Father Knows Best

After my father telling me to watch American Psycho for years, I finally decided that last night was the night, proving that sometimes the best movie watching comes on a whim. I should have know my dad would be right. He has shown me most of my favorite films including V for Vendetta, all the classic 80's films like Jaws and Jurassic Park, and even Moulin Rouge! 
I think the thing I liked the most about American Psycho was the fact that it was directed by Mary Harron, a woman. Number one, I just like seeing female directors, frankly there needs to be more of them. And number two, I found it surprising for the kind of film it was. For the fact that it was bloody and twisted while still managing to be fun. It is a shame that I have to feel surprised or happy or any emotion like that because I should expect woman to be able to make films that rival the gore of Tarantino's. After doing a bit of reading about the film, I really respect Harron and the choices she made, especially to cast Christian Bale. Seeing the film with the studio's choice of Leonardo DiCaprio would have been interesting and he could no doubt have pulled it off, but it would have been a different film. It is Bale's pure dedication to his characters, if nothing else, that makes him so compelling to watch.

These eyes have seen too much

Bale was incredible, as always. I think the best part of his performance was the fact that you did not necessarily hate Patrick Bateman, but at the same time you feel absolutely no sympathy for him. Bale's meticulous acting style makes him a perfect choice for this role. Personally, no one else really stood out except for maybe Willem Dafoe. He does crazy eyes really well, but not as well as Claire Danes.
We are watching this film in my Comedy in Film class and I believe it fits based on the ideas of social commentary and the actual laughter produced by some of the scenes. I feel like once we talk about it I will have more to say, especially since the ending was one of those that hurt my head. It reminded me a lot about the way I felt after watching A Beautiful Mind. Except for, you know, less teary.
 I love films that create discussion the moment the credits start rolling and the way you go back and question every scene. What does it mean to be crazy? What is real and what is not? The big question I always ask myself is, does it matter? The only thing I do know about American Psycho is that I look forward to watching it again. And calling my dad to thank him once more.
Review: No milk needed 

Playing Catch Up

I have no excuses for my appalling lack of blogging this semester...well actually I have a million excuses and all of them have to do with me being in my senior year of college and trying to do a ton of work while also having a social life and then coming home for break and having no computer/internet. But onward and upward. It is always my goal to write more in the new year so here is me attempting to reach that aim.
It is a shame too because I have seen so many good films this semester and it is going to be hard to accurately capture my feelings towards all of them. I think in order to preserve my sanity I am going to do a new movie post first aka movies that I have seen recently and more importantly ones that are nominated for awards. Therefore this post will not include Kill Bill Volume 1 & 2 (which I absolutely loved),  The Perks of Being a Wallflower (captured the feeling of the book amazingly), Lord of the Rings: Return of the Kings (by far the most enjoyable of the series), Looper (not what I expected), Skyfall (one word: fun), Stardust (deviated from the book, but plain fun), and lastly The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (good, but long). I am going to focus on Silver Linings Playbook, Les Misérables, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Argo.
1.) Silver Linings Playbook- David O. Russell

I really liked the performances of this film. I had no expectations for Bradley Cooper except what I kept hearing from reviews so I was pleasantly surprised by the emotional dept of his performance. I always love Jennifer Lawrence and I was not disappointed; the more clips I see from her at award shows the more I appreciate her role in the film. However, overall, and compared to the other films I have seen I was not as impressed. Sure I was a bit teary by the end and I rejoiced and felt uplifted, but I was underwhelmed. I think that is the thing for me: it stands up, but not comparatively. If I was not in the theater thinking about Les Misérables playing in the next theater then maybe I would have liked it better.
Review: Needs milk 

2.) Les Misérables- Tom Hooper 
I feel like it is unfair for me to write about any other films right now because I am listening to the soundtrack as I write this. I loved Les Misérables.  It was a long movie especially when my theater played it with 30 minutes of previews (to the point where the audience was groaning with each one), but most every moment of the film was necessary in the creation of the incredible story of Jean Valjean played by Hugh Jackman with more conviction than I could ever imagine. The same can be said for Anne Hathaway and "I Dreamed a Dream" for which I had chills throughout. Each actor was chosen perfectly and the nominations were well deserved for both actors mentioned above. It is definitely Anne's award to lose. One brilliant stroke of casting was Helena "I-am-actually-a-little-bit-crazy" Boham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen as the Thenardiers. I could imagine no one else in those roles and they made every scene they were in while providing welcome comic relief. Also, Eddie Redmayne was wonderful as Marius. He could have been reduced to the lovelorn dope ala Jamie Campbell Bower as Anthony in Sweeney Todd, but Redmayne manages to hold his own. His performance of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" thoroughly impressed me while still managing to bring tears. It is one of those films that I cannot wait to see again and for that reason alone it gets a perfect score from me. It makes me feel sorry for all the bad things I said about Tom Hooper for The King's Speech. In my defense, I was team Fincher and The Social Network that year. Sorry about that, Tom.
Review: No milk needed

3.) Beasts of the Southern Wild- Benh Zeitlin 

Beasts was an unconventional film and I still cannot decide if I liked it completely or not. I thought the acting of Quvenzhané Wallis was incredible especially for her young age. It makes me wonder if the choices she made are conscious ones and she is really that good or if she just has a natural talent and likability as a child. Regardless, it will be interesting to see if her career goes anywhere from here. The film itself was rooted halfway between reality and fantasy which I liked, it just sometimes got too fantastical for me. That being said, the story still managed to be moving and beautiful. Zeitlin manages to make a film about an entire state feel small and intimate by showing it through the eyes of a little girl. I also have a soft spot in my heart for films about New Orleans since it remains my favorite city in the United States.
Review: Soggy & 1/2

4.) Argo- Ben Affleck

I have gained so much respect for Ben Affleck through his directing career. He really knows how to make great films-and he can even act in them. Having read the story from the Wired article I knew what was going to happen, but that did not mean I was able to breathe. The pacing and camera angles kept the suspense up and was heightened by Alexandre Desplat's score. I do wish some of the more minor details of the story were included, I felt like the setting up of the fake movie and studio seemed to not have enough background and I wanted more training of the hostages on their covers, but now I am just being nit-picky. The credits were a lot of fun too, I love anything that tricks the majority of the audience to stick around once the movie ends-something I do regularly. I think I liked Argo so much because of the "making a film" aspect; everything about Hollywood and filmmaking fascinates me, even if it was all fake. Add that together with my other favorite thing, history, and I am sold.
Review: No milk needed

So which film will win a Golden Globe? I would like to see Ben walk away with some hardware since he does not have a chance at the Oscar and since Hooper already has an Oscar (although I would not mind him winning). And even though I have yet to see Django Unchained improbable as it is, I would love for Leo to win something. Anything to make up for the Academy's disregard for him. Anne should win for Les Misérables and do not even get me started on all the awards I believe Homeland should win for acting because that should be another post all together. The second the red carpet begins I will be live tweeting so if you want more of my opinions and are not sick of me yet, read more there.

Shut Up & 'Drive'

I have finally seen the most talked about movie...of last year. I always seem to come to the party a bit late. I try to see every movie in theaters, but being a college student I have to pick and choose my battles. So when I saw the "why wasn't it nominated for any Oscars" film Drive (dir. Nicholas Winding Refn) on Netflix, I knew I had to watch it.

There's no Miss Daisy in this film

The best words I can use to describe Drive are sleek and sexy, two words that could also be used to describe the film's star Ryan Gosling. There was something very modern about the film which mostly comes from the editing style and the music. The overlaying of images and dissolves from one scene to another gave the film a fluid movement that helped transition from one scene to the next. The editing style set the pacing for the movie; even though it was an action film, it moved at a slow and steady pace creating a great build up and delivering the violence when necessary. Drive just felt different from many films I have seen before.

And while it feels different, between the pink lipstick-esq credit font and music, there is something old school about Drive as well. The music was for me the best part of the film. The songs were so different from the rest of the film, soft, melodic, but with a powerful beat. The beat is what made each song work so well, there was something driving (see what I did there?) each scene, directing the unrelenting motion. With the music there was a feeling that the scenes, especially the ones of Gosling driving on L.A. highways alone at night, had gone on forever and would continue to go on. They created a great sense of contrast,  between the scenes and the images. As diverse as the song choices were they all seemed to work well in adding to the mood; through the music L.A. became a place that seemed like it came from a mix of a city from a Japanese video game and a film noir.
I loved Gosling who made a seamless transition from pretty boy love interest to dark antihero. His portrayal of the Driver, though one that required little actual speaking, was strong. His ability to portray his feelings through grunts and glances was powerful and despite the relatively strong cast he carried the film. I still really cannot decide how I feel about Carey Mulligan. I want to like her, really I do, but there is something about her that I cannot place that I just do not like. I feel like she is too stiff sometimes, maybe not believable enough. It is why I worry so much about her playing Daisy Buchanan. She too had few lines, but I felt that her performance was more one note than Gosling's. 

Overall I really liked Drive as a complete film. The one thing that marred my experience was my internet connection. Being away from school and unlimited wifi is difficult. At home there always seems to be a problem with the connection. And it was like my internet seemed to know when the best and most suspenseful parts of the film were coming. Opening scene with Gosling driving while listening to basketball? Buffering. Waiting for Standard outside of the Pawn Shop? Buffering. Hotel room with Blanche and the phone rings? Well, you get the idea. It made the viewing experience very frustrating because I had to keep refreshing the page and then had to put myself back into the action. I feel like watching the film in a theater would have been a much better experience, not just because of the lack of loading time, but also because the sound and picture would have been much bigger and better. 

I am definitely glad I watched Drive though and can now count myself among the legions of the outraged that this film did not get nominated for more awards. 

Review: Needs milk  

"Games" ON!

The midnight showing of the film I have been waiting for since the last Harry Potter just ended and I can say that it did not disappoint. The Hunger Games was everything I wanted it to be; sure they left some stuff out and on further viewing I may have some problems, but initial feeling is satisfaction.

"I do not want to lose the boy with the bread."

Even though I knew what was going to happen, my heart was in my stomach the entire film. I love the suspense that was created and I think Gary Ross did an incredible job. Thinking back on the film, I can honestly say the thing that I enjoyed the most was the camera work. I thought it worked amazingly well with the style of the movie and put the viewer right into the action. It also provided just the right amount of cover for the death scenes, which I would have liked to see a bit more clearly. But other than that I thought making the camera show Katniss' point of view was very unique and gave the film the edge it needed. 

Jennifer Lawrence has once again proved her acting abilities. Whether she was speaking or silently starring off into the woods, I thought she completely embodied Katniss. She is a heroine for females anyone to look up to because of her courage, intelligence, and willingness to do what is necessary to protect the ones she loves. I also thought Josh Hucherson was perfectly cast as Peeta. He comes across slightly dopey, but also this darker side that is slowly revealed. The only one of the "trio" I did not like was Gale. To me he was too pretty, I could not look past the fact that he was Thor's brother. Plus, he and Jen did not get much screen time together so it was hard to think about how I felt about their relationship. The rest of the cast was terrific and I especially enjoyed Stanley Tucci and Wes Bently as Caesar Flickerman and Seneca Crane respectively. Woody Harrelson also got in some good scenes as Haymitch despite the fact that the film toned down his relationship with Katniss. 

District 12 looked like it came straight from a Dorothea Lange photo. I loved the costumes and cast, even just of extras because they all looked like the belonged to a community. The same can be said for all the districts which we actually got a chance to see. The Capital was also crazy without being too over the top and I really liked the juxtaposition of the excess and frivolity of the Capital and the way they treat the games compared to the other districts.

Ross made some good decisions in choosing what to leave out. I thought that everything in the film was necessary and he worked well with the amount of time and numerous characters he was given. I loved the flashbacks to the all important bread scene which showed its significance without hitting you over the head with it. And my all time favorite line (as I like to call it, the "always" of The Hunger Games), "she came here with me," was delivered with such earnestness by Hutcherson that it made my toes curl with happiness. 

One of my few complaints with the film is that I wished they developed Peeta and Katniss' relationship more; I felt like something was missing though I cannot think of what it is. I also could have used a little more actual gore. I loved Ross' filming, but at times I feel like he used it as a curtain to cover up the action and appease the "young-adult" audience. 

What I think I liked so much about The Hunger Games was the fact that it functioned as a film. I believe that it can stand alone from the book and that even people who have never read it will enjoy it (like my dad). Ross made the movie exactly the way an adaptation should be: good for the fans and the causal movie go-er. The Hunger Games manages to have romance, murder, suspense, and political undertones. all at once. Also, the ending sets the viewer up nicely for the sequel, Catching Fire. 

Review: No milk needed 

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

Day 7: Favorite Action Film-Die Hard
Numerous times on this blog I have defended my love of action films. I like films that are loud and explosive for the sake of being loud and explosive, but at the same time, to be my favorite film the movie has to be smart. There has to be a good story; it cannot just be pure entertainment. So while I like films like Transformers and The Day After Tomorrow for what they are worth, they will never rank higher than mere popcorn entertainment for me.
 Die Hard (1988) is more than just popcorn. It is one of my favorite Christmas movies; nothing gets you into the spirit of the holidays like Bruce Willis trying to save his wife from an evil Alan Rickman.

"Yippee-Ki-Yay, Motherfucker."

What I like about Die Hard is the dialogue. It is funny in a smart, sarcastic way (the way I like to think I am). Bruce Willis has some of the best one liners not to mention an awesome catchphrase. His interactions with Sgt. Powell are more than your average cop buddy relationship; the two men actually share a connection. When they finally meet at after speaking over walktalkies for the entire film, it is a heart warming scene of two men who have just been through hell together. Such scenes are rarely witnessed in your average action flicks.
Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber (who, if I haven't said it before is one of my all time favorite actors) is a great villain.(Shooting the glass when Bruce is not wearing any shoes? How could you Alan?) You think he is just plain bad until the very end when you discover his real treachery, then he is pure evil. He and Willis have some great interactions and witty banter. John McClane is the perfect American cowboy/cop to Rickman's foreign pseudo-terrorist.

Who said we were terrorists?

I haven't seen any other of the Die Hard films and frankly I don't really want to see Bruce Willis being rolled through an air vent in a wheelchair. I think they should quit while they are ahead so I can remember Bruce the way he is supposed to be: young, muscled, still with a head of hair, and not giving any...well you get the idea.
Honorable mentions for best action film go to The Professional, Terminator 2, and Transporter (or pretty much anything starring Jason Statham).

Facebook 30 Movie Challenge

So I'm just going to pick and choose from all the multiple Facebook 30 day movie challenges which one I do each day. Keeps things more interesting and lets me answer the ones that I want to.
Day 6: Favorite Drama-Atonement 
I think Atonement (2007), directed by Joe Wright is one of the saddest, most beautiful films I have ever seen. It is also an incredible book to film adaptation, but not my favorite (that post will come later). I love it for a number of reasons, first because of the cast. Usually when I like a film it has to do with the cast and the quality of the acting. This film is no exception. Keira Knightly is perfection as Cecilia, I love the subtly of her movements and how she acts right down to her pinky. Every facial expression and gesture is so thought out and elegant. I know some people don't like her, but I for one find her not only beautiful, but  also a great actress; she was one of my favorites until she vanished off the face of the earth. James McAvoy is also fantastic as Robbie. He plays his character with just the right amount of every emotion: passion, rage, and also fragility. He and Keira have some serious chemistry. Saoirse Ronan is also perfection as the young Briony. She is a girl so convinced by the creations of her own mind that does not believe her actions are wrong. I personally find it difficult to hate her as an adult (I won't spoil why you should or shouldn't hate her if you haven't seen it) because of the way she is played by Ronan as a child. Also, Benedict Cumberbatch is in the film with possibly one of the worst creepest mustaches ever.

Paul: You have to bite it. 

(Can you tell I basically just love the entire cast?!)  

Not only is the cast amazing, but the story is too. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but it is one of those films that is the perfect combination of heartbreak and romance. The story weaves in complicated webs and leaves you in a place you rarely expected to end up in.
The cinematography and overall setting of Atonement is beautiful as well.

Cecilia:  I wouldn't necessarily believe everything Briony tells you. She's rather fanciful.

Wright takes the viewer from the luxurious Tallis family manor to the war torn beaches of Dunkirk. The costumes are also beautiful and really add to the characters' development.

Honorable mentions for best drama go to Pride & Prejudice, Up in the Air, and Black Swan.

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

So school work and internet problems caught up to me so I missed a few days. But now I'm back and better than ever with a new and improved 30 days of movies (I keep losing my original list so I'm improvising and I found a new list that I will start in my next post).
Day 5: A movie that makes you laugh- Father of the Bride
I love Charles Shyers' Father of the Bride (1991) because I have such good memories associated with it and while I've never seen the original, I love it all the same. I've watched the film a number of times, mostly when it is on television with my family, especially my dad. He loves the film too and has made me promise on a number of occasions to never leave from my own wedding without saying goodbye. That is why I think it is so funny, because it reminds me so much of my own family.

George:  I'll tell you what I'm doing. I want to buy 8 hot dogs and 8 hot dog buns to go
with them. But no one selss 8 hot dog buns. They only sell 12 hot dog buns. So I end up
paying for 4 buns I don't need. So I am removing the superfluous buns.

I also think it is so funny because it is relatable. Steve Martin plays the wound up father just right; there is a touch of sadness as well as hilarity to his performance. He plays the perfect father complaining about every aspect of the wedding, but at the same time willing to do anything to make his daughter happy. Martin Short is also hilarious as the wedding planner with the unpronounceable name and very expensive taste. Father of the Bride is not only funny, but touching and sentimental all at the same time. Overall, it is a great film.
Random side note about me, I hate gag humor. If people are making bathroom jokes or hitting each other with sticks, most of the time I find the movie unfunny.
Honorable mentions go to Shaun of the Dead, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, pretty much anything staring Will Ferrell (even though I hate to admit it, he's pretty funny), Zoolander, Wedding Crashers, and The Hangover. And despite the bathroom humor in Bridesmaids, I loved it because it showed women can be (and are) funny.

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

Day 4- A movie that makes you sad-The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008) is probably my favorite comic book film to date (followed closely by Ironman and Spiderman). It makes me sad for one reason and one reason only and that is Heath Ledger. Heath is mesmerizing as the Joker in the film; hell, he is the film. You literally cannot look away or you'll miss something, a twitch of the mouth, a shake of the head, a crooked grin-all things that completely make his performance. He changes not only his voice but his entire persona. He became the Joker. It is not worth even talking about any other actor in the film, even though they were all great (besides Maggie Gyllenhaal) because they cannot compare.
The Dark Knight makes me sad because it shows that Heath had so much left to give. He was an actor that had so much talent and yet I feel that we barely got to scratch the surface on what he can do. Like many actors, he was a man who completely lost himself inside his roles and became completely unrecognizable.I find myself getting choked up during the film not because of the content, but because of sadness at not being able to witness more of this amazing man's career. I would have loved to see what Nolan was planning on doing with him in The Dark Knight Rises. The film just won't be the same without him (but I'm sure it will be good).
An honorable mentions goes to Brokeback Mountain (for many of the same reasons and because it's actually heart-wrenching).

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

Day 3: A movie that makes you happy-Back to the Future 
Back to the Future doesn't just make me happy, it makes me giddy. There are just so many things I like about it.  It has great dialogue; literally the entire thing leaves me laughing out loud from numerous characters making fun of Marty for being part of the Coast Guard to the allusions to future events. It had just the right amount of comedy, sci-fi, and 80's-ness to make a great film. It is by far my favorite film from that decade.

My density has brought me to you.

I also love young Micheal J. Fox. What is not to love? He is adorable and has great comedic timing. He and Christopher Lloyd play off each other well and have really good chemistry. Lloyd plays Doc Brown just crazy enough with a touch of science which works really well. He has some of the best lines in the film (Why are things so heavy in the future? Great scott! Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads). Lea Thompson is fantastic as well playing both Marty's mother and a girl with a big crush.Their interactions are so awkward, but also so funny. Oh Calvin, I would fall for you too. The entire cast is just great in general, no one could play George McFly other than Crispin Glover.
The story is also great. It can be thought of as the beginners guide to time travel because it makes sense and still manages to add in a few surprises. When Marty gets back to 1985 and sees all the changes, it surprises the viewer almost as much as it surprises Marty himself. Even the second film makes sense for those who have trouble following other time travel films.
Honorable mentions for films that make me happy go to Ironman, pretty much anything released by Disney or Pixar, and the Harry Potter films because even though they are not the best adaptations, I cannot help but love them.

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

Day 2: Least Favorite Film-The Da Vinci Code

Don't even get me started about his hair.

As an avid reader of Dan Brown's novels I was excited at the prospect of The Da Vinci Code being adapted into a film. I thought it would be a smarter, more mature version of National Treasure. How wrong I was. Tom Hanks, normally one of my favorite actors delivered one of the worst performances of his career. He was wooden and completely uninspired. It was almost as if he was just going through the motions. The same can be said for Audrey Tautou. She and Hanks had no chemistry and the usual joie de vivre that is part of her charm was seriously lacking. I will say that Paul Bettany and Alfred Molina were decent in their roles and provided some of the only engaging scenes in the film.
 Ron Howard who had plenty of material to create a captivating film with seemed to not want to offend anyone and cut out substantial parts of the novel making it neither interesting nor entertaining. Even if there was not a book to compare it to The Da Vinci Code failed to be a good movie in general because of the halting and sometimes confusing way in which it told its story. And despite the beautiful country and settings there was very little that was visually appealing.
Overall, I was very disappointed. The same goes for Angels and Demons, but by that time I expected it to be horrible after seeing how badly Howard and co. messed up the first one. Believe me, I'm not going to waste my money even attempting to see The Last Symbol if it ever gets made. Especially when I didn't even like the book.
Honorable mentions for least favorite film go to pretty much anything starring Katherine Heigl because I despise her  "I'm-a-busy-career-woman-too-stuck-up-to-have-fun-or fall-in-love-but -really-all I-need-is-a guy- to-show-me-the-least-bit-of-attention-and-I'll-fall-in- love-with-him" schtick that she has in every film, although I still haven't seen her in Knocked Up.

Facebook 30 Movie Challenge

Since Lent began today I wanted to try and do something for 40 days. I was going to try and watch and blog about 40 movies but as a (very involved) college student, I knew that would be next to impossible. Instead, as a way to make myself blog (almost) everyday I am going to do the 30 Facebook Movie Challenge; 30 movie related questions that I will try to answer to the best of my ability. Looking up the questions I actually just found out that there is a second part so I may be participating long after Lent is over. So, without further ado...

Day 1: Favorite Film-Fight Club

As a self proclaimed movie snob, I have always had difficulty answering this question. I feel that it should something obscure or totally out there or French, but I have to say my favorite film is David Fincher's 1999 Fight Club. Where do I even begin? With the ending that completely blew my mind? With three of my favorite actors (Brad Pitt, Ed Norton, and Helena Bonham-Carter) in lead roles? With my favorite director? I think Fight Club has everything a film should and much more. It is funny, smart, in your face, full of action, and thought provoking. I love the screenplay and think that it is a perfect adaptation of Palahnik's novel.
Every time I watch it, I find something new to enjoy. I love watching it with friends for the first time just to see their reactions. They get mad at me because I always look at their faces during the good parts and give things away, but I just can't help it. 

"You met me at a very strange time in my life."

It is hard to describe the things you love. There are so many reasons why I like Fight Club and yet I cannot explain them all. Why is it my favorite movie? It just is, for all the reasons I said before and so much more. It is about love and life and friendship; the film just speaks to me on a real level because it hits me right in the gut. I feel that Fight Club is especially applicable now more than ever
with the me-me-me-apathetic-technologically obsessed generations of today because it captures the very real fears of society (wow I sound old). While I have loved many a film, for me Fight Club is for now (and has been for awhile) my number one.
Honorable mentions go to V for Vendetta, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Moulin Rouge, and Across the Universe. 

Here's What You Missed

Since I've been a terrible blogger this winter break, here is a recap of some the movies I've watched in order from best to worst.

1.) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (dir. David Fincher)

This film was amazing, exactly how I knew it would be. I loved the cast, the bleak setting, the cinematography, the music. It had just the right amount of darkness. Rooney Mara was a very different Lisbeth than her Swedish counterpart. There was a power to her performance but also a real vulnerably; here was a girl who had been hurt before and was extremely damaged. Daniel Craig was also exactly how I pictured Blomkvist. I felt that the movie had great pacing and unfolded exactly like the novel and since I couldn't remember everything it made for a great murder mystery.

Review: No milk needed (Fincher never does, that's why he's my favorite director.)

2.) The English Patient (dir. Anthony Minghella)

I was in the mood for a sad love story and this proved to be exactly what I was looking for although not as heart wrenching in my opinion as say Atonement or Titanic. My favorite style of films are non-linear narratives, especially love stories and this was no different. I love the way Minghella weaved the story and created an emotional attachment to the characters. Ralph Finnes was spectacular as always as were the set pieces and costumes that usually go along with a sweeping period piece such as this one. 

Review: No milk needed

3.) Tinker Tailor Solider Spy (dir. Tomas Alfredson)

This film was a great, old fashioned spy flick. Gary Oldman was everything I thought he would be and more; I'm devastated that he was not nominated for a Golden Globe and hopeful that he still has a chance of winning that elusive Oscar. I really liked the color scheme of the film, it had great tones of blues and greys with the occasional pop of color that really made certain set pieces stand out. The film also put Benedict Cumberbatch on my radar which is good because his name seems to be showing up everywhere lately in the casting world. 

Review: Needs milk

4.) Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (dir. Eli Craig)

This film was one that I went into with no expectations and came away completely satisfied. It was a hilarious, bloody mess, but in the best way possible. I am in no way squeamish; I do not flinch during Tarantino films, but for some reason this film made me look away and squee like a school girl. I enjoyed 

the film's power to make me slightly scared and grossed out. I also thought Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine had great chemistry. What a horrible set of circumstances for their characters though.

Review: Needs milk

5.) The Sorcerer's Apprentice (dir. Jon Turteltaub)

This was one of those films that happened to start when I turned the television on so I watched it. I have to say I found it cute mostly because of Jay Baruchel and his likable "every-man" character. He had just the right amount of self deprecating humor and sweetness to make him believable. This is also one of those rare films like National Treasure that I did not hate Nicholas Cage in. He was over the top and goofy, sure, but it worked. He was playing a wizard after all. I did appreciate the pop cultural homages to Indiana Jones and Star Wars as well as to the original Fantasia film that this one was inspired from. 

Review: Soggy 

I feel like I can't have only seen five films this break, but these are all the good ones I can remember for now. 

"I Finally Saw...In Bruges"

In Bruges (2008) is one of those films that everyone, both twitter and real life friends, kept telling me to see but I never got around to. I finally saw it this week, in my Existential Literature class of all places and I now know why it got all the hype it did.

"Maybe that's what Hell is: the entire rest of eternity stuck in fucking Bruges."- Ray

First of all the cast is amazing. Half of the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire cast is in the film so right there is a good indication of the caliber of actor in this film. Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell are amazing in their roles as hit men with hearts. Since I watched both of the films in the same day, I can compare them and In Bruges has the character depth that Children of Men completely lacked. Gleeson and Farrell are so flawed and at the same time so real. They are also immensely likeable men. Ralph Fiennes is also pure evil as always, as Harry the hitman with a code of ethics.
The setting was amazing. The opening with its long sweeping shots of the cathedrals and canals really helped to establish the tone of the film and added a fluid movement that ran throughout the film. The slow establishing shots of the setting contrasted well with the quick action shots that came later on.

I think the thing I liked most about In Bruges was the emotional force that it brought. It was one of those films that made you laugh and then cry only moments later. It was both hysterically funny and deeply emotional and it is so rare that films can pull both those emotions off well. Since I watched it for class we spent a lot of time discussing the deeper themes and the issues of morality and choices that occur throughout the film. It did really make one think.
There was really very little I disliked about the film. It was worth the hype that everyone attributed to it. Everything from the music to script was spot on and everything was made better by the
Review: No milk required