I love it when that happens! While watching Unstoppable (2010) I kept having this feeling of Deja Vu. (Ha Ha ya' get it?) At first, I thought it was just because of Denzel Washington. Not really so, there was so much of Unstoppable that reminded me of Deja Vu (2006), similar camera angles, similar color scheme, hmm same directing style? I have been watching Deja Vu quite a bit lately, very good movie. But it wasn't just Denzel Washington that was giving me that Deja Vu feeling. Come to find out it was because of Tony Scott. Tony Scott directed Unstoppable, as well as Deja Vu. I really like his style.
There are a lot of things I take into account when selecting a movie to watch. Actors, storyline and of course the trailer can play a big part, however there are other things to consider, the director, the studio, the screenwriter all of these things I look at as well. Now I can add Tony Scott to that list. I know I enjoy his movies. When you have a head full of useless information it is kind of fun when pieces fall into place like that. It makes me happy when I can recognize a certain director.
A lot of questions ran through my head while watching Unstoppable. How plausible is this really? I mean I know it is based on true events so it really happened but how much did they tweek for Hollywood? I am a huge fan of the Mythbusters and I love the episodes when they test movie myths which of course are usually busted. But hey isn't that why we love Hollywood, the larger than life explosions, the unrealistic car chases, the incredible stunts. So, naturally while watching any movie based on a true story or based on actual events I always wondered where the truth ends and artistic licensing takes over. Just curious.
Anyway, a very entertaining movie. What can I say ..... anything with Denzel Washington is going to be good. He is just amazing on screen. I also am becoming a fan of Chris Pine (Star Trek, Just my Luck) I first saw Chris Pine in Star Trek (2009) and if you want to get right down to it I fell in love with his performance just from the trailer. I watched it saying, who it that guy? And wasn't disappointed when I finally saw his performance in Star Trek. The way the relationship between Denzel and Chris grows throughout the movie is very fun to watch. Not only is the movie an action flick but it also has some very good dialog, which sometimes you miss out on in action movies. It was kind of refreshing.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
My Girlfriend's Boyfriend
What a good find! I stumbled across My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (2010) while browsing through Netflix watch instantly one day. Alyssa Milano (Who's the Boss?, Charmed) stars as Jesse Young, an adorable waitress who has Sunday dinners with her brother and uncle. At first I was a little hesitant about giving this movie a chance. I grew up watching Who's the Boss and then loved Alyssa Milano in Charmed but she has made some ......... interesting choices. You just never know what to expect with her.
My Girlfriend's Boyfriend was a very nice surprise. It is an adorable movie and surprisingly clean. I would call it family friendly. As soon as it got over I wanted to watch it again and I wanted my daughters, 17, 15 and 13 to watch it as well.
Warning! There will come a point while watching that you are really questioning Jesse and her motives. There comes a point at which she tells the Charlie Brown story to one guy and then turns around to the other guy and says pretty much the same thing! I was furious with her and ready to shut it off. But .... I couldn't do that and just had to see how it was all going to turn out. Then I said to myself, I am going to be really upset if this doesn't end well.
My mom is a fan of the first few minutes of a movie. I have to agree with her on that. It is very interesting to see how a director chooses to begin his story. What is the very first thing he wants you to see and hear? I really like that but, I have to say that I am also a huge fan of the ending. A really good ending can save just about any movie, and a really bad ending can end something I had enjoyed up to that point. This movie has an ending worth seeing!
My Girlfriend's Boyfriend was a very nice surprise. It is an adorable movie and surprisingly clean. I would call it family friendly. As soon as it got over I wanted to watch it again and I wanted my daughters, 17, 15 and 13 to watch it as well.
Warning! There will come a point while watching that you are really questioning Jesse and her motives. There comes a point at which she tells the Charlie Brown story to one guy and then turns around to the other guy and says pretty much the same thing! I was furious with her and ready to shut it off. But .... I couldn't do that and just had to see how it was all going to turn out. Then I said to myself, I am going to be really upset if this doesn't end well.
My mom is a fan of the first few minutes of a movie. I have to agree with her on that. It is very interesting to see how a director chooses to begin his story. What is the very first thing he wants you to see and hear? I really like that but, I have to say that I am also a huge fan of the ending. A really good ending can save just about any movie, and a really bad ending can end something I had enjoyed up to that point. This movie has an ending worth seeing!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Green Hornet
Questions, should I bother talking about movies I am not passionate about? Are people interested in reading about the movies if I am not that interested in writing about them? Should I talk about it because it is a new release? Ok - I love movies and they don't all have to be some deep wonderful thing that changes my life. I can enjoy them just for the entertainment value. However, there does have to be some entertainment value.
I am capable of just enjoying a "beach movie". I learned this term once in reference to books. There is what we call a "beach book", that is to say a very easy read, not real deep, it's not going to change your life, make you cry, you could just sit on the beach and read without a lot of thought. I now use that term for movies as well. However, as I said, there does have to be some entertainment value.
Why am I rambling on about this? Because my family and I watched The Green Hornet (2011). I was not impressed. If you liked Iron Man (2008) you will probably like this one. Rich man with daddy issues, daddy dies leaves snotty son the company; son is disrespectful to everyone including himself. You get the idea, very similar to Iron Man.
Good point, it did have some, Kato is played by Jay Chou (The Treasure Hunter, True Legend) who hasn't done a whole lot. He did a wonderful job and I really enjoyed him on screen. I will have to admit that I don't know much about the Green Hornet but is Kato supposed to be so much cooler? It seemed like he was the one running the show while the Green Hornet got all of the credit?
The special effects are awesome and very fun. I didn't care to much for the directing style but that is just me. The language was a little much to deal with as well. I know that may seem odd considering some of the movies I watch. I am really not a prude about language but it does have to at least make sense and fit into the story. I felt like it was thrown in just for the sake of it. Seth Rogen (Knocked up, Superbad, Pineapple express) played the Green Hornet and was one of the writers. I had a lot of issues with the writing, the dialog, the story, as I mentioned the language, some of the jokes. Then again I am not really a fan of Seth Rogen. I know he has fans and people really like him. If you fit into that category you will really like this movie.
Don't get me wrong I like comic books and I like a lot of the movie adaptations. I really enjoyed the Spider-man movies, the Batman movies, love the X-men movies. I am just not a huge fan of the Iron Man movies or the Green Hornet. Maybe it's the snobby playboy who is so full of himself he is blind to everything else around him. I don't really know.
I am capable of just enjoying a "beach movie". I learned this term once in reference to books. There is what we call a "beach book", that is to say a very easy read, not real deep, it's not going to change your life, make you cry, you could just sit on the beach and read without a lot of thought. I now use that term for movies as well. However, as I said, there does have to be some entertainment value.
Why am I rambling on about this? Because my family and I watched The Green Hornet (2011). I was not impressed. If you liked Iron Man (2008) you will probably like this one. Rich man with daddy issues, daddy dies leaves snotty son the company; son is disrespectful to everyone including himself. You get the idea, very similar to Iron Man.
Good point, it did have some, Kato is played by Jay Chou (The Treasure Hunter, True Legend) who hasn't done a whole lot. He did a wonderful job and I really enjoyed him on screen. I will have to admit that I don't know much about the Green Hornet but is Kato supposed to be so much cooler? It seemed like he was the one running the show while the Green Hornet got all of the credit?
The special effects are awesome and very fun. I didn't care to much for the directing style but that is just me. The language was a little much to deal with as well. I know that may seem odd considering some of the movies I watch. I am really not a prude about language but it does have to at least make sense and fit into the story. I felt like it was thrown in just for the sake of it. Seth Rogen (Knocked up, Superbad, Pineapple express) played the Green Hornet and was one of the writers. I had a lot of issues with the writing, the dialog, the story, as I mentioned the language, some of the jokes. Then again I am not really a fan of Seth Rogen. I know he has fans and people really like him. If you fit into that category you will really like this movie.
Don't get me wrong I like comic books and I like a lot of the movie adaptations. I really enjoyed the Spider-man movies, the Batman movies, love the X-men movies. I am just not a huge fan of the Iron Man movies or the Green Hornet. Maybe it's the snobby playboy who is so full of himself he is blind to everything else around him. I don't really know.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Remember Me
Move over Keith and make some room for Tyler! Keith (2008) is my all time favorite Independent film. However, that was before I watched Remember Me (2010). It is such a beautiful and amazing film. I love everything about it, the acting, the script, the music, everything. Director Allen Coulter(The Sopranos, Kingpin), who is from New York and has lived there forever, really takes you into the heart of New York and gives you a glimpse of Tyler's life, a 20 something guy trying to find himself. Coulter's camera angles are fantastic, the way he chooses to set up scenes is amazing, the way he lets the story unfold, everything about the directing is wonderful.
The script was written by Will Fetters, his first project to be made into a motion picture. What a great first! He felt strongly that this story needed to be told and found a great group of people that agreed with him. The score is by Marcelo Zarvos, whom I know nothing about. The music is beautiful both the score and the soundtrack. It is so subtle but moving. Everybody worked together so well to be accurate to the time, the attention to detail is amazing. Right down to the extras.
The acting is so well done by everyone. Ruby Jerins (Shutter Island, Nurse Jackie), who played Caroline, Tyler's little sister, is so talented. Keep your eye on her. She is going places. Janine, played by Kate Burton (127 Hours, Max Payne), is also a wonderful character. I love the relationships between all of the various characters, they are so well developed therefore the relationships are very developed. Tyler's relationship with Caroline is so touching and Ruby can really hold her own with Rob. They play off each other so well. Janine and Tyler also have a very neat relationship.
It is such an authentic, honest story dealing with how to live, how to overcome tragedy and grief. It is about maturing and learning how to bond with other people, really getting to know each other and letting someone in, so to speak, and learning to forgive.
I will never forget the last fifteen minutes of the movie. Just when you think you know what the movie is about, where it is going and what they are trying to say - you are surprised. In only two scenes you see what it is really about. I don't want to spoil that though. It is all so well done!
There are some movies that have such and impact on me that I am forever changed after watching them. This is one of them. As Michael says "Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch" This film has left a fingerprint on my life.
The script was written by Will Fetters, his first project to be made into a motion picture. What a great first! He felt strongly that this story needed to be told and found a great group of people that agreed with him. The score is by Marcelo Zarvos, whom I know nothing about. The music is beautiful both the score and the soundtrack. It is so subtle but moving. Everybody worked together so well to be accurate to the time, the attention to detail is amazing. Right down to the extras.
The acting is so well done by everyone. Ruby Jerins (Shutter Island, Nurse Jackie), who played Caroline, Tyler's little sister, is so talented. Keep your eye on her. She is going places. Janine, played by Kate Burton (127 Hours, Max Payne), is also a wonderful character. I love the relationships between all of the various characters, they are so well developed therefore the relationships are very developed. Tyler's relationship with Caroline is so touching and Ruby can really hold her own with Rob. They play off each other so well. Janine and Tyler also have a very neat relationship.
It is such an authentic, honest story dealing with how to live, how to overcome tragedy and grief. It is about maturing and learning how to bond with other people, really getting to know each other and letting someone in, so to speak, and learning to forgive.
I will never forget the last fifteen minutes of the movie. Just when you think you know what the movie is about, where it is going and what they are trying to say - you are surprised. In only two scenes you see what it is really about. I don't want to spoil that though. It is all so well done!
There are some movies that have such and impact on me that I am forever changed after watching them. This is one of them. As Michael says "Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch" This film has left a fingerprint on my life.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Keith
Movies are an art form that I thoroughly enjoy. I really cannot get enough. I enjoy all types of movies, action, comedy, romance, sci-fi - all of it; one of my favorites is Independent films. The reason I enjoy Independent films, or Indies, is that they make you think. A really good movie, no matter what genre, will make you think even more so after it is over. The longer it stays with me after the movie the more I fall in love with it. That is what it was like with the indie film Keith (2008).
Keith is beautifully directed by Todd Kessler; the music is so well done and really adds to the feel and passion of the movie.
"It's time for the picnic scene" just one of many quotable lines from this movie. Keith is played by none other than Jesse McCartney who mostly does voices for animated characters such as Theodore from the Alvin and the chipmunk movies and some Tinkerbell and Kingdom hearts stuff. I never would have expected to see him in such a role. Ethan Phillips (Glory, the Island) plays the chemistry teacher that makes Keith and Natalie lab partners. Natalie is played by Elisabeth Harnois (One tree hill, Mars needs Moms) She does an amazing job as the very organized, together high school girl who has her whole future planned out. That is until she meets Keith.
"This is the crossroads" another good line. The dialog is so well done. There are so many great lines. Keith is based on the short story by Ron Carlson who was also involved in the screenplay. Throughout the movie Keith and Natalie act out various "scenes". It is kind of hard to explain but that is one of the funny, quirky things about their "relationship".
Natalie thinks she has everything all figured out, Keith is a bit of a mystery and the vaguer he is the more interesting he becomes to Natalie. Without spoiling anything, this is a very serious movie about life, friendship, decisions and love. Keith has a secret that will change Natalie's life forever; in turn she will change his. I really like the way they portray the changes in Natalie's life as things unfold.
"This is the goodbye scene" one of the more touching scenes. Every once in a while a movie comes along that somehow just becomes a part of me. It speaks to me in a way I can't explain, like a piece of art would. Keith is one of those movies!
Keith is beautifully directed by Todd Kessler; the music is so well done and really adds to the feel and passion of the movie.
"It's time for the picnic scene" just one of many quotable lines from this movie. Keith is played by none other than Jesse McCartney who mostly does voices for animated characters such as Theodore from the Alvin and the chipmunk movies and some Tinkerbell and Kingdom hearts stuff. I never would have expected to see him in such a role. Ethan Phillips (Glory, the Island) plays the chemistry teacher that makes Keith and Natalie lab partners. Natalie is played by Elisabeth Harnois (One tree hill, Mars needs Moms) She does an amazing job as the very organized, together high school girl who has her whole future planned out. That is until she meets Keith.
"This is the crossroads" another good line. The dialog is so well done. There are so many great lines. Keith is based on the short story by Ron Carlson who was also involved in the screenplay. Throughout the movie Keith and Natalie act out various "scenes". It is kind of hard to explain but that is one of the funny, quirky things about their "relationship".
Natalie thinks she has everything all figured out, Keith is a bit of a mystery and the vaguer he is the more interesting he becomes to Natalie. Without spoiling anything, this is a very serious movie about life, friendship, decisions and love. Keith has a secret that will change Natalie's life forever; in turn she will change his. I really like the way they portray the changes in Natalie's life as things unfold.
"This is the goodbye scene" one of the more touching scenes. Every once in a while a movie comes along that somehow just becomes a part of me. It speaks to me in a way I can't explain, like a piece of art would. Keith is one of those movies!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Hop
I took my 13 year old daughter to see Hop a few days ago. Now, what you should know about my daughter is .... she is a tomboy. She has never been into cutesy, girly, things and only wanted to see this movie because James Marsden (X-Men, Enchanted, 27 Dresses) is in it. We love the X-Men movies and enjoyed James Marsden's portrail of Cyclops. So, the movie got over and the first thing my daughter says is "that was a very weird role to see James Marsden in". I had to remind her that he was also in Enchanted and his role as Prince Edward was also pretty "weird".
Hop is a cute movie, entertaining but predictable. It is not the best script and wouldn't win any oscars or anything but you have to know that is not the kind of movie you are going to when you see the trailers. The screenplay was written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio who also gave us Despicable Me, Horton hears a Who and Santa Clause 2. What I really liked about the movie Hop is how clean it was. Which is a huge surprise considering Russell Brand (Arthur, Get him to the Greek, Bedtime Stories) is involved in it. Russell Brand does the voice for E.B., the Easter Bunny. He did a great job and even has a very funny cameo appearing as himself.
My daughter was not very impressed when it ended. We had a few laughs but she didn't seem very impressed. We love to quote movies and one of her comments was that it didn't have any good lines to quote. I pointed out that I enjoyed how clean it was.
I have heard and read so many comments about wanting a good family friendly clean movie. Well that is exactly what you get with Hop. So, if we finally get one shouldn't we like it and support it. I even found a few quotable lines. I pointed these things out to my daughter and we talked about it quite a bit. In the end we were laughing and decided that we really enjoyed it. If you ask her about it today she will say she loved it and probably will quote a few lines for you.
Now, this may sound like I talked her into liking it and you may think that isn't right. I don't really see it that way. I think it is one of my jobs as a parent to teach my children to enjoy art in all its forms and to look at things from every angle.
Hop is a cute movie, entertaining but predictable. It is not the best script and wouldn't win any oscars or anything but you have to know that is not the kind of movie you are going to when you see the trailers. The screenplay was written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio who also gave us Despicable Me, Horton hears a Who and Santa Clause 2. What I really liked about the movie Hop is how clean it was. Which is a huge surprise considering Russell Brand (Arthur, Get him to the Greek, Bedtime Stories) is involved in it. Russell Brand does the voice for E.B., the Easter Bunny. He did a great job and even has a very funny cameo appearing as himself.
My daughter was not very impressed when it ended. We had a few laughs but she didn't seem very impressed. We love to quote movies and one of her comments was that it didn't have any good lines to quote. I pointed out that I enjoyed how clean it was.
I have heard and read so many comments about wanting a good family friendly clean movie. Well that is exactly what you get with Hop. So, if we finally get one shouldn't we like it and support it. I even found a few quotable lines. I pointed these things out to my daughter and we talked about it quite a bit. In the end we were laughing and decided that we really enjoyed it. If you ask her about it today she will say she loved it and probably will quote a few lines for you.
Now, this may sound like I talked her into liking it and you may think that isn't right. I don't really see it that way. I think it is one of my jobs as a parent to teach my children to enjoy art in all its forms and to look at things from every angle.
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