Insomnia

Ah, I have conquered my June-years resolution: to watch all of the Christopher Nolan films. It was lucky that I got Insomnia for my birthday, as it is very hard to find in these parts of the country (the wonders of TradeMe, the best site to find the hard to find DVDs). I now feel like God. I have watched every single Christopher Nolan film, and every single one has entertained me through and through.

When two LAPD detectives are sent to a remote Alaskan town to aid in the investigation of an alarming teen murder, they find themselves under the glare of the region's perpetual daylight. While closing in on the murderer, veteran officer Will Dormer's (Al Pacino) partner is killed, and the jaded cop is compromised by the calculated mind games of the primary suspect-a reclusive writer, Walter Finch (Robin Williams). Sleep-deprived and guilt-ridden over his role in his partner's death, Dormer must outmaneuver a brilliantly idealistic local cop Ellie (Hilary Swank), a brilliantly twisted killer and the brilliance of the Midnight Sun.

While I still enjoyed this film, I felt it was rather distant from the Christopher Nolan I know and love because he didn't write nor co-write the film's screenplay. You can tell that it isn't his writing mainly because it doesn't accommodate the non-linear storyline that I have always loved in his work, and it doesn't use as many choppy cuts. However, you can still see some resemblance to Memento in this film, which is how it stands apart from over run-of-the-mill thrillers.

This movie freaked the crumbs out of me. Mainly because I had an insomniac phase earlier this year (the most horrid time of my life), and I know partly how Dormer felt. It's so interesting how this movie highlights the fact that your mind is constantly playing tricks on you, and you can't tell whether it's your sanity or reality (hmmmm, sounds like Inception...). Another thing that creeped me out was the endless sunlight. How could I live in such a place like that? I may be afraid of the dark, but sleeping in sunlight at 1am?? Not for me.

Al Pacino delivers a powerhouse performance in this, and makes the film worth the watch, adding to the suspense and realness of the film. Hilary Swank, also, delivers a good performance. Robin Williams...maybe I shouldn't have seen Mrs. Doubtfire before seeing this. I just can't take him seriously. He did make a fantastic effort in this film, and when his comedy career breaks down (very soon, by the looks of things), he should do some more serious stuff, because in time I could possibly take him seriously. But hey, this is a Christopher Nolan movie, so anything is possible, right?!

A fantastic thriller with some good twists and turns, very creepy, but ultimately not one of Christopher Nolan's better films. But you know, it's up there. I imagine it will get better with a second viewing.

8/10

The Edge of Love

This is a classic example of how bad I was at watching/rating movies last year. When I first watched The Edge of Love I rated it 8/10. I must have been sleeping and dreaming of a movie that actually happened to be Atonement or something. So then I get the movie out again, just because Cillian Murphy is in it, and I suddenly realize: this movie is crap. Absolutely crap.

In the depths of World War II, we are introduced to two feisty and free-spirited women: singer Vera (Keira Knightley) and reluctant housewife and mother Caitlin (Sienna Miller). These two women are connected not only by friendship but by the poet, Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys) who loves them both, though he is married to Caitlin, and Vera is married to a loyal but violent William Killick (Cillian Murphy). The War tears them apart, and they must find a way of picking up the pieces and try to return to the way things were.So we all know that Keira Knightley has starred in a lot of period films, and this film seems below par compared with the rest of them. She does, however, turn out a good performance, as do most of the rest of the cast. However, the good performances, even though they try their best, just can't cover up the truck loads of flaws this film drags along.

I know that this is some sort of biopic, so most of what happened was based on a true story, but this story was filled with plot holes and to be honest, I didn't like any of the characters. Vera was a whiny self-pitying loser who kept turning down the opportunity to get in with Cillian Murphy (okay, so I wouldn't do that, and that isn't exactly Cillian in the movie...but I hate her for it anyway). Caitlin is just downright annoying because she just doesn't care for the world enough but all of sudden turns over a new leaf and somehow realizes that life is more than she wanted it to be. Dylan was just a smoking and talentless bum for most of the movie that fit right into the stereotype of 'drunken writer'. As for William, I wouldn't have liked him is he wasn't Cillian Murphy, but he was extremely lovely if not a little stalkerish in the start, then in the second half of the film he was violent and reminded me of a confused little kid.

The characters let the film down big time, and I blame that on the extremely weak script which never quite depicts the brutality of War like a real War movie should. It's pretty much a cheap rehash of Atonement, but it just isn't as good. However, I could be quite interested in the real story of the Thomas' and the Killick's, because I believe their story is possibly more interesting than the way this film makes it out to be.

Film is letdown by characters, characters letdown by scriptwork. The film is lifted though by some solid performances.

4/10

Week #7 in summary...! Cillian Murphy week, Part I

I watched a few Cillian Murphy movies this week, with some other films thrown into the mix. Oh, Cillian Murphy week runs into next week too...so many movies, not enough days...

• The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006) My first R15 for my fifteenth birthday...just a shame that for my 16th birthday I won't be watching my first R16. I think that happened when I was like 10 years old...6/10


• Mean Girls (2004) The. Best. High. School. Movie. Ever. Oh, it's one of my favourite films of all time too. 10/10


• Inception (2010) The third and probably final time I watch this movie in a while. This blog features some pretty intense actor/character stories, so definitely read this if you have seen the movie! 10/10


• Dear John (2010) I don't think watching this after watching Inception did it any favours...but it's a Nicholas Sparks adaption, so how could I possibly like it?! 4/10


• Breakfast on Pluto (2005) It is still really bothering me that Cillian Murphy is a much prettier girl then I will ever be. Someone should really get me some blue contacts one day and I might have a chance. 7/10


• Sunshine (2007) Cillian Murphy saves the world! And scares me off R13 movies for the rest of my life. 8/10


• Cold Mountain (2003) One of the most down to Earth romance movies I have ever seen. Otherwise, what I like to call the R16 version of Gone with the Wind. 10/10


• Ocean's Eleven (2001) Filled with Hollywood's cool cats and all the fun one with a bowl of popcorn could hope for...8/10

The best week ever. Yes, that is because Cillian Murphy was in most of the movies I saw this week. And I got to watch Inception again with all my friends.

Highlight: Duh. Going to the city with my friends for my birthday.

Lowlight: My actual birthday? Nah, it was a pretty good week for me.

Ocean's Eleven

As promised, I am starting to watch another trilogy, this time the Ocean's series, of course starting with Ocean's Eleven. I would have watched this later, but I had to get in before it got sold...which is weird because I thought it was a classic. With a cast full of Hollywood's hottest celebrities (if you could call George Clooney 'hot') and helmed by Steven Soderbergh, this film just spells classic, doesn't it?
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is a thief who has just been paroled from prison. He seeks out his partner, Rusty (Brad Pitt) and he has a job. And it is to rob the vault that houses the cash of three casinos in Las Vegas. And he plans to rob it on a night when 150 million is in it. So they recruit nine guys and they begin to put Ocean's plan in motion. Everything is going well until Rusty discovers that Ocean's ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts) is the main squeeze of Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), the owner of the casinos. Rusty asks him what is he going to do if he has to choose. But Ocean says that if his plan goes smoothly, he is going to be able to have his cake and eat it.

In my belief, Steven Soderbergh hasn't been such a great director of late. Sure, he did make that two part biopic Che, but did that get a theatrical release here? No. Then there was The Girlfriend Experience, which has the tackiest trailer I have ever seen. But don't get me started on The Informant!... So even though I had my doubts about Mr. Soderbergh's skills, I was still somewhat intrigued by his work with Ocean's Eleven, which is really just a Hollywood remake, but offers more than the average fare.

Ocean's Eleven is just an all-out fun film which doesn't take itself too seriously. Despite this, it does leave a little room for intelligence which meant I could easily relax into it whilst feeling satisfied with the outcome. If anything, this film is like the male version of The Devil Wears Prada...that's a fashion showcase for the women and Ocean's Eleven is a fashion showcase for the men. I imagine that tux and sunglass sales went up after this movie was released coz most guys would want to look like George Clooney or Brad Pitt. Speaking of which, the (mostly male) cast do exceptionally well in this movie, making it stand apart from other remakes/blockbusters. This is typically a guy movie, but I'm sure girls like me can enjoy it too.

Steven Soderbergh succeeds in remaking a film for the modern market by making it fun but intelligent at the same time.

8/10

Cold Mountain

I had borrowed Cold Mountain from a friend way back in April, and now, close to the end of August, I have finally gotten around to watching it. Yes, I know I may just be the slackest person ever. Oh, and I should probably tell you that I didn't watch it just because Cillian Murphy is in it for two minutes. I watched it because it basically looked like an R16 version of Gone with the Wind. And no, I don't mean that in a bad way.
We follow the story of a wounded Confederate soldier named Inman (Jude Law) who struggles on a perilous journey to get back home to Cold Mountain in North Carolina, as well as to Ada (Nicole Kidman), the woman he left behind before going off to fight in the American Civil War. Along the way, he meets a long line of interesting and colorful characters, while back at home, Ada is learning the ropes of managing her dead father's farm with Ruby (Renee Zellweger), a scrappy drifter who assists and teaches Ada along the way.

People always go on about how Cold Mountain was made just as an Oscar movie. That could be true, as it reeks of Oscar, but who says that is a bad thing? The film deserved Oscars. The performances from all of the ensemble cast, but especially Zellweger, were all pitch perfect and somewhat true to the time period as opposed to the modern take many stars try to bring to stories like this. It's one of the most classically done period pieces that would still appeal to the modern audience. A lot of period films that have come out in the past ten years have either succeeded in capturing the period but not the audience, or capturing the audience but not the time period. Cold Mountain so wonderfully does this, with it's brutality and also an interesting love story.

Amazingly, this is the first love story which I have enjoyed in a while. Forget that new comedy Going the Distance, Ada and Inman show you how the long distance relationship is done. Their relationship was so interesting that I was shocked to tears in the end...not something that a romance does easily for me. This movie is just so beautiful through and through, and does well to capture the hardships and horror cause by the Civil War. I do like to think of this as the film Gone with the Wind would have been if it had been made in more recent times.

A beautifully made and acted film, a classic romance that will sweep you away yet shock you to the core.

10/10

Sunshine

Another day...another Cillian Murphy movie. Even though this looked totally wrong for me, considering it's a sci-fi film about the near end of the world, I still managed to enjoy it. And I'm not just saying that because Cillian Murphy and his beautiful eyes were in it...
In the future, the sun is dying and Earth lives another glacial period. After the failure of the Icarus Mission, a team of eight astronauts are sent to the sun in the Icarus II Mission to explode a weapon generating a supernova within the sun in the last hope of planet Earth. However, when a crew-member commits a mistake in the operation of the aircraft shield, he jeopardizes the survival of the group.

Sunshine is more than the average sci-fi fare, and has a lot more to it than the others which seem to over react to the event of the end of the world. First thing: the sun is dying. Scientists are actually thinking that this may happen. Sure, some think 2012 is going to happen, but after that movie, I don't think I can even believe in that theory. With this one, it doesn't really show the effects of the sun not shining on Earth, but instead follows the story of the crew who are trying to save humanity by reigniting the sun. Which brings me to the second thing: it has a relitavely unknown cast (well, not in film world, but I doubt many of the normal people would know who half of the cast is), and we can believe in them. Have you noticed how all these other apocalyptic tales are headlined by people who are famous for being famous (cough, Will Smith)? They always look like they are either in it so the makers can get some money or the actors want the money themselves. However, with Sunshine, the hero of the story is really Capa, who is played by Cillian Murphy. I'm not being bias, but he is the hero I have been searching for. Sure, at the start he's one of those people who are too smart for their own good and is a bit arrogant because of it, but in the end I was feeling like our future was in his hands and I had full confidence in him. And for once, he was a believable hero.

One of the coolest things about Sunshine was the awesome cinematography and the way Danny Boyle could capture emotions on camera. Because of the way this was made, I was scared out of my boots about what would happen next...it had such an intense feeling of loneliness because they were in space with no real contact from Earth, and I felt a part of it. The way it twists and turns was simply amazing, making it a specific must-see sci-fi.

Terrifying sci-fi that captures emotion and our future in a way that is too rarely used...truly unique. Not to mention the stunning performance from Cillian Murphy.

8/10

Breakfast On Pluto

Oh, I forgot to inform you all that this was Cillian Murphy week, which will probably run into next week too. I have watched quite a few of his films, and for a diverse actor, the film that he surprised me in the most was Breakfast on Pluto, a.k.a. the film where he plays a dude who wants to be a chick. I watched the trailer a while ago and knew I had to see it (despite some pretty negative reviews), because it looked quite dark and emotional. However, this is a case of not judging a movie by it's trailer.

Set in the 1970's, the story follows the exploits of Patrick 'Kitten' Braden (Cillian Murphy), an endearing, but deceptively tough young man. Abandones as a baby in his small Irish hometown and aware from a very early age that he is different, Patrick survives this harsh environment with the aid of his wit and charm, plus a sweet refusal to let anyone and anything change who he is.

Cillian Murphy made this movie with his own bare, perfectly manicured hands. He embodies the role of Kitten so much that I can't even begin to believe that he is the same Cillian Murphy that was in the likes of Inception and Batman Begins. He should have got a lot more acclaim for his performance then he did. It still bugs me now that he was a better looking woman than I will ever be. Are you sure he wasn't doubled?

However, despite Cillian's amazing performance, this film doesn't seem to go that far in it's 135 minute run-time. It just shows the life of Kitten, which I guess is quite interesting, especially living in the times of the I.R.A. But the people he/she meets in his life don't seem that important as this is really a showcase for Cillian. I guess Brendan Gleeson as the womble was quite funny though. The movie, like it's protagonist, doesn't take itself or the world too seriously, and I would have liked to see a bit more drama. What it achieves, or rather, what Cillian achieves, is outstanding and severely underrated...I enjoyed this movie a lot, as I'm sure other Cillian fans will. He is a very pretty girl.

A film carried by a fantastic performance from Cillian Murphy, and a few other small things...

7/10

Dear John

"Love brought them together. Fate will tear them apart."-the tagline which launched Dear John, another shamelessly romantic adaption of a cliched Nicholas Sparks novel. This and The Last Song confirm 2010 to be just another year where all the romance movies are pretty much the same: shallow, below-average and curiously chesmistry free.
One summer, a soldier on leave, John (Channing Tatum) meets a sweet girl on holiday from college, Savannah (Amanda Seyfried). In the two weeks they are together, they fall madly in love, but John soon has to leave Savannah to return to Iraq. To keep in touch, they write letters to tell each other what they have been doing so they don't feel so apart. But being apart for so long definitely strains their relationship.
There were two major faults with this movie which let it down immensely: Firstly, I simply couldn't believe in this relationship that John and Savannah had. Whether it was because Amanda Seyfried just didn't look right with Channing Tatum, and Tatum himself isn't cut out for a romance movie; or maybe this movie doesn't give their relationship a lot to chew on. To be honest, I was more interested in John's relationship with his father, who was wonderfully played by Richard Jenkins. Secondly, throughout the whole movie, nothing substantial happens. There is basically nothing to it. I felt like it hadn't started even though I had been watching it for an hour. All I knew was that John and Savannah were together, then they grew apart, and they found each other after a while.
Despite these two flaws, I still enjoyed it a bit, especially Richard Jenkins performance and the sweetness of Amanda Seyfried. I guess guys will get something out of this too, since there are some war scenes. I mean, this isn't The Hurt Locker, but they are perfectly adequate for a romance film. If anything, I came out of the film less than satisfied, but I definitely liked it a lot more than The Last Song. It's just a shame that director Lasse Hallstrom has reduced himself to directing stuff like this, unlike his best work What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Cliched and plotless, Dear John just doesn't quite get started and the end leaves you less than satisfied.
4/10

Another Inception screening...*spoilers*

...yes, I went to go see it a third time in the cinemas (record), but this time it was for my birthday. I mean, did I really want to take all my friends to go see Salt? No. Of course, there weren't many differences to the other two times I saw it, apart from the fact that a) the cinema was almost full (the screening afterwards was full, and this movie has been out for just over a month, unbelievable), and b) the reaction at the end was worth the price of the ticket itself (it would have been enough to shatter a few windows). So I have decided to go through my favourite part of the movie--the cast--bit by bit. Because, this is the cast of the century. It's like the He's Just Not That Into You of sci-fi/actions. Though, you could class He's Just Not That Into You as a sci-fi/action, because most of the film is fiction developed from bad relationship science, and Bradley Cooper gets a bit of action with Scarlett Johansson...see?

Leonardo DiCaprio: Dom Cobb (The Extractor)

What else have I seen him in?? What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Basketball Diaries, Romeo + Juliet, Titanic, The Beach, Catch Me If You Can, The Aviator, The Departed, Blood Diamond, Revolutionary Road, Shutter Island and Inception.
As you should know, Leonardo DiCaprio is my favourite actor. This is probably my favourite film of his, but not my favourite performance (that would be The Aviator). However, I do think this is Leo at his best, because most of the films emotional connection comes from him. For once there is an 'action hero' who we sympathize with and hope for the best for. Cobb is a really damaged character, mainly because of this whole business with Mal, but still soldiers on in a job that isn't particularly great for him (stealing ideas through sleep? There would be some nasty stuff with that). He misses his children dearly, which is why at the end I always find myself in tears, the same when he is looking back on his life in limbo with Mal. Leo always does this to me, and I often find myself crying in 95% of his movies (especially Revolutionary Road, I didn't even like April but just seeing Leo's face made me burst into tears). Had a different actor got the role of Cobb, I'm not sure that this film would have been so affecting, and he would have passed as just another guy in an action movie.

Ken Watanabe: Saito (The Tourist)

What have I seen him in?? Batman Begins and Inception...shocking, I know.

Saito, I have to say, is probably my least favourite character because he is one shady dude. Sure, he's like dead for most of it and I should have really been hoping that he would make it through this ordeal, but I'm not sure he 'honoured the arrangement'. My theory is that Saito planted the idea in Cobb's mind that he would get to go back and see his children and the charges against him would be dropped if he incepted Fischer, but really, he would do this and then plunge straight back into limbo with his kids projections. Of course, the only one who rightfully knows the ending is Christopher Nolan, and I'm not one of those people who have to find out the ending or throw theories around. I'm just happy that it ended the way it did so I could remember it. But if I go by that theory with Saito incepting Cobb, then that makes Saito a horrid person. I don't care if he got shot in the first dream and then plunged into limbo as an old man.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Arthur (The Point Man)

What have I seen him in?? 10 Things I Hate About You, various episodes of 3rd Rock From the Sun, Brick, (500) Days of Summer and Inception (is that really it?)

Arthur is actually one of my favourite characters in this movie, mainly because he is just a bad-ass. I mean, did you see that hotel fight scene?? He worked that spinning hallway like the new and updated version of Neo from The Matrix. He is also part of the dynamic duo...him and Eames. On Facebook there is a page titled 'Arthur and Eames from Inception seriously need their own movie'--please like it, coz I totally think they should. Arthur is such a fun-sponge, but is also really fun. He looks so awesome driving a taxi and shooting at people. He really wants to get in with Ariadne. Okay, so basically, Arthur is awesome, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers a stand-out performance in the film. You see, this guy will be getting Oscars and he will be the next...Heath Ledger?

Marion Cotillard: Mal Cobb (The Shade)

What have I seen her in?? La Vie En Rose, Public Enemies and Inception.

I love Marion Cotillard, but I really, really, didn't like Mal. I mean, how could you possibly like her? She kept invading Cobb's dreams and killing off everyone just so she could get her husband to come back to limbo with her. The thing is, she is dead, and I doubt that Cobb would want to live the rest of his life with a projection. Then again, even though she does spend most of the movie shooting people to get them out of the dream (I actually started hating her when she shot Arthur in the foot), I still feel kinda sorry for her. She highlights the point that this movie makes: where is the line between reality and dreams? She killed herself because reality was getting to be too much for her. But she thought it was all a dream. Big mistake. I bet that there are hundreds of people who think just like her. Anyway, back to the hating. She makes Cobb's life hell, yet he keeps returning to memories with her in his dreams. Together, they are a pretty damaged couple...Cobb loves his dead wife's projection, Mal is dead and she wants her husband back in limbo. Good love story, that one.

Ellen Page: Ariadne (The Architect)

What have I seen her in?? Juno, Smart People, Whip It and Inception.

Despite Ellen Page's best efforts, I will never be able to see her as anyone different than Juno. That role made her. However, unlike Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana, Ellen has enough talent to carry off any role, as she does in this film, where she is all grown up and rearing to go. I can see why Arthur took a liking to Ariadne, because she looks very sweet an innocent, but like, say Rachel Dawes, she can put up a fight for herself. Ariadne is also the major lead between the audience and Cobb's story. Ariadne is the only one in the crew who knows what is really eating Cobb, and about all these 'experiments' he does when no-one else is around. This makes Ariadne someone more special than the creator of the dream world. Oh, and I must commend her for making all of those amazing dreams...I imagine aspiring architects would be super jealous of what she gets to do.

Tom Hardy: Eames (The Forger)

What have I seen him in?? Inception...yet he is still one of my favourite actors.

Eames is the funniest character out of all of them, mainly because he likes to take the piss out of Arthur and also make himself look like an over-tanned old man and some tall blonde chick who hits on both Cillian Murphy and Ken Watanabe in one night. What a lucky, lucky guy. I absolutely adore Tom Hardy in this, because he is the cool guy. He can be serious but you can't really take him that seriously. He isn't afraid to dream a little bigger darling. Tom Hardy will be the next big actor in Hollywood, as I'm sure this and his acclaimed turn in Bronson have confirmed him to be a star of the rise and one you should definitely be watching in the future. And Eames gets all the best lines in this movie...

Cillian Murphy: Robert Fischer Jr. (The Mark)

What have I seen him in?? Cold Mountain, Batman Begins, Breakfast on Pluto, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Sunshine, The Edge of Love, The Dark Knight and Inception. In the near future I will be watching Red Eye, Watching the Detectives and Girl with a Pearl Earring.

I am currently obsessed with Cillian Murphy. I don't know why, but everything about this guy is amazing. He is so under-rated and should really be getting an Oscar sometime soon, because he is such a diverse actor. Going from film to film it is hard to believe that it is the same person on the screen (especially watching Breakfast on Pluto and then Sunshine). However, in Inception, he starts off as an arrogant prick. He's a pampered rich boy who is exactly like his father, which is probably why they don't see eye to eye. I just really wanted to know why Fischer was hated by his father so much, was he a druggie or something?? Towards the end Fischer is the emotional character...the one we sympathize with. He's stuck in this dream where all these terrible things are happening, and BAM, his father is 'disappoint'. When he started crying, I started dying a little inside. In fact, everytime he came on screen, I started dying, because of those beautiful blue eyes and superbly crafted cheekbones...this guy is God.

Of course, I must also credit Tom Berenger, Michael Caine and Dileep Rao, who are all valuable assets in this multi-layered film of films. You guys are all probably aware of how much I love this movie. I promise that this will be the last time I watch Inception...until it comes out on DVD later this year...

Things I love about Mean Girls...

Mean Girls has to be one of the funniest high school movies ever made, and has completely defined my generation. Sure, it could have just been another teen comedy, but being written by Tina Fey, it's not. It is smart and captures what high school is all about: bitches, bitches, and more bitches. Hey, my high school doesn't really have a group as harsh as the Plastics, but there are people like them in every school.

Instead of going all out on a review, coz you have probably seen it (if you haven't, GO GET IT OUT NOW! You better be gone now...come back later!), I will unleash another 'Things I love review' (maybe a recurring feature on this blog??). I know that most of the following five things are mainly cast related, but that's because the cast is so amazing and they are the biggest contributors to the greatness of the movie. So anyway, enjoy=)

Wow, Lindsay Lohan used to be an actress?
Hard to believe. I'm really thinking that the Lindsay Lohan in this is completely different to the Lindsay Lohan that we see nowadays. It's a real shame because she used to be an alright actress, and the jobs she does manage to scruff up (i.e. Labour Pains) aren't very well received, and basically, no-one even knows they exist. I guess people kinda went off her after I Know Who Killed Me. However in Mean Girls, she makes the role of Cady someone to sympathize with...she is really just a jungle freak who somehow manages to make herself popular. Without the Plastics she probably would have been the same jungle freak.

Rachel McAdams as the mean girl.

She was 27 years old at the time of filming yet still managed to play the part of a teenager so believably, and I'm sure she is a lovely person, but I don't think I have ever hated a character as much as I hated Regina George. Okay, maybe it wasn't hate, because I loved watching her. But Rachel McAdams was definitely the stand out in this movie, by far. Like Regina George, whenever someone was near her, they shrivelled up and were soon forgotten. It's hard to believe that this is the same girl who was in The Notebook in the same year. What a fine, under-rated actress she is. She should so play another super-bitch.

Let's not forget the other mean girls.

I don't think Lacey Chabert has ever had another film like Mean Girls, as I have only seen her floating around the dark corners of straight-to-DVD-land. But she is perfect in this film as Gretchen Weiners, a girl who has everything from her rich daddy but will do anything to make sure she stays in the Plastics and doesn't look like a loner. I know a few people who are like her...they don't like who they are hanging out with but they feel they have to so they can get higher social status. Pretty sad, but that's the way 'girl-world' works. Then there is Amanda Seyfried, who plays dumb girl Karen. I think Karen is perhaps the most entertaining character out of the lot, and believe it or not, I actually know some people as stupid as her. This is definitely Seyfried's finest hour, as the romantic drivel she has been starring in lately (ah, Mamma Mia!, Dear John and Letters to Juliet) have only proved her sweetness but not her talent.

Tina Fey wrote a funny script and then she played a funny character.

Ms. Norbury is a teacher I would like to have. She's just so unsure of herself but can be really funny at the same time. She is like the other characters in this film, and I think what Tina Fey has done with this film is taken real life and made it funny. Everyone is unsure of themselves, and they have to find ways to get over that. And they get over it in different ways, but the outcome is always funny.

I watch it all the time and have never, ever, get bored with it.
Just everything about it is so funny and so easy to relate to. Trust me, I could watch this 1000 times and never be bored. I think you get the point.

I absolutely love Mean Girls. I don't think that it is wrong to say that this is one of the best films of the last decade. They really shouldn't have made a sequel.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

There's a bit of a funny story as to why I watched The Wind that Shakes the Barley. Yes, it has Cillian Murphy in it, who I love dearly. But, the day I watched this happened to be my fifteenth birthday. What does this have to do with the movie? Well, here in New Zealand, we have an 'R15' rating, which is rarely given to films, but this film just happened to be one. I decided that on my birthday I would watch an R15, and this film was like one of the only R15's in the video store. Oh, I guess the Cillian Murphy thing did have a lot to do with my decision, too.
Ireland, 1920. As a wave of Republican nationalism sweeps the nation, workers across the country unite to form volunteer armies to combat the notorious 'Black and Tan' paramilitary squads sent over from Britain to quell the rebel uprising. Driven by a deep sense of duty and a love for his native Ireland, Damien (Cillian Murphy) abandons his promising career as a doctor and joins his brother, Teddy, in a dangerous and violent bid for Irish independence.

The Wind that Shakes the Barley has some of the most beautiful cinematography I have ever seen, which makes the film worth the watch. However, since I didn't really have an interest in this piece of Irish history, I didn't really get into it as many other people have. What I really have to say is that the British should get over themselves when they say that this film labels them as careless, because this is history and it really did look like they did some pretty horrible things to Ireland. If you are one of those British people, I still recommend that you watch the movie, because you can't really change what was done and this film provides a valuable insight to a struggle for independence.

The story of the two brothers fighting was pretty interesting, especially considering the circumstances they were fighting under. The movie was basically carried by Cillian Murphy, who kept me watching with his amazing performance and the help of those beautiful blue eyes. Ireland should be really proud of him as an actor. I would recommend this film to anyone with an interest in history and also Cillian Murphy, because you will absolutely love it.

A good history drama, that should have packed more of a punch. But Cillian Murphy saves the day with his heroic performance.

6/10

Week #6 in summary...! This week has been filled with Jason Bourne...

This week (well now it happens to be last week, sorry for my little break away from blog-land) I got another trilogy done and dusted, the Jason Bourne trilogy! And I actually enjoyed them more than I thought I would.

• The Bourne Identity (2002). I now like Matt Damon. I think this movie had enough guns and bombs to give me a headache...a good headache (do they even exist?) 8/10


• The Bourne Supremacy (2004). I still like Matt Damon a lot more. This movie, however, was definitely the weakest of the lot, which was a bit of a shame. 7/10


• Kick-Ass (2010). Wait, that's not a Bourne movie. Never fear, I did watch the last one, but I had to squeeze this cracker in. I loved this movie so much that I gave it...10/10


• The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). The final movie was probably the best, and this just proves that Matt Damon may just be the best action star ever. 8/10


• I, Robot (2004). A movie that I probably wouldn't have watched but I had to because we were watching it in Social Studies. I don't actually know what we were supposed to learn from it, but I liked it. 6/10


• The Matrix (1999). Like, this movie is awesome. Those visual effects were amazing. Just a shame that Keanu Reeves can't act. 9/10


• Date Night (2010). The funniest movie I have seen all year after The Last Song. 8/10

This week has been pretty good, considering that 100% of the movies are actions.

Highlight of the week: Birthday gathering, watching Date Night. Haha, funny times.

Lowlight of the week: Being sick just before my birthday and having to stay home=(

Date Night

With 2010 being a below average year for comedies, it was surprising to see how funny Date Night was. It isn't like any of the other films we have seen surface this year, and definitely stands out from the popular action/comedy genre, which has been abused by such blockbusters as Knight and Day and The Bounty Hunter.
Phil and Claire Foster (Steve Carrell and Tina Fey) are a married couple who have their 'date night' once a year. This year they decide to go all out and go to a trendy restaurant. However, they are too late to make the reservation, so they steal someone else's. A decision which they regret, because the identity they have stolen are a wanted couple who have some important files. Phil and Claire are now on the run from two hit men type people, this is one date night they never bargained for.
Of course, Date Night was going to be funny because it has Steve Carrell and Tina Fey in it. While they make up for most of the films flaws and carry it from start to finish with their amazingly funny personalities, it is not just them doing it all alone. It has the one thing that makes a comedy good: quotable dialogue. I mean, you remember The Hangover? How many times have you found yourself saying a line from that movie? Date Night is exactly like that. There's a line in it for everyone. Throw in cameos and support from such stars as Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson, William Fichtner, Leighton Meester, Kristen Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, James Franco and Mila Kunis, well this movie has got it covered. It succeeds in entertaining, combining action with comedy for a fun filled ride. This is one of the first comedy must-sees for 2010.

Funny and action-packed, Carrell and Fey deliver a winner.
8/10

10 movies I plan on seeing this year...

I'm not excited about any of these as much I was excited for Inception. But, anyway, here are 10 movies which I will definitely be lining up to see when they come out in cinemas/on DVD this year...

BLACK SWAN

I cannot seem to stay away from psychological thrillers. While this trailer, to me, looks a bit tedious, I have a feeling it could be a serious mindf*ck that is also very beautiful. I love ballet movies. Team that up with a psychological thriller and I think I've got it won. Not to mention I have been waiting to see Natalie Portman in a role like this that should get her the accolades she deserves.

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

I do love Julianne Moore. And I am also interested to see Mia Wasikowska not being Alice and Josh Hutcherson not being the little smartass in kids movies. This generally looks like a funny comedy, which doesn't rely on complete gross-out jokes to get the laughs. It has a really interesting premise too, and I guess it's no coincidence that this is currently rated 96% on Rotten Tomatoes either.

EASY A

Okay, so this does look like Mean Girls. But hey, I loved that movie, so I should like this one too. I mean, I am in love with Emma Stone at the moment, and she seems to make anything funny. This movie, to a degree, looks smart and harks back to the days of Juno. If the cast is anything to go by (including the newly retired Amanda Bynes), this movie will be a hit.

TRON LEGACY

I haven't seen the original. But all I know is that this movie looks coooooooool. I'm not going to see it in 3D, because that is just epically dumb. It may be all lighty-lighty, but that doesn't mean I am going to wear those strange glasses.

ANIMAL KINGDOM

What's that? Australia makes a good film? Could it be?! I actually really do want to see this movie, as it has been lauded with full quota's of stars left right and centre. Maybe I'll just have to get over the little feud I have with Australian films in my head...

DUE DATE

While this trailer isn't particularly funny, I somehow know the movie will be because The Hangover's trailer wasn't particularly funny, and look what happened? This movie has Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis finding themselves in an interesting situation, so of course it is going to be funny.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

There are three reasons as to why I want to see this movie: the most obvious, it is about Facebook, which has to be my favourite and least favourite website. It is directed by David Fincher, which is still not registering in my head, because this was the guy who directed Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. But, I think he can do it. And it has Jesse Eisenberg in a serious role, which may mean that this movie could be pretty funny. In a few words: I am really looking forward to this one.

IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY

Again, the trailer isn't particularly funny. But what I most look forward to is seeing Emma Roberts doing something different and not playing the annoying teenager who has everything or is trying to be a miracle worker. I mean, you saw Wildchild? This very deserving girl hasn't had her finest hour yet.

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU

Thanks to Jason Bourne, I am now a Matt Damon fan, and The Adjustment Bureau looks particularly interesting to me. Emily Blunt also joins in the sci-fi fun, which I find great because she has to be one of the most underrated actresses ever. What can I say about this? It looks smart and entertaining, so I am in.

THE SWITCH

Even though this has been getting some bad reviews and Jennifer Aniston in it, I really want to see it. Mainly coz of Jason Bateman. And it looks a little funny. I could find myself seriously enjoying this movie.

What do you think of this list? What's some movies you are looking forward to seeing?

This will be my last blog post for a while (maybe), so don't think I have deserted you, I'm just taking a break!

Day 08--A movie that should be required a high school viewing.

Since I go to High School, this is a really tough question for me to answer. Because, when we watch movies, they are usually crap. I mean, last year we watched Wildchild. And I enjoyed it, because I was taking the piss out of it. Same with The Merchant of Venice. I really don't like watching movies in class because there are so many opinions floating around. I've always kinda been the watch the movies at home and keep my opinion to myself unless I really believe in it (i.e. anything directed by Christopher Nolan) person. So, just randomly, I thought of a coupld of films which I think may deserve a look in:

Inception. I know what you're thinking...she's obsessed. But it would be good for conversational purposes. Then again, the conversation kinda ruins it. I think it would be okay for everyone to see, as it is entertaining and does require a higher level of thinking than teachers give teenagers credit for.

But I would definitely choose The Shawshank Redemption. This is a movie which deserves to be loved by all, as it is a true masterpiece that has become the number one movie on IMDB. And not just any movie gets that kind of accolade. I could just imagine what my school peers would think while watching this: it rocks.

However, it's best to keep these movies to stupid comedies so we can all have a bitch and a moan about them. And anyway, my class never gets to do film study.

The Matrix

Yeah, yeah, I know, I should have really watched The Matrix a long time ago. And I feel like such a bad person for not watching it until now. But if I watched it ages ago like I should have, I probably wouldn't have 'got it'. Even now I haven't got it completely. I see why this is drawing comparisons to Inception: the first time you watch it is simply packed with 'wow', the second time, you will get everything about it.
Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is a man living two lives: a software writer by day and a computer hacker named Neo by night. When Neo is hunted by police, he is contacted by legendary hacker Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and a mysterious woman Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss). They awaken him to reality, and he finds that the world isn't as he once knew it; it has become a wasteland and humans have been captured by machines. They are trapped in an artificial reality known as 'the Matrix'. These three are rebels and choose not to live in the Matrix, and are determined to fight the machines and get rid of the Matrix for good, so things can go back to normal.

To put it simply: this movie blew my mind. Never before have I seen such jaw-dropping visual effects in my life. I mean, I have seen some pretty corny attempts at doing slow-mo gunfights, but this one pulls off many scenes like this with absolute precision and professionalism. And hey, I have always tried to avoid sci-fi movies like the Plague. If only every sci-fi movie was as good as this one. Because most of them have some pretty good ideas, but no idea on how to execute them. This movie succeeds in it's execution.

Performance wise, The Matrix is led by Keanu Reeves, who I know is talentless, but somehow knows how to churn out a good enough performance to carry a character. However, the person who most surprised me was Carrie-Anne Moss, who I will most remember as super-bitch Natalie in Memento. In this she looks almost to unbelievably beautiful to be human, which I guess parallels with her character. However, the performances really aren't the stars here, The Matrix will be remembered first and foremost for it's groundbreaking visuals. I mean, who after watching this doesn't want to dodge bullets or float in mid-air? Yeah, I thought so.

While I do look forward to seeing the second and third films, I do have to say that this film stands perfectly well on it's own. I guess it's just another case of trying to recreate success.

A masterpiece of Sci-Fi with the most amazing special effects I have ever seen.

9/10

I, Robot

My Social Studies teacher seems to really like Will Smith. A little while ago we watching I Am Legend for some unit on disease or something like that. Then he told us that we'd be watching a movie about robots. And I immediately think I, Robot. To my non-surprise, he got the DVD out so we had to watch it. Instead of Blade Runner. I actually wanted to see Blade Runner.
It's 2035, and robots are everyday objects, programmed to live alongside humans. Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) is called out to investigate the apparent suicide of the scientist behind these robots, Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell). Spooner suspects that the death might not be a suicide, but the result of one of the robots. All robots are programmed by three laws, but Spooner starts to wonder if a robot can in fact feel emotions, and possibly murder. If Spooner's suspicions are true, he is going to have a hard time convincing everyone.

Okay, there had always been a problem with watching movies in class. I think everybody is too afraid to admit they like it because someone else will hate it so they feel they have to as well. That's why I hate watching movies in class. To be honest, I didn't think much of I, Robot, but then again, I didn't think it was too bad.

Sure, it suffers from the doomed Hollywood formula. Some of the stuff in it is pretty stupid, i.e. the scenes where Will Smith is shooting at stuff, which is done in corny slow-mo. But, as I haven't read the source material, I found this quite interesting and a pretty strange look at the way the world could become within my lifetime. Will Smith proves that he is just out to get the money, again, but may be just talented enough to carry an average blockbuster singlehandedly. I wonder if Clash of the Titans would have been better if he were in it?

Average sci-fi blockbuster, carried by Will Smith.

6/10

The Bourne Ultimatum

Another trilogy done and dusted. While some of the third installments have proved to be the worst of the lot, this surely isn't the case with The Bourne Ultimatum. This is pretty much the best of the lot, and as promised, it goes out with a bang. A bang bigger than the 'Big Bang' itself.
After being recovered from the sea, and after losing the one he loves, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is one more step closer to finding out how David Webb became Jason Bourne. Whilst Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) has decided to leave Bourne alone, CIA Deputy Director Noah Vosen (David Strathairn) has other plans. He believes that Bourne is still dangerous and must be eliminated, before he finds out his true identity and takes the CIA down with him.

The Bourne Ultimatum does follow the same tradition as the first two: a full on action with lots of chases and guns, but still manages to be intelligent. However, this movie is by far the most satisfying as now most of our questions have been answered about Bourne and his identity. In the most wonderful kind of way. The movie folds together, but the end sees it unfold again, leaving the audience to ponder the future of Jason Bourne.

Matt Damon has taken the role of Bourne and created him into something that even James Bond would be jealous of. Unlike most action thrillers, this has a strong emotional connection and a surprising way of executing a very intelligent storyline. Paul Greengrass's direction does get to be a pain though, as the hand held camera work is just a little too low-budget feel for what is supposed to be one of the better blockbusters.

Verdict on the trilogy? A fantastic set of action films that will get adrenaline junkies and the like pretty excited. Matt Damon makes these films worth the watch with his on-screen appearance and amazing performances. Total must see for the action fans.

The Bourne Ultimatum is the strongest out of the trilogy, I just can't give it the full quota of stars because it isn't typically my thing.

8/10

Day 07--Least Favourite Movie by a Favourite Actor...

If you have been paying attention to my blog, then you will probably know that Leonardo DiCaprio is my favourite actor of all time. Who cares if I am currently obsessed with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy? Leonardo DiCaprio has always come out tops.

Though most of his movies are genrally great (and not just because he is in it), there's which I don't really like that much...Body of Lies. Not that I expected it to be great. It has Russel Crowe in it for heavens sakes.

I disliked it so much that I, for the life of me, can't even remember what it was about. Something about terrorists in the Middle East? Guess it's just a topic which I don't really enjoy watching. However, just because I didn't like this movie doesn't mean I didn't like Leonardo in it. Even if he did have a wacky beard and really needed a shave. I can't really tell you what was wrong with this movie, as I watched it like nine months ago. All I can tell you is that it was boring and I obviously didn't think much of it. Doesn't mean I love Leonardo DiCaprio any less.

Kick-Ass

Yes, 2010 has been a real crap year for the big movies (on the other hand, Indie films are doing tremendously well). But, aside from Inception, Kick-Ass is a great example of why we as viewers should still have faith in the big movies. And it's further proof that the comic-book movie isn't quite dead, and charming originality can come out in the most wonderful way.

A nerdy teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) decides that his town deserves a superhero to fight crime on the streets just like Batman and other characters of the like. So he adopts a new persona: 'Kick-Ass', and goes out to teach some criminals a few lessons. But he soon realizes that he isn't alone; a father and daughter, Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) are out to get the head of a New York mafia Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong). Kick-Ass teams up with the duo, and also becomes friends with another superhero, 'Red Mist' (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and they all try to clean up the streets, becoming real heroes in the process.

I'm guessing, if Superbad and any comic-book movie had a baby, Kick-Ass is what they would get. This movie is amazingly funny from the get-go...I was marketing it to my friends as the 'funniest movie since The Hangover,' which I think pretty much fits. This is a superhero unlike any other...it isn't made to please the Summer crowds as it has so much gore and violence in it I would imagine some people have been sick during it. Not that I mind, it's about time some real and watchable violence got stuck in a movie. It's action sequences are equally scary and uproariously funny, making for some amazing entertainment.

I wonder if some people, after watching this movie, would go and be a superhero. I know it would be super dangerous (as demonstrated in this movie), but even I am inspired to don a crazy outfit and run around town. The characters are all colourful...this is the first movie I have ever seen where I have actually liked Nicholas Cage. Aaron Johnson is now my latest guy-crush, and it's kinda hard to believe that he was the 'Sex-God' in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging a while ago. This guy is definitely one to watch. As for Chloe Grace Moretz...she has just become more than that smart-ass from (500) Days of Summer.

Trust me, you will be so entertained by this movie. It's funny, violent, amazing, and even pretty sad at the end. All you'll want to do after it is go and get a cool scuba diving suit and go fight crime.

One of the best films I have seen this year (so far)...uproariously entertaining. A definite must-see (unless you are pretty sensitive to violence).

10/10

The Bourne Supremacy

If anything, 2010 is my year to watch all the big trilogies (let's see...LOTR, Back to the Future, Bourne...oh and I plan to watch the Ocean's movies too). Sometimes I find the second film to be the weakest of the lot. That theory is clearly evident in The Bourne Supremacy, as it is pretty much the same as the first one, which is kinda boring. However, it's not all that bad.
After escaping from the emotional and physical pain he previously encountered, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) and his girlfriend Marie (Franka Pontente) begin a new life as far away as possible. But when an assassination attempt on Bourne goes horribly wrong, Bourne must re-enter the life he wanted to leave behind, in order to find out the truth why they are still after him.

While this movie, for me, wasn't as good as the first one, it still has many merits which are very similar to the first. It is as explosive and full on action as the first. However, on it's own, it portrays a much darker and more intelligent view of Jason Bourne and the mess he has found himself in. Now we know a bit about Bourne, this has allowed the story to let Bourne delve into some strange situations and try to dig himself out without seeming too over the top.

Again, this movie is clever and inventive, putting a new spin on the 'spy' character. It's easy to enjoy this movie, but I imagine that guys would probably revel in it because this is definitely more a movie for guys, rather than the teenage girl that I am. Matt Damon, once again, achieves a high action hero status with this, and passes as one of the better action heroes that doesn't succumb to cheesiness or become unbelievable. That, to me, is the films best asset.

A great sequel, I'm definitely amped to watch The Bourne Ultimatum.

7/10

The Bourne Identity

By chance I managed to get my hands on the entire Bourne trilogy. So, of course, I started with The Bourne Identity. I never really had the greatest interest to watch this movie, as I have never really been a huge fan of Matt Damon. But I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of this movie.
When a body is recovered at sea still alive, the mystery man (Matt Damon) seems to have forgotten everything in life, including who he was. Eventually he begins to remember smaller details in life and soon finds out that his name was Jason Bourne. What he doesn't like is that a gun and fake passports also belong to him. Now Bourne, and his new friend, Marie Helena Kreutz (Franka Potente) travel from country to country in search of his new identity. But, someone else is not happy to see him alive, and is frantically trying to track him down.

This film never really lets up on being a full-on explosive action film. From the word go, it is an adrenaline filled thrill ride, but never seems to lose it's way or become lost in all the gun fights and car chases. That's a good thing, and some of the action sequences are thrillingly memorable as they aren't all the same as the blockbuster action sequences we are used to.

Matt Damon does amazingly well as the believable action hero. I mean, sure, this guy does turn up out of no-where and can bash the brains out of several people at once, but the audience can still believe in him and connect with him on a different level. This film serves as a thrilling start to an awesome trilogy. As some may say, the trilogy really does start with a 'bang'.

A great start to the trilogy, with a great performance from Damon as Bourne. Clever and inventive, this is the modernized and smarter version of Bond we have been waiting to see.

8/10

Day 06--A movie which makes me cry every time...

Sorry I've not been very consistent at keeping up these posts. Truth is, I have spent ages trying to think up an appropriate answer to this question. And I don't really have a completely honest answer, because I can cry in a movie the first time I watch it and then never want to cry in it again. But what I finally chose, I think, may be the movie which I have cried in the most.

Gone with the Wind is probably my favourite film of all-time (it's only early days with Inception, I have only seen it twice). I think the first few times I watched it I never cried. But then I watched the original original version of A Star is Born in late 2008 and cried during it, and after that I found every movie worth a cry over (I even started crying during Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging). So I watched Gone with the Wind again and there's now this particular scene which I cry in (or feel like crying) every time. This scene is when Melanie is dying and Scarlett goes to visit her. I don't know whether I cry because Melanie is dying or whether it is because I pity Scarlett because with Melanie goes her only chance of having a true friendship. A world without friendship=eternal sadness. Also, when Scarlett is talking to Ashley and he is pondering over one of Melanie's glove, the waterworks seem to flow even more.

But, with the exception of the weird book sequel 'Scarlett', it makes you wonder, would Scarlett have gone for Ashley? I mean, through like three and a half hours of film, she had been pining for him. Then, in the last 10 minutes or so, she finally realises her heart is really with Rhett. Is that enough though?

While I probably don't cry that much, I'm sure there's always a tear trying to escape my eye when I watch this movie.

Week #5 in summary...! JGL, devilishly gorgeous clothes and Playboy bunnies?

This week was probably a bit better than previous weeks have been to me. Or was that just three rewatches of some of my favourite movies??
Recap on what I watched and blogged:

• The House Bunny (2008) Anna Faris playing a dumb Playboy bunny who takes some nerds under her wing. Sound stupid? It is. 4/10


• Iron Man (2008) Robert Downey Jr. at his best in an awesome superhero movie that doesn't really have a 'superhero'. Haven't seen it? Please, for the love of God, go get it out! 10/10


• Clash of the Titans (2010) Proof that 2010 has failed in giving us lots of high quality blockbusters? Look no further than this. 4/10


• The Butterfly Effect (2004) Even though Ashton Kutcher isn't my favourite person in the world, I still enjoyed this confusing thriller. 7/10


• Waitress (2007) One of my favourite movies of all time...and also the movie that makes me the hungriest. 10/10


• The Devil Wears Prada (2006) Also one of my favourite movies of all time...and a movie which makes me get some major wardrobe envy. 10/10


• Back to the Future: Part III (1990) It was about time I watched the final installment to the trilogy, right? 6/10


• Brick (2005) Joseph Gordon-Levitt...need I say more? 8/10
  

Best movie of the week? Non-rewatch...definitely Brick.

Worst movie of the week? Clash of the Titans. Yawn.

Highlight of the week? Start to 'birthday season'!

Lowlight of the week? Being sick for the six zillionth time this year.

Brick

Brick is a movie that I may not have been that interested in had Joseph Gordon-Levitt been in it. But when I started reading up on it, I thought it sounded like a pretty interesting story, and proceeded to search for it everywhere. By some stroke of luck, I managed to get hold of the DVD from some backwoods-ish supplier. Lucky, lucky me.

Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a loner, but is someone who knows all the ins and outs of the social lives of the people at his high school, though he chooses to stay on the outside. When his ex-girlfriend Emily (Emilie De Ravin) turns up dead, he is determined to find who killed her and why she is dead. Here he finds himself in the dark and dangerous social strata of rich girl Laura (Nora Zehetner), intimidating Tug (Noah Fleiss), drug-addled Dode (Noah Segan), seductive Kara (Meagan Good) and the ominous Pin (Lukas Haas). But who can he really trust to get the answers to his questions?

This is one of the greatest examples of a modern Film Noir, made all the better by it's relevant High School setting. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as always, performs to his utmost best, and is truly convincing as a young detective. His emotional connection to both the character and the audience makes this film worth the while. All of the other characters in this movie are well thought out and have several similarities to other Film Noir characters from the 1940's.

What makes this movie so unique is the way it is directed. Rian Johnson once cited that influences on visualization for this movie were Spaghetti Westerns. This is just one facet of this film which is taken from the past. It is a mish-mash of different films which comes together as quite an original film itself. It's drug dealing storyline is quite interesting, and the character 'The Pin' is rather intriguing and serves as one of the films greatest originalities.

An intriguing modern Film Noir, with a great lead performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the actor to watch into the future.

8/10

Back to the Future: Part III

I know it has been a while since I watched the other two, but I have finally gotten around to watching Back to the Future: Part III. Let's just say, while it is a worthy sequel, it is not a patch on the first, or the second for that matter.
Stranded in 1955 after a freak burst of lightning, Marty (Michael J. Fox) must travel to 1885 to rescue Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) from a premature end. Surviving an Indian attack and unfriendly townsfolk, Marty finds Doc Brown the blacksmith. But with the Doc under the spell of the charming Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen), it's up to Marty to get them out of the wild west and back to the future.

At the start of this film, I thought it was going to be pretty stupid because it's portrayal of the west was very much like what you see in every other parody. However, once you get over how stupid this film looks on the surface, it is really enjoyable and entertaining. These films become like old friends to you, as you become well aware of what to expect from them. Forget the 3D antics of other films...the Back to the Future films are the quintessential family films that entertain every generation.

While this film feels tired in some places, it does manage to capture the essence of it's predecessor. Unlike many sequels do, this film references the first films a lot so all of the films tie in together. Instead of feeling like three films, they feel like one big film split into three. Michael J. Fox is the best example of teen stardom in the 80's-early 90's, and these films make sure his legend lives on and isn't forgotten in this day and age. While the effects may be dated, this film will never go out of fashion.

Not as good as the ones before it, but is still entertaining.

6/10

The Devil Wears Prada

I got a copy of The Devil Wears Prada for my birthday in 2007, and for months, I couldn't stop watching it. The novelty kinda wore off after a while for some reason, and instead of watching it several times a month I probably watch it maybe once or twice a year. Still, each time I watch it, I enjoy it lots. Mainly because of my undying love for Anne Hathaway.
In New York, there is a fashion magazine named Runway, which is where a million girls dream to work. Andy (Anne Hathaway) is an aspiring unfashionable journalist who gets the job of a lifetime: being the second assistant to the Editor-in-Chief Miranda Priestley (Meryl Streep). She is introduced to a world of fashion and models, never being late for anything and moving mountains for her evil boss. All the while trying to keep her personal life intact.
While this isn't ever gonna go down as the best movie ever made, this is a fabulous scathing portrait of the fashion world. Instead of going into absolute detail into why this works so much like that, I'll just give you some of the quotes that most represent it:

Miranda: 'This... stuff'? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff.

Miranda: Do you know why I hired you? I always hire the same girl- stylish, slender, of course... worships the magazine. But so often, they turn out to be- I don't know- disappointing and, um... stupid. So you, with that impressive résumé and the big speech about your so-called work ethic- I, um- I thought you would be different. I said to myself, go ahead. Take a chance. Hire the smart, fat girl. I had hope. My God. I live on it. Anyway, you ended up disappointing me more than, um- more than any of the other silly girls.

Andy: I don't think I'm like that. I couldn't do what you did to Nigel, Miranda. I couldn't do something like that.
Miranda: You already did. To Emily.
Andy: That's not what I... no, that was different. I didn't have a choice.
Miranda: No, no, you chose. You chose to get ahead. You want this life. Those choices are necessary.
Andy: But what if this isn't what I want? I mean what if I don't wanna live the way you live?
Miranda: Oh, don't be ridiculous. Andrea. Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us.

Emily: One time an assistant left the desk, because she, I don't know, sliced her hand open with a letter opener. Miranda missed Lagerfeld just before he boarded a seventeen hour flight to Australia. She now works at TV Guide.
Andy: Man the desk at all times. Got it.

Nigel: Andy, be serious. You are not trying. You are whining. What is it that you want me to say to you, huh? Do you want me to say, "Poor you. Miranda's picking on you. Poor you. Poor Andy"? Hmm? Wake up, six. She's just doing her job. Don't you know that you are working at the place that published some of the greatest artists of the century? Halston, Lagerfeld, de la Renta. And what they did, what they created was greater than art because you live your life in it. Well, not you, obviously, but some people. You think this is just a magazine, hmm? This is not just a magazine. This is a shining beacon of hope for... oh, I don't know... let's say a young boy growing up in Rhode Island with six brothers pretending to go to soccer practice when he was really going to sewing class and reading Runway under the covers at night with a flashlight. You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls. And what's worse, you don't care. Because this place, where so many people would die to work you only deign to work. And you want to know why she doesn't kiss you on the forehead and give you a gold star on your homework at the end of the day. Wake up, sweetheart.

Got the message? This movie is so wonderfully scripted and makes us believe in this superficial world. Oh, and the film itself has some amazing performances, especially from Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. With outfits that literally make me die everytime I watch it.

10/10

Waitress

Ever since I first saw Waitress back in early 2008, I have loved it more than words can say. I don't know why I haven't watched this movie in nearly two years, but seeing it again just reminded me of the genius of Adrienne Shelly. And how much this town needs a pie shop and a pie maker like Jenna.

Jenna Hunterson (Keri Russell) is a woman who just wants to make pies and get away from her evil and aggressive husband Earl (Jeremy Sisto). But her plan is put in jeopardy when she discovers she is pregnant. She really doesn't want the baby, and goes through the pregnancy, still hoping to leave her husband and win a pie contest. Things change again when she meets a new doctor, Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion), who she starts an affair with.

This probably could have been just another pregnancy romantic comedy, but it wasn't. What was different about this movie is that it has heart. Most women could probably relate to it on so many different levels. Keri Russell is adorable as Jenna, showing some real depth into her unhappy character. However, I'm probably not the only one who absolutely hated Earl. Jeremy Sisto packs so much aggresiveness into the role that he is impossible to like in any way shape or form.

Adrienne Shelly created a masterpiece of true Independent comedy spirit with Waitress. Sure, it may not have been a huge money spinner or got a big release, but the film is too human to even have a place among huge blockbuster comedies and the like. What is a shame though is that this film and Juno were both released by 20th Century Fox, but Juno got pushed into the spotlight because of Ellen Page's performance. Waitress deserved to be nominated for a few Oscars, especially Best Actress for Keri Russell. If they also had a yummiest film category, this film would definitely win.

Waitress is an amazing and delightful comedy by Adrienne Shelly, who showed pure writing and directorial talent with this film.

10/10

Day 05--A Movie I Loathe

Imagine this...one of the first movies I ever rated on IMDB just so happened to be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This movie happened to be one of only three movies that I have ever given a 1/10 rating (in case you were wondering, the other two were Losing Gemma and The Hottie and the Nottie). A movie has to be pretty special to get a 1/10, because I usually give all the really bad movies a 2/10 because I believe that they meant well, somehow. But Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? It's a movie I have always loathed.

Possible reasons why:

• Johnny Depp. Meh. But he seriously looks scary in this movie, like he tried bleach his skin until it started glowing in the dark or something.


• Coz I loved the original so much.


• Tim Burton isn't a fantastic director...well anymore anyway.


• The oompa loompas were even more annoying than they should have been.


• The music annoyed me a lot.


• The original shouldn't have been remade in the first place.


• Too colourful...gave me a headache.


• Everybody else somehow likes this movie.
  
• IT'S JUST AN EPIC FAIL!

Sorry if you really like this movie, but I really don't. It's soooooooo over rated.