Saturday, October 29, 2011

2001: A Space Odyssey

It took me way to long to finally sit down and watch this movie. I am a huge Kubrick fan loving his films, "A Clockwork Orange", "Paths Of Glory", and "The Shining." This movie trumps all of his others. I watched it once when I was ten years old on videocassette and I turned it off before anyone had even spoken in the movie at all, for the fear I would literally die of boredom. This time I had a totally different experience. I think I delayed watching it because of my first impression of it from when I was young and the knowledge that some critics share my small minded opinion from back then. I think that I can confidently declare that this is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen. The entire picture just hits you and it is very surreal. It really got me on, I guess, a spiritual level. The movie is hard to understand, I still do not fully understand it but that is not the point. My yearning to read about it and get it more just ends with me appreciating it on a higher level. While watching this I found myself completely taken. I completely forgot about all the other things in my life and was just involved in this movie. It is like a beautiful, magnificent painting or an incredible symphony that just entrances you. It isn't really about the story however, the story that is there is incredible and packed with symbolism just waiting to be uncovered. There is so much more to this movie then meets the eye but what does meet the eye is also really awesome. This movie came out nine years before the original "Star Wars." I repeat, NINE YEARS! The special effects are way ahead of its time and are done with much more tranquil-ant beauty then any other Sci-Fi flick that I have seen. This movie has the emotional power that this years, "The Tree of Life" was searching for, or trying to mimic. The effects and cinematography are absolutely astounding and literally breathtaking. I have never had an experience like this while watching a movie, it is just so unique. The film also breaks the rules. There are long hiatuses with absolutely no dialogue. There is actually no speaking until 25 minutes of the movie has already passed. You would think that you would get extremely bored but for some reason you do not. It is like examining many paintings in a museum but even better, it feels real. I could go on for forever about this movie. You will probably watch it and respond with, "What the heck is with the ending." I can't even fully explain it. I would try but I fear I would mess it up. You have to watch and experience it yourself and then read about it and try and understand it more. The movie is a phenomenon that has inspired multiple science fiction films, like 2009's "Moon," and ir will continue to do so. It completely took my breath away and I strongly recommend anyone and everyone to watch it if they think they are ready for it and if they commit to try and research and understand it afterwards. I also recommend that if you can, to watch this movie on blu-ray disc. For this film it makes almost all the difference in the world. This film puts Stanley Kubrick on a whole other level for me then what he was before even though I am obsessed also with "A Clockwork Orange" and could go on about that film, as well. I did not think that this movie could possibly be better, but it is. They both have incredibly high spots on my Top 100 List with "Clockwork" at number 22 and "2001" at 18. Prepare to be taken away by a film full of wonderment and a strange form of almost moveless excitement.

5 out of 5 Stars....Obviously

Cabaret

For some strange reason I kept delaying watching this movie. It has been sitting next to my bed to watch and for some reason it has never been the one I picked. It became a movie that I just need to watch because of all of its critical acclaim and I need to see it before I can officially publish my forever changing Top 100 List. Tis movie did earn a spot. It really is an amazing and sad musical. I find it weird calling it a musical because it does not feel like one. There is this great story about two people, in love that just can't get it all worked out. This story is broken in between with musical numbers at the Cabaret Liza Minnelli works at. All the numbers however, have to do with what is going on in her life and the story. The movie captures you with the performances and takes you to 30s Germany in the becoming of the Nazi party. This creates even more issues with what is going on. The numbers are great, the singing fantastic, the performances outstanding all around, astounding editing, and pure style from director Bob Fosse. This movie makes me think less of Chicago because of some similarities but the are both great musicals. I loved this movie you should definitely watch it. Despite its PG rating it is pretty mature so that is just a forewarning. The movie is currently number 75 on my Top 100 List but it could go up or down. If you enjoy musicals, especially classic ones you will love "Cabaret."

5 out of 5 Stars

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Unfaithful

I absolutely loved this movie. The direction, the performances is all perfect. I was engrossed right when the movie opened with the reality of the subject. The casual suburban life that most of us live. The movie is about a woman who appears to be completely happy with her husband and child but something is missing. She yearns for some kind of adventure, I think. Diane Lane is fantastic in this movie and got an Academy Award nomination for her performance. She completely embodies her character. You will particularly notice her most talked about scene as she takes a train home after her first act of unfaithfulness. It was all done in just one take and then edited afterwards. The movie is full of style and sexiness all coming from director, Adrian Lyne who is famous for his movies about sexually charged characters and affairs. This is the first movie I have seen from him and I plan on seeing his other acclaimed films "Fatal Attraction" and "Flashdance." This movie just feels so real and really focuses on all the casual things that happen in life and how things would be different if just one thing did not happen. Towards the end the movie heads off in a different direction, how much will you fight for what you truly love. Richard Gere is also a standout in this movie. He could have been nominated also by just the silent look in his face. It is rare to find movies like this that seem so real, and the ending is perfect.

5 out of 5 Stars

Moneyball

This here is definitely an Academy Award contender. We have a true story, starring Academy favorite Brad Pitt, the director being Bennett Miller (Capote), and an awesome script from Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Aaron wrote the script for last years winner, "The Social Network" and Steven wrote some great scripts also including; "American Gangster," "Gangs of New York," and the best one being "Schindler's List," which appears on my Top 100 List. "Moneyball" is the true story of how baseball completely changed. The strategy involved with picking players to win. If you are a baseball fan you will love this movie. Most of the people in the theater were elderly men. I am not a baseball fan, I find it boring to watch, however this movie still captured me. I would be astonished if the movie did not get some Academy Awards attention and all the critics seem to love it. Pitt, does fantastic as does Jonah Hill in his first real dramatic turn. Maybe we will see some campaigning for him in the "Best Supporting Actor" category. I liked this movie a lot but I was not in love with it. There is nothing totally special about it versus other sports movies. It does have some emotional impact in it amongst all the logistics. It is also quite funny at times, thanks to the well written script and the great actors. It's a good watch for moviegoers and if you are a baseball fan it is probably one of the best baseball films you will see.


4 out of 5 Stars

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Top 10 of 2010

Here I will post the Top 10 Movies of The 2010 year. It was a great year for movies. Now, I admit I did not see every single film from this year but I do believe I have seen enough to post this list. If there are any movies you think I have missed please comment and tell me to watch something you think should have made the cut. Two movies I have not yet seen from 2010 are "I Am Love" and "Somewhere" which I intend to watch soon and see if they make this list.


1. Inception
An absolutely mind bending, awesome film that I have watched multiple times and will continue to watch over and over again. One of the most ingenious films ever made and will be talked about for and debated over for decades to come.

2. Animal Kingdom
The best crime thriller of the year about a boy being stuck in the life of crime by his family. An emotional and impacting drama that will remain with you long after the end credits. How far will people go, to survive?

3. Blue Valentine
The best love story of the year about a relationship in the present and how it once was four years ago. Amazing performances from Gosling and Williams. Will leave you crying afterwards.

4. The Social Network
By far, the most critically acclaimed film of the year. It has been described as a movie that defines and "sums-up" the decade. David Fincher's film will take you through the story of the creation of Facebook. One of the most used things on the internet and something that has changed the way we live.

5. The Kings Speech
Definitely an Oscar prepped film but hey, it worked. An emotional story about a king with a stutter. He is needed to unite his country in their troubled time. Fantastic acting and a great story.

6. Black Swan
An intense, addicting, and smart thriller. The symbolism, acting, and art all combined together perfectly by Darren Aronofsky leaving you at the edge of your seat.

7. The Town
Similar to "Heat" but a great revamp of it. Awesome acting and directing from Ben Affleck. Twists and turns and just pure intensity. The most fun you'll have with a movie in 2010.

8. The Fighter
What  makes this great is the acting. Every supporting actor gives their absolute best. "F-word" after "F-word" after "F-word" but still a funny and emotionally touching story.

9. 127 Hours
Danny Boyle comes out with another great film loaded with a powerful performance from James Franco.
Never has a movie been so intense whilst only taking place at one single spot.

10. Kick-Ass
An absolutely fantastic and fun film. You care about the characters and you love them. A comedic masterpiece and just raunchy fun. Probably, the best super-hero flick I have ever seen.



I hope this list helps when looking back at the 2010 year to see what you missed.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Taking Lives

This movie is yet another film that I purchased from FYE, not expecting too much from it but, it does star sexy and promising, Angelina Jolie and has a "Two Thumbs Up" quote on the front. The script is absolutely awful and when I say script I specifically refer to the dialogue. I quote, "This sucks! This totally sucks!" This quote should be the tag-line for the entire picture. The acting is not the worst acting in the world but it is pretty bad. Ethan Hawk plays a slightly abnormal version of his usual character and does poorly, The only person without bad acting is Jolie. She is the only one capable of taking the horrid script and making it somewhat realistic. She does "okay" just not awful like everyone else. The worst performance in the film is from Gena Rowlands. You will recognize her from other below average movies like "The Skeleton Key" and some better films like her performance as the aging Allie in "The Notebook." In this movie her dialogue is the absolute worst and is super cheesy. She just cannot pull it off. The movie still is somewhat intense. Despite all of this Angelina Jolie is still super hot. There are two main twists at the end that you can see coming from a mile away but it is still somewhat enjoyable. I would say the most well done scene in the movie would be the Opening Credits sequence which is unique and different. After this the movie just goes down hill. If you want to watch a Jolie film watch something better, "Beowulf," "Changeling," and "Salt" are all better options. "Changeling" being a deeper drama and the other two being more entertaining flicks.

2 out of 5 Stars

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Rachel Getting Married

This movie really is a great character study. It is unlike all the other Jonathan Demme films that I have seen and probably ranks with his best work but still not even close to "The Silence of the Lambs. This movie is about a very different kind of girl just like her unique name, Kym. She is just getting out of rehab to attend her sister Rachel's wedding. Let the awkwardness, the memories, the anger, the saddness begin. You can kind of see what sort of movie this is just by reading the general description. What makes this movie special is not the directing or the acting from the supporting characters although it is all good. This movie is all Anne Hathaway. The movie opens just with a close up of her face and your first reaction is "Oh my gosh, that is the really nice girl we all know from "Ella Enchanted" and "Princess Diaries." Why is she smoking a cigarrette. Right after your first initial shock is over, you completely forget all of Anne Hathaways's past "kiddie" roles and become completely immersed and mesmerized by Kym. Anne Hathaway is Kym, she is not playing Kym she has literally become her and embodied her character. That is what makes this movie good. I can see this film being somewhat difficult to watch if they are parents, especially to parents with children struggling with drug addictions. This movie really gets right to your emotions and the acting is phenomenal by of coarse Anne and also Rosemarie DeWitt, Debra Winger, and the best supporting cast member Bill Irwin who does a fantastic job as Kym and Rachel's father. Most people who see this film will admit it is well made but will not enjoy it. This is not a very fun subject matter and there are parts to this film that could really make you cry. The film is also not perfect. It falls into that trap most independent films fall into where it is so much about emotion and the acting that they think they can get away with long story lulls or in this case almost halts. Some movies it works, this one not really. The film is definitely worth seeing just for Hathaway's performance which got her recognition with an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress. Out of 5 stars Hathaway is a 5, but the movie itself does not do as well.

3 out of 5 Stars

Monday, October 17, 2011

Out of Sight


I saw this movie while shopping at FYE for a decent price. It's cover had a gun on the front with a Roger Ebert quote saying it was one of the best movies of the year. The movie is also packing an awesome cast including George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Albert Brooks, and a Sam L Jackson cameo. The movie also has a great director, Steven Soderbergh, who has directed multiple critically acclaimed films including "Erin Brockovich," "Contagion," and his by far best film "Traffic" which is on my Top 100 Movies of All Time List that I will be posting soon. This movie sounds like its got the goods. It also has been put on lists for being one of the sexiest movies ever made. Yes, there are two great, well written, hot scenes where Clooney and J. Lo flirt, but the movie is ultimately boring. The humor falls flat and there are huge story lulls. I stopped caring towards the end of the film to the point where I was just reading about all of Lopez's past relationships with Ben Affleck and Sean Colmbs on Wikipedia on my iPod. That is a lot more interesting then this movie. The main plot is that a bank robber falls in love with a federal agent. We have seen this thing before and it is not done well here. There are no problems with the acting and everyone just does fine but that is it, just fine. There is next to no action so my recommendation is just to simply watch something else.

1.5 out of 5 Stars

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Something's Gotta Give

This Nancy Meyers comedy is fun and sweet. Jack Nicholson comes in doing his usual thing and Diane Keaton gets an Oscar nomination for her chronic comedic crying. The movie is about a well known, soon to be senior citizen, bachelor who only dates younger women under thirty. He is dating a beautiful woman and is invite to stay at her beach house but when things start to heat up the young woman's mother and sister arrive unexpectedly. Nicholson ends up staying a lot longer then he planned when he has a minor heart attack and is instructed to stay close by the hospital. He ends up falling in love, if you have not guessed already, with his girlfriends mother who is closer to his age, played by Diane Keaton. There are many funny moments in the film. It is well written and well made probably the best it could be. But its best is still not great. It is not a great movie. It is one of the better romantic comedies of its day but not in the ranking of my favorites. I like Nancy Meyers' more recent film "It's Complicated" starring Meryl Streep much more. This movie just does not have that much to offer. I was into the romance but not all that much and at the end credits I said to myself that was good but now only a few hours later I am having trouble remembering any signifficant scenes or funny moments. It is a good date movie geared towards women but men will enjoy it also. It is a light and fun popcorn flick that has some clever moments but I can not see myself really remembering this one far down the line. It does not really hold up to Nicholson's "As Good As It Gets." The movie is still fun. I do not think the nomination for Diane was well deserved but she is really a fantastic actress with an awesome career so I am not complaining about her nomination. Try and make your date opt for this film over some other crappy rom com.

3 out of 5 Stars

Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Tree Of Life

Okay so Terrence Malick is respected as being a great director all through Hollywood and this is his first film after a 6 year hiatus, his last film being The New World which is the story of Pocahontas. This movie centers around a family in the 50s. Brad Pitt and wife and their three children. As the plot is described on IMDB the elder son "witnesses the loss of innocence." This movie is very artsy and as my friend described it the first half hour feels like your watching National Geographic. Lots of plants, animals, galaxies, birth, and "life." I did not like this movie. It is like all of his other films with dreary long shots of people kind of just having feeling with no audible dialogue and lots of scenery some of it being absolutely amazing. However, it is like there is absolutely no plot. I guess it is supposed to be real moving and the struggles with family and life going on and death of a child but the movie is just boring. I did not care. The movie is 2hrs 15min and I was just waiting for it to end. I can not complain about the acting or bad script or things like that but their is just lack of story. It is all emotion and I really did not see any point to the movie at all. If you are a fan of Terrence Malick's other films you might like this one. I thought Badlands was a waste of time and that The Thin Red Line again like this film lacked point. There is some truly beautiful scenery here and cool shots but that is it. I feel like this is a movie critics give good reviews for because they know its artsy and they see the  directors style and they just pretend they like it because Terrence Malick has for some reason become an acclaimed director. I want to like his films because it seems like all the smart critics like his work but it is just plain boring. Watch something else.

2 out of 5 Stars

Friday, October 14, 2011

Drive

This movie is by far the best film to come out this year. Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan star in this extremely rare and unique film that is sort of about the quest for love and survival. The movie is very special in the way that it is made, I do not want to share the plot with you because I believe you should see this film knowing nothing about the story whatsoever when you go into it. There is a ton of awesome violent, but necessary action that contains some shock value. You must know that this really is not an action film or at least not like any one you have ever seen before. With all of the violence and gore that is in this film it still remains an art film and is at a slower pace. It will not be what you are expecting at all. Gosling gives a quiet and mesmerizing performance and Mulligan is stellar. This is the best performance of her entire career. As great as the acting is it is the awesome and special story, cinematography, and editing that keep you at the edge of your seat. There has never been such a great balance between artistry and just pure brutal action since, "A History Of Violence." This movie is even better then that. You care a lot more about the characters, it is short, sweet, and it hits you real hard. This is one of the best mainstream films to come out in a long while and with this never heard of before director, Nicolas Winding Refn coming out of nowhere displaying his talent for style and pure umph. I could sit right back down and watch this again. See this in theaters before it leaves. Drive will capture you with its performances and all around quality, and will stay in your mind long after you leave the theater.

5 out of 5 Stars

Thursday, October 13, 2011

The Help

I saw this movie this past summer with some friends of mine and we all enjoyed it. The book and film has caused some controversy because the book's main characters are African American maids and the author is white. So how could she know how "the help" felt. The movie also takes multiple shots at southern women. Some southerners believe they have been portrayed inaccurately but I do not think there is really any point to this. The film is a feel good movie with some real fine performances from Viola Davis, Emma Stone, and Octavia Spencer. The movie is full of heart and is very funny. It is not meant to be 100% historically accurate it is just a fun movie. I enjoyed the movie but thought it was a little overlong and did not need as much time as it took. Viola Davis is really what carries this movie, without her the movie would not be a success but she is fantastic and you feel all of her pain. Keep watch for a possible Oscar nomination for her.
3.5 out of 5 Stars

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Glengarry Glen Ross


Last night I watched this film which was originally a play written by the famous David Mamet which he also adapted for the screen. The movie is directed by James Foley who's other movie I recently reviewed, Perfect Stranger. This movie was a bit of a flop not breaking even with its budget and received some minor critical acclaim with Al Pacino being nominated for Best Supporting Actor and lots of praise for Jack Lemmon. The play and film was controversial for its frequent and vulgar language. The movie is about a group of real estate agents trying to fight for the big and important leads and for their jobs. If they are not in the two top sellers by I think it is the end of the week they will be fired. The movie takes place in only two days. The dialogue is very well written but I never really fully immersed into the film. While watching it I was extremely aware that it was originally done on stage and you can tell by the dialogue and set pieces. The film does not really take you completely away. The acting is fantastic all around, how can it not be when you have Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, and Alan Arkin all in the same movie. They must have all been eager to participate in Mamet's critically acclaimed play which won the pulitzer. If you like this kind of thing this movie is done well but it just was not what I would call fantastic. I want a movie to completely sweep me away in the performances and the story and this movie did not do that.

3 out of 5 Stars

Monday, October 10, 2011

My Soul To Take


This is supposed to be a horror film, but the only thing horrible about it is how awful the movie really is. To start the script and story completely SUCK!! I say that with emphasis this is not how high schoolers talk. I would know I am one. This is also not how high schoolers act. We don't go around talking about a revolution on the bully and we don't get punched and just take it and say that felt good. Most of us at least the ones I talk to do not threaten women unless they give us a blowjob. Again, this is a crappy Wes Craven movie. I don't even have enough time or patience to write a crappy two or three sentences on the senseless, stupid plot. A movie reall sucks when the plot is nonexistent. It sucks even more if you are sitting there praying that it was. In most crappy movies like this I find refuge in laughing at how stupid it is and at times I did that but this movie had to take another step at offending anyone who is a Christian by putting this stupid annoying girl in the film wandering around like an idiot mumbling Bible verses and telling people they are going to hell and that the end is near. I am a Christian we do not act like this. It was a cheap stab at Christianity and to make matters worse it wasn't even done well. If you want to make fun of Christians do it right and I will laugh but this was just idiotic. The twist at the end is utterly ridiculous but still manages to be completely predictable and the long intense fight scene at the end I found myself checking the time and updating facebook to try and make it go faster. If there is any smar or clever thing in this movie at all it would be at the end the large cuts and slices in the back of the lead actors shirt forming the shape of angel wings, the signifficance being how he is frequently reffered to as being innocent or angel like but this somewhat smart symbolism only goes with the deformed plot. If you like stupid, brainless, idiotic, dumb, offensive, not even intense but still stupidly and unrealisticly gory movies, this is one for you.

0 out of 5 Stars

It's Kind Of A Funny Story


A good comedy with a 500 Days of Summer cleverness to it. Zack Galifinakas is great and this new recoginizable actor, Keir Gilchrist seems promising and does a fantastic job. You will only recognize him now as the gay son from the Shotime series United States of Tara. The movie is about a High Schooler, Craig who checks himself into an adult psychiatric ward because of his recent increase in depression and suicidal thoughts. The movie goes chronologicaly through his week there along with flashbacks and narrations of his thoughts as he befriends an older patient there and meets a girl he likes. I love the message in this film. It is about appreciating life and being excited about it. Craig learns that he is really blessed and not the worst of in the world and finds pleasure and comfort in helping others. The movie really is cute adults, teens, and parents will all enjoy it. Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden are the people behind this movie. It is a different and much lighter tone then their previous film Half Nelson and I liked that film but I enjoyed this one much more and has a lot more replay value.

4 out of 5 Stars

Funny People


Another Judd Apatow comedy, director of your raunchy favorites Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin. I have yet to see an Apatow film that I have not liked. This one is not my favorite but I respect it for its significant difference from his other films that some fans may not like. The film stars Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen who become buds working in Comedy together. Sandler's character is a big famous comedien like he is in real life who discovers he has a rare disease, a kind of leukemia. He befriends Rogen's character who is an aspiring comedien and he opens for Sandler and writes jokes as Sandler tries to figure out his life. The movie is much more serious then the other Apatow films. It is a story of friendship like I Love You Man but this one is more serious. More actual arguing and real emotional drama but still not too deep. This film would also appeal to more then just guys laughing and having beers together but women would enjoy this film also, this one is less raunchy. The supporting cast is fantastic with Jonah Hill among others and it is just a real enjoyable movie. The main flaw is its overlength. When people say overlength I normally think well Gone With The Wind is 4 hours and it is one of the best movies ever made. Well yes this is true, I do not have a problem with how long a movie is as long as it keeps moving. This comedy runs close to 2 1/2 hours which is real long for a casual comedy. Knocked Up pushed the limit a bit also. They just have so many jokes that they want to keep in but they really should cut some. The movie moves pretty quickly and is very entertaining but the whole last hour of the movie is at Sandler's ex wife's house who was barely in the movie before and the whole tone and purpose of the movie changes and then the leads go through the typical lets fight and not be friends anymore so we can get back together in the end and we can close the movie that way. Oops I just ruined it but at the same time I didn't because anyone with half a brain will see it coming and that is not the point of the movie. It really is a lot of fun. I was laughing out loud even though I was alone while watching it. It has a good little ending that is about friendship and how important life is. If you liked Knocked Up you will probably like this.

4 out of 5 Stars

Shrink


Just got back from a short vacation visiting family in New Orleans, Louisiana where I stumbled upon with my Uncle Bob a Blockbuster with $2 DVDS and $4 Blu Rays. I left with ten more movies in my bag and have already watched most of them one of them being Shrink starring Kevin Spacey. This movie isn't really like American Beauty but you will definitely think of it when watching this. This movie is about a depressed man rather very famous shrink who is struggling in life with the recent death of his wife and starts to heal in a matter of ways by a pro bono case he has that is experiencing a similar situation. The movie is extremely well acted with many of those actors faces you recognize but cannot place a name, excluding Spacey and Robin Williams. The story centers all around the greed of Hollywoond and these people who would seem to have it all bu are still brutally unhappy. The film has its lulls as do most small independent films. I do love independent cinema but it seems recently that it has all been the same about depressed people using the same steadi-cam technique with lots of quiet moments and sadness. This movie does pretty well and you end up caring for most of the characters. It is not even close to being a bad movie but it is not that good either. There are some good things about it but it isn't a movie I left wanting to tell everyone to watch it. I bought this movie for two bucks and if its premise sounds interesting to you go ahead and buy it. Kevin does great as always in this Half Nelson like flick.

3 out of 5 Stars

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Warrior

Now to review something that has recently been released to theaters. First off I should say this is the best movie I have seen so far out of this 2011 year. Now, that being said I have not seen that much in theaters this year and generally end up seeing everything good from the year during Oscar season. "Warrior" was great starring some familiar faces; Tom Hardy from the great "Inception," my favorite film of 2010 and Joel Edgerton who happens to be in the Australian film "Animal Kingdom" which I had ranked my second best film of 2010. These two great actors combined with the amazing talents of Nick Nolte create a sports/fighting movie that is more family appropriate, hence its PG-13 rating, than other great fighting films such as "Raging Bull" and "The Fighter." This movie without as much language still keeps its gritty fighting content that it needs to be impacting. The story:  two brothers end up having to face each other in the "superbowl" of mixed martial arts and you can not as a member of the audience pick really who you want to win. The movie is great I encourage you to go see it. It is fun for pretty much everyone unless you cannot take this kind of sports violence. I enjoyed it more then 2010's "The Fighter" and look forward to see more from these two great young actors. This is an incredibly powerful movie and could only not touch you if you are missing a heart.

5 out of 5 Stars

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Perfect Stranger

Ok, I got this movie for free because a friend of mine had two copies of it. He is not into movies nearly as much as I am and I gave him a life changing experience by showing him Pulp Fiction in his own movie theater in his basement. I took Perfect Strangers home with me and watched it that night. It stars Bruce Willis, Halle Berry, and that annoying nerdy guy in Avatar who is the bad anti-green government character. Halle Berry is normally a great actress but she has her ups and downs. Up being "Monster's Ball" and a down being "Catwoman." This movie is not that good but it is pretty intense and not so bad and stupid to the point you want to turn it off. The best time to watch this movie would be with a group of friends that like intense movies but are not really movie watchers. They will enjoy a crappy movie like "One Missed Call" and "Battle Los Angeles" and they will go to you and say that "Raging Bull" was boring and they thought "The Godfather" was overacted. This movie is like the mediator. It is stupid so your dumb friends will like it but you won't be gauging your eyes out during it. I am making this movie sound really bad but it really isn't. The acting is average and the script fake, however it has a great twist o one will guess and Halle Berry is super sexy. So watch it when a bunch of guys are over just looking to relax and have fun. If you see it at a movie store for 4 bucks or less it is a pretty good buy.

2.5 out of 5 Stars

Monday, October 3, 2011

My First Review, Julia

I was at blockbuster the other day and was lucky enough to find a bin full of pretty recent DVDs that were on sale for only 2 dollars. Among the movies i bought was Julia starring Tilda Swinton. Most people know her from The Chronicles of Narnia movies and her foreign hit from 2010 I Am Love, which I have yet to see. Julia came out in 2008 not marketed very widely. It is a great feature especially for this new up and coming director Erick Zonca. The film shows that he has a lot to offer and has a great sense of style and a gift at keeping you on the edge of your seat. The film is about an older however, attractive woman who does not have much of a life. She is an alcoholic and she gets wasted every night and has meaningless one night stands with sometimes married men. She realizes in a rare moment of soberness that her life is going nowhere and decides to take an opportunity of a lifetime. I am going to stop there because although me continuing would not "ruin" the movie since this is all in the beginning it takes away some of the shock value and twisty turnyness of this movie that I like so much. The movie works as a fantastic character study and an action film sort of with a "Taken" feel. It is better then Taken though. It takes these totally impossible situations and you believe them because of how well the movie is made. I loved this film however it is far from being a perfect film. Miss Swinton gives an amazing performance as does the supporting cast. The editing in the film is a standout as is the direction from Erick Zonca who I look foreword to seeing more films from in the future. Look for him at future Oscar ceremonies.

4 out of 5 Stars