Everybody Has A Story

"A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later." -Stanley Kubrick


I haven't talked about any films lately. I've been spending majority of my free time catching up on some movies...mostly Oscar related films, but a few other goodies thrown into the mix. Here's a bunch of film's I've seen recently followed by a few words. :)

Julie & Julia: A cute movie...that's about all. Meryl Streep does a phenomenal job playing Julia Child, but isn't that expected? Oh and I might have developed a girl crush on Amy Adams.

District 9: I'm still not sure what to think about this movie. The aliens reminded me of Transformers. I found myself asking myself why I was watching the movie and then something cool would happen. The film was like something we had seen before but with a slight twist. We've all seen fugitive movies, so it was just like any one of those except with a few new surprises.

Cold Souls: I liked it. Reminded me of a blend between Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I guess it's more like a work of a fan of Charlie Kaufman's films...like a parody almost except no humor. The film leaves you feeling a little depressed but able to walk away with (an overplayed) good message.

Hausu (House): A terrific Japanese horror film from the 70's! Full of unnecessary nonsense and laughs. A great movie to watch with a group of friends with sick humor.

Shutter Island: A beautiful, crazy, wet film. Made to look like an old B-movie, Scorsese pulls it off! By no means his masterpiece, but still worth a look.

The Informant!: Matt Damon plays an informant for the F.B.I. (based on a true story) that takes place in the 90's. Matt Damon is hilarious but the movie drags for what seems forever.

The Hurt Locker: Beautifully done by Kathryn Bigelow. My heart was beating fast almost during the entire film. I'm usually not a fan of war movies, but this one stands out from the rest. It's a different story. The Hurt Locker is definitely taking home a few Academy Awards this year.

Alice in Wonderland (1933): I've never done acid, but if I took some before this film I'd probably be crying in the corner, sitting in a puddle of my own urine. The movie followed the books by Lewis Caroll pretty accurately for the most part except it threw in it's own "trippiness", which surprised me since it was filmed in the 30's. The costumes are amazing if you consider The Depression was going on and the studio filled them with a star studded cast! I wouldn't say the film was that good, but it was highly amusing.

Cape Fear (1991): My first time ever seeing Cape Fear and I loved it. A little rapey and crazy, but sometimes a film has to take that route to be a good film. De Niro is amazing and creepy, leaving you confused if wither you should trust him or fear him, the feeling tingles in your stomach during the movie. I would highly recommend this film...if you can handle all the creepy rape-like scenes.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant: I actually thought this movie was amusing. It had a great cast except for the cry baby tough guy...watch the movie, you'll see what I mean. The movie reminded of great adventure movies from the 80's...just a fun, predictable and thoughtless movie. :)

It's Complicated: I don't understand all the hype with this film. Was it the joints? I'm not sure and I'm even more unsure about the award nominations...

Grey Gardens: A little hard to watch at times, but such a good story about Jackie O's aunt and cousin. Drew Barrymore is outstanding. If you like A&E's Hoarders then you'll love this movie!

Fantastic Mr. Fox: Hilarious and smart with a great cast! I loved the animation and art and the characters were exactly what I wanted. There's not too many animated films that portray adults that drink, curse, fight and smoke to be the "good guys". Would I let kids watch it? I absolutely would, it's great for kids and adults. Just be prepared to explain some scenes.

An Education: I wanted to like this movie more than I did, but it was still good. I found it all a little hard to take in because of some things that I found a little inconsistent...or maybe it was just me? I did enjoy it though, I just thought some things were a little unbelievable.

Zombieland: I'm a sucker for zombie movies so of course I loved this movie! OK, so the the comedy, action, cast and the secret celebrity won me over too. Go see this if you like to laugh and watch zombie's get double tapped at the same time!

Up In The Air: I understand the hype behind this film, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it. The movie left me depressed and bored. I thought it was predictable. Yawn.

Point Break: Another "older" movie that I hadn't seen before. I really dislike Keanu Reeve's, but this role really was prefect for him. Patrick Swayze, Nick Nolte and him made a great action flick that puts you on the edge of your seat (sorry for the cliche, but it's true!). The surfing scenes are fun too!

Alice in Wonderland: An X-Rated Musical Fantasy (1976): An adult film about Alice's adventures in Wonderland while taking a journey to womanhood. The porn actually followed the books nicely and was funny. I found myself enjoying the film and considering it more of a comedy than a pornographic film...and then I saw a penis penetrate three woman from behind, one right after another.

Those are all the ones I can remember from the past two months or so. I plan on checking out Avatar, The Blind Side, A Serious Man, Crazy Heart, A Simple Man and Alice in Wonderland (2010) in 3-D before next Sunday. Stay tuned! Oscars are only a week away!!!