This is the story of King George of Britain, who stammered all his life. When his brother Edward VIII abdicated the throne so that he could marry twice divorced Wallis Simpson, Bertie (King George) becomes King. This was a difficult period in World History as WWII is declared, and Bertie must unite his people with courage and strength. Difficult to do when you stammer... Queen Elizabeth refers him to Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue and the most incredible of relationships begin.
Directed by Tom Hooper (who I hadn't heard of before), this movie is both funny, heartbreaking and really stressful at the same time. It is a fantastic story, beautifully filmed and wonderfully cast.
Colin Firth is just so so so good in this role, I can't begin to say how great his performance was. Who knew? I don't generally like period films, and the only thing I'd really seen Colin Firth in was Bridget Jones. I like him, but to me I kinda took him only a little bit more seriously than Hugh Grant. But Colin Firth was in one of my favorite movies of the last couple of years 'A Single Man' with Julianne Moore, and this year 'The King's Speech'. How wrong I was. He was simply brilliant.
Geoffrey Rush was also outstanding as Lionel. And Helena Bonham Carter was so endearing as Elizabeth. She's done so many crazy characters lately (the red queen in Alice, Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter, Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd), it was really good to see her play it straight in this role. I think she should do more of these films. She is beautiful, and it's nice to see her face on screen.
Guy Pearce as Edward also does a good job. I have trouble taking him seriously though because to me, he will always be Mike from Neighbours.
I was in tears for a large part of this movie, I don't really know why... well that's not true. I do know why. The story was so moving, Colin Firth was so vulnerable and you could see how much courage it must have taken this King (the real one) to work past this crippling stammer. It was such a great story, I loved every single second that I sat in that cinema. I was really moved by this film, I will most definitely be seeing this again...
5/5
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Somewhere - the 4th film by Sofia Coppola
Sofia Coppola is one of my favorite modern directors and 2 of her films I rate in my top 10 (The Virgin Suiciders and Lost In Translation). She has an amazing ability to film space, and silence, and she just has the most amazing ability to make each frame of her films speak....
Winner of the Golden Lion for Best Picture at the 2010 Venice Film Festival, Somewhere is the story of a hard living actor Johnny Marco played by Stephen Dorff (love him) and is primarily set in the Chateau Marmont where he lives. Amidst all the excesses of fame (strippers, parties, premiers, press junkets), he is lonely and bored. Enter his daughter Chloe played to perfection by Ellie Fanning (Dakota's sister), who comes to live with Johnny while her mother is away...
The first half of the film has virtually no dialogue, but you see Johnny's boredom and loneliness in each and every scene. And when Chloe comes into his life albeit for a brief period, we see Johnny transform from the man he is to the man he wants to be.
The film is full of metaphors and borrows heavily from Sofia's own childhood, spending time with her director father Francis Ford Coppola. It shows the beauty and the sadness of this transcient life, and it couldn't have been done better.
I read a review that said that "Sofia Coppola sees things, and we see exactly what she sees". I think this description sums up Sofia's movies perfectly. She paints a picture with each scene, and she doesn't have to fill it with music, or people, or talking, or action. There are scenes in this movie that appear frozen, with the camera panning out for what seems an eternity. You expect something in the frame to move, but nothing does. And yet you see what she is trying to tell you, you can't take your eyes of the screen for a second. Magic.
Stephen Dorff is incredible as Johnny, very understated, pensive, lonely, reflective. Ellie Fanning is gorgeous as his 11 year daughter. You can see the chemistry these 2 actors have, and they must have a wonderful relationship off screen for their relationship to be so natural on screen.
This movie will be boring for some people, I definitely don't think it is for everyone. It's pace is slow, dialogue is sparce, and locations few. But I definitely think that if you believe that film making is an art form, and you like minimalist film making, then this movie will delight you. In my opinion, there are very few artists as talented as Sofia Coppola.
Did I say I loved this movie? :-) I loved this movie. 4 super films from this wonderful director.
4.5/5
Winner of the Golden Lion for Best Picture at the 2010 Venice Film Festival, Somewhere is the story of a hard living actor Johnny Marco played by Stephen Dorff (love him) and is primarily set in the Chateau Marmont where he lives. Amidst all the excesses of fame (strippers, parties, premiers, press junkets), he is lonely and bored. Enter his daughter Chloe played to perfection by Ellie Fanning (Dakota's sister), who comes to live with Johnny while her mother is away...
The first half of the film has virtually no dialogue, but you see Johnny's boredom and loneliness in each and every scene. And when Chloe comes into his life albeit for a brief period, we see Johnny transform from the man he is to the man he wants to be.
The film is full of metaphors and borrows heavily from Sofia's own childhood, spending time with her director father Francis Ford Coppola. It shows the beauty and the sadness of this transcient life, and it couldn't have been done better.
I read a review that said that "Sofia Coppola sees things, and we see exactly what she sees". I think this description sums up Sofia's movies perfectly. She paints a picture with each scene, and she doesn't have to fill it with music, or people, or talking, or action. There are scenes in this movie that appear frozen, with the camera panning out for what seems an eternity. You expect something in the frame to move, but nothing does. And yet you see what she is trying to tell you, you can't take your eyes of the screen for a second. Magic.
Stephen Dorff is incredible as Johnny, very understated, pensive, lonely, reflective. Ellie Fanning is gorgeous as his 11 year daughter. You can see the chemistry these 2 actors have, and they must have a wonderful relationship off screen for their relationship to be so natural on screen.
This movie will be boring for some people, I definitely don't think it is for everyone. It's pace is slow, dialogue is sparce, and locations few. But I definitely think that if you believe that film making is an art form, and you like minimalist film making, then this movie will delight you. In my opinion, there are very few artists as talented as Sofia Coppola.
Did I say I loved this movie? :-) I loved this movie. 4 super films from this wonderful director.
4.5/5
Rabbit Hole - an unsentimental portrayal of grief
This film is an adaption of the Pulitzer Winning Play written by David Lindsay-Abaire and directed by John Cameron Mitchell who wrote, directed and starred in the very wierd but fun Hedwig and and Angry Itch...
It stars Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as Becca and Howie, who tragically lose their 4 year old son and now, 8 month later, are still struggling to come to terms with his death,and their loss.
You would expect this movie to be a tear-jerker, but it is nothing of the sort. It is an unsentimental, brutally honest look at a couple's grief. The whole movie is incredibly sad without being manipulative in the slightest.
I think that Nicole Kidman is the finest female actor of her generation. I absolutely loved her in The Hours and in Birth. I think that these are the sorts of movies that she does well. Profound sadness is definitely her thing. Her eyes.... the sadness and fear and longing. She is wonderful in this movie, and I forgive her for The Golden Compass... If I have one criticism of her, it is that although she is a great actress, and can convey so much with her eyes, the rest of her face seems frozen and her lips are horrible (too much cosmetic stuff) and I think this distracts from her performance.
I have never seen Aaron Eckhart in anything other than romantic type chick flicks or of course The Dark Knight. So I have no opinion of him either way, but he is also very good in this movie.
The screenplay was good, the acting was great... Not easy to watch, but ultimately satisfying. I hate being manipulated by movies, and this one just told a story and let you watch it unfold. Good work!
3.5/5
It stars Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as Becca and Howie, who tragically lose their 4 year old son and now, 8 month later, are still struggling to come to terms with his death,and their loss.
You would expect this movie to be a tear-jerker, but it is nothing of the sort. It is an unsentimental, brutally honest look at a couple's grief. The whole movie is incredibly sad without being manipulative in the slightest.
I think that Nicole Kidman is the finest female actor of her generation. I absolutely loved her in The Hours and in Birth. I think that these are the sorts of movies that she does well. Profound sadness is definitely her thing. Her eyes.... the sadness and fear and longing. She is wonderful in this movie, and I forgive her for The Golden Compass... If I have one criticism of her, it is that although she is a great actress, and can convey so much with her eyes, the rest of her face seems frozen and her lips are horrible (too much cosmetic stuff) and I think this distracts from her performance.
I have never seen Aaron Eckhart in anything other than romantic type chick flicks or of course The Dark Knight. So I have no opinion of him either way, but he is also very good in this movie.
The screenplay was good, the acting was great... Not easy to watch, but ultimately satisfying. I hate being manipulated by movies, and this one just told a story and let you watch it unfold. Good work!
3.5/5
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Love and Other Drugs - so, so bad...
I am confused....
I am not usually a fan of romantic comedies, or manipulative tearjerkers, but Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is in it, and since Donnie Darko is my favorite ever movie, I usually go see his movies....He is super cute, and his smile is devastating. Sigh...(i'm a fan, what can i tell ya).
Having said that, Jake's smile was one of only 2 good things in this awful movie. The second being Josh Gad, who plays Jamie's (Gyllenhaal) fat gross porn addicted (in a good way) brother Josh. He was hilarious, and were it not for him, the movie would have been unbearable and I would have walked out...
Jamie Randall is a pharmaceutical salesman who makes it big when Viagra hits the market. He meets Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway), a young woman who has been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. They have casual sex (lots of it), and of course, eventually start to fall for each other. Then come the bouts of self pity, the pushing him away, blah blah blah.
I was sitting through this movie hoping that it would finish soon so that I could get out of the cinema, wondering whether the carpark where my car was would be closed. I thought about work, about christmas eve dinner, and other stuff. Normally, nothing distracts me from the film I'm watching, but this was boring and slow and ultimately, NOTHING HAPPENED... At one point I burst into laughter.. just a dumb movie. Waste of time.
I don't understand how Edward Zwick, who directed Blood Diamond could have directed this complete pile of bilge.
And to top it all off, my WORST EVER SONG IN THE HISTORY OF MUSIC played at the closing credits of the film - Fidelity by Regina Spektor. I ABSOLUTELY HATE this song,,,, so the fact that I sat through nearly 2 hours of crap to have to listen to this song at the very end of the movie was cruel.
I should trust my instincts more. I knew this would be bad, and it was, and still I am kinda surprised that it was. Never again. Hmmmm....
1/5
I am not usually a fan of romantic comedies, or manipulative tearjerkers, but Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is in it, and since Donnie Darko is my favorite ever movie, I usually go see his movies....He is super cute, and his smile is devastating. Sigh...(i'm a fan, what can i tell ya).
Having said that, Jake's smile was one of only 2 good things in this awful movie. The second being Josh Gad, who plays Jamie's (Gyllenhaal) fat gross porn addicted (in a good way) brother Josh. He was hilarious, and were it not for him, the movie would have been unbearable and I would have walked out...
Jamie Randall is a pharmaceutical salesman who makes it big when Viagra hits the market. He meets Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway), a young woman who has been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. They have casual sex (lots of it), and of course, eventually start to fall for each other. Then come the bouts of self pity, the pushing him away, blah blah blah.
I was sitting through this movie hoping that it would finish soon so that I could get out of the cinema, wondering whether the carpark where my car was would be closed. I thought about work, about christmas eve dinner, and other stuff. Normally, nothing distracts me from the film I'm watching, but this was boring and slow and ultimately, NOTHING HAPPENED... At one point I burst into laughter.. just a dumb movie. Waste of time.
I don't understand how Edward Zwick, who directed Blood Diamond could have directed this complete pile of bilge.
And to top it all off, my WORST EVER SONG IN THE HISTORY OF MUSIC played at the closing credits of the film - Fidelity by Regina Spektor. I ABSOLUTELY HATE this song,,,, so the fact that I sat through nearly 2 hours of crap to have to listen to this song at the very end of the movie was cruel.
I should trust my instincts more. I knew this would be bad, and it was, and still I am kinda surprised that it was. Never again. Hmmmm....
1/5
Black Swan
I wanted to see this as soon as I saw the movie poster. I love the ballet, I love Swan Lake, I have a very good friend who danced in the New York City Ballet, I like Natalie Portman.Vincent Cassel and Barbara Hershey. A friend - Wella - whose movie taste I respect had seen it said it was 'ok as a thriller' but didn't love it, so I wanted to see it because i thought it looked good, but also because I wanted to see if Wella was right.
Directed by Darren Aronofsky who wrote and directed the wonderful Requiem for a Dream and directed The Wrester, this movie was a disappointment. The movie looked great, the cast were all gorgeous, the choreography and the ballet were amazing.
However, the tension never seemed to go anywhere. It kind of built, and showed a lot of promise early on, and as a viewer, I started to formulate some theories about where the movie was going, and looked forward to finding out, but then it kind of stagnated, becoming more and more absurd and predictable. I just don't think it ever lived up to it's potential. and at the end of the movie, when the full plot is revealed, I'd seen that exact same plot many times before in many other films. This was just packaged more gracefully...
Wella, you were right. It's an ok thriller... But I was disappointed.
2.5/5
Directed by Darren Aronofsky who wrote and directed the wonderful Requiem for a Dream and directed The Wrester, this movie was a disappointment. The movie looked great, the cast were all gorgeous, the choreography and the ballet were amazing.
However, the tension never seemed to go anywhere. It kind of built, and showed a lot of promise early on, and as a viewer, I started to formulate some theories about where the movie was going, and looked forward to finding out, but then it kind of stagnated, becoming more and more absurd and predictable. I just don't think it ever lived up to it's potential. and at the end of the movie, when the full plot is revealed, I'd seen that exact same plot many times before in many other films. This was just packaged more gracefully...
Wella, you were right. It's an ok thriller... But I was disappointed.
2.5/5
Saturday, December 18, 2010
I Love You Phillip Morris - man! the truth really is stranger than fiction.
Jim Carrey..... I know that he bugs the crap out of many people, and I know a lot of people who are not fans. Personally, I think he's amazing. Sure, the 'pullling faces' and 'hyperactivity' got old a long long time ago, but I think that Jim Carrey, like other comedians - Jerry Lewis, Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder and to some extent even Adam Sandler - has a certain sadness about him, a vulnerability, and when Jim Carrey plays it straight,he conveys that sadness really well.
This movie played at the Sundance Film Festival a couple of years ago, but took 2 years to get a distributor, I am guessing because of the gay theme of the film. Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa who wrote the fantastic Bad Santa, this movie tells the true story of Stevan Russell, a married man who after years of living a double life (he's gay), decides to live his life the way he wants. He is also a con-man, and lands himself in jail where he meets Phillip Morris(Ewan McGregor). They fall madly in love,and Steven goes to extraordinarly lengths to never be separated from Phillip again including impersonating lawyers, judges, doctors, police, escapes from prison many times.. and many equally bizarre and unbelievable things.
The story is beyond belief! Kinda like 'Catch me if you can'... You watch it in amazement, as Steven does one unbelievable thing after another for love.
Jim Carrey plays this one straight, and I think it is his best performance since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (which is one of my favorite ever films). Ewan McGregor as Phillip is very good too "You know what happens to blonde haired blue eyed queer boys out in the yard"...
If I have a criticism of this movie, is that it's delivery is confusing. It's a drama, it's a comedy, it's a farce all at the same time,and I think it fails because it is trying to be too much. In my opinion, the directors should have picked one and stuck to it. It's kind of all over the place, and sometimes, Steven becomes Jim Carrey and the illusion is ruined. It's not as tight as it could have been, and whenever Jim Carrey pulled one of his "Cable Guy" faces, it was distracting. I think that the sheer force of Jim Carrey's personality pulls this movie off track,it definitely could have been tighter.
Having said that, I liked the film, I commend them for making it. It is a brave, entertaining, incredible story and I enjoyed watching it. I hope Jim Carrey does more films like this in the future.
3/5
This movie played at the Sundance Film Festival a couple of years ago, but took 2 years to get a distributor, I am guessing because of the gay theme of the film. Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa who wrote the fantastic Bad Santa, this movie tells the true story of Stevan Russell, a married man who after years of living a double life (he's gay), decides to live his life the way he wants. He is also a con-man, and lands himself in jail where he meets Phillip Morris(Ewan McGregor). They fall madly in love,and Steven goes to extraordinarly lengths to never be separated from Phillip again including impersonating lawyers, judges, doctors, police, escapes from prison many times.. and many equally bizarre and unbelievable things.
The story is beyond belief! Kinda like 'Catch me if you can'... You watch it in amazement, as Steven does one unbelievable thing after another for love.
Jim Carrey plays this one straight, and I think it is his best performance since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (which is one of my favorite ever films). Ewan McGregor as Phillip is very good too "You know what happens to blonde haired blue eyed queer boys out in the yard"...
If I have a criticism of this movie, is that it's delivery is confusing. It's a drama, it's a comedy, it's a farce all at the same time,and I think it fails because it is trying to be too much. In my opinion, the directors should have picked one and stuck to it. It's kind of all over the place, and sometimes, Steven becomes Jim Carrey and the illusion is ruined. It's not as tight as it could have been, and whenever Jim Carrey pulled one of his "Cable Guy" faces, it was distracting. I think that the sheer force of Jim Carrey's personality pulls this movie off track,it definitely could have been tighter.
Having said that, I liked the film, I commend them for making it. It is a brave, entertaining, incredible story and I enjoyed watching it. I hope Jim Carrey does more films like this in the future.
3/5
Easy A - Teen comedies have come a long way!
Easy A is a fantastic teen comedy about how easy it is to feed the rumour mill, and how quickly it can all go wrong. The story centers around Olive, a high school girl who lies about losing her virginity to enhance her image and popularity. Before long, her lies snowball and she finds herself the school outcast for her alleged promiscuity.
In my opninion, this is one of the best teen comedies in recent times. The dialogue is snappy, witty and very politically incorrect.The supporting cast - Stanley Tucci and and Patricia Clarkson as Olive's parents are particularly good - oh how i wish I had parents like that! Dream!!! Penn Badgeley from Gossip Girl is Olife's very cute real crush, Amanda Byne is the horrid christian girl who rallies the school against Olive, Thomas Hayden Church and Lisa Kudrow are teachers at the school and are fantastic too.
Hands down the best thing in this movie is the gorgeous Emma Stone, who is just so charming and delivers her lines with such originality and flair, that she just lights up the screen whenever she is on it. I really liked her in Super Bad and Zombieland, and to me, she is this generation's next big thing.
The script is fast paced and genuinely funny (in a clever way, not in a haha way), the film as a whole is witty and sarcastic. But above all that, the movie is ultimately about self respect and what happens when you compromise it. And if I had a 14-15 year old daughter, I would most definitely let them watch it. It has a powerful message delivered in a very modern, liberal package. Liked it a lot.
3.5/5
In my opninion, this is one of the best teen comedies in recent times. The dialogue is snappy, witty and very politically incorrect.The supporting cast - Stanley Tucci and and Patricia Clarkson as Olive's parents are particularly good - oh how i wish I had parents like that! Dream!!! Penn Badgeley from Gossip Girl is Olife's very cute real crush, Amanda Byne is the horrid christian girl who rallies the school against Olive, Thomas Hayden Church and Lisa Kudrow are teachers at the school and are fantastic too.
Hands down the best thing in this movie is the gorgeous Emma Stone, who is just so charming and delivers her lines with such originality and flair, that she just lights up the screen whenever she is on it. I really liked her in Super Bad and Zombieland, and to me, she is this generation's next big thing.
The script is fast paced and genuinely funny (in a clever way, not in a haha way), the film as a whole is witty and sarcastic. But above all that, the movie is ultimately about self respect and what happens when you compromise it. And if I had a 14-15 year old daughter, I would most definitely let them watch it. It has a powerful message delivered in a very modern, liberal package. Liked it a lot.
3.5/5
Saturday, December 11, 2010
The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Michael Apted directs this 3rd movie in the Chronicles of Narnia series. Michael Apted directed the brilliant 7 up series, Gorky Park, Gorillas in the Mist and many other great movies. This unfortunately, was not one of them.
I really disliked most things about this movie. The cast were all extremely unattractive, and the acting unanimously terrible. The character Eustace was so annoying i wanted to smack him every time he opened his mouth. Oh my god the casting agents could not have chosen a more unattractive, whiny, wierd child. The direction was sloppy and boring, the action sequences were choppy and just badly choreographed. Half the cast seemed to be standing still while the other half were battling monsters. you could really see that the actors were acting with green screen. In a few scenes, some of the cast were looking in a different direction than they should have been, while half were kinda just standing there. Very very sloppy. The ship was destroyed one minute and then whole again, the cast were wet one minute and then only slightly wet the next. There were massive waves but the cast were not wet, standing straight (rather than on a rocky boat) and able to have conversations and fantasies. Just ridiculous,
Each scene was more unbelievable than the last, I wanted it to end so badly... I tried to fall asleep at one point but couldn't, so I started to mutter sarcastic comments to myself and nicole half way through the film. Always a bad sign when i have to amuse myself with my own witty banter....:-)
Hated it. Waste of time.
Had a nice dinner though with Nicole and Karen and our kids, and had some good groans 'when will this be over' and some laughs, but when the ticket person gave us Megamind tickets instead of Narnia ones by mistake, we should have taken that as a sign...
Rating: Hideous 1/5. Don't waste your time.
I really disliked most things about this movie. The cast were all extremely unattractive, and the acting unanimously terrible. The character Eustace was so annoying i wanted to smack him every time he opened his mouth. Oh my god the casting agents could not have chosen a more unattractive, whiny, wierd child. The direction was sloppy and boring, the action sequences were choppy and just badly choreographed. Half the cast seemed to be standing still while the other half were battling monsters. you could really see that the actors were acting with green screen. In a few scenes, some of the cast were looking in a different direction than they should have been, while half were kinda just standing there. Very very sloppy. The ship was destroyed one minute and then whole again, the cast were wet one minute and then only slightly wet the next. There were massive waves but the cast were not wet, standing straight (rather than on a rocky boat) and able to have conversations and fantasies. Just ridiculous,
Each scene was more unbelievable than the last, I wanted it to end so badly... I tried to fall asleep at one point but couldn't, so I started to mutter sarcastic comments to myself and nicole half way through the film. Always a bad sign when i have to amuse myself with my own witty banter....:-)
Hated it. Waste of time.
Had a nice dinner though with Nicole and Karen and our kids, and had some good groans 'when will this be over' and some laughs, but when the ticket person gave us Megamind tickets instead of Narnia ones by mistake, we should have taken that as a sign...
Rating: Hideous 1/5. Don't waste your time.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Megamind
The cast: Will Ferrel, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, David Cross,Ben Stiller - i like all these guys. Not a Tina Fey fan though.
Director: Tom McGrath who directed the Madagascar movies (not a fan of these)
I liked Megamind. The voice cast was fantastic of course, and we saw it in 3D which was cool. The storyline although familiar was not all that predictable. It was quite good really, and you felt bad for Megamind, the villain with the heart of a hero.
Nothing much to say, Dreamworks animation studios, so it looked good, the story was ok, the cast was good...
Rating: 2.5/5
Director: Tom McGrath who directed the Madagascar movies (not a fan of these)
I liked Megamind. The voice cast was fantastic of course, and we saw it in 3D which was cool. The storyline although familiar was not all that predictable. It was quite good really, and you felt bad for Megamind, the villain with the heart of a hero.
Nothing much to say, Dreamworks animation studios, so it looked good, the story was ok, the cast was good...
Rating: 2.5/5
Saturday, December 4, 2010
My Favorite Movie Scenes: Sid and Nancy 1986
From time to time I will post favorite scenes from favorite films. This is the first one that comes to mind:
This movie ranks right up there with my favorite films of all time, and had a big influence on me as a film fan. Directed by Alex Cox, this film introduced me to the magic that is Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb. Needless to say, I feel madly in love with this both its stars and the movie itself......
I recently downloaded it again, as I wanted to see if it is as good now as it was then, and the answer is a resounding yes.
This is my favorite scene from the movie, and one of my favorite scenes of any movie... Wait for the kiss at the dumpster, it's long and pathetic, and incredibly beautiful. The music couldn't be more perfect. In a couple of minutes, it captures the essence of this broken relationship...
may have to confirm 18+ age on youtube to view this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnF9zzrgnQI&playnext=1&list=PLE1913E8BD22E74AE&index=6
This movie ranks right up there with my favorite films of all time, and had a big influence on me as a film fan. Directed by Alex Cox, this film introduced me to the magic that is Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb. Needless to say, I feel madly in love with this both its stars and the movie itself......
I recently downloaded it again, as I wanted to see if it is as good now as it was then, and the answer is a resounding yes.
This is my favorite scene from the movie, and one of my favorite scenes of any movie... Wait for the kiss at the dumpster, it's long and pathetic, and incredibly beautiful. The music couldn't be more perfect. In a couple of minutes, it captures the essence of this broken relationship...
may have to confirm 18+ age on youtube to view this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnF9zzrgnQI&playnext=1&list=PLE1913E8BD22E74AE&index=6
What I watched on the Tube in 2010
Ah, TV, I love you so....
What we watched this year:
1. The last Season of 24 - Season 8: The stuff of legend! Nick and I are huge 24 fans. Was sad to see it end, I've spent 8 days of my life watching Jack be awesome, even after coming back from the dead - really, from the dead! Every time I see the ads on Foxtel for the last season of 24 which they are currently screening, I die a little. I love you Jack Bauer. You're real to me (hehe, but really, he's real to me).
2. Breaking Bad Season 3. Speaking of real to me, this show in my opinion is hands down the best tv show in it's genre. Spectacular, tense, gripping, heartbreaking, violent... love it!
3. Entourage Season 7 - This show just gets better and better every season. Really good. Love this show!
4. Dexter Season 5 - Dexter has its ups and downs, but i love it. I am a big fan of the novels, and the tv show has practically zero to do with the books anymore, but I think as a tv show, it's definitely very right up there with the best. I find the whole "villain as hero" thing so interesting, because as Jeff Lindsay himself says, Dexter is very much a villain, and yet you sympathize with him, and cheer him on. So he has to be presented (both in print and in film) in a way that somehow makes him sympathetic to the viewer. I have really enjoyed Season 5 so far, and the best part of it is that Rita really needed to get murdered and did (last season). :-) Mean i know, but just couldn't stand her. The season has 2 more episodes to go as I write this, and personally, I can't wait to see how it ends...
5. Fringe - didnt like it enough to keep going with it.. Kinda stopped watching it halfway through season 1. But I think for xfile fans (i was not), it'd be right up your alley.
6. How To Make It In America - by the Entourage crew... Promising, watched a couple of eps, will pick it up again after the Dexter season ends.
7. In Treatment Season 3 - I love Gabriel Byrne, and I love everything about this show. 4 half our sessions between GB and a patient, and then the 5th 1/2 hour between GB and his therapist. This season, the format of the show is different, with only 3 patients and 1 session with GB and a new therapist (hate this new therapist). This season has my favorite ever patient (Dane DeHaan as Jesse, a gay depressed 17 year old boy), and the most boring patient (Debra Winger as Frances, an actor whose sister is dying of breast cancer), as well as the most frightening patient (what will he do? is he dangerous?) Sunil, played by Bollywood star Irrfan Khan. Watching this show is my guilty pleasure - it is like eavesdropping on people's private conversations, love it...
8 Survivor S21 - Big Survivor fan. Season 20 was fantastic! Season 21 doesn't have quite the punch, but still an incredibly groundbreaking show. One of our all time favorites.
9, The Walking Dead - eeee. AMC's new one. Zombies!!!! Terrifying!!! Soooo good!!! Sooo scary!!! Only 6 episodes in season 1 i think (or could be 8 maybe?? not sure). But has been renewed for Season 2 so check it out if you haven't seen it.
10. Vampire Diaries S02 - I am proud to say I read all these books before the tv series was made - :-). Love this show. 90201 for vampires.
11. Boradwalk Empire - crime series set in the 50's. Martin Scorcese/Mark Wahlberg producers. Have downloaded, haven't seen yet. But looks great!
12. True Blood - this season was bad. V disappointing. If next season doesn't improve, I will stop watching it entirely. It seems to me like they are trying too hard to shock, it just doesn't work. "The Walking Dead" has tonnes more blood and gore, and yet seems less "try hard" than True Blood Season 3. It wasn't scary or funny.
12. Young and the Restless - sigh...
What we watched this year:
1. The last Season of 24 - Season 8: The stuff of legend! Nick and I are huge 24 fans. Was sad to see it end, I've spent 8 days of my life watching Jack be awesome, even after coming back from the dead - really, from the dead! Every time I see the ads on Foxtel for the last season of 24 which they are currently screening, I die a little. I love you Jack Bauer. You're real to me (hehe, but really, he's real to me).
2. Breaking Bad Season 3. Speaking of real to me, this show in my opinion is hands down the best tv show in it's genre. Spectacular, tense, gripping, heartbreaking, violent... love it!
3. Entourage Season 7 - This show just gets better and better every season. Really good. Love this show!
4. Dexter Season 5 - Dexter has its ups and downs, but i love it. I am a big fan of the novels, and the tv show has practically zero to do with the books anymore, but I think as a tv show, it's definitely very right up there with the best. I find the whole "villain as hero" thing so interesting, because as Jeff Lindsay himself says, Dexter is very much a villain, and yet you sympathize with him, and cheer him on. So he has to be presented (both in print and in film) in a way that somehow makes him sympathetic to the viewer. I have really enjoyed Season 5 so far, and the best part of it is that Rita really needed to get murdered and did (last season). :-) Mean i know, but just couldn't stand her. The season has 2 more episodes to go as I write this, and personally, I can't wait to see how it ends...
5. Fringe - didnt like it enough to keep going with it.. Kinda stopped watching it halfway through season 1. But I think for xfile fans (i was not), it'd be right up your alley.
6. How To Make It In America - by the Entourage crew... Promising, watched a couple of eps, will pick it up again after the Dexter season ends.
7. In Treatment Season 3 - I love Gabriel Byrne, and I love everything about this show. 4 half our sessions between GB and a patient, and then the 5th 1/2 hour between GB and his therapist. This season, the format of the show is different, with only 3 patients and 1 session with GB and a new therapist (hate this new therapist). This season has my favorite ever patient (Dane DeHaan as Jesse, a gay depressed 17 year old boy), and the most boring patient (Debra Winger as Frances, an actor whose sister is dying of breast cancer), as well as the most frightening patient (what will he do? is he dangerous?) Sunil, played by Bollywood star Irrfan Khan. Watching this show is my guilty pleasure - it is like eavesdropping on people's private conversations, love it...
8 Survivor S21 - Big Survivor fan. Season 20 was fantastic! Season 21 doesn't have quite the punch, but still an incredibly groundbreaking show. One of our all time favorites.
9, The Walking Dead - eeee. AMC's new one. Zombies!!!! Terrifying!!! Soooo good!!! Sooo scary!!! Only 6 episodes in season 1 i think (or could be 8 maybe?? not sure). But has been renewed for Season 2 so check it out if you haven't seen it.
10. Vampire Diaries S02 - I am proud to say I read all these books before the tv series was made - :-). Love this show. 90201 for vampires.
11. Boradwalk Empire - crime series set in the 50's. Martin Scorcese/Mark Wahlberg producers. Have downloaded, haven't seen yet. But looks great!
12. True Blood - this season was bad. V disappointing. If next season doesn't improve, I will stop watching it entirely. It seems to me like they are trying too hard to shock, it just doesn't work. "The Walking Dead" has tonnes more blood and gore, and yet seems less "try hard" than True Blood Season 3. It wasn't scary or funny.
12. Young and the Restless - sigh...
2010 in a sentence or two...
I've been slack and haven't been updating my blog, but I am going to keep it updated from now on...
Here is a list of some of the movies I've seen this year. I have a heap of other ones I've got but am yet to see. One Sunday afternoon at a time..
My Top 5 films of 2010 are:
1. Scott Pilgrim Saves The World
2. The Town
3. Kick Ass
4. Let Me In
5. City Island
So here goes:
Fish Tank Love these gritty british films. 3/5
Legion - awful. Just awful 1/5
Creation Just as awful as Legion. Poor Paul Bettany. I really do like him, but there is no excuse for this long, boring, soul destroying film 1/5
Shutter Island - Not his best, but Martin Scorcese can tell a story, and it is a visual treat. 3/5
The Ghost Writer - Loved it. Crap ending, but the most beautifully filmed movie this year. 4/5
Alice in Wonderland - so so. Am very over Johnny Depp's trembling 2/5
Green Zone - 2/5
The Runaways - Liked this a lot 3/5. Kirsten Stewart is so talented. Those Twilight films don't do her any justice.
City Island - FANTASTIC!!! Who doesn't love an actually funny comedy. 4/5
Hot Tub Time MAchine - funny enough. Nothing special 2.5/5
How to train your dragon - Am very skeptical about any animation these days, but i really liked this. 4/5
The Last Song - Hideous 0
Clash of the Titans - This original version of this movie is probably the Cutillas family's favorite film, and we all do a pretty damn good kracken face. But this remake is lazy. Didn't hate it, but not good 2/5
Kick Ass - What's not to love? Just brilliant 4.5/5
Harry Brown - Incredible and Powerful. Reviewed separately
Iron Man 2 - It's an Iron Man film? Nothing much to say. Pretty good. 2.5/5
Robin Hood - Love Russell Crowe, but this was average 2.5/5
Shrek Forever AFter - Hated it. 0
Sex and the City 2 - Call me crazy, but I wouldn't even dream of reviewing this. I'm a big SATC fan. :-)
GEt Him To The Greek - V funny 2.5/5
Splice HIDEOUS! 0
the A Team - loved it!!! 3/5
karate kid - indifferent. not gonna bother with a rating. Nice scenery though and Jaden Smith did a great job physically for this movie. Emjoyed it well enough.
toy story3 - really loved it. Didn't think i would, but I did. And seeing as 'big baby' is one of my favorite phrases, gotta love a movie with a real big baby in it. 4/5
Grown Ups - I love everyone in it! Laughed heaps but it is pretty bad. 1/5
Twilight Saga - Eclipse EGADS! Could not hate this more, but probz the best one so far. 1/5
Despicable me - Awful 1/5
The Girl Who Played with Fire Brilliant! A great story really well told. The movie completely did the book justice. Terrific!!! 4/5
Sorcer's Apprentice - Why? Why Nick Cage? Why? 0
Inception - Didn't love it as much as everyone else did, but excellent film. 4/5
Cats adn Dogs the revenge of kitti galore - For Ikey... 1/5
The Other guys Pretty good 2.5/5
step up 3d - Love the dancing films. 3/5
The disappearance of alice creed - Excellent 3.5/5
The Expendables - OMG All the stars come out to play. Love Jet Li! 2.5/5
Scott Pilgrim vs the World - This was my favorite film from 2010! It has everything I want to see in a film! I loved this more than anyone else I know who's seen it. Maybe I'm looking at it through different criteria, but I absolutely loved it! As good as the graphic novel easily! 5/5
Vampires Suck - 0
Piranha 3D - The original film another of the Cutillas family specials! This movie had way too much T&A, but the special effects were crazy! 1/5
Mao's Last Dancer - great book. not so great movie but the story it's based on is so interesting. 2.5/5
The Last Exorcism - Very disappointing. Not even scary 1/5
The Town - Loved it. Definitely in my top 3 films this year
Legens of the Guardians, the owls of ga'hoole - Not bad actually... surprisingly interesting. Fantastic visually 2/5
Let Me In - My other favorite film this year. Loved it and loved the swedish version too. The swedish version gets better reviews, but I liked the english version better. And that is despite the fact that I absolutely detest Kodi Smit-Mcphee (EVen the way he spells his name annoys me. want to smack him so bad), so that's saying something.
The Social Network - Very solid film, great story, amazing guy. Well told. 3.5/5
Red - Sigh. Bruce Willis..... 2.5/5
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Not the best, but i think it sets up the 2nd part very well. Having said that, I am such a Harry Potter nerd, I was never going to not like it. 3/5
Here is a list of some of the movies I've seen this year. I have a heap of other ones I've got but am yet to see. One Sunday afternoon at a time..
My Top 5 films of 2010 are:
1. Scott Pilgrim Saves The World
2. The Town
3. Kick Ass
4. Let Me In
5. City Island
So here goes:
Fish Tank Love these gritty british films. 3/5
Legion - awful. Just awful 1/5
Creation Just as awful as Legion. Poor Paul Bettany. I really do like him, but there is no excuse for this long, boring, soul destroying film 1/5
Shutter Island - Not his best, but Martin Scorcese can tell a story, and it is a visual treat. 3/5
The Ghost Writer - Loved it. Crap ending, but the most beautifully filmed movie this year. 4/5
Alice in Wonderland - so so. Am very over Johnny Depp's trembling 2/5
Green Zone - 2/5
The Runaways - Liked this a lot 3/5. Kirsten Stewart is so talented. Those Twilight films don't do her any justice.
City Island - FANTASTIC!!! Who doesn't love an actually funny comedy. 4/5
Hot Tub Time MAchine - funny enough. Nothing special 2.5/5
How to train your dragon - Am very skeptical about any animation these days, but i really liked this. 4/5
The Last Song - Hideous 0
Clash of the Titans - This original version of this movie is probably the Cutillas family's favorite film, and we all do a pretty damn good kracken face. But this remake is lazy. Didn't hate it, but not good 2/5
Kick Ass - What's not to love? Just brilliant 4.5/5
Harry Brown - Incredible and Powerful. Reviewed separately
Iron Man 2 - It's an Iron Man film? Nothing much to say. Pretty good. 2.5/5
Robin Hood - Love Russell Crowe, but this was average 2.5/5
Shrek Forever AFter - Hated it. 0
Sex and the City 2 - Call me crazy, but I wouldn't even dream of reviewing this. I'm a big SATC fan. :-)
GEt Him To The Greek - V funny 2.5/5
Splice HIDEOUS! 0
the A Team - loved it!!! 3/5
karate kid - indifferent. not gonna bother with a rating. Nice scenery though and Jaden Smith did a great job physically for this movie. Emjoyed it well enough.
toy story3 - really loved it. Didn't think i would, but I did. And seeing as 'big baby' is one of my favorite phrases, gotta love a movie with a real big baby in it. 4/5
Grown Ups - I love everyone in it! Laughed heaps but it is pretty bad. 1/5
Twilight Saga - Eclipse EGADS! Could not hate this more, but probz the best one so far. 1/5
Despicable me - Awful 1/5
The Girl Who Played with Fire Brilliant! A great story really well told. The movie completely did the book justice. Terrific!!! 4/5
Sorcer's Apprentice - Why? Why Nick Cage? Why? 0
Inception - Didn't love it as much as everyone else did, but excellent film. 4/5
Cats adn Dogs the revenge of kitti galore - For Ikey... 1/5
The Other guys Pretty good 2.5/5
step up 3d - Love the dancing films. 3/5
The disappearance of alice creed - Excellent 3.5/5
The Expendables - OMG All the stars come out to play. Love Jet Li! 2.5/5
Scott Pilgrim vs the World - This was my favorite film from 2010! It has everything I want to see in a film! I loved this more than anyone else I know who's seen it. Maybe I'm looking at it through different criteria, but I absolutely loved it! As good as the graphic novel easily! 5/5
Vampires Suck - 0
Piranha 3D - The original film another of the Cutillas family specials! This movie had way too much T&A, but the special effects were crazy! 1/5
Mao's Last Dancer - great book. not so great movie but the story it's based on is so interesting. 2.5/5
The Last Exorcism - Very disappointing. Not even scary 1/5
The Town - Loved it. Definitely in my top 3 films this year
Legens of the Guardians, the owls of ga'hoole - Not bad actually... surprisingly interesting. Fantastic visually 2/5
Let Me In - My other favorite film this year. Loved it and loved the swedish version too. The swedish version gets better reviews, but I liked the english version better. And that is despite the fact that I absolutely detest Kodi Smit-Mcphee (EVen the way he spells his name annoys me. want to smack him so bad), so that's saying something.
The Social Network - Very solid film, great story, amazing guy. Well told. 3.5/5
Red - Sigh. Bruce Willis..... 2.5/5
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Not the best, but i think it sets up the 2nd part very well. Having said that, I am such a Harry Potter nerd, I was never going to not like it. 3/5
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