Movie recap
I started renting movies from blockbuster again so I felt the need to sort of give a recap of some of the movies I have seen lately. I should have known that last year was a blah year for movies when Juno (an okay movie..but still just the average coming-of-age romantic comedy with a couple highly dysfunctional families thrown into the mix) was considered one of the best movies of last year. So here it goes. I do my ratings on a 5 star system. One being the worst, and 5 being the best. :)
Movies to be reviewed under the cut Juno, P.S. I love You, Cloverfield, Bella, Atonement, Disturbia, and Grace is Gone
Juno So the better acting version of Napoleon Dynamite has hit the screen. Yay, let's all cheer for this. It wasn't very good. It was cute. However, am I supposed to believe that Juno was wise above her years? Because she was this immature, 15 year old girl who never thought to ask her boyfriend to use a condom. I know I'm not one to talk, but I did take precautions as far as I know Juno did not. Why would Jennifer Garner's character want this girl? I mean is really a fantasy of men to run after a poor 15 high schooler from the wrong side of town who is 7 months pregnant? Strange...It had funny moments. I really did enjoy Ellen Page and they did make Jennifer Garner likable (which for me is a miracle because while I'm sure she is a nice woman, I have absolutely hated every character she has played from Hannah to Sidney Bristo. I live in fear that they are going to bring her in for some huge, integral part in the final season of Lost and I'm going to hate her then too). Still, the movie was just okay. **
P.S. I love You Okay, the only reason I even went rented this movie was that it had James Marsters in it. I love you James. Was the actual book this bad? Are all of Nicholas Sparks novels this terrible? Is Lisa Kudrow always this annoying? These are some of the many questions that I have after watching this movie. James was sweet and so was Jeffrey Dean Morgan (I miss you on Grey's too).
Cloverfield Okay so I've already seen the movie and wasn't crazy about when I saw it the first time. Maybe I had my heart set way too high. It was penned by one of my favorite Buffy writers (Drew Goddard) and it was the creation of J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves. There are a million reasons that people were drawn to Lost in its first season, some people were fans of David Fury (which I was as well), some loved "Alias," but I loved "Felicity." "Felicity" this was not, but it was not bad. It definitely had the post-college, successful in life but still not happy vibe. I enjoyed the contrast between the emotional angst of the characters and the "big bad" outside. I even like the idea that it doesn't have a happy ending (which is very Abrams/Reeves and not so much Drew Goddard so I'm surprised by that). I just wish the characters were more interesting. I feel like I barely got to know them and they were dull to begin with. From a group of filmmakers that have created some of recent TV's most memorable characters I expected better. Maybe it was an actor issue? I'm not really sure. ***1/2
Bella This is the movie that I would suggest everyone go see. It made me laugh and cry. It was Toronto Film Festival's fan favorite last year. It is basically the story of my life recently which may be why I'm so close to it but it is really well done. I'm not going to go into a huge review, mostly because I've gone on too long on everything else and I don't have time now. The only problem I have is that I think the script is slightly unrealistic at times (I'm not going to go into it because it gives away a huge plot point but it has to do with Jose and why he stopped playing Soccer). LOL ***1/2
Okay, the rest of the movies are going to have to wait. I hear Lily waking up from her nap. Enjoy!
Movies to be reviewed under the cut Juno, P.S. I love You, Cloverfield, Bella, Atonement, Disturbia, and Grace is Gone
Juno So the better acting version of Napoleon Dynamite has hit the screen. Yay, let's all cheer for this. It wasn't very good. It was cute. However, am I supposed to believe that Juno was wise above her years? Because she was this immature, 15 year old girl who never thought to ask her boyfriend to use a condom. I know I'm not one to talk, but I did take precautions as far as I know Juno did not. Why would Jennifer Garner's character want this girl? I mean is really a fantasy of men to run after a poor 15 high schooler from the wrong side of town who is 7 months pregnant? Strange...It had funny moments. I really did enjoy Ellen Page and they did make Jennifer Garner likable (which for me is a miracle because while I'm sure she is a nice woman, I have absolutely hated every character she has played from Hannah to Sidney Bristo. I live in fear that they are going to bring her in for some huge, integral part in the final season of Lost and I'm going to hate her then too). Still, the movie was just okay. **
P.S. I love You Okay, the only reason I even went rented this movie was that it had James Marsters in it. I love you James. Was the actual book this bad? Are all of Nicholas Sparks novels this terrible? Is Lisa Kudrow always this annoying? These are some of the many questions that I have after watching this movie. James was sweet and so was Jeffrey Dean Morgan (I miss you on Grey's too).
Cloverfield Okay so I've already seen the movie and wasn't crazy about when I saw it the first time. Maybe I had my heart set way too high. It was penned by one of my favorite Buffy writers (Drew Goddard) and it was the creation of J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves. There are a million reasons that people were drawn to Lost in its first season, some people were fans of David Fury (which I was as well), some loved "Alias," but I loved "Felicity." "Felicity" this was not, but it was not bad. It definitely had the post-college, successful in life but still not happy vibe. I enjoyed the contrast between the emotional angst of the characters and the "big bad" outside. I even like the idea that it doesn't have a happy ending (which is very Abrams/Reeves and not so much Drew Goddard so I'm surprised by that). I just wish the characters were more interesting. I feel like I barely got to know them and they were dull to begin with. From a group of filmmakers that have created some of recent TV's most memorable characters I expected better. Maybe it was an actor issue? I'm not really sure. ***1/2
Bella This is the movie that I would suggest everyone go see. It made me laugh and cry. It was Toronto Film Festival's fan favorite last year. It is basically the story of my life recently which may be why I'm so close to it but it is really well done. I'm not going to go into a huge review, mostly because I've gone on too long on everything else and I don't have time now. The only problem I have is that I think the script is slightly unrealistic at times (I'm not going to go into it because it gives away a huge plot point but it has to do with Jose and why he stopped playing Soccer). LOL ***1/2
Okay, the rest of the movies are going to have to wait. I hear Lily waking up from her nap. Enjoy!