Friday, August 31, 2012

Won't Back Down



What I liked:

  • Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal make a great team.
  • Great supporting cast: Holly Hunter, Rosie Perez, Oscar Isaac, Lance Reddick, Emily Alyn Lind, Ned Eisenberg and Ving Rhames.
  • It's a touching story.  No one wants to see a school or their child fail.

Trouble With The Curve



What I liked:

  • When I saw the trailer, I thought that Justin Timberlake might be the weak spot in this film considering he is acting opposite Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams.  I was wrong.  JT was the only life in this film.
  • Matthew Lillard!
  • Nice cinematography.
  • They used some cool special effects by using old footage of Eastwood to do a flashback.

Lawless



What I liked:
  • Fantastic cast: Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, and Gary Oldman.
  • Hardy can rock a cardigan on an outlaw like no other.
  • It engaged the audience pretty well.  They laughed out loud at the funny parts, cheered when the bad guy was hurt and shrieked when the good guy was hurt.
  • Beautiful cinematography.
  • It was based on a true story of the three brothers.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Campaign



What I liked:

  • John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd as scheming political brothers?!  This should have been the movie.
  • Karen Maruyama is a pretty hilarious Mrs. Yao.
  • Dylan McDermott plays a great snake.
  • Katherine LaNasa is a great political wife.

The Queen of Versailles



What I liked:

  • If nothing else, this film should make you appreciate what you have, make you want to live within your means, and inspire you to recycle and donate your unwanted items.
  • It is an interesting look at how the time share market and banks work.
  • Jackie Siegel has a heart.  She did take in her niece and try to help out a friend in need.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The Odd Life of Timothy Green



What I liked:

  • Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton play convincing want-to-be parents.
  • CJ Adams is super cute and talented.
  • Great supporting cast: Rosemarie DeWitt, Shohreh Aghdashloo, David Morse, M. Emmet Walsh, Lois Smith, Dianne Wiest, Ron Livingston, Common and Odeya Rush.
  • One lesson that is taught - Be careful what you wish for.
  • Glen Hansard has a song in the credits.
Spoilers ahead...

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Hope Springs



What I liked:

  • Meryl Streep is so good that she didn't have to speak for most of the film.  Her facial expressions said everything.  She kept this role understated and it worked well.
  • Tommy Lee Jones is a funny, grumpy old man.
  • It is funny because it is real.  It was also sad because it is real.
  • I liked that they portrayed the average American.  She worked at Coldwater Creek and shopped at Barnes and Noble.  Product placement, yes, but also better than her shopping on Rodeo drive.  He complained about a $10.95 breakfast.  Their anniversary gifts to each other were a new water heater and an upgraded cable subscription.  This is the world as I see it.
  • Elisabeth Shue!
  • I enjoyed the soundtrack.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

The Bourne Legacy



What I liked:

  • It has a great cast: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Scott Glen, Stacy Keach, Albert Finney, David Strathairn, Joan Allen and Corey Stoll.
  • This movie starts off at the end of The Bourne Ultimatum. There are a few plot points and characters that carry over.
  • Some of the action scenes are pretty cool.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Ruby Sparks



What I liked:

  • Paul Dano is fantastic as Calvin.  He makes you feel for his character.
  • Not only did Zoe Kazan write this delightful screenplay but she also dazzled as Ruby.  She can go from being quirky, to adorable, to sad, to childlike in a blink of an eye.
  • Dano and Kazan are a real life couple and their chemistry shines through on screen.
  • The story is heartfelt, witty, interesting, funny, magical, and creative.
  • Chris Messina is great as Calvin's older brother and the voice of reason.
  • Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Aasif Mandvi, Steve Coogan, and Elliott Gould make for an impressive supporting cast.
  • Maeby Funke (Alia Shawkat)!!!
  • It has a fun soundtrack.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Beasts of the Southern Wild



What I liked:

  • Quvenzhané Wallis was wonderful as Hushpuppy.  Her performance was natural and innocent.  It's hard to believe that she was only 5 years old when they filmed this.
  • Dwight Henry had great chemistry with Wallis.  They seemed to have a natural father/daughter relationship.
  • The story was interesting, laced with metaphors, imagination, and a dose of reality.
  • It makes you grateful for everything that you have.
  • Beautiful score.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Killer Joe



What I liked:

  • The real star of this film is Juno Temple.  She can balance being innocent and wise beyond her years very well.
  • Matthew McConaughey seemed to really enjoy his role.
  • For most of the film, Thomas Haden Church seems to blend into the background.  It is not until the end when he takes his turn to shine.
  • Gina Gershon has a very difficult scene to do but does so with as much dignity as one could have.
  • It is surprisingly entertaining and even funny at times.