An Education

I have been waiting for months to see An Education (2009). I mean, for starters, it is a movie totally made for me: it has a great cast, including brilliant new-comer Carey Mulligan; it is a little British gem of a movie which is like a grown up version of St. Trinians (oh, and it is so much better); and it is a love story, yet it doesn't so much focus on love as all the others do.
Jenny (Mulligan) is a sixteen year old schoolgirl who goes by her days studying Latin and playing the cello-and is building up to go to Oxford University on her father's demands. But her world is turned upside down when she meets the 30-something year old David (Peter Sarsgaard), who introduces her to a life of champagne and parties, and endless amounts of money to throw away and live in luxury. Jenny falls in love with David, but is slipping away from the reality that she is young, still in school and has to go to Oxford. Does she want Oxford or to live her life away with David in Paris?
Without Carey Mulligan, this film probably would have sucked. She carries it along, and completely embodies the role of Jenny, a precocious teen who thinks she has all the answers. The Oscar nomination and BAFTA win were very well deserved. An Education is a film which is like a diamond in the rough-it is amazingly scripted, amazingly crafted, it is just amazing all over. And as for the costumes, well, the 1960's must have been a really great time to live in.
This movie is dominated by Mulligan, but praise must go to her co-stars, Sarsgaard, Dominic Cooper, Alfred Molfina, Rosamund Pike, Emma Thompson and Olivia Williams. And the director Lone Scherfig along with screen-writer Nick Hornby. You have created a masterpiece. Probably more suited to those who love British films or just films in general.
10/10

Pulp Fiction

Yep, I watched Pulp Fiction (1994) for the first time about two and a half years ago. To be honest, watching it again now, I feel like I understand it a lot more now than I did then, and therefore it has gained it's place high up in my favourite movies.
Quentin Tarantino is a GENIUS! I loved this, I loved Inglourious Basterds, I loved Kill Bill, I loved Death proof, I loved the bits I have seen of Reservoir Dogs. I absolutely love Quentin Tarantino, he is the reason I watch movies. Basically, he is the best director ever! Pulp Fiction is widely known as his best work, and is currently ranked #5 on imdb.com's Top 250. The storyline is pretty much a multi-plot affair which all comes together, and has such characters as two hitmen, a boxer, a gangster's wife and a couple of diner bandits. Hey, this is the recipe to sweet success.
Pulp Fiction stars everyone under the sun-John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, Amaanda Plummer, Eric Stoltz, Christopher Walken and even a brief appearance from Tarantino himself. This is the kind of classic Tarantino that everyone should see-it is extremely violent but it makes everything work. And I always love seeing Tarantino starring in his own movies-this is definitely one of his best appearances. I can't really promote Pulp Fiction anymore but I have to say that it is one of thee best movies ever made-and I am not just saying that because I am madly in love with Quentin Tarantino. It is just too great for words.
10/10

The Invasion

Again, a movie I should have watched ages ago but never got around to. But thanks to my new best friend-Sunday 'Premiere' Movies-I can now watch those movies I couldn't be bothered to get out on DVD before. I heard that The Invasion was really very bad (like most of the Sunday Premiere Movies), but I didn't find it terrible...
Based on the book 'The Invasion of the Body Snatchers', The Invasion follows Carol (Nicole Kidman), a doctor who is living in a world where the aliens are starting to take over. This epidemic is one which makes people zombies in their sleep, so therefore no-one wants to sleep, and Carol and her son are desperately trying to get away from it.
Okay, soo it's insanely same-same and doesn't offer any new or exciting ideas to the genre, but is a good popcorn thriller, to put it mildly. Nicole Kidman was pretty good, apart from the fact that I couldn't tell what accent she was trying to achieve-sometimes it sounded American, then British, and sometimes dipping into bouts of Australian. Very confusing for the most part. It wasn't immensely exciting, and it is a pretty good movie to watch while you are doing something else-as it doesn't require full attention, based on it's flatness. In other words, if this is on TV and you haven't seen it, it's a good idea to watch it. Otherwise, don't bother to go the video store to get it out. You can live without it.
6/10

Serious Moonlight

I only knew of this movie like a couple of days ago...and then I was lucky enough to find it in the preview drawer. Serious Moonlight (2009) is not my most conventional movie to watch, but I only wanted to watch it for one reason-it was written by the late Adrienne Shelly. She was the woman behind one of my favourite movies of all-time, Waitress. It was so sad that she was murdered because with that movie, and possibly this movie, she could have been one of the best things to happen to indie cinema.
Ian (Timothy Hutton) is a man who has been married to Louise (Meg Ryan) for fourteen years, but decides that he wants to leave her and get married to a much younger Sara (Kristen Bell). When Louise finds out about this, she holds her husband hostage until he 'loves' her again. But things turn sour when the pair are robbed by Todd (Justin Long).
Yeah, the storyline is a bit cheesy and cliched. And though I'm sure Meg Ryan means well, she performs her character like she's drunk and absolutely mental-very OTT and sometimes uncomfortable to watch. I was surprised that Cheryl Hines was directing this, because she doesn't seem like the type that would direct a movie. However, this is a pleasantly enjoyable film, and through the script we get a feel of the very same magic that was put into Waitress. Unfortunately, it is not as strong, but Serious Moonlight is worth the watch.
6/10

A Serious Man

Aside from Quentin Tarantino, the Coen brothers are my favourite unconventional film-makers. Ever since I saw Burn After Reading, I knew these guys are masters at what they do: creating a film which on paper seems pointless but on film just works. A Serious Man (2009) just proves there talent yet again.
Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a maths teacher who has come to the realization that his world is falling down around his ears. He wants to know why his marriage is ending; why his kids don't talk to him anymore; why he's being sued for unintentionally being racist; why his brother is causing much more trouble for him than he expected. Larry finds an answer: to go consult with the Rabbi and restore his faith in humanity. Or try to understand humanity.
This movie clicks in all the right places. It's a dark comedy, true to the Coen brothers roots. Larry Gopnik is a confused character, but he is charmingly likeable and some could totally relate to him. The chaos surrounding this film fits into a big character based examination of life when it sucks.
This is traditional Coens, it's a tiny film which packs a big punch. A Serious Man definitely deserved it's place among the ten nominees for Best Picture at the Oscars. It's just sad that this film went by un-noticed at the cinemas and wound up on DVD to little interest. This movie is for those who have a discerning interest in movies, as it wont disappoint.
8/10

Push

I was really looking forward to seeing Push (2009). To my surprise, it was released straight to DVD here, and was given anything but a good advertising run. This is the type of movie you would see at the cinemas. But now I'm wondering if the movie hitting the shelves first wasn't such a bad idea after all.
Push is a series of interlocking stories about a few people who have super power abilities. For instance, there are watchers, who are people who can see into the future. Joining them are the movers, who of course have telekinetic abilities which allow them to move things without touching them. Last but not least, there are the pushers, who push thoughts into other peoples brains making them think what the pusher wants them to think. These forces come together to wage war on each other, but some form alliances to take down the bad guys.
On paper, I thought this would be a good movie. It has Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle and Djimon Honsou in it, who are all relatively famous and well liked around the world. And the fact that it was an action/thriller about just normal people with anything-but-normal powers got me a little excited too. But this movie was somewhat of a disappointment. Sure, it had it's moments. But those moments were few and far between, leaving empty gaps filled up with complete nonsense. The effects were good, the perrformances were pretty text-book and the direction caused a bit of an eye sore.
Overall, a jumpy spectacle which was alright, not amazing.
6/10

Girl, Interrupted

I'm a sucker for movies about menatl people. I don't know what it is, but something just draws me to them. Girl, Interrupted (1999) does justice to the genre, thanks to some brilliant performances from it's interesting ensemble cast.
Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder) is a young woman who thinks she is crazy, and puts herself into a mental institution to recover from her so-called illness. At first she is skeptical about living there, but she meets some other women who have interesting stories to tell. This includes Lisa (Angelina Jolie), a woman who has been to the hospital many times before, and when she leaves she is likely to come back again for a while. The two form an unlikely friendship, but Susanna soon realises that she wants to escape from the hospital, but to do that she must find herself.
Girl, Interrupted is based on the memoirs of Susanna Kaysen; I believe her personal voice is spread out through this movie, which adds a sense of realism to something which is a little hard to imagine at the best of times. This whole movie is made by the performances, especially from an Oscar winning Angelina Jolie. Though I have never really been a fan of her work, I couldn't help but be blown away by her amazing portrayal of a woman who seems sure of herself but really isn't. Even Brittany Murphy provides a solid support, which reminds us of what a talent we have lost.
Gripping, unforgettable stuff.
9/10

2012

Well, most have heard the story of how Nostradamus predicts that the world will end in 2012. So it was only natural for Hollywood to createit's own version of what will happen on that fateful day. The result: big, dumb, popcorn fun, 2012 (2009).
Of course, the movie centres arounf the day the world is to end. During that day there are a few different stories, but the most prominent is about a writer named Jackson Curtis (John Cusack). He decides to take his kids away on a camping trip to Yellowstone National Park, only to find that something is going down, something large scale.
I thought 2012 was going to be pretty bad, simply because it was made just to scare everyone about something which may/may not happen. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The movie starts off with a bang, but gradually gets boring, until it picks up speed again towards the end. One major problem I had was that the movie was just under two and a half hours, half an hour of which could have easily been cut out. But this is a visually stunning film: seeing most of America slide down under water was a pretty amazing experience.
2012 is quite a good action film, even if it has one of the most unlikely heroes in it: John Cusack. I can't say everyone will like it; it is very long and feels it's running time. I also think it makes this day look pretty fun too. Do I think the world will end on December 21st 2012 after seeing this? I honestly can't say, but at least I know John Cusack will save everyone's lives.
7/10

The Alphabet Killer

Not the usual movie I would watch: a straight to DVD thriller which I had never even heard of until it got chucked on the new release wall as a money waster. I had pretty low expectations for this movie, and it just managed to reach them.
Megan Paige (Eliza Dushku) is investigating a case of double initial killings in Rochester, New York. However, while she is doing this she becomes attached to the case, and starts to see things that others believe are a little far fetched to be true. She deals with hallucinations, and ends up going crazy and is sent to a hospital. All the while, the case is closed but she wants to do more to help.
Definitely not one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. It follows the lead of most thrillers, but is like a a re-work of a film like The Silence of the Lambs made on unfinished paper...very so-so. Eliza Dushku was pretty good, but her character was really annoying and I got sick of her half way through the movie. Just like this movie. Half way through, I got sick of it. It was like the first half of the movie had been copy and pasted to the second of the movie. Very disappointing.
However, The Alphabet Killer was quite interesting and intriguing. I liked the intensity of this movie, and it was an alright watch compared to the other straight to DVD thrillers there are.
Alright, but not amazing.
6/10

The Heartbreak Kid

If you have something wrong with you and actually liked this movie, I suggest that you stop reading this review. That means its pretty negative. The only positive thing I have to say about this is that it was pretty entertaining.
Eddie (Ben Stiller) is a man who just can't settle down, but decides after a while he wants to get married. He meets a woman name Lila (Malin Akerman), who seems sweet and funny, but after the wedding is she all she seems? Eddie realises he has made one of the biggest mistakes of his life, and things only get worse when he meets Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), a totally cool woman who is not embarassing to be around.
This was a bad, bad movie. I'm not really sure if I can stress that any more. It is formulaic, but takes that formula and makes it even worse than it already is. If you made a list of all the bad things that happen in movies, this movie has them all. The only thing holding it up was a good 'comedic' performance from Malin Akerman and the sweetness from Michelle Monaghan. Thank the lord Ben Stiller was in Tropic Thunder, because after seeing this I vowed that I would hate him forever.
Really, do not watch this unless you are insanely bored. The only reason I watched it was because it was the Sunday night movie, which is the traditional way for me to relax on a Sunday night. I couldn't relax during this because I kept checking the time to see how much was left to go.
2/10

Top 100: #95 Atonement (2007)

Atonement is a romance, yes, but one of beauty and difference. It tells the story Cecillia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and her partner Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), and how Robbie is accused of a crime he didn't commit by Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), forcing the pair to be parted through the War. Featuring some well-rounded performances, especially by the young Saoirse Ronan, and also a tragic end. That green dress that Keira Knightley wears during the film is the stuff of my fashion dreams.

Top 100: #96 The Country Girl (1954)

During my obsession with Grace Kelly, I came across her Oscar winning performance in the drama The Country Girl. Here she stars as Georgie Elgin, wife of alcoholic ex-star Frank Elgin (Bing Crosby), who falls in love with director Bernie Dodd (William Holden). Classic Hollywood at it's best, as this is a striking drama and a deserving performance from Grace Kelly.

The Hours

Nicole Kidman. Julianne Moore. Meryl Streep. Come on, these three in the same film? It's gotta be great, right? Yes, well it pretty much is.
The Hours (2002) is based on Virginia Woolf's book 'Mrs. Dalloway', and how it connects three different women in three different periods of time. First there is Clarissa Vaughn (Streep), a modern-day Mrs. Dalloway who is in love with her friend Richard (Ed Harris), who had AIDS. Then there is Laura Brown (Moore), a women living in 1951 Los Angeles with her son and husband. Though she has everything she wants, she is unhappy with her life, and draws many similarities to Mrs. Dalloway herself. And then there is the actual Virginia Woolf (Kidman), who is writing the novel. She is struggling with her life in 1920's countryside London, and also trying to resist the urge to commit suicide.
Basically, a movie with great actresses in it always makes me happy. Hell, this was a near perfect movie. Thanks to the performance. Yes, Streep was great, like always. Julianne Moore was my favourite, because everytime she was on screen was like seeing a revelation happening before your eyes. She handled her role with the right amount of fragility, but then held her own like her character tried so hard to do, but inevitably failed. Nicole Kidman won an Oscar for her performance, which I thought was well deserved, despite what people say. I didn't even think her prosthetic nose was a problem, and I thought it was Virginia Woolf on the screen.
This movie was beautifully constructed, and a true hall-mark in cinema. This is the way films should always be: glimmering with fantastic performances and closing in on matters of the heart.
9/10

Aliens in the Attic

I honestly didn't think I would watch this movie. I mean, come on, it's a kids movie, and has some of the most annoying stars in it. But anyone, I watched it and I was pleasantly surprised. This was a pretty cool movie for kids...not so much for older people. Just think like a kid and you'll get through this movie.
The Pearson family decide to go away for a weeks vacation out in the country somewhere. They arive at a huge mansion and everything seems finee. Until they're invaded-by aliens. These aliens are out to get them, and they can control what the humans say and do...as long as they're not a kid. The kids try to stop their parents frrom getting targeted by the aliens, but will it be too late?
Okay, so on paper this movie is pretty corny, very kiddish and lame. Yes it is. But if you're a kid and you're watching this you're probably gonna enjoy this. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it at all. Aliens in the Attic is not the best kids movie, but it is much better than some of the Disney crap coming out these days.
What I'm trying to say is, if you're a kid, you will absolutely marvel at this movie. If you're my age you'll think it's lame but cute at the same time. If you're an adult you'll probably want to be doing something else with your time. All round, a fun movie to watch.
6/10

My Sister's Keeper

Yeah, this movie is pretty sad. I haven't read the book, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to because it would be such a sad experience. But I love sad movies, so of course, I loved this.
My Sister's Keeper (2009) is about Kate Fitzgerald (Sofia Vassilieva), a teenager who has cancer. Her family are pretty tight-knit and intent on keeping her alove for as long as possible. Her sister, Anna (Abigail Breslin) has been used to help keep her life, by constantly donating blood and other vital stuff to ensure Kate's comfort. Anna decides that she has had enough of this and wants to sue her parents for ownership of her own body. This goes to court, but how will Kate go through this ordeal?
Okay, bad things out of the way first: I really didn't like the direction from Nick Cassavetes. It was slow and sometimes a little too corny to watch. However, overall, this was a pretty good movie. There were great performances all around from Vassilieva, especially Breslin, Cameron Diaz (who fit into the role of a mother perfectly), Alec Baldwin, John Patric and Joan Cusack.
For anyone who has had a family member die from cancer, this will be a bit of a hard watch. It touched on all the bad parts, but also mixed them in with bouts of happiness which you need to survive this movie. A greatly balanced, well-crafted film. Remember to keep the tissues handy!
7/10

All About Steve

Yes, I had heard this was pretty bad. Most critics named it as the worst film of 2009. Sandra Bullock won a Razzie for her performance (and then won an Oscar the next night). But I couldn't resist watching it, because it had Bradley Cooper in it, and well, I like to see if movies are as bad as everyone says. Yes, this was worse than everyone said.
Mary (Bullock) is a cross-word maker who has been pretty lonely and still lives with her parents. She is set up on a blind date with a CNN cameraman, Steve (Cooper), who feels nothing for her. Mary is set on the idea that Steve is in love with her, and decides to follow him all across America, and Steve tries to stop her from stalking him.
Okay, so why is this movie so bad? It has everything which makes a movie bad. It's like seeing a completely different person on screen. I swear to god that wasn't Sandra Bullock on screen, that was a braniac monster. Honestly, she is pretty scary but the non-stop talking?! When the movie is trying to get heart-warming, you can't help but feel sorry for it. Me and Mum sat there and laughed our heads off at how bad this was. I'll give it one good point though: the entertainment factor. This movie was so entertaining. If you want a good laugh, get this out.
Bradley Cooper, how could you?
3/10

No Reservations

Another movie I should have watched ages ago, but waited until it was allowed on free-to-air telly. Yep, I'm pretty lazy. No Reservations (2007) is supposed to be a fluffy romantic comedy. Funny...I found it pretty tragic (in a good way).
No Reservations, as the title suggests, is a movie about a restaurant. In that restaurant is a woman, Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who loves her job as being head chef at the swanky restaurant. Her world is turned upside down when her sister dies and she is left with her niece, Zoe (Abigail Breslin). At first, Zoe is a little distant, but she warms up to Kate eventually. While Kate is away, there is a new chef at the restaurant, Nick (Aaron Eckhart). Even though Kate is pretty annoyed by him, they soon fall in love.
I was expecting a fluffy romantic comedy, and somehow this movie didn't deliver on the promise. It had substance, thanks to the tragic start. However, as the movie dragged on it got a little tedious, and yep, I'd seen it all before. Zeta-Jones and Eckhart were pretty cute, but Abigail Bresline just absolutely stole the show, as she does in any movie. No Reservations is pretty basic, and one for a girls night in. Prepare to have some major food envy though.
6/10

Crash

Leading up to the Oscars, it was only fitting to watch a Best Picture winner. That winner was Crash (2004), the surprise winner which beat Brokeback Mountain, the one which was supposedly going to win. Anyway, I see why this movie won.
Crash is basically an examination of L.A., set in around 24 hours. We follow many characters, including a couple who are car-jacked, another couple who were pulled up by the police, but ultimately a murder. One of the biggest features in this film is racism.
While I can't really explain the plot of this story, it was still immensely interesting. The cast is great, just as any multi-plot film would be. It stars Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Jennifer Esposito, Thandie Newton, Don Cheadle, Terrence Howard, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillipe, William Fichtner, Ludacris, plus many more. Paul Haggis has created an un-seen world, which is visited with harsh truths, thanks to it's hard look at racism. As it zips back and forth between each set of characters, you see different perspectives on life, death and work.
It's hard to pick a particular stand-out in this film, because each member of the ensemble cast is equally as great as the next. However, I think Thandie Newton did well in her character. Crash was so great, it was just oozing with Oscar glory.
10/10

I know this is totally un movie related but...

It's unfortunately very hot tonight, it's about 9pm and I can't even think about going to sleep. I have athletics tomorrow, and I fear that I wont be able to go because I have a cold. And I absolutely love athletics, it's the best day in the school year.
To top that...I've had a really bad bad bad day...

But happiness is around the corner! I can sense it!!!!!

Oh, and I need to watch a movie...I have The Hours in my bag, so I'll get that out to watch tomorrow!

Bye, Stevee

First picture off my new laptop!!

Yeah...that's me:) I got my copy of This Is It, so I'm pretty stoked. I love this laptop...hopefully I can blog more!!!!

Ewww Justin Bieber is playing on TV...he's really a girl!

Case 39

I didn't really intend on watching Case 39 (2009), but when I saw that Bradley Cooper was in it, I knew I had to watch it. Surely, if Bradley Cooper was in it, the movie would be okay, wouldn't it? Luckily he only had a minor role, because having this movie on his filmography is pretty bad.
Case 39 follows a similar story line to Orphan. Emily (Renee Zellweger) is a child welfare worker who stumbles upon the case of Lillith Sullivan, a young daughter of some mentally insane parents who continue to abuse her. When the parents are finally locked up, Emily petitions to have custody of Lillith. All seems well, but Lillith starts to act really strange. And it's no coincidence when strage things start to happen to the people in Emily's orbit.
One of the reasons I absolutely hated this movie was because of the unscary scares...I mean dying by being attacked by flies, really? Lillith may be one evil little kid, but it's this evilness which makes for some unintentional humour, mainly on her part. Renee Zellweger was terrible, as she was on auto-pilot right throughout the whole thing, only managing to squeeze out a few sceams and heated moments. As for Bradley Cooper, well his role was short-lived and didn't amount to anything special. Really, even if you're a fan of horror, please avoid this crap.
2/10

I Am Legend

Everybody told me that I should watch this back when it came out on DVD in 2008. My response was "I'll get around to watching it." This was totally true, because it was on TV and I thought I should get around to watching I Am Legend (2007). Boy, that 2 hours was a little wasted.
Robert Neville (Will Smith) is the perceived to be the last man on Earth, since the whole civilization was wiped out by a disease which turned them all into zombies. We follow his day to day life, with his dog Sam, who is his only companion. But Robert soon realizes that he is not alone on this Earth, and the things that share it with him could end his happy life alone.
I thought this would be a good concept, and it sorta was. In the first five minutes. Then this movie turned into a CGI disaster, the concept fizzled down to be almost non existent, and the movie slowly began to fall like the disappearance of civilization. Will Smith was consistent though, roughing some of the worst directorial work I have seen. Still, I have to be proud of myself, because I got around to watching it. And I found it a little entertaining...possibly for all the wrong reasons.
4/10