Skyfall

They aren't considered the best movies ever made, and many of them are pretty ridiculous, but we love James Bond films nonetheless.  So much so that we've watched them all, twice, in chronological order. So with the new James Bond film out, it was an obvious choice when deciding which movie we want to see.  Now, there really isn't much to say about the plot line, because every James Bond film has the same one.  Something or someone goes missing or is stolen and it's James Bond's job to get it back.  There are some close calls along the way, and many lovely ladies, but James Bond always gets the job done.  What I really liked about this particular one is that it brought everything back toward the old school Bond movies.  I don't want to say more, just in case you haven't seen it yet.

No matter what type of movies you like, there is always room in your heart for a good Bond film.  Come on, who doesn't love a secret agent kicking butt while wearing a suit, seriously.

Do the Right Thing

Do the Right Thing, circa 1989, is one of Spike Lee's first films.  It centers around a Brooklyn neighborhood, during a record breaking heat wave.  Lee, who is the main character, is a young man working as a pizza delivery guy for a pizzeria owned and run by an Italian man and his two sons.  As the temperature rises, so does tension and frustration between those living in the neighborhood.  The film addresses hate and prejudice as it depicts Latinos hating African Americans, African Americans hating the Italians, an Italian son befriending an African American as another's prejudice towards African Americans grows.  All of this disdained for others culminates in one large act of violence, which leaves the community right back where is started, divisive.

This film is on AFI's top 100 movies, and with good reason.  This film gives a glimpse into a world of prejudice and it's unproductive ways, without placing any sort of blame on one particular group of people.  Just try to look past all of the terrible 80's style.

Wanderlust

This film was surprisingly funny, and I'm definitely one to avoid anything with Jennifer Aniston in it.  Particularly, Justin Theroux's character was funny.  Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston are a New York couple who fall on hard times after Rudd loses his job.  They go to stay with his brother in Atlanta, but end up choosing to reside in a collectively community off the beaten path.  The group of hippies is endearing and Rudd and Aniston start to enjoy their time there, except being away from "normal" life becomes harder for Rudd and easier for Aniston.

This one is definitely not for the all-time favorites list, but it was a good movie on a night when we wanted something lighter and funnier.

Seven Psychopaths

We were given a date night last weekend.  It had been so long since we had seen a movie, and the last one was a dud, so all I wanted was to see something good.  We didn't know much about this one, but it was getting great reviews and was written by someone we've enjoyed before so we thought it was a good choice.  Hallelujah, it was!  At least for us.  It reminded me just how much I love and have missed seeing good movies (which is obviously a relative term, and only applies to my own likes/dislikes, but makes me no less excited).

The film stars Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson.  Farrell is a screenplay writer trying to write a film titled Seven Psychopaths.  Sam Rockwell, his friend, gives him a couple of ideas and he is able to start putting it together.  Although, as he starts putting it together, those who he's writing about are real and he realizes that the people around him are, in fact, psychopaths.  This film has very dark elements at times, but then in the same scene I would find myself laughing out loud.

Honestly, this film might not be for everyone.  It is from the same writer as In Bruges, so if you liked that you're bound to like this too and if you didn't like it, well, maybe you should see someone else this weekend.

The Grey

Eric and I weren't too sure about this film before we watched it.  We heard some good things and some not so good things.  But we went into it hoping to be entertained yet didn't expect to be blown away either.  And that's about where we ended once it was done.

This film lies somewhere between a realistic survival film and a horror.  It really isn't a horror, but the whole situation, particularly the wolves they are fighting, are a little beyond anything you would ever believe is real.  Liam Neeson plays a guard for an oil company in Alaska who survives a plane crash along with six other people and who are fighting against the elements and a pack of ravenous wolves for survival.

The aspects more similar to horror films seemed a little predictable, but the ending wasn't at all what we expected, in a good way.  If you don't scare too easily, I think this film would be okay.  I can't handle shock value horror (Saw, The Hills Have Eyes, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc), but I can handle intense thrillers and this film was totally fine for me.  It would probably make a good Halloween movie if you didn't want something truly in the horror category.

Philadelphia

The movie Philadelphia centers around Tom Hanks, a successful lawyer working at a prestigious law firm, who is also gay, and who has kept his sexual orientation to himself.  After contracting AIDS, his employers fire him.  This leads him to seek out representation in order to bring an unlawful dismissal suit against his former employer, only no one is willing to help him, including Denzel Washington.  Then there comes a point when Washington sees the prejudice and discrimination that Hanks experiences and has a change of heart.

This film, released in 1993, shows the fear, stigma and discrimination that surrounded those who were homosexual as this new disease and the details about it were being uncovered.  Antonio Banderas also stars in this film as Hanks' life partner.

Fight Club

Fight Club.  Such an awesome film.  When I watched it last weekend it wasn't the first time I'd seen it, and it was just as good.  Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are just incredible and the story has you thinking and trying to figure things out the entire time.  You are oftentimes just as confused as Norton's character, but not too much that you lose interest.  And then there's the end.  You really don't see it coming, unless you've seen the film already, and even then it's still great.

Edward Norton's character works at an insurance company assessing car accidents to determine if a recall should be issued.  He's miserable.  He finds some solice by attending support groups for issues and diseases he doesn't have, but then Marla starts to show up and it ruins everything for him. Until he meets Tyler (Brad Pitt) on one of his flights and his life forever changes.  As you might gather from the title, they start fight club, a club where a group of guys meet to fight, literally.  But then it becomes so much more.

Bobby

Bobby is a film that takes place on the day Robert Kennedy was assassinated at the hotel where his campaign headquarters were located..  Although, it centers around his campaign and the California primary, it really isn't about him.  The film focuses on numerous characters, each connected and impacted by Kennedy's policies and eventual death.  Something that I really liked about the film was that every time you saw Senator Kennedy's face it was actual footage, the only use of a look-a-like was for scenes showing his back.

The characters in this film range as far as the cast itself.  There is a couple marrying to avoid deployment to Vietnam after being drafted, an alcoholic performer, hotel manager, campaign volunteers and staff, hotel staff, a drug dealer, a Wall Street broker and bus boys.  And each of these varying characters have weight behind their name; Shia Labeouf, Joshua Jackson, Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Lawrence Fishburne, Nick Cannon, Heather Graham, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Hunt, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Lindsey Lohan and William H Macy.

When we started the movie, I was under the impression that it was old and didn't have any idea about how extensive the cast is.  It was actually released in 2006.  I ended up really liking the entire thing, and enjoyed seeing the perspectives of all of the characters and their viewpoint during this time in history.

The Master

The Master is a film currently in theatres starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams.  Neither Eric nor I knew anything about it, except that it was receiving great reviews from our go-to movie review website, www.rottentomatoes.com.

Phoenix plays a war veteran, an alcoholic and someone who can't hold a steady job, who stumbles upon a group of people traveling to New York.  Come to find out, these people are part of a new religion and are taking their message across the country.  Hoffman is the group's leader and Adams is his wife.  Without anywhere to be or anyone waiting for him, Phoenix travels with this group, which turns out to be more of a cult.

The film itself doesn't seem to have much of a story or plot.  It's primarily, at least to Eric and me, a look into a certain period of time in the characters lives.  I like ambiguous films, but this one was a little much for me.  It started to feel like was dragging after a while, but the performances are completely incredible.  Although, Eric said he wasn't sure if Joaquin Phoenix was incredible or if he's just crazy.

Life As A House

Eric saw this movie while in film school and really liked it.  I had never seen it, so he decided he wanted to watch it again and let me see it for the first time.  It wasn't the same as when he first saw it.  Not many things are ten years later, but it's still a heart warming story.

Kevin Kline plays a man diagnosed with a terminal disease and decides that he's going to get his life in order before he passes away.  He finally, after 20 years, decides to tear down the shack he's living in and build the house he's been dreaming of since owning the property and he tries to repair his relationship with his son, played by Hayden Christensen.  His idea is to spend time with his son as they build the house.  As you might imagine, things don't necessarily go as he had planned.  I won't go much further into detail, since I wouldn't want to give anything away.

It might not be my favorite, but it's a good film.  Kevin Kline and Hayden Christensen give good performances as the lead and supporting actor, and Christensen was even nominated for a Golden Globe.



This film may not be my all time favorite, but it was a good movie.

Gone Baby Gone

So, we've broken out of our 80s sci-fi funk and have moved onto intense, gripping films about the search of an abducted child.  Gone Baby Gone is the first film that Ben Affleck directed and man oh man, is it different than Jersey Girl.  The film stars his brother, Casey Affleck, who's a phenomenal actor, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman.  Affleck's character is a private detective, along with Monaghan, who is hired to search for a girl (in addition to the police) who went missing from a shadier Boston neighborhood.  As he searches, things don't add up and he doesn't accept the answers that he's been given.  Like I said before, it's very intense, but not at all scary.  I shed a view, or more, tears so be warned about that.

I know that my tween self would hate me for saying this, but I think I like Ben Affleck better as a directer than as an actor.  Although I think his acting abilities have bettered since becoming a director.

If the content (children being abducted) isn't too touchy for you, I'd definitely recommend seeing this. Amy Ryan, who plays the abducted girl's mother, was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her role.

Beast of the Southern Wild

There is nothing defined in this film, like where it's set or when, but it is beautiful and that little girl is so dang cute.  It makes me want to adopt a little girl so we can have an amazing fro like that and say cute things like, "I'm the man!"  Those are good reason to have another kid, right?

I have no idea why someone wouldn't like this film.  It may not be your all time favorite, but it's beyond me why anyone wouldn't.  So you should see it, even to just watch that adorable little girl.

The Fifth Element

Talk about a streak of 80s and early 90s scifi flicks, geez.  I can't shift all blame for this.  Although I may not have suggested any of these films, I didn't make any suggestions to watch anything to the contrary.  So you have my deepest apologies if you're not a fan of these films.

This is another Bruce Willis classic, but this time, there are aliens who are coming to destroy the world, one monk who knows what to do, and a fifth element that turns out to be a half-clothed female, who Bruce Willis just happens to fall in love with.  Really, that's about it.  These types of movies generally don't have a lot of depth to their storyline, although they had sweet effects, which now looks pretty awful.

It sounds like I didn't like the film, but I did.  I liked it for what it is, it might be I had just had enough of that genre for now.  Hopefully moving on to something else next time.

Ruby Sparks

This past weekend, Eric and I went on a date for my birthday.  We spent the afternoon antiquing for our new house, had a delicious dinner at a local restaurant downtown, and saw a movie.  We didn't know much about it, but it was getting good reviews online and it seemed like a cute storyline.  And it was!

It was a perfect date night movie.  Funny, romantic and dramatic, so most girls will like it, but it wasn't too chick-flicky, so a guy should like it too.  Eric did.

The story is about a lonely, young writer who is struggling with writers block until he has a dream about a pretty girl.  He becomes obsessed with writing about her and can't stop. One day he wakes up and finds a strange woman in his house, claiming to be his girlfriend with the same name as the girl he's been writing about.  Is she real?  Can other people see her?  Apparently so, but how can it be?  It's a cute and quirky story about true love.  I think you'll like it.

12 Monkeys

I have to be honest, I haven't been watching the most amazing movies lately.  Recently, the movies we've been watching are from the 80s and 90s, so the cream of the crop isn't very expansive.

This particular film wasn't too bad and Brad Pitt's performance was great.  It can be difficult to follow as it involves time travel.  Sometimes you have to figure out where you are in time, but if you pay attention, it isn't impossible.  Bruce Willis is from the future and is sent back to try and discover who released a deadly virus that almost wipes out the human race.  If he can find out who, when and where, then they can be intercepted and possible rewrite history.  Along the way, he meets and begins to work with a renowned psychiatrist, who just happens to be the love interest.  I won't say much more, since I don't want to give it away, should you ever choose to see it.

We have a date night this weekend, so I am hoping to have a better movie review next week.  But you never know, we may just pick a dud.  He's hoping we don't.

The Descendants

I really like this movie, because it's a role outside of George Clooney's norm and that it isn't a warm, fuzzy, melt your heart film either.  It portrays a father, with two daughters, who's wife is in the hospital after a boating accident.  While his wife is unconscious, he discovers that she had been having an affair.  He loves his wife, but now has to deal with this revelation, without any explanation from her, and he may never get it.  Meanwhile, he is trying to better the relationship with his youngest daughter and save the relationship with his oldest.

I figured this film would be good solely based on the fact that it was nominated for a couple of Academy Awards, but it was even better than I had expected.  I highly recommend it.

The Green Mile

I have seen this movie before and loved it.  Watching it again last week, I loved it just as much or even more.  Maybe it's because since having children, I now cry at the drop of a hat.  Three times I cried in this movie, three.  But is it oh-so worth watching.  Tom Hanks is great, and he always warms your heart and Michael Clarke Duncan is amazing.  Michael Jeter is also in the film.  You probably don't know him, but you've probably seen him.  He's been in Patch Adams and one of the Jurassic Park films.  But the one character I couldn't help but think of when I saw him was Mr. Noodle on the Sesame Street segment Elmo's World.  He did an incredible job in this film, but for the first half I couldn't get his Sesame Street character out of my head.

Beyond that, this film is worth every second.  Tom Hanks is a prison guard on death row, along with several other guards.  Michael Clarke Duncan, along with Michael Jeter and Sam Rockwell are inmates that Hanks oversees.  Duncan's character, though, is more unique than any he had seen before and touched many of the guards hearts.   It's just great, worth seeing if you haven't and worth watching again if you haven't in a while.

The Dark Night Rises

Eric and I saw this film opening weekend.  Eric was super excited to see it, as was I.  Our showing was at 11:30pm.  I most definitely snuck Starbucks into the theatre so I knew I wouldn't get tired.  Not that this film could in any way make you tired.  I just wanted to be sure, and will take any reason to have some Starbucks.

This definitely is an exciting movie, and we were both surprised to see that it was three hours later when we got back to our car.  Neither of us felt like it was too long.  I personally liked Anne Hathaway in the role of Catwoman, although they never call her by that name in the film.  And Tom Hardy was incredible as Bane.  It has action, adventure, crazy gadgets, twists and a really great cast; everything that you'd hope to see in a summer blockbuster.

I thought it lived up to the Dark Knight trilogy, and there's a twist at the end that makes you wonder if there may be more.  But to be honest, it wasn't my favorite of the Dark Knight films.  


But if you're looking for a fun night out, this is definitely a movie to see.  And besides, who can resist Batman?  Pow, Smack, Bam!

Caddy Shack

I'll be the first to admit it, I don't always understand 80s movies and this is one of them.  It's a classic and fun to watch, but sometimes I just scratch my head when it's over.  Like, why was Michael O'Keefe cast as the cute lead?  I know the lead isn't always best filled by a hunk of burning love, but he didn't seem like the guy who would have been getting girls right and left.  Also, when a girl says that she's pregnant, and the guy offers to marry her, don't you think he'd ask questions if her response was "it may not be yours?"  Like, I didn't know you were with anyone else.  But apparently it wasn't a big deal in 1980.

We watched this film with a bunch of friends and had a great time.  That doesn't automatically mean that I was in love with the film.  But then again, I don't think I'm in love with many films from the 80s.

Moonrise Kingdom

I seriously loved this movie you guys, seriously.  I wasn't in love with Darjeeling Limited or even Fantastic Mr Fox, but this one, I really, really liked.  I loved the story, the cinematography, the style, even the font for the opening and closing credits.

The story revolves around a young boy and girl on a small island.  She lives there, he is there at khaki scouts camp for the summer.  They bond over their inability to fit in with everyone else and decide to run away together.  Wes Anderson gathers lots of talent (Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Francis McDormand and Jason Schwartzman), and I love every single one of them in their particular role.

I think the film was a little bittersweet for Eric, since he has had a feature film written for the past 8 years that is very similar to this film (style, era, even a camp).  Now, if he gets to make it, it may seem like a copycat, although is was an original idea.  Despite this, he still enjoyed the film.