Orphan

Starring: Peter Saarsgard, Vera Farmiga, Isabelle Fuhrman

Thriller, 2009

A married couple that already has two children adopt a 9 year old girl. She seems to be the perfect new daughter at first but the mother quickly realizes that Esther isn't what she seems. Terrible things seem to happen when she is around and their family begins to fall apart as she pitts one person against the other. The mom is suspicious and made out to be merely paranoid and ill, while Esther has the father wrapped around her little finger. The mom searches for clues as to the origins of their new daughter but if she doesn't find answers soon enough it might be too late to save her family.

• Classic story line about the child who is a "bad seed." Accordingly she appears charming to some but shows her evil side to others and has amazing powers of manipulation.
• This movie had the that classic story line but with a little twist that I didn't see coming.
• Very action packed and engaging.
• They really picked the perfect little girl to play Esther.
• It was perfectly scary while keeping me entertained and interested.

4 Stars

Whatever Works

Starring: Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood

Comedy, 2009

A caustic eccentric man recounts his tales of marriage and attempted suicide. He leaves his well to do lifestyle in favor of a meager existence and this is the story of what happens along the way.

• The opening "monologue" was way too long for me.
• I got this movie basically because I like Evan Rachel Wood. She was good as usual for some reason but for some reason her accent wasn't that convincing to me.
• The actors actually addressed the audience which was different.
• This movie felt more like a theatrical play to me.

2 Stars

Burn After Reading

Starring: Tilda Swinton, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich
Comedy, 2008

In this movie at one point or another no one is who they seem. A personal trainer stumbles upon a CD that appears to have secret intelligence information on it. His co worker who thinks that her health insurance should cover her cosmetic surgery and is a frequent online dater sees an opportunity to finance her make over and they quickly find themselves way over their head. The antics and tangled web of confusion that ensues is absolutely hilarious.

• I wasn't particularly interested in seeing this movie for some reason but I happened to catch it on Cinemax and I am glad that I did.
• I loved Brad Pitt in this. His whiney portrayal of a pretty boy personal trainer was absoloutely spot on and entertaining. I am used to seeing him play Mr cool private eye types so this was great. George Clooney's character was really funny too.
• Totally entertaining.

5 Stars

The Girlfriend Experience

Starring: Sasha Grey, Chris Santos
Drama, 2009

A high priced escort who offers her serviced to a variety of men is trying to up advance her business. Her boyfriend is a personal trainer at an upscale gym who is also trying to do the same.

• At least I think that was what this movie was about but it was hard to tell because it really, really sucked.
• A lot of the scenes were shot out of order and it did not work for this movie as far as I could tell. There was a journalist, a guy trip to Vegas, and a client whom she apparently thought might be her soul mate.
• One of the reviews on the cover said "Sasha Grey's performance is totally captivating" but I just didnt' see it.
• Just a bad movie. I am not sure at this point why I thought it would be good but I am generally willing to give movies a shot.

1 Star

Out At The Wedding

Starring: Andrea Marcelius, Desi Lydic

2006, Romantic Comedy

The misadventures of a woman who lies to her new fiance about her family to spare him from them and lies to her family to spare them from her fiance. She sneaks of to her sister's wedding and when a rumor about her sexuality gets started she propagates it spare her little sister's feelings. When her two worlds collide unexpectedly she enlists the help of a lesbian stranger to keep the lie going and what happens next is a totally unexpected comedy of errors.

• This movie was funny but the acting was mostly bad.
• The casting choice for the lesbian was questionable. I couldn't tell if she was a man, women, or male to female transexual. The credits rolled and showed a female name but that still doesn't really answer my question
• It actually had a good story line that was interesting but I can't really rave about it because of the overall poor quality of the acting and appearance of the film.

1 Stars

Adventureland

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristin Stewart, Ryan Reynolds

Comedy, 2009

After finding out that his parents are unable to finance his trip to Europe a recent College grad is stuck at home for the summer working a minimum wage theme park job. There he meets Em. Her family is wealthy and she doesn't really need to work there but she does so to spite her father. They seem to hit it off right away and she seems to be the one bright spot in his ruined summer.

• This movie is set in the 80's and I love all of the old songs that were featured in the soundtrack.
• James is this awkward, funny, nerdy and very likable guy. He is the kind of guy that girls should want but often don't because their too busy chasing after the cool, rich guy.
• A great real movie about real people. I could identify with a lot of the characters.
• The clothes and the hair are very bad of course because it is 1987 but other then that the movie was great.

4 Stars

Away We Go

Starring: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph
Drama, 2009

A thirty something not ever getting married couple embark on a cross country journey to find out where they should settle down to have their baby after finding out that his parents are moving out of the country. Along the way they meet up with old friends and learn a little bit from each along the way.

• I liked this movie. Verona and Burt just seem like a very real couple that anyone could actually relate to. The movie is just very grounded and rooted in reality which I like to see sometimes because not everyone has a hot job in marketing and lives in a loft style NYC apartment you know?
• It has comedic moments but it isn't over the top in any way.
• Great acting and a nice message about life and a lot of things that people worry about think about on a day to day basis.

3.5 Stars

The Unknown Woman

Starring: Kseniya Rappoport, Clara Dossena

Drama, 2006 (Foreign/subtitled)

Director: Giuseppe Tornatore

A determined Ukranian woman who escapes a life of prostitution and moves to a new town to start fresh. Starting out in the building of her target she eventually schemes her way into becoming a nanny/housekeeper to a family of three. She is leading the typical life of an impoverished foreigner but she actually has quite a bit of cash which she uses to set herself up. She has a tough and austere demeanor and as her past comes back to haunt her we find out why.

• This movie was interesting and different. I loved it!! It's so hard to know which foreign films to get and I can't remember how I even discovered this one but I glad I did.
• Right away you know that this woman is running from something and trying to get something but we don't really find out what that is until towards the end of the movie.
• The story line includes a number of flashbacks not always in sequential order that give us clues as to her tortured past and what it is that she is so afraid of. Sometimes flashbacks can be annoying and overly confusing but these worked.
• Clara Dossena who portrayed Irina's charge is a great little actor. All the acting was amazing and the story line kept me on the edge of my seat.
• The random dramatic bursts of sound throughout the movie were timed perfectly to set the tone and kept pace with the momentum of the story line.
• When the credits started rolling the first thing I said was "Wow."

5 STARS

State Of Play

Starring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn, Helen Mirren
Drama, 2009

The apparent murder of a politician's research assistant sets off a string of events and other deaths that reveal a plot my a private military company to take control of government based intelligence operations. In a newspaper reporter's search to find the truth he discovers things he didn't know about his good friend and politician Stephen Collins (Affleck).

• This movie really held my attention with a good story line, good acting, and a little bit of action thrown in.
• I have a hard time keeping up with overly intricate plots and characters but I did OK with this one.

4 Stars

Management

Starring: Jennifer Anniston, Paul Zahn (2008)

Romantic Comedy

This heartfelt movie was about a man who lives and works at a small town hotel owned by his parents who meets a young professional just passing through town on business. After making an advance on her and deciding that she is the love of his life he pursues her across the country.

• Paul Zahn plays Mike perfectly. He is so not Sue's type, but there is something so goofy, sweet, and lovable about Mike that even she somehow can't resist his awkward and so not cool advances.
• This movie is a testament to the power of love and how it doesn't always make sense. When you feel it, you feel it and often will do whatever you have to in order to pursue it no matter what the odds. Sometimes it's right there in your face and you don't even know it but once you do...it's amazing.
• If you love a good love story like I do then you will love this movie like I did.

5 Stars

Drag Me To Hell

Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long

Horror, 2009

A loan officer who does not provide a mortgage extension to an old sick woman is cursed. Over the next three days she is tormented by an evil spirit as she competes for a coveted promotion and the good graces of her boyfriend's mother.

• I watched the unrated theatrical version.
• I liked this movie a lot more then I expected. It had all the makings of a really bad horror movie but I was pleasantly surprised.
• Not once, but twice I screamed out in fear. Lots of bodily fluids in this one, be prepared!
• It was refreshing somehow because although it had a classic horror movie kind of formula it still kept me guessing. Aside from the evil spirits trying to drag me to hell bits it actually had a decent story line.
• Some of the special effects were a little fake but that didn't really bother me.
• I wondered at first why Lohman was even in this movie. This is such a departure from her usual dialogue driven dramas. There is just something so vulnerable and and sweet about this actress . She did a great job and although going into it I thought this movie was "beneath" her I think the movie rose to her standards-for a horror movie of this nature.

4 Stars

Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past

Romantic Comedy, 2009 (PG-13)
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Douglas, Lacey Chabert


Drawing on the age old scrooge concept a shallow, self centered womanizer is visited by the ghosts of his girlfriends past, present and future to help him see the error of his ways before it's too late.

• Very cute and funny movie
• Some of the dialogue was so sappy sweet and cliche but oh how I loved it. It's so romantic. The kind of thing that makes my heart melt.
• The message is kind of black and white but I buy it 'cause I'm all for love and romance. Those who don't buy into it are not likely to agree.
• Moral of the story: If you don't believe in love and lead a single loveless bachelor type man's man lifestyle you an empty shell of what you could be. Accordingly, the life you lead along with everyone you touch will be negatively impacted.

4 Stars

Lymelife

Drama, 2008 (Rated R)
Starring: Rory Culkin, Jill Hennessey, Kieran Culkin, Alec Baldwin, Timothy Hutton, Cynthia Nixon, Emma Roberts

A coming of age story in which a young boy must deal with the reality of the life he thought he knew falling apart when he discovers that he doesn't have the quite so happy family he thought he did. Meanwhile he is in love with the girl next door who's father has contracted Lyme disease and finds himself jobless and miserable in his own marriage.

• The movie can be kind of slow at times but overall I liked it.
• Great ensemble cast: All are amazing actors in their own right.

3 Stars