Friday, December 31, 2010

Movies that Entertained Me in 2010

In no particular order...
The Social Network
Inception
Kick Ass
Going the Distance
Love and Other Drugs
It's Kind of a Funny Story
The Kids are All Right
Winter's Bone
The Killer Inside Me
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
127 Hours
True Grit
Black Swan
The Town
The Fighter
Toy Story 3
Easy A
The King's Speech

The Town



What I liked: Ben Affleck is a triple threat. Not only did he act in it, but he also wrote and directed it. Rebecca Hall did a wonderful job although I didn't agree with her character (see more below). Jeremy Renner and Chris Cooper were great as usual, just wished that they had bigger roles. Jon Hamm was not Don Drapper like. Titus Welliver, aka the Man in Black!

The story was interesting and was a fun ride to be on.

What I didn't like: I didn't understand Rebecca Hall's character. She made some weird choices for a person who went through what she went through. I also didn't care for Blake Lively. Say what you will, but I don't think that this girl can act.

Grade: A-

Look for it on DVD.

http://thetownmovie.warnerbros.com/dvd/

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The Fighter



What I liked: The cast was excellent. I read somewhere that Mark Wahlberg trained for years before filming and it shows. He looked like a boxer instead of an ex-underwear model. Christian Bale may have done his best work ever (although he was pretty good in Newsies). The supporting actor award should be his. Melissa Leo and Amy Adams were also great and could compete with each other in the supporting actress race. I also enjoyed the subplots. It's just not about Wahlberg's character...Bale, Leo, and Adams all had interesting story lines and strong character development.

Bonus: Conan O'Brien's sister!

What I didn't like: ...

Grade: A

The Green Hornet




FYI- I knew nothing about The Green Hornet before seeing this movie. Apparently it started off on radio, went to film, then television, then became a comic book before this movie was created.


What I liked:

  • It was entertaining and funny. 
  •  The character of Kato is very interesting. 
  •  Christoph Waltz was great. 
  •  A cameo by James Franco!



What I didn’t like:

  •  Seth Rogen can get annoying after awhile. 
  •  I don’t think that Cameron Diaz was a good choice for her part. 
  •  Some of the action sequences were a little over the top.


Grade: B

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Gulliver's Travels



I didn't think it could get worse then this...but it did.

What I liked:  ...


What I didn't like: 1st I saw this in 3D.  There is no reason to see it in 3D.  I don't recall one single 3D special effect.  2nd I do not need to see Jack Black's bare butt or chest.  3rd It is rated PG and is marketed towards kids but the jokes are pretty adult and I didn't hear a lot of laughter coming from the kids in the audience.  4th The acting was just bad.  5th The story was just as bad as the acting.

Grade: F

Thursday, December 16, 2010

How Do You Know



What I liked:

  • Paul Rudd and Reece Witherspoon have very pretty eyes. 
  • Larry Appleton from Perfect Strangers! 
  •  Kathryn Hahn, as always, was enjoyable to watch.

Black Swan



I had to ponder this one for a little bit. It’s not that I didn’t like the movie; it’s just that it takes you to a deep, dark place and I needed a little time to process it all. This is not a movie for everyone. It may confuse you. It may scare you. It may make you uncomfortable. It may blow your mind.

What I liked:

  • Natalie Portman was amazing. She played this issue ridden character so well that she is my top choice for an Oscar for Best Actress. 
  •  The way that the story was told was very creative. 
  • Darren Aronofsky did a wonderful job directing. 
  •  Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, and Winona Ryder all played fantastic supporting roles. 
  •  The special effects were very cool.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

True Grit



I wasn’t expecting much from this film. The fact that there was this little girl, as a main character in a western film, was enough to peak my interest.

What I liked: Everything. It was cleverly written. It was funny. Not in a haha way but in a smart way. The acting was great. Hailee Steinfeld is a natural. Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon gave solid performances. The makeup and costume designs were fantastic.

What I didn’t like: How does Josh Brolin get top billing over Barry Pepper? Is it because he is an Oscar nominee? So what. I think Pepper had the same amount of screen time if not more and deserves to be recognized.

I know that this is a remake of the 1969 movie, so is that why it got snubbed from the Golden Globe Awards?  (for more on the Awards click here) I think that it could have done well in the Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical category. It was ten times better then this and this. And Steinfeld could have easily taken Angelina Jolie’s nomination.

Also, I find it funny that this is rated PG-13.  There were some pretty violent moments.  How many deaths does it take to get an R rating?  This is just one of many examples that make me question the Motion Picture Association of America...but that's another blog for another time.

Grade: A

The Golden Globe Nominations

My initial reaction to the Golden Globe nominations…
Yeah!!  Really?!

What I liked:  All the nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama.  All of the new (and young) nominees:  Jennifer Lawrence for Winter’s Bone, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis for Black Swan, Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine, Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield for The Social Network, James Franco for 127 Hours,  Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhall for Love and Other Drugs, and Emma Stone for Easy A.  As for the television nominations…most were well deserve even if they were predictable.
What I didn’t like: Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical nominees.  Burlesque and The Tourist?!  Really?!  I am even a little iffy on Red.  Did the Hollywood Foreign Press really have nothing else to choose from?  Angelina Jolie for Best Actress for The Tourist?!  Johnny Depp for Best Actor for The Tourist?!  Really?!  How about Toy Story 3 instead?!  
Switching to Television: Piper Perabo for Best Actress for Covert Affairs?!  Scott Caan for Hawaii Five-O?!

Also nothing for True Grit.  I plan on seeing that tonight so we will see if I agree that it should have been shut out or not. {Saw it.  It should not have been shut out.  You can read my review here}

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Winter's Bone



Winter's Bone is a tale of a 17 year old girl and what she has to do to keep her life as is. It has won numerous awards including Best Picture at the Sundance Film Festival.

What I liked: Ree, played brilliantly by Jennifer Lawrence, is engaging. You feel for her and want to follow her on this journey. Lawrence is a beautiful young actress who I expect to see a lot more from. The story was interesting and well told and even though at times it moved a little slow, it did not bore you.

What I didn't like: Sometimes the dialogue was a little hard to follow. It's like this small town had it's own vocabulary.

Grade: A-

Look for it on DVD.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

The Tourist




I don’t get the allure of Angelina Jolie and I don’t swoon over Johnny Depp. However, even if this movie had two of my favorite actors in it, I still wouldn’t find the appeal in it.

What I liked: The supporting actors all did well. Angelia’s wardrobe was nice.

What I didn’t like: 1st The storyline was just ok. The trailer makes this looked action packed but it’s not. 2nd Every time the camera was on Angelina, it felt like she was trying to say “Look at me. I am the most beautiful woman in the world.” 3rd The chemistry between Angelina and Johnny was nonexistent. They just seemed to be fighting over who was the prettier one in the scene. 4th The special effects were horrible. Most of the nighttime scenes in the water seemed like the borrowed the water tank from Baywatch.

Don’t get me wrong, I like spy/fun capper type movies. Ocean’s 11 is great. The Tourist just never comes together for me.

Grade: D

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Love and Other Drugs

I am not posting the trailer for this movie because it will give you a false impression of what this movie is like.  The trailer is full of fluff and laughs and the movie is much more then that.  It’s dark, thought provoking, and romantic.   

Earlier reviews said that it was a downer, and while there are sad and depressing parts, the overall messages in the movie are very interesting.  Hopefully after watching this movie, you will think about all that you have in your life and be grateful for it all.

What I liked:










Two beautiful and talented actors.  The chemistry between Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway is so very natural.  I hope they work together again.  I also enjoyed the main plot and all of the interesting sub-plots.  This movie will get you thinking about prescription drugs, the heath care system, priorities, love, dedication, and hope.

What I didn’t like: The brother’s story didn’t make sense to me.  That character could have been developed better. Also, the movie is just shy of two hours but there were a few spots that seem to drag on forever.

Grade: B+