Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Movies I Watched Last Week

I'm starting a new weekly feature on this blog called "Movies I Watched Last Week". I'll list the movies I've seen the previous week, with a rating for each movie out of five, and a brief comment on what I thought of them. Here are the movies I watched last week:








Broadway Danny Rose


Broadway Danny Rose (1984, Rating: PG-13, Director: Woody Allen) (My Rating: 3/5) Broadway Danny Rose is about a talent agent, (Woody Allen), who is forced to bring a singer's mistress, (Mia Farrow), to an important performance. I liked this movie and thought it was really funny, although not one of my favorite movies by Woody Allen. Really good performances by Woody Allen and Mia Farrow.






Bad Teacher (2nd time watching) (2011, Rating: R, Director: Jake Kasdan) (My Rating: 2.5/5) Bad Teacher is about an unenthusiastic teacher named Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz) who attempts to date a rich substitute teacher, (Justin Timberlake). I liked this movie more the first time I watched it. I still really liked Cameron Diaz's performance, but I didn't laugh at very much this time, except at one particular scene that I still found hilarious.



Moneyball



Moneyball (2nd time watching) (2011, Rating: PG-13, Director: Bennett Miller) (My Rating: 3.5/5) Moneyball is a true story about a baseball general manager named Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) who works with a sports analyst (Jonah Hill) and discovers a new formula for building a baseball team. I liked this movie a lot more the second time watching it. I noticed and understood more things in the story. I was really impressed by Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill's performances.






Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011, Rating: R, Director: Sean Durkin) (My Rating: 3.5/5) Martha Marcy May Marlene is about a woman named Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) who escapes from a dangerous cult. This movie had a very interesting story with amazing performances by Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes. I was surprised that they were not nominated for Oscars.






Withnail & I (1987, Rating: R, Director: Bruce Robinson) (My Rating: 4/5) Withnail & I is about two out-of-work actors who take a vacation in the country. I really enjoyed this movie. It had great acting, especially by Richard E. Grant, and an entertaining story with many memorable scenes and lines. I really recommend checking this movie out. You can watch Withnail & I in its entirety on www.youtube.com for free.


Roman Holiday (Special Collector's Edition)


Roman Holiday (1953, Rating: G, Director: William Wyler) (My Rating: 3.5/5) Roman Holiday is about a princess (Audrey Hepburn) who explores Rome in disguise with a journalist. I enjoyed this movie, and I thought Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck were really good in it, but I didn't love it. I might have to watch it again sometime.

Monday, February 27, 2012

The Oscars-2012

I thought last night's Oscars was a good show. I was happy with most of the winners. I thought Billy Crystal as host was decent, but I was a bit disappointed. I really like Billy Crystal, but I thought he might have been better. Aside from a few good jokes, there was nothing really memorable about his hosting. He wasn't as funny or as interesting as I expected him to be.

The most memorable non-awards parts of the show for me were the Cirque De Soleil act, which I thought was really cool and fun to watch, and the skit about people in a focus group for the movie, The Wizard Of Oz, which was very funny.

I was happy that Rango won for Best Animated Picture. It was different than the movies that usually win that award, because Rango is more for teenagers and adults. That movie had a very smart script that didn't talk down to its audience, with a lot of clever movie references.

The awards I was happiest about were Octavia Spencer winning Best Supporting Actress for The Help, Christopher Plummer winning Best Supporter Actor for Beginners, and Woody Allen winning Best Original Screenplay for Midnight In Paris.

The things I was disappointed about were Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 not winning anything (I thought it should have won Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects), The Descendants winning Best Adapted Screenplay (I thought Moneyball or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy were more deserving), Meryl Streep winning Best Actress for The Iron Lady (I haven't seen The Iron Lady yet, and I'm sure Meryl Streep was predictably great in it, but I really wanted Viola Davis to win for her wonderful performance in The Help), and that there were no live performances this year in the Best Original Song category.

Out of the six nominees for Best Picture I've seen so far, I would have picked The Help or Midnight In Paris to win. However, I've read that The Artist is a great movie, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it, so I was fine with it winning.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Movie Review-The Muppets

Title-"The Muppets"

Rating-G

Director-James Bobin

Actors-Jason Segel, Gary Linz (voice), Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Steve Whitmire (voice), and Eric Jacobson (voice)

Genre-Comedy/Musical

Year-2011


The Muppets


"The Muppets" is one of my favorite movies of 2011. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the movie, and how funny and well-written it was. "The Muppets" is about a man named Gary (Jason Segel) who lives with his brother Walter (voice of Gary Linz), a muppet. Walter is a big fan of the original "Muppets Show" TV series. When Walter finds out that Gary is planning a trip to California with his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), Walter insists on coming along to see the Muppets Studio. Once there, Gary and Walter discover that an oil baron named Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) wants to get control of the Muppets Studio and dig for oil underneath the property. To stop him, Gary, Walter, and Mary try to reunite Kermit (voice of Steve Whitmire), Miss Piggy (voice of Eric Jacobson), and the rest of the Muppets and persuede them to do a telethon to raise money to buy back the studio. This movie has a lot of good self-referential humour, with the characters sometimes being aware that they're in a movie. It also has a lot of entertaining cameos by different actors, and catchy songs. I really recommend watching "The Muppets" when it comes out on DVD.

Movie Review-Rio

Title-"Rio"

Rating-G

Director-Carlos Saldanha

Voice Actors-Jesse Eisenberg, Leslie Mann, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, Jermaine Clement

Genre-Animated/Family/Adventure

Year-2011

Rio


"Rio" is a very entertaining movie. It is about a macaw bird named Blu (voice of Jesse Eisenberg) who has been the pet of a woman named Linda (Leslie Mann) his entire life. Blu has been completely domesticated and has never learned how to fly. When Linda learns that Blu is one of the last birds of his kind, he is taken back to his natural habitat in Brazil. There he meets other birds, Jewel (voice of Anne Hathaway), another macaw, and Rafael (voice of George Lopez), a toucan. As Blu is making friends with the other birds, they find themselves in danger from smugglers, led by an evil cockatoo named Nigel (voice of Jermaine Clement). This movie has an engaging story and excellent voice acting by Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, and especially by Jermaine Clement, who voices one of the most memorable villains in a animinated movie since "The Lion King". I really recommend watching "Rio".

Movie Review-Bridesmaids

Title-"Bridesmaids"

Rating-R

Director-Paul Feig

Actors-Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy

Genre-Comedy

Year-2011

Bridesmaids


"Bridesmaids" is a hilarious movie with great acting and writing. It is about a woman named Annie (Kristen Wiig) who has had a lot of bad luck. After losing her job running a sucessful bakery a few years before, Annie feels like her life is going nowhere. When her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), announces she is getting married and chooses Annie to be her maid of honour, Annie's life becomes even more chaotic. Adding to Annie's stress is meeting bridesmaids Helen (Rose Byrne), Lillian's seemingly-perfect new friend, and Megan (Melissa McCarthy), Lillian's future sister-in-law. One of the things I liked about this movie was that it had realistic characters and relationships, while being extremely funny. I thought it was refreshing to see an original comedy with a mostly all-female cast that is funnier, smarter, and more honest than the curent "romantic comedies" aimed at women. The acting in this movie is great, especially by Kristen Wiig (who co-wrote the script), Rose Byrne (who I think should do more comedies), and Melissa McCarthy, who stole a lot of scenes from the rest of the cast. I really recommend watching "Bridesmaids".

Movie Review-The Descendants

Title-"The Descendants"

Rating-R

Director-Alexander Payne

Actors-George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller

Genre-Drama

Year-2011




I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch "The Descendants" at first, because I hated the movie "Sideways", the last movie made by its director. However, I did end up liking "The Descendants", if not loving it. Based on the novel by Kuai Hart Hemmings, "The Descendants" is about a man from Hawaii (George Clooney) who struggles with looking after his two daughters, Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) and Scottie (Amara Miller), after his wife goes into a coma. In addition to this, Matt is being pressured to sell Hawaiian land that has been in his family for generations. "The Descendants" has an interesting story and an impressive performance by George Clooney. It also has good acting by Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller, who play his daughters. Although it is not my favorite movie by Alexander Payne (I prefer "Citizen Ruth" and "About Schmidt"), it is still a good movie worth checking out when it is released on DVD.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Movie Review-Midnight In Paris

Title-"Midnight In Paris"


Rating- PG-13


Director-Woody Allen


Actors-Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Tom Hiddleston, Alison Pill, Corey Stoll, Adrien Brody, Marion Cottilard


Genre-Comedy/Fantasy


Year-2011

Midnight in Paris


"Midnight In Paris" is one of my favorite movies of 2011. It's funny, well-written, and very entertaining. Midnight In Paris" is about a man named Gil (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter on vacation in Paris with his fiancee, Inez (Rachel McAdams), and her parents. Gil is more interested in writing novels than screenplays, and sometimes wishes that he lived in an earlier time. After going for a walk one night, Gil discovers that he has been magically transported back to the 1920's. There, he meets famous writers and artists like F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston) and his wife Zelda (Alison Pill), Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), and Salvador Dali (Adrien Brody). He also meets a woman named Adriana (Marion Cottilard), who causes him to consider staying in this alternate reality. The movie has good acting, particularly by Owen Wilson, Alison Pill, and by Adrien Brody, who was very funny as Salvador Dali. I really recommend watching "Midnight In Paris".

Monday, February 13, 2012

Movie Review-The Holiday

Title-"The Holiday"

Rating- PG-13

Director-Nancy Meyers

Actors-Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, Jude Law

Genre-Romantic Comedy

Year-2006

The Holiday


I thought "The Holiday" was a very enjoyable and surprising romantic comedy. I thought it was funny, but also a bit more serious than other romantic comedies I've seen. "The Holiday" is about two women named Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz). Iris lives in England and Amanda lives in Los Angles, California. What they have in common with each other is that they are both having trouble with their love lives. One day, Iris and Amanda meet each other online while both looking at a home exchange website. They decide that they will switch houses for two weeks for a vacation alone during the Christmas holidays. When Iris gets to Los Angeles, she discovers that Amanda lives near a film composer named Miles (Jack Black). Amanda discovers Iris's house is close to Iris's brother, Graham (Jude Law). What I like so much about "The Holiday" is that while the movie is predictable, it has interesting characters that you care about. I think that the characters were written with more depth than than in most romantic comedies. This helped make "The Holiday" more enjoyable and fun to watch.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Movie Review-High Fidelity

Title-"High Fidelity"

Rating-R

Director-Stephen Frears

Actors-John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black, Todd Louiso

Genre-Romantic Comedy

Year-2000






"High Fidelity" is a great movie. It is about a record store owner named Rob (John Cusack) whose latest girlfriend, Laura (Iben Hjejle) is leaving him. Rob spends most of his time hanging out with his two music fanatic employees, Barry (Jack Black) and Dick (Todd Louiso), and debating music trivia with them. Most of the comedy comes from the scenes in the record store, with Barry and Dick being polar opposites of each other. Rob is constantly making music lists with different themes, and starts making a "Top 5 Worst Breakups" list. He is heartbroken about Laura, and decides to get in touch with the women who dumped him and find out why. "High Fidelity" is a very entertaining movie, especially if you love music. It has good performances, particularly by John Cusack and by Jack Black, who is absolutely hilarious in the movie. I really recommend watching "High Fidelity".

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Movie Review-City Lights

Title-"City Lights"

Rating-G

Director-Charlie Chaplin

Actors-Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrell, Harry Myers, Florence Lee

Genre-Comedy/Romance/Drama

Year-1931

City Lights: The Chaplin Collection (Two-Disc Special Edition)

 
"City Lights" is a great movie and is the first silent movie I've seen. The movie features Charlie Chaplin's famous character, The Little Tramp. In the story, The Little Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) meets a blind woman (Virginia Cherrell) who sells flowers, and falls in love with her. Meanwhile, he becomes friends with an eccentric millionaire (Harry Myers) after saving the millionaire's life. While spending more time with the blind woman, who lives with her grandmother (Florence Lee), he discovers that they are in debt and close to losing their home. The Little Tramp takes odd jobs, including becoming an amateur boxer, to try to help them. This movie has many classic comedy scenes, like the boxing match, and the rescue scene with the millionaire. It also has a very touching story, with the relationship between The Little Tramp and the blind woman, including one of the greatest film endings I've ever seen. "City Lights" is available to watch for free on wwww.youtube.com. I really recommend watching "City Lights".

Friday, February 10, 2012

Movie Review-Chasing Amy

Title-"Chasing Amy"

Rating-R

Director-Kevin Smith

Actors-Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Lee

Genre-Comedy/Romance/Drama

Year-1997

Chasing Amy (The Criterion Collection)
 
"Chasing Amy" is one of my favorite movies, and also my favorite movie by its director, Kevin Smith. It features wonderful acting by its cast, as well as an interesting story, and dialogue that is funny and insightful. "Chasing Amy" is about a comic book artist named Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) who falls for a woman named Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), a friend who is also a comic book artist. He thinks that she feels the same way about him, until he learns that she is a lesbian. Surprisingly, Alyssa decides to have a relationship with Holden, which causes a lot of tension between Holden and his jealous best friend, Banky (Jason Lee). Although my description of this movie might make it seem like a very serious drama, it is mostly a comedy, with some hilarious scenes and lines. There are also a few very touching and romantic scenes. The movie is a perfect mix of comedy, romance, and drama. Because of the great acting (Joey Lauren Adams was deservedly nominated for a Golden Globe for her role), interesting story, and clever dialogue, I really recommend watching "Chasing Amy".

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Movie Review-The Brothers McMullen

Title-"The Brothers McMullen"

Rating-R

Director-Edward Burns

Actors-Jack Mulcahy, Connie Britton, Mike McGlone, Shari Albert, Edward Burns

Genre-Comedy/Romance/Drama

Year-1995

The Brothers McMullen


"The Brothers McMullen" is a great movie. It is about three Irish-Catholic brothers who live on Long Island. Jack (Jack Mulcahy) is the oldest, and has been married to his wife, Molly (Connie Britton), for five years. Patrick (Mike McGlone) is the youngest, and is feeling pressured by his girlfriend, Susan (Shari Albert), to get married. Barry (Edward Burns), the middle child, is content not commiting to anyone, and does not believe in love. The three brothers give each other advice on relationships, but often have trouble taking their own advice. This movie has very good writing and acting, and has a lot of funny dialogue. If you are looking for a "romantic comedy" that is a little different, I recommend watching "The Brothers McMullen".

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Movie Review-Benny & Joon

Title-"Benny & Joon"

Rating- PG-13

Director-Jeremiah S. Chechik

Actors-Aidan Quinn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Johnny Depp

Genre-Comedy/Romance/Drama

Year-1993

Benny and Joon


"Benny & Joon" is a very enjoyable, touching, and funny movie. What makes it so great is how well those elements work together in the movie. "Benny & Joon" is about a man named Benny (Aidan Quinn) who has been looking after his younger sister, Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson), who is mentally ill, for most of his life. They have a quiet life that is filled with routine. One day, Joon plays a game of poker with Benny and his friends, and one of the friends decides to "bet" a cousin that has been staying at his house. Joon loses the game and "wins" the cousin, an eccentric man named Sam (Johnny Depp), who is very interested in Charlie Chaplin and other silent film stars. Benny is not very happy about bringing Sam home with them, and the brother and sister find both their lives and close bond disrupted when Sam and Joon fall for each other. This movie has wonderful performances by the three main actors, who make the characters seem real and three-dimensional. The story was especially good, portraying serious subjects as well as being funny. There are serious scenes, but it has enough lighter scenes to balance it out. If you want to see a very interesting, funny, and well-acted movie, I really recommend watching "Benny & Joon".

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Movie Review-Annie Hall

Title-"Annie Hall"

Rating- PG-13

Director-Woody Allen

Actors-Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Carol Kane, Janet Margolin

Genre-Romantic Comedy

Year-1977



"Annie Hall" is a hilarious movie as well as a cute romantic story. It is about a neurotic, twice-divorced comedian named Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) who falls in love with a free-spirited nightclub singer named Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). There are complete opposites and most of the movie is about their on again-off again relationship. The movie is told out of sequence, with scenes of Alvy talking directly to the camera, and flashbacks of the relationship. There are also very funny parts where Woody Allen plays around with the movie, including a hilarious scene which shows an adult Alvy back in his first grade classroom, making comments about his classmates and himself when he was young. Other scenes in the movie show bits of Alvy's relationships with his ex-wives, Alison (Carol Kane) and Robin (Janet Margolin). This helps to get a better understanding of his character. Annie Hall is one of the funniest and best-written movies I've seen. It has many classic scenes and lines, as well as great performances by Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. I really recommend watching "Annie Hall".

Monday, February 6, 2012

Valentine's Day-Themed Movie Reviews: (500) Days Of Summer

Since Valentine's Day is coming up soon, I thought I would post some reviews I've written of some romantic-themed movies that I really liked. I'll post a new review every day until February 14th.




Title-(500) Days Of Summer

Rating- PG-13

Director-Marc Webb

Actors-Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz

Genre-Comedy/Romance/Drama

Year-2009


I loved "(500) Days Of Summer". It is very rare to see an entertaining, smart, funny, and romantic movie that does not easily fall into the "romantic comedy" genre. "(500) Days Of Summer" is a about a greeting card writer named Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an optimist who believes in true love. One day, Tom meet Summer (Zooey Deschanel), who is a new employee, and immediately falls for her. Unlike Tom, Summer thinks true love is a myth. Tom and Summer become friends, which then turns into an unconventional romantic relationship. "(500) Days Of Summer" skips around through Tom and Summer's entire relationship, equally showing good and bad points in it. Throughout his relationship with Summer, Tom gets advice from his best friend McKenzie (Geoffrey Arend) and wise little sister Rachel (Chloe Moretz). "(500) Days Of Summer" is a great movie and I really recommend watching it.