Sunday, October 30, 2011

In Time



What I liked:

  • Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried are easy on the eyes.
  • Cillian Murphy, Johnny Galecki, Matt Bomer, Olivia Wilde and Alex Pettyfer make for an interesting supporting cast.
  • Vincent Kartheiser always plays a great slime ball.
  • Interesting concept for a story.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Anonymous



What I liked:
  • Very well acted by Rhys Ifans and Vanessa Redgrave.  The supporting cast was also very good: Joely Richardson, Sebastian Armesto, Rafe Spall, David Thewlis, Edward Hogg, Sam Reid, Xavier Samuel and Jamie Campbell Bower.  And if you are wondering where you have seen the actress who played Anna De Vere, it is Helen Baxendale, aka Emily from Friends.
  • The story was interesting.  What if Shakespeare didn't write what we know to be as Shakespeare?  There are many conspiracy theories out there.  This is just one of them.
  • The costumes are exquisite.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Margin Call



What I liked:
  • Outstanding ensemble cast: Kevin Space, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, Paul Bettany, Zachary Quinto, Simon Baker, Penn Badgley, Mary McDonnell, Aasif Mandvi, and Ashley Williams.
  • Tucci gives an insane monologue of numbers.  Love him.
  • The storyline is fascinating and intriguing.  Even if you don't understand the financial market, you are aware of of the implications that this event is creating.
  • I liked the way that the music was used and not used.  Sometimes the silence enhanced the scenes.

Puss in Boots



What I liked:
  • The animation was wonderful.
  • Antonio Banderas brings so much life to Puss.
  • Salma Hayek was a nice compliment to Banderas as Kitty Softpaws.
  • Zach Galifianakis played a great Humpty Dumpty.
  • The dance number in the beginning was enjoyable.
  • The moral of the story was nice but may be too subtle for kids to grasp.

DVD Day

New to DVD

Attack the Block - Grade B+
Read full review here

Captain America - Grade B+
Read full review here

Friday, October 21, 2011

The Three Musketeers



What I liked:
  • Matthew Macfadyen and Luke Evans were fine.
  • Orlando Bloom as a bad guy.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The Big Year



"The bird is the word."

What I liked:
  • It has a diverse cast - Steve Marin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Rashida Jones, Joel McHale, Jim Parsons, Rosamund Pike, Kevin Pollak, JoBeth Williams, Paul Campbell, Dianne Wiest, Brian Dennehy, Anthony Anderson, Steven Weber and Corbin Bernsen.
  • The concept of a Big Year is kind of interesting although I can't imagine that it would rely solely on the honor system.

DVD Day

New to DVD

Horrible Bosses - Grade B-
Read full review here

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Ides of March



What I liked:
  • Could this cast get any better?  George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, and Max Minghella?!  All gave solid performances.
  • Clooney did a fine job directing.
  • The story was interesting and smart.
  • The dialogue was fantastic.
  • The score was complimentary to what was on the screen.

Machine Gun Preacher



What I liked:
  • This film sheds light on the despicable tragedy that is happening in southern Sudan.
  • Gerard Butler did ok in this dramatic role but I felt like he was acting like Sam Childers instead of being Childers.
  • Michelle Monaghan and Kathy Baker were fine in their supporting roles.
  • Michael Shannon brought a sort of sympathy to his character.
  • The child actors in Africa were all amazing.

Footloose



What I liked:
  • I liked this version more than the original.  The updates gave it a better flow.
  • Kenny Wormald did a great job in his first major role.  Granted, you will always think about Kevin Bacon when you think of Footloose, but Kenny brought his own something, something to the role.
  • Loved Miles Teller as Willard.  He brought so much more life to the character than the original had.  He was my favorite part of the whole film!
  • The preacher had a much smaller role this time around, so Dennis Quaid did not have to compete with John Lithgow.
  • The modern dancing and the contemporary music was fun and energetic.
  • Ray McKinnon!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

The Way



What I liked:
  • A heartfelt story of hope, faith, and acceptance.
  • Exceptionally well casted.
  • Martin Sheen does a wonderful job taking you on this journey with him by knowing when to be emotional, when to be cynical, and when to be accepting.  He never looks forced to "act" in a scene, it all comes out naturally.