ALL GOOD THINGS

All Good Things was a little long and drawn out, so I can see why it wasn't to popular in the theaters.  Like I have said in the past, I'm not a big fan of movies based on true stories because you don't really know what actually happened and what is embellished - which is exactly what I couldn't tell about this movie.  It seemed to me that a lot of the story was sensationalized to make up for an otherwise anti climatic plot.  Ryan Gosling did a good job playing a guy who never really recovered from witnessing something horrible as a child. This, plus other "stressers" like his relationship with his father, most likely contributed to his mental instability later in life.  He was very haunting in this movie and it freaked me out a little bit.  Kirsten Dunst was convincing as a naive girl that got in-too-deep with a guy that she really didn't know very well.  This movie was okay, but I wouldn't rush right out to rent it.

You Should Watch Anything With Jason Bateman In It

The Switch is a hilarious movie starring Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston.  I love it when Jason plays a guy like this - a neurotic and snarky guy that few people can stand.  The little boy in this movie is adorable and he does such a good job of emulating Jason's character.  Jennifer plays her typical character, a bohemian type lady who has difficulty finding and keeping a man, but she's actually funny in this movie.  She and Jason play off of each other well.  I would recommend this movie. 

I Know Now After Watching HOW DO YOU KNOW That This Movie Sucked

This movie's story line was horrible and didn't lead anywhere.  I expect Owen Wilson to be in a crappy movie, but not Paul Rudd.  His talents were wasted in this movie.  Paul is great at playing the snarky, pessimistic guy who is hilarious, but instead he plays a awkward doe-eyed guy who honestly weirded me out  through the whole movie.  Jack Nicholson played his typical sleazy asshole character.  What he put Paul Rudd's character through was unspeakable.  Reese Witherspoon's character pissed me off the most.  When  speaking she never really said anything that made any sense.  She spoke in fragmented sentences.  I could not understand why these two men where so enamored with her.  And as a former softball player, I was not convinced that Reese could play a woman that had been playing the sport her whole life and was a member of the American Olympic Softball Team.  I would not recommend this movie.

Not Your Typical Woddy Allen Flick

You would never guess that Match Point was written and directed by Woody Allen.  First off, he is not in it, there is no narrator and it's not whiny like his other movies.  Jonathan Myers is sooo hot!!! He plays a total ass that does something unthinkable and gets away with it.  I'm not a fan of Scarlett Johanson, mostly because she can't act and the only reason they give her gigs is because she is shapely and has these huge lips, but I like how crazy she was in this movie.  She goes totally nuts and becomes this obsessively crazed woman who's threatening to ruin the Jonathan character's life.  The story is great and it has all of these twists and turns that you wouldn't expect in a Woody Allen film.  I wish he would do more movies like this one.  I would recommend that you pick this one up because it is entertaining.

ADJUSTMENT BUREAU Was Good, despite religious undertones

Back in the 90's there was this movie called A Life Less Ordinary starring Ewin McGregor and Cameron Dias in which they were followed around by two angels who were doing everything they possibly could to make Ewin and Cameron's characters fall in love with each other.  In Adjustment Bureau it was the exact opposite.  In this movie there were people following around Matt Damon's character doing everything they could to keep him away from Emily Blunt's character.  Now these people that were following around Matt Damon's character were only vaguely referred to as "angels", but that's definitely the first thing that popped into my head when we found out about their "organization" and what they do.  Also, the boss whom they answered to was a mysterious character called the "Chairman" (God?...or maybe Frank Sinatra).  When you get past all of that hokey stuff and a few holes in the plot it was a good movie.  Matt did a good job.  He played the "All American Guy" who has pulled himself up from his rough, meager beginnings instead of the guy he's been playing lately who carries a gun and is on some secret mission for the government.  Emily Blunt was good as the bohemian, care-free dancer who keeps getting swept in and out of this man's life. Gary liked the music because it was done by a guy that has done some other composing for other movies we've seen.  Also, whoever created the aesthetic for the settings, buildings, design, etc. that were used for this movie did a good job.  The architecture was amazing!  I would recommend this movie.

Editor's note: Another good score by composer Thomas Newman (American Beauty, Shawshank Redemption, Met Joe Black, Revolutionary Road, HBO series Six Feet Under and many more too numerous to list, but you would recognize almost all of them).

Yet Again, Kevin Costner Playing A Drunk Idiot

I've been going through my DVD collection and found a movie I hadn't seen in a while, The Upside Of Anger.  In this movie Joan Allen plays a woman who thinks her husband has left her and disappeared with his secretary.  She starts going through a breakdown of sorts, during which she also has to be a mother to her 4 strong-willed daughters while being pursued by a retired baseball player who spends his days drinking and doing little else (Costner's character). There's a plot twist at the end that you won't see coming that changes the whole mood of the movie.

I love Joan's character in this movie because she lets her grief poor out of her and says whatever she's thinking regardless of whether it's appropriate or not. The four daughters are played by Alicia Witt, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell and Evan Rachel Wood, who all do a great job.  Their characters are all trying to deal with the crap that their mother puts them through during her breakdown while trying to manage and live their own separate lives.

I liked this movie and I'm sure you will too.

Dustin' Off The Old Movie Collection

I went into my collection and watched a movie that most people probably haven't seen.  Imaginary Heroes is a movie about a dysfunctional family (my favorite phrase if you haven't noticed) that are dealing with the recent suicide of the oldest son.  Their lives were not so great to begin with and after the suicide things just got ten times worse.  Emile Hirsch stars in this movie and he looks like he is about 12, but he does a great job.  He redeemed himself from doing the movie Girl Next Door, another guilty pleasure of mine, which was like Jake Gyllenhaal's Bubble Boy.  Everybody has got to start somewhere, right?   I enjoyed this movie and I recommend it.

Two Shows That I Think You Should Watch

Traffic Light and Perfect Couples are two of the new shows that I actually like.  I like Traffic Light  because it's about the the crazy crap that guys come up with to maintain their relationships and home life, or as some people may see it, manipulate their wives and girlfriends.  Every week the married guy, the guy who just moved in with his girlfriend and the guy who is constantly dodging commitment encounter a new scenario and they all give each other terrible advice.  It's funny to watch their plans blow up in their faces because they still haven't figured it out that the women are smarter than they are and they will never pull one over on them. 

Perfect Couples is hilarious.  It's centered around these three couples and how different their perspective  on relationships are from each other.  It's also about the different friendships that the characters have.  I really like this show because the stories are hilarious and I enjoy the actors.  These characters are always getting into these crazy situations and watching them try to get out is the best part. 

I would recommend that you check these shows out. I think you won't be disappointed.

I Don't Just Watch Movies, I Also Read Books!!!

I'm going to take this opportunity to tell you about some of the books that I have read and enjoyed.  I tend to read books similar to the movies that I watch; dramas about relationship dynamics that tend to be dysfunctional.  I would recommend the following books to everyone. 

My all-time favorite book is White Oleander by Jane Fitch.  I finished this book in four days, record time for me, and have since read it a dozen more times.  This book is all about a girl's tragic life with all the screwed up crap that happened to her when her mother went to prison and she went  from foster home to foster home until she was 18 years old.  It's also about the complicated relationship between the girl and her mother and how it effects their lives.

I have read one Wally Lamb book already, The Hour I First Believed, and am now reading I Know This Much Is True.  The thing about Wally Lamb books is that even though they are very long (I Know This Much Is True is about 800 pages long), they are very addicting. Wally tends to be really descriptive which can turn some people off, but I love it because he really tries to make you understand and feel like you know the characters in his books. 

I loved the movie Revolutionary Road so I was curious about the author of the book from which  the movie was adapted.  I read the book Revolutionary Road and now love Richard Yates' writing.  I then read three other books by him: Young Hearts Crying, Disturbing The Peace and The Easter Parade.  I enjoyed all of these books because they all have such tragic stories that enthrall you.

All About Lulu by Jonathan Evison starts  with two previously divorced people who merge their kids from their previous marriages all together to form an unconventional and dysfunctional family.  One of the boys from one of the families falls in love with one of the girls from one of the other family and this story is about their tortured relationship.  I enjoyed this movie so much that I read it in 2 days.

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan is a book all about one night.  It does go back in the past to explain things, but the book is really about this couple on their wedding night and what is going through both of their heads.  They don't really know too much about each other and they do not communicate, so they really don't know what each other is expecting from this marriage.

Skylight Confessions is kind of depressing but addicting.  This was a sad story about a dysfunctional family that eventually collapses in on itself.  You really feel for this poor woman who ends up dying and leaving behind her son who goes into a downward spiral that eventually leads to his demise.  The effect that these people had on each other was very dramatic.  It was a great story to read.

I'm not going to list all of the Anne Tyler books that I have read because there are too many of them.  I will just talk about her as an author.  She takes you into the lives of these families and shows you how easy it is to screw each other up.  In the first book I read a mother just up-and-leaves her family one day and starts a whole other life.  She has no idea, and doesn't really care at the moment, of the havoc she has caused and how screwed up things have become in her house.  She eventually returns to her old life, but it's too late to repair any of the damage that departure caused.  I recommend any of Anne Tyler's books.

I don't read as much as I'd like to, but when I do I really get into the books that I am reading.  I certainly did with all  of the books I wrote about and I'm sure anyone who likes these types of books would too.

Who The Hell Cares What Joan Rivers Thinks!!!

The Fashion Police program is such a joke.  What makes these people think that they are soooo much better than the people that they are criticizing? But, I'm not going to stoop to their level and trash their fashion choices.  That would make me just as bad as them.  They are profiting from tearing down people just to make themselves feel better about their sorry, pathetic little lives. I feel bad for them.  Please don't support these horrible people by watch their show!!!!

The Movies I Have Seen That Are Nominated For Best Picture

I have seen 8 out of the 10 movies that are nominated for best picture.  I actually enjoyed 5 out of those 8 movies.

Here are the movies that I enjoyed:
I loved The King's Speech because of the acting and the story.  Colin Firth did a phenomenal job making us believe that he actually had a stammer.  Geoffry Rush is at his best when he plays quirky intellectual characters like the one he played in this movie.  It was uncomfortable  watching this man try so hard to make these speeches while paralyzed with fear as all of these horrible people just stare at him like he was some kind of freak.  I would definitely recommend this movie.

The Fighter was also successful because of the cast and the storyline.  It's too bad that Christian Bale was nominated for the supporting role because his performance was the best of all.  It was heartbreaking to watch this guy just screw up his life and blow his only shot in making something of himself because of his drug addiction.  I had a physical reaction to how this family treated Mark Wahlberg's character.  They were only looking out for themselves and didn't give a crap about him or what he wanted.  Lately all of these movies about Massachusetts haven't exactly portrayed the commonwealth in a very good light which is sad because it's actually pretty great there. I would recommend this movie.

Despite my husbands crush on Natalie Portman I enjoyed Black Swan.  There were many parts that made me pretty uncomfortable, but none of them as much as when Mila's character went down on Natalie's character.  I enjoyed this story, even having to watching this young lady drive herself crazy.  Natalie and Barbra Hershey's relationship freaked me out.  It was definitely one of the creepiest mother/daughter relationship's that I've seen in a movie.  To me Natalie didn't look healthy in this movie.  You could see her ribs and she just looked sickly.  Mila on the other hand looked great.  She dropped 20 lbs for this movie and had a bunch of injuries.  I would recommend this movie.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was watching Inception and I didn't even notice that it was two and a half hours long.  I read a lot of reviews about this movie before I went to go see it which made me nervous that the subject matter would go right over my head, but I kept up with it the whole time.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt is turning out to be one of my favorite actors.  Who would of thought that the kid from 3rd Rock From the Sun would grow up to be such a great actor.  I have really enjoyed every Christopher Nolan film I have seen and this one tops that list.  He is a genius and I'm sure that all of his future movies will be just as great or better.  I recommend that everyone rent this movie and really pay attention while watching it.

This Toy Story installation was the best one in my opinion.  It was kind of dark and I could see how kids could have gotten scared by watching this movie.  I loved the part when Buzz's switch got turned to Spanish and he was trying to seduce the cowgirl.  I think that I enjoy cartoons more now then I did as a kid.

Here are the movies that I didn't care too much for:

The Kids Are Alright was not as profound as everyone keeps saying it was.  It was a good movie, but I don't think it deserved to be nominated for Best Picture.  Annette Bening was great, as she usually is.  I am so tired of seeing Julianne Moore naked.  She needs to keep it zipped!!!

True Grit was entertaining, but it is not Oscar Worthy.  I thought it was okay, but I could of skipped it.

The Social Network was actually a good movie, but I have a problem with movies that are about actual people. You're never really sure if any of the content is really true because it was not authorized by the person that the movie is about.  I do like Jesse Eisenberg and, from what I can tell, his awkward portrayal of the Facebook guy was pretty spot on.  I just don't think that it should have been nominated.

I haven't seen The Winter's Bone and 127 Hours so I can't comment about them.

I will post about the winners later.

I Will See Anything With Annette Bening In It

Mother and Child is a wonderful independent film about three woman and the different trials and tribulations that they go through.  You really feel for Annette Bening's character because she didn't get the love and attention that she needed as a child nor as an adult from her mother. She was also guilted into doing something she wasn't ready to do.  As a result of the events that happened to her she turns into a bitter, socially awkward and mean adult who doesn't have any idea how to navigate through her own life.  Naomi Watts plays a damaged woman who was given up for adoption as a baby and because of this resents women and doesn't ever want to have a child of her own.  She preys on men that are unavailable because she is a commitment-phobe and uses her sexuality in any way she can as over them.  Kerry Washington plays a woman who desperately wants to be a mother but can't conceive.  She lets this desire blind her from everything else in her life, even the fact that she might not have what it takes for, or even like, motherhood.  I would recommend this movie.

Owen Wilson's Career Is In The Crapper

Hall Pass had some funny moments, but mostly sucked.  Jason Sudeikis and Owen Wilson (nice pleated pants!!!) played two dorks that couldn't get laid if their lives depended on it.  How they got the their wives in the first place is beyond me.  Christina Applegate was a total bitch and Jenna Fischer was way too tan.  A hall pass in a marriage is the stupidest idea I have ever heard of.  Just call it what it really is: cheating because you feel neglected in your marriage, from the woman's prespective, and because you think that your missing out on something, from the man's.  If you need a hall pass from your marriage then you probably shouldn't have gotten married in the first place and you need to realize that you probably don't really love your spouse.  Don't waste your money on this movie, it's not that great.

Support Independent Movies

As you can tell from reading my blogs, I absolutely love Indie Movies.  I think that Indies are better than the box office smashes that you can find at your local multiplex because they usually have better content and acting.  I love how Indies are not afraid to tell it like it is and deal with topics that might be considered taboo to most people.  I also love how actors and actresses who do Indies tend to show more range and really want to capture the character they are portraying.

  The Independent Spirit Awards are on tonight on IFC at 7:00.  I think that everyone needs to watch this awards show because that is the only way you will find out about some of the great movies out there that didn't have a huge budget - or that spent it on special effects.  Also, this awards show is so laid back and more entertaining.  The actors and actresses dress very casually and they tend to show what their true fashion style is.  The show is hilarious and it's not some overly scripted, stuffy event like the Oscars.  People joke and  it seems that they are encouraged to just be themselves. 

I think that everyone should seek out as many Independent movies as possible and support the Arts.

I Love Period Movies

I have been sick on the couch for the past seven days and have watched a variety of movies.  It just dawned on me that four of the movies I watched were period pieces.  That prompted me to look through my movie collection and I noticed I own a lot of movies that are set in "times of old".  For some reason I really enjoy watching movies that are usually set in England and are between 1700 and the early 1900's.  I watched Pride and Prejudice, Young Victoria, The Girl With the Pearl Earring and Becoming Jane.


These kinds of movies fascinate me.  I love learning about how people lived back then. I find the trials and tribulations that people went through - because of the family they were born in to -  so tragic.  In Pride and Prejudice the girls are born into an unfortunate situation and the men that fall for them have to make a decision to love them regardless of their station in life.  In The Girl With the Pearl Earring this girl is practically sold to a rich family as a servant so that her family, including her blind father, can have some money.

I will continue to love period movies and I do recommend that others watch them because they teach you something about history and they have great love stories.

A Little Movie Out Of Australia

The movie is Boy A. I liked this movie because it shows how you can never really outrun your past.  You can try your hardest to start over, but it will never work until you deal with the things that are haunting you from your past.  It also shows how hard it is for social workers, and most people that are in social services, to separate their work from their personal lives.   It stars Andrew Garfield (the new Spiderman) and I think he did a great job in this movie.  He does a great job at playing a guy who seems so innocent and shy, but has been involved in some very unsavory things in his past.  I would recommend this movie.

Watch A Movie Where Kristen Stewart Looks Like A Dirty Skank

Kristen Stewart looks like she is just oozing with STDs in Welcome to the Rileys.  She's Bella all over again, if Bella were a stripper with a daddy complex who cusses like a sailor.  The other two main actors in this movie are James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo. They both do a good job.  James is kind of a "Sopranos guy", rough around the edges and doesn't communicate very well, but he tries his hardest to play the guy who is really trying to help a screwed up little girl.  Melissa Leo is very underrated.  She is a great actress.  You really feel for her in this role of a heart-broken woman who's guilt nearly ruined her marriage and prevented her from living in reality.  I can't say that I recommend this movie.  It was okay, I guess. 

Prepare to Sob While Watching LIKE DANDELION DUST

There are only a handful of movies that are guaranteed to make me cry.  One is Dumbo; when little Dumbo goes to see his mother while she is in jail and she rocks him with her trunk through the bars.  Another is She's Having A Baby; when Elizabeth McGovern's character experiences complications while giving birth and no one tells Kevin Bacon's character what's going on. Meanwhile that song is playing about all the things this couple should have done together before it's too late.  This movie can be added to this list.  I cried twice during this movie.  What happens to the family in this movie is so sad. What's worse, they have no control over it at all.  And this poor, sweet, innocent little boy has his whole life ripped apart at such a young age.  Mira Sorvino does a good job playing the small-town woman that, for some reason, sees something in this man that no one else can see. So she keeps giving him chance after chance to redeem himself. Barry Pepper plays a very convincing ex-con that so desperately wants to be a different, reformed man but just can't seem to keep his past behaviors from reoccurring.  I would recommend this movie, but be prepared to be sad and maybe a little depressed.

To My Editor

I would like to take this time to give a big thanks to my editor, my husband. Without you I wouldn't be able to put together a grammatically correct sentence.  Thanks Gary!!!

An 80's Movie That is Now a TV Show

 In 1989 a movie called Parenthood was released starring Steve Martin.  It has now been turned into a show which fairly resembles the movie. I really like it and here's why:  I do like that there are resemblances between the movie and the show, but the differences are what make it great.  I love that there is some sort of dysfunction in all of the families.  It's also great that no matter how much they annoy each other the family sticks together and the individuals truly love one another.  I also think they did a great job in casting this show.  I loved Peter Krause in Six Feet Under as the "lost" son and now he does a great job as the "responsible" son on this show.  I used to love Gilmore Girls, so I assumed that I would love Lauren Graham in this role.  I was wrong.  The more I watch the show the more I can't stand her character Sarah - which makes me want to watch the show even more.  Who would have thought that Dax Shepard would be on a successful show?  It's only because he is playing the typical character that he always plays, the irresponsible guy who is struggling with the fact that he has to grow up and act like an adult.  I recommend this show because it has great story lines and I think that you will enjoy it.

THE ROMANTICS

A couple months ago I read a book called The Romantics and I really enjoyed the story.  Then I found out they were making a movie of the book and I was curious about whether the movie would live up to the book.  I watched the movie today and it was... okay.  Of course the book was more detailed and I think that it really captured the pain and anguish that the characters were going through better than the movie did.  It may be because of some of the casting.  I don't think Josh Duhamel was a good choice for Tom.  He is just not believable as an ivy-league intellectual who speaks so eloquently (I'm guessing that he didn't understand some of the dialogue that he used in this movie; and side note: why do people still let him act?).  Katie Holmes did a good job and fit the bill as Laura.  She captured the pain that Laura was going through in the book.  Anna Paquin also did a good job as Lila.  She showed some more range then just playing a vampire-lover (...SOOKIE!!!).  Overall I would recommend that you read the book over seeing the movie, but if you hate to read you might as well see this movie.

I Enjoy Watching Movies Over and Over Again

I have now watched Going The Distance five times and I will probably watch it a million more times.  Romantic comedies are my bread and butter...well, if I were actually paid for my opinions!  This one also adds in just enough cussing and dirtiness (which I love).  Drew Barrymore kind of always plays the same character, but in this movie she varies a little. Her character is the type of girl that isn't afraid to act like a dude and  say whatever she wants.  The MAC guy also did a good job playing "that guy" who is just starting the process of growing up even though he is in his late 20's and "that guy" who finds out what it's like to really love another person.  This movie is rated R, so it may not be suitable for all, but I do recommend it because it is funny and it will warm your heart.

Kiera Knightly Needs to Eat Something

You need to be in the right mood and you need to pay attention in order to watch Never Let Me Go.  This movie really makes you think about what people will do to avoid their own mortality. There are some ethical grey areas and some moral questions throughout this movie that will affect people in different ways and stir various emotions.  I don't want to give too much away so I will stop there.  I will let you know that I think that Carrie Mulligan will continue to have a great career.  I've loved every movie I've seen her in so far and I think she will only continue to make good movies.  Also, Gary would like for me to mention that the movie score, which was mainly violin and other strings, was beautiful and haunting.  I would recommend this movie, but with the disclaimer that it may not be for everybody.   

Editor's note: Excellent score by Rachel Portman.

My new obsession, SHAMELESS

Shameless is a new series on Showtime that Gary and I are kind of hooked on.  The family in this show is the definition of "dysfunctional"- which is of course why I like it so much.  I have a kind of sick attraction to movies, TV shows and books about screwed up families and relationships.  Shameless is all about how this group of people cope on a daily basis with the hand-that-they've-been-dealt and how they will do whatever it takes to keep their family together.  They have these crazy and screwed up things happen to them every week and they always seem to find their way through them as a family. I wait with anticipation for the next episode.  I would recommend that everyone watch this show.  Believe me, you will get hooked too.

Disclaimer

I know the title of my blog suggests that I would only write about movies, but I want to clarify that I might throw in something about music or any other topic that might strike my fancy.  I can't guarantee that the content of my blogs will be G rated because I do tend to get riled up about certain subjects on occasion.

My Dilemma with THE DILEMA

I had a few things to decide before I could go see this movie.  First, was this going to be another Fred Claus for Vince Vaughn? Secondly, would he use his famous line which he has used in a number of other movies:' "Let's have a few drinks and make some bad decisions"?  Then there is Kevin James.  Was his performance going to be just like his others (Hutch, Paul Blart: Mall Cop or Grownups)? And lastly, were all the good scenes shown in the previews?

It turns out that this movie, marketed (like so many others) as a comedy, really wasn't.  The Dilemma happens to have some funny parts as you would expect from a movie starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, but it also has some serious parts.  This movie is really centered around this friendship between these two guys and how it continues to be tested everyday.  It is also about trust in a relationship and deciding whether you really know the person you are sharing your life with. 

Overall it was a good movie, but I'm not so sure that I would recommend that people absolutely have to go see it.  Just wait until it comes out on video.

My take on BLUE VALENTINE

It is rare that a movie makes you have a real emotional reaction and gets under your skin.  Blue Valentine did this for me.  I was so heart broken when I got out of this movie and it affected me for the next couple of days.  I felt so distressed over what had happened to the couple in this movie.  It is very sad to watch a relationship between two people, who obviously felt very deeply for one another at one time, disintegrate right before your eyes.  My husband and I had a discussion about this movie on our way home, as we often do, and we both agreed that so many  people our age tend to rush into commitment and bind their lives together before they really know each other or even know themselves for that matter. Then, one day, they realize this fact and they either must live with their differences or decide that they just can't go on being in a relationship with someone who is like a stranger to them.  Ryan Gosling did such a good job in this movie.  In my opinion he was robbed of a nomination for his performance.  Michelle Williams also did a wonderful job.  Her portrayal of an angst ridden young woman was heart wrenching,  I really enjoyed this movie and I would recommend that everyone go out and see it.

Editor's note: Good sound track by Grizzly Bear.