Real Life and giving Thanks...
November 26th 2006 17:00
SO I fell into the black hole of real life for a bit -- like all of November, really. Sorry about that. Hopefully it won't happen again.
Not much to report really -- ok, that's actually a lie. There's a LOT to report, but not a lot of time in which to report it. Time is of the essence recently -- is it just me, or does it feel like it's sped up a lot recently? Currently my mini-me is out of town, so I've been able to slow down a bit. I've now seen THREE -- count them THREE recent movies in the last 2 weeks! I'm considering trying to fit in a FOURTH movie tomorrow evening or this afternoon, but I'm a little bit worried the world might stop turning! LOL! I used to be quite the movie connisseur, (however you spell that-- I know I'm not right since it's currently underlined with the little red "You're an idiot" line. ) As a college kid I whiled away many an hour completely immersed in someone else's reality as it played out on the big screen. For some reason there is something about the darkened room, the scent of buttered popcorn mixed with the cologne of the guy three seats in front of me, and the taste of Twizzlers that makes more than my mouth happy!
It's been nice to revisit that recently. I guess that's one of the benefits of divorce -- I am now guaranteed at least the TIME to go to a movie once every other weekend -- assuming that he actually takes her on his weekends, which is a big assumption.
But I digress....my reviews, as posted at Fandango:
Happy Feet:
If you don't have small children with you -- DON'T GO! Come to think of it, if you DO have small children with you, there's a VERY frightening scene with a leopard seal, so they probably shouldn't go either.This movie seems like it couldn't figure out what it wanted to be when it grows up -- a Greenpeace commercial or an animated film. The two story themes (it's ok to be different vs. save Antarctica from the humans) fight each other rather than compliment each other. While Elijah Wood makes a very cute penguin, and the music is fun, the story line jumps around in places and drags in others. I walked away feeling like the "good" story (It's OK to be different) never fully developed, while the "other" story (we're destroying Antarctica) was heavy handed and simplistically resolved. Don't waste the money unless you're looking for a way to kill a few hours with a child who doesn't scare easily. I will say the animation was very good -- hence the "no" instead of "Oh No!" rating.
Casino Royale
Bond? James Bond? This new Bond is so far from the dapper don that I've gotten used to with Pierce Brosnan that I actually had to turn to my sister about 5 minutes in and say "That's Bond?" Perhaps in an attempt to lessen that confusion, this movie seems to be set back at the beginning of Bond's career (that's why he's not yet so debonair), when he has just acquired "double O" status. Once you establish in your mind that this well built and increasingly handsome man really IS James Bond, the movie quickly grows on you. The action scenes are fast paced and easy to follow, the cinematography is adept, and the acting is increasingly Bond like. Make sure you follow names early on in the movie -- it will make the ending easier to follow, as off screen characters are referred to by their names. There are few gadgets, but a lot of excitement. The last 20 minutes seems a bit out of place, and probably could have been left out of this 2 1/2 hour movie -- but over all it was a fun escape from reality for a bit, and well worth the money to see it on the big screen!
And the one you absolutely MUST go see:
Stranger than Fiction
Wow! Who would have thought Will Farrell in a movie that is worth watching over and over?! This movie is easily one of the best I've seen in years -- one that I know already I'll purchase, just because I want to be able to go back and watch it to catch the subtle nuances and listen to the writing again. The cinematography is perfect -- emphasizing the contrast between imagination and reality. Emma Thompson is fabulous as an agonizing writer, Maggie Gyllenhall is cute enough to eat up, just like the goodies she bakes, and Dustin Hoffman is the perfect eccentric, coffee guzzling literary professor. It's Will Farrell who steals the show, however. His performance shows depth, and humor, and keeps the audience in love with him as he evolves from who he was to who he will be. Watching this movie was literally like watching a great book unfold on the screen -- the highest praise this literary lover can give. Two thumbs up -- you've GOT to see this!!
OK, that's all for now --
Godspeed --
Dream
Not much to report really -- ok, that's actually a lie. There's a LOT to report, but not a lot of time in which to report it. Time is of the essence recently -- is it just me, or does it feel like it's sped up a lot recently? Currently my mini-me is out of town, so I've been able to slow down a bit. I've now seen THREE -- count them THREE recent movies in the last 2 weeks! I'm considering trying to fit in a FOURTH movie tomorrow evening or this afternoon, but I'm a little bit worried the world might stop turning! LOL! I used to be quite the movie connisseur, (however you spell that-- I know I'm not right since it's currently underlined with the little red "You're an idiot" line. ) As a college kid I whiled away many an hour completely immersed in someone else's reality as it played out on the big screen. For some reason there is something about the darkened room, the scent of buttered popcorn mixed with the cologne of the guy three seats in front of me, and the taste of Twizzlers that makes more than my mouth happy!
It's been nice to revisit that recently. I guess that's one of the benefits of divorce -- I am now guaranteed at least the TIME to go to a movie once every other weekend -- assuming that he actually takes her on his weekends, which is a big assumption. But I digress....my reviews, as posted at Fandango:
Happy Feet:
If you don't have small children with you -- DON'T GO! Come to think of it, if you DO have small children with you, there's a VERY frightening scene with a leopard seal, so they probably shouldn't go either.This movie seems like it couldn't figure out what it wanted to be when it grows up -- a Greenpeace commercial or an animated film. The two story themes (it's ok to be different vs. save Antarctica from the humans) fight each other rather than compliment each other. While Elijah Wood makes a very cute penguin, and the music is fun, the story line jumps around in places and drags in others. I walked away feeling like the "good" story (It's OK to be different) never fully developed, while the "other" story (we're destroying Antarctica) was heavy handed and simplistically resolved. Don't waste the money unless you're looking for a way to kill a few hours with a child who doesn't scare easily. I will say the animation was very good -- hence the "no" instead of "Oh No!" rating.
Casino Royale
Bond? James Bond? This new Bond is so far from the dapper don that I've gotten used to with Pierce Brosnan that I actually had to turn to my sister about 5 minutes in and say "That's Bond?" Perhaps in an attempt to lessen that confusion, this movie seems to be set back at the beginning of Bond's career (that's why he's not yet so debonair), when he has just acquired "double O" status. Once you establish in your mind that this well built and increasingly handsome man really IS James Bond, the movie quickly grows on you. The action scenes are fast paced and easy to follow, the cinematography is adept, and the acting is increasingly Bond like. Make sure you follow names early on in the movie -- it will make the ending easier to follow, as off screen characters are referred to by their names. There are few gadgets, but a lot of excitement. The last 20 minutes seems a bit out of place, and probably could have been left out of this 2 1/2 hour movie -- but over all it was a fun escape from reality for a bit, and well worth the money to see it on the big screen!
And the one you absolutely MUST go see:
Stranger than Fiction
Wow! Who would have thought Will Farrell in a movie that is worth watching over and over?! This movie is easily one of the best I've seen in years -- one that I know already I'll purchase, just because I want to be able to go back and watch it to catch the subtle nuances and listen to the writing again. The cinematography is perfect -- emphasizing the contrast between imagination and reality. Emma Thompson is fabulous as an agonizing writer, Maggie Gyllenhall is cute enough to eat up, just like the goodies she bakes, and Dustin Hoffman is the perfect eccentric, coffee guzzling literary professor. It's Will Farrell who steals the show, however. His performance shows depth, and humor, and keeps the audience in love with him as he evolves from who he was to who he will be. Watching this movie was literally like watching a great book unfold on the screen -- the highest praise this literary lover can give. Two thumbs up -- you've GOT to see this!!
OK, that's all for now --
Godspeed --
Dream
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