Slumdog Millionaire

It isn't hard to imagine what my opinion of this movie was. I'm with the 94% on Rotten Tomatoes that thought it was excellent. I was captivated by the way the story shows all sides of India and that so much of the background is true. I'm sure that many of the people who live in India were upset at this film. It shows the gritty underbelly and if they wanted a pristine image of the country to be presented to the world, this was not the movie for India. However, it shows how resilient and resourceful their people are and I think that speaks volumes more than a series of pretty pictures. I have a feeling that more people will be intrigued by the idea of India as a place to visit than will be discouraged from it after seeing this film.

What was most striking to me was the way in which this movie conveys the information that you would find in a heartbreaking documentary about a child's life in the slums of Mumbai, but at the same time it is uplifting, funny and heartwarming. Amazing. The careful balance of pain and pleasure that makes this movie not only one that that you should see but one that you will want to see again and again.

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. :

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!!

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!

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!

The Golden Compass

This movie was quite anticipated in our household. So much so that we went on the opening weekend of the film. We've loved the books since Henry's parents gave them to him for his birthday many years ago. His parents were on sabatical in Oxford when they got them and actually read them before sending them to us. Our first book is called Northern Lights instead of The Golden Compass because it is the English version. Anyway, we love the books and were very much looking forward to their appearance on the big screen. They got the cast down perfectly. Everyone was just like they should have been and played their parts beautifully and I thought Lyra was well done, too (not always true with child actors). They got the cinematography and scenic/costume/lighting design down correctly, too. So, why was I disappointed with this movie?! Well, I'll tell you...

I felt like I couldn't catch my breath - and not for reasons of suspensefulness or excitement. It was because we were being rushed through the storyline at such a pace as to make a person feel dizzy. If you hadn't read the books you might think all the events that take place occur in just a couple of days instead of over a period of months. I'm sure that issue will continue to irritate me in future viewings of the film.

My other issue with the film was that they scored it with a juvenile soundtrack that undermined the seriousness of the plot and the scenes. It was distracting and I kept wishing I could over-dub it with something more like the Lord of the Rings movies (scaled back a bit, of course) or some other more mature and epic score. Irritating.

There are the usual compressions from novel to film, where many different events that happen to different people end up happening to one person in the film version of the story. Those I expect. I also expect the abbreviated exposition since we have the visual world to aid us in telling the story.

Overall, I say for people to go see it, but I do give the above noted disclaimers. I enjoyed it but apparently expected more than could be delivered. The same was true with the equally over-hyped DaVinci Code. Loved the book and I'm sure I'll watch the movie more than once but it isn't on my list of media to grab in case of a fire. That's what I get for expecting so much from a gajillion dollar budget!

Enjoy the preview below. It still gives me chills - if only the movie were as good...