Lovely Bones

IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380510/

This movie is a bummer, it's visiually stunning and a huge downer.

I read this book, and I really enjoyed the story(until the end, but this isn't a review of the book).. To compare the book to the movie, it's missing some of the story line, but I don't think you'd know that while watching the movie unless you read the book. It also felt a little sped up, like they got to the hour and a half mark and we're like "CRAP, we gotta start wrappin this up!"

This movie is about a 14 year old girl who goes missing and who is inevitably murdered, while the family tries to cope with this situation the father starts to freak out and see her everywhere, he also feels like he needs to solve the murder himself, he feels, like most fathers, that the police aren't doing their job.. when he discovers a very odd neighbor who seems to stare a little too long, he starts putting the puzzle pieces together... all the while, the main girl who dies, Susie, is stuck in the inbetween, watching over her family and trying to help them solve the murder.

again, this movie is visually beautiful. The story is pretty good, but felt a little sped up.


Recommended

Precious

IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0929632/

If you haven't heard about this movie, you probably live under a rock...

This movie is obviously depressing, we have an overweight young girl living with her alcoholic/abusive mother, who has been raped by her father and then having two of his kids. Teachers just pass her so that no one has to deal with her. She starts going to another school and meets a teacher that has faith in her and the rest of the delinquent girls in her class.... slightly Dangerous Minds-esqe.

Although this movie is winning tons of awards and highly acclaimed, I didn't come away with feeling that this movie would make my top ten of the year.

After seeing Precious, I don't feel like I ever need to see it again, it sorta knocks the wind out of you, kicks you in the shin and spits in your face... and that's how Mariah Carey looks in the movie.

I would recommend you to see this movie if you're looking to be depressed

Up in the Air

IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193138/

I found this movie to be pleasantly surprising. I'm not a huge fan of George Clooney in general but I really enjoyed his performance in this movie. This movie has been talked about a lot recently, some calling it the best movie of 09... I think that's too bold but I did enjoy it.

This book turned movie is about a guy who's job is to be hired by other corporations to come in and fire their employees. Albeit a sad idea, it gives this guy something to look forward to, hitting 10 million miles flown. He happens to meet a woman who also flies a lot for her job... but here's the kicker, that little thing called telecommuting starts to take over his world. A fresh face new hire has come up with a sure fire way, (get it) to fire people over the internet.

The story has a good amount of laughs, makes you feel down right sad, and a little dirty.

With the inclusion of Danny McBride, you know things will be alright.

I'd say this is a good movie to go see.

Recommended.

Brothers

IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765010/

I expected this movie to be super intense and I was sadly disappointed. Now I understand that movies about war are suppose to be very depressing and this surely did that, but it was predictable..

We've got high school sweethearts who are married and have 2 kids, he's the perfect son and she's the beautiful wife. He's leaving for another tour of Iraq and just before he leaves his delinquent older brother gets out of jail. It's the classic story of their father holding a grudge against the rebellious son who tried to rob a bank and holds his other son who is following in his footsteps in very high regard. Some obvious tension there. Good son leaves, is MIA in Iraq and labeled as dead, the marines (I think thats them) tell the wife and family that he's been killed. The "shitty" brother starts stepping up to the plate and helping around the house. this is a red flag, we all know what's coming... lonely housewife, missing her husband, obviously starts to fall for his brother.

Well guess what, the husband comes home after some fucked up time in Iraq, and has lost his mind.

I felt as though this movie had a good story, but took a long time to get to the intense moment between brothers and then abruptly ended.

I didn't hate it, and I didn't love it. I'd say it was decent.

The Road

IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/

This movie isn't something you want to see if you're looking for a light hearted comedy or an action packed adventure movie. But, it should be something you see.

I tried to read the book and had a hard time getting through the first few chapters so I cannot say how accurate the movie is, but I will tell you that this movie is dense, thick, hard hitting... etc.

What happens when the apocalypse comes and your significant other doesn't want to live? do you stay with your child while your other half gives up? Well that's what Viggo Mortensen did. He fought for not only his life but his son's life. They scavenged for food and saw a lot of dead people. Although there were a few times I jumped, I wouldn't classify this movie as a thriller.

There are some very touching father/son moments, but definitely not the kind that make you feel all warm and fuzzy, more the kind that makes you want to reach out to your father and tell him you'd steal food for him too.

Although I really liked this movie, I don't think this is something I would need to see again.

Recommended.

The Blind Side

IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878804/

yes!

My mom and I saw this movie and boy was I impressed. I figured this movie was going to be sort of a flop and bomb at the box office, especially since it was up against New Moon. But this movie, like the story itself, prevails.

A true story about NFL player, Michael Oher, he comes from the wrong side of the tracks... his moms is on whatever drug she can pick up and he's 15 sleeping on couches. Around thanksgiving he's seen walking in the pouring rain in a tshirt and shorts. A family sees him roaming in the rain and brings him into their home. The help him get his grades up so he can start playing football. He obviously makes it, because it's a true story, and if you follow the NFL, you know that he plays for the Ravens.

This movie made me feel like doing something nice, so I wrote this blog.

Highly Recommended.

Where the Wild Things Are

IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386117/

When I first heard they were making this 48 page children's book a movie I was a little confused and a little hesitant on seeing it. I don't think I had this book when I was a kid, so I'm not one of the thousands of people who were obsessed with this phenomenon, but I generally like Spike Jonze; and I wanted to see James Gandolfini as a fuzzy monster.

My friend Ryan and I saw this movie in IMAX, and it was pretty sweet, the visuals are really what kept me intrigued the whole time. Along with a overly depressed Alexander (the ram looking monster) who was often much like a friend of ours, humorous in a sad puppy kind of way.

If you're not familiar with the book or haven't seen the movie, it's about a kid who is a little jerk to his mom and runs away to an imaginary island, dressed as a wolf (of course), he encounters monsters and basically pressures them into being their king, he then dreams up a big fort and makes the monsters build it for him (like slaves basically) and then comes between a fighting monster couple. Thanks for adding a love story line to this children's story, it wasn't really needed and at some points made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Max realizes that he misses his mom and returns home leaving his monster adventures behind.

Again this movie was beautiful, I thought Catherine O'Hare was a perfect fit for her monster and James Gandolfini brought a little bit of Tony Soprano scariness to his monster.


ps. there was also this wonderful new Alice in Wonderland trailer.

Recommended.

New York, I Love You

IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808399/

I knew nothing about this movie before seeing the movie poster at the theatre, I chose to see it with two girl friends because of the BIG cast.

I would compare this movie to Love Actually in the way that there are multiple story lines (11 I believe) in which they all intertwine.. Some are humorous, one I found to be creepy, one I found to be confusing and some of the others were more dramatic, but don't worry, all of them were romantic!

I found this movie to be so interesting, the 11, 10 minute stories were all written, produced and directed by different people. It's said that the various filmmakers were asked to adhere to three guidelines: They had only 24 hours to shoot, a week to edit and needed to give the sense of a particular neighborhood.

Highly Recommended.