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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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