Happy-Go-Lucky

2 sec. review: Loved it.

I met up with the gals for an evening of Mexican food and a movie-night at The Dragonfly Theater and Pub in Boone. What a bargain when compared to regular movie prices! Though I must admit I wished for some sort of "stadium seating" when my neck was hurting from craning it up toward the screen for two hours. Maybe some sofas will grow at the back of the room, too, instead of just tables. Oh, I hope so!

This movie was slow to start, but I never mind films like that. You can't help but fall in love with the quirky main character within just a few minutes and you worry about what awful thing will happen to her in the course of the film. No character that is presented as so simply-minded ever survives life unscathed. Reality will have it's way with her! Or, so I thought. Poppy, played by Sally Hawkins, is like that fancy pill that Alice takes in Wonderland to make her life become technicolor and full of joy. You have to smile. You really HAVE to - you can't help it! (Even when some guy is slurping on his drink and hacking up a lung directly behind your head.)
During our viewing, I felt at times that this was England's answer to Amelie or Breakfast at Tiffany's with the same sort of fabulous woman whose whimsy is catching and who manages to create a great life in the process of purposefully making each day a jewel in most ordinary lives. She was brilliantly cast and acted and you genuinely worry for her (as I've found - similarly - myself doing on many episodes of Pushing Daisies) but with mostly no need. The story is a good one, the characters are fantastic and you wish that you had such friends that are so true to themselves. So glad I went to see this with my very own happy-go-lucky friends!

Twilight - Pre-review of the Midnight show

I am quite worried that this movie will not be good. I loved reading the books and even got Henry to read them (and about 20 people that I work with!). Because of that love of the books I am terrified that the movie will fall flat in comparison. We shall see... Henry is extremely optimistic about it, but he is a heterosexual guy and therefore did not fall in love with Edward unlike most of the women I know. Cedric Diggory (whatever his real name is...) will have to do quite a bit to impress me in this role. I hope he's up to the challenge!! Go here to see a preview: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810010670/trailer


3am Update:
We've just driven the snowy roads home from the Midnight show of Twilight and I thought I'd get down my first impressions of the movie. I liked it. Completely against my better judgment, I must say. This is not to imply that it is a good movie, but I will say it is a fair and decent 2-hour interpretation of a 500 page book. The acting was pretty poor across the board and Bella only has one expression, but I will admit that Cedric Diggory (who's name is actually Robert Pattinson) was a good portrayal of Edward. Not perfect - but then who really could be the perfect Edward?

They took many liberties with the story, but I believe that a lot of them were improvements to the visual and intellectual sides of the story. No matter how they mashed up the scenes in the woods, they were beautifully shot and made me want to go the the Pacific Northwest even more than ever. The buildings and sets were excellent and the mood of the movie was spot on. The Port Angeles scene actually flowed more easily in the movie than it did in the book (aside from the weird waitress they used) and even the somewhat cheesy baseball scene was executed well. We all know that Bella wouldn't be caught in her underwear with Edward, but I'll let that one slide for all the guys who go to see the movie with their girlfriends. They throw in the "evil" characters earlier in the movie than they appear in the book but it works because they help tie in the action scenes that Stephenie Meyer likes to put only into the last 75 pages of any of her books. Another scene that was altered was the fight scene which Bella misses entirely in the book (because she is passed out) and I was glad to see in the movie. Go Alice!

Speaking of Alice, she was one of the few actors I liked in this movie but I wish they'd been able to explore more of her relationship with Bella. I know they only had two hours and it isn't a movie about friendships but I look forward to more of that in New Moon. Rene, Bella's mom, was just the right amount of flaky but like most of the acting, it fell a bit flat. Jacob was good (but his hair got on my nerves) and I liked all of her friends in the movie MUCH MORE than the friends in the book. The ones in the book come across as place holders who fill time when she isn't with Edward and are not interesting people, but the ones in the movie are actually people you'd really want to be friends with - she just isn't paying much attention to her surroundings or the people in those surroundings.

Do I wish there was a little bit more of Edward's angst? Yes. However, that was also the stuff that made me crazy in the book (read: became very irritating). Bella does not come across as confidant in the book but she also isn't the odd Eeyore-like character that is portrayed in the movie. I also thought the very last moment of the movie was weird. We didn't stick around to see the credits since there were 600 people at the theatre all trying to leave at the same time and maybe there was a bonus scene. I guess I'll find out when I go back to see it with the entire gang from work.

Sparkly. Didn't work for me but a valiant effort. Maybe they will tweak it in future like was done with Star Trek's "beam me up" sparkle effects.

My favorite aspect of the movie was how they portrayed Bella's scent and how it affected Edward. It was actually that scene that made me decide to like Cedric - uh, I mean Robert. He did an excellent job with the tension and could have taken images out of my brain from when I read the book.

One of the best parts of being in a crazy big audience were the collective sighs when new (male) characters would appear on screen and the moment during the weird awkward kissing scene someone shouted, "This is awful!!" about how the scene was going. I concur. Not my favorite part of the movie.

I am also glad they didn't allow Edward to have stubble. That was one of my big concerns actually and it worked out in the end.Speaking of the end, my ability to construct sentences has disappeared, so I am headed to bed at 4am. ugh.
General summary: See it if you liked the books, if you like vampires, or if you like chick-flicks.

Here's a shot of that worrisome stubble. :

The Grinch on TV - in November!!

I know it is time to start thinking about the holidays - hey, I was working on our Christmas cards on Sunday when this happened, but still...
I was putting addresses together and filling out some of the postcards we are sending out this year and had the fire on and some music. I was actually considering putting on some Christmas music just to set the mood for my project, but hadn't gotten up to do so yet, when Henry came in the room and said he needed to show me something. He turned on the television and what should be on (on November 16th) but How the Grinch Stole Christmas! I love this movie and (much to Henry' surprise) know almost every word, but it seems more than a little bit crazy to have this on before December, much less before Thanksgiving! Crazy, crazy. I'm also sure that retailers are not too keen on the message of this movie in this economic crisis. The message that Christmas is about more than buttons and boozangs but rather about love and friends instead of stuff.
Maybe next year they can wait until after Thanksgiving to show it - at the very least!!

Double Up on the 007

Daniel Craig = yum.

To prepare for the viewing of Quantum of Solace, Henry and I decided to watch Casino Royale again before heading to the 10pm show. We went over to a friend's house and had some PizzaPizza while we watched what is the definitely the best James Bond movie ever made. I love it. I have never been very into the James Bond movies - if they are on the t.v. I can take it or leave it. I don't feel compelled to watch. However that all changed with the casting of Daniel Craig. Man oh man. I could watch him just look at things for hours (as long as it was his face we were looking at during that time) and then he speaks and the accent slays me. Then he takes his shirt off or goes swimming or puts on a well made suit and I'm done for...

Aside from the eye candy (which I suppose isn't why most guys watch the movies) the story is a great one. At the start of it, he isn't yet "double O" status and has to complete his kill to gain that rank. So he's just a baby Bond! We see his crazy misadventures and his constant entanglement with women. The most stressful part is the torture scene but they even make that happen in such a way to make it less painful for the viewer. Overall we are seeing the moulding of a character that we all grew up with and it is quite intruiging to see how that develops and the role of M (Judi Dench) as a maternal figure. One of the things I like about the new Bond films is that there aren't quite as many rediculous names or characters. The actors are stunningly beautiful but they are more believable than the Pussy Galores and Goldfingers of the past. Le Chiffre was the most outrageous of the characters in this film and still you buy it with no problem - the name and the tears of blood. Anyway, on to the new one!

Quantum of Solace actually isn't as yummy as the first movie - on many levels. I did enjoy this movie very much and highly recommend seeing it on the big screen. However, it didn't have quite the same feel as the first one, Casino Royale, and it didn't have nearly as much shirtless Bond (always a sad thing to miss). It was a good movie and an engaging story and moved at a pace unrivaled even by the others in the 007 series. What was most strange to me was that it was not a stand alone story but rather an immediate sequal to the first film. This approach is a departure for the Bond series, out of which you can pick any movie and not feel like you need to watch twenty others to know what is going on. I'm a fan of sequels, so this didn't bother me per se, but it was an obvious difference. Another difference was the missing line of, "Bond, James Bond" but I will agree it wasn't really needed in this one. Kudos to the director for doing his own thing and leaving that line out. I will be watching this on again - perhaps when it goes to The Dragonfly Theatre in town - but will always find Casino Royale to be a superior movie. Cheers!

Stranger Than Fiction

What an outstanding movie! Odd, yes, but I like them that way (as you have surely figured out by now). Oftentimes "odd" isn't also able to be endearing, however this film was very much so! Who would ever have thought it believable - but it is! Anyway, to the premise...

A man with a very static (many would say boring) life starts to hear a narrator of his life story in the moment as he is living it. Disturbing indeed, but would it work as a premise for a story? Yes! I was intrigued by the previews but didn't know if it would actually fly as a full length film. I was pleased to find that the parts in the previews did not ruin anything, unlike so many teasers and trailers for films.

Emma Thompson was amazing in her role as the writer of the story and Will Ferrell wasn't annoying! Yeah, that's what I said - he wasn't annoying!! Not a big Ricky Bobby or Ron Burgundy fan, I do love him in Old School and a few other flicks. However, this was certainly his most subdued of characters. He was outstanding. Maggie Gyllenhaal was amazing as always. I just love her. She is a baker being audited by the IRS and is her usual fiery little self. Queen Latifah was understated, which made it a good role without being outlandish. Dustin Hoffman made me want to go over to his office and ask him about novels (he was a literature professor). So, everyone was great. That's all I'm saying. Yeah. Watch it.

Penelope

Loved it!! (and not just because I grew up on a hog farm either, for those of you in the know.) This movie is a fairy tale of sorts with Christina Ricci, James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon. A wonderful story of a girl from a wealthy family who has been born under a curse. The sign of which shows itself in the form of a pig nose upon her face. (She also has pig ears at birth but we never see those again, so they were either removed or she hides them under her hair for the whole movie.) Her parents are as normal as two overbearing, image obsessed people can be and her life and living space seem pretty amazing considering that she has been held under lock and key for the past twenty-five years. She's never been out into the world and after seven years of rejection from possible suitors, decides to see what it is all about on her own. This is the story of her adventures out into the world.

The sets, costumes and scenic mood all help to transport you to this city of two continents. Half the cast have English accents and the other have are obviously American. The setting is New York/London/Moulin Rouge. It is a perfect fantasy land and I want her freaking wardrobe (nevermind the fact that Christina is probably a size 0). Everything has a touch of whimsy about it when viewed from Penelope's eyes. Max is a different story, coming from the proverbial school of hard knocks. His life is shown though dirty, dinghy glass but there is a glimmer of hope just around the corner of the hard, rough edges of his brick walled life. He spends his time in bars and at poker tables and views the world through a veil of sleep-deprivation. That is enough to make anyone crazy, without the gambling problems.

Anyway, this is a fanciful story that keeps a person engaged throughout and holds many other wonderful characters to explore, eg. those played by Catherine O'Hara and Peter Dinklage. Take the time to view this film. You won't regret it!!

Iron Man (2008)

Loved it. I am always a fan of the movies based on the Marvel and DC comics. I even liked Ang Lee's Hulk movie, which many viewers did not like. Therefore, I was going in to the viewing of Iron Man with the expectation of enjoyment and I was not disappointed. I also like Robert Downey, Jr. and keep giving his substance abuse addled self the benefit of the doubt (as do the Hollywood execs who give him a paycheck) and I hope against hope that he'll get his addiction problems in order and start putting out tons of good movies. I am thrilled that rooting for the underdog can pay off so well sometimes! This movie is thoroughly entertaining. I'm not saying, by any means, that it is an intellectual or emotional movie, but it is going to be quite a good time had by all at the movies.

The casting was excellent and I always love Jon Favreau's directing style. Jeff Bridges' character was just like that lovable yet slightly creepy uncle you see at a family reunion and Terrance Howard was Tony Stark's well played reluctant best friend. I have yet to find a role where I did not enjoy Gwyneth Paltrow's performance (having avoided ever seeing Hush or View from the Top) and this is another of her understated but well played movies. I do worry that she's possibly in a bit of a rut with casting since I kept thinking about Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (another movie I quite enjoyed) and it felt weird to think of another movie while watching this one. I must say that until this role I have never found Robert Downey to be a very sexy guy. Something about having a glowing blue arc magnet (or whatever it is called) in his chest has made him into quite a formidible character in that way. A certain je ne sais quoi about him that makes me want to pop open a bottle of champage and hang out in his living room. Anyway, 'nuf said, I know that we will own this movie and watch it again and again.

Starring: Robert Downey, Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard, Shaun Toub, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leslie Bibb, Clark Gregg, Faran Tahir

Just so you know, we are kicking into high gear for the Summer where we live, so I may be off this site for a while. I'll catch up when I can (trust me, I'll still be seeing movies - just not writing about them!!)

The Savages (viewed on 4/28/08)

This movie is quite good. I don't know that I will ever watch this again, but that is mostly because it hit a bit close to home. Laura Linney is wonderful as always. I'll write more later, really I will. I'm getting over a cold.

The Jane Austen Book Club (viewed 4/25/08)

A great movie. Very entertaining for Janites. I can't wait to go back and watch it again and determine who each person is supposed to represent from Jane Austen's novels. Definitely a go see!

The Orphanage (viewed 4/23/08)

Awesome. Guillermo del Toro is a badasssssss. (more to come...)

3:10 to Yuma (viewed 4/20/08)

Awesomeness. Boyfriend was fabulous. Extra backup boyfriend was great, too. Yeah, yeah, more later...

Saboteur (viewed 4/19/08)

Alfred Hitchcock's WWII propaganda movie calling up all patriots and calling out all communists. A very famous scene at the end on the Statue of Liberty. (not to be shy about driving home the concepts of American freedom. Go Alfred.)

Taxi Driver

Netflix cover says: "Alienated, psychotic Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) drives a cab by night in New York City, and spends his days alone in his room or in porno theatres. When he meets 12-year-old prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster), he is determined to save her. After he is rejected by a beautiful campaign worker (Cybill Shepherd), Bickle begins his rampage, starting with an attempted political assassination, and ending with a violent bloodbath in order to rescue Iris. R 114 min. 1976."

Good Will Hunting (viewed 4/8/08)

We watched this movie last night for the first time in years. Our dear friend Lisa was in town for the night and got to pick our movie selection and came up with this one. I always forget how much I love this movie. It makes you want to be a better person and to do more with your life - or at the very least, to be true to your heart. I love to see the actors in it before they became full of themselves in their Hollywood lives and to sense the depth that can be there for their performances but is less and less so (Mr. Affleck, it is you of whom I speak). I love Robin Williams in this movie. You are comfortable in knowing that there will not be any Good Morning Vietnam ad-lib going on and he is so very intense in his depression. Stellan Skarsgard is one of my favorite token weird dudes. I always forget he was in that great movie Wind and most people know him as Bootstrap from the Pirates series. He was also in The Hunt for Red October for you who are trying to place his face from farther back in time. Minnie Driver is another of my favorites. She and my favorite comedian, Eddie Izzard, have a show called The Riches which is quite good. Minnie has also been fabulous in another great movie, An Ideal Husband. Ahh... Rupert. Also, Grosse Pointe Blank.

The Return of the King (viewed 4/4-4/5/08)

Yup. It's good. I'll cover these movies later. Too much to chew.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix (viewed on 4/4/08)

Gonna go get my book out and read this one again. Very excellent.

Sweeney Todd on DVD!!! (viewed 4/4/08)

So happy to have meat pies at home! Missing a song from the soundtrack, however, so that is a bit odd. More later, but you can read my other Sweeney review from when we saw it in the theater.

Atonement (viewed 3/29/08 @ S&R's)

Oh my god. So good. So painful but so, so good. More in depth later...

Becoming Jane (viewed 3/28/08 at GFM)

Quite good. I really liked it and was glad to see they were faithful to her life story for the most part. Very good job by Anne H. and I usually think she has too much artificial sweetener in her roles.

Enchanted (when was this one? 3/23?)

So fun. I didn't think I would like it, but I can watch Amy Adams do anything!

10,000 B.C (viewed on 3/22/08)

Matinee on Easter weekend. In my opinion this is one long entertaining Orbit commercial.

*DING!*

Across the Universe (viewed 3/7/08 and 3/16/08)

Love it. Singing songs in my head right now because of it. I'll delve into it after a glass of wine - later.

G.I. Jane (viewed on 3/2/08)

It still weirds me out to think that Master Chief is Aragon. He is such a jerk in this movie, but that is why we love him. More later...

Outfoxed (viewed 3/1/08)

Makes you think. Makes you not trust the news. Only NPR and the BBC for me.

American Gangster (viewed 2/28/08)

Very excellent.

Michael Clayton

I wanna watch it again already. (I'm playing catch up on my posts but wanted to get it on here so I remember when I saw it!)

Transformers

More than meets the eye! Gonna get back to this one...

Playing Catch-up Since The Oscars

Such excitement on Oscar night! I did not win our friendly little bet here at home but I did get an amazing number of answers correct. Guess I'm a good guesser!

I've actually watched quite a few movies since then but haven't gotten around to writing the blogs for them. I'll try to get back on the ball and write reviews for them over the next few weeks, but thought I could at least list them for posterity or general curiosity. On 2/23, we watched Transformers again (saw it in the theater), Michael Clayton sometime that week, American Gangster 2/28, Outfoxed 3/1, G.I. Jane 3/2, Across the Universe 3/7. I feel like there were some others in there, too, but can't think of any more at the moment. Henry has now gotten me hooked on Dexter and I will be watching way too much of that for the next month or so.

No Country for Old Men

Terrifyingly awesome.

That was the entirety of my review of this movie for about a week after watching it. Javier Bardem is still haunting my dreams and not in the cute Canary Islander way that he could be. He is quietly, methodically, yet also indelibly, terrifying in this movie as the character Anton Chigurh and I'm thankful that I'll never have to cross paths with that man or his freaky hair or the incessant coin tossing.

One of the aspects that I loved about this movie was the ending, or lack of one. Many people want there to be a pretty ribbon tied up around the stories of life and that just isn't how things play out. I like when art imitates life in this way and doesn't give us the ending we are expecting. I am a fan of this ending (and won't go into detail to avoid being a spoiler) but know that many people probably aren't as pleased. Those people probably also don't like thinking too much as a general rule in life, but I guess I'm being too hard on the general population. Ahhh... I digress... I also love the work of the Davids - Lynch and Cronenberg - and neither of them likes a pretty bow ending either, so maybe it just comes down to one's personal taste for the macabre, for which I have many taste buds in my being.

If you are going to see this movie you probably have a taste for violence on some level, since they don't shy away from it in the trailers and teasers. Overall, I thought it was quite good and so did Henry, as well as our movie-going friends, including my brother, Davis. Three thumbs up! I will say that I'm surprised by the number of Academy Award nominations it has received (tied for the most this year, that'd be 8, with There Will Be Blood). I am pretty sure Javier Bardam will win for Best Supporting Actor, but I'm not sure how it will fare in the other categories (Best Picture, Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Sound, Sound Editing, and Adapted Screenplay). We'll find out tomorrow night and I will update you then! Enjoy the Oscars!

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Henry and I watched this movie for Valentine's Day and we both thought it was wonderful. It is a beautiful movie. The costumes, lighting, scenery, acting (& actors for that matter!), and cinematography were all masterfully executed and I didn't think the music was distracting at all (a complaint from at least one review I read). The critics panned the movie and neither of us can really understand why. Perhaps our support of it is the underdog mentality or the fact that I heard more than one interview with the director, Shekhar Kapur, and felt that I understood his intentions with the movie. Whatever the reason, I know that this will be watched again many times by both of us.

Kapur stated in his Fresh Air interview (on NPR) that he intended the movie to be the telling of Elizabeth's journey from the role of a Queen into the role of a legend or a mythic figure. Kapur is of Indian background, where the culture does not bat an eye at the retelling of a famous figure in history through mythic stories. The Western world has an aversion to this and wants all stories told to be based in fact and reality. But they also want fact and reality to be exciting, beautiful and dramatic - something that is rarely the case.

He makes beautiful movies and brings new life to the subject matter in a way that makes people want to learn more about world history (even if it IS learned on Wikipedia & can't really be trusted!). He makes me want to study my genealogy and see if I really am related to Henry VII like some of my family historians state (then I'd be related to Elizabeth!). No matter what, the point is that his movies make you think and get you excited about history and life and all the possibility that exists. I am amazed by how inspirational a film like this can be. At this moment is it inspiring me to plan a trip to England! now if only I had money for such a trip...

You can blame my love of this film and it's precursor on name sharing (Libba is a nickname of Elizabeth) and a fascination with the clothing of the period and Henry's love of the movie on the fact that he is so into the Elizabeth movies that I think he was Lord Burghley in another life. Or you could just agree with us that both of these movies are amazing in their own right. May Cate win an Oscar for her performance and I'm glad to see the costumes get a nod as well since they are most beautiful and amazing like the sets - though an internal struggle now ensues between these costumes and those in Sweeney Todd for Best Costumes!

Millions

A basic synopsis is this: Two young boys and their father move to a new neighborhood after the death of the boys' mother. The movie centers around the time-frame of emotional adjustment from the move and going into the holidays in a new area. When a bag of money literally falls from the sky, young Damian believes it comes from God & tries to do good with it. Unlike Damian, his older brother has more ambitious goals, but the UK is about to switch its currency from Pounds to Euros in just a few days, so they have a very short window of time to use the loot.

I'd been wanting to watch this movie for quite a while but was worried that the preview made it more shiny-happy than it really was going to be, and/or that there would be a very painful moment or two to experience once I got into it. However, I'm happy to report that my fears were remiss - it was so good! I made Henry watch it with me a few weeks ago and he quite liked it as well. It is a really sweet story and the characters are all very engaging and tangible.

The main character, 7-year old Damian, is played by the same boy (Alex Etel) who is in the new movie, The Water Horse - which I also want to see and look forward to reviewing for you all! He is so amazing in this movie that you just want to pick him up and give him a big hug, or perhaps climb into his giant cardboard box fort for the afternoon with him and his visions of Catholic saints. This is perhaps my most favorite aspect of the movie. I've often aspired to know about the various saints (just as a curiosity, being as I'm a lapsed Episcopalian with little use for saints) and as a result I am quite the admirer of this adorable kid with such random knowledge. If only I'd had an imagination half that powerful when I was a child... or now for that matter!

This movie's director is quite out of his usual element, being known for such movies as Trainspotting, Shallow Grave and 28 Days Later. All movies which I have enjoyed more than once and most of which I own, but none of which are at all on the same planet with this movie's environment. This is a magical land (which I kept expecting to come crashing down, but was pleased to find did not) and is not like the England that is usually seen in films. Even though it is around Christmas, this England is bright and colorful rather than foggy and gray, adding to the surrealism of the story. It is a wonderful story and I highly recommend it to warm you up on a gray day. Grab a cuppa tea and a biscuit (that's a cookie for youz in the South) and snuggle up to watch this one any time of year!

Trailers are available at this site (I couldn't locate one to load here, sorry!): http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2005/IJKLM/Millions/trailer.php

Juno

This movie is hilarious. Going off the poster I would never have seen it. I knew nothing about it when I went to see it this past Thursday with my girl's night out group but I figured it couldn't be too bad. It is instead... wonderful! I can't wait to see it again! I would never have thought that about a movie about a pregnant 16 year old. However, as I type this I realize that one of my favorite t.v. shows was Gilmore Girls (also about a 16 year old who got knocked up).

The main character of this movie, Juno, has a similar sarcastic, almost acerbic, humor to the cast of Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. She struck me as a Daria come to life or even a young Janeanne Garofalo. I would have loved to have been her best friend in school and I'll find myself wondering and wanting to know what Juno is doing now that she's out of high school and making her way to stardom in a rock band or whatever her destiny may be.

Speaking of music, I want this soundtrack! It is very much Velvet Underground inspired and is filled with the sounds of the Moldy Peaches' Kimya Dawson. It quite a lot of fun. I look forward to owning both the soundtrack and the movie. Yes, this is a go see! (I'll have to review a crappy movie soon or you'll all think I've got no discerning taste!)

Here is a preview for you, in case you haven't seen it, or if you are like me and just love watching snippets over and over since you can't go pop in the DVD quite yet.

Sweeney Todd

Amazing that such goodness can be found in such evilness. I loved this movie and so did Henry. We both like musicals and Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton combo films. I am obsessed with the ideas found within the realm of Gothic fiction and how that is translated into the noir film and macabre genres. (Yes, you can call me dark and twisty, I don't mind.) So, I knew it was a perfect fit for me: Johnny Depp + musical + dark storyline + Tim Burton + Colleene Atwood's gorgeously gross costumes + popcorn. Heaven. Perhaps even Heaven on a stick. I wasn't sure if Henry was going to be in Heaven but gave him kudos for going with me.

I loved it so much that I went and bought the soundtrack 10 minutes after we were leaving our seats. I've been singing about meat pies ever since. (It is currently on in the background, actually.)

If you don't like musicals don't see it. They start singing at the first lines of the movie. If you don't like blood (even though it is very theatrical [read: fake]) don't go see it. If you don't like Tim Burton, don't see it! 'nuf said. If you don't like these things then you most likely picked up on them in the previews and you weren't going to see it anyway.

So, on to the critical parts. I can't think of any... Technically it was fabulous: costumes, lighting, scenery, scenic design, makeup - all great. I'm sure there will be some Oscar nods in those categories. The actors were quite good - though I was worried about them singing & that was unexpectedly good, too. There was one flaw that Henry and I both noticed where Toby is eating a meat pie and is half through with it and then in the next frame it only has a little bite missing. Henry used to get mad at me for pointing those things out and now he catches them on his own. My only other criticism was that Helena was too reminiscent of the Bride of Frankenstein in her final scene. Seriously could have been taken from that movie. Wish that hadn't been the case.

Henry mentioned that he wished it had gone into the "what happens next" part of the story, but the movie is called Sweeney Todd so I feel it was ended at the only possibly appropriate point. I highly recommend it to everyone (with the aforementioned caveats). I'll even add a preview if I can find a good one to put up here. Enjoy your meat pies!



Something is messed up with every preview I put up, so I suggest you just go to the official site for the movie at www.sweeneytoddmovie.com and have a good visit!