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