The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Saturday was date night.  We went to Cineopolis to see The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  I loved it.  It's one of those feel good movies that makes me feel enlightened and enriched in some way just from having watched it.  It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  I'm surprised I didn't cry. 

Walter Mitty is your average Joe like anyone else.  He's been working in the basement level of Life Magazine for 16 years in the negative assets department and stresses out about keeping the bills paid.  Life Magazine is transitioning from the print version of to Life Magazine Online.  He is the timid, worker bee who hope that he still has a job when it's all said and done who is belittled by the hot shot jerk of a younger guy in charge of overseeing the transition.  Day to day life is pretty mundane except when he goes into one of his trances and thinks of all the things he wishes he had the guts to say or the super human abilities to do.  I think we all kind of do that.  What if.  If only.  One day.  I wish.  Then suddenly he finds himself going to places and doing those things that he only dreamed about before.  He goes from underdog to trailblazer and with it comes a confidence that he didn't have before. 

In the movie the Life Magazine mission statement is: “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That is the purpose of life.”  The words are vague and broad and yet so universally specific at the same time.  I think we can all find meaning in it.

One of my favorite quotes from the movie is when one of the characters says, "Beautiful things don't ask for attention."  It really stood out for me in it's simplicity.  In this day and age of me, me, me and a non stop social media attention seeking frenzy it's just a really refreshing way to look at things.  Like, just be yourself and who cares what people think or who is looking and that in itself is beautiful.

The movie definitely raises some questions in terms of how realistic it is.  Is there really a Papa John's in Greenland?  Is it really possible to get cell phone reception in Iceland?  Is e Harmony really $500 per year?  But it's a movie.  I loved the storyline so much that I really didn't care about the actual reality of such things.  The acting was great, the characters were touching and I loved the story.  I give it a thumbs up.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inglourious Basterds

Starring: Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent
Comedy, 2009 (Rated R)

A group of men led by Lt Aldo Raine (Pitt) that refer to themselves as the Basterd's make it their mission to hunt Nazi's and teach them a lesson that they will not soon forget. They find out they have an opportunity to destroy top SS guards including Adolf Hitler himself and so they join forces with a German actress in an attempt to carry out this plan. Meanwhile a young woman named who narrowly escaped being murdered by Nazi's suddenly finds herself befriended by a high ranking SS officer who just so happens to be the star of a Nazi propaganda film. She too sees an opportunity to carry out a plan to destroy those who tried to destroy her but things don't go exactly according to plan. For anyone.

• This one wasn't really on my list of movies I wanted to see even though I do like Brad Pitt but it just so turns out I really liked it.
• It had a lot of classic Quentin Tarantino touches like the dated movie soundtrack, the separation of movies into different chapters, and the way those characters in those chapters end up crossing paths in unique ways. Oh, and of course it was pretty long.
• Brad Pitt was really funny in this. The movie was an interesting cross between comedy and drama due to the heavy subject matter.

4 Stars

Julie & Julia

Starring: Meryl Streep and Amy Adams
Comedy, 2009 (PG-13)

This is the true story of two different Julia's wherein Julia Powell is inspired by Julia Child. Julia Powell is a lowly government secretary who works in a cubicle and has friends who design things, write things, and have big titles. She is a writer but doesn't consider herself to actually be one because she couldn't find anyone to publish her book. Shortly after her and her husband move to Queens she grows tired of her uninspired life. She loves cooking and decides to cook 524 recipes from Julia Child's cook book in 365 days and write a blog about it. Well, french cooking is not as easy as Julia Child makes it look and with a full time job the task becomes way more difficult then she ever imagines but also yields amazing rewards that she never thought possible.

• This movie is very touching. So many 30 something woman can identify with feeling like they are going nowhere fast and have somehow ended up in their 30's with nothing to show for it.
• I am actually a Julie myself except I have not ever written a book. Successful friends and a cubicle job. Wouldn't it be amazing to have her fairy tale story?
• I really love Amy Adams. She is perfect in this role. She has such a real and endearing quality about her that plays perfectly.
• Meryl Streep does a great job mirroring Julia Child's high pitched style of speech and they did an amazing job of making her look taller then she is.
• The movie switches back and forth between Julia Powell and Julia Child but it's never confusing. It's just fun.

5 Stars

Four Christmases

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Reece Witherspoon, Sissy Spacek, Robert Duvall
Comedy, 2008 (PG 13)

A couple who routinely avoids Christmas with family in favor of tropical island vacations together find themselves snowed in and unable to avoid visiting all four parents in one day for Christmas. As they visit each parent and see each other with their families they learn things about each other that they hadn't known. Kate (Witherspoon) has a light bulb moment in regards to their relationship that changes things but is it for better or for worse?

• This movie was way funny and I would expect nothing less from Vince Vaughn. He is just a funny guy.
• The relationship between Kate and Brad is very cute. They are so much alike that they are perfect for one another until Kate decides she wants to change the rules a little.
• I love Reece's platinum blonde hair and side swept bangs. She looks great and acts great too.

4 Stars

Role Models

Starring: Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Elizabeth Banks
Comedy, 2008 (Rated R)

A guy and his sort of partner in crime who are energy drink reps do something really reckless after getting dumped by his girlfriend that causes him to have to choose between jail and community service. They choose community service and two bachelor types who know nothing about kids become "bigs" to two "littles" and the adventure begins.

• This movie was better then I thought it would be.
• Lot's of foul language and the bulk of it coming from the kids.
• Very heartfelt movie. Enjoyable and laugh out loud funny.

4 Stars

Watch the trailer

Yes Man

Starring: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, Molly Sims

Comedy, 2008

A man in a rut attends a seminar and then decides to say yes to everything in his life that he would normally say no to. What follows is a path and an adventure that he would have never been on had he stuck to his isolated routine ways. It even leads him to love.

• Deschanel is definitely the go to girl for quirky off beat characters. It's almost like she plays the same role but just in different movies.
• This movie was FUNNY! I found myself laughing out loud over and over again.
• Jim Carrey is so engaging and just so good at what he does.
• I caught this one on Cinemax originally not ever intending to watch it but boy was I wrong for passing it up.
• It has a great message about the word yes that I liked. Open yourself up a little and good things may come to you that you didn't think possible.

4 Stars

Marie and Bruce

Starring: Julianne Moore and Matthew Broderick
Comedy Drama, 2004 (Rated R)

An unhappily married woman wakes up one morning determined that she will finally tell her husband how she really feels. Over the course of the day they go about their mundane tasks before meeting up at a friends party after which they have planned to go to dinner to talk.

• This movie was a total disappointment. Good actors don't necessarily make good movies and this was a perfect example.
• There were some strange almost dream like totally non sensical sequences involving Marie. They added nothing to the movie except confusion.
• The dialogue was extremely repetitive, overly formal, and downright boring to the point where after a while I could hardly stand to listen anymore. Darling this and Darling that. In fact, I didn't watch the last 1/3 of the movie preferring instead to surf the Internet.
• Great actors with a great reputations but if you happen to see it in Blockbuster leave it on the shelf.

1 Star