i should take up stock in theater popcorn
tumultuous week. :/
but to take a break from that, been seeing and talking about a lot about movies lately which has been a pleasant distraction. spent the evening sharing some you tube clips with my mom, just because she needs to see them... whether she wants to or not. because i am a sharer. and in the spirit of sharing, even tho others may not care anymore than my mother does, here's my latest and thoughts.
in theaters:
red riding hood - refreshed tale... not necessarily refreshing. it's a stock-cut romance, sprinkled with some fairly impressive flashes of action/cgi, laden in 'whodunit' intrigue, and completely bogged by sexual innuendo, which seems to be hardwicke's number one goal in every movie she will ever do. honestly, i seriously loathe that woman. she nearly destroyed twilight and she's an idiot. "deers", really? you make me weep, catherine. but for the movie... i will be surprised when i see a film in which amanda seyfried doesn't almost engage in/fully engage in intimate relations on screen. literally every movie i've seen her in there's been a sex scene. which ok, perhaps coincidental and yes, trivial, but a valid pondering point nontheless. billy burke's talent is simply underused and what is sirius black doing in this film?! and yes, the leading men? henry is both unattractive and unappealing. peter however looks oh so very delicious until he moves and talks and does a weird modeling face and it's very bummer-ific. overall: 3 out of 5, with an extra .5 for blood/blood splatters. i like me my gore.
paul - at times seemed to be trying too hard to please someone that wasn't me... or anyone in the theater with me. lots of flat jokes... most of which were gay related. which is weird to me. in a culture supposedly so tolerant and sensitive there sure are a lot of 'fag' jokes out there. i am slightly offended, on the behalf of those who may or may not be. yet, moreso was i offended by the film's treatment of faith. which, ok, to each their own opinion. but, least we forget oh great and revered british writers/stars: this is a film! the bashing was simply overdone and honestly failed to hit the mark of humorous annihilation, which is surely what it was aiming for. my non-christian friend even made the comment that the handling of that subject was going to make a lot of people upset. but, ok, again, it's entertainment. gotta take it with a whole bag of salt... or sugar... or whatever. back on point: the film was almost too weighty to me. it seemed to go on for a long time and at times felt uncoordinated. to be positive there were some very very funny moments, yet there were also some very very not funny moments. what was off-putting was that there were way too many young kids present for that many f-words and general content. did parents misunderstand the r rating or just not see it at all? 2.5 out of 5, losing a whole half a point for jon heder's not-funny-at-all supporting performance.
via netflix (instant and mail): yes, you are going to see a ryan phillippe trend, sue me... no, sue that lovely man instead... but only for hugs :D
stop-loss - absolutely beautiful movie. completely mis-labeled as an anti-war movie as i didn't get that vibe at all. brilliant performances and devastating, thought-provoking story. before this film, i had no idea what stop-loss meant and i felt this movie depicted its very touchy subject with grace and without being typical hollywood preachy; yes, i do like to be shown new possibilities and ways of thinking by the use of film, i do not however enjoy when it's jammed down my throat. in addition to its unique premise, i found most of the film's driving force (and perhaps therein the 'controversy' some speak of) to be the adverse effects of war on those who have witnessed it, specifically how it affected four friends in similar yet separate ways. tatum shone. that boy truly has so much potential. gordon-levitt was heartbreaking. having only seen him in comedic roles such as 3rd rock from the sun, this serious piece was a pleasant deviation. and ryan of course, who can convey so much with just a solid look in those blue blue eyes. underappreciated talent if i have ever seen it.
if i have one qualm with this film it was with one specific scene when some hoodlums break into mich's car - while a great action/dramatic scene for ryan's character, it was way too set up. a movie should flow secretly, the crafting of it and the placing of intergal story pieces without the audience seeing it. obviously the scene was needed... it just ended up coming off staged. regardless, the film opened my eyes to a nasty little skeleton in our military's closet... and it's always good to learn something new. 5 out of 5, if not more just for an added bonus of shamelessly enjoying handsome men in cowboy hats.
cruel intentions - not my first time viewing, and probably not my last. by this time who hasn't seen this movie? wittle kids maybe... and they should wait a few years. cruel intentions could be listed as a cult classic, anyone agree? i dunno... i imagine the sequels were pretty crap, such usually are. but this is a digression. lets take a moment and focus on buffy, who's body seems to have been swapped again with faith's devious self. haha, jk. it is so completely insane to see her in this role, and what's more, seeing her pull it off with such conviction. i remember my first viewing (right smack in the middle of my buffy introduction) and going, holy crap! she's so vile... and that's kinda what i take most from this movie: teenagers with nothing better to do with their seemingly-endless free time and overly-priviledged egos can be the most vile creatures on earth. in ways i both hate and love this film... and myself for kinda loving it. i guess its the redemption theme wins me over in the end. and that's to say, sebastian: the insanely charming, over-sexed, very large and ridiculously handsome childmanboy. in all the dark lostness of this film, sebastian and his becoming-something-meaningful relationship with annette is the one bright beautiful point. although too teeny-bopper a film to really truly be something magnificent, cruel intentions does well enough. and sebastian's over-the-top antics and flair will forever put my heart into a smile. 4 out of 5, bordering on 4.5 for ryan's handoverthemouth"ohmygosh!"cuteness
franklyn - in love with this film so hardcore. i adore movies that mix a fantasy element with brilliantly portrayed humanity. this time, the focus is loss, carried along by four seemingly unrelated storylines. in the reality of london we have emelia, who's treading dangerously close to death's door for a school grade and her mother's attention. milo, who's grief of being left at the altar has surfaced some old pieces of his past. and peter, who's searching for his lost son. and on the other side of reality, in a place called meanwhile city, there's jonathan preest, a masked vigilante who walks the faith-filled streets, seeking out his nemesis, the individual. alternate world and good ol' reality begin to converge as the film progresses, captivating both visually and with it's fantastic intertwining of these separate lives. franklyn is pure entertainment and for me it was fantasy fodder accompanied with a rousing kick to the heart. amazing performances by all... and the end still has me wanting to re-watch it all over again. 5 out of 5, solid and true.
you tube: which means in parts, and you all know how annoying that is.
playing by heart - let me start off by saying that i absolutely despise angelina jolie. cannot stand her; absolutely loathe her; never was able to ever make it through one single performance without huffing in agitation at being made to watch her on-screen... so it was with great surprise that i found her performance as joan to be complete amazing. i am endeared to that character for life, seriously; i daresay i even love her. crazy! at any rate, playing by heart is a movie with heart that gives actual meaning to the time spent watching it. when was the last time you've seen a movie give you that? this one is about love, in all it's broken and flawed beauty. a great cast and great performances all around: sean connery, madeline stowe, that mulder lady, and even my not favorite comedian jon stewart... and then there's angelina and ryan (my favorite storyline and film couple, for ever and ever possibly). reiterating above, i love angelina's joan: the wit and flair and spunk and her portrayal of that fine-lined sad hopefulness is (was) oscar-worthy. and ryan's keenan, so broken and aching and defensive, is heartbreaking and possibly mt favorite of all i've seen of his performances. it's a beautiful love story... sincerely brought tears to my eyes. i would watch this again and again if given the chance, and show it to all my friends... and force them to show it to their friends. 1 billion out of 5, for serious, cos i am an unsinkable romantic.
wow. i am so longwinded. and i bet no one will even read this, but that's ok. it was a good distraction for me. work stress, money stress, this libya thing, and general political/familial/educational things have been weighing heavy and hard with me lately. for me, movies have always been an easy distraction (bad bad habit) and i really needed that recently. so i apologize for the spam... but maybe you'll see one and like it and then my endless obsessioning will be worth something :D
as an added bonus, this is my favorite scene from 'playing by heart'.
fairly spoilery, for only one of the four tales tho... to me, the most beautiful.
but to take a break from that, been seeing and talking about a lot about movies lately which has been a pleasant distraction. spent the evening sharing some you tube clips with my mom, just because she needs to see them... whether she wants to or not. because i am a sharer. and in the spirit of sharing, even tho others may not care anymore than my mother does, here's my latest and thoughts.
in theaters:
red riding hood - refreshed tale... not necessarily refreshing. it's a stock-cut romance, sprinkled with some fairly impressive flashes of action/cgi, laden in 'whodunit' intrigue, and completely bogged by sexual innuendo, which seems to be hardwicke's number one goal in every movie she will ever do. honestly, i seriously loathe that woman. she nearly destroyed twilight and she's an idiot. "deers", really? you make me weep, catherine. but for the movie... i will be surprised when i see a film in which amanda seyfried doesn't almost engage in/fully engage in intimate relations on screen. literally every movie i've seen her in there's been a sex scene. which ok, perhaps coincidental and yes, trivial, but a valid pondering point nontheless. billy burke's talent is simply underused and what is sirius black doing in this film?! and yes, the leading men? henry is both unattractive and unappealing. peter however looks oh so very delicious until he moves and talks and does a weird modeling face and it's very bummer-ific. overall: 3 out of 5, with an extra .5 for blood/blood splatters. i like me my gore.
paul - at times seemed to be trying too hard to please someone that wasn't me... or anyone in the theater with me. lots of flat jokes... most of which were gay related. which is weird to me. in a culture supposedly so tolerant and sensitive there sure are a lot of 'fag' jokes out there. i am slightly offended, on the behalf of those who may or may not be. yet, moreso was i offended by the film's treatment of faith. which, ok, to each their own opinion. but, least we forget oh great and revered british writers/stars: this is a film! the bashing was simply overdone and honestly failed to hit the mark of humorous annihilation, which is surely what it was aiming for. my non-christian friend even made the comment that the handling of that subject was going to make a lot of people upset. but, ok, again, it's entertainment. gotta take it with a whole bag of salt... or sugar... or whatever. back on point: the film was almost too weighty to me. it seemed to go on for a long time and at times felt uncoordinated. to be positive there were some very very funny moments, yet there were also some very very not funny moments. what was off-putting was that there were way too many young kids present for that many f-words and general content. did parents misunderstand the r rating or just not see it at all? 2.5 out of 5, losing a whole half a point for jon heder's not-funny-at-all supporting performance.
via netflix (instant and mail): yes, you are going to see a ryan phillippe trend, sue me... no, sue that lovely man instead... but only for hugs :D
stop-loss - absolutely beautiful movie. completely mis-labeled as an anti-war movie as i didn't get that vibe at all. brilliant performances and devastating, thought-provoking story. before this film, i had no idea what stop-loss meant and i felt this movie depicted its very touchy subject with grace and without being typical hollywood preachy; yes, i do like to be shown new possibilities and ways of thinking by the use of film, i do not however enjoy when it's jammed down my throat. in addition to its unique premise, i found most of the film's driving force (and perhaps therein the 'controversy' some speak of) to be the adverse effects of war on those who have witnessed it, specifically how it affected four friends in similar yet separate ways. tatum shone. that boy truly has so much potential. gordon-levitt was heartbreaking. having only seen him in comedic roles such as 3rd rock from the sun, this serious piece was a pleasant deviation. and ryan of course, who can convey so much with just a solid look in those blue blue eyes. underappreciated talent if i have ever seen it.
if i have one qualm with this film it was with one specific scene when some hoodlums break into mich's car - while a great action/dramatic scene for ryan's character, it was way too set up. a movie should flow secretly, the crafting of it and the placing of intergal story pieces without the audience seeing it. obviously the scene was needed... it just ended up coming off staged. regardless, the film opened my eyes to a nasty little skeleton in our military's closet... and it's always good to learn something new. 5 out of 5, if not more just for an added bonus of shamelessly enjoying handsome men in cowboy hats.
cruel intentions - not my first time viewing, and probably not my last. by this time who hasn't seen this movie? wittle kids maybe... and they should wait a few years. cruel intentions could be listed as a cult classic, anyone agree? i dunno... i imagine the sequels were pretty crap, such usually are. but this is a digression. lets take a moment and focus on buffy, who's body seems to have been swapped again with faith's devious self. haha, jk. it is so completely insane to see her in this role, and what's more, seeing her pull it off with such conviction. i remember my first viewing (right smack in the middle of my buffy introduction) and going, holy crap! she's so vile... and that's kinda what i take most from this movie: teenagers with nothing better to do with their seemingly-endless free time and overly-priviledged egos can be the most vile creatures on earth. in ways i both hate and love this film... and myself for kinda loving it. i guess its the redemption theme wins me over in the end. and that's to say, sebastian: the insanely charming, over-sexed, very large and ridiculously handsome childmanboy. in all the dark lostness of this film, sebastian and his becoming-something-meaningful relationship with annette is the one bright beautiful point. although too teeny-bopper a film to really truly be something magnificent, cruel intentions does well enough. and sebastian's over-the-top antics and flair will forever put my heart into a smile. 4 out of 5, bordering on 4.5 for ryan's handoverthemouth"ohmygosh!"cuteness
franklyn - in love with this film so hardcore. i adore movies that mix a fantasy element with brilliantly portrayed humanity. this time, the focus is loss, carried along by four seemingly unrelated storylines. in the reality of london we have emelia, who's treading dangerously close to death's door for a school grade and her mother's attention. milo, who's grief of being left at the altar has surfaced some old pieces of his past. and peter, who's searching for his lost son. and on the other side of reality, in a place called meanwhile city, there's jonathan preest, a masked vigilante who walks the faith-filled streets, seeking out his nemesis, the individual. alternate world and good ol' reality begin to converge as the film progresses, captivating both visually and with it's fantastic intertwining of these separate lives. franklyn is pure entertainment and for me it was fantasy fodder accompanied with a rousing kick to the heart. amazing performances by all... and the end still has me wanting to re-watch it all over again. 5 out of 5, solid and true.
you tube: which means in parts, and you all know how annoying that is.
playing by heart - let me start off by saying that i absolutely despise angelina jolie. cannot stand her; absolutely loathe her; never was able to ever make it through one single performance without huffing in agitation at being made to watch her on-screen... so it was with great surprise that i found her performance as joan to be complete amazing. i am endeared to that character for life, seriously; i daresay i even love her. crazy! at any rate, playing by heart is a movie with heart that gives actual meaning to the time spent watching it. when was the last time you've seen a movie give you that? this one is about love, in all it's broken and flawed beauty. a great cast and great performances all around: sean connery, madeline stowe, that mulder lady, and even my not favorite comedian jon stewart... and then there's angelina and ryan (my favorite storyline and film couple, for ever and ever possibly). reiterating above, i love angelina's joan: the wit and flair and spunk and her portrayal of that fine-lined sad hopefulness is (was) oscar-worthy. and ryan's keenan, so broken and aching and defensive, is heartbreaking and possibly mt favorite of all i've seen of his performances. it's a beautiful love story... sincerely brought tears to my eyes. i would watch this again and again if given the chance, and show it to all my friends... and force them to show it to their friends. 1 billion out of 5, for serious, cos i am an unsinkable romantic.
wow. i am so longwinded. and i bet no one will even read this, but that's ok. it was a good distraction for me. work stress, money stress, this libya thing, and general political/familial/educational things have been weighing heavy and hard with me lately. for me, movies have always been an easy distraction (bad bad habit) and i really needed that recently. so i apologize for the spam... but maybe you'll see one and like it and then my endless obsessioning will be worth something :D
as an added bonus, this is my favorite scene from 'playing by heart'.
fairly spoilery, for only one of the four tales tho... to me, the most beautiful.
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