and the director said 'keep rolling'.
I. Finally time for the epic movie review post of epic proportions.
Haters to the left because I loved this film. People keep freaking out over its stunning visuals and then start bashing on its plot. Sure, it's Pocahontas meets Dune meets FernGully. Sure, it's a little unoriginal. I don't get why that's receiving so much attention, though. It's rare to find a good, completely original film nowadays. I thought this film was fantastic, flawed plot and all. I honestly didn't think it detracted from the film at all. The screenplay was a little weak but I don't think it was weak enough to get the bashing that it's been getting from some people.
Honestly, one of my favourite aspects of the film and something I was pleasantly surprised by, were the good characters. I wasn't expecting the characters to be as good and fun and relatable as they were. Jake, especially. I had this idea that Jake was going to be a bitter marine who couldn't use his legs and hated the whole idea of Pandora and the Avatars and all that. The fact that he was so excited and thriving off of life itself made him such a great character. I liked that he was a lot warmer than I was expecting him to be. Same with Sigourney Weaver's character. And both Sam Worthington and Weaver gave excellent performances in this film, especially the former (and there were so many times he looked so much like Mark Wahlberg omg). I really never expected this film to have such warm and fun characters.
Zoe Saldana. CAN THIS GIRL DO NO WRONG? I am so in love with her, even when she's a blue Na'vi. Seriously. The more I see her, either in character or as herself, I just love her more and more. She's such a strong female, both in her performances and in presenting herself. I don't even know what else to say because I just think she's absolutely flawless. And I absolutely did fall in love with Jake and Neytiri. Totally ship them, of course.
JOEL MOORE OMG. Now I totally understand the blatant advertising in that Bones episode, lol. He was fabulous though. And Michelle Rodriguez! OH HER CHARACTER KICKED SO MUCH ASS. SHE WAS AWESOME. I think it's physically impossible for her to be anything less than awesome. I really admired her character.
On a technical aspect, this film obviously blew like every other film out of the water. The score was phenomenal (which reminds me that I need to steal it from my sister). Like...omg. Sound orgasm or something because it was just so gorgeous. And obviously the visuals just blew my mind. I saw it in IMAX 3D so it definitely felt like something akin to actually being transported to Pandora. It was just so utterly gorgeous to watch. It made me so proud to be the film fan that I am. I love what films are able to do and I think this film is the perfect example of what films are capable of. It's so incredible.
I think, however, what made this film as amazing as it was, was how much work James Cameron and his team put into it. They literally created an entire world, an entire species, an entire language. They made a new planet and new life and they didn't let any detail go unnoticed. Everything was flawless and beautiful and I am still in such awe at all the dedication James Cameron and his team put into this film. It was definitely worth the wait he had to go through to get the right technology. When I see work done like this on a film, I just fall in love with films even more. To see this kind of passion put into this beautiful piece of art is incredible. James Cameron and this crew and all the actors and everything about this film completely deserves my respect, flaws and all.
Recommend this movie to other people?: Definitely. The hype for it is so true and it's such a ground-breaking film that I highly, highly recommend it.
Buy the DVD: Most likely.
Grade: A
Trailer: Here
This film, I think, is definitely worthy of a nomination for Best Picture but not necessarily worthy of winning Best Picture. It was a good film but I just don't think it's quite on par with other films in terms of, well, everything. I know I'm terribly biased but I think Inglourious Basterds was such an incredible film. It seemed to have just about everything where this film didn't quite deliver on every single level. George Clooney winning Best Actor is a very different story, however. His performance was simply...magnetic. George Clooney is, by nature, a very magnetic person. He has this old Hollywood appeal about him that just makes him so ridiculously appealing. He's amazing. And his performance was no less amazing.
Vera Farmiga's performance was just as enjoyable as Clooney's, I thought. I absolutely loved her Alex and how fun and charming she was. And her chemistry with Clooney was just undeniable and off the charts. I really loved their relationship, even with how it ended (which I actually liked better than the other option). So yes. Love, love, loved Vera Farmiga.
Anna Kendrick, on the other hand...it took me a while to warm up to her and her depiction of Natalie. There was just something about her, at first, that just rubbed me the wrong way. I did warm up to her as the film continued but at first I just wasn't feeling it. Plus her plan of setting up computer screens to fire people? Oh god, awful. Just...no. That was an absolutely horrible plan. Why would you ever want to make that situation more emotionally worse than it already is? So I did completely agree with Ryan Bingham on that account.
Actually, one of the things that surprised me most was how much I related to Clooney's character, Ryan Bingham. I find that as I get older and discover more of myself, I can appreciate my company even more. I have no intention of settling down for too long somehow and I have no intention of having kids right now. Obviously I'm not ruling anything out because I have no idea where life will take me but, for now, that's how I feel. So Ryan being married to his work in a way is a lot like how I plan my life so far. I'm looking for a strong career that I can really dedicate my time to. I agreed with his character in a lot of scenarios.
I also liked the reality of this film. Some of the firing sequences were hard to watch because it did make me a bit emotionally distraught. It was difficult but the film seamlessly slipped from those scene into more comfortable and fun scenes which was great and it definitely made me feel better. And I liked how it ended. I liked that Ryan went after Alex but I also liked how it wasn't a happy ending for either of them. I felt it would have cheated the film. This film isn't a fairy tale and I'm glad it wasn't treated as such. I would have hated if Ryan had done a complete one-eighty and if the ending hadn't been what it was. I was very pleased with that.
So, all-in-all, I really did enjoy this film. It was smart, well-performed, well-written, and realistic. But when compared to the other films it's up against, I don't think its overall package deserves Best Picture.
Recommend this movie to other people?: Yes, especially if you're keeping up with the Oscars this year.
Buy the DVD: Perhaps. Not totally necessary or anything.
Grade: A-
Trailer: Here
I have a feeling my opinion with this film is actually very original and not quite the norm here. Because, quite honestly, I thought this film was brilliant in a crazy, fucks with your mind sort of way. I thought there was a beauty in the insane genius of it. It was a weird, visual film that definitely kind of made you feeling indescribable at times but, when the credits started rolling, I began to really appreciate what I think this film was trying to achieve.
And, even if you can't see the beauty of this film that I did, this film is completely worth it for Heath Ledger. ♥ It's interesting because Heath was one of those actors that I completely doted on but he was never actually a favourite actor of mine in terms of how James McAvoy is or anything. However, his death really hit me hard and it was a bit weird seeing this film after healing from his death. The second I saw him on screen, I definitely got breathless. And oh yes the tears started coming once the credits started rolling and the tributes started. I know this all probably sounds corny and ridiculous but it's true. Seeing him perform again really got to me because he's gone, you know, and there he was performing on the big screen again. My heart definitely broke. So yes, even if you're unsure of the film itself, for me it was worth it to see Heath again.
However, as I said, film-wise, I think I was able to see the beauty in this one. It was definitely crazy in that Alice in Wonderland sort of way but I thought it was fantastic and unique and intelligent. It wasn't what I was expecting at all but I say that in a good way. There were definitely some flaws with this film but I think those flaws were really only noticeable during the film. After the film ended and I was driving home, I realized just what a gem it was. There were some moments that definitely left you unsure of everything and what was going and if it was worth the money but I think it was at the end of the film.
Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell were all excellent. All of them weren't in it for very long (Farrell was in it for the longest amount of time) but I liked how each of them did it. It was especially lovely to see Jude Law in such an unconventional role for him and Depp was charming and gorgeous as ever. I liked how each of them played Tony and the twist in getting them to fill in for Heath. I thought it was done very seamlessly and wonderfully. Plus it will never not warm my heart to know that all three of them gave their salaries to Mathilda and didn't take them for themselves.
I really don't think there's much to be said about this film. As I said, there were flaws but I think I was able to see the beauty between the flaws. But it definitely isn't a film that you can't really deeply discuss. It was...unique. And very emotional. I think the meaning of this film really helped make it and I don't think I'll ever not be teary-eyed over it being Heath's last performance. So yes. I did like it and Heath. Oh, Heath. We miss you. ♥
Recommend this movie to other people?: I would, actually. I saw the beauty in and, if not for that, then for Heath. ♥
Buy the DVD: Probably.
Grade: B+
Trailer: Here
♥Moon (12 June 2009)
♥Cheri (26 June 2009)
♥Adam (29 July 2009)
♥Taking Woodstock (28 August 2009)
♥New York, I Love You (16 October 2009)
♥An Education (16 October 2009)
♥The Boat That Rocked (13 November 2009)
♥Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (20 November 2009)
♥A Single Man (11 December 2009)
♥The Young Victoria (18 December 2009)
♥Nine (25 December 2009)
♥The Conspirator (2010)
♥Beautiful Boy (2010)
♥Glorious 39 (2010)
♥The Last Station (15 January 2010)
♥The Lovely Bones (15 January 2010)
♥Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (12 February 2010)
♥Alice in Wonderland (5 March 2010)
♥Iron Man 2 (7 May 2010)
♥Robin Hood (14 May 2010)
♥The Sorcerer's Apprentice (16 July 2010)
♥Due Date (5 November 2010)
♥Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (19 November 2010)
♥Tron Legacy (17 December 2010)
♥Cowboys and Aliens (2011)
♥Underworld 4 (21 January 2011)
♥Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (15 July 2011)
♥The Avengers (4 May 2012)
♥The Special Relationship (Unknown Release Date)
♥Unthinkable (Unknown Release Date)
♥I'm With Cancer (Unknown Release Date)
♥Nowhere Boy (Unknown Release Date)
♥Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (Unknown Release Date)
♥Glorious 39 (Unknown Release Date)
♥Gnomeo and Juliet (Unknown Release Date)
♥Shoe At Your Foot (Unknown Release Date)
II. Otherwise, saw The Proposal today! It was cute. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds definitely had it going for them. Now I'm watching the Globes (YAAAAAAAY! definitely expect a post for this alter) and then I'm heading to Amanda's house so we can go to Disneyland tomorrow. Excellent weekend, I must say. 8D Should probably get some studying in for my finals though, haha.
Catch you later, calculators.
Haters to the left because I loved this film. People keep freaking out over its stunning visuals and then start bashing on its plot. Sure, it's Pocahontas meets Dune meets FernGully. Sure, it's a little unoriginal. I don't get why that's receiving so much attention, though. It's rare to find a good, completely original film nowadays. I thought this film was fantastic, flawed plot and all. I honestly didn't think it detracted from the film at all. The screenplay was a little weak but I don't think it was weak enough to get the bashing that it's been getting from some people.
Honestly, one of my favourite aspects of the film and something I was pleasantly surprised by, were the good characters. I wasn't expecting the characters to be as good and fun and relatable as they were. Jake, especially. I had this idea that Jake was going to be a bitter marine who couldn't use his legs and hated the whole idea of Pandora and the Avatars and all that. The fact that he was so excited and thriving off of life itself made him such a great character. I liked that he was a lot warmer than I was expecting him to be. Same with Sigourney Weaver's character. And both Sam Worthington and Weaver gave excellent performances in this film, especially the former (and there were so many times he looked so much like Mark Wahlberg omg). I really never expected this film to have such warm and fun characters.
Zoe Saldana. CAN THIS GIRL DO NO WRONG? I am so in love with her, even when she's a blue Na'vi. Seriously. The more I see her, either in character or as herself, I just love her more and more. She's such a strong female, both in her performances and in presenting herself. I don't even know what else to say because I just think she's absolutely flawless. And I absolutely did fall in love with Jake and Neytiri. Totally ship them, of course.
JOEL MOORE OMG. Now I totally understand the blatant advertising in that Bones episode, lol. He was fabulous though. And Michelle Rodriguez! OH HER CHARACTER KICKED SO MUCH ASS. SHE WAS AWESOME. I think it's physically impossible for her to be anything less than awesome. I really admired her character.
On a technical aspect, this film obviously blew like every other film out of the water. The score was phenomenal (which reminds me that I need to steal it from my sister). Like...omg. Sound orgasm or something because it was just so gorgeous. And obviously the visuals just blew my mind. I saw it in IMAX 3D so it definitely felt like something akin to actually being transported to Pandora. It was just so utterly gorgeous to watch. It made me so proud to be the film fan that I am. I love what films are able to do and I think this film is the perfect example of what films are capable of. It's so incredible.
I think, however, what made this film as amazing as it was, was how much work James Cameron and his team put into it. They literally created an entire world, an entire species, an entire language. They made a new planet and new life and they didn't let any detail go unnoticed. Everything was flawless and beautiful and I am still in such awe at all the dedication James Cameron and his team put into this film. It was definitely worth the wait he had to go through to get the right technology. When I see work done like this on a film, I just fall in love with films even more. To see this kind of passion put into this beautiful piece of art is incredible. James Cameron and this crew and all the actors and everything about this film completely deserves my respect, flaws and all.
Recommend this movie to other people?: Definitely. The hype for it is so true and it's such a ground-breaking film that I highly, highly recommend it.
Buy the DVD: Most likely.
Grade: A
Trailer: Here
This film, I think, is definitely worthy of a nomination for Best Picture but not necessarily worthy of winning Best Picture. It was a good film but I just don't think it's quite on par with other films in terms of, well, everything. I know I'm terribly biased but I think Inglourious Basterds was such an incredible film. It seemed to have just about everything where this film didn't quite deliver on every single level. George Clooney winning Best Actor is a very different story, however. His performance was simply...magnetic. George Clooney is, by nature, a very magnetic person. He has this old Hollywood appeal about him that just makes him so ridiculously appealing. He's amazing. And his performance was no less amazing.
Vera Farmiga's performance was just as enjoyable as Clooney's, I thought. I absolutely loved her Alex and how fun and charming she was. And her chemistry with Clooney was just undeniable and off the charts. I really loved their relationship, even with how it ended (which I actually liked better than the other option). So yes. Love, love, loved Vera Farmiga.
Anna Kendrick, on the other hand...it took me a while to warm up to her and her depiction of Natalie. There was just something about her, at first, that just rubbed me the wrong way. I did warm up to her as the film continued but at first I just wasn't feeling it. Plus her plan of setting up computer screens to fire people? Oh god, awful. Just...no. That was an absolutely horrible plan. Why would you ever want to make that situation more emotionally worse than it already is? So I did completely agree with Ryan Bingham on that account.
Actually, one of the things that surprised me most was how much I related to Clooney's character, Ryan Bingham. I find that as I get older and discover more of myself, I can appreciate my company even more. I have no intention of settling down for too long somehow and I have no intention of having kids right now. Obviously I'm not ruling anything out because I have no idea where life will take me but, for now, that's how I feel. So Ryan being married to his work in a way is a lot like how I plan my life so far. I'm looking for a strong career that I can really dedicate my time to. I agreed with his character in a lot of scenarios.
I also liked the reality of this film. Some of the firing sequences were hard to watch because it did make me a bit emotionally distraught. It was difficult but the film seamlessly slipped from those scene into more comfortable and fun scenes which was great and it definitely made me feel better. And I liked how it ended. I liked that Ryan went after Alex but I also liked how it wasn't a happy ending for either of them. I felt it would have cheated the film. This film isn't a fairy tale and I'm glad it wasn't treated as such. I would have hated if Ryan had done a complete one-eighty and if the ending hadn't been what it was. I was very pleased with that.
So, all-in-all, I really did enjoy this film. It was smart, well-performed, well-written, and realistic. But when compared to the other films it's up against, I don't think its overall package deserves Best Picture.
Recommend this movie to other people?: Yes, especially if you're keeping up with the Oscars this year.
Buy the DVD: Perhaps. Not totally necessary or anything.
Grade: A-
Trailer: Here
I have a feeling my opinion with this film is actually very original and not quite the norm here. Because, quite honestly, I thought this film was brilliant in a crazy, fucks with your mind sort of way. I thought there was a beauty in the insane genius of it. It was a weird, visual film that definitely kind of made you feeling indescribable at times but, when the credits started rolling, I began to really appreciate what I think this film was trying to achieve.
And, even if you can't see the beauty of this film that I did, this film is completely worth it for Heath Ledger. ♥ It's interesting because Heath was one of those actors that I completely doted on but he was never actually a favourite actor of mine in terms of how James McAvoy is or anything. However, his death really hit me hard and it was a bit weird seeing this film after healing from his death. The second I saw him on screen, I definitely got breathless. And oh yes the tears started coming once the credits started rolling and the tributes started. I know this all probably sounds corny and ridiculous but it's true. Seeing him perform again really got to me because he's gone, you know, and there he was performing on the big screen again. My heart definitely broke. So yes, even if you're unsure of the film itself, for me it was worth it to see Heath again.
However, as I said, film-wise, I think I was able to see the beauty in this one. It was definitely crazy in that Alice in Wonderland sort of way but I thought it was fantastic and unique and intelligent. It wasn't what I was expecting at all but I say that in a good way. There were definitely some flaws with this film but I think those flaws were really only noticeable during the film. After the film ended and I was driving home, I realized just what a gem it was. There were some moments that definitely left you unsure of everything and what was going and if it was worth the money but I think it was at the end of the film.
Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell were all excellent. All of them weren't in it for very long (Farrell was in it for the longest amount of time) but I liked how each of them did it. It was especially lovely to see Jude Law in such an unconventional role for him and Depp was charming and gorgeous as ever. I liked how each of them played Tony and the twist in getting them to fill in for Heath. I thought it was done very seamlessly and wonderfully. Plus it will never not warm my heart to know that all three of them gave their salaries to Mathilda and didn't take them for themselves.
I really don't think there's much to be said about this film. As I said, there were flaws but I think I was able to see the beauty between the flaws. But it definitely isn't a film that you can't really deeply discuss. It was...unique. And very emotional. I think the meaning of this film really helped make it and I don't think I'll ever not be teary-eyed over it being Heath's last performance. So yes. I did like it and Heath. Oh, Heath. We miss you. ♥
Recommend this movie to other people?: I would, actually. I saw the beauty in and, if not for that, then for Heath. ♥
Buy the DVD: Probably.
Grade: B+
Trailer: Here
♥Moon (12 June 2009)
♥Cheri (26 June 2009)
♥Adam (29 July 2009)
♥Taking Woodstock (28 August 2009)
♥New York, I Love You (16 October 2009)
♥An Education (16 October 2009)
♥The Boat That Rocked (13 November 2009)
♥Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (20 November 2009)
♥A Single Man (11 December 2009)
♥The Young Victoria (18 December 2009)
♥Nine (25 December 2009)
♥The Conspirator (2010)
♥Beautiful Boy (2010)
♥Glorious 39 (2010)
♥The Last Station (15 January 2010)
♥The Lovely Bones (15 January 2010)
♥Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (12 February 2010)
♥Alice in Wonderland (5 March 2010)
♥Iron Man 2 (7 May 2010)
♥Robin Hood (14 May 2010)
♥The Sorcerer's Apprentice (16 July 2010)
♥Due Date (5 November 2010)
♥Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (19 November 2010)
♥Tron Legacy (17 December 2010)
♥Cowboys and Aliens (2011)
♥Underworld 4 (21 January 2011)
♥Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (15 July 2011)
♥The Avengers (4 May 2012)
♥The Special Relationship (Unknown Release Date)
♥Unthinkable (Unknown Release Date)
♥I'm With Cancer (Unknown Release Date)
♥Nowhere Boy (Unknown Release Date)
♥Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (Unknown Release Date)
♥Glorious 39 (Unknown Release Date)
♥Gnomeo and Juliet (Unknown Release Date)
♥Shoe At Your Foot (Unknown Release Date)
II. Otherwise, saw The Proposal today! It was cute. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds definitely had it going for them. Now I'm watching the Globes (YAAAAAAAY! definitely expect a post for this alter) and then I'm heading to Amanda's house so we can go to Disneyland tomorrow. Excellent weekend, I must say. 8D Should probably get some studying in for my finals though, haha.
Catch you later, calculators.