Management

Management

I rented this movie on a limb. I saw it at the Redbox kiosk, and said, “aw what the hell, ill try it out.” What made me want to get it the most was that Steve Zhan was the main character. I loved him in Happy Texas where he was an ex-con posing as a gay beauty pageant director. He is great in a lot of movies. So that’s why I rented it. Really knew nothing about it.

It was actually really good. I was surprised. What surprised me the most was how plain Jenifer Aniston looked in the movie. Ok, to the real stuff of the movie. The plot of the movie is great. Steve Zhan (Mike) works at his parent’s motel. He is the maintenance man. His life is more or less the same everyday. He lives in Arizona, and they rarely get interesting people coming through. So one day when Jenifer Aniston (Sue) comes through, Mike is automatically smitten by her. He comes by her room every night and brings her random gifts. When those fail, he tells her that he likes her butt, and she lets him touch her butt. They start a little fling. Mike flies out to Maryland to try and pursue her. It doesn’t work out. He ends up taking a bus back to Arizona. Then she comes back to Arizona, and it doesn’t work out again. She leaves. Mike wants her back, so he travels to Maryland to find her, and finds out that she is living with her ex boyfriend who is a “punk” played by Woody Harrelson. Mike goes to Aberdeen to find her, and gets a job at a Chinese restaurant and makes best friends with the funniest Chinese guy ever. They are determined to win Sue back for Mike. After a while, Mike becomes a Buddhist monk, but gets asked to leave when getting to intense about volleyball. Then he tries one more time with sue…

Might have given you to much info about the movie, but trust me, it goes way more deep than that. This movie is extremely funny and quirky. Through out the movie I was laughing, and just feeling bad for Mike. He is just so in love, and doesn’t know what to do about it. Steve Zhan stole my heart in this film.

Jenifer Aniston didn’t to do bad in this movie. I liked her character. I have never seen her play a character quite like this. She was dull, boring, and played it safe. She wasn’t outgoing, and dressed really plain. She wasn’t hot at all.

Woody Harrelson and the Chinese friend were so funny in this movie. Woody plays this ex-punk rocker, and does a very good job at it. He cracked me up through out the movie. The Chinese dude was just dope. He had great one-liners, and made the movie have very good balance.

This isn’t a movie that focuses on cinematography, or editing. It was a romantic comedy. It also had a great soundtrack with songs mostly by The New Pornographers. All in all, this movie flowed together very well. I liked it so much that I bought it on Amazon immediately after renting it. It’s a movie I would like to own in my collection for a long time.

Where the wild things are

Before this movie came out, I was extremely nervous. I was afraid that it would be overhyped (which it kind of already is in the states thanks to Urban Outfitters). I was afraid that my tattoos on shoulder and stomach from the book would become a fashion trend (even though I got them years ago) and that the movie wouldn’t do the book any justice. I was mostly wrong. Just mostly. It wasn’t perfect, but pretty darn close to how I would have done it.

Spike Jonze directed the movie. For those who don’t know him, you should know that he is pretty much a genius. He is the mastermind, along with the Beastie Boys behind Crailtap (Girl skateboards, chocolate skateboards, Lakai…) and has so much imagination. He has made such movies as Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. His most famous works are probably Jackass 1 and 2. I am assuming more people have seen those movies than his others. He started out doing skate videos, then music videos for the Beastie Boys, and just worked his way to the top. He is a true artist in every sense. He was the perfect director for this movie.

The crew behind this movie was excellent. You had Dave Eggers ( as the writer, Spike Jonze as director, and Maurice Sendak as the producer. All of them pure artist in their own way. Maurice wrote the greatest children’s book. Dave Eggers is one of the best humor writers, and Spike Jonze is just crazy.

The plot of the movie is the same as the book, expect it takes it to a whole new level. In the book, the story goes that Max gets in a fight with his mom. He tells her that he will eat her up, so she sends him to bed without any supper. Upset, Max stomps to his room. All of a sudden, his room starts turning into a forest, and then he hops on a sailboat and sails to a land where the wild things live. He declares to be a king, and becomes their king. They just play and have fun. Max then becomes homesick and sails back home. When he gets home, supper is waiting for him, and it’s still hot. The movie follows that, expect adds more drama to it. In the movie, Max is struggling to be accepted and fit in his family and world. His family thinks he is annoying and hyper, and he doesn’t seem to have very many friends. When trying to get his mothers attention while her boyfriend is over for dinner, Max over reacts and bites her, and gets sent to his room. Instead of going to his room, Max runs away into a forest. He finds a sailboat, and starts sailing into the big blue ocean. He finds an island, and monsters live there. He approaches them with no fear, and wants to be there friend. He tells them that he was a former king, so they shouldn’t eat him. They come to trust him through his lies, and do what he says. He tries to make all the monsters happy, especially Carol, and they begin to build a big fort. When Carol finds out that he doesn’t have any powers and isn’t a real king, he becomes very angry and tries to eat Max. Each monster represents his emotions, Carol obviously being his abusive Dad that caused his mom to be single. Max escapes by hiding in KW’s (his mom) mouth, and then goes to his boat to return to his mother. It was a very sad goodbye between Carol and Max. I might have cried. Not sure though.

This is not a kid’s movie in my opinion. I feel that it is too sad for children. This is definitely a movie for adults who grew up as children reading the book. Adults who have dealt with real life, and can relate to Max. They can relate to Max in the sense that they just want to get away from it all sometimes and be someone else. The whole over all tone and mood of the movie is very depressing. It’s an emotional movie, with lots of interpersonal battles. Carol, the main monster, has a hard time controlling his anger. Some of the monsters have a hard time controlling their depression. With all these personalities clashing together, conflicts arise.

Granted, the movie is PG, but the overall tone isn’t kid friendly. I would have no problem taking a kid to see this movie, I just don’t know if they would be entertained as much as I was during the movie. I thought that the writing was sheer brilliance. It had its own flavor and style to it. These monsters were cool and funny as crap. They had real personalities, personalities of people you meet every single day. Max was every ADHD child you can think of, who had a running imagination. He was probably a lot like Spike Jonze as a child. Max and the monsters were casted perfectly, and they worked so well together.

The soundtrack was excellent. Karen O (singer from the yeah yeah yeahs) did a great soundtrack. It fit the movie perfectly, and gave it its ups and downs. It is worth buying and listening too.

The cinematography was very good. So many scenes I wanted to keep as a snap shot. They did such a good job with lighting and unique angles. It was honestly beautiful.

All in all, I wouldn’t have changed a thing about this movie. I thought it was perfect. I don’t think there could have been a better adaption of the book than this movie. I am glad that Spike didn’t make it for the masses either. It wasn’t made for everybody. Majority of people will not like this movie and will disagree on my review. They could think it’s too sad and depressing. But this movie wasn’t made to make everyone happy. This movie was made to make a classic children’s story come to life, and it did. I loved it so much. It was honestly done just right. I walked out feeling so relived. It didn’t disappoint me at all, and I don’t think that it will become a movie that everyone will see. Which is good and bad. But I think it was done just right. I honestly wouldn’t have changed a thing about this movie. It wasn’t to long, to short, to scary, to dark. It had its funny moments, and its sad moments. It was pure beauty.

Zombieland

Zombieland

Wow. Let me start out by saying WOW! This movie was awesome. So many things I loved about this movie. In all honesty, I can’t think of negative things to say about it at the current moment, which is because I am so stoked on it. It reminds me a lot of Shaun of the Dead. I don’t want to make an outlandish statement saying one is better than the other, but currently Zombieland has my heart. It has all the things I want, zombies, hot chicks, comedy, and gore. Plus it has Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray.

Earth's population has been decimated by a virus, related to

the mad cow disease, that turns everyone into flesh-craving zombies. Only a handful of humans remain, including Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a student at the University of Texas trying to make his way to his hometown of Columbus, OH, where he hopes his parents are still alive. Columbus has long been an outsider and somewhat phobic, which he uses to his advantage in avoiding zombies. In fact, zombies are not his greatest fear: clowns are. In order to stay alive, he has created a list of rules, rules that he always follows no matter what.

While walking down the highway, he encounters Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), driving an Escalade. He is trying to get to Florida and kill as many zombies as he can on the way. Tallahassee agrees to give Columbus a ride as far as Texarkana. When they stop at a grocery store in hopes of finding Tallahassee's coveted Twinkies, they fight off three zo

mbies then find two teenage girls, Wichita (Emma Stone) and her younger sister, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) in the storeroom.

From there, it’s a series of cons back and forth, and killing Zombies, and they end up traveling together to get to a theme park in LA based on rumors that zombies are not there.

This movie had a lot of good things going for it over all. The flesh eating zombie scenes were awesome. Killing the zombies was even cooler. Woody Harrelson is a master at killing zombies, and uses many cool weapons to do so. Jesse Eisenberg was brilliant. At first, I thought this is a wanna be Michael Cera, but he is something new and fresh and not as annoying. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin worked very well together, and made a good sister team in the movie.

Did I mention it was very funny? Bill Murray was excellent in it. He had a good cameo in it, and his brief moment in the movie was classic. All in all, the movie was a good laugh and riot.

Surrogates

What to say about this movie… Well, I guess one thing I could start off by saying is that this movie was entertaining and did have some value to it. But on a scale of 1-10, I give it a 5. I don’t know if I am being generous or harsh with the 5, I want to give it a 4 but I felt it was to mean. Also, I am not the biggest fan of sci-fi stuff either. Compared to majority of sci-fi films this one actually could be believe able.

I compare this movie to kids being addicted and obsessed to games like “The Sims” or world of war craft. Games where you build your own world around you, and be who you want to be, look like what you want to look like, and do what you want to do, and live your life through these games. People are living their lives remotely from the safety of their own homes via robotic surrogates -- sexy, physically perfect mechanical representations of themselves. It's an ideal world where crime, pain, fear and consequences don't exist. When the first murder in years jolts this utopia, FBI agent Greer (Willis) discovers a vast conspiracy behind the surrogate phenomenon and must abandon his own surrogate, risking his life to unravel the mystery.

There are things I hate and like about the movie. The things that I really liked where the special effects. I thought they were pretty cool. Seeing Bruce Willis looking like a doll and jumping from buildings to buildings was pretty cool to see. It had some good action sequences, and some very good twists to the plot. I liked that there wasn’t to much bad language, or any sex scenes. It was pretty clean for the most part.

The movie had bad acting though. I cant pin point why it bothered me, maybe it was the writing, but I remember being bored with the dialogue majority of the time. Bruce Willis isn’t exactly the greatest actor in the world, I mean he is good, but this movie had no body to really support him well enough to make this a block buster. I personally think he is getting to old for these cop action movies, way to old.

Ma vie en rose

This was a very fun movie to watch. It’s a French Belgium film, and it gives you a very different look and point of view of children, homosexuality and confused little boys. No one in the movie actually is gay, but the main character of the movie is struggling with his identity as a male, and he is only 7.

Ludovic is a young boy who can't wait to grow up to be a woman. When his family discovers the little girl blossoming in him they are forced to contend with their own discomfort and the lack of understanding from their new neighbors. Their anger and impatience cave and Ludovic is sent to see a psychiatrist in the hopes of fixing whatever is wrong with him. Then the town flips when Ludovic plays the part of snow white in the school play, and tries to get kissed by a boy at his school. The town drives out the family. A movie that addresses trans-gender and gender issues in general through the eyes of a child.

This is movie is very funny, and very sad at times too. But all in all, it’s a drama with humor through out it. What impressed me most about this film was the character development of the mother and the father. At the beginning, the father was raged at his little boy, and the mom tried to help understand what their son was going through. Towards the end, the roles switch, and the father accepts his son and loves him, and helps his wife to accept their son and love him too. It made me really happy to see the changes that they made, and the fact that they accepted their son for who he was, or wasn’t. It is very hard on parents to accept that their child could not be normal, and they fear for the child more than anything else.

The little boy who played Ludovic did an amazing job. He had long hair, and at times he did look like a girl. But I thought as a child actor, he did a phenomenal job. You could tell that this little boy really believed he was a girl trapped in a boy’s body, and you felt so bad for him for being so confused.

The ending of the movie was really good. It was a good change and outlook on life through a child’s eye and their choices. This movie is worth renting for sure

Rudo y Cursi

As you can possibly tell, I am soccer nut, and love to watch soccer movies. The beautiful thing about soccer movies is that they are made in many different languages. Unlike baseball or American Football movies, which are all made in USA, soccer movies are made world wide, and it is a world wide loved sport.

This movie however puts an interesting twist on soccer. In this sport, you can be big one day, and dead the next. The trick is holding onto your fans.

Mexican half brothers Beto and Tato - who will eventually be appropriately nicknamed Rudo (rough) and Cursi (corny), respectively - have a typical love/hate relationship with each other. They both work on a banana plantation and live with their extended family consisting of their mother, abusive stepfather, sister Nadia, and Beto's wife Toña and their children. The family are rural peasant class and are barely making ends meet. The brother's fortunes change when into their lives comes Batuta, a soccer scout. Despite their advancing ages, both Beto and Tato are naturally gifted at soccer, Beto as a goaltender and Tato as a striker. Playing professionally has always been Beto's dream, although Tato has other professional thoughts on his mind. Batuta eventually recruits both for different teams in Mexico City. Beto and Tato's fortunes rise and fall, the falls based on those things which hold more passion for the brothers. For Tato, he loves fast women, specifically television spokes-model Maya, but he loves singing even more. He would give up his soccer career for one in Mexican country singing, if only he was any good at it. For Beto, his passion is gambling. Although Beto is up front and straightforward about most things in life, he would lie and cheat to hide his gambling problem and debts. They just have to keep these alternate passions in check to make their soccer lives lucrative ones.

This movie by no means is anything amazing though. It’s kind of slow, and has awful music in it. That could be part of the joke of the movie, but it got on m

y nerves after a while. But I thought it was a good rags to riches story, and how fast you can go up and down in life.

I personally loved the character of Cursi played by Gael García Bernal, who was Che in Motorcycle Diaries, was in Babel, Y tu mamá también and The Science of Sleep. He is a very good actor, and I love him in all of his movies. He was very funny and corny in this movie, but not that good of a soccer player. In the mov

ie itself, you don’t actually see him play soccer, or that much soccer playing, you mostly see him cheering after a goal and the crowd’s reaction towards it.

This movie is rated R, and there is some nudity

in it. If they took out this one sex scene, this movie would be PG-13 with out a doubt. The language isn’t all that bad. I cant remember if there was a lot of F words or not, but I know there was some in there. But I thought it was a good movie and I didn’t think it was a waste of my time.

Whip It

Whip It, not to be confused with a popular song from the 80’s by a four man band wearing odd red hats resembling Lego pieces made for giants is the debut film from Drew Barrymore. Like many other actors Barrymore has gone behind the camera to take her turn at calling the shots though still appearing in the film, her main role however was orchestrating this roller-derby opus.

The film portrays the story of a Texas high school girl played by Ellen Page secretly falling in with a group of tattooed roller-derby freaks against the wishes of her pageant pursuing mother. Anyone familiar with her role in Juno will be equally endeared by the role she plays though less pregnant this time around. The Texas sized heart of the film lies in the struggle the main characters have in forging their own destiny separate from what friends or family would want for them. As Page breaks away from her mothers will she becomes more rebellious thus adding to the changes affecting her and those for whom she cares.

Where Barrymore truly shines as director is getting the right actors in the right roles assembling a cast as delightful as they are diverse. Whip It includes SNL’s Kristen Wig, Death Proof’s Zoe Bell, Eve, and Juliette Lewis as some of the roller-derby dames. The film also pulls in Arrested Development’s mischievous Maeby aka Alia Shawkat, Andrew Wilson (the lesser known Wilson brother), and even Jimmy Fallon finds an appropriate role as the roller rink announcer.

What will surprise viewers though is how Barrymore resists the urge to fill scenes with needless dialogue instead letting the images see the story through. Drew accurately animates a middle class America without glamour but not without comfort or charm. Barrymore also turns in a world class playlist guiding the movie gently along to The Ramones, The Raveonettes, Little Joy, .38 Special, Radiohead, and ever talented Dolly Parton.

Though the plot can be recognized early on Whip It is a simple and enjoyable story that may not win over the masses but will certainly strike it big with the Fox Searchlight indie market. Whip It is the first chick flick in recent memory that is such without overburdening viewers with taxing emotions but not without the bumps and bruises that come along the way. Where chick flick meets contact sport.

Goal! The Soccer Trilogy

Goal! The Soccer Trilogy

I don’t know how many of you have actually heard of the movie Goal! I don’t think it was ever released in theatres, but you could defiantly rent it at your local blockbuster or Hollywood video, or do as I did, and buy for $2 on Amazon. Now was it worth buying all three of the movies?... Sort of. The first two were alright, but the third was just awful. Pure awful!

The first movie is called Goal! The dream begins. It tells the story of a gardner, Santigo Muniz, from Mexico working in LA, and playing in a local soccer league in the city. He had no direction in life, and was just working for his fathers landscaping company, and just plyaing soccer. While playing at a local soccer game, a former New Castle United player was there watching. What he saw was amazing skill in this young Santi Muniz. He told him if he was ever in England, to look him up and he would get him a try out with New Castle United. Santi took it seriously, and took him up on that offer, and flew there and risked everything to try and make his dream come true. Playing for the EPL is no walk in the park.

Goal 2 is Santi getting traded to Spanish Giant Real Madrid, and having all the money get to his head, and he ends up putting his money ahead of everything. While playing in spain, he ignores his fiancé, finds his long lost mother and brother, and makes stupid mistakes.

Then Goal 3 comes along, and its porbaly the worst soccer movie ever made. It was pure awful. It was about the world cup, but instead of Santi playing for Mexico, it focuses on his two friends from Real Madrid playing for Englands national team. Santi is barely in the movie. It was just pure crap.

Typically, these types of sports movies are not that interesting. Remember the titans set a pretty good standard, and ever since then people have been trying extremely hard to make an emotional sports film. Lets just face it, all of them are cheesy. Goal is cheesy, but the soccer play in it is quite entertaing to watch. Kuno Becker, who plays Santi Muniz actually isn’t that bad of an actor. He did bother me to much in this movie. But non the less, the first two Goal movies are actually watchable in my opinon. They are watchable, but they aren’t a must. Goal 2 is more entertaining than the first one, only beacsue of the live footage of Real Madrid games, and the final game agisnt Arsenal with great shots of Terri Henry.

Extract

Anyone seeking to relive what has become comic relief in workplaces all across North America thanks to Mike Judge’s 1999 classic Office Space will unfortunately come up with a case of the Mondays in his newest film Extract. Though no TPS reports will be filed in Extract, instead it’s actually an extract factory that plays the back drop to this new workplace disaster, the film is a genuine failure at recreating the questions and problems that plague every working class thirty something trying to make their way in the world.

Though the workplace has provided as a great subject for TV and film the problem with Extract is that it simply did not flow. The film largely follows a recipe similar to Office Space. You have Jason Bateman as the burnt out boss, John Reilly plays the annoying neighbor, and even Gene Simmons makes an appearance as the tough talking lawyer (which is actually one of the better scenes). Also making contributions are SNL’s Kristen Wig, Ben Afflek, and Mila Kunis. Despite assembling a notable cast Mr. Judge came up short in actually giving them a descent or believable storyline of which to go off. It actually feels more like a rambling incoherent collection of thoughts than a solid piece of hand crafted cinema. The film does have a few moments of glory but unfortunately they are almost all for the most part played out in the film’s trailer.

Overall the film just didn’t live up to expectations. Certainly it would have been nice to have this film workout but until Mike Judge can come up with something better Office Space will remain his masterpiece.

Movie-Moron's top tens list!!!

This is a list done by my good friends at Movie-Moron. They have compiled some intresting list of movies and one liners from bond to vampires. This is a must read and must see.

Top Tens

Top Ten Zombie movies

Damned United

The Damned United

This was a fun movie to watch. I am personally a big soccer fan, and love to follow the sport as much as possible. This movie didn’t really focus on the athletes of soccer, or so much the game play itself, but more on the coaching and managing aspect of the game. Its not a foul movie, a few F-words every now and then, but for the most part a pretty clean movie and a fun watch.

This movie was directed by Tom Hooper, who did the John Adam series on HBO, and is doing the remake, or another version of East of Eden that’s coming out in 2009. The movie is about a loud mouth former English superstar taking over England's top football club Leeds United, previously successful manager Brian Clough's abrasive approach and his clear dislike of the players' dirty style of play make it certain there is going to be friction. Glimpses of his earlier career help explain both his hostility to previous manager Don Revie and how much he is missing right-hand man Peter Taylor who has loyally stayed with Brighton & Hove Albion.

If you are a soccer fan, especially one of Leeds United or the EPL in general, I would recommend seeing this movie. It isn’t a blockbuster, or anything special. It is an interesting movie, and a good glimpse on how some of the business side of football works. I learned some things from it actually, and it was a good piece of history to watch. It’s always fun to watch movies about soccer that actually happened.

I really enjoyed watching the flashbacks of the movie. It kept on going back and forth between his time at Derby and Leeds united. I thought that the writing was really good, and thought that Michael Sheen (Brian Clough) did an amazing job. He was supported very well by Timothy Spall (Peter Taylor) who is famous for Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter series. They worked really well as a team, and had many great English actors to carry the film on. The Leeds United football team really was full of douches, and they did a good job at being ones.

You know what, life is short, so go see this damn movie and enjoy it!!!

Julie & Julia

Julie & Julia as most people know by now (I realize I’m quite behind on reviewing this one) is the film adaptation of a book by Julie Powell; Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen. The book is the result of the popularity Mrs. Powell attained while blogging about her attempts to cook her way through the iconic Julia Childs French cookbook; Mastering the Art of French Cooking one day at a time for one year.

Just as masterful as French cuisine Julie & Julia is a savory blend of two true stories being portrayed by four fantastic performances. In fact it would be hard to conceive Meryl Streep not getting an Oscar nomination for her rendering of the quirky 6’2’’ Julia Childs (just watch of video of her on YouTube to understand the job she did). Stanley Tucci also turned in a great performance as the husband of Mrs. Childs. Opposite their couple is the modern day chef Julie Powell and husband played by Amy Adams (Doubt, Sunshine Cleaning) and Chris Messina.

The movie follows both women as they turn their passions for cooking into a career. However how they accomplished their achievements is not as simple as it would seem, and much like a complicated recipe you rarely get it right on the first try. Julie & Julia more than a glorified two hour food network special is a genuine story of the all so troublesome quest of finding your niche in life. Viewers will see both women progress and grow in a interesting character development that goes from the brink of despair to success au cuisine.

Machine Girl

Machine Girl

This movie was seriously amazing. I think this is the best B-rated gore fest film I have ever seen. There is no swearing, or nudity or drug use in the movie, just pure gore and violence. Sometimes it’s funny, and sometimes is disturbing, it varies every couple of minutes. Yes, that’s how much violence there is in the movie, it varies between funny and disturbing every scene. But it is so worth the time to watch it. I rented it on instant queue on Netflix.

The plot of machine girl isn’t too complicated, but leaves plenty of excuse for total revenge and carnage. Ami is a typical college girl. She's bright, friendly, popular and athletic, with nothing to set her apart from other girls her age other than the fact that she is an orphan, left to care for her younger brother after her father committed suicide after being falsely accused of murder. But while there is tragedy in their past, the siblings' future looks good, except for one thing. Ami's brother has racked up a considerable debt to another boy at school, and that boy just happens to be the heir to a clan of vicious ninja-yakuza. Ami's brother can't pay, violence breaks out and in the course of trying to avenge her brother, Ami is captured by the clan. They torture her and hack her arm right off. Ami escapes, barely alive, and is taken in by the owners of a machine shop who build her a customized, bullet-spewing arm. From that point, the quest for revenge is on in earnest

Honestly, the first 5 minutes of the movie is amazing. If you rent this on instant queue and watch the first five minutes, and don’t like it, then don’t finish the movie. But if you love the first five minutes, then your in for an amazing ride. In fact, ill put up a clip of the first five minutes, and If you love it, then rent it asap!!!

Its obviously to violent to watch with the faint of heart, and children, and not the best date movie, but its funny and violent and just unreal. Extremely gory, but clean in language. See it!!!

Band Slam

Band Slam

So I saw this movie at the dollar theatre, and trust me it was worth a dollar, but nothing really more. This movie was awkward to watch because pop kids take cool music and try to make it main stream and appeal to the Jonas Brothers fan base. So for some reason it really bothered me. I don’t want Jonas Brothers tweeners to know about the history of the Velvet Underground from a main stream movie with Disney pop stars. Besides me being upset about the music they talk about in the movie, the movie actually wasn’t all that bad. It was pretty funny, and it was funny to see Vanessa Hudgens play a depressed anti-social girl.

Teenager Will Burton lives in his head, and his head is filled with music. When his mother, Karen Burton, gets a new job in New Jersey, Will starts his junior year at a new school only to find the old cliques still apply, but rock-n-roll rules the scene. Perpetually a misfit, Will strikes up a friendship with like-minded outsider Sa5m (the 5 is silent). They are both surprised when the school's "it" girl, Charlotte recruits Will to help assemble a band to compete in "Bandslam," a battle of the bands that is "Texas High School Football BIG." Charlotte's ex-boyfriend Ben Wheatly is poised to win with his band Glory Dogs - Springsteen wannabes down to their hats. For the first time in his life, Will finds he is uniquely suited to not only participate in something, but to truly make a difference

All in all, I didn’t really like this movie. Not the biggest fan of it. I was really bummed that I had to sit through the whole thing, and that the music they played really wasn’t that good.

I think this photo says it all, this movie is cheesy and is trying hard

The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker

I finally saw this movie. Its been in theaters for a while, and I was a little scared to making the commitment to see it. Everyone told me it was intense, but not really a plot. Everyone was right. I was on the edge of my seat the whole movie, but I noticed there was really no plot nor character development. It was just a guy in a bomb suit going into different scenarios defusing bombs. And thats it. Well, there is more depth than that, but really it was just a reality check on war. I have never seen a war movie that felt more real.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who directed the the best Swayze and Reeves movie ever, Point Break, showed us in the Hurt Locker what war is like in middle east. It takes us into the lives of the most dangerous job in the world, disarming bombs in the war. When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge, by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. James behaves as if he's indifferent to death. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James' true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.

When the bombs are being disarmed, your heart is racing. You keep wondering if they will blow up or not. Very intense scenes. Especially when he finds a car full of bombs, or a bomb implanted in a little boys body. But all in all, its just a crazy redneck showing no fear when approaching a bomb. In the end, the crazy Sargent goes home, and realizes that he only lives for one thing, and thats the thrill of almost dying, and goes right back to the war.

Good movie to see in theaters, but just so you know, there isn't much of a plot or character development, and there is lots of F-bombs. But it is intense and suspenseful throughout the whole film.

Paris 36 (Faubourg 36)

Paris 36

It's hard to keep track of all the cool French films out in the market these days. It seems that they come out very underground like, and they like it that way. But the production value of the films is very far from underground, much like this movie Paris 36.

Paris 36 (Faubourg 36) is a French film about a small community in Paris during 1936. A man is charged with murder. He is Pigoil, the aging stage manager at Chansonia, a music hall in a Paris faubourg. His confession is a long flashback to New Year's Eve, 1935, when he discovers his wife is unfaithful and Galapiat, the local mobster, closes the music hall. Over the next few months, Pigoil loses custody of his beloved son, Jo-Jo, and must find work. Pigoil and his pals take over the Chansonia as a co-op; Galapiat is momentarily benign. Their star is the young Douce, a girl from near Lille for whom Galapiat lusts. She in turn falls in love with Milou, a local Red. There are ups and downs, but mostly ups - but what about Jo-Jo and what about the murder?

This movie is a fun watch. Beautiful music, amazing shots of Paris in the winter time, and beautiful singing. There is much laughter and much sadness throughout this film, and its a great ride for your emotions. It was truly a splendid French film to watch.

The movie is appropriate expect for a quick boob scene. Though the movie is pg-13, there is no swearing or anything like that. Just a random boob scene that wasn't really needed. Other than that, its a harmless movie that is fun to watch. Catchy tunes.

Victory (1981) Great Soccer Flick

Victory (1981)

Have you ever seen or heard of this movie? I ran across it accidently when I typed in the word “soccer” on Amazon, and came across it on the 3^rd or 4^th page. It was on sale for really cheap, and I read that Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine and Pele were in it, so I thought it couldn’t hurt by buying it. Trust me, it didn’t hurt one bit. I actually feel way cool for having this movie in my DVD collection from now on and forever.

Directed by John Houston, who really never did anything to good before his death in 1987, expect Annie, did this movie to express his love for the sport of football (soccer.) Starring once again, the big names of Stallone, Caine and the ambassador of soccer, Pele. The plot of the movie is about Nazi’s trying to prove to Europe that they are better than everyone in everything. In a POW camp, a Nazi officer recognizes the English soccer star Colby (Michael Caine) and talks to him about setting up a friendly soccer match. It soon turns out to be war instead of a friendly soccer match. They end up bringing in prisoners from other camps who can play the game to make it more even, because the Nazi’s decided to put them up against there all star team. Hatch (Stallone), the American, is determined to get on this team any way possible, as he thinks it’s a plan to a perfect escape from this camp and back to America. He ends up as the goalie. The only person who actually makes this team good, is recently captured prisoner from Africa, Luis Fernandez (Pele) who still has some good health in him. Do they win the game against Nazi Germany, or lose and just escape? Its one hell of a movie to watch and find out.

First off, let me say that Pele is a horrible actor. In this movie, they give him barely any lines, and he mostly does amazing ball juggling skills and bicycle kicks to make up for his poor speaking. I have to say though, it was very entertaining to watch. Stallone was actually quite funny in this movie. I really liked him for a change in this movie. Typically I am not a Stallone fan outside Rocky and Rambo, and I like those because they are a bit cheesy. But he is very good and clever in this movie, and reminds me of someone I would want to hang out with. Caine is a bitter old guy as he is in most movies, but this time he is bitter for a reason, and becomes what the war and the POW’s need, a reason to play soccer and forget everything else.

All in all, this movie isn’t superb acting, but it is fun to watch. If you are a soccer fan, I recommend this movie over many other soccer movies. It’s a great watch, with a pretty good plot that draws you in through out the movie. Rent it, or buy it for really cheap on half.com or amazon.com.

World's Greatest Dad

World’s Greatest Dad

I saw this movie thinking it would be something that it wasn’t, and I wasn’t the biggest fan of this film. I thought that the plot was way messed up, and almost disturbing. What was even more disturbing was the fact that Robin Williams was dating a woman that is 25 years younger than him. It was just awkward to see.

Lance Clayton (Robin Williams) is a poetry teacher at a private school and a failed writer. He has a son, who can be easily summed up in a couple of words, a douche bag and a pervert. Lance tries to be the best dad that he can, but his pornography-addicted son wont let him love him at all. No matter what he tries, he can’t be the best dad, an accomplished writer, or even compete with the younger teachers that fight for his younger girlfriends heart, who is also a

teacher. Then all of sudden, tragedy strikes, and Lance’s son Kyle dies while masturbating (gross I know). Embarrassed by this, as any father would be, Lance makes it look like a suicide with a poetic suicide note. That note made it big, and was published. People were begging for more writings from his dead son Kyle, so Lance fakes a journal by him and gets it published as well. He wins the girl, and the fame. The question is, does he keep going with it, blow his cover or get exposed? Either way, it’s a screwy thing.

All in all, I didn’t like this movie and I can’t say I would recommend anyone to see it. First off, at the end of the movie you see Robin William’s dong, and secondly its repulsive the way the son talks about women and pornography. There were some funny parts in the movie, and the plot was good, but Robin Williams should be playing a grandfather rather than a father of a teenager, and he just didn’t have his usual charm in this movie. Bottom line; don’t see this movie, not really worth your time.

Adam

Adam

Have you ever heard of Asperger's Syndrome? Do you know what it is?

For a long time when people have heard the word Autism, or Asperger's Syndrome, it is almost treated like cancer. People think that they are capable of functioning, or even having the basic relationship. The story of Adam cancels out all those factors, and shows that people with Asperger's Syndrome struggle, but are just more open with the child inside.

Starring Hugh Dancy (Confessions of a Shopaholic) as Adam and Rose Bryne (Crazy stalker girl in Wicker Park) as his next-door neighbor and lover named Beth, this movie takes you into their relationship and the ups and downs of it. Adam has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, and people with it therefore show significant difficulties in social interaction, along with stereotypies and other restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. So people with it in fewer words are too smart for themselves. In this case, Adam knows everything there is to know about telescopes and the technology behind it, and about the universe. Beth, his neighbor is a schoolteacher who is aspiring to be a children’s book writer. They start dating and her father disapproves. Her father is a lawyer, and wants her to marry someone who is successful and has lots of money, and Adam at the current moment is far from that. Beth’s Dad faces criminal charges for illegal business that he did, and when Beth needs comfort the most, Adam isn’t there to give it to her. He gets a great job in California, and is asked to leave Manhattan, and wants Beth to come with him. Does Beth leave with him and marry him? Or does she stay and end the relationship?

This movie was very touching for me. Personally, I know people with Asperger's Syndrome, and I can only imagine how hard it is for them in this world. There were many ups and downs throughout this film. There were times where you wanted to bury your head in your hands because you just wish Adam would say the right thing or would know what to do. There were also times when Adam and Beth’s relationship was going just right and you were very happy about it. Then there were times where there was difficulty in communication and it made it hard to watch Adam express his feelings.

All in all I liked this movie. There was no language in the movie until one scene where Adam and Beth fight, and some swearing is involved. Other than that, this movie is as clean as a whistle. I recommend seeing this movie because it can teach us a lot about people with Asperger's Syndrome, and it gives us a good reality check.

District 9

District 9

It’s not at all what you expect. The trailers are misleading, and it’s a very good thing.

This has to be one of the most original movies about aliens I have seen in a long long time. Let me retract that statement, this is the most original movie about aliens ever! This movie has a lot of hype to it, and it might live up to all of it, but it for sure has the best special effects of any movie this summer. Some parts of the movie were slow, and kept you thinking, “I thought there would be more violence”

Directed by Neill Blomkamp and presented by Peter Jackson (LOTR, King Kong) this movie talks about the life of aliens, or prawns as they are called in the movie, living in Johannesburg, South Africa. Thirty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa's District 9 as the world's nations argued over what to do with them. Now, patience over the alien situation has run out. Control over the aliens has been contracted out to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens' welfare - they will receive tremendous profits if they can make the aliens' awesome weaponry work. So far, they have failed; activation of the weaponry requires alien DNA. The tension between the aliens and the humans comes to a head when an MNU field operative, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), contracts a mysterious virus that begins changing his DNA. Wikus quickly becomes the most hunted man in the world, as well as the most valuable - he is the key to unlocking the secrets of alien technology. Ostracized and friendless, there is only one place left for him to hide: District 9.

This movie was brilliant in many ways, but it was not perfect. In a way, it almost felt like I was watching a movie about the video game called Halo. The beginning was very funny, dry humor that you would find in most British comedies. Then it went to more serious, to scary, to very sad. It wasn’t an emotional roller coaster, but the mood changed throughout the film. Main character Wikus Van De Merwe played by Sharlto Copley was amazing. Pretty new to the big screen, Copley impressed me very much that I wish he were a million times more famous. It’s hard to explain why he was such a good actor, but the main thing that got me was that you feel in love with him, and there was so much emotion and love in his character. It felt very real watching him.

I would recommend seeing this movie for many reasons. 1. It is hands down the best movie out in theatres currently. 2. It has amazing special and visual effects. 3. It’s not your typical cheesy starship troopers alien type movie. 3. It doesn’t have any of the Wayne’s brothers in it. It was a very funny, sad, and intense movie with good alien gore in it. Not a good date movie, not to romantic at all.

The movie is rated R for violence, and a couple dozen F-words. All of it was in South African accents, so some of it wasn’t understood very clearly, but there was lots of swearing. Not so much that I wanted to walk out or that it ruined the movie for me, but enough for me to step back and say “wow, they didn’t need all those F-bombs in there” Other than the violence and language, the movie is pretty clean and safe.

Funny People

Funny People

What happens when a funny person faces a life threatening illness, his funny friends try to support him and somehow in the end he defies the odds and miraculously heals?

What you have of course is the latest by funny man director/writer/producer/sometimes actor Judd Apatow. For those familiar with 2007’s Knocked Up the recipe remains basically the same, namely three parts comedy, two parts drama, and to finish it off a nice crass comedy shell. No the film doesn’t really leave much to the imagination, no surprise punches here. It’s not shocking that much of the comedy revolves around bodily functions and male genitalia. Seth Rogan is his usual funny but less over-weight of late struggling comic character that serves as the moral glue between the characters floating around in this dilemma.

However what is different about the film is the role played by Adam Sandler which is not his typical comedic shtick(basically every movie he’s ever done with the exception of Punch Drunk Love). Though he plays a fictitious movie superstar and comedian he shows a dark side to offset his comic characteristics. Sandler also provides viewers with an interesting look into the life of a Hollywood star on the brink of death with little to show for all his talent. Another of the uncharacteristic and refreshing characters Apatow provides is that of Jason Schwartzman as the self obsessed douche bag of a roommate to Seth Rogan. Another pleasing role reversal from what we’ve seen from Schwartzman in the past.

Despite the familiarity with the plot Funny People still has its charms. Judd Apatow gives the audience a view from backstage into the life of comedians both large and small. Funny People proves that sometimes people never really change but is that all so bad?

Whatever Works

Whatever Works!

I just recently saw Whatever Works! The new film written and directed by Woody Allen. It’s your typical Woody Allen movie where the main character might as well be Woody Allen himself and the character he plays in every movie. But that is the charm that comes with Woody Allen.

I am a big big Woody Allen fan, and I have to say this is my least favorite out of all the Woody Allen movies I have seen. Typically his rants about atheistism and religion, and his negative view on society doesn’t really bother me. I find it rather humorous, like in love in death, but this one had a different twist to it.

No doubt the movie was funny. I found myself laughing very loud during some scenes, like when Larry David would be going off on random tangents of why he is a genius and how he feels bad for everyone else who isn’t. The plot itself was very funny. The plot is that Larry David, a man who had it all, was bent on ending his life. He was a teacher at Columbia, and had money. He tried to commit suicide but failed, and ended up divorced, with a limp living in the Bronx. To make money he teaches children how to play chess, and more than likely ends up loosing his cool and calling the children idiots.

One night while walking home, a homeless girl played by Evan Rachel Wood approaches him and asks him for some food and a place to stay. She is from the deep south of Mississippi, and is 18, and ran away from home to spite her mother.

Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David) decides to let her stay till she can find a job and save some money. Her name is Melodie St. Ann Celestine, and slowly becomes a Boris herself. She adopts all of his random rants and pessimistic views of the world. She realizes that he is the only one for her, and they get married. Their age difference is huge, but it works out. You never see them kiss or anything. It’s a marriage to just keep each other company.

Then Melodie’s mother comes racing into town beaming with joy because she finally found her daughter. The mother is played by Patricia Clarkson (Lars and the Real Girl, Station Agent) and is the most southern Baptist a woman can get. She is appalled to find out her daughter married an old man and is bent on ruining their marriage. She asks them if she can stay because of her marriage that recently feel in shambles. Her husband lost everything and ran away with her best friend. While in New York, her life changes dramatically, ends up being in a 3-way relationship, and tries to find men for her daughter to hook up with.

Then the Dad finally comes into town, praising Jesus that he finally found his wife and daughter and wants everyone to move back home and be together. He finds out his wife is living with two other men, is an artist, and that his daughter is married to an old man who claims he is a genius. He goes out drinking and tries to find himself, which he does.

At the end everything comes crashing down, and people take the route that makes them the happiest. It’s an interesting ending, considering that everyone is happy in the end.

All in all, it was a good film, but one I wouldn’t buy or own, and one I wouldn’t tell people they have to see. It has its entertaining moments, good messages, mixed messages, and your typical Woody Allen whit.

(500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer

Day one, boy meets girl.
Day two, boy obsesses over girl.
Day three through day 500, boys repeats process of day two with occasional moments of bliss lifting him above the clouds of heartbreak only to come back down to his meager and lowly existence. That is the movie in a nutshell, but I suppose I could shed more light on it. However let me begin by telling you what this movie isn’t. It isn’t Serendipity, Message in a Bottle, or Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants(that was a love story wasn’t it?). It wasn’t Maid in Manhattan, Failure to Lunch, or The Notebook either. Basically it wasn’t your typical boy meets girl/over the top/prove my love to/win the girl at any cost/Hollywood love saga.

Instead (500) Days of Summer was a true to life clever approach to the real side of love. The pain, the frustration, and the agony we in the real world, not Hollywood, have come to know all too well. Namely what it’s like to fall for someone that doesn’t ever fall quite as hard or fast for you. Playing the part of the desperate to impress boy was Joseph Gordon-Levitt(remember 3rd Rock from the Sun? Well he’s grown up a bit since then) and playing the object of his obsession was the charming Zooey Deschanel(Elf). The two meet at work when Miss Deschanel is hired as the assistant to Mr. Gordon-Levitt’s Boss. Slowly the two get to know each other, and with each passing day Gordon-Levitt becomes more smitten by Deschanel. The short of it is that the two gradually work their way into a non-working relationship that the boy only wants to strengthen and validate and the girl only desires to casually continue without serious talk or labels. Miss Deschanel manages to string him on through out the course of the movie in what is one point ironical referred to by the narrator as “not a love story” at least not for the two.

What impressed me about the film was that it didn’t subscribe to a more conventional methodology, it wasn’t predictable nor cliche, it included a great scene shot at IKEA(I don’t want to spoil anything but it may or may not have involved meatballs), and it even included a impromptu musical scene that could rival a Broadway production. (500) Days of Summer knows when to pull the punches and when to draw the laughs. I don’t think I’ve seen a romantic comedy so refreshing and honest since High Fidelity. Oh l’amour, c’est fantastique or c’est la vie.

I saw Inglourious Basterds before you, Achtung Basterds?

What audiences have come to know and love of Quentin Tarantino can be expected in his most recent opus, Inglourious Basterds.  His latest release since 2007’s Deathproof,  deals with a group of Jewish Allied Soldiers engaged in a no holds bars all out terror campaign against the Nazi regime in German occupied France.  The Basterds cruelty is aimed to cause a panic that will reverberate all the way back to Berlin.  However what audiences don’t know is what it will be like to have Tarantino turn back the clock almost 70 years doing his first film that isn’t set in modern times or North America.    

 

True to Tarantino’s artistic storytelling style, he weaves the film chapter by chapter, presenting five in all.  Each chapter is filled with cleverly written dialogue, showcasing actors transitioning from German to French to English as the scenes require.  Quentin’s ability to find actors that could seamlessly move from language to language is perhaps most astonishing.  In particular, it’s the performance of Chritoph Waltz(an unknown to English speaking viewers that is unless you fancy yourself a German Cinema aficionado) that steals the show.  Mr. Waltz is the "Jew hunter" the clever and multilingual colonel that works his way throughout most the movie, just as despicable as he is debonair. 

 

On the other hand the performances of the "basterds" were great as well.  Brad Pitt as their leader is likable and ruthless Tennessee country boy turned Nazi killer(imagine Benjamin Button staying 30 for the whole movie and scalping Nazi’s and voila you have Lt. Aldo Ray).  Fellow Basterd, Eli Roth, known to the Germans as the "Bear Jew", plays what could be best described as a Brooklyn street Jew with something of a fetish for employing baseball bats for more than baseballs. The Basterds roll through France, living up to the name the Nazi's have endowed upon them.  

 

Perhaps my only problem with the movie is that it didn't show enough of the basterds.  We don't ever see why they were selected and are only teased with small doses of the mayhem they cause to Hitler’s forces.  Also we don’t have any great battle scenes, shots of troops storming the beaches, or american prisoners jumping motorcycles over barbed wire fences(Steve McQueen!).  The movie lacks the action often shown in classic WWII movies.  As can be expected Mr. Tarantino host numerous quality actors playing small roles like a master chef using only a dash of his best spices to bring out a delizioso taste.  One might speculate that Kill Bill One and Two was enough and dividing up the load into two films would be the case for the Basterds.  However what Inglourious Basterds lacks in action and character development it makes up for in a history altering story-line that only Quentin could conjure. 

 

 

 

Harry Potter: The Half Blood Prince (The new 6th movie)

So I saw the midnight premier of the new Harry Potter movie. I got inline at 4 p.m. in the afternoon and waited till midnight. The real question is, was it

worth it? Was it worth $10 to sit in a long line outside in the heat for 8 hours? Was it worth staying up till 3 a.m. and missing my first class in the morning and waking up the next day super exhausted? The answer to all these questions is YES, it was worth it.

Every Harry Potter movie seems to be better then the next Harry Potter movie. It’s because the story keeps becoming better, and the characters develop more along with the story, and it keeps getting darker, which I find to be entertaining.

This movie is the sixth movie in the series of books and movies. Directed by David Yates, who directed the last Potter movie order of the phonenix, and doing the new 7^th book movie split into two parts, and staring the normal cast for the most part with the expection of new ones, this movie takes you into the memories of the past and the dark secrets of the future.

I don’t want to give to much of the plot away, mostly because I am not sure if I am spoiling things or not. The most important thing to know about this movie is that Harry is starting private lessons with Professor Dumbledore, during which Harry learns the dark secrets of Voldemort's past, hoping that they could use these secrets to find a way to defeat him. Harry's year gets even more stressful with the suspicious actions of Draco Malfoy, who has been sneaking around the school doing, so Harry assumes, Voldemort's bidding. Harry quickl

y becomes determined, and slightly obsessed, to find out exactly what Malfoy has been up to and putting an end to it.

One thing I didn’t like about this movie is that it left me with so many questions. I am to eager now for the 7^th and 8^th movie. I would read the book, but then I would have to start from the begging and I don’t know if I am willing to make that commitment. That’s a crap load of reading just to know what happens. People tell me I cant see all the movies and then just read the 7^th book. But this ending is most def a cliff hanger that leaves you with questions.

This movie had awesome features to it. It was very comical, and yet very dark. Ron was the comic relief of the movie, and so was Harry when he drank a potion that made him “drunk” but was told that it would give him confidence in whatever he does, which in real life alcohol does to you. The love squabbles that happen between everyone is quite entertaining as well, but in the end true love takes its course.

It had many good creepy dark moments too. I loved all the death eaters in it. There is a scary zombie like cave scene that will make everyone jump and screen for the first time seeing it. It had a lot about death eaters which was fun to see and learn and about.

One thing I had hoped for in this movie is that we would see more of Lord Voldermort instead of his pale, creepy looking childhood past. I always have enjoyed seeing the Dark Lord, mostly because he has really cool long fingers and no nose which amazes me.

All in all, the movie was a fun watch. I enjoyed myself as much I have in all the Harry Potter Movies. I say it’s the best one, only because each one gets better as it tells more of the story and its mystery.

The Brothers Bloom

The Brothers Bloom

First emotion that comes to me when I think of this movie is love. I loved this movie. It was a fun movie with lots to offer. All in all, I would see it again and again, and most likely own it when it comes to DVD.

Written and Directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, Evil Golf ball Demon from Hell) and staring Rachel Weisz (Agora, Lovely Bones, Fred Claus, Mummy Returns), Adrien Brody (The Darjeeling Limited, King Kong), Mark Ruffalo (Rumor Has it, Zodiac, All the Kings Men, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Rinko Kikuchi (Who will be in the new Shanghai film) This movie was very funny, witty and clever. I haven’t seen a good con movie like this for a while.

The plot of the movie is about two brothers - older Stephen and three years junior Bloom - have been con artists since they were kids. Stephen is the mastermind, for who the intricacy of the story used in the con is as important as the positive outcome of the swindle. Bloom is the main character of Stephen's stories, the character he considers the anti-hero. As adults, they travel the world and never enlist the same people twice in their cons, except for their consistent sidekick, the mysterious and primarily silent Bang Bang, a Japanese woman who just appeared in their lives one day and who has a penchant for blowing things up. As Bloom hits his mid-thirties, he wants to quit the business as he is losing his own identity to that of the

characters he portrays; he doesn't know anymore what is real and what is make-believe. Stephen talks him into one last con, the mark to be the eccentric, lonely but beautiful New Jersey heiress, Penelope Stamp. Penelope's primary past time in life is to, as she calls it, "borrow hobbies": when she sees something she likes, she learns how to do it solely through reading books. As the brothers go through their final con on Penelope, three main problems may occur to thwart the plan. First, the brothers' former mentor and now archenemy, Diamond Dog, may exact his long awaited revenge on the brothers. Second, Penelope may end up being more unpredictable than all their former marks. And third, Bloom, who has let love slip by in his life, may fall for Penelope. But through the process, no one ever really knows who is conning whom.

There were so many things that I liked about this movie. First off, I really enjoyed Rachel Weisz in this movie as Penelope. She was very funny in it, and so ditzy and believable. You never really know what she is capable of in the movie, and it’s always fun to watch her character unfold. Adrien Brody was great in this movie. I haven’t seen to many of his films, but from the ones I have seen this has to be my favorite of his. Mark Ruffalo plays a good smooth,

but sweet man. I liked him as the mastermind behind most of the cons. I feel that this role suited him very well. Rinko as Bang Bang was entertaining to watch. She didn’t say much at all in the movies, but her outfits and facial gestures were good.

I really enjoyed the outfits in the movie and the set designs. It took place all over the world, and it was fun to see the beautiful parts of Europe. Everyone in the movie had very unique outfits, and I loved the all the different clothes that Bang Bang wore. I really wish I could pull of a suit 24/7 like the brothers do in this film.

The cinematography in this film was very excellent. There were many cool shots. My favorite shot in the whole movie was the ending one where they are in Russia. It was so beautiful and well light.

The movie was clean for the most part. Little violence, no drug use, and some language. It was defiantly worth seeing and taking the time to see.

Devils Playground

Devils Playground

This is a documentary about the alleged Amish rite of passage called Rumspringa. The film follows Amish teenagers in LaGrange County, Indiana who enter the "English World" and experiment with illegal drugs, drinking, partying, and pre-marital sex. After a certain amount of time, the teenagers are expected to either become baptized as adults in the Amish community, or permanently leave the church and be forever shunned by their families and friends.

According to the film, at the age of 16, Amish youth are allowed to depart from many of the Amish rules, though the scholarship on the subject does not support this view of a normative rumspringa. The young people sample life outside of the Amish community. Many drive cars, wear modern clothes and cut and style their hair in more fashionable styles, get jobs, have romantic and sexual relationships, and some experiment with tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.

One Amish youth whom the film follows, Faron – a preacher's son – even turns to drug dealing to satisfy his habit. Faron is eventually apprehended by the authorities and aids them in arresting another dealer. The movie continues as each subject faces a variety of challenges and pressures from both the "English World" and the "Amish World" of their families. Some return to their families, others do not. One girl is baptized but later leaves the Amish church, resulting in her family shunning her.

According to the documentary, after the period of Rumspringa, "almost 90%" of Amish youth decide to rejoin the church.

I thought it was an interesting thing to watch. I wont watch again, but it was a cool look into the Amish life and community. I was blown away about the Amish life and the teenagers. It makes sense though, after being in a bubble your whole life, your first chance breaking out you don't know how to go about it or what to do, so you go crazy. So many sacrifices come with being Amish, and the teens have a sweet deal. Between 16 and 25, they can do whatever they want, and then be baptized and be all good.

Things i didn't like about this movie is that it felt super depressing. It was a sad movie. I felt so bad for these teens, and their families, and for them living in Indiana. There was a lot of swearing that just sounded awkward. What was most depressing is that these kids have nothing to look forward to if they don't go back to the faith. None of them are high school graduates, and none of them have options because of lack of education. So they leave the faith, live in trailers, do drugs and work dead end jobs.