Movies You Must See: pre 1960's

Just thought I'd start a list of must see movies. I guess I'll be updating and adding new lists as I go. Lots of genres for that! If you see something on the list that you haven't seen before, watch it and then let me know what you think! I'd love to hear other people's opinions about them. I must admit, I only included ones that I've seen and love. If there are movies I don't like, but I know they are valuable as far as the art form goes, I will recommend it. So, here are the pre-60s flicks that I've seen and would recommend to anyone! Enjoy!!

1) Gone With the Wind
2) The Scarlet Pimpernell
3) Rear Window
4) Singin' In the Rain
5) Some Like It Hot
6) Casablanca
7) The Great Dictator
8) Notorious
9) La belle et la bete (The Beauty and the Beast)
10) His Girl Friday
11) M
12) It Happened One Night

Green Zone

Title: Green Zone
Director: Paul Greengrass
Actors: Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson

This movie isn't about the characters or the action. It's about a question. Why did we go to war? The movie attempts to answer that and it is an angering answer. But what is one to do? The real answer may never be known.

You know a movie is good when it makes you feel something. Something other than, "Well, that was fun." I have some bones to pick about this particular movie, but I must admit that it made me feel, even if it wasn't the kind of feeling I was expecting.

To start off with I was expecting "I Can't Believe It's Not Bourne." Far from it. Here we have a main character that is chasing WMD's in Iraq, realizes the intel provided is wrong, and wants to do something about it. He discovers the truth of the situation in the end. At least the screenwriters version of the truth. Does it piss me off? Yes. Does it make Americans out to be bad guys. Yes. And that is why it pisses me off.

I'm sitting here trying to articulate how I feel about the whole situation. It's a difficult task. But to think that a movie has stirred this reaction in me, is something indeed.

Alright, I'm moving off the topic of the Iraq war and the politics involved and moving on to the movie itself.

I hated the camera work. It was soooo damn bouncy that at times you couldn't tell what was going on. At those times I would think, "Why even bother to have something on the screen at all if you can't even tell if that's a human or a lamppost?"

The action was good. Lots of running,and gun battles.

The plot is what made this movie worth watching, despite the headache inducing camera work. The sole purpose of this movie: discover where the WMD's are. When Miller realizes they're on a wild goose chase he asks the obvious. He's shut down by his superiors and recruited by another division led by Gleeson. The film takes us through the war from a soldiers point of view on the ground and then juxtaposes it with the politicians. The latter are so far removed from the reality that their decision making comes off as questionable at best and blatantly manipulative and evil at worst. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. You discover the rest of it as the plot progresses.

What I really like about this movie is it's seeming simplicity. It has one question. The main character sets out to answer that question and correct the problem. There are no sub plots or back alley deals to get lost in. Straight forward is the phrase I'm looking for. You don't usually come across a politically motivated movie like this that's so straight forward and it is refreshing. It was easy to follow and I greatly appreciated that. Had it been more complex I would have lost interest and called it a dud.

Matt Damon turned in another good performance. Nothing too original or difficult to portray. He did a good job with his character. But, and I know I'm repeating myself here, the plot/question of the film really was the main character. Damon was merely a supporting player, facilitating the simple progression and importance of the story.

All in all: decent movie. The plot is the star of the show and the director knew it, kept things simple and easy to follow. The camera work annoyed me to no end, but honestly, you don't have to stare at the screen to know what's going on. Recommended.

The Crazies

Ok, I know I promised a review of The Crazies over a week ago. I've been a little distracted with family matters, plus I wanted to give myself time to digest the movie and write a good review. I realized today that I can't do that. I'm just too darn biased. First of all, there's this:

I mean, seriously now. I'm in love with the dude! So, of course I'm going to spend the whole movie drooling over his cuteness, and thinking about what a good job he's doing. And there goes *that* critique.

Plus, I think it's pretty well known my love for zombie/epidemic type movies. I have a hard time disliking anything with the living dead. And there goes *that* critique!

I will say this though: as horror/thrillers go, this one's good. I do recall jumping and squealing a number of times. Now that I've got some distance between me and my initial excitement a few things have started bugging me. To be honest, when I think about it, there were a few holes in the "disease". Like how it spread, it's progression and symptoms and stuff like that. Maybe I was so focused on Timothy Olyphant's non-existent hips (the boy *does* need to eat a burger or 10) that I missed some details. But, I don't really care cause.... it's Timothy Olyphant and zombies and horror and I'm still buying it when it comes out on DVD. I might even go see it again on the big screen. Can't go wrong with a twenty foot head shot of Timothy Olyphant!

All in all: I loved it. But then again, I was pretty much guaranteed to love it! If you're into horror/thrillers then this will be perfect. If that's not your genre, then you really won't like it.

Scary Good Movies

I just got back from The Crazies (review forthcoming) and I am in the mood for horror! So, I thought I'd post some of my favorite movies from that genre. Let me know if you agree, disagree, or have movies to add!

Paranormal
28 Days Later*
Alien (series)*
Quarantine*
Scream
I Know What You Did Last Summer
30 Days of Night*
American Psycho
Blade
The Amityville Horror
House on Haunted Hill*
The Ring
Ghost Ship
Resident Evil*
Dawn of the Dead
The Descent*
Black Christmas
Haunting in Connecticut
The Mist
Drag Me To Hell
Cloverfield
The Hills Have Eyes
Shaun of the Dead*
The Ruins*
*personal faves

Shutter Island

Title: Shutter Island
Director: Martin Scorsese
Actors: Leondardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams

This movie had a lot of hype surrounding it, at least in my neck of the woods. Lots of people were anticipating its release, reading the book, talking about the director and the actors. Then the release was delayed. I didn't really notice or care because, honestly, it didn't appeal to me. I'm not a Scorsese fan and, while DiCaprio is definitely on my legendary actors list, I haven't really liked anything he's been in for nearly a decade. I thought that the movie had come and gone through theater's without my noticing, that's how non-interested I was in it.

So, last Friday I went to the movies, desperate to get out. I didn't really know what I was going to see. I thought about going to Wolfman, despite my gut reaction that it was going to blow majorly. I asked the guy at the box office and he said to not bother because it was worse than Legion. And that's saying something. Legion had to be the worst movie I've seen in a *very* long time. Awful stuff. So, I said, "What the hell! I'll go see Shutter Island. Can't be worse than either of those two bombs."

It was better than Legion by a long shot. Of course, watching my dog trying to find a place to poo is cinematically more interesting than Legion.

But, Shutter Island had plenty of faults. It felt long to me. I know I made plenty of impatient sighs while waiting for *something* to happen. Kinda felt like running in circles. DiCaprio and Ruffalo asked questions and got the run around from the staff, making me wonder why they would even call for help if they weren't going to cooperate. I couldn't figure out the point. To make matters worse, DiCaprio kept having nightmares and hallucinations making me think he wasn't cut out for his job. I honestly didn't really feel anything for his character until the very end.

The ending is where all the good stuff was. The ending had the stellar acting, the best storytelling, and, to me, was the most beautifully filmed. Scorsese had lots of artistic shots in the film, but they didn't add anything to the story. They felt off and, dare I say, gratuitous. Artsy for artsy's sake? Pretty much. But the end... Simple and beautiful. I wish the whole movie had had that feel to it. Actually, to tell the truth, the last 20 minutes or so of the film were enough to tell the whole story. So, felt kind of wasted.

I didn't love the whole movie, but I definitely loved the ending. I'd almost say that the ending was worth the wait. Almost. Don't think I'd wade through the whole thing again, but when it comes out on DVD I might rent it and just watch the last 20 minutes or so.

All in all: I can't really recommend it, but I also can't dismiss it. Its totally up to you and whether or not you're a fan of the director, actors, or book. Just know if go to see it, you might get a little bored waiting for the goods.

Obsessed

Title: Obsessed
Director: Steve Shill
Actors: Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter

This is a good movie. Not because of anything extraordinary, like action sequences or drama. It's a good movie because it's accessible. It could happen to you. Ever experience an overzealous co-worker, or acquaintance? Yeah, kinda like that.

This is a classic three act play.

Act 1: We meet the principal players. We get to know them and like them, or dislike them as the case may be. Everything is idillic. Happy family, good friends, great job, nice home. Then we meet the game changer. Lisa, played by Ali Larter, starts off as a love sick temp. She gets intense real quick. And poor Derek, the object of her affection, played by Idris Elba. He doesn't stand a chance. He's embarrassed, outraged and more than a little worried. I mean, the girl could claim he harassed her and, let's face it, the system is set up to protect women. He's afraid if he complains, it will backfire and he'll lose everything. So he keeps fairly quiet.

Act 2: The obsession becomes public. Or, as Lisa would like to say, "The affair becomes public." She drops in unexpectedly, making another play for Derek. He's shocked, angry, and definitely scared (but in a manly way). At one point she claims to be his wife and he somewhat violently rebuffs her. He later finds her in his bed, overdosed on a prescription in an attempt to commit suicide. The police become involved. And so does his wife, Sharon, played by Beyonce. This act culminates in a frustrating scene in the home, after an interview with the police. Sharon is *so* not happy.

Act 3: Things are getting back to normal. Lisa was taken away by her sister, now all that's left is for the family to come back together. They're working on it, and it's going well. What spurs on the mending is a common enemy, Lisa. She returns and scares the shit out of everyone. Seriously, who knows what a crazy, delusional person will do.

This is pretty much everyone's worst nightmare. A crazy, delusional person, who believes, with all their heart that something is true. Don't try to reason with someone like that cause it just won't work.

The suspense was well done, although I think it was mostly created by the creepy, suspenseful music. I mean, they took seriously mundane things and tried to make it a suspense moment. For example, Derek gets into the office, he pulls out his chair, sits down and clicks his mouse. I honestly don't even remember what his facial expressions were like because I was listening to the creepy music thinking, "Hmm, I guess they had some extra 'suspense music' to use up." Minor thing.

The action in the final scene was well done. The fight choreography was exceptional. It felt real, like an actual fight. No fancy moves, no super human strength or resilliance. If there was a hit, there was blood and bruising and stumbling and loss of breath. When they fell down the stairs it took them a moment to get themselves back together before they started back up again. Like they were human and they'd been hurt. Believable is what I'm trying to say I guess.

Ali Larter did a superb job as the mental girl Lisa. She's scary and pitiful and hateful all at the same time. Plus, she has awesome hair!

Beyonce also did an excellent job, which was somewhat surprising. I know she got tons of accolades for her performance in Dreamgirls, but to be honest, I didn't think it was *that* good. She did ok, in my estimation. Her performance here, as Sharon, was better by far. Maybe she's taken some acting classes, maybe it was the direction. Who knows. But she totally stole the show in the final act. Totally believable. And she had some great lines to work with, too. "Imma wipe the floor with your skinny white butt!" I laughed and cheered mentally.

I have to say that while the whole situation was totally believable, I was frustrated as a viewer. Which, I guess, says something good about the director and the movie in general. I cared enough to get frustrated, but not so much so that I gave up. I was frustrated because of the lack of communication. That always seems to be the critical thing in plots. A simple lack of communication keeps the plot going in some movies, which I feel makes them totally pointless. In this movie it did play a somewhat important part. It added drama and tension between Derek and Sharon. Could it have worked without it? Yes. But it would have been a much shorter film.

All in all: very good movie! Highly recommended. Suspense was great, acting was great, action was great. Plus you learn a valuable lesson: COMMUNICATE!!!

Until next time!

Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief

Title: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Director: Chris Columbus
Primary Actors: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario
Supporting Actors: Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Rosario Dawson, Uma Thurman

Well, let's start off by saying that Percy Jackson is a kids movie. The acting was geared towards kids, which means that at times it was a little overdone. Kind of annoying. But, I remind myself that it's a kid's movie and I move on.

As my parents pointed out, the attention to detail was amazing. The sets, costumes, and CG were excellent. Every costume fit the character perfectly. Persephone, played by Rosario Dawson, was done up in Gothic rockstar-wife style. A cute little bustier top with a short bustle skirt and train, chipped nail-polish, elegant messy bed-head hair. Medusa, played by Uma Thurman, was in black leather. A trench with a high collar and lacing up the back, serious nails and a nasty case of bad-hair-day.

I must admit that Uma's part irked me the most. This is the one that was *way* overacted. Uma flailed around as though her character was blind when it was made clear that she wasn't. Her head bobbed and weaved, her eyes were those lunatic large kind of eyes. She felt more like a parody. Even the minor characters had some depth to them, but poor Medusa was flat, fake, and annoying. I was glad when her scene ended, it was that painful.

Another problem I had was the satyr, played by Brandon T. Jackson. Now, the actor did a great job with what he was given. I think my problem on this count was with the director. He turned the character into a stereotypical token black kid. That annoyed me. Although, at certain times the character did act like what you would expect a satyr to act like, so that was ok. But come on. Aren't we past the stupid stereotypes yet?

The action in the movie was good. The fights were interesting, and again, the CG monsters were incredible!

I think what I like most about this movie, and in fact the books, is that the target audience learns something. And not just in the sense of morals. They learn classic Greek myths. I think that's pretty cool because in a class room, who would say that reading a bunch dry, boring ancient stories was fun? But this movie really brings the ancient myths to life, sparking the curiosity and imagination of the kids who watch it.

One final note. Mr. Columbus, this is a kids movie. Lay off the political propaganda. The economy joke at the River Styx was funny, I grant you. But come on. Kids aren't going to get political references and adults want an escape. That's the purpose of the movies, especially a kids movie.

So, all in all: It depends. If you're not into kids/teens movies, then skip this one or wait for it on DVD. If you have kids, are a kid, or just like that category in general, then I recommend it. It's fun, exciting, slightly educational and, if nothing else, the special effects and costumes are worth a look.

Until next time!

From Paris With Love

Title: From Paris With Love
Director: Pierre Morel
Principle Actors: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, John Travolta

Is this your stereotypical not-by-the-book spy film? Yes and no. Travolta plays the stereotype , Charlie Wax, perfected by Dirty Harry himself, Clint Eastwood. Travolta does it better (I think, since I actually liked the character). What's different about it though is the perspective the director decided to film it from. That's where Rhys Meyers character, James Reece, comes in. He's a fledgling agent, doing little chores for the real agents. He's basically a go-fer. Poor Reece. He finally gets his promotion when Wax comes to town, needing a partner familiar with Paris. Hi-jinx ensue. There's a high body count, explosions, car chases, gun battles, and plot twists. Good times.

I loved the car chase. I also loved the anonymous agent that drove in that particular scene. He played it calm, cool, collected and even had a sense of humor. It was like he was used to dodging in and out of traffic at high speeds with a crazy guy hanging out his passenger window, shouting directions at him. Unfortunately I can't find him listed on the movies page at IMDB.com so I can't even give him proper kudos. However, kudos to you anonymous driver guy.

Onto the acting!



Need I say how awesome Mr. Travolta was? I didn't think so. His badassness was the coolest, funnest, most unpredictable badassness I've seen in a while. I loved his character. He was tough, didn't play by the rules (obviously), was a jackass at times, but he took care of his partner (in a subtle, funny kind of way). He wasn't just another two dimensional stereotype.




Now, I know this picture isn't from this particular movie, but seriously? How could I pass that one up? *shivershivershiver* No shirtless scenes in this movie *sadface*. Rhys Meyers plays a goody goody wanting to get promoted and be a real field agent. He takes it seriously, wanting to follow the rules. But again, his character isn't two dimensional. He learns as he goes through the film. It's fun watching that growth because it's surprising. I'm just not used to seeing character development in an action flick. Meyers does an credible job with the character, although there were a few times where he felt stiff and uncomfortable with his lines. It felt like it was because of the American accent, but it would take a second (or third or fourth) viewing to be sure. Not that I mind *winkwink*.

All in all it is a great action flick. Everything you'd expect and then some. Highly recommended. I know I'll be buying it when it comes out on DVD.

St. Trinian's

Director: Oliver Parker
Actors: Talulah Riley, Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Gemma Arterton

Random British movie! Thank heaven it made it's way to the states cause, honestly, my life is now complete. This movie is flippin awesome! I laughed so hard and so loud I think I woke my neighbors up. It was hysterically funny. I just can't say enough about the comedy.

Let me start with what I think made the movie more than just another misfit girl romp. Rupert Everett and Colin Firth. Rupert played two roles, one of them in drag. That in itself was jaw dropping. Although, the man does have a body that is unmistakably male. So, even though he had a fake nose, wig and boobs it was sometimes hard to remember that the character was actually a woman and not supposed to be a man in drag. I think that may be my only complaint. But I must admit that that obviously male body added a certain... comedic turn.... for certain scenes... with Colin Firth.

Colin Firth. Ah, my Colin Firth. He is so fantastic. And yet I think he's so under appreciated. He truly is a *great* actor. I once saw an article about him in a magazine (Entertainment Weekly perhaps?) where they asked him to portray certain characters in photographs. He did a washed up boxer thats taken one too many hits among others, but he was able to perfectly capture the essence of each mini-character with just a subtly different expression and body language. In a photograph. No words. That's how talented he is. And if you think that's easy, I challenge you to try doing that; capturing a feeling or an age in one photo. Not so easy.
Anywho, Colin is a priceless actor. He played his role marvelously, hysterically, and with such seriousness. I don't think I can praise Mr. Firth high enough. He's just that good.

The girls of St. Trinian's were awesome as well. They were adorable in their stereotypes and enviable in their individual styles. They wrecked havoc and had a grand old time. While they got the most screen time, I felt that they played second fiddle to the relationship between Everett and Firth. For me that was definitely the best part of the film and what stood out the most.

All in all: a hilarious movie, definitely worth watching. Highly recommended.

When In Rome!

So, I saw this cute little film yesterday (Saturday, 1/29/10) and I have to admit I missed the first 5 minutes of it. Missing the set up kind of sucks cause later on some minor characters stepped in with some dialouge and I was left going, "Why do they get lines?" Anywho, let's get some basics out of the way before I really begin.



Title: When In Rome
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Principal Actors: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel
Noteworthy Supporting Actors: Anjelica Huston, Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard, and Danny DeVito

First off, surprise about Danny DeVito!!! Was *not* expecting him. But that's not really important. What is important, is how cute the movie was! Yes, it is your typical romantic comedy, but it didn't feel sappy. I guess you could say it leaned more heavily on the comedy than the romance. The romance was sweet and believable. The two main characters were, oddly enough, perfect for each other. Neither one was more polished or refined than the other. They were equals, which is nice to see for once.



The second surprise is actually a combined one for me. I was quite pleased with how funny both of the leads were! Duhamel was more of a physical comedian. He relied heavily on traditional slapstick. Kicking a waiters tray and frying the electricity at the wedding, running into poles, falling down holes, even getting hit by a car. His adorable klutziness and fear of lightning offset his intimidating good looks and made him far more likable and approachable for the average woman. So kudos to you Mr. Duhamel!



The second part of that was Ms. Bell. She hit it out of the park! Great comedic timing and wonderful facial expressions combined to give the audience a good chuckle even when there really wasn't anything going on. It wasn't all goofy expressions or cute lines though. Ms. Bell has acting chops. She pulled off the serious scenes very nicely. I can't quite picture her in an Oscar worthy role though. I think she's smart enough that she'll stick with the more marketable roles in films that have the broadest appeal. Can she pull off serious roles? Time will tell on that one, but if I were a betting girl I'd say that she's going to have a long, healthy career and make some big bucks along the way. I look forward to more of her work and can safely say that I'll spend the money to see them in theatres.

So, all in all: cute movie, very good comedy, good acting, sweet. Great for a date. Recommended!

Now Opening!

Hey there readers! Let me begin by introducing myself.

My name is Christine. I'm a college student, majoring in Anthropology, and I'm beginning my senior year. Between studying, work, animals, and classes I read and watch tv and movies. I love talking about them too. Problem is, no one really seems to share my enthusiasm. So, here I am and here you are. Here is where I will write my thoughts about movies and tv series and even occasionally a book. It's kind of an outlet for me to write and to think and maybe sometimes to rant. I don't know if anyone will read this, but hey, I'm entertaining myself, so I suppose that's worth something.

Anywho, here come some reviews! Hope they help and I hope you enjoy!