Movie Watcher's Guide

I was nervous about watching this film because of the NC-17 rating, but my love of The Fassbender overshadowed my nervousness. I had heard from several people that it was very good, so I drove all the way to Seattle with my friend and bought a ticket. 

Did it deserve the NC-17 rating? Yes. Was The Fassbender worth it? Definitely. In fact, it was not as graphic as I was expecting, although it was still quite intense and I definitely saw more than I needed to. If you are uncomfortable with sex scenes at all, then this is obviously not the movie for you. Fassbender's character (Brandon) gets into some pretty intense situations (SPOILER ALERT), including a sex scene with a man, a threesome, several masturbation scenes, and some other scenes with random women, not to mention full frontal from both The Fassbender and Carey Mulligan.

Yes it is graphic, but one of the scenes (which is the most prolonged and intense of them all) is actually filmed quite stylishly. The music was beautiful, the acting was superb, and the gradual spiral of the character was quite something to watch. The sadness and pity you feel for the character overshadows any awkwardness or repulsiveness you might have for the graphicness of the sex scenes. 

This was not by all means the best movie of the year. It isn't even necessary to run out and see it immediately in theaters. However, if you are like me and are into the whole awards season thing, then this is a must watch. In my opinion, they should just hand the Oscar to The Fassbender and call it a day. Once again, if you are like me and are a huge fan of his, you don't need to see the movie to know that. Carey Mulligan also gives a great performance as his psychotic and depressed sister. (Not sure about you..........but I sensed a bit of incest between the two.)

MY FINAL SAY: RENT IT for sure, GO SEE IT if it is your cup of tea. 

Posted at 06:40 pm | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Share

Although it was not as good as I had hoped, it was still rather enjoyable. Well........as enjoyable as a movie about a depressed psychotic ex-prom queen could be. Charlize Theron is great and definitely deserves the nominations she has received for Best Actress. The script was quirky, dark, and classic Diablo Cody (Juno), with a few awkwardly funny moments (have to laugh to keep from crying sort of stuff). I don't want to get all rottentomatoes on you and give you the critic's review about how the story captures the reality and raw emotion of the character or whatever. But yes.........it did that. 

Basically, it was a pretty good movie with a great performance.

MY FINAL SAY: RENT IT

Posted at 09:39 pm | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Share

Here is a list of some actors you may or may not recognize, but who deserve recognition. Many of them I knew were great at first sight and I have named them as some of my favorites long before their breakout roles in 2011. You will definitely be seeing more of them in the future. 

Jessica Chastain

You can tell a great actress when she can be heartbreaking as a grieving mother in The Tree of Life, a fragile yet fierce agent in The Debt, and a bubbly yet depressed housewife in The Help. She is beautiful, she is talented, and already a golden globe nominee. 

Will next appear in Tar with James Franco and Michelle Williams, and Wettest County with Shia Labeouf, Guy Pearce, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman and Mia Wasikowska.

Michael Fassbender

You have all heard me say it................ever since his role in 300, it was love. This man has got to be one of the best actors ever. Absolutely every role he has played has been brilliant, from his small part in Inglourious Basterds to the leading role in Jane Eyre. Thankfully he was cast in the huge blockbuster X-men, helping him to become the next biggest star out there. I have not seen Shame yet, but I can already tell you he will likely win most awards for it. Don't believe me? Check him out in Fish Tank, Hunger, and Centurion. 

Will appear next in the Ridley Scott Sci-Fi horror Prometheus alongside Noomie Rapace and Charlize Theron, and in Twelve Years a Slave directed by Steve McQueen (his third film with Fassbender) and starring Brad Pitt.

Tom Hardy

After Inception, I thought he might just be another pretty face. However, I did my research and watched some of his other films (Wuthering Heights, Bronson, and Warrior) and realized............this guy is good. I have high hopes for him and after his role as Bane in the next Batman film, he is surely to become a well known name. 

Will appear in The Dark Knight Rises, Wettest County, and now stars alongside Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. 

Henry Cavill

Many of you may know him for his role in The Tudors, or some of you might have been introduced to him in the new film Immortals. Which ever it was............doubtful you can forget him. I mean look at him! He managed to hold his own in The Tudors, competing with the outstanding performance by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and prove his action hero status in Immortals, but can he win the hearts of Superman fans? Check out some of his other roles in Tristan & Isolde, Blood Creek and Whatever Works. 

Will appear next in Man of Steel (as Superman) and The Cold Light of Day alongside Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver. 

Tom Hiddleston

Thor was one of the biggest blockbusters this year. While I wasn't taken with it immediately (it grew on me though), I was transfixed by this new actor I had never seen before, playing the bad guy. Even my Mom, who hardly agrees with me, kept leaning over asking who he was and what else he was in. Usually I would have the answer, but I was clueless as well. This would not be his only brilliant performance this year. He plays F. Scott Fitzgerald in Midnight in Paris and the nicest Captain you'll ever know in War Horse. It takes some pretty great acting to convince people you are a sinister superhero in one film, and the sweetest man ever in another. 

Will reprise his role as Loki in possibly the biggest blockbuster ever, The Avengers, this summer. 

Noomie Rapace

WHY she was not nominated for her role as Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish verion of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo..............I will never know. That must be one of the greatest performances I have ever seen. She completely transformed for the role and I hardly recognized her the first time I saw her without her gothic makeup and costume. She proved once again that she can kick some ass, with her role in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, which opened the same week as the American remake of Dragon Tattoo. One day she will get the recognition she deserves. 

Will next appear in Prometheus, as well as the Dracula horror film The Last Voyage of Demeter, once again alongside Jude Law. 

Asa Butterfield

He has got to be the most adorable and most talented young actor in recent film. He broke hearts in the extremely emotional Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and once again in Hugo as the title character. He was even the inspiration for one of the main character's in my novel. I see great things in this actor's future. 

Will next appear in the sci-fi film Ender's Game, alongside Hailee Steinfeld and once again with Ben Kingsley. 

Jennifer Lawrence

She proved her acting chops in Winter's Bone and gained even more fans when she was cast as Mystique in the popular X-Men film. This does not even compare to the recognition she will earn for her next film The Hunger Games, based on the extremely popular book series. She is respected by some well established and important film people and will soon most likely gain a huge following of the teenage variety, after the release of The Hunger Games (which I can already say is way more deserving than those Twilight films). Three cheers for a young actress who can actually act. 

Will next appear in The Hunger Games and alongside Bradley Cooper in The Silver Linings Playbook.

Posted at 08:21 pm | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Share

Here is a list of my favorite films of 2011. I have not seen every single movie released, so this list may be added to once more DVD releases come out. But for now...........here is what I got! (In no particular order)

X-Men First Clas s

 

Hugo

The Help

War Horse

Warrior

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Hanna

 Crazy Stupid Love​ 

My Week With Marilyn

Attack the Block

Super 8

Bridesmaids

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I don't even know where to start..........so I am going to keep this short. I hate it when people hype up a movie so much that when you finally watch it you are disappointed, so I will try to keep it simple (trying hard). This is not a movie for little kids. It is violent, intense, and way too emotional for younglings. Yes, it is a story about a horse and is marked as a "family movie," but I caution you before taking anyone under 10 years old to see it. 

It is directed by Steven Spielberg (that should give you an idea about how well made it is). It is as epic as epic gets, from the scenery to the music. The story is way better than you would imagine a story about a horse could be. I knew this would be a good film but I was a bit weary about sitting in a theater for two and a half hours watching a horse, but it is much more than that. Basically, the horse is just one of the main characters in the story, but not the ONLY character. I was so emotionally involved with some characters, that at times I completely forgot about the horse (only for a moment). It is a war epic...........with a horse. 

There were many fine performances in the film, and praise must be given to the young actor (Jeremy Irvine) who plays the main character. You will see more of him, as well as Tom Hiddleston, who I knew was great after the first time I saw him in Thor (plays Loki).

Okay, that is all I will say!

MY FINAL SAY: GO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

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I have not read the book, thus I cannot compare the movies to it, so I will simply compare the two movies against one another based on production value.

 

My overall opinion is that the original Swedish version of the film starring Noomie Rapace is much better, for several reasons, such as the overall set up of the story, the music, Noomie, costume design, and the extent of the graphic nature (which is intense, but is actually less graphic than the American version). 

While Rooney Mara did well in the American film and mastered the accent, I still think Noomie Rapace is the best Lisbeth. In a perfect world, where the two films might be combined in some way, it would have Noomie as Lisbeth and Daniel Craig as Blomkvist. 

The American version was not a terrible movie by all means, but it just lacked something. It lacked suspense, flow, and emotion. I found myself confused and having trouble understanding what was going on, although I knew exactly what happens having seen the original. I wondered if the lack of suspense was due to the fact that I knew the story and had no surprises, but as I watched it, I knew that was not the reason. Perhaps it was the music. Maybe it was the music. I think it was the music. Yeah..........it was the music. I don't know.

Besides the music not being as good, the flow of the film was also a lot more choppy. It switched too much back and forth between the two characters with no real rhyme or reason. The Swedish version does the same switching back and forth, but has more fluidity and style to it. 

The best thing I can say about the American version, with a lot of enthusiasm in fact, is that the opening credits.................were awesome. Very much a James Bond sort of theme (funny since he is in the movie). ;)

MY FINAL SAY: SKIP IT AND WATCH THE ORIGINAL............rent it if you want to compare. 

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Finally.................I went to see Sherlock Holmes. I really liked the first one, but some bad reviews of Game of Shadows made me nervous to see the second one. However, I listened to my love of Robert Downey Jr. and a review from a trusted friend and dragged my Dad to the theater with me on this Christmas night. This is what I thought.........

Absolutely fabulous! It was exactly what I expected and wanted from the movie. A fun, entertaining, comedic, and action packed fantastical story. I am not sure why some people gave it bad reviews...............my only explanation is that it is because critic's are nit picky robots. Sure it is not like your typical Sherlock Holmes, since he is sort of like a superhero with powers of observation and extreme fighting skills, but that just makes him way more fun. 

It was especially great to see Noomie Rapace in a role other than The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Robert Downey Jr. is wonderful as always and Jude Law always has a way of reminding me that he is indeed a great actor and really fun to watch. ;)

This movie is a rare case of when a sequel is better than the first, and when you can watch it without having seen the first and still follow what is going on. The plot was rather similar, but the script was a lot better. There were many points in the film that made the whole theater laugh out loud. The action sequences were bigger, more intense and had a lot more..............style. Style was also abound in the costume design, especially Noomie's gypsy ensembles. Hans Zimmer once again created a great score, sticking with the original theme from the first. 

MY FINAL SAY: GO SEE IT!!

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A lot of us have the next few days or even weeks off for the holidays, and rather than face the crowds at the movie theaters, you might just be looking for movies to rent at home. Here is a list of some recent ones I have watched and recommend:

ATTACK THE BLOCK

I heard about this movie from reading a review about it on moviefone.com. I had never heard of it before, nor seen a preview, or heard from anyone who had seen it. The review had nothing but praise for it, so I decided to put it on my Netflix queue and give it a shot. 

WHAT A WONDERFUL SURPRISE! Even my Mom enjoyed it, even with the graphic violence and alien invasion plot. I am not sure how to describe it. It is sort of like a mix between The Goonies, Kick Ass, Gremlins, and Evolution. Basically, aliens invade a town in South London and a group of gangster teens decide to take action and a bloody battle ensues, that contains a few scenes of graphic killings but also some hilarious quotes. It is an extremely funny, thrilling, and action packed film. 

   


WARRIOR

   

This movie is very similar to The Fighter, Rocky, and Million Dollar Baby. The performances are excellent and even people like me who don't really care for MMA fights or whatever they are, loved the story. Most of you have seen the preview, but I won't give any plot away like they did. Just trust me when I say it is a well acted, emotional, and well made film.

THE DEBT

I really enjoyed this movie, even though it was on the slower side and mainly focused on character development and plot. Jessica Chastain is a marvel to watch and a fabulous actress. It is mostly a drama thriller, with a few action bits thrown in. The story is different from most I have come across in its genre and I am a sucker for twist endings. 

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

I was actually very surprised at how good this movie was. The music, the story, the CGI. Having seen the first Planet of the Apes, it was really fun to see how it all started. And it is pretty believable that all the animals would rise up against us at some point because of how we treat them. Bottom line.........don't mess with apes. 

And congrats to Andy Serkis for his nomination!!

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I watched this movie, uncertain really of what the plot was. I had some sort of idea, but I wish I had watched it without knowing a thing. I will not ruin the plot at all for anyone, because it is much better going in blind. Here is what I will say..............

Midnight in Paris is a refreshing, imaginative, and magical film. It is hard to describe how great it is without giving away the plot, so just trust me when I say it is an absolute joy. This is definitely a film that appeals to a certain crowd. It is artsy, creative, historical, and romantic, and delves into the discussion of how people view the present and fantasize about the past. Being a writer myself, I really connected with the main character (it almost feels like Woody Allen snuck into my brain and stole my thoughts for this film). It was just fabulous.

Owen Wilson was very charming as the quarky and romantic main character. Kathy Bates, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hiddleston, Adrien Brody, Rachel McAdams and the rest of the cast were great in their roles and each had their own unique character to play, making it fun and intriguing to watch, making the audience anticipate which character would be introduced next. 

MY FINAL SAY: RENT IT! (Now available on DVD and OnDemand)


Nominations:

Golden Globe (Best Picture Comedy, Best Actor (Owen Wilson), Best Director (Woody Allen), Best Screenplay)

SAG (Best Cast)

Critic's Choice Awards (Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Comedy)
                    

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Now imagine..........the Mission Impossible theme song.......Bum bum bum bum bum bum........and bad ass action sequences........and you have Mission Impossible 4. Here is how it was, based on Pros and Cons.........

PROS: Tom Cruise is the man..........






doing his own stunts...........





with Jeremy Renner...........






also the man............





helping him out.........






along with Simon Pegg............







the comic relief.............







also equally awesome.............







using superhero like technological devices that we all wish were real..................








and Paula Patton..............







the token hot chick...............






kicking ass and taking names...............







set to famous theme music..............







on incredible sets...............






including a sandstorm (yeah)...............







and also the guy from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (original) being bad..................






all wrapped up in one awesome badass movie.

CONS: ..........................um.


Okay, so yes............this is an extremely unrealistic movie. With unrealistic technology. And unrealistic action sequences that just seem to go right all the time, with tension building until the very last second when everything goes well. But honestly, that is what the people want............and they had me sucked in the whole time. Pure Entertainment. The End. Go away if you are one of those nit picky people who can't just sit back and enjoy the fun.


MY FINAL SAY: JUST GO!

Posted at 10:15 pm | Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Share