Films

Films I’ve viewed recently…..

As promised, here are a couple more film reviews to consider the next time you’re browsing Netflix.

“The Tourist”: This movie was, in one word, fun. I can’t believe more people haven’t seen it! Just to start off and prove my credibility, it was nominated for three big Golden Globes in 2012 (Depp: Best Actor, Jolie: Best Actress, and Best Motion Picture, people!). Why did I add it to my Netflix queue? It was because of Venice. The city of Venice is a major player in this movie, and she is a beauty. The previews showed our characters glamorously zipping around the canals in old wooden boats, and I knew I would just love it. And I did absolutely, 100% adore it. I spent three days in Venice with Mr. Fresh Scratch, mom-and-father-in-law Fresh Scratch, and Teensy. Teensy was very sick most of the time, though, and we were all tired after a month abroad. Plus, the crowds were enormous (Italy in the summer is not recommended, travelers!). Even though I feel like I got to see a lot of cool stuff in the city, there just was not as much carefree exploration as I had hoped. This movie actually filled in a lot of blanks for me, as far as Venice goes. So, aside from a virtual vacation to Venice, what does this movie offer? Well, it offers Johnny Depp, first of all. He so often plays larger-than-life characters, so it was so entertaining and endearing to see him as a fumbling American school teacher who somehow found himself mixed up with the character played by Angelina Jolie. She is somewhat of a spy, a character who used to catch spies but somehow found herself in love with the biggest wanted man of all. She’s being followed everywhere by British agents who want their man, and they think she will slip-up and lead them to her. It may sound a little bit Jason Bourne-esque, but, truly, hilarity ensues. The two of them were delightful together, and the film has some major twists. It reminded me of a 1980′s romantic caper. We don’t see enough of these types of films. Well, at least I don’t.

“The Descendants”: Remember when I mentioned hiding out at The Grand Cinema in Tacoma this past winter for an afternoon with Mr. Fresh Scratch? Well, it was to  see this film. Finally. After the Oscars. But, finally! It was a journey into pure, authentic human vulnerability set at the speed of all things Hawaiian. Meaning: it floats along. There’s no crescendo or earth-shattering moment. Rather, the film is punctuated by the very raw, authentic moments in which we find our characters. Every thing about this movie is so believable. The characters are neither all good nor all bad; the situation seems realistic; the beautiful backdrop of Hawaii is so nearly like another character that I swear I started to get whiffs of plumeria in the air. George Clooney plays our main character, a mostly-absentee workaholic father/husband. With his wife in intensive care after a boating accident, he is left to learn how to not only parent his two spunky, sort-of-troublesome daughters through this rough situation, but also how to parent, period. Through the film run the threads of  his wife’s infidelity (oddly enough, with a character from the early “Scream” movies whom I never would’ve pegged for this kind of roll) and the weight of his Hawaiian heritage. George’s character was very plain, not very witty, and kind of begging for a hug, but not in a pathetic way. He gave an excellent performance. I laughed a bit and cried a bit. And it takes a lot for me to cry at movies, so that’s saying something!

“The Black Swan”: Eww. Ick. I think I watched the majority of this movie through my fingers as they covered my eyes! This film was a psychological thriller at its best. There was so, so much hype around it and Natalie Portman’s performance that I was afraid I’d built it up too much before finally watching it. But I hadn’t. It was all more intense than anything I could’ve conjured up. Natalie Portman plays a ballerina who is so obsessed with perfection that no one likes her and her only friend is her mom, who happens to be an ex-ballerina. Her entire focus is given to being the best. ballerina. ever. When she lands the roll of the Swan Queen, she really begins to unravel under the pressure, and we get to watch. It wasn’t purty! But it was so well done. Her labored breathing was almost always in the background, adding fuel to the fire. I was stunned, horrified, speechless. I was uncomfortable. And I tell my film students that if a movie can make you feel something, even if it’s discomfort, it’s usually a good one. I also tell them that not liking the story does not mean it wasn’t good. This was good. It brilliantly portrayed a breakdown so well that we, the viewers, could no longer tell what was real, just like the main character. There was a chilling laugh that ran throughout the movie, seemingly coming from no where, that totally freaked me out. I would recommend watching it if you haven’t, just because it really is a masterpiece of storytelling and Natalie Portman totally rocked it. Do keep in mind, though, that it does really amplify all of the negative stereotypes about ballerinas, so take all of that with a grain of salt.

“The Lorax”: We took our daughter’s to this film on opening weekend (they are nearly three and nearly seven, respectively) after a lot of anticipation and build up at our house. Teensy had checked out the beloved book by Dr. Seuss at her school’s library months before, then proceeded to renew it half a dozen times. It was the first real book she read by herself. Teensy-Weensy has had the poster up on the back of her bedroom door for months. We were excited to try taking her to a movie at last! But, alas, nearly-three proved to be too young for this PG movie (why, oh why, didn’t I notice it was PG and not G? This is where knowledge of the site Common Sense Media would have really come in handy!). By the time we reached the half-way mark, she was curled up in one of our laps. When it was nearly over, she was crying, so Mr. Fresh Scratch took her out for cocoa while Teensy and I finished. The villain proved to be too mean for T-W’s taste, and I felt so guilty for not having looked into the film more beforehand. All that being said, it was a fun, visually-pleasing flick with the same message as the book (“take care of the earth!”). What makes it different from the book is the focus on where the little boy who visits the Once-ler comes from, and this provides us with the view of the aftermath of the destruction of the Truffula trees (wow, that’s a sentence with a lot of “of-s!”). We see a town that has to purchase bottled oxygen and has never seen a real tree. The best part for me was enjoying all the voices of the characters. A lot of fun people got on board with this film to provide the voices: Danny DeVito, Taylor Swift, Betty White and, my favorite, Ed Helms. Ed Helms voices the character who destroys everything to make the Sneeds (“which everyone, everyone!, needs!”). He sings silly songs a lot, just like his character Andy on “The Office,” which really tickled my funny bone. Both his character and Betty White’s provide lots of little laughs for the grown-ups. The Barbaloots were dang cute, too! It was absolutely appropriate for my 1st-grader, but, I think, if you’ve at all sheltered your kids from the media like I have, this is not for a preschooler.

“The Time Traveler’s Wife”:  I will come right out and say I liked the book so much better. I really, really wanted to absolutely love the movie – and I did enjoy it – but it didn’t grip me like the novel. This is one of my favorite books of all-time; it’s such a unique story. Somehow it’s easier to capture the confusion of the story as it’s released piece by piece into the imagination than it is to get a solid line of the events when they are being visually bombarded toward you. All that being said, however, the film was heartbreaking! My husband loved it. He cried {ooh, he will kill me for saying this, but he cries at most movies. He cried at the end of “Dirty Dancing.” It’s true! I saw it. But I think this is a nice quality in a man, so I am proudly sharing with you at his expense.}! I may have teared-up a little bit, too. Just a little. The story-line is this: a man is afflicted with a gene mutation that makes him time travel. He always arrives naked. For some reason, he often travels back to the same location (at different times), and that is the childhood home of his future wife. It’s very interesting, and also fun, to try to get a chronological thread in one’s mind to connect the dots. The book offers much more light and hope, while the film is pretty dark. Though I don’t believe it transferred well to the screen, it is still worth a watch, especially if you’ve read and enjoyed the book.

“500 Days of Summer”: Oh, how this film tugged at me! It has been so talked-up by my film students for the past few years, and they have constantly been referencing it. Enter my new fascination with all things Zooey Deschanel {listening to her band, “She and Him,” never missing an episode of “The New Girl,” and keeping tabs on her via Facebook}, and I just had to move it to the top of my Netflix queue. I recently scored a stormy night with no cable or internet connection (thank you, snow storm) and with no hubs, as he’d went out for game night. I grabbed a fat glass of red wine, some chocolate, and popped in the dvd. From the perspective of the cine-o-phile, this movie gets major, major props for creativity. It does a lot of cool things and the camera angles are very fresh. From the perspective of a hopeless romantic, this film gets major props for making me feel like I was falling in love. The basic premise is that Summer is the female lead, not the season, and it’s a bunch of snippets of our main character Tom’s 500 days of being in various stages of love with her. Before each scene is the same beautiful screen with a ticker that changes to the day we’re about to see.  Oh, and it’s all random and out of order, much like the way we recall memories. Zooey is so endearing and has a wonderful wardrobe, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s lead reminds me of every guy I’ve ever dated. The music is wicked awesome and kind of a third main character. The bittersweet ending was just like real life, and I felt like I’d just had another relationship in its entirety by the end of the film. Not an easy feat!

“The Bucket List”: Awww. Rob Reiner is such a great director, right? It has only been in the last decade that a director has given us Jack Nicholson in a role where we actually feel tenderly toward him {think “Something’s Gotta Give” or that one with Helen Hunt}, and this is no exception.  He and Morgan Freeman play two men who aren’t given long to live due to cancer.  They have become friends while being treated together in a hospital suite. They set off to tackle a “bucket list” they made together in the time they have left.  We go everywhere from Egypt to Mt. Everest {or so you are made to think, but I think it’s safe to say that they were all computer-generated images} and glimpse the things they realize really matter in life: experiencing joy and bringing joy to others.  It was sweet, but the ending was inevitable. It made us cry. Not a bad way to pass the time on a Saturday night.

“Crazy Stupid Love”: Loved this!  Mr. Fresh Scratch also loved it!  I mean, it’s a recipe for success: Steve Carrell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling…? Each played their part to perfection. The film was, obviously, all about relationships. Though there were a few pretty unrealistic bits of dialogue, especially by the character playing Steve & Juliane’s son, it had enough relateable moments that the whole thing was believable.  To be objective, the film also had a pretty slow start, but it really does get there in a big way. Emma Stone’s character was adorably charming, and there’s a big twist near the end that forced me to pause it and re-think everything. Love that!  Oh, and there is a scene where Steve’s character gets a makeover that really inspired me to take my husband shopping with someone’s unlimited credit card.

“The Sound of Music“:  I am fairly certain I was one of the oldest grown-ups never to have seen this film.  If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “(gasp!) You haven’t seen The Sound of Music?!” I would not have to have a job!  My six-year-old daughter finally cornered me into watching it after she’d learned some of the songs from her babysitter last year.  We watched it in two parts, breaking at the intermission (May I just say how much I love an old-fashioned film intermission?). We were on the edge of our seats.  What would happen to Maria?! For those of you readers who also have not caved and watched the film, let me offer you a little summary.  It’s the eve of World War II in Austria. Maria is a young woman who is beginning the process of becoming a nun.  The other nuns think she isn’t really cut out for a life of austerity, so they give her one last shot of freedom by sending her to be a governess to the seven children of the wealthy widower Captain von Trapp.  She charms the children and, inadvertantly, their father, with her musical ways of making everything happy and fun.  The wealthy Baroness of Berlin wants the captain to herself, so there’s a little suspense as to what will happen.  All the happiness in the world, however, cannot save Maria and the von Trapps from the arrival of the Nazi’s in their beloved homeland of Austria.  The ending is a cliffhanger for me, but my daughter just assumed the best was about to happen.  I love that about children!  A must-see if you are one of the last hold-outs!

“Bridesmaids”: Oh, my.  If ever there was a female counterpart to “The Hangover,” this is it!  I laughed. I put my hand over my mouth in horror.  I, at times, covered my ears!  It was irreverent, but that was just part of the fun!  The basic premise, in case you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard about this hit of the last summer, is that a girl gets engaged and enlists her best friend as her maid of honor, then throws in a bunch of unlikely other bridesmaids, most of whom she barely knows and one of whom wants to steal the title of “maid of honor.” Shenanigans ensue around things like dress shopping, the bachelorette party and the shower. I love that these women had dialogue about things women talk about in real life. The lead was cute and loveable, but messed up, which is believable! Plus, she wasn’t the bride!  The story mainly revolved around the maid of honor. Seriously, though, the scene-stealer was the gal from that tv show “Mike and Molly.”  Holy cow!  No makeup, and totally playing a different character than on tv!  She’s got talent!  Also, I am in love with the adorable Ellie Kemper from “The Office,” so it was fun to see her cute face. I loved this movie for a great laugh, but I think it crossed one too many lines for Mr. Fresh Scratch’s comfort .

“The Adjustment Bureau”: Awesome.  This movie moved along at such a nice clip that, when it was over, I said, “What?  Already?” To be honest, it didn’t have a lot of falling action; it reached the climax and suddenly was resolved.  That’s hard for me.  But the idea that we all have a plan that the universe is somehow trying to get us to follow is kind of cool {heck, I wrote my thesis on it in college!}, and it was played out in an original way in this flick.  The director was the screenwriter of all the “Bourne” movies, and it showed just enough.  Matt Damon doesn’t disappoint as a young politician with his star on the rise. Plus, it was funny in all the right places.  Loved it!

“Letters from Iwo Jima”: Clint Eastwood is the master when it comes to pacing a visual story.  This film, a companion to his “Flag’s of our Fathers,” was so touching and had me hooked from the start.  I watched it late at night and didn’t fall asleep once: unheard of! It’s the story of the Japanese troops in WWII as they prepare, and then defend, Iwo Jima. It stars Ken Watanabe, who is a commander with a heart. I’m not a military expert, but his strategies really made the most of what little they had to work with.  They had no reinforcements, no help from air or sea, all the troops had dysentery, they weren’t being fed well, and a few of the generals below the commander were against him, so there was a little mutiny happening that really botched things up further. This film, when paired with its companion from the US-perspective, really gives the viewer a better understanding of what went down during that historic battle.  I love it when I can learn something real from watching a movie.

“New Year’s Eve”: I saw this at the theatre…it was not worth seeing at the theatre.  Sad!!!  I loved “Valentine’s Day,” so it was a bummer to be disappointed with this one.  The quick summary is basically that it’s about a bunch of different people in different situations, all stoked to see the ball drop at Time’s Square in NYC.  I love a good romantic comedy, as you know, but this one didn’t have it going on.  The great thing it was missing with such a star-studded, ensemble cast was the connection between the different story lines.  I few of them intersected, but not nearly enough to tie it together.  Things I loved: Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Bon Jovi covering “Have a Little Faith in Me,” and imaging being stuck for a whole day in an elevator with Ashton Kutcher.

“The Fabulous Baker Boys”: Confession: I have been wanting to see this since I was in middle school.  I can remember going to the video rental place and picking it up a time or two, only to have my mom tell me it was inappropriate (along with “Pretty Woman”). It’s been in my Netflix queue for years, and it finally made it to the top. Allll those years to hype it up in my mind…..you can imagine the rest.  It’s about two brothers who have a piano lounge act and are burned out. The places they play are sick of their routine, too.  They decide to shake things up by hiring a singer. It was super-dated and, though it was shot in Seattle, they messed up the setting.  For example, Jeff Bridges’ character is trying to get to work at a hotel, but he goes through Pike’s Market, down to the waterfront near the aquarium, then walks into a hotel many blocks back up the hill.  Uh, that’s not the way, dude!  So things like that were frustrating to someone who lives nearby. I loved watching Michelle Pfieffer, though.  I grew up wearing out our video of “Grease 2″ taped from the tv, so I enjoyed her singing.  The Bridges brothers are always great, but overall, it wasn’t the movie experience I had been waiting for.

“Hugo”: Scorsese strikes again!  This was my first 3-D film experience.  It was so fun!  And the glasses now are thick and black, not like those goofy paper contraptions. My husband, and many of my high school students in recent years, read the book it’s based on and loved it. The movie was such a great story about a boy who’s lost his family and lives in the walls of the Paris train station, keeping the clocks running on time. He is also working on restoring and automaton, a project he started with his father. He befriends a little girl, gets in trouble with the station’s cop who is determined to send him to an orphanage, and learns a ton about the history of early movies.  This film has got a lot of subject matter, which is why I think everyone loves it who sees it, young or old.  It is visually stunning!  This is a great one to watch with your family.

“Waiting for Superman”: I just had to see what all the fuss was about. This film tugged me in a lot of different directions.  It left me feeling very confused about my profession {I am a high school English teacher at a public school part-time}. On the one hand, it does a nice job following a few kids who really need a leg up as they try to get into some cool specialized public school programs {some were Charter Schools} that are lottery-based. What I didn’t like was that it made the viewer think that, if these kids didn’t get into these special programs, their future in a traditional public school setting was doomed. I have to have more optimism than that.  Maybe that’s naive.  I’m not sure anymore.  All I know is that all these programs, the massive teacher and principal firings in DC, the Adequate Yearly Progress requirement, the state and national tests….these are all band-aids. I’m getting on a bit of a soap-box here, but what these programs offer to kids are small teacher/student ratios and a staff who is appreciated. That’s appealing to everyone because kids get the attention they need and can’t easily fall through the cracks. Teacher’s have time to help each and every one of them.  Badabing. You want to fix what’s wrong with public education?  Build more schools and hire more teachers so we can have small classes (My largest is 36 this year….unacceptable!  You want to grade 36 essays?) for every kid.  It’s a win-win.

“Pan’s Labrynth“: Okay.  This gave me some nightmares.  My husband was talking about one particularly freaky creature in the film for days afterward. Should it bother me that this is the favorite film of many of my students?  The majority of me says that it should not.  What you’ve got here is a fairy tale told through a dark, dark lense.  Or, what you’ve got here is a horrific tale of something just awful, but told with a magical fairy tale overlay so that it makes it okay at the end.  Either way, it was highly imaginative, nail-biting, and amazingly set. It was filmed and directed with much skill and careful thought, one can easily see. It’s set during the Spanish Revolution, out in the middle of a forest near some ancient, Pagan ruins.  Throw in a lonely little girl, a tyrant of a step-father, a lot of violence, a lot of blood, and a centaur, and you’ve got the recipe for a fairy tale you absolutely should watch without your children.

“The Swell Season”: Mr. Fresh Scratch and I were really impressed and actually quite touched by the film “Once” a few years ago.  “Once” was a low-budget film out of Ireland about a busker who teamed up with a Czech immigrant whose haunting piano and vocal skills, when paired with his guitar and gritty passion, made magical music.  We loved the soundtrack.  We cheered when their song won an Oscar. And then I heard about this documentary about the actual actors in the film, following them on their whirlwind tour with their band, The Swell Season, following the Oscar win.  It was a heartbreaking documentary.  We saw it on a date to the Olympia Film Society a couple weeks ago, and Mr. Fresh Scratch cried!  What’s so painful is that you’ve got two very talented, Oscar-winning musicians on the one hand, but then you’ve got two very different experiences of life and of the world of music on the other.  Glen Hansard dropped out of school at fourteen to play guitar on the streets for money because it was his passion.  It took seventeen years to get to the place where he had the success off of “Once” and the subsequent Oscar win. He had worked for over half of his life in pursuit of his dream. He was so thankful of his fans and of his opportunity in “The Swell Season,” but he also knew that he was there because he loved music, whether he won an Oscar or not.  On the other hand, you’ve got Marketa Irglova, who, sort of on a whim and because she had a crush on Glen, kind of got swept up in the tidal wave on the cusp of her twenties.  They made the film when she was just seventeen.  By the time they’re on tour in this documentary, she’s barely in her twenties, and all she’s done after high school has been centered around making “Once” with Hansard.  Think back to when you were that age: did you really know what you wanted to be yet?  Did you know how to decide that without influence from others? Did you want to commit? I shudder at why I became a teacher!  You can tell she’s wrestling with living the gypsy  life of a musician, and a famous one, at that. Plus, she didn’t have to work as hard as Glen for it.  It wasn’t a dream she pursued.  It felt like she expected the whole thing to be pretty slick and easy, while Glen was trying and trying to explain to her that what they’re experiencing is just a grain of sand in their hourglass. It made for great conversation afterward.  Check out their first film, check out their music, and then give “The Swell Season” some face time. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

“Little Fockers”: One reason to watch: Owen Wilson.  He carries the film. If you love Owen Wilson, hang in there – you’ll be entertained eventually.  Otherwise, not nearly the laughs generated by Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro as in the first two in this film series.

“The Kids are All Right”: This film was not just some film about a lesbian couple and their teenage, sperm-donor children.  At the crux of the film was just the plain old theme of marriage.  Of how hard marriage can be.  Of how you sort of can get typecast in your marriage. Of how you sometimes stop really seeing your spouse. I think it was noteworthy!  Julianne Moore and Annette Benning really became their characters and were very convincing.  Mark Ruffalo was very…scruffy, earthy, and super-cute. The kids were…all right (heh, heh!)!  Pretty much every different sexuality was represented in various sex scenes. If you’ve read my reviews before, you know I am pretty much turned off by too many graphic sex scenes.  That was kind of the case here.  But it was still so worth it to get to Julianne Moore’s character’s speech at the end about marriage!  Stick with it!

“The Last King of Scotland”: This film was a bit of a history lesson for me.  I grew up hearing the name Idi Amin, former president of Uganda, but never really knew what all the fuss was about. This movie sheds some light (though, remember, smart movie viewers, films always have an angle! They don’t take the place of the truth completely because everyone has a bias in telling a story) on his rise to power and the horrible things he did, as a very insecure man, to keep it. It clearly is the story as seen through the main character’s point of view (Amin’s former personal doctor, Scotsman Dr. Garrigan), who was Amin’s trusted advisor on all matters for a time before he saw Amin’s abuse of power and was basically smuggled out of the country.  Forrest Whitaker, who plays Amin, completely transforms in this role.  It’s no wonder he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his turn as this dictator.  The film moved quickly, both in the actual shots and as a whole.  I was caught up in it fairly early and quite surprisingly riveted.  It was a view of Uganda in the 1970′s that I won’t soon forget.  I would recommend it for a night you feel like learning something. Just be prepared: it is pretty dang graphic.

“No Strings Attached“: Alright.  I must be getting, ahem!, older.  What is up with the romantic comedy genre becoming so explicit?!?! There were scenes in this film that I felt uncomfortable watching and that kind of crossed some sort of line for me.  What ever happened to leaving some things up to the imagination? However, it was a fun film, and what is wrong with watching Ashton Kutcher for a couple of hours?  Ashton Kutcher, I love you.  I love you for superficial reasons, like your brown eyes and your nice hair.  Mr. Fresh Scratch, I love you, too.  I hope this isn’t a problem.

“Blood Diamond“: At first, it was distracting to me that Leonardo DiCaprio was speaking with a S. African accent.  But, by the end of the film, I thought he was doing a fantastic job at what was probably a very difficult role for many reasons. The subject matter of this film is that of which we do not pay enough attention to here in the U.S. The film is all about conflict diamonds from Africa which are mined in horrific ways by force and then sold on the black market to fund weapons for their civil wars. The film also speculates that diamonds aren’t really as rare as we treat them, but that the market is so controlled that it keeps this vicious cycle going. Disgusting, really. This sparked a conversation with my husband right away, about my engagement ring. It was not a nice conversation.  Let’s just say that it ended a week later with me going to our jeweler to speak to them about my diamonds.  I was assured that they only use certified conflict-free diamonds, but, after viewing this film, that doesn’t mean a whole lot to me.  At least they try, I guess.  Anyway, this film is painful to watch at times, but Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly also do such great jobs in their roles that it really is something to see.  It was a must-see if you at all consider yourself socially conscious.

“The Help“: I love it when a film does the original book version justice.  I read the book when Teensy Weensy Fresh Scratch was a new baby.  It was heavy enough to lay open on the couch next to me while I nursed that baby like there was no tomorrow.  I loved that book so much that I felt just empty when it was over. Like, “How could they all leave me?? What  happens to them next?” I thought it was the hormones at the time, but, leaving the movie theatre, I felt the same way.  My bff Shara expressed the same sentiment. I know lots of people all over the country have been crazy over first the book and now the film.  I, personally, connect with it because of my time living in the South.  I could picture those Southern Junior League members, the neat-as-a-pin homes, and the women who cleaned them. Every character came to life for me in the book and, wonder of wonders, they looked just as I imagined them when I saw them on the big screen.  No joke.  That’s something.  Kathryn Stockett’s book was very long and had lots of great details, and I am so glad that the screenwriters and casting directors really took notice and cast some dead-ringers for the main characters.  I always have enjoyed Bryce Dallas Howard, and she did not disappoint as the queen bee Hilly. I think this is the first film in which I’ve seen the delightful, spunky Ms. Emma Stone, but I will certainly be seeing more of her work.  She was absolutely perfect as Skeeter, the main character.  I loved Skeeter in the book for lots of reasons, not the least of which was her constant battle with her curly hair in that Southern humidity {I had the same problemo}. Sissy Spacek was hysterical as Hilly’s mother!  The real scene stealer, however, was Octavia Spencer, who played Minnie. Those eyes just made everything about her and her actions that much more intense!  She cracked me up.  The soundtrack was really fun, as it is set in the 1960′s, but I was disappointed that a key moment in the book that referenced Bob Dylan’s “The Times, they are a’Changin” was left out of the film. It was a pivotal point in the book, and I was bummed that the screenwriters didn’t see it that way.  Truly, though, that is my only complaint.  Rush-rush-rush to the theatre and buy a ticket for this movie {if you haven’t already!}!

“Super 8“: Oh.my.stars.  I have to put this in all caps: THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER!!!!  I am so stoked to write about all the reasons why.  Okay, so it takes place in middle America, 1979.  Something crazy happens, but telling you about it would wreck everything, so, sorry, no summary here! J.J. Abrams of “Lost” and “Alias” and Spielberg are at the helm. Killer soundtrack. Excellent casting {hello to a sweet Elle Fanning, Dakota’s lil’ sis! And to Kyle Chandler. He’s been cute for years!}. It’s filmed in such a way that makes it look like it was filmed in 1979.  A little gritty.  Some blue lights messing with the screen.  No crazy special effects.  I mean, it does have special effects, but they enhanced the story rather than overshadowed the story.  I hate how movies these days get all about the special effects and away from a real story {ever heard of a little film called “Avatar“?}.  Take all the things I just said, plus add the feeling of friendship a’la “Goonies” or “Stand by Me,” and you have the makings of something amazing.  From about 10 minutes in, I was gripping my husband’s poor hand like I never have done at the movies to him, ever!  It was a ride.  Since you’re kind of seeing it through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old, you feel just as attached as they do.  I love that the film succeeded in giving you that point of view.  The entire film is just intentional shot after intentional shot.  It was so well planned in each frame.  As a film teacher, I really appreciated this.  I cannot wait to show it every semester right before my students make their final films so that they can see how far some good planning can take you.  I give this a gagillion stars!

“Bee Movie“: Great family flick.  My kids loved it and I loved it.  Truly, that’s golden!  Great adult humor.  I just love Jerry Seinfeld!

“Just Go With It“: Such boy humor.  Thank you, Adam Sandler.  I enjoyed it. Certainly not the best, most creative, most original rom-com I’ve ever seen, but entertaining, nonetheless.  Mr. Fresh Scratch wants me to say he thought it was stupid, even in spite of Jennifer Aniston’s rockin’ bod.  Okay.  Anyway, aside from Ms. Aniston’s contributions {I thought she was really funny and touching, fyi}, Dave Matthews and Nicole Kidman are in the film, of which I had no idea, so that was a fun surprise.  Their characters were hysterically well-done. Take those two and Sandler’s character’s best friend/cousin, who was such a whack-job, and I was laughing my butt off.

“The King’s Speech“: Finally!  I have been awaiting this film’s arrival in my mailbox for months.  When you are a busy mom, getting to the theatre to see every Oscar-nominated film is just not a possibility.  It wasn’t even before I had children!  Who does that?  You?  Tell me how you work it in!!  My friend Megan told me that this was the buzzed-about film to watch this year when we were going into Oscar season.  Once I had time to go see one, I went with “The Fighter” instead.  Marky-Mark, Colin Firth..??  I wondered how a movie about an old king with a speech impediment would hold my attention.  This is how: sympathy. The film starts with a speech given by King George VI back when he was the Duke of York {he’s the current Queen Elizabeth’s father, fyi}. It is so painful and your heart can’t help but go out to the guy if you are any sort of human being.  Ugh.  I had my hands over my eyes!  Colin Firth was just brilliant and, as with Helen Mirren in “The Queen,” you could tell he’d done his research.  The movements of his mouth and the sounds that came out when he was trying to speak were so spot-on with what happens in real life. He was so reserved.  Geoffrey Rush’s played such a kind  and patient character; the two played off of one another so well as character foils. The film was touching, painful, and also funny. Along with all that it has going for it, it teaches you about just how the throne was abdicated and also has some killer low shots {I have never seen a film with so many}. It is absolutely no wonder why this film took home many Oscars {best picture, best director, best actor for Firth}. Definitely watch it if you haven’t yet!

“Larry Crowne“: “That’s Crowne with an ‘e,’” as Tom Hanks’ character states more than once in this funny flick.  Look, if you love Tom Hanks {me-me-me!}, you are going to enjoy this movie.  If you love Julia Roberts {me-me-me!}, you are going to enjoy this movie.  Have I mentioned yet how much I love Julia Roberts?  Well, since all of my wedding guests know this, you can, too: when I am in doubt about something, I wonder, “What would Julia do?”  I really do.  My cousin/maid of honor happened to mention that in her toast at our wedding, and more than a few guests remember.  Ah, well.  Nothing to be ashamed of! Anyway, this movie is just so sweet.  It was co-written by Tom Hanks and Nia Vardalos (“My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding“) and directed by Hanks.  Yes, directed by Hanks!  I love that.  It had wonderful close-ups.  You feel sorry for his character, Larry Crowne, right away.  He seems a little hopeless.  And if you’re looking for the America’s Sweetheart version of Julia, you ain’t goin’ find it here.  She’s an alcoholic community college professor who rocks some awesome dresses {I think so, from a teacher’s point of view!} and likes an enormous margarita after work each day.  You can kind of guess what happens, but it’s not the central part of the story.  The film’s soundtrack felt like a bit of a tribute to Tom Petty, as there was song after song by the rocker.  It was fun.  It was harmless.  I “escaped,” and that is the best part of a good film, if you ask me.  That and the fact that I saw it with my movie buddy Carie who always lets me choose the film!  Ooh, and that it was free because I used a movie ticket my brother gave me for my birthday!  Sweet!

“Water for Elephants“: I am such a huge fan of this best selling novel by Sara Gruen! If you haven’t read it, you really should put it to the top of your list.  It was about something I thought I’d never be interested in: circuses in the early 20th century.  It completely had me at hello, however, as did this film.  Mr. Fresh Scratch and I went on a date to The Olympic Club in Centralia recently for their Wednesday night special of a movie, a beer, and a burger for $12 {great deal, by the way!} to view this movie, which we were sad to have missed on its first run at the big theatres. He also read and adored the book.  I love it when that happens!  Anyway, I loved that Reese Witherspoon was cast as the leading lady, but had not been thrilled when Robert Pattinson, aka Mr. “Twilight” series/Edward Cullen, was cast as Jacob, the main character in the story.  As an aside, I pretty much think all of the acting in the “Twilight” series is crap, save Taylor Lautner for obvious reasons.  Even just half way through this film, though, my opinion of Mr. Pattinson as an actor had already completely changed.  He was loose, he was emotional, he had a great American accent, and he had perfect body language for his character.  I will no longer discount him as an actor!  Reese absolutely shone.  The story was touching and managed to maintain that larger-than-life, yet very gritty, mood that was established in the book. You hate the villian. You cheer for the good guys. You smell peanuts in the air.  You want to become a vet!  Wait!  That was perhaps just me.  This is a must-see and would be a good movie to watch with your family if you have teenagers.

“Man of the Year“: Mr. Fresh Scratch wants me to state for the record that he absolutely hated this movie and that it was terrible, boring, excruciating, etc.  I love Robin Williams.  I did not love this movie, but I did, however, find it mindlessly entertaining.  The premise is this: Williams’ character {kind of like a Jon Stewart type} jokingly throws his hat into the presidential campaign, only to quickly get serious about it and discover he won.  Or did he?  Seemed like something that could happen in this day in age, but it felt very cable-movie-channel ready and just not well done.

“The Queen“: This movie sparked a brief, “Where were you when Princess Diana died?” q and a with Mr. Fresh Scratch and I almost instantly.  I remember being at my dad’s house, cozy on the couch, with a lovely post-sunset glow over Puget Sound, watching some news with him.  I was just about to start my junior year of college.  Isn’t it funny how those details get so ingrained?  Same for when John Kennedy, Jr., died.  College summer-school afternoon.  Waiting to go to a Dave Matthew’s concert that night at the Gorge.  I digress!  {What else is new?!} Anyway, Helen Mirren totally deserved her Oscar for this role.  She was so uptight!  And you could tell she’d done her homework; her walk was even distinctively different.  I love those kind of details.  Overall, it was a very eye-opening film about just how unprecedented a situation Diana’s death presented to the Royal Family.

“Volver“: Remember reading Like Water for Chocolate? This is totally like that, but with the supernatural factor dialed way down.  {Thinking of that book reminds me of the scary ghost in the film version.  I was creeped out!} This film has the quirkiness of that story.  It also has Penelope Cruz. She was nominated for an Academy Award in this role! And I don’t care who you are, you are not well if you don’t enjoy watching Penelope Cruz.  I love listening to her speak English in her cute accent, but listening to her speak rapid Spanish is like listening to beautiful music.  She fires away in this flick!  This film also has subtitles, which I always enjoy.  I know that’s not for everyone, but I love how it’s sort of challenging at first to read and watch, but then it all melts away and you’re absorbed. The film feels low-budget, but it tells an interesting, sometimes funny, sometimes icky, sometimes touching story.  Basically it’s about two sisters (the gal who plays Penelope’s sis is so hysterical! she overacts in a very BBC way.) who are visited by their mom’s ghost.  However, there’s a plot twist that slowly straightens itself out the last quarter of the movie or so.  I figured it out and totally thought Mr. Fresh Scratch did, too, but then at the very end he stopped the dvd and said, “Wait!  Do you even get what’s going on, or do you need me to tell you?  Because I think I’ve totally figured it out.” Probably another reason I loved the film; I “won” by putting together the pieces of the puzzle first.  In your face, Mr. Fresh Scratch!

“Jane Eyre“: So, you’ve read my book review. With a book that delicious, I simply had to check out the most recent flick!  Last week, when I should have been grading my senior film students’ final movies that were due in less than 48 hours, I decided I “deserved a break.” Isn’t that phrase just another way of saying, “I’m in wicked denial!” or, “I don’t want to do this!”???  Anyway, I called up my friend Chris, who also read the entire unabridged thing through and luhhh.huhhh.oovvved it, and who also had an ass-load of grading to do, and we went to see the late showing at the Olympia Film Society, home of the world’s best popcorn….I paid for Chris’, as it was her first pilgrimage to see a fine film at OFS.  I had to show her how to make it properly, filling it only halfway in order to squirt it with tamari and douse it with brewer’s yeast, only to do it again on the top-most layer. Yum.  Ooh, and a little known factoid about OFS: the best seats are the front row.  No lie.  Best leg room, and the screen is pretty far away since it was/is an actual theatre-theatre. But don’t steal my spot, dude.  Back to the film.  Immediately, I was gripped.  It started off in media res.  For those of you who were not in my sophomore Latin class with the lovely pixie Ms. Deal, that’s “in the middle of things.” Homer starts off his Iliad and Odyssey this way. This choice was brilliant for this film, as it then avoided being just another movie-version of the book.  I love it when people get creative!  That simple move changed everything.  We start off with Jane running from Thornfield Hall and Mr. Rochester, yet, if you haven’t read it, you have no idea why.  It covers all that happened before that moment, certainly, and in just two hours {as I mentioned in my review of the book, it’s 500 pages!}.  Jane was plain but pretty, and Mr. Rochester was dark but attractive.  And the two certainly had chemistry.  My, my.  The on-location-in-England shooting was marvelous and majestic, as was the lighting.  It always felt like twilight.  It was delightful. If you loved our heroine, go see the movie!

“127 Hours“: Breathtaking. Awe-inspiring. Jaw-dropping. Cringe-worthy. Uplifting. This movie was many things.  If you haven’t seen it, you may wonder how a movie can be made that documents one man’s true-life experience of surviving 127 hours in a narrow ravine in the Southwest with his hand pinned between a rock and hard place….and not be boring, barring the big parts we know about already {spoiler alert!  He has to cut his own arm off!}.  Well, the answer is: cinematography, peeps.  It’s all in the planning panning.  And zooming, and edgy intercutting.  It was fabulously done.  I will cut to the chase here and say, “You must see it!”  It made me think of Oprah because this man’s ordeal is one where she’d say, “It was the grace of God” that he ever a) survived that long without significant hydration or food, b) broke his own arm, c) cut off his own arm, d) repelled down a cliffside, e) ran into some hikers {when he was 17 miles away from the parking lot!}, and f) was air-lifted FROM THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE in time to have not bled to death.  Seriously.  This is miraculous stuff. It reminds you there is a reason you – and I mean that “you” individually- are put on this earth.

“Love and Other Drugs“: Okay, so, main character totally cute? Check!  What is with the films I pick??  My husband even said, “Jake Gyllenhal used to be cute, but now he’s really good looking, isn’t he?” Me: smile.  What bugged me about this film was all the sex scenes.  They were really gratuitous.  I think there was a better way to tell this story, somehow.  Still, if you need to look at something pretty, Jake’s your man this film is kind of for you.

“Something Borrowed“: I will say this upfront: I love a romantic comedy.  But it’s got to be good. By “good,” I mean that it’s got to make me forget all of my troubles, what I had for breakfast, and that I am even in a movie theatre.  The rom-com is a total escape for me.  And this one did it!  Yay!  From the beginning, I hated Kate Hudson’s shallow character.  And I loved Ginnifer Goodwin’s sweet, meek, sleek-haired foil to Kate’s big, loud, blonde turn as Darcy.  What was the big draw for me going in, though?  Um, that’d be “Jim” from “The Office.”  Otherwise known as John Krasinski.  He’s so…cute.  I love him.  He did not disappoint as the main character’s male bff.  As if that was not enough eye candy, there was the male lead. My, my.  Collin Eggelsfield.  Hello, sir.  I got so wrapped up in this film that I: a) wanted to move to NYC and be 30, b) wanted to go to The Hamptons this summer and be 30, c) wanted to have a love affair with “Dex,” the main character, and be 30 and single, and d) figured I’d do this all as a 30-year-old, single, childless lawyer….Oh, wait.  I am none of those things. I digress.  The ending was not what I was expecting, exactly, which was nice.  I felt moved to laugh loudly, a’la Julia Roberts, and often, which was cathartic.  And I had to remind myself after it was over that I am a thirty-something married mother of two who spends her days in a classroom and a kitchen and that this scenario that had just been acted out before my eyes was one in which I would never play a part. .  That, my friends, makes it a good romantic comedy!  Ohh, and the soundtrack was all my faves from the ’90′s, including some Counting Crows and Third Eye Blind.  word.

“Up in the Air“:  I had this one in the bag from the beginning.  That was a bummer. Don’t you hate it when you figure out the big ending too early?!  I really enjoyed Mr. Clooney, however.  Am I sensing a theme in all of my film reviews?  Anyway, he was very convincing as a little lamb needing tending to.  I can see why he got nominated for an Oscar.  You should rent it if you haven’t.

“The Fighter“: Yowza.  This film reminded me of why a Marky-Mark (aka: Mark Wahlberg) centerfold {in his Calvin Klein boxer-briefs} was hanging up in my locker in high school.  He has muscles on his muscles.  He is a thing of beauty.  I could go on and on, but Mr. Fresh Scratch already pretty much wants to vomit when I wax dreamily on this film.  Could be he’s jealous his brother and I went to see it.  Ha!  We saw it at my fave place for film viewing, The Olympia Film Society {best. popcorn. ever.}.  Nothing like a gritty film about folks living hard on the outskirts of Boston.  I really mean that.  I grew up spending time with my cousins who lived in such a place.  We’d get there, and my parents would disappear.  Us kids (8 total) were left to roam around the ‘hood.  It felt very unsettling to little ol’ me.  I still have no idea where all the adults were.  Anyway, this film has all the stuff I remember; lots of run-down cars and homes, swearing, and that thick accent.  I enjoyed this film much like I have enjoyed two by Ben Affleck, “Gone, Baby, Gone” and “The Town.”  They are very true-to-life, which is good since “The Fighter” is based on a true story.  At times I cringed, at times I swooned, but I left feeling hopeful.  Show stealer: Amy Adams.  I love, love, love that chickadee.  She swore like a truck driver and fit the bill perfectly.  I recommend this whole-heartedly.

“A Serious Man“: Coen Brothers; you freak me out.  Not always in a bad way.  I watch kind of in the way I listen to someone telling me some horrifically bad news about a friend of a friend.  Sort of with morbid fascination.  The actor who played the main character was up for a Golden Globe when this came out.  I can see why.  It had an abrupt ending, like a lot of Coen films, but I didn’t hate it.  I also don’t recommend it.  After watching this, Mr. Fresh Scratch got mad at me for the umpteenth time for always “Hijacking the Netflix” with my weird films.  I call them “sophisticated.”

“New Moon“:  I can sum this up by these two words: Taylor Lautner.  And then there’s a lot of bad acting! But there’s Taylor Lautner. always bummed these aren’t actually filmed in Forks.  However, Taylor Lautner.

“Fast Food Nation“: really disappointing and not like the book.  Poorly done and didn’t offer hope .