Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Starring:  Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton
Action/Adventure (2010)

Soon after invading a nearby city Dasdan (Gyllenhaal) is accused of murdering his father.  Forced to run, princess Tamina (Arterton) follows along as she discovers that Dasdan holds a dagger that holds incredible powers.  This dagger was taken during the invasion of her city and it's up to her to keep it out of the wrong hands or else risk destruction of the world as they know it.  Dasdan must now not only prove his innocence but keep the sands of time that give the dagger it's unique powers safe from the greedy man who covets it.

• Gyllenhaal obviously does not appear to be Persian by any stretch of the imagination but it's a movie so you just gotta roll with it.
• Arterton is every bit as beautiful as her character Tamina is supposed to be.  Excellent casting there. 
• There is plenty of action and adventure and a few laughs as well.  There were no slow moments and the story moved along nicely.

4 Stars

The Joneses

Starring:  Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard
Comedy, 2009

A picture perfect family moves into an upper class neighborhood and immediately impresses their neighbors with everything from their clothes, their gadgets, their cars and physical appearance. Little do their neighbors know that this is a fictional family that has been discreetly hired to create desire for various products with the intent of increasing sales. And what happens when th fictitious husband would much rather be the real husband instead of a fake?

• I really liked this unique story line. We may not have a fictional family with everything anyone could every want living next door but mediums that create that kind of desire for material things are everywhere we look from TV to magazines to billboards.

4 STARS

Paranormal Activity

Starring:  Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat
Horror, Mystery & Suspense, Rated R (2007)

A young couple moves in together and so does a ghost.  Katie has been plagued over the years by a supernatural presence and after she moves in with her boyfriend this paranormal activity starts up again.  Her boyfriend sets up a video camera to document what happens and tries to find a solution that will make it go away.

• This movie starts out pretty slow.  We see the happy joking couple waking up, going about their day to day activity and sleeping in their room.
• As it goes on and the paranormal activity becomes increasingly more pronounced and frightening the couple becomes extremely agitated and night after night it builds to a very shocking conclusion.
• The format of this film is documentary style and set up to appear as if it is based on a true story.
• This movie is worth watching just for the ending alone.  I can't wait to see the next one!

4 Stars

Letter's To Juliet

Amanda Seyfried is sweet Sophie who is A fact checker for The New Yorker with dreams of being a writer.  She jets off to Verona with her fiance Victor (Bernal) for a pre honeymoon and instead of romantic time of togetherness that she envisioned the two end up on different paths and hardly spend any time together at all.  Instead, Sophie ends up on a little adventure where she helps Claire (Redgrave)  who still feels the sting of love lost find her long lost love whom she fell in love with and never saw again after a teenage summer romance.  Her and Claire hit it off immediately but she can't exactly say the same for her grandson Charlie (Egan).  The unlikely trio set out on their search and turn up all kinds of surprises.

• Amanda Seyfried is so sweet and gentle.  The face of an angel indeed as she pushes her disappointment over her absent fiance aside and embraces Claire and her search for Lorenzo.
• Bernal is quite obnoxious as the passionate foodie who seems to love food more then anything else in life including his fiance.  I knew right away that their relationship was doomed when he was more interested in Pasta then her.
• Such a sweet story.  The tears were rolling towards the end of the movie as the sounds of Taylor Swift's "Love Song" began sweloling in the background.  I'm in love and so moved by the very notion of soul mates and true love so this was right up my alley.  If that isn't your cup of tea then this movie probably won't be for you but I LOVED it

5 Stars

Date Night

Starring:  Steve Carell and Tina Fey
Comedy (2010), PG 13

A self proclaimed boring married New Jersey couple find themselves having a nothing but boring night after they take the Triplehorn's dinner reservations at a swanky New York City restaurant.  This was date night and instead of going to their usual spot they wanted to enjoy this hip and happening place that a couple like them could never get into without a reservation.  Little did they know just how happening this night was going to be.  On the run from dirty cops and chasing down a mysterious flash drive is just the beginning!  Don't underestimate this old married couple.

• This was a fun and funny movie. 
• I love it that throughout the movie even though they are married with two kids and exhausted you can really tell that these two love each other despite life's demands.  They obviously make an effort to keep their marriage together and find out just how well they work together when they end up on this wild night of danger and more adventure then they ever wanted.
• Tina Fey and Steve Carell were quite a funny pair together.  Funny, but also very believable.

4 STARS

Devil

Starring:  Bokeem Woodbine, Jacob Vargas, Chris Messina, Bojana Novakovic
Rated PG-13, Horror (2010)

Five strangers are trapped in an elevator together.  This however is not just a routine incident.  There are sinister forces at work and an evil presence that is unseen.  When the lights go out horrible things happen and as they look at one another they can only wonder which one of them is the killer and who will be next to die.

• I am willing to see anything by M. Night Shyamalan even if it doesn't look like it's going to be very good.  The previews for this one were intriguing and I was really impressed with the movie itself.  
• It kept me guessing and was not totally predictable.  The acting was good and the scary moments kept coming.

4 Stars

Love Happens

A man who has made a career out of helping others grieve the loss of loved ones finds out that perhaps he has some work to do of his own to mourn the passing of his wife.  With the help of a woman he just happens to meet in Seattle he is pushed to confront his own issues and is surprised to find that he might even be falling in love.

• This movie was pretty good.  There isn't much else to say.  I enjoyed watching it and found it to be......pretty good.
• I like Jennifer Anniston.  This movie just sort of ......happened.  There just really isn't much else to say on this one.

3 STARS

Chloe

Starring:  Julianne Moore, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson
Drama, 2009 (Rated R)

Catherine (Moore ) suspects that her husband David (Neeson) is cheating on her hires Chloe (Seyfried) to play temptress to her husband to see what he will do.   The two women meet up to discuss these encounters with her husband and find that they are somehow drawn to each other.  When Catherine decides that she no longer wants Chloe to pursue her husband she finds out that Chloe had some ulterior motives of her own.

• This movie is very racy and sexual so be prepared.
• I love it how Amanda Seyfried takes on this role so well.  I have only ever seen her play little miss perfect good girl types and even though I have never seen her play the "bad girl" it was totally believable. 
• Great acting as usual by Julianne Moore.
• The storyline kept me wanting to know more and the ending had a twist I didn't anticipate.  It leaves a few unanswered questions without leaving you totally hanging.

5 STARS

She's Out Of My League

Starring:  Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve,
Comedy, 2010 (Rated R)

Kirk (Baruchel) is an out of shape, socially awkward, self proclaimed 5 who meets a hard 10 at the airport where he works security with 3 of his friends.  Molly (Eve) takes an interest in him and to the surprise of Kirk and well...everybody she asks him out and they start dating.  This turn of events is too good to be true for Kirk.  No one expects it to last and he can hardly believe his good fortune at managing to date such a beautiful perfect woman.  Will his own self doubt and low self esteem sabotage the entire relationship or is it possible for a 5 to cover the spread and live happily ever after with a 10?

• This movie was hilarious from start to finish.  Kirk and his 3 buddies particularly Stainer are absolutely spot on funny throughout.
• I think it was a really great concept to explore this whole idea of beauty being only skin deep and that if you like someone you like them whether or not society believes it makes sense.

5 STARS

Remember Me

Starring:  Robert Pattinson, Emilie De Raven, Pierce Brosnan
Drama, Rated PG 13 (2010)

A young man from a family (Pattinson) tormented by a suicide meets a young woman (De Raven) who herself deals daily with the loss of her mother. Tyler has a great relationship with his little sister but is extremely angry with his father's lack of participation in all of their lives.  Ally and Tyler click and are able to put their troubles aside when they are together.  Just when things seem to be taking  turn for the better something very unexpected and tragic occurs that can take it all away.

• I mainly watched this because I wanted to see Robert Pattinson play someone other then an angst ridden vampire.  In this he is an angsty mortal so perhaps it wasn't much of a stretch but at least in this his teeth are not pointy and his skin is not snow white.
• I was interested in the story as it unfolded but found that the pace was a little slow for me at times.
• Very well acted and a really great deep script overall.  I liked the way most of the main characters were very well developed.
• The ending was the best part.  I won't give it away but it starts with something so subtle that you don't quite get what is about to happen until it does.  As I sat there and watched my eyes widened, my jaw dropped open and I covered it with my hand. 

4 STARS

Hot Tub Time Machine

Starring:  John Cusak, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson and Clark Duke
2010, Comedy  (Rated R)

Three men in various stages of mid life crisis like experiences at home head out to their old favorite resort ski town after one of them has an apparent suicide attempt.  Adam (Cusak) takes along his younger brother Jacob who normally stays holed up in his basement playing video games and off they go to have some fun, relaxation and hopefully re kindle their spark.  After partying all night in a hot tub they emerge to find that they have gone back in time and anxiously try to figure out how to fix the situation so as not to do more damage to their present life while visiting their past.

• This movie was funny and had some stupid silly moments.
• My favorite part was actually the ending.  It was unexpected and I think it really made the move.

3 STARS

The Wolfman

Starring:  Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins
Sci Fi/Fantasy, 2010 (Rated R)

An actor (Del Toro) returns home after being told that his brother is missing.  He arrives home to find his brother has been found dead and the town is in an uproar and on the hunt for the vicious creature they believe is responsible for his and other murders.  He finds himself the target of the hunt after being bitten by a werewolf himself.  He finds out some terrible family secrets as he tries to avenge his brothers death as promised to his brother's wife Gwen (Blunt).

• The lighting in this movie is horribly dark.  I get it that it is supposed to be ominous and scary but I could hardly see what was happening on the screen.
• This movie is not as good as I expected it to be.  It was just OK and hardly even held my attention throughout. 

3 STARS

The Runaways

Starring:  Kristin Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon
Drama, Rated R

Kristin Stewart stars as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning stars as Cherie Currie in the story of the short lived hit teenage all girl band of the 70's called The Runaways.  The band came out of nowhere at a time when rock music was ruled by men.  Their rise to fame was unexpected and the film tells the story of the ups and downs that come along with that sudden popularity and living the rock star lifestyle.

• Loved it!!!  Kristin Steward and Dakota Fanning are a dynamic duo in this movie if I ever saw one.  They are both so captivating in their performances. 
• Fanning is so amazing I can't even put it into words.  Wasn't it just yesterday that she was a little girl on "I am Sam"?  Now she is all grown up and doing her first on screen kisses-one of them with a girl!  She has this amazing ability to really take on a character and make you believe it.  Fanning was gone and in her place I saw Cherie Currie-the rock star-and nothing else.
• Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) was obnoxious and ridiculous beyond belief.  Shannon did an excellent job playing this neurotic over the top character.
• I find it pretty amazing that this band was so young.  Currie was only 15 when the band got put together.  It seems like a more common trend now that superstars are barely teenagers but that wasn't the case so much back in the 70's.
• Another story about the pitfalls of super stardom but it was gritty, interesting and so well done that nothing about it felt like just another story.

5 STARS

The Road

Starring:  Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Charlize Theron
Sci Fi/Fantasy, 2009 (Rated R)

A man and his son travel on foot in a decimated post apocalyptic world hoping to find hope and some semblance of civilization 

• This movie was just sad.  As I watched this man and his son trudge onward in a world where people have committed suicide rather then live in it I find myself wondering what is the point.  What kind of life is that to live in fear, hunger, and constant survival mode?  This man is driven to keep going when it seems most logical to just give up.
• Great acting by Mortenson and the boy Smit-McPhee.  There were scenes where watching this little boy cry was almost heart breaking. 
• Great movie all around.

5 STARS

Alice In Wonderland

Starring:  Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Anne Hathaway
Fantasy, 2010 (Rated PG)

Nineteen year old Alice has a huge imagination.  So huge in fact that she is the only one who notices the rabbit in the waist coat running across the lawn.  After running away from an unwanted marriage proposal she follows this rabbit and finds herself falling down a rabbit hole and into another land.  Here she must figure out a way to help the characters in this world restore the white queen to power and oust the evil Red Queen who rules the land with decapitation for anyone who does not agree with her.

• I really wasn't all that interested in watching this but hubby wanted to so I went along with the program. 
• I found that it was an OK movie.  This is coming from someone not really so into animated fantasy type movies.
• The graphics are excellent and Depp does a great job as the quirky mad hatter.
• I am not all too familiar with the original story having never taken a huge interest in it so I can't say much regarding the adaptation of the original but the movie itself was entertaining for the most part.

4 STARS

Leap Year

Starring:  Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott
Romantic Comedy, 2010 (Rated PG)

Amy Adams stars as Anna who is after the perfect apartment and the perfect life with her perfect boyfriend.  Since he hasn't proposed after all this time she decides to take matters into her own hands by following him to Ireland where he is attending a medical conference.  According to an Irish tradition a man can't refuse a proposal from a woman during leap year so she hops on a plane to get her man only to find out it's not nearly as easy or simple as she thought it was going to be. 

• I love Amy Adams and just about every movie she's done.  She is pert, lively, pretty, and a darn good actress.  As perfect as Anna is in this movie she somehow still manages to come off as down to earth and relatable.
• Just about everything that can go wrong does on this trip but Ana refuses to give up.
• Oh, the dilemma's that arise in matters of the heart!  Ana's boyfriend Jeremy (Scott) is as perfect as perfect can get.  It's clear that he loves her but the question remains...is it enough? 
• There are unwanted and surprising sparks between Anna and Irishmen Declan (Goode) who is quite an unpleasant character who begrudgingly helps her along her travels.  His heavy Irish accent is sometimes hard to understand so my habit of watching movies with subtitles on came in handy.

4 STARS

Extraordinary Measures

Starring:  Brendan Frasier, Kerri Russell, Harrison Ford
Drama, 2010 (Rated PG)

Brendan Frasier stars as John Crowley the father to two children with a rare and deadly disease called Pompei.  He feels helpless as he watches his two children become sicker and sicker until one day he decides to take matters in his hand.  He contacts a brilliant rough around the edges scientist (Ford) and teams up with him in a next to impossible attempt to get his research off the ground and into the labs so that a new drug can be developed that might save his children.  There are so many ups and downs along the way.  Is there time to save his children's lives?

• Ford is excellent as a hard nosed, rude, and quite impossible to get along with scientist.  As brilliant as he is he is hopeless at working with others and as the movie goes on I grow to sort of hate him and wish I could reach through the TV myself and give him a kick in the head.
• This is based on a true story and you can't do anything else but root hard for John Crowley as he seriously does everything that is humanly possible to save his children.
• Great story, great acting, great movie.

5 STARS

Legion

Starring:  Paul Bettany, Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson, Adrianne Palicki
Mystery, Suspense, 2010 (Rated R)

A group of people at a remote desert diner find themselves in a fight for their lives as they battle those sent from up above intent on destroying human kind.

• This movie was just OK for me and not nearly as good as I was anticipating. 
• This whole thing about the fate of the world and human kind resting on an unborn child is so unoriginal which is fine, however I don't feel they brought enough of anything new to the table to make it fresh.
• Definitely entertaining but did not blow me away at all.

3 STARS

When In Rome

Starring:  Kristin Bell, Josh Duhamel
Romantic Comedy, 2010 (Rated PG 13)

Kristen Bell stars as Beth, an unlucky in love workaholic curator at a New York Museum.  Her younger sister meets an Italian man and plans a wedding in Italy all in two weeks causing this all about business gal to head to the romantic city of Rome where she promptly ignores the scenery and clutches her cell phone to try to call work.  She meets Nick at the wedding and starts to feel a little hopeful but when even he appears to be a disappointment she drunkenly stumbles into the fountain and cynically plucks out 5 coins.  If love really does exist it certainly doesn't come from a fountain.  Next thing she knows she is being pursued by 5 smitten suitors including Nick.  Will she finally get the man of her dreams and her happy ending or is he just under a spell?

• This movie was cute and entertaining.  It followed a lot of the typical cliches that many romantic comedies do but there is a reason for that.  We like it!
• There were very funny moments throughout and it really was a fun and funny story line.
• Who knew when we saw Kristen Bell in Veronica Mars so many years ago that she would turn out to be such a wonderful comedic actress.

3 STARS

The Greatest

Starring:  Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, Carey Mulligan, Aaron Johnson
Drama, 2009 (Rated R)

Bennett Brewer (Johnson) is smart and young with his whole life ahead of him.  He looses his life in a tragic car accident.  As his family struggles to recover from this tragedy Rose (Mulligan) shows up on their door step pregnant with Bennett's baby.  Bennett's mother Grace (Sarandon) seems to be having the most difficult time accepting the loss of her son and has a very negative reaction to Rose's presence.  Can this fragmented family pull themselves together and welcome this new gift of life or will they totally buckle under the pain of grief and miss out on the very thing that should bring them together?

• My mom and I walked into blockbuster, took one look at this and agreed we wanted to see it even though we had never heard a thing about it.  I saw Carey Mulligan in An Education and could tell right away that she is one of those actresses who will likely rarely ever have a bad movie so I had a feeling it would be good.  Turns out, it was even better then I expected.
• Mulligan did a great job playing the role of Rose.  Smart, pretty, spunky.  She was likable from the very beginning and it actually made sense that Bennett admired her from afar and never got the courage to speak until the last day of school.
• This is a love story but I didn't really anticipate that it would be.  I love the way the story of Rose and Bennett evolves throughout the story line.  We can guess, but don't find out the nature of their relationship right away.  With a series of flashbacks we finally get the whole story by the end and it's not what you might think.  Great script.  Great storyline and concept.
• Sarandon and Brosnan of course were excellent.  There was a lot of emotion and drama and every actor delivered it well.
• There isn't anything I didn't love about this one.

5 STARS

Dear John

Starring:  Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried
Romance, 2010 (Rated PG 13)

John (Tatum) is a young Soldier home on leave when he meets Savannah (Seyfried) who is home from college for the summer just by chance on the beach.  They strike up a conversation and a very smitten John asks her out on a date.  So begins an intense yet very short lived romance.  When it's time for John to leave they decide that they will stay together and Savannah will wait for him to finish his military service.  They exchange letters back and forth to stay in contact and keep their love alive.  Can a two week love affair survive a one year military deployment?  They certainly give it their best shot but find out that sometimes love isn't enough.

• This was such an intense heart felt movie.  I immediately felt the chemistry between Savannah and John. 
• Tatum is such a good looking guy.  My, oh my!  And it's good to see that not only does he look good and can dance as we have seen him do in his other dance centered films but he can really act and carry a movie too.
• Amanda Seyfried is just a delight in this movie-and I don't normally even use that word!  She is so sweet, pretty, and kind hearted.  She plays that kind of role perfectly and that character comes shining through her blue doe eyes.
• This movie pulled on my heart strings.  I know what it's like to love, miss and worry about a deployed soldier and the pain that it brings.  But even if you don't.  Even if you just have a soft spot for love then this is the movie for you.
• Love is a tenuous thing.  Not only does it takes two people but timing is key and sometimes timing really is everything.

5 STARS

Crazy On The Outside

Starring:  Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ray Liotta
Comedy, 2010 (Rated PG 13)

Tim Allen plays Tommy who is fresh out of prison and looking to make a new start that does not involve crime.  He moves in with his pathological lying yet extremely caring sister, reports to his probation officer, and gets a job in a fast food joint.  Trouble tries to find him by way of his old buddy Gray (Liotta) and he does a good job of resisting until he becomes frustrated when his cagey past continues to follow him and ruins his fledgling romance with his attractive probation officer.  Can he stay on the straight, narrow and continue the struggle to play it straight or will the lure and the money of his old way of life call him back.

• I'd never heard of this one but it was pretty funny from start to finish.  Tim Allen is great as a not so rough and tough ex con and Sigourney Weaver does a great job playing the role of his protective tough yet sensitive older sister.
• There are funny moments throughout the film and it leans toward a somewhat cliche story line but it's a light hearted comedy so not only did I expect that but it was done well enough that I also enjoyed it.

3 STARS

The Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans

Starring:  Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer
Drama, Rated R (2009)

Terence (Cage) is a police officer who injures himself on the job and partakes in a pill popping, drug dependent, corrupt lifestyle in which he crosses all kinds of lines and stops as nothing to keep up his habit.

• This is indeed the story of a bad Lieutenant.  A very bad Lieutenant indeed.  This guy was dirty and had no qualms about breaking any and every rule in the book.
• From the very beginning you can already tell that this cop is a loose cannon but we see so little of him before his injury that it isnt' clear to me if he was always so corrupt and dirty or if the onset of his injury steered him in that direction.
• He and his "girlfriend" Frankie (Mendes) share some kind of strange co dependent relationship involving the sharing of drugs and a suspect way of keeping up their lifestyle.
• It was interesting to see a metamorphosis of sorts occur in Frankie and equally sad to see that it does not appear that Terence intends to follow suit. 
• If this were a cliche fairy tale movie he and Frankie would end up happily ever after but life unlike movies often is not a fairy tale and this story tells us so.
• Nicolas Cage was amazing of course.  He played the role of this deranged out of control Lieutenant to perfection.  I have always been a huge fan and he did not disappoint.

4 Stars

Valentine's Day

Starring:  Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Emma Roberts, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, Ashton Kutcher...to name a few.
Romantic Comedy, 2010

A series of interwoven stories plays out on Valentine's Day.  This day means something different to everyone.  There are affairs, new love, lonely hearts, and broken hearts as everyone attempts to find their way on Valentine's Day.

• This is a classic case of a movie that tried way too hard to be good. 
• I'm not going to say it was bad but it really just didn't "Do" anything for me.  The characters were mostly shallow and one dimensional.  I found that I really didn't connect or care all too much about what happened to any of them.
• I did like the way the stories wove together in unexpected ways but other then that this movie just sort of fell flat for me.  I can't quite put my finger on it.  There was just something missing.
• You certainly can't criticize the cast.  That's for sure.  With an all star cast of a huge variety of established and new actors there was likely a favorite in there for everyone.
• It was nice to see Taylor Swift take her first stab at acting.  She played the ditz and I don't know if was because the movie itself was so flat to me but her acting kind of felt that way too. 

3 Stars

Iron Man 2

Starring:  Morton Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johanssen, John Favreau
Action, 2010 (Rated PG 13)

Tony Stark (Downey) the front man of Stark Enterprises finds that his revolutionary Iron Man suit technology has been duplicated by the son of a prominent Russian Scientist who defected to the United States and was later deported.  Not only is he on thin ice with the US Government who rails against his refusal to release the suit into government custody he is also being slowly killed by the very device that has been keeping him alive.  He must figure out a way to stay alive and fight against not only his rival who would do anything to one up the ever popular Stark Enterprises, but also his newest sidekick who just so happens to be a rouge scientist intent on seeing Stark dead.

• Tony Stark is just so cool.  He is like a rock star without a guitar or a band.  So incredibly flashy, devilish, and extremely narcissistic that you can't figure out if you should love him or hate him.
• The special effects in the movie were amazing as was the tiny 23" waist on Natalie (Johansson) so wonderfully cinched in by her equally sexy and functional combat body suit. 
• Natalie's extreme fighting acrobatics were a little over the top but if you don't like it then you probably don't like the movie either because it's all over the top in one way or another but I think that's what's made it such a box office success. 

5 STARS

The Young Victoria

Starring:  Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend
Drama, Romance-2009 (Rated PG)

Emily Blunt plays Queen Victoria who began her reign of England at the young age of 18.  As the only child of three uncles she was as protected as she was the object of a power play among many who would try to manipulate their way into her good graces as a means to exact some type of control over the crown.  When she finally does take the crown she insisted she was not too young to handle it does not go as smoothly as she had hoped.  The Queen is feisty, stubborn, and independent which is likely a direct result of her isolated, and controlled upbringing.  Finally free of the clutches of her mother and her hated advisor she is reluctant to take on a husband. Prince Albert courts her from Germany at the request of his family and waits patiently for her to make her decision.

• It was really interesting to take a look inside the world of Royalty with it's ladies in waiting, petty coats, formal dinners and familial obligations of marriage and gender roles.
• I loved it that Queen Victoria refused to sign over her crown and was her own woman at a time when woman were kept and considered the inferior sex.  She was a feminist at a time when the meaning of that word was not known.
• It was also interesting to see what it might look like when the roles are reversed and it is the woman who is the leader and the man who is relegated to the ruler's spouse.  She was so adamant that her role not be usurped by her husband just because she was female.  So intent was she on keeping him in his place that she overlooked the possibility that he might have something of value to contribute.
• The acting was great.  This was basically a love story and although there really wasn't too much of a plot or storyline I still found myself engaged throughout.

4 Stars

The Lovely Bones

Starring:  Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz
Drama, Rated PG 13 (2009)

Susie Salmon (Ronan) is a bright energetic fourteen year old on the cusp of finding her first love.  She has a loving family and dreams of being a photographer.  All of this is taken away from her when an unsuspecting neighbor murders her.  Susie finds herself in the midst of a nightmare that she can't wake up from when she discovers that she has been killed.  She is not ready to let go of her family just as they are not ready to let go of her so she lingers in a mystical in between world and watches with anger and sadness as her family unravels in the wake of her disappearance and her killer goes on with his life as if nothing happened.  She wills her family to discover her murderer as much for herself as for them.

• This movie uses a lot of great imagery and symbolism to make connections between life on earth and the afterlife.  It isn't spelled out for you and sometimes is confusing but leaves you to draw some of your own conclusions about where Susie has gone to after her death and what that means. 
• She remains intangibly connected to her family and people that she knew.  Though her physical presence is no more there are moments where they can sense her.
• This movie really gives voice to victims in a way that I have not ever seen before.  It makes you really think about all of those people in the world who have been viciously taken too soon and the thoughts and feelings that might occur after being murdered, taken from your life, and knowing that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.
• The story line was very captivating and took us on a journey that showed a unique perspective of everyone involved.
•  I wanted closure, justice, and I wanted to know exactly how Susie died but all of those answers weren't given to us.  They left some things undone in this movie which didn't sit well with me but it was fitting. Murder is messy and raw.  There are no neat little happy endings.
• Ronan is a talented actress which was obvious from her break out role in Atonement. She is clearly one to watch and will likely have a long career in the movie biz.

5 Stars

Avatar

Starring:  Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Science Fiction, Rated PG 13 (2009)

A former Marine fills in for his brother as an Avatar driver on Planet Pandora.  With very little training Jake Sully (Worthington) jumps right in and finds out that there is something special about him that gets the natives to accept him into their village and train him in their ways.  Over time he grows to love the Na'vi way of life and becomes extremely close to Neytiri, the one who has taken him under her wing.  All too quickly the reason he was put there in the first place comes to a boiling point.  The human's goal all along was to gather intelligence that would help them relocate the Na'vi willfully so that they could mine the precious metal in their land.  If the Na'vi don't go peacefully they are prepared to use force and Jack suddenly finds himself forced to choose sides.  Will he fight for his people or betray the peaceful Na'vi that he has come to love?

• This movie was a gold mine of amazing visual imagery.  The Pandora forest is filled with unusual animals, brightly glowing plant life, and visually stunning people. 
• The Na'vi are tall, graceful and lean.  They are so powerful in their movements that you forget that they are not invincible.  With all of their physical prowess they can be killed just like any human.
• This was the classic story of the impossible fight and not being afraid to die for your people and what you believe in.  The fight for what is just and right.
• A bow and arrow is nothing compared to a machine gun aircraft but the Na'vi rallied and refused to back down after the humans attacked their peaceful way of life.  It was terrible to see these innocent people being gunned down by the greedy humans much like the Native Americans were attacked by Americans so long ago.
• This movie is 162 minutes long but not once did I feel that it went on too long.  Magnificent movie from start to finish. 

5 STARS

The Time Traveler's Wife

Starring:  Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana
Romance/Drama, 2009 (Rated PG 13)

Henry (Bana) is a Chicago librarian who is afflicted with a rare genetic disorder that causes him to time travel inexplicably and beyond his control.  He meets Clare (McAdams) in a meadow while she is still a little girl and periodically meets her over the years so that they form a bond and eventually fall in love and get married.  Being married to a time traveler is no bed of roses and while she is willing to accept it to be with the man she loves Clare struggles with the unpredictablility of a husband who regularly disappears without notice. 

• I naturally like to figure things out and this time travel business seemed to have no rhyme or reason that I could unravel.  He could go backwards and forwards and even be himself from two different time frames at the same time.  I could never figure out where he was in relation to her or anyone else and after awhile I gave up trying to figure it out and just enjoyed the story.
• The chemistry between Bana and McAdams was tangible.  I felt the love between them and it made me believe in their totally unebelievable situation.
• My eyes were welling up with tears as the credits rolled.

5 Stars

The Blind Side

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron
Drama, 2009 (Rated PG-13)

A young boy who has just begun attending an upscale private school and has no place to stay is taken in by a wealthy family. Leigh Ann Tuohy (Bullock) just happens to see him walking in the cold one night and one night at their home turns into many many more. Mike is a good kid who just needs someone to give him a chance to succeed and succeed he does. Once he gets his academics under control he is able to play sports and takes it further then he ever imagined possible.

• This is a feel good movie from start to finish. I kept waiting for some horrible drama or indiscretion to arise and spoil this amazing story but it just never happenened-and I'm glad.
• It is a story of an underdog with no where to go and a woman with a huge heart who sees beyond what everyone else does and for totally unselfish reasons just wants to help.
• I love the Tuohy family and I love Leigh Ann Tuohy. She is that amazing, beautiful, kind yet tough mom. She will stand up to anyone just as quick as she will comfort them if the moment requires it.
• She is well to do and lives a comfortable lifestyle but that has not changed her heart in any way. She really does just want to do good. And she does.
• Aaron did a great job portraying this kind hearted gentle giant with very little words.
• It's the kind of movie that makes you feel like anything is possible if even for just a few hours. How could you not like this movie?

5 Stars

Up In The Air

Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga , Anna Kendrick
Drama, 2009 (Rated R)

Clooney is Ryan Bingham a professional employment terminator. A man who spends so much time in airports and on airplanes that he has actually substituted the need for more miles for the need for human interaction and relationships. He is traveling more days then he is home and he likes it that way. He is assigned to train a new young whipper snapper named Natalie Keener (Kendrick). She immediately picks up on his cold and distant ways and has no qualms about challenging him and voicing her total disagreement. He meets the female version of himself (Farmiga) at an airport bar and they strike up the casual relationship he does best but he finds himself questioning his lifestyle and wonders if there just might be more out there for him on the ground then in the air.

• Clooney's character is like a lot of men frequent flyer's or not. I am not against it. It might work for some but it seems so empty. It was not surprising to find him in a field that requires him to do something as cold as firing people all over the nation.
• He really met his match with Natalie. She challenged his lifestyle and spoke up about how cold and empty she felt it was to live that way.
• In the end he reached out a little and got burned. But, at least he took a chance and who knows what that might lead to next.

4 Stars

New Moon

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Drama/Fantasy, 2009 (Rated PG 13)

Bella Swan is your typical angst ridden high school teen who has a not so typical boyfriend. The love of her life just so happens to be otherworldly. Bella is crushed when Edward and his entire family leave never to be seen again and even more devastated by his statement that he no longer wants to be with her. To fill the void she begins spending time with her longtime friend Jacob. They not only get closer but he is also there to try to stop an enemy from the past intent on seeing her dead. Then, even he starts to act strangely and abruptly drops out of her life momentarily. Meanwhile Edward has put himself into a precarious position with the Royal family and could use some saving of his own. The two men in her life come from totally opposing worlds. If forced to choose who will Bella pick?

• I hated Twilight and so I didn't expect much from this movie but was pleasantly surprised. I saw Twilight just a month after reading the entire Twilight series back to back and being unable to put it down. When I saw Twilight live and in color it was immediately clear that a movie could not do the book justice and I was incredibly disappointed by what I saw.
• Perhaps I am so far removed from reading the books that my expectations have lowered-but at any rate I feel that New Moon was much better then Twilight. The love between Edward and Bella was palpable and I enjoyed the additional action involving Jacob in his new form. Which was very good by the way. Jacob's form that is. The chest on that kid is perfect and he looked even cuter after the hair cut.
• There is so much angst in this movie. Sometimes I just wished Bella would smile and act like a normal kid for once instead of being so isolated and sullen to the point where she doesn't even want presents for a her B day. Edward usually looks kind of miserable too-but I imagine being a vampire might dampen your mood every once in a while.
• They could all take a lesson from Edward's sister Alice. With her lilting voice and high energy personality she is certainly a breath of fresh air.

4 Stars

An Education

Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan
Drama, 2009 (PG 13)

Smart and headstrong London teenager Jenny (Mulligan) is bored to tears and exhausted with her regimented schooling. Her dad is pushing her towards Oxford while she hardly sees the point of it all anymore. She would much rather enjoy life then spend days on end with her head buried in Latin books. When a handsome stranger (Sarsgaard) befriends her one rainy day her eyes are opened to a much broader world then her London upbringing has ever shown her. She is fearful yet seduced by this lavish world of grown ups and travel. Should she throw away everything she has worked towards for this new life or stick with the safe route of academia?

• I really loved the bright and plucky character Jenny. She was as bright as she was fearless and never afraid to say what was on her mind. To anyone. She was so smart and overall the classic good girl but always questioning. Always pushing for more.
• One of my favorite lines of Jenny's is when she said "It's not enough to educate us anymore. You've got to tell us why." This is a perfect reflection of the kind of girl she was and the kind of women she was becoming. She wasn't willing to settle for following the masses just because it's what women did.
• The relationship between Jenny and David (Sarsgaard) was just a little bit disturbing to me and it struck me as odd at first that no one protested the age difference before I took into account the era. There were no statutory rape laws in 1961 obviously but it was sort of predator like to me the way that he came onto a 16 year old and the eventual relationship that followed. The age difference was almost a non issue with the adults in her life who just wanted to make sure she was "safe" and stuck to her education.
• Even though it took place in 1961 the message about women's roles and society are still pertinent today.
• Great film. Great acting. Carey Mulligan knocked it out of the park and it's looking like the start of a very successful acting career.

5 Stars

Sherlock Holmes

Starring: Morton Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Mystery, Action, Adventure

Downey Jr stars as Sherlock Holmes the super sleuthing loose cannon from the much loved novels and his side kick Watson (Holmes). After a black magic wielding killer is brought to justice by hanging and comes back to life Holmes is back on the case at the request of the local police in order to help solve the mystery. Meanwhile, Watson is quite ready to get married and move on from the adventures of sleuthing but every time he tries the tug of Holmes keeps bringing him back. Can they solve this one last mystery together before this sinister man takes over the world?

• I started out watching without subtitles but when I could barely understand the first word that came out of Downey's heavily English accented mouth I immediately put them on. I should've known better.
• The movie had great action and a great flow. It was 128 minutes but didn't feel too long at all.
• I enjoyed watching the little tug of war between Holmes and Watson (Law). Best buddies 'til the end but now that Watson is trying to settle down and move on you could tell that Holmes was very resistant and more then a little jealous of his new lady and his impending new life.
• The love interest role of Irene was played by the lovely Rachel McAdams. She did a great job as usual playing the tough girl.

5 Stars

The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee

Starring: Robin Wright Penn, Blake Lively, Maria Bello, Keanu Reaves, Alan Arkin
Drama, 2009 (Rated R)

Meet Pippa Lee (Wright Penn). She tells us the story of how she came to be starting with the effect that her mentally ill mother had on her while she was growing up. When home becomes too much to bear she moves from that chaos and into an artsy drug induced partying lifestyle. She finds comfort and stability with her much older husband and she quickly becomes the perfect wife. The couple moves to a retirement community after her husband Herb (Arkin) goes into semi retirement from a successful publishing business. Over the years she adapts well to her new comfortable and well to do life but is she really happy or just playing the part?

• There was a lot of flashing back between the past and the present throughout the movie but it was done in a way that was not confusing at all and actually kept things interesting.
• The story was very character driven. There was some sort of underlying back story behind everyone and as the story went along it was revealed.
• Great casting for the roles of Pippa, young Pippa (Lively), and Pippa's mother (Bello). The acting of all three was very real and captivating.
• It was a very real and sort of in the moment kind of movie that kept me interested.
• There are some bizarre unexpected things that happen throughout.
• If you crave a big plot and lots of action this movie isn't for you.

4 STARS

Armored

Starring: Matt Dillon, Columbus Short, Laurence Fishburne
Action, 2009 (PG13)


Ty (Short) is an ex military combat veteran who finds himself as the sole guardian of his younger brother after his parents die. He is an armored car guard and is struggling financially to keep up with the house mortgage and medical bills left by his parents. His younger brother begins skipping school and after a visit from social services he is desperate to find a way out of this situation. He is offered an opportunity to rob 42 million dollars along with six other co workers and though reluctant feels he has no choice but to partake. As the group proceeds with their plan things go very very wrong and they have to figure out what to do next to avoid getting busted.

• My thing, is if you are going to commit a crime please be prepared for any unintended consequences and commit to finishing what you started even if things don't go as planned. Granted, I've never attempted robbery but still!
• The moment Ty starts to get all emotional and act like a "girl" I am immediately angered. It's not flower making it's a robbery and his actions [after other certain actions that I don't necessarily agree with] are what ultimately sent the whole escapade into a horrible downward tailspin. That was really the only thing I didn't like about this movie.
• Technically Ty was the "good guy" but somehow I wasn't all that thrilled with how it ended for him because he was just so darn stupid. He called himself trying to fix the situation but he only made things a million times worse and that really agrivated me. Can't you tell?
• The action was good and the unfortunate turn of events was unexpected.
• It was an action movie but I liked the way they explored the relationship between Ty and his good buddy Mike (Dillon).

4 STARS

Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Starring: Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker
Romantic Comedy, 2009 (Rates PG 13)


A couple on the verge of divorce witness a murder together and find themselves forced to leave their high powered life of luxury in New York to enter the witness protection program. Meryl is the owner of a successful real estate firm and Paul is an attorney. What will they do when they find themselves together in the middle of small town USA without their assistants?

• Ever since he played the love obsession of Bridget Jones (Zellweger) in Bridget Jones Diary it seems that someone somewhere decided that Hugh Grant with his English accent, flashing blue eyes, and awkward demeanor is hot. And it seems to have stuck.
• Don't get me wrong, I like Hugh Grant. I do think he's attractive but he's more nerd then hot if you asked me.
• A lot of his sarcastic quips throughout the movie were funny but some of them were just plain old corny.
• I didn't exactly feel the love connection between Grant and Parker. There was just no chemistry. There was nothing there that made me want to root for them.
• I love Sarah Jessica Parker and am usually quite happy to watch anything that she is in. I love it how she managed to look stylish in a pair of jeans, a flannel shirt and some boots.
• The movie was sort of predictable but what can you expect? It was a romantic comedy.

4 STARS

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Starring: Gabourey Sidebe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey
Drama, 2009 (Rated R)

Another gritty and shockingly real film by the producer of Monster's Ball. An illiterate 17 year old is pregnant with her 2ND child by her father, abused by her welfare dependent mother and among other problems is struggling in school. This teenager is essentially alone in the world. She is lost in the shuffle with little options or hope for escape. She is as strong as she is alone. Resilient even in the face of such misery her escape is a fantasy world where she is exactly what she wishes she could be. Her second pregnancy turns out to be a blessing in disguise as it leads her to a set of people who actually seem to care.

• I knew that this movie was going to be heavy and so I prepared myself for that.
• It has sort of a documentary type feel about it which I think added to the realness of the story.
• I can't even imagine such suffering and pain that this young girl has endured.
• Some of the scenes were so ugly that it was kind of hard to watch. It is just so sad and unimaginable that there are people in the world who could do such horrible and ugly things to an innocent person who has done nothing except be born and didn't even have an actual choice in that.
• Instead of giving up Precious chose to just keep moving forward and fighting for what she wanted. Her kids and her life.
• Sidebe did an amazing job acting. It's hard to believe that acting was just something she tried just because.
• I hated Precious's mom (Mo'Nique). She was ugly and hateful. Even when she felt remorse I still hated her because her actions are unforgivable. Mo'Nique did an excellent job playing this role.
• Mariah Carey as a plain jane social worker was an interesting sight. Glamour girl be gone. I think it's good that she stepped outside of her usual role of playing a glamorous singer and took on something different. In all of those other movies her acting was awful but I feel that stripped down to the bare basics served her well. The acting was a huge improvement.

5 Stars

Shutter Island

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams
Director: Martin Scorsese
Suspense/Thriller, Rated R (2010)

Two US Marshall's travel to Shutter Island in stormy weather to investigate the disappearance of one of it's criminally insane patients. Upon arrival the pair find that the facility harbors many secrets and appears to be making every attempt to lie and thwart their investigation. As he digs deeper into the investigation Teddy (DiCaprio) is troubled by haunting memories of his late wife and his stint as a soldier in World War II freeing Nazi concentration camps. His question. What is really going on at Shutter Island? Is it a truly compassionate care facility for the worst of the worst mentally ill or is it a breeding ground for evil experiments.
The opening images of the stormy island, chained prisoners, and dark buildings really set the tone for the movie.

• I started to get just a little annoyed at all of the bizarre flashbacks of his wife and his war days that didn't seem to make too much sense. I kept wondering what the point was.
• The movie definitely got better as it went along. The last 45 minutes or so got more interesting as the plot began to unfold and the connection between the two sets of flashbacks is revealed.
• DiCaprio is an amazing actor. You could feel his pain and confusion coming through the screen.
• It wasn't as freaky as I was hoping and expecting but it was a good suspense filled movie and I liked it.
• This movie does have a twist. Even when the twist was revealed for some reason I still didn't believe it.

5 STARS

2012

Starring: John Cusak, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton
Action, 2009 (Rated PG 13)

Jackson (Cusak) is a writer turned limo driver who is separated from his wife who now has a live in boyfriend staying in the home with his kids. The weekend he takes his kids for a camping trip out in Yellowstone strange things start to happen. An earthquake, a crack in the earth, and a kooky radio dj up in Yellowstone are all clues that something devastating is about to happen to planet earth and even worse that the government has known all along. Suddenly it is a race against time to try to save himself and his family from certain death as the world as we know it comes to an end.

• Yep, it's another disaster movie. It's not the first, it won't be the last and I liked it.
• Great acting all around.
• This movie was full of action from start to finish. There were "just in the nick of time" moments for everyone throughout.
• The special effects were great and the intertwining of various story lines showing the end of the world from different perspectives made it interesting all the way through.
• I have loved John Cusak since his "Say Anything" and "Sure Thing" days in the 80's (yes, I consider those classics) and was thrilled to see him in such a huge big budget film.
• The morality question of who should live and who should die is raised. The whole world can't be saved and no matter how you slice it there is really no good way to decide.
• Incidentally, back in 2003 I the fledgling actress was approached by a fledgling movie producer with a script and plans basically to make this movie. Unfortunately for myself (and him) it never came to fruition but I always knew if not him then SOMEONE would make this film. I can't help but wonder if he is sitting somewhere thinking that he could have done it better.

5 STARS

A Serious Man

Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg
Drama, 2009 (Rated R)

A College Professor named Larry (Stuhlbarg) in a small town suddenly finds his life crumbling around him. His wife wants a divorce, his socially awkward brother has camped out on his couch, his children are constantly fighting and his tenure status at the college is in question. To help him navigate this tough time in his life he seeks out the guidance of 3 rabbi's.

• This movie started out weird. When it starts out back in the 1800's and there are subtitles do not be alarmed. It is the right movie.
• The title is A Serious Man and I must say this was a serious movie. Almost too serious. To the point of being boring.
• I got really tired of seeing Larry being such a push over. I wanted to yell at him to just get a back bone already and maybe that alone would solve half of his problems.
• There were some interesting moments but overall this movie was just dry and serious and weird.

1 STAR

Tenure

Starring: Owen Wilson, Gretchen Mol
Comedy, Rated R

An off beat college professor names Larry is up for tenure and just can't seem to get it together. His students love him but he is not well liked by his colleagues, has a tendency towards bizarre behavior, and associates with the only other professor considered more of a black sheep then he is. A new pretty faculty member from a prestigious University who is said to be on "tenure track" makes him feel even more threatened. Can he get an article published and clean up his act well enough to receive this coveted tenure that eluded him at the previous college he worked for and make his retired professor father proud.

• This movie was funny and entertaining.
• The antics of his crazy colleague and his pursuit of big foot and the other various quirky faculty members and students throughout the film are hilarious.
• It has a cute little love story brewing under the surface as well and I really liked watching the relationship between Larry and his dad evolve.

3 STARS

The Box

Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella
Thriller, Rated PG 13 (2009)

Norma (Diaz) and Arthur (Marsden) are a young couple in their 30's who are struggling financially. Out of nowhere a man called Arlington Steward (Langella) appears on their doorstep and offers them a box and proposition that if they push the button they will receive 1 million dollars, however someone they do not know will die. The couple struggles with this decision and questions whether or not it's some kind of hoax or not. They only have 24 hours to decide and the choice they make has consequences that neither one expected and they are faced yet again with a tough decision to make.

• This movie was directed by Richard Kelly who also did Donnie Darko. There is some similarity in the supernatural bizarre story line but not quite as weird.
• I didn't realize that this movie was set back in the 1970's. That was a surprise to me.
• As the story goes on the origins of the box and Arlington Steward is revealed and it begins to make more sense.
• This is a very unforgiving box and a reminder that sometimes it's best to just do the right thing just because.
• It causes one to question your own morality-what would you do? The prospect of 1 million dollars is very tempting indeed.

4 STARS

Serious Moonlight

Starring: Timothy Hutton, Meg Ryan, Kristen Bell
Comedy, Rated R (2009)

After scrawling out a hasty note on a piece of notebook paper Ian (Hutton) is planning to leave his wife of 13 years Louise (Ryan) and go be with a much younger woman. When Louise finds out she keeps him there at their vacation house against his will and vows not to let him go until he falls in love with her again.

• This movie was very funny and has a surprising and bizarre turn of events.
• When Louise said "Til death do us part" she meant it and is determined to make Ian agree.
• Louise is quite obnoxious and although she is a successful attorney she appears to be on the loony side by her actions but the part is played very well by Ryan.
• The other woman, Sara (Bell) is even more annoying then Louise with all of her whining but at the end of the movie I found that I actually felt sorry for her.

4 Stars

Whip It

Starring: Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden
Drama, 2009

Bliss (Page) is a 17 year old reluctant pageant girl in a small town. She stumbles upon a roller derby league, likes what she sees, and tries out. Turns out she's pretty darn good at it but the only problem is that her parents will never approve. She has finally found something that she loves to do for herself and not just to please her mother. As she works on her Roller Derby skills she not only finds her passion but she finds out she's a whole lot tougher then she ever thought.

• This movie bumped around my house for a couple of weeks and I kept putting off watching it in favor of others. I shouldn't have waited so long! This movie was good...and fun to watch.
• Drew Barrymore was the director and she herself had just a small role in the move. I read somewhere that she wanted to be able to identify with the actors and what they were going through on skates so she could direct them better. I think she's done another excellent movie about women. The roller derby girls had heart and character. They were more then just tatted tough girls on skates. I felt like I wanted to know more about them.
• I have liked Page ever since I saw her in her break out role Hard Candy.
• It was great to see Bliss find herself so unexpectedly in roller derby. It may not be a typical pursuit but she loved it. Skating gave her a purpose and something to look forward to beyond the limiting barriers her small podunk town.
• It made me want to go roller skating again despite the fact that I have not thought about nor wanted to roller skate in a long time. I am hoping there is still a place in my city where I can do it!

5 Stars

Gamer

Starring: Gerard Butler, Amber Valletta, Kyra Sedgwick, Alison Lohman
Sci Fi, Fantasy, Myster/Suspense (Rated R)

In this futuristic film the prison system is funded by a game that blurs the lines between reality and video games in which death row inmates can opt to allow themselves to be controlled by players in an actual video game where the blood and guts are real. If they manage to survive 30 games they earn their stay of execution. Butler plays Kable. A video game character/person who has managed to come closer to surviving 30 games then anyone. The world watches as he fights for his life and his freedom. There is a sect of people however, who believe that the creator of this so called game is bent on taking over the world and use Kable as a way to try to stop him.

• Very interesting movie concept. I liked it.
• I cannot even imagine a world where average people can pay to control or be controlled in such a way.
• We get to watch Amber Valletta run around in underwear for the last half of the movie
• It was totally unrealistic but it wasn't meant to be.
• Butler once again delivers a great gritty performance with his muscles on full display.
• I was a bit surprised to see Allison Lohman in this (Drag Me To Hell, White Oleander). It was kind of like seeing Dakota Fanning in Push. She has such a great reputation as an actress that it hardly matters but it was kind of a small role and didn't allow her to show of her acting chops so much.

3 STARS

The Girl In The Park

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Kate Bosworth, Keri Russell
Drama, 2007

The young daughter of Julia (Weaver) and her husband disappears from the park one day. After such a terrible loss Julia sort of checks out of life and never quite recovers. One day she meets a homeless young girl names Louise (Bosworth) and she forms an emotional attachment to her. She finds herself fixating on Louise and blurring the lines between her long disappeared daughter and this troubled young girl.

• I liked this movie.
• It didn't have a real plot or story line but I found it very interesting and enjoyed watching what unfolded.
• If you want action you will not find it here. It just isn't that type of movie.
• Great interesting characters and wonderful acting to go along with it.
• The hubby was on the internet during most of the movie but I was interested enough to focus on it.

3 STARS

The Collector

Starring: Josh Stuart, Michael Riley Burke
Horror, 2009 (Rated R)


A man returns to his employers home where he works construction with the intent of robbing him only to find himself in the middle of a madman's fun house with no way out. Everywhere he turns is near death and the man behind this is unrelenting in his desire to maim, torture, and kill.

• When this movie started I had to double check that I had the right Collector. It appears to be very dated and kind of has an old school 70's quality about it.


• A flat screen computer here, botox injection there, and a cell phone are about the only indicators that the movie is current. The house where the movie takes place is this huge Victorian mansion type house with bear claw bathtubs making it difficult to grasp the time.


• It is a very dark film with a lot of shadows also which may bother some people.


• I was definitely on the edge of my seat with this one. Many tense and gory moments throughout made it just my kind of movie.

4 STARS

Law Abiding Citizen

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Leslie Bibb
Rated R, 2009

A man looses his entire family in a senseless act of crime and over time he plots an elaborate diabolical plan to avenge their death. He really has nothing to loose and pursues those who played a part in the crime and subsequent legal trial that did not do his family justice. With cutting edge maneuvers and surprise attacks he lauches his plan that has everyone confused and searching for answers.

• I have loved Gerard Butler ever since 300. He did the tough guy gladiator thing, a romantic comedy (The Ugly Truth) and now he is taking on the role of law abiding citizen gone deranged killer. He does them all well.
• This movie was very good. It kept me guessing. It was a bit long but I didn't notice because the movie action just kept coming.
• Jamie Foxx is awesome as usual. He is funny as ever but takes on this role of hot shot city attorney and plays it to perfection.
• I have to say that I loved that the mayor was this incredibly powerful black woman yelling at the power suit wearing DA and city attorney Foxx to fix this mess now!! Their eyes got big as she told them how badly they screwed up. I felt sorry for them because honestly, what is anyone to do? This was kind of an unusual situation after all.
• By the end of the movie I didn't know whether to love or hate Clyde (Butler). I mean, how far is too far especially considering all that he lost and how the system failed him?

5 STARS

Couples Retreat

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Jason Batemen, Kristin Bell, Jon Favreau, Kristin Davis and Faizon Love
Comedy, 2009 (PG 13)

With their marriage quickly falling apart at the seems spurred on by infertility issues Dave and Cynthia enlist the help of their friends by asking them to go with them to a couples retreat where they can get counseling so that the price will be affordable. The other couples have no interest in couples counseling but motivated by a week in paradise and their friends' plea for help they decide to accompany them. It turns out that Dave and Cynthia weren't the only ones in need of a relationship overhaul. The singles island is a temptation for one and they all find themselves in a place they didn't think they would on their tropical vacation paradise retreat.

• This movie was funny but not as funny as I thought it would be.
• There was a lot of wordy dialogue throughout so there were moments that kind of got slow for me.
• Vince Vaughn was hilarious as usual. He plays the same kind of character over and over but does it well.
• Actually, they all did a great job showcasing their comedic acting abilities and it was a really great cast that I enjoyed watching.
• Malin Akerman is cute as a button.
• Kristin Davis has a great body. She was the oldest of the female leads but she looked just as good as the young bucks. It's always fun to see her in other movies after loving her so much as Charlotte in Sex In The City.
• I really like the storyline. The idea of couples working on their marriages and re connecting.
• That freakin' island was amazing!! I wanted to jump through the screen and be there myself it was so beautiful and idyllic. It was filmed in Bora Bora which is an island in Tahiti.

3 STARS

Bright Star

Starring: Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw
Drama: 2008, Rated PG


This is a period drama set in 1800's london and is the true story of Fannie Brawne (Cornish) who falls in love with writer John Keats (Whishaw). Initially, John thinks not much of her kindness to him while his brother is dying and her subsequent interest in poetry piques his interest. John's friend and Fannie have an utter dislike for each other but despite this John is smitten. Their love can go no further because Keats does not make an income and therefore does not have the money it would take to marrie Fannie.

• I got this movie because Abbie Cornish is in it. I think she is beautiful and quite a talented actress. I also like love stories.
• She did a great job in this movie but nothing much could help the fact that the movie was dry and quite boring for the most part.
• It just went on and on and to be honest I shut it off probably missing the last 10 minutes or so because something was coming on TV that I wanted to watch. Instead of finishing it later I just figured I wasn't missing much and called it a day.

2 Stars

The Stepfather

Starring: Penn Badgley, Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Amber Heard
Suspense/Thriller, 2009 (Rated PG 13)

A teenage boy (Badgley) comes home from military school to find that his mother is about to marry a man she has known for six months. The guy is likeable enough. The scariest thing about him is that he is almost too perfect but strange bits of information and behaviors keep popping up that make Micheal suspicious. When Michael catches him in a lie he is determined to find out exactly what his soon to be stepfather is hiding.

• This movie was full of suspense and had me jumping and holding my breath on more then one occasion which I like.
• It was a typical kind of story line about a crazy person who sets out to fool everyone and hide his mental illness.
• Michael's girlfriend Kelly (Heard) is obviously the eye candy in this movie and there were several convenient shots of her in her undies. Her primary wardrobe was a bikini and midriff baring shirts. She has a hot bod and they certainly wanted everyone to see it.

4 Stars

Motherhood

Starring: Uma Thurman, Anthony Avery and Minnie Driver
Drama (Rated PG 13)


A stressed out frustrated mother of 2 who splits time with her husband between two rent controlled apartments in New York ponders the meaning of Motherhood as she tries to find time in her busy schedule to write an essay about that topic to enter into a contest. She is a stay at home mom who obviously loves her children but also mourns the loss of putting her dreams on hold and feels conflicted about how her life has turned out.

• This movie does a good job of showing the reality of being a mother. You are supposed to love it and it's supposed to be the most fulflling thing in the world but sometimes at the expense of yourself which seems to be the way it's supposed to be.
• Thurman does an excellent job as usual. I am used to seeing her play a glamorous or beautiful professional type lately so it was interesting to see her playing such a "drab" role.
• The movie was a little slow at times.

2 Stars

Ice Castles

Drama, 2010 (Rated PG)

A young skater who skates for fun on her pond in Iowa is discovered by a big time figure skating coach who wants to coach her to the World and Olympic level. She agrees to go to Boston and train risking her relationship with her boyfriend who is a Collegiate hockey player at Michigan State. Her life is changing faster then she ever imagined and the exceptional talent she didn't know she had takes her to the top of her sport when disaster threatens to take it all away from her.

• Needless to say I was super excited at the prospect of a remake. I loved the music and the amazing images from the original 1979 version with a passion.
• a lof the the details felt really phony and flimsy. The figure skating club attached to the hotel. The photo shoots. I am not a figure skating insider but even I know that a lot of this was fluff.
• In typical fashion this re make fell extremely short of the original. The acting wasn't the greatest and the drama and passion of the original film just wasn't there.
• They did not use any body doubles. The ice skater that played Lexi was actually acting for the very first time and while I think she did a decent job you could really tell she was new.
• I loved figure skating so really enjoyed the story and the performance of the whole thing but it really just wasn't the same.

2 Stars

The Surrogates

Starring: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell

Sci Fi, 2009 (Rated PG-13)

Welcome to the future where humans can't be bothered to actually live their own lives risking injury or death and instead send surrogates out into the world who are genetically engineered to look perfect while they sit at home hooked up to a chair. The world is divided by those who use surrogates and those who don't. When a high profile "operator" ends up dying when his surrogate is struck by a car FBI agent Greer must find out why.

• I have to be honest and I say that while I loved this story line and concept for a movie I kind of have no idea what the heck happened.
• I have a tendency to get lost in moves with super intricate plots and that's exactly what happened here.
• I love the concept though. Imagine a world where you could physically be anybody you want to. Everyone was perfect, young and beautiful because that's what they wanted to be.

3 Stars

I Can Do Bad All By Myself

Starring: Taraji P Henson, Adam Rodriguez, Brian White, Tyler Perry
Comedy/Drama, 2009 (Rated PG13)

April is a selfish night club singer with a drinking problem. She is involved with an evil spirited married man and generally keeps to herself spending her days sleeping and her nights working and drinking. When her 3 nieces and nephews turn up on her doorstep without a place to go she begrudgingly takes them in but for a limited time only because she really doesn't want to be bothered. She is further intruded upon by a Mexican immigrant sent over by the church to do handy man work around the house in exchange for room and board. Even with so many people around her her heart is hard as a stone and rather then make room for what could be good things in her life she continues to push away.

• This movie is just shy of two hours but could have easily been 1 1/2 hours or less without all of the extended vocal performances put on display by the church choir, Mary J Blige AND Gladys Knight. I found myself wanting to fast forward because it just went on and on.
• A typical Tyler Perry formula: Evil Villain, person with a heart of gold, people that need saving and the church as central characters in the film.
• Even though his movies are so dramatic and tend to fall into the same pattern I like them. They always have a wonderful message and so much heart that you can't help but be touched at least a little bit.
• It's great that someone is really just making movies that mean something. That tell good stories, teach lessons, and inspire hope. You get the feeling that it's what Tyler Perry was put here to do and so that is what he is doing.

4 STARS

The Invention Of Lying

Starring: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner
Comedy, 2009 (PG13)

Imagine a world where people do not lie. Everything anyone says is taken as fact and nobody even bothers with little white lies that spare peoples feeling or keep things polite. Well, this movie does just that. Mark (Gervais) discovers one day that he can lie-although he doesn't even have a word to describe it. Suddenly his life changes as he realizes the power of telling lies especially in a world where others don't. He gets everything he wants except Anna (Garner) the girl of his dreams. Can he convince her that despite his plain exterior that he is the man of hers?

• This movie is actually quite funny and entertaining. It does have some slow moments but overall I really liked it because it was so unique.
• I am immediately annoyed by Anna because she is so incredibly shallow and vain. But really aren't we all in at least some small way? Just not in such an "in your face" kind of way.
• It confronts the concept of physical beauty and success or lack thereof in a head on no apologies kind of way. Often it's what people are thinking but no one dares to speak out loud.
• When a perfect stranger in this town asks you how you are doing it's ok to say you hate your life and you think that they are ugly. Somehow I found the thought of not having to say that you are fine if you aren't just to make polite conversation. On the other hand....do you really want people to know all of that information about you?

3 STARS

The Book Of Eli

Starring: Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis
2010, Thriller

Eli (Washington) is an exceptional man in a post apocalyptic world on a near impossible mission that is taking him out West by foot. There are no laws and very few morals among those who have managed to survive making his task even more difficult. He is trying to protect something so powerful that it could ultimately save the human race which at present is sinking further and further into despair. Along the way he meets Solara (Kunis) who could use some saving herself and together they continue on the journey.

• This movie takes survival of the fittest to a whole new level. There isn't much left but dust and people are driven to do anything to survive.
• Denzel Washington is excellent and nice to look at even in a bombed out dirty world as usual.
• It was nice to see Mila Kunis in a different kind of movie then what she has done in the past.
• Plenty of action and great fighting scenes but I must say the ending felt just a little flat.
• A testament to the power of faith.

4 Stars

Post Grad

Starring: Alexis Bledel, Zach Gilford

Comedy (2009), Rated PG 13

Ryden (Bledel) is a recent college grad who has pretty much had her life mapped out since day 1 of high school. When she doesn't land that dream job her whole life goes into a tailspin of confusion. So distraught is she over her misfortune she fails to realize that love is starring her in the face and that there are other things that are more important then a certain job. As she tries to find a job and figure out what she is going to do now she learns lessons about love and life that can't be taught in college or found at a certain job.

• This movie was pretty good.
• Bledel is a great little actress and her eyes are absolutely gorgeous blue that looks great against her dark hair.

3 Stars

Pandorum

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster
Suspense Thriller, 2009 (Rated R)

Two astronauts awaken after an extended slumber on a space ship to a nightmare of killer mutated creatures and more questions then answers as they try to recover their memories and piece together what happened to derail their journey to a newly discovered planet called Tana. They encounter other survivors and attempt to keep the ship from shutting down so that they can continue onto their destination.

• I remained interested as the movie went on and more and more questions were answered about who they were and why they were there.
• Overall decent movie but it didn't knock my socks off in any way.

3 STARS

Fame

Ensemble cast
Drama, Rated PG (2009)

This is a story about dreams. The movie follows a group of dancers, singers, actors, and musicians from their Freshman to Senior year at a prestigious and competitive school of creative and performing arts in New York City. They all start out in one place with a dream and a goal and by the end of the four years some will make it and some won't. That's the harsh reality of show business and these young would be stars have a front row seat.

• I remember the original 1982 version so I was really looking forward to this one coming out.
• It's the age old story of young people who have this dream and a passion for a field that is so incredibly unforgiving.
• It was not a tear jerker by any means but I know what it's like to have a dream and I have a soft spot in my heart that is touched when I watch a movie about it.
• The acting was OK and the story line was a little flat but all of the amazing dancing and singing made up for it. It it's not your thing it probably won't interest you much.
• Ensemble cast of unknown actors. I heard they scoured the country casting for this.
• This movie really was about the dream. There was a little bit of drama but not enough to detract from the basic premise of the movie.

3 STARS

Spread

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche, and Margarita Levieva
Drama, Rated R (2009)

Nicki (Kutcher) is a young former wanna be actor with stars in his eyes that gets by on his looks and his ability to finagle his way into the hears and pocketbooks of wealthy Hollywood women. He is a vagabond of sorts as he moves from mansion to mansion living of of other peoples dimes and latching onto the lavish lifestyle that he craves. While staying with Samantha (Heche) he meets his match when he meets a beautiful waitress. He tries to run his usual hustle and quickly finds out not only that she is the female version of himself but that he actually likes her.

• This was a good movie. Good acting and good quality.
• There is an underlying lesson that all the money in the world can still leave you empty.
• Everyone wants to live that lifestyle. The good life. But how pathetic is it when the only way you can get it for yourself is to use? What does that say about you and how long will people put up with it?
• Nicki is basically a man ho and at some point you have to face facts and start living life the way the regular folks do unless you've figured out a way to get it for yourself.
• Wouldn't if be nice to find love & money in the same place? Nicki couldn't seem to find that and if the woman wanted more and it became more trouble then it was worth it was time to move on.
• Heche has an awesome body. She's been around awhile so I know she is considered an "older" actress but you sure wouldn't know it by that body.
• Levieva has a natural beauty about her. She plays the hot girl in Adventureland.

3 Stars

The Hangover

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zack Galifianakis, Justin Bartha
Comedy, 2009 (Rated R)

A Bachelor Party in Vegas turns into a wild night of jail, musical cars, impromptu weddings, and various injuries that not a single one of the guys can remember when they wake up hung over in their trashed Vegas room. They find a baby and a stray tiger in their room and that is just the beginning of the clues they discover from their wild antics the night before. They must piece everything together, do some damage control and and get back home within 48 hours or else the Groom is going to miss his wedding.

• I've been waiting a while to see this one and have heard some very good things about it. It did not disappoint.
• This movie was freakin' hilarious.
• If ever there was a bachelor party from hell this is it.
• I loved all of the four characters in the movie. They were each interesting and funny in their own way.
• Heather Graham & Mike Tyson have small roles.

All About Steve

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper
Comedy, 2009 (Rated PG 13)

Mary (Bullock) is a talkative, quirky, and too smart for her own good crossword puzzle creator. She goes out on one single kind of date with Steve (Cooper) and her oddness is immediately apparent to him causing him to run for the hills. The thing he doesn't understand about Mary is that if she wants you she will follow. Steve finds himself stalked all over as he works as a TV Channel camera man and they find themselves in all kinds of unusual situations.

• Mary is so obnoxious that within the first 10 minutes I kind of wanted to shut the movie off just so I didn't have to hear her voice anymore.
• I found myself asking repeatedly "What in the heck is wrong with her?"
• Kudos to Bullock for totally embracing this unique weird character.
• It is a funny, fun movie and has a very cheesy ending.

3 Stars

My One and Only

Starring: Renee Zellweger, Kevin Bacon
Comedy, 2009 (Rated PG 13)

Ann Devereaux (Zellweger) finally decides to leave her cheating musician husband (Bacon) after 16 years despite the fact that she has never worked a day in her life and has always been a "kept" woman. She sends her son to buy a car and they hit the road leaving New York and their cushy privileged lifestyle behind. Her mission: Find another man to take care of her and her two son's. The task proves not to be as easy as she thought but along the way she learns more about her son's then she ever bothered to know before and discovers something else about herself that she never thought she would.

• The movie is good and I love the way the story unfolds but it moves pretty slow.
• There were lots of shadows in this movie on the actors faces and everywhere else.
• Ann is basically a gold digger as she sets out to find someone to replace her husband when the logical thing would be to find a job.
• She is used to luxury and nannies to the point where she never even bothered to take an interest in being a good mother.
• She is witty, charming and beautiful. The type of woman who usually gets what she wants and generally has life handed to her on a silver platter.
• Every now and then I think of how nice it might be to be that woman who lives a life of leisure and is totally taken care of by a man. It's nice in theory but the idea of being that incapable of taking care of myself and making it my mission to get by on someone else's dime is sort of pathetic.

3 Stars

Jennifer's Body

Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried
Horror, 2009 (R Rated)

After a bar fire in a small town where nothing ever happens Needy (Seyfried) becomes suspicious of her best friend Jennifer (Fox) after she comes over bloody, battered, and acting very strangely. Soon after, the high school quarterback is found viciously murdered in the woods behind the football field. The town becomes the center of a media frenzy as the students mourn the lives of lost lives. Jennifer is the hottest girl in school and gets any guy she wants but suddenly her appetite for boys has grown stronger then ever. There is definitely something strange and deadly going on and Needy has to stop it before someone else turns up dead.

• The storyline of this movie is pretty weird but it makes for a really good movie.
• Megan Fox's hotness is played up and put on display in every shot. She is a great looking girl and was perfect for the role of seductress.
• Fox obviously hit the genetic gene pool jack pot with piercing blue eyes and dark hair. What must it be like to be that gorgeous?
• Amanda Seyfried plays the homely best friend role and although Fox is the hot one in the movie I really think Seyfried steals the show.

4 Stars

500 Days Of Summer

Starring: Zooey Dechanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Romantic Comedy, 2009 (Rated PG 13)


A greeting card writer falls head over heels in love with the new secretary at the office. Summer is totally upfront in her non belief in love and lack of desire to have a serious relationship or commitment but Mark is so in love he pursues her anyways like a love sick puppy. What follows is the story of boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl sort of falls in love with boy, boy wants more, and girl breaks up with boy.

• This movie is a testament to the concept that you cannot force love. It is either there or it isn't and no amount of wanting it to be so will make it any different.
• There were some cool quirky effects throughout the movie that kept it fun and interesting.
• It was cool to see Dechanel play a character that actually had a real job!!!
• Mark is the perfect kind of guy that every girl wants but only some are lucky enough to get. Despite all of his wonderfulness Summer just wasn't interested and sometimes that's just the way love goes.

4 Stars

District 9

Starring: Sharlto Copely, Jason Cope

Thriller, 2009 (Rated R)

Twenty years ago a flying saucer appeared over a small town in South Africa. A company called MNU (Multi National United) has been assigned the near impossible task of controlling the aliens and integrating them in whatever way possible into society. They have been relegated to a ghetto like slum in an area called District 9 and their presence has caused all kinds of problems as humans are now forced to cope with this alien and often times violent population. The situation comes to a head when MNU has decided to relocate the aliens to a new area and one of their head employees Wikus Van de merwe (Copely) has an unfortunate exposure to alien fluid inside one of the alien homes. He suddenly finds himself on the run from the company that just promoted him.

• I really had no idea what this movie was about and was quite surprised at what I saw in the first 30 minutes.
• It was a satirical comedy/parody documentary style. A comedy mostly because of how such bizarre subject matter was being presented in such a straight forward dead pan manner.
• There were mostly unknown actors and the acting was good.
• The movie got better for me as it went along and the actual story line began to develop.
• I really fell in love with Wikus. He was such a kind man who found himself in a horribly awful situation but never gave up fighting.
• There was plenty of action and plenty of blood and icky stuff if you are into that sort of thing. Which I am!!
• Those aliens are so nasty looking!

5 Stars

A Perfect Getaway

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant, Kiele Sanchez

Thriller, 2009 (Rated R)

A couple on their honeymoon in Hawaii meet up with another pair after news breaks that there has been a brutal murder on a nearby island. As time goes on the newlyweds second guess their decision to tag along and hike this rural trail together. As they travel together and they become wary of their new friends. Nick is an ex military special ops trained war vet and Gina is a free spirited sweet yet tough girl. Both couples cross paths with a strange hard edged couple that looks like trouble. If anyone killed anyone it seems that they are the likely suspects but you quickly realize that looks can be deceiving.

• I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
• There was an amazing unexpected twist and everything that led up to it kept me guessing.
• Stunning Hawaii backdrop with vibrant beautiful colors. Spending 3 days hiking through muddy trails and sleeping in tents is NOT my idea of fun but the scenery was beautiful.
• Jovovich does it again. I love her as an actress. She is as engaging to watch as she is beautiful.

5 Stars