Twilight

Twilight is one of the movies that both fans of the book and newcomers to the series can enjoy. In the film Bella (Kristen Stewart) moves from Phoenix Arizona, to the small town of Forks, Washington. At her local high school, Bella fits right in, making friends and even getting the attention of some of the boys. She immediately notices Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and his family. The entire family is eerily white and all of them are beautiful, with golden eyes that seem to change color. Her first encounter with Edward does not go well, he looks at her as if he hates her. However, that is not the case, instead it is that she is so appealing to him, that he wants to drink her blood, because he is a vampire.  Although he fights his temptation, even telling her to stay away from him because he is dangerous, he realizes that he is in love with her and those feelings are mutual. There are however darker forces at work, including bad vampires, who unlike the Cullens, who hunt animals to quench there bloodlust, hunt humans, killing a few of the local townspeople. She not only has to deal with them but, the local Indian tribe as well. The indians are descendants of the wolf, and are enemies of the vampires and while the youngest child Jacob (Tyler Lautner) seems to like Bella his father seems to be keeping a watchful eye on her. 

This film was very enjoyable, there were a few laughs, some inside jokes for fans of the books, and some excellent action scenes. The end of the film while resolving the main storyline, hints at what is to come in future installments. I look forward to the sequel to this film, and hopefully film adaptations for the rest of the series.

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Wall●E

Pixar has done it again, Wall●E was everything that I expected it to be and more. The film is about a waste collecting robot, whose only companion on earth is a cockroach. Wall●E does his job of collecting garbage and compacting it, but he often looks for treasures and his favorite is an old romantic/musical film called Hello, Dolly! that teaches Wall●E about love and companionship. Wall●E then meets Eve another robot (albeit a more hi-tech one) who comes to earth looking for samples. After meeting Eve he decides to follow her back into space, and that is where the adventure of his lifetime beings. 

The film does not have a lot a dialogue, but it is still heartwarming and funny. The audience can't help but fall in love with the characters and really get into their story. Voice talents in the film, include, Jeff Garlin, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver and Fred Willard (who is also shown in the film). This movie is great for children of all ages....including adults.

Wanted

This summer seems to be the season for films based on Comic books. So far Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk have been released, and now there is Wanted. Wanted is based on the comic by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones. The film is about an average guy named Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) who has a job that he hates, a girlfriend that cheats on him, fake friends and a horrible boss. After being targeted by a mysterious assassin and saved by a beautiful women named Fox (Angelina Jolie), Wesley is introduced into a world of deadly assassins known as the Fraternity, who are led by Sloan, (Morgan Freeman) and Wesley is taught how to become one. 

The film was a lot different then the comic book (which I am a fan of) but there were also several plot elements from the book incorporated into the film. Mark and J.G. were even Executive Producers so it seems that they were somewhat involved in the film. At the J.G. Jones panel at Wizard World Philly, he even mentioned that t

hey were treating them very well. Its good to see the creators involved in the film adaptations (Maybe Alan Moore would like the films based on his books better, if he had more say). The film was directed by Timur Bekmambetov and it was a really well made action film. It had a great story, had some amazing scenes and special effects. 

Also surprising is how awesome McAvoy is as an action star. He was a great choice for Wesley. The film itself had an awesome cast, other cast members included, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common, David O'Hara, and Chris Pratt. 

I would recommend this film to fans of the comic and people who haven't read them. It is definitely worth seeing.

Sex and the City

Well as a fan of the TV show I was really excited when I heard they were making a film about Sex and the City, so I had very high expectations going into the film, and I was not disappointed. The film takes place 4 years after the series finale. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is with Big (Chris Noth), and they are moving in together; Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Harry (Evan Handler) have their adopted Daughter Lilly, and are a truly happy family; Samantha (Kim Cattrall) is living in California with Smith (Jason Lewis), and managing his career; and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Steve (David Eigenberg) are still living in Brooklyn with their son Brady, but they are having a rough time. The film follows the four girls, through their ups and downs, over the course of a year.

Rounding out the cast was Willie Garson as Stanford Blanch, Mario Cantone as Anthony Marentino, Candice Bergen as Enid Frick (Carrie's editor at Vogue) and Jennifer Hudson as Louise (a new character who is Carries assistant, who is looking for love in NYC.)

The film was a great movie, and I would recommend it to anyone, both fans of the show and people who just want to see a good movie.

Iron Man

Iron Man is one of the best films based on a comic book. It may be better than Batman Begins. I have to see it a few more times before I make that decision. Iron Man was directed by Jon Favreau and based on the comics by Marvel. Tony Stark is a weapons manufacturer who sells his weapons to the U.S. military. While he is in Afghanistan testing his new Jericho missile he is attacked by insurgents using his own weapons and is kidnapped. During the attack he is caught in an explosion and shrapnel gets lodged near his heart. By use of an arc reactor he is able to keep the shrapnel from moving closer to his heart. The insurgents want Stark to create weapons for them, but instead he builds the first prototype of the Iron Man suit. After escaping from his captors, he no longer wants his company to create weapons, and instead wants to work on the suit and use it to help people around the world. 

Robert Downey Jr. plays the billionaire industrialist Stark. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Starks secretary Pepper Potts, Terrance Howard is Jim Rhodes, Stark's military liaison and friend. Rounding out the cast is Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane aka Iron Monger. I really enjoyed this film, and if you go to see it, stay after the credits for an extra scene. I'll give you a hint, it involves more then one agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Juno

What is there to say about Juno that hasn't already been said. Well I'll try to think of something interesting and fresh to say about the film. First off, I think that it is one of the best written films ever, the dialogue is amazing. The film was written by Diablo Cody, and prior to writing this film, she was a stripper. The film was directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking) and boasts an amazing cast list, including Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, J.K. Simmons, and Allison Janney.

The film is about a Juno, a teenage girl, who finds out that she is pregnant, and decides to give her baby to a couple that she finds in the penny saver. The film is hilarious, and deserves to win a few awards this season. I would recommend this film to anyone, and I know that I will buy it once it comes out on dvd. 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

In the Fifth installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry is back at Hogwarts for another school year. However, this is going to be one of Harry's hardest years because not only does he have to worry about taking his OWLs but he also has to worry about Lord Voldemort who returned in the previous film.

During Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) returns to school with everyone doubting what happened to Cedric Diggory and the return of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). While at school his has to deal with the new Defense against the Dark Arts Teacher, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). While at school he and his friends rebel against the new rules set by Umbridge by creating Dumbledore's Army. In the end it is up to Harry and his friends, with some help from The Order of the Phoenix to take on Lord Voldemort and his death eaters.

This movie was fantastic. I think it was one of the most action packed Harry Potter films yet. The way that they did the battle at the Ministry of Magic was fantastic. I think that all of the actors did a fantastic job in this installment. It has been amazing how all of the kids have grown up while making these films. I think that with each film the actors get better, and the become even more like the characters that they are playing. Also each film gets progressively better. I was a little bit upset that some things got cut from the film, including when Harry destroys Dumbledore's office. However I really did love the film. I really want to see it in 3D, that last 20-30 minutes of the film are in 3D at imax theaters, and I want to see it again, this time at the imax. I can't wait to see this film again, and again, and of course buy it on DVD.

Casino Royale

James Bond is back, and this time he is better then ever. This is not the Bond that most people are used to. First off when the film starts he is yet to be a "00" and the beginning of the film is him gaining his "00" status. Second off, this Bond does not look like your typical blonde, he isn't a glamorous Bond, he gets bet up, and nearly killed, and even tourtured. Also he is a blonde haired, blue eyed Bond. And while others argue that Bond would never have blonde hair, but I don't think that his hair colour has anything to do with who Bond is. Daniel Craig, was the perfect Bond. I feel that he was the best choice for the role, and he did a smashing job.

The rest of the cast included Eva Green, Judi Dench, Mads Mikkelsen, and Jeffrey Wright. The cast did a fantastic job, and they really rejuvinated the franchise. This film was able to show, how Bond started out, and how he became the man he is. I certainly can not wait for the next installment.

The Magic of The Prestige

The Prestige is the tale of two turn of the century magicians, Alfred Borden (Hugh Jackman) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman). The two started out as friends, but later became bitter rivals, and each one tries to out do the other oneand when Alfred is able to do the transported man, Robert must beat him, and the games that they are playing have deadly consequences, not only for themselves, but also for their loved ones. The rest of the cast includes, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Andy Serkis and David Bowie. The film is directed by Chritopher Nolan, who also directed Memento and Batman Begins, and the screenplay was written by Christopher and his borther Jonathon Nolan. The film is made as though it is a magic trick, you can never be certain whether you are seeing something for real, or whether it is some slight of hand by Nolan.

With an amazing cast, and an interesting story, you can't go wrong with this film. Bale is fantastic, and Jackman delivers an emotional and amazing monologue, that showed his range as an actor. This was one of the better films of 2006, it was everything that I expected it to be and more, and it left nothing to e desire, any theater goer will leave completely satisfied.

The Dearly Departed

So I watched The Departed and wow. Thats all I can say. It is a great film, and I am hoping that it will finally earn Martin Scorsese an Oscar, although I doubt that it will happen. The film is about a police officer infiltrating the mob, and a man involved in the mob, infiltrating the police force. The film takes place in South Boston, and involves the Boston State Police. The film stars Leonardo DciCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin. The movie was very entertaining, and it had a lot of funny moments. Mark Wahlberg did an amazing job, as a supporting actor, stealing all of the scenes that he was in.

I don't know if this film is Oscar worthy, especially so early in the year, and many movies haven't even come yet, but if the movies that come out are the same caliber as previous films this then this film stands a chance. I really want Scorsese to win an award he deserves one, there have been so many film that he has made, that were award worthy that just didn't win. I'm not trying to turn this into a campaign for an Oscar for Scorsese, but that is just the way that I feel.

so if anyone wants a good movie to see, I suggest that you go and see it. Its a good film that is entertaining, and very enjoyable.

Enjoy!

Little Miss Sunshine

I have wanted to see Little Miss Sunshine, since I read about it during Sundance. I had heard such wonderful things and I really wanted to see it. Was it everything that I expected, no...it was more then I expected. I knew it was going to be funny, but it was a lot funnier than I could have ever imagined. The movie was about a family, traveling to California in their VW van, for their daughter's beauty pagent. The family consists of Toni Collette as the mother Sheryl and Greg Kinnear as her husband Richard. They have a daughter Olive, played by Abigail Breslin and her brother Dwayne played by Paul Dano. Their uncle Frank is Sheryl's brother, he is a suicidal Proust scholar played by Steve Carell. The last member of the clan is Richard's father who is played by Alan Arkin. The Grandpa has been Olive's coach for the beauty pagent, and is funny throughout the film.

The film has a ton of great lines and was truely funny, but it was also in a way heart warming. The family goes through a lot throughout the film, and they have a lot of Roadbumps along the way, but the manage to stay together as a family and get through everything. I was excited by the cast in this film, I have enjoyed, Toni Collette has always been one of my favorite actresses, and Greg Kinnear has always done a fantastical job on screen, I loved The Matador and As Good As It Gets. Steve Carrell is one of my newer favorite actors, mainly because of Anchorman.

Well thats al for this post, coming up on my next edition, will be my Emmy Picks.

Band of Brothers, you should rent it some time.

I finally had the time to sit down and watch "Band of Brothers", and I’m glad that I did it. It was one of the best mini-series that I had ever seen, and all of the battles were so intense and so well done. I love history, it has always fascinated me, especially the battles and wars, two of my favorite films are Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryan. But Band of Brothers tops the list. For not having a lot of super well-known actors, I couldn’t see any one else playing those parts, they all did a phenomenal job. Now don’t get me wrong when I say that aren’t well known actors, but unless you are on imdb.com 24/7 then you might not know who they are. There were many actors who starred in this series, but the one that stood out the most was Damian Lewis who played Major Richard D. Winters aka Maj. Dick Winters.

Lewis went on later to make Dreamcatcher, and Keane (which I have heard wonderful things about, but haven’t been able to see yet). Major Winters was such an interesting character. The series followed Winters’ career, because with each episode it seemed that he got a higher rank.

Ron Livingston whom I enjoyed in both Office Space and Swingers starred as Captain Lewis Nixon, who was an alcoholic and Winter’s best friend. I would say that Livingston was the second star of the series, and at the end he had some really good scenes, that showed how good of an actor he is.

Other people who were in the series were Donnie Wahlberg, Matthew Settle, Scott Grimes , Eion Bailey, James Madio, Kirk Acevedo, Rick Gomez, Neal McDonough, Frank John Hughes, Rick Warden, Michael Cudlitz, and David Schwimmer.

The series covered from Normandy to the End of the war, and the first episode flashbacked to when the main characters went through their training. It covered all of the important aspects of World War II, including the concentration camps, the Battle of the Bulge, and the beginning of Normandy. Their were six DVDs with all 10 parts and a bunch of bonus material, which I just didn’t have time to watch, but once I buy it, I will make sure to watch everything.

There is the book Band of Brothers in which the series was based on and Major Dick Winters wrote a book, Beyond Band of Brothers, which sounds very interesting, and I plan on reading it on my vacation.

The Matador

The Matador was one of the funnier movies that I have seen. The role of Julian was made for Pierce Brosnan, and it really showed that he has a comedic flair. This is not your basic hitman film, first off its funny, and second it has some of the best one liners. The film is about a hitman named Julian Noble, who is on assignment in Mexico, while there he meets Danny Wright a, businessman with rotten luck. The two start to taking and form sort of a bond while in Mexico, until Danny sees who Julian really is. When Julian starts to get fed up with the business he goes to visit Danny in Denver, meets his wife Bean, and asks Danny to help him.

Pierce Brosnan was really good as Julian. He was so funny and he cracked me up with some of the things that he said. Some of them being vulgar and offensive, which made them that much better. He and Greg Kinnear (who played Danny Wright) worked well together, they had good chemistry and they worked well off of each other. Hope Davis played Danny's wife, Bean and she was funny when she was shown. At one point she keeps cursing and Danny looks at her, and she said what "can't I curse, there is a hitman in our house, if not now when" and it was just so funny. The scene with the three of them in Denver was very funny and I could not stop laughing.

Another thing i liked about his film was the music that they used in it, it wasn't music that you think would be used in a film like this, but it worked really well. It reminded me of the music that Quentin Tarantino uses in his films, music that stands out and almost becomes a character itself.

For more information visit: The Matador at imdb.com

Review: Junebug

Looking at the message boards, I saw that a lot of people were dissapointed with Junebug. I can sorta understand that, but I would have to disagree. This film was different, and it had that going for it. But after all the hype for this film, and its major success at Sundance, it was different then I thought it would be.

The film is about an art dealer named Madeleine who travels with her husband, George, from Chicago to a backwoods town in North Caroline, to sign a deal with a reclusive artist. During the trip, they go to spend some time with his famliy, so that she can meet her new in-laws, including, his parents, Peg and Eugene, his brother Johnny, and Johnny's pregnant wife Ashley. During their trip, old resentments resurface, and new ones appear, and they have to pull together as a family, and be there for one another.

The scene stealer in this movie was Amy Adams who played Ashley. She was very funny and honest, and made me laugh throughout the film. She and Johnny, don't have the best relationship, but you can see that she wants it to work out. She is very impressed by Madeleine, and envys her lifestyle. Amy did a phenomenal job, and I see why she keeps getting nominated for her acting.

Benjamin McKenzie, played Johnny. His character wasn't very different from what he plays on The OC. Johnny was angry throughout the entire film, angry at his family, but mainly at his brother George. It seems as though they had problems in the past and haven't really spoken for a while. He is very quite and brooding throughout the film, saying very little.

George was played by Alessandro Nivola. His character was very focused on family, which was very important to him. George seems like the perfect guy, handsome, sensative, and an all around good person, he even sings church hymns. He is there for his family when they need him, and he has a touching scene with Ashley, near the end of the film, that makes you want to cry and laugh (the scene showed how good both of them were at acting).

Lastly Embeth Davidtz played Madeleine. Her character was basically a fish out of water. She was meeting her new in-laws for the first time, and it was very awkward for her. Also the family issue came back into play, because she was more worried about closing her art deal, then being there when they needed her.

This film had a lot to do with family. About people who are there for you when you need them, when your world is falling apart they are there to help you pick up the pieces. In some cases that person was there and in other cases they weren't. Also it was about admitting that you need your family, which is sometimes hard to do. We want to think that we are independent, and that we don't need anyone, but sometimes we do, and we have to realize that. This film had some really great shots of scenery and at one point when George and Madeleine arrive at the house, they gave the audience a tour of the house, which was pretty neat. Also some of the scenery was shot offcenter and then other objects would come into the frame, which was pretty interesting. I would recommend this film, give it a shot, maybe you'll like it, I did.

For more information on the film visit: Junebug on imdb.com

Review: The Constant Gardener

So I have finally seen The Constant Gardner, and I loved it. The film was intriguing and visually appealing. While watching this film you really get caught up in the story. The film is about a widower named Justin Quayle, played by Ralph Fiennes, who must get to the bottom of his wife’s death (Tessa, portrayed by Rachel Weisz). The further he gets to the truth, the more danger his own life, and the lives of people around him are put in danger.

After Justin is sent to Kenya on a mission for the Queen, his pregnant wife who is an activist who sticks with what she believes in. Tessa discovers a very dirty secret about the pharmaceutical companies, and the fact that are benefiting from the AIDS virus as well as other diseases that are ripping through Africa. Justin as he gets deeper to the bottom of the corporate corruption he realizes that he can trust no one, including his coworkers.

I though that this film was just so good. It had beautiful scenery throughout the film, and the characters stories were very interesting, even characters that were only in it for 5 minutes. This film may be a drama, but really it was a love story, about a man who would do anything for love.

The one thing that I find surprising is that Rachel Weisz keeps winning all the Best Supporting Actress awards (at both the SAGS and the Golden Globes), but no one else from the film is being nominated. Fiennes was amazing, I don’t think that he is getting the recognition that he deserves for this role. Even the supporting cast did an excellent job, including, Bill Nighy and Danny Huston. I would recommend this film to any, without reservation.

For more information visit: The Constant Gardener at Imdb.com

The Family Stone

So, The Family Stone was different then I thought it was going to be. From the trailer it looked like a funny romantic film, however it turned out to be pretty sad. I did like the film, although there were scenes that I wouldn’t have missed had they not been in there.

The film is about an uptight woman (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) who goes with her boyfriend (Dermot Mulroney) to his family Christmas party, where she is unwanted and unable to fit in.

Luke Wilson and Rachel McAdams, who played siblings to Mulroney’s character, were both very good, and most of the comedy in the film came from Wilson. Diane Keaton and Craig T. Nelson did a wonderful job as the parents of the family. Also appearing in the film was Claire Danes, she played Sarah Jessica Parkers sister, who comes to help her sister make it through the holiday. While watching the film it made me long for Christmas again, even though it has only been a few weeks since the holiday.

Brokeback Mountain

What can I say about Brokeback Mountain that hasn't already been said. Did I like the movie, yes, it was one of the better ones that I have seen, but by no means is this a great film. For all the hype I must say, I was a little let down. I was looking forward to this movie, after I heard how good Heath Ledger was in it, but I for one didn't find his portrayal to be that great, half the time I couldn't even understand what he was saying. Jake Gyllenhaal on the other hand was amazing, he seems to be picking really good movies to make, including this film and Jarhead, and yet the press isn't talking about him that much.

Maybe the fact that I am not a fan of Ang Lee (director) has something to do with it. After all this is the man who gave us The Hulk. The film wasn't awful, but it wasn't filmed the greatest. Don't get me wrong there are some good shots in it, for example (this scene was in the trailer) when Heath Ledger's character is standing and the fireworks are going off behind him after he just got into a fight, the upward angle made the shot look even better. The final shot of the film was also very nice a good way to end the movie.

Don't get me wrong this was a good movie, but out of all the films that I have seen this year Munich was the best, and in my opinion deserves more recognition and awards.

The Chumscrubber: Bad Title, Good Film

The Chumscrubber was a film different then most. Yes it showed teen angst, but it dealth with it differently. I enjoyed watching The Chumscrubber, I found it to be funny, in a dark satirical way, and also sad. The film had an amazing cast both on the adult and teenager side, starring: Glenn Close, William Fichtner, Ralph Fiennes, John Heard, Lauren Holly, Jason Isaacs, Allison Janney, Carrie-Anne Moss, Rita Wilson, Jamie Bell, Justin Chatwin, Rory Culkin, Lou Taylor Pucci, and Camilla Belle. The film was set in a California Suburbia. When Dean Stiffle (Jamie Bell) finds his best friend Troy after he committed suicide he neglects to tell anyone. The local school drugs dealers want to find Troys stash of drugs so they kidnap Deans brother Charlie, but accidently take the wrong Charlie, and the childs parents never even notice. The film is about how parents don't even pay attention to there children, or to other people for that matter. The film is Arie Posin's first full lenght feature film, and it is very good, and we can except some great films from him in the future.

DVD to See: Undertow

Well I know that this DVD came out quite a while ago, but I didn’t have this blog then so I’m going to talk about it now. Well I watched Undertow again, starring Jamie Bell, Josh Lucas, and Dermot Mulroney. I haven’t seen it for a long time so I decided to watch it again. Well I actually watched it twice, the second time listening to commentary and with subtitles. The commentary by Bell and director David Gordon Green, was very interesting, it discussed why they used certain shots and interesting facts that happened during filming. I also watched Under the Undertow, which was basically a production diary.

Jamie Bell as Chris in Undertow

Josh Lucas as Deel

Well enough about that, time to talk about the film. I love this film, it is so visually appealing. I love how Green was able to incorporate freeze frames, and also he repeated sequences in different tints. For example in the beginning of the film when Bell’s character is throwing a rock through a window they show him throwing it a couple of times and in different tints. This movie is so good, and I would recommend watching it with some of the commentary and the making of, it has a really good story, which I didn’t even mention. Well here is a little summary from imdb.com “The Munns, father John (Mulroney) and sons Chris (Bell) and Tim (Alan), recede to the woods of rural Georgia. Their life together is forever changed with the arrival of Uncle Deel (Lucas), though the tragedy that follows forces troubled Chris to become a man.” So go out and watch this movie, it’s worth the time.

I Want to be a Producer!

The Producers was better than I thought it would be. I was a little apprehensive about it at first; I thought I wouldn’t like it as much as the play. However I was wrong, the movie was just as good as the play. Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell helped that, Will was hilarious, as was the whole play. When I first saw the play (with Broderick and Lane) there were many parts, that I was unable to hear because everyone was laughing so hard, the same thing happened during the movie. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick were both outstanding as Bialystock and Bloom, but giving very good performances. This is one of the funniest movies of 2005 and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh.