This was really well done! It was completely different than what I was expecting, but I still really liked it. I went in thinking that it was going to be a love story with the girl and the guy just kind of falling into one another while both being crazy. That's not exactly different than what actually happened, but it was done a little differently.
Bradley Cooper's character is bipolar and had a breakdown when he found his wife cheating on him. So, he is pretty crazy. Jennifer Lawrence's character is a little crazy/reckless since her husband died unexpectedly. They find each other and end up falling in love. However, it isn't as much accidental as I thought, and it was much more about their craziness as it was about their developing love story.
Both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence did a great job. I love them. Robert De Niro was also awesome. He played the neurotic, OCD father who is trying hard to make up for mistreating his son and passing along his craziness.
The movie kind of moves both slow and fast at any given time. For a while it moves hour by hour, then skips ahead a few weeks, then slows down again, and finally speeds up to get to the climactic ending. There are also a couple of flash-backs to explain Bradley Cooper's breakdown. So, it can be a little hard to follow as far as trying to figure out what happened when. It also takes about a quarter of the movie to get to the bottom of why Bradley Cooper had to go to a mental hospital in the first place.
I think this seemingly hodge-podge plot line is why my mom did not like this as much. However, I think it's part of why I liked it so much. It kept me riveted to figure out what everyone's issues were, who all the players were, and where exactly the story was going to go. In the end, it did end up being the story I expected, but getting there was completely different. The getting there is what makes this more than just a RomCom, which is why I liked it a lot. I went in for a cheesy romance movie and was surprised with a fascinating romance story.
In the end I give this an 8 out of 10. It was intriguing, entertaining, and left me with a good feeling.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Monday, December 3, 2012
Lawless
So, I know this came out earlier in the fall, and my reviews are generally reserved for movies in theaters, but I just watched it on Redbox, and it was awesome! I was really disappointed in this summer's movie selection, but the fall has definitely made up for it. The only problem? Law school, and no real job, get in the way of me going to see all the movies! Which is why I have to post delayed reviews of redboxed movies!
And, now that I have fully explained the seemingly late post, I just need to reiterate, this movie is great! You can hate on Shia LaBeouf all you want, but I think he has some talent. At least, he did in this movie. Now, some of his others, maybe not so great, and it might have been Tom Hardy and some others who truly carried the day, but you can't knock Shia's performance in Lawless. However, the accent did get a little annoying.
Speaking of the cast, let's just go through the big ones. Guy Pearce, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, and Gary Oldman. Guy Pearce was super creepy, had a very strange accent, and thankfully died in the end. Gary Oldman was a badass gangster, with a limited role, but excellent as always. And then there was Tom Hardy. The unsung star of the movie. I love him. He can be suave (like in This Means War), super creepy and evil (like in The Dark Knight Rises), simply a badass (like in Inception) somewhat of a combination of all three (like in Lawless). Not to mention, no matter how gruff he gets, he's still pretty damn hot! His only problem in this movie? He made the girl make the move.
But, enough about the cast, that's not really all that important. The movie itself was stellar. This movie is about moonshining in the 1930s in Virginia. This included a great plot, that kept moving in different directions. There was violence, intrigue, sex, love, politic-ing, historical accuracy, a good v. evil dynamic, a legend, and an all-around decent flow. My only complaint was in the end. The story was chugging (ha!) along and then seemed to all of a sudden hit a mini-climax that led to the the big climax and then it was done. There was no slow descent, it was simply done. (Yes, that is what she said). While that may be appropriate in some situations (see the previous joke), it is not appropriate for good stories. English 101, you story slowly reaches the climax and then is at least somewhat slowly resolved. It is not supposed to almost simultaneously climax and end.
That being said, the movie pulled it off. I wanted a little more story, but it still ended well. There was resolution, there was a change, and there was ending. I don't want to completely spoil things by saying whether it was a happy or a sad ending. I will simply leave it at an ending. :) Needless to say, go watch this movie!
In the end, I give this movie a 9.5 out of 10 (there was a LITTLE bit more substance than Pitch Perfect :) ). I really did enjoy this.
And, now that I have fully explained the seemingly late post, I just need to reiterate, this movie is great! You can hate on Shia LaBeouf all you want, but I think he has some talent. At least, he did in this movie. Now, some of his others, maybe not so great, and it might have been Tom Hardy and some others who truly carried the day, but you can't knock Shia's performance in Lawless. However, the accent did get a little annoying.
Speaking of the cast, let's just go through the big ones. Guy Pearce, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, and Gary Oldman. Guy Pearce was super creepy, had a very strange accent, and thankfully died in the end. Gary Oldman was a badass gangster, with a limited role, but excellent as always. And then there was Tom Hardy. The unsung star of the movie. I love him. He can be suave (like in This Means War), super creepy and evil (like in The Dark Knight Rises), simply a badass (like in Inception) somewhat of a combination of all three (like in Lawless). Not to mention, no matter how gruff he gets, he's still pretty damn hot! His only problem in this movie? He made the girl make the move.
But, enough about the cast, that's not really all that important. The movie itself was stellar. This movie is about moonshining in the 1930s in Virginia. This included a great plot, that kept moving in different directions. There was violence, intrigue, sex, love, politic-ing, historical accuracy, a good v. evil dynamic, a legend, and an all-around decent flow. My only complaint was in the end. The story was chugging (ha!) along and then seemed to all of a sudden hit a mini-climax that led to the the big climax and then it was done. There was no slow descent, it was simply done. (Yes, that is what she said). While that may be appropriate in some situations (see the previous joke), it is not appropriate for good stories. English 101, you story slowly reaches the climax and then is at least somewhat slowly resolved. It is not supposed to almost simultaneously climax and end.
That being said, the movie pulled it off. I wanted a little more story, but it still ended well. There was resolution, there was a change, and there was ending. I don't want to completely spoil things by saying whether it was a happy or a sad ending. I will simply leave it at an ending. :) Needless to say, go watch this movie!
In the end, I give this movie a 9.5 out of 10 (there was a LITTLE bit more substance than Pitch Perfect :) ). I really did enjoy this.
Skyfall
I love the Bond movies. I love them all, Casino Royal, Quantum of Solace, Tomorrow Never Dies, Goldeneye, Goldfinger, Live and Let Die, etc. So, I love new Bond and classic Bond almost equally. With that in mind, I really liked this movie. It really highlighted the differences between Daniel Craig's Bond, the new Bond, said it was sticking with the new Bond, and seemed to assuage the haters doubts about the new Bond all at the same time. Not to mention, Javier Bardem is simply amazing. He was certifiably and terrifyingly crazy, but soooo good!
The new Bond is somewhat less glamorous, in that he is more human (yes, he gets seriously tortured and takes time to recover), has fewer toys, and has real feelings, but he is still just as much of a suave badass as Sean Connery. That badassness is affirmed, or for some finally shown, in this movie. I think one of the best examples is in the previews, and the first few moments of the movie, when Daniel Craig is running along the top of the train, that the bad guy tries to separate to get rid of him, and he jumps off of a crane, into the train car just as the crane rips away half of the the train car, and acts as if he was just simply walking from one car into another as he continues chasing the bad guy. Crazy. However, I think these movies are better than other Bond movies in that not only is Daniel Craig still a badass, but there is also depth to his character.Yes, James Bond is the ultimate spy, but I like the fact that he can still be human, and gets attached, and he is just as good/bad of a shot as the people who are trying to shoot him (it's pretty ridiculous to watch some of the other movies where James Bond is constantly being shot at, is always missed, but HE happens to hit everyone he tries to shoot).
So, not only does this movie keep what I like about the new Bond, it also pays its respects to the old Bonds. There is a funny little quip from the new Q that they don't need the fancy-schmancy, over-the-top toys because that is just ridiculous. Daniel Craig brings out his Bond car, guns in the headlights and all. The love connection with Money Penny begins. Etc. I think these things are what takes the movie from good, like the first two Daniel Craig movies, into great. They are no longer developing/explaining Bond. He has suffered his trials and tribulations, and is now firmly rooted in both the past and future in a way that ensures Daniel Craig's continued presence in the series. This is good news, because he is beautiful. :)
So, in the end, I give his movie a 8 out of 10. It was enjoyable, and I want to go see it again. I think I'll like it more the more I watch it.
The new Bond is somewhat less glamorous, in that he is more human (yes, he gets seriously tortured and takes time to recover), has fewer toys, and has real feelings, but he is still just as much of a suave badass as Sean Connery. That badassness is affirmed, or for some finally shown, in this movie. I think one of the best examples is in the previews, and the first few moments of the movie, when Daniel Craig is running along the top of the train, that the bad guy tries to separate to get rid of him, and he jumps off of a crane, into the train car just as the crane rips away half of the the train car, and acts as if he was just simply walking from one car into another as he continues chasing the bad guy. Crazy. However, I think these movies are better than other Bond movies in that not only is Daniel Craig still a badass, but there is also depth to his character.Yes, James Bond is the ultimate spy, but I like the fact that he can still be human, and gets attached, and he is just as good/bad of a shot as the people who are trying to shoot him (it's pretty ridiculous to watch some of the other movies where James Bond is constantly being shot at, is always missed, but HE happens to hit everyone he tries to shoot).
So, not only does this movie keep what I like about the new Bond, it also pays its respects to the old Bonds. There is a funny little quip from the new Q that they don't need the fancy-schmancy, over-the-top toys because that is just ridiculous. Daniel Craig brings out his Bond car, guns in the headlights and all. The love connection with Money Penny begins. Etc. I think these things are what takes the movie from good, like the first two Daniel Craig movies, into great. They are no longer developing/explaining Bond. He has suffered his trials and tribulations, and is now firmly rooted in both the past and future in a way that ensures Daniel Craig's continued presence in the series. This is good news, because he is beautiful. :)
So, in the end, I give his movie a 8 out of 10. It was enjoyable, and I want to go see it again. I think I'll like it more the more I watch it.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2
So, I not only went ot see this movie the night it came out, but I also sat through almost an entire marathon of the first 4 movies. At one point I thought I was a fan, I have changed my mind. Apparently I am very good at skipping over things I don't like, so when I read the books (yes I will admit to that) I blocked out the utter annoyance that is Bella Swan and focused on the rest of the characters. In the book, they were good and I could do that. The movies are a completely different story. When I first sawa Twilight, I just thought the movie was terrible because of Kristen Stewart and because they messed up a lot of things in the book. However, after watching it again along with all the other movies, I have decided that my first impression was not wrong, but it was not complete either. These movies are crap, this story is crap, and Bella Swan (and Kristen Stewart) is the most annoying, pathetic, whinny character I have put up with.
That being said, Breaking Dawn, Part 2, was actually pretty decent. Bella was stronger, no longer pathetic, and actually had some feistiness. It also probably helped that she was not the focal point. There are so many new characters added in this segment that you get to forget the annoying original for a little bit. Garrett is super hot, Benjamin is pretty cute too. Getting to see how they put together everyone's powers is pretty cool too. Edward and Jacob finally stop fighting, Bella stops flip flopping and being sad and pathetic, there is a fight scene, a happy ending, and it's finally over (I think). So, there is a win for everyone!!!
I still hate Kristen Stewart, but Jasper's hair is better, Edward is not so pale, the wolves still prance around shirtless, and there is new eye candy! How they show Bella's sheild is pretty interesting. Martin Sheen is fantastic. There are quite a few humorous moments. All-in-all, I couldn't really complain. Now, if I watch this movie again (which is debatable) outside of the influence of the other Twilight movies, I might not have such good things to say. But, given that caveat, this movie really was pretty enjoyable. It has love, it has action, it has some hints of sex, it has humor, and it has an ENDING! What else could you ask for?
In the end, I give this movie an 8 out of 10 when compared to the other movies in the series and a 6 out of 10 when taken out of it's element.
Looper
So, I wasn't quire sure what I thought about this movie when I first saw it some time ago, but now I think I like it. It was not at all what I was expecting when I went to see it. From the previews, I was expecting to watch a some sort of cheesy action film. Bruce Willis was supposed to come back to the past and share some deep dark secret with his young self. This secret was going to lead to them running around in the past together to save the future world. Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon Levitt were supposed to be joint heros who save the day. It was supposed to be a relatively happy movie. That is not what happened.
Bruce Willis did have a secret. The secret does lead Bruce Willis, and a little bit of Joseph Gordon Levitt, to run around in the past. But, Bruce Willis is not trying to save the world. He has his own agenda, and Joseph Gordon Levitt doesn't really have any interest in helping his future self out. In fact, the longer the movie goes on, the more Joseph Gordon Levitt disagrees with his future self. Neither one of them, past or future, are really good people. In fact, neither one of them really has any redeeming qualities on the surface, which I think is part of why I couldn't decide if I liked the movie at first.
Before Bruce Willis shows up, there are some really disturbing scenes of crazy drugs and murders and things. So, I didn't really think the movie was going to be all that different from expecations until I got about half way through it. The disturbing parts were very artistically done, which makes the rating make sense. Speaking of the rating, such a high rotten tomatoes rating, 93%, should have been the give away. With the noted exception of The Avengers, good (cheesy) action films do not get high ratings.
The story-line was also kind of artsy. It ended up being a pretty big commentary on society and the connectivity of past, present, and future. The title, Looper, is the name given to people in Joseph Gordon Levitt's profession, but it is also representative of the underlying theme to the movie. Life, our actions, cycles. Violence loops into violence, and kindness loops into kindness. In the end, one decision, either right or wrong, will loop into the future, which loops back into the past (with the invention of a time machine, of course). The more I think about it, the more fascinated I get. I will see this movie again, but I'm not sure I'll own it.
In the end, I give this move a 7 out of 10, though I reserve the right to change that. :)
Bruce Willis did have a secret. The secret does lead Bruce Willis, and a little bit of Joseph Gordon Levitt, to run around in the past. But, Bruce Willis is not trying to save the world. He has his own agenda, and Joseph Gordon Levitt doesn't really have any interest in helping his future self out. In fact, the longer the movie goes on, the more Joseph Gordon Levitt disagrees with his future self. Neither one of them, past or future, are really good people. In fact, neither one of them really has any redeeming qualities on the surface, which I think is part of why I couldn't decide if I liked the movie at first.
Before Bruce Willis shows up, there are some really disturbing scenes of crazy drugs and murders and things. So, I didn't really think the movie was going to be all that different from expecations until I got about half way through it. The disturbing parts were very artistically done, which makes the rating make sense. Speaking of the rating, such a high rotten tomatoes rating, 93%, should have been the give away. With the noted exception of The Avengers, good (cheesy) action films do not get high ratings.
The story-line was also kind of artsy. It ended up being a pretty big commentary on society and the connectivity of past, present, and future. The title, Looper, is the name given to people in Joseph Gordon Levitt's profession, but it is also representative of the underlying theme to the movie. Life, our actions, cycles. Violence loops into violence, and kindness loops into kindness. In the end, one decision, either right or wrong, will loop into the future, which loops back into the past (with the invention of a time machine, of course). The more I think about it, the more fascinated I get. I will see this movie again, but I'm not sure I'll own it.
In the end, I give this move a 7 out of 10, though I reserve the right to change that. :)
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Pitch Perfect
I LOVED this movie!!! It has it all, good story, good acting, fun, drama, and great music! I could probably just leave it at that, give it my rating, and be done for the day, but I feel like I need to explain my opinion instead of just stating it. :)
Ok, so, to start this movie just had a fun story. "Alt girl" is forced to do something mundane, go to college, when all she wants to do is go to L.A. and dj. She is forced to socialize, and get involved, messes things up, finds out she does like school, and low and behold, there is a happy ending!! O, and there is wonderful singing to great songs all along the way, could it get any better?
Anna Kendrick, Jessica in Twilight and Katherine the psychologist/love interest in 50/50, was delightful. She did a great job being moody and hateful then transitioning to fun and loving. The supporting actresses and actors were equally as good. They provided the comic relief, they stirred the pot to add some drama, and kept the story moving along when Anna Kendrick was off brooding or contemplating her own missteps.
The main guy, Skylar Astin, was also great. He's cute, his character was adorable, funny, and could sing. Also, he LOVED movies, and made Anna Kendrick's character fall in love with them too, which obviously struck a chord with me. So, he was obviously the perfect guy.
Now to the music. If you like Glee, you will love this movie. If you love Glee, you will love this movie even more. I think one of my favorite moments, in reference to Glee, was the statement that college A Capella group is far and above a high school glee club, so participating in a glee club means nothing in this arena. Considering the fact that all the music (instruments, beats, everything) comes from the individual members singing, that is probably a very fair statement. You not only have to sing, but also have to be able to harmonize words, instruments, and everything, with just your voice. That is pretty impressive. But, I digress. the singing was impressive, especially the mash-ups. Yes, there are A Capella mash-ups! At the end, they mixed new and old songs together flawlessly. It was great.
Now, this is not the most amazing, throught-provoking, artistic film made. It's not even necessarily the best film ever made. It was just fun, enjoyable, up-lifting, and left me wanting to see it again almost immediately. That is what I call a good movie!
In the end, I give this a 9 out of 10. 10 is absolute perfection, and that is almost impossible to get. :)
Ok, so, to start this movie just had a fun story. "Alt girl" is forced to do something mundane, go to college, when all she wants to do is go to L.A. and dj. She is forced to socialize, and get involved, messes things up, finds out she does like school, and low and behold, there is a happy ending!! O, and there is wonderful singing to great songs all along the way, could it get any better?
Anna Kendrick, Jessica in Twilight and Katherine the psychologist/love interest in 50/50, was delightful. She did a great job being moody and hateful then transitioning to fun and loving. The supporting actresses and actors were equally as good. They provided the comic relief, they stirred the pot to add some drama, and kept the story moving along when Anna Kendrick was off brooding or contemplating her own missteps.
The main guy, Skylar Astin, was also great. He's cute, his character was adorable, funny, and could sing. Also, he LOVED movies, and made Anna Kendrick's character fall in love with them too, which obviously struck a chord with me. So, he was obviously the perfect guy.
Now to the music. If you like Glee, you will love this movie. If you love Glee, you will love this movie even more. I think one of my favorite moments, in reference to Glee, was the statement that college A Capella group is far and above a high school glee club, so participating in a glee club means nothing in this arena. Considering the fact that all the music (instruments, beats, everything) comes from the individual members singing, that is probably a very fair statement. You not only have to sing, but also have to be able to harmonize words, instruments, and everything, with just your voice. That is pretty impressive. But, I digress. the singing was impressive, especially the mash-ups. Yes, there are A Capella mash-ups! At the end, they mixed new and old songs together flawlessly. It was great.
Now, this is not the most amazing, throught-provoking, artistic film made. It's not even necessarily the best film ever made. It was just fun, enjoyable, up-lifting, and left me wanting to see it again almost immediately. That is what I call a good movie!
In the end, I give this a 9 out of 10. 10 is absolute perfection, and that is almost impossible to get. :)
Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson always has interesting movies, to say the least. This movie was cute, and had a sweet story of young love that, in the end, will leave you with a smile. However, getting to the smile is a bit of a whirlwind. It takes a moment to figure out exactly what is going on, and even when you do, it doesn't get that much easier to follow.
This movie was about a boy and a girl who hated their lives and loved one another. They met one day, wrote a few letters, and escaped from a portion of their lives for a while to live together in the woods, there was also a huge storm, like a hurricane, that added some drama/action into the mix.
This was also a movie PACKED with star power. Bruce Willis was loveable, Edward Norton was too. Frances McDormand and Bill Murray were perfectly neurotic/crazy. Tilda Swinton was perfectly logical and unfeeling, and Jason Swartzman had a blip of stupid/crazy that added some more humor to the story. The main boy and girl also did well and may be future stars.
It was artsy, it was pretty, the acting was spot-on and, like I said, it leaves you with a smile. It really was well done in the elements. Like I said, I think I liked it in the end, but was more than a little doubtful through the viewing experience. When I watch a movie, I want something that has everything, good story, good acting, good filming and directing. This movie had all of the pieces, I'm just not sure I really liked the presentation.
In the end, I give this a 6 out of 10.
This movie was about a boy and a girl who hated their lives and loved one another. They met one day, wrote a few letters, and escaped from a portion of their lives for a while to live together in the woods, there was also a huge storm, like a hurricane, that added some drama/action into the mix.
This was also a movie PACKED with star power. Bruce Willis was loveable, Edward Norton was too. Frances McDormand and Bill Murray were perfectly neurotic/crazy. Tilda Swinton was perfectly logical and unfeeling, and Jason Swartzman had a blip of stupid/crazy that added some more humor to the story. The main boy and girl also did well and may be future stars.
It was artsy, it was pretty, the acting was spot-on and, like I said, it leaves you with a smile. It really was well done in the elements. Like I said, I think I liked it in the end, but was more than a little doubtful through the viewing experience. When I watch a movie, I want something that has everything, good story, good acting, good filming and directing. This movie had all of the pieces, I'm just not sure I really liked the presentation.
In the end, I give this a 6 out of 10.
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