Smart People

 
Do you ever look through the discounted DVD section at your local video rental/sales store hoping but not overly expecting to find any films that are actually worth two hours of your night? It almost feels more like an animal shelter, all those poor DVD’s staring up at you just wishing someone good Samaritan would purchase them and give them a home. Of course most of them are there for a reason and should probably just be taken out back and shot(if you had seen Crank you would understand). However when I saw Smart People and its cast of Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Hadden Church, and Ellen Page it seemed to be more of the indie sleeper than one that should be put to sleep so I gave it a chance.


Smart People, as can be inferred from the title is a film about what happens when people whom are in fact smart try to deal with family and other relationships in a less than intelligent manor. Perhaps sometimes intelligence can be blinding as is the case with Smart People. One example of this is when Dennis Quad’s daughter, played by Ellen Page (Juno) got accepted to Stanford but couldn’t confide in the same man that inspired her to pursue her studies at the cost of having a normal teenage livelihood. In addition Thomas Haden Church(where the hell has he been since Wings other than Sideways?) plays the “adopted brother” of Mr. Quaid, throwing some chaos into the mix even getting the overachieving Ellen Page drunk at one point in the film. The various personalities introduced in Smart People have a dynamic that makes for a highly entertaining and interesting story. The movie absolutely charmed me with its solid performances and writing making me glad I didn’t let this little film go by the wayside of DVD’s that no one wants.

Milk

Milk was good. Watching the movie was good because it informed me on the political side on the gay rights movement. It has been going strong since the 70's all because of a man named Harvey Milk. Milk is the Martin Luther King for the gays pretty much. He was able to do   for them and their rights in the state of california and in the city of san francisco. I thought Sean Penn and James Franco did a wonderful job in this movie. I personally liked James Franco's performance better than Sean Penn's, but thats not saying that Sean Penn was anything short of amazing. THis is a movie worth watching, but not worth seeing more than once. Its long, and very political. To me, personally, it was dull and boring at parts, and i am not that big into politics. I think it was a good movie for the gay movement, and i think it probaly empowered a lot of activists out there, which is good in my opinion. People need to fight in what they believe. 

I give this movie a 4 out 5.

it tells a great story of a great man who fought for his rights. 

The Watchmen

I am making this a short post because I am work, but can I just say that I am so stoked for THE WATCHMEN to come out. I am still currently reading the graphic novel, and I must say, it’s full of wonder and surprises. Starting it, I really had no clue what to expect. I thought it was going to be a typical superhero novel. I was way off. It goes into way more depth than your typical Spiderman superman comic. None the less, it still has lots of action, crime, murder, corruption, betrayal, masked vigilantes and bad guys. But The Watchmen has a different twist on it. It portrays a world that is going into WW3, and the role of a super hero is pretty much a joke. You are led on a goose hunt but a character believing that there is a murder of masked hero’s, and he wants to get to the bottom of it. As the story goes on, you learn about the masked hero’s, their true identities, and who they really are. Let’s just say all superheros aren’t exactly clean cut stellar guys. This novel, and hopefully movie, makes the notion that a super hero, masked vigilante is something that could happen today. It is different in so many ways than most comic book stories. It gives reasons and stories that almost make sense of why they fight crime, and why they are the way they are. I don’t know how they are going to fit all the amazing elements that are in the comic into the movie, but never before have I been more excited to see a comic book movie. I highly recommend reading the watchmen. I started it a few days ago and I am almost done with it. It is really hard to put down, and a good read through out the whole novel.

The Reader

This movie amazed me. It had me floored. At first i didn't know what to expect. It started out with an older woman having an affair with a teenager. But then it picked up, and i was on the edge of my seat the whole time. 

Its a story about a woman who loves to be read to. Through out her life she has people read to her again and again. This character is played by non other than Kate Winslet, who deserved the award for best actress in this past academy awards. As certain events happen in her life, she eventually ends up in prison, and her teenager affair, now grown up, sends her books on tapes. I am giving a brief description with holding many details because it is a treat having them unfold in-front of you on the big screen. I will say that it has to do with Nazi Germany and the holocaust. But i will say no more. There is a secret that is held until the end of the movie, a secret that we all take for granted in our daily lives.

Ill have to admit, i did cry a couple of times through out this movie. It moved me very much. Though most of the movie was flashbacks and talking, it had you on the edge of your seat. It had your head in your hands saying "why dont you do something" or "why dont you say something." IT was a movie very easily for me to get lost in the plot, and to get so involved with the characters. 

I recommend this movie to anyone in a chill mood of course, and who like drama romantic movies taken place during a historical movement. It is defiantly a different outtake on the holocaust.

i can rave all day about how much i loved this movie. I thought it was excellent. BUt i want to try and keep this posts short and sweet. I give it a 10 out of 10, 5 out of 5

Children Of Men

Recently someone told me to rent "Children of Men." They recommended it to me since i like clive owen as an actor, and i like good action movies with twist. They had one thing right when they recommended it to me, it had clive owen in it.

To be honest, i wasn't the biggest fan of this movie. The acting was just terrible. THe plot was cool, but it left so many holes in the story. I was left with so many questions through out the movie, most of which developed at the begging of the movie. It left me in the dark for a while. I really think that they should have made it a two part movie, but that would have pissed more people off. 

Lets get back to the acting though... i cant believe how cheesy it was. I usually like most clive owen films, but this is one that i am not a big fan of. He personally doesn't make the movie bad, it was a team effort by the whole cast and crew. 

THough i do give the movie props for the special effects. It was pretty entertaining to watch. They made a apocalyptic future seem like it could be right outside your door. Slowly, i think this movie could be a sneak peak into the future, global unrest from a global depression. 

All in all, i give this a 1 out of 5, maybe a 2. Its something that i would never brag about owning, and i brag about owning street fighter and both mortal combat movies. 

King Of California

King Of California was actually one of the first movies i saw when i got back from my mission. It wasn't by means the best movie to see right off the mission, there was better blockbusters and major hitting films, but this one was fun to watch. 

Written by Mike Cahill who also wrote space ghost coast to coast and Aqua Teen Hunger Force, you can bet it has it quirky moments that make you look dumbfounded. Staring Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood as a father daughter team, the plot of the movie is essentially a treasure hunt bringing family together. 

Michael Douglas gets released from a mental hospital and moves in with his daughter who he has abandoned most of his life. At first she keeps her distance from him, especially as he goes on about buried treasure. He finds out that the treasure is buried under a costco, and convinces his daughter to help get to it. Do they find gold? or do they get caught? 

I really enjoyed this movie. It is a movie that i have added to my DVD collection. Its fun to watch with people who have never seen it before, and its pretty entertaining with its weird characters. I give it a 3 out of 5

Surfer Dude

This has to be one the dumbest movies i can remember seeing in a while. Surfer Dude was a Matthew McConaughey movie that went straight to DVD. My roommates and i rented it thinking it would be a funny comdey to watch, which it was at first. BUt then as the movie goes on, it was almost impossible to tell if McConaughey was trying to be funny and just acting, or if he really thought he was the "surfer dude."
The plot of the movie is Matthew McConaughey surfs around the world surfing the worlds best waves. When he comes home to Malibu, there are no waves, and therefore, he has no purpose to live. This bussiness man wants him to help with a surfing reality game and TV show, but all McConaguhey wants to do is surf.
In reality, McConaughey likes to think of himself as a surfer, despiste the fact that he is a texan at heart. He always trys to act like an old soul, and this movie was just overboard.
I know some might argue that the whole point of the movie was to make us laugh, but i felt bad laughing. All in all, it was hard and annoying to watch.
0 out 5