit that I did not love Ponyo as much as his other movies, but this one was wonderful. Very much for children, but I still really adored it. The animation is lovely and you feel you are in that world. It’s a film for children about change and also ever lasting belief. Lovely.
Captain America: The First Avenger (29 03 2012) – A couple of people told me this movie wasn’t bad so I went for it. It’s not as good as Iron Man or Chris Evans doesn’t have quite as much charisma as Chris Hemsworth did in Thor, but it was decent. I watched it with a friend and we made snarky comments the whole way through, but it was a decent action movie. The ending was surprisingly bittersweet. It made me anticipate for The Avengers.
Posted on March 14, 2012 in Monthly Movies
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (01 02 2012) – What is there to say really; it was fine. I feel the director didn’t take it all too seriously and there was some nice visuals in there actually. I also think that the two leads had even better chemistry than the previous films.
Ladies in Lavender (10 02 2012) – This movie is sweet and sentimental. Not much seems to actually happen, and there are a few too many lingering shots. It’s set in the 1930s and actually, it feels like an old movie too. I liked it for the acting of Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. They carried this film throughout and I really like any movies with a strong current of string music.
Posted on February 21, 2012 in Monthly Movies
Short reviews of movies or series I haven’t mentioned so far in the month.
Great Expectations (2011) (01 01 2012) – This is technically a TV miniseries, but I often put these in MM especially since I saw this in one big go. I could write a whole post on this new adaptation, but I will sum it up as being dark, creepy, and very faithful to the book. The casting of Anderson and Winston was good, but did not particularly warm up to Pip until third act. I prefer the 1999 BBC film with Gruffudd and Windell for Pip and Estella though this new one had better older actors and more accuracy.
The Lovers (1994) (02 01 2012) – A Hong Kong film starring Charlie Yeung and Nicky Wu. It was really cute the first act with a very sad ending as befits the legend of the Butterfly Lovers. I’m on a Nicky Wu kick lately because of Bu Bu Jing Xin. It was interesting to see him so young in Lovers, but notice he hasn’t really aged very much at all.
Cowboys &Aliens (27 01 2012) – I had a feeling going into this that it wouldn’t be great. I still did it because I like Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford though. These two were the only decent things about this movie. The pacing was off; it was slow and there were too many characters. I barely got a sense of the three main ones. Also, a lot of the movie felt a bit too grave. There was a lack of comic relief or rather, the film seemed to take itself too seriously. I mean, it’s a film about cowboys and aliens! Anyway, anytime watching Daniel Craig is fine by me, but not recommended as an action flick.
The Help (28 01 2012) – I enjoyed the book and overall, I enjoyed the movie. Mostly for two reasons: the acting and the visuals. It was a very good period piece visually and very pretty. I like Emma Stone in anything, but Davis and Spencer carried the movie. Recommended if you like the book.
Posted on October 17, 2008 in Movies
Aristocrats (02 09 08) – REVIEW
In Bruges (05 09 08) – REVIEW
Thumbsucker (06 09 08) – The cast for this is very interesting and probably the best part of the film. Tilda Swinton downplays her ethereality to be nurse and mother married to L&O: CI’s Vincent D’Onofrio. Vince Vaughn appears as debate teacher who wears big glasses and ugly sweater vests. Benjamin Bratt appears as cokehead TV star and is involved in the nastiest scene of the film. Finally, Keanu Reeves plays an eccentric, sometimes New Age orthodontist (very apt). The plot was alright, and it was sweet not anything spectacular. A likable coming of age story.
The Ladykillers (06 09 08) – Alec Guinness is creepy in this film. He seemed positively vampiric. I don’t know when I’ll get over his crazy teeth and manner. It was a decent plot and acting, but I do not think I really get entertained by these comedies very much, especially since I recently saw In Bruges.
Last Orders (08 09 08) – REVIEW
St. Trinian’s (13 09 08) – I assume I did not hear a lot about this movie because it seems to have gotten mixed reviews. It really was not that bad. Some of the comedy was a little too slapsticky to me I must admit: the humping dog, the pranks, etc. Some people would find Rupert Everett in drag for the whole movie tacky; I ran with it especially since Colin Firth plays opposite. With Russell Brand and the appearance of Stephen Fry. A few others I recognized include Fenella Woolgar, Amara Karan (The Darjeeling Limited), Talulah Riley, new Bond girl Gemme Arterton, and Mischa Barton which was kind of random, but appropriate and tolerable in this circumstance. Back to the Firth thing, it is cheap, but I loved all the meta Pride and Prejudice jokes they put in.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (14 09 08) – This is actually my first Judd Apatow related movie. While it was not too bad, I’m not running to see any other Apatow related movies soon. I liked Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis in this. Russell Brand stole every scene he was in. Jason Segel’s script and part were not too bad either, but I can really do without seeing his penis so many times in a movie. Okay overall.
The Bank Job (14 09 08) – My sixth British movie of the month! This was another really good one. It’s a clever and well acted heist movie set in the 1970s. I have no idea how true it is, probably not a lot, but the 70s art direction is nice and stuble enough. Refreshing from watching all the heist movies now with high tech gadgets. I’ve liked Jason Statham since I saw the Guy Ritchie films, and this is probably his best work since then. Really good heist movie.
Thank you for smoking (14 09 08) – Finally I saw this after it being in my movie queue for awhile. This was also my third film of the day because I have been knitting sleeves. Aaron Eckhart is very good in this; I hope he lands more good roles like this. Good cast and smart, satirical script.
Sex and the City (18 09 08) – I never followed the show; I’ve seen only a couple of episodes. I saw the extended cut version of the movie; I found the movie overall okay. I will say the best part is the eye candy for the fashion. I wanted half the stuff in the movie. The New York urban porn was nice too; something about snowing in NYC looks really good in film. One can definitely see why it’s like a cult show that they made into a movie; I like how it does explore the dynamic between female friends. Nothing too bad in the acting front really.
Lost in Austen – Fun.
The Family Stone (27 09 08) – This did nothing for me. I did not really feel for any of the characters, and the script just seemed to force all these family poignant moments. I like Rachel McAdams, but her character was annoying. I did not care for the relationship swapping halfway through. All “funny” moments were in the trailer. I guess I like some of the actors; Paul Schneider’s bit part was nice. I seem to watching lots of his films lately.
The Butterfly Effect (28 09 08) – Apparently, the critics hated this movie, but it made a lot of money. I can see how it has a wide appeal because I kind of liked it myself. Mainly due to my fascination with alternate universes, time travel, and chaos theory. The script is not that badly written, and I do like Ashton Kutcher more after seeing this. Not necessarily as a great actor, but the movie makes him look better than he usually does. Callum Keith Rennie even makes an appearance albeit for one scene. I would not watch this movie again though; it just seemed too violent for me. Quentin Tarantino movies are violent, but they are also funny. This movie had no funny moments and was quite sad and creepy for a lot of it. It was intense overall. For a moment towards the end, I thought they were going to go Hollywood and have a trite ending, but respect to the movie makers for having the ending live up to movie’s plot.
Iron Man (30 09 08) – Fun. I have been looking forward to this as I love a good summer blockbuster/ super hero movie. I have had a soft spot for RDJ for years. Someone said that he deserved this role, and honestly, he does. He’s this gem of an actor, and I’m glad he has finally found a vehicle and more opportunities to showcase his awesomeness. I like this cast. I hardly recognized Jeff Bridges in this role, and I like Terence Howard in anything. Coming off of Sliding Doors (below) and the grounded character of Pepper Potts, I did like Paltrow in this role as well. With her Spain travelogue show, I think I have to admit that I like the formerly known as fishstick. Even Paul Bettany’s voice is in this movie. Knowing that a lot of the dialogue was improvised makes me love this film even more. Looking forward to the sequels.
Total: 14.
Rewatched Movies:
Sliding Doors (15 09 08) – There are few movies I like to rewatch, and this is actually the first time I have rewatched this one. It won’t be the last time though; I have been thinking about this movie for awhile now. It came ten years ago; it’s very late 90s. The movie even features Dido’s “Thank you” which is a song that I liked way back then too. I have never been a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, but this is the only one of her movies that I absolutely love her in. I can’t imagine the film without her, and her faux Britishness seems the most sincere here. I love the concept of this story, and the ending is bitter at first, but then very lovely overall. I hope one day I get chatted up on the tube by a guy like John Hannah’s character. Seriously, how did he go from this to being Brendan Fraser’s sidekick in the Mummy movies? He and Rachel Weisz were the only reasons I saw the first and second Mummy movies; they were pretty fun movies overall too, but even John Hannah can’t make me see the third Mummy movie. I digress though. I think Hannah is seriously underrated as an actor and a leading man as a result of how much I love this film. It’s very London and British, has an unconventional premise, and a really good romance. Now that I finally got a copy, I can be sad, be happy, and hope for a down to earth and funny guy like James.
Posted on September 2, 2008 in Movies
Only two films in August. For many reasons, I read more, I knit more, and the Olympics were on. Also, I have been saving and storing my films for my move afraid that I will not be able to watch as many movies in my new home.
Waitress (19 08 08) – Not actually a romantic comedy as the trailers lead you to believe. It does have great chemistry between Keri Russell and the criminally hot Nathan Fillion, and lots of implausibility as you do in rom-coms. Also Andy Griffith. Pacing can be a bit slow, and there really is never enough NF, but cute flick.
Serenity (20 08 08) – Yes, I needed another excuse to watch NF again, and this time, Chiwetel Ejiofor was along for the ride. I’ve liked CE since Dirty, Pretty, Things. That reminds me that I want to see Kinky Boots, but have trouble finding a copy. In any case, I only saw one or two episodes of Firefly while it was on air. It’s a great cast, but the writing or the space cowboy concept never grabbed me. The Southern accents can be jarring. Decent sci-fic flick which is chilling and intense. Very Whedonesque.
Total: 2
Posted on August 4, 2008 in Movies
Modern Times (01 07 08) – Finally, I get to see this after having seen most of his other major films. I liked it, though I think City Lights is still my favourite. I particularly like the department store scenes with him roller blading around.
Then She Found Me (04 07 08) – I will always know Helen Hunt as Jamie from Mad About You. The film was alright. Colin Firth is too attractive for his own good even as a not-suppose to be sexy single father. Bette Midler is amusing.
Half-Nelson(08 07 08) – The plot was much slower than I anticipated, but then again, I didn’t really watch this for that as Ryan Gosling just captures me on screen. Damn he is talented. I always get this weird sense of watching him because I remember his earlier TV days so well. He is so talented and good in this.
Psycho (13 07 08) – Very well done and entertaining. Even as a someone who watches lots of classic films, I managed to remain unspoiled for this making the reveal good. Hitchcock at his best, but I love lots of his other stuff as well (The 39 Steps is underrated). It really is a classic in the truest sense of the word.
Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (The Young Girls of Rochefort) (29 07 08) – I quite adore Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, and this film is just not as superior as that. It has too many characters and the plot seems not as cohesive or stands out to be special. I like that there is more dancing. There is even Gene Kelly! It had Jacques Demy’s characteristic crazy colour schemes, attention to detail and his vision.
Total: 5.