It has been awhile since I posted and even longer since I had a movie post. And so I am here to do just that. Last weekend I watched "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows Part 1" and this weekend I watched, "Rabbit Hole," "Gulliver's Travels," and "The Way Back." So I'm going to have to do a few mini reviews instead of a long review for each. Plus I'm a tad low on energy and am afraid if I try for long in-depth reviews they will come out sounding strange and not thought out. So here goes.
Firstly there was "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows Part 1." This is the first part of the seventh installment of the Harry Potter saga. For those out there who have read the books we already know the story. And for those out there simply skating by on watching the movies you at least have an idea of where the story starts. Harry, Hermione, and Ron aren't going back to Hogwarts, they are headed out to search for Voldemort's Horcruxes. While the war between the Order and the Death Eaters continues Harry and his gang camp atop mountains and in the middle of forrests, searching for any clue to finding the only weakness that Voldemort has, his Horcruxes. The film is full of adventure, drama, excitment and sorrow. While the movie is well done, definetly in keeping with the Harry Potter tradition, there are points that prove it's nearing the end of it's reign.
While the movie in itself is a darker part of the Harry Potter saga I thought that the lack of lighting was going a bit overboard. The movie was almost too dark to see which made it hard to watch. That was a disappointment. Now while I never go into watching these movies with any level of true expectations I have watched the last couple of films with more of a feeling that the actors should at the very least know their characters. I know that they are not the greatest actots, nor do I expect them to be. However they have now spent many years as these characters and should have grown into them by now. Rupert Grint, Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson, Hermione Granger have indeed done this. And of course the adults of the production know what they are doing. There is however a weak link and that unfortunately Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter, himself. He can't seem to grow into his role the way that the others have. It's a shame. Other than that and the lighting the movie was pretty good. It ended at the perfect moment to make me want to go and see the second part. So good there.
On to "Rabbit Hole." Starring the nominated Nicole Kidman, and Aaron Eckhart the movie is full of pain. It's all about these two people, a husband and wife who are trying to figure out how to go on with their lives after the death of their two-year-old son. It's eight months after their son's death and they are trying to find some sort of normal routine. They have been going to grief group and suddenly Becca, Nicole Kidman, decides she wants to quit. After that Becca and Howie, Aaron Eckhart, begin to live seperate lives. Becca has just found out that her sister is pregnant. And in the spirit trying to move on she goes to deliver Danny's, her son's, clothes to her sister. On her drive home, from eventually dropping the clothes off at Goodwill, she sees a young man in a school bus. She follows the bus to his stop and from that day on she continues to watch him. All the while Howie is going to group, making new friends, and trying to find a way to move on. Seperate lives going on.
The movie was well done in many respects. Superbly acted, beautifully written and directed. And though the film was nowhere near as heavy as "Precious" was it was still hard to watch. The pain of losing a child has to be the hardest thing that parents can go through. And that pain was wll played out in the movie. I do recommend this movie but with a disclaimer. You really have to be ready to experience the sadness and pain that is interwoven in the silences as well as every word spoken. But it is indeed a really good movie.
"Gulliver's Travels," was a fun flick. Starring Jack Black, Amanda Peet, Emily Blunt, Jason Segal and Billy Connolly. All in all a fun cast for a fun movie. Anyone who is familiar with the tale of "Gulliver's Travels" knows pretty much what the story is. Although this is a modern take on it. With iphones and Star Wars refrences the movie was full of odds and ends that made the movie silly and fun. For something that is light and funny and nothing too intense this is the movie. There were a few really nice laughs and some good old fashioned Jack Blackness so it made it worth it. I recommend it.
"The Way Back" based on an incredible true story about seven prisoners escaping from a Siberian prisoner in 1940 and how they survived until they got to India. Not all of them survived but the ones that did left behind an incredible story. Starring Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, and Saoirse Ronan (which is pronounced SEER-shuh RO-nuhn) the movie is full of talent. Though the story itself is a tough one it is also one filled with hope, and one of the things I liked best about it was that they escaped into the winter night, in Siberia, knowing that some would die but knowing that those that did would die free men.
It is a beautiful story of survival and hope and one that really makes you look at people differently. It made me realize that there really were some truly remarkable people in the world. The movie was a tad long and there were some weird time confusions that happened but it was a good movie. The story was incredible and a little mind blowing, the movie was good, well acted and intruiging. It's something that I would recommend though.
Anyway there they are, the movies that I watched in the last little while. Good ones, nothing that blew me away but good movies. Which is more then I can say for a lot of the movies in the past little while. It was a nice change to get some good movies rather then a whole bunch of nothing. Also I would like to note "The King's Speech," is out on dvd this week as well. So if you are local come buy the store and pick up a copy it is well worth it!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
A Mythical Adventure
I recently read "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. I have a friend who has been recommending it to me for quite awhile now. I went to visit her and her boyfriend, they live in Portland and near Powell's bookstore, and naturally due to the fact that we are both kind of book freaks we got to talking books. And we of course went to Powell's. This is a dangerous place to be for book lovers, true book lovers. You have to be the type of book lover that literally can't get by for even a day without out SOMETHING to read. If you are that type of book lover Powell's is nirvana. The place that you could go and live and die happily. Anyway while there I started talking about how I really wanted something new to read. A new author, a new genre and my friend once again suggested Neil Gaiman's "American Gods." Seeing as I had already gathered quite a few titles I decided against getting it. However when I returned home and went to a used bookstore I picked it up. Then promptly forgot about it.
Eventually I started getting interested in the book. There it sat on my bookshelf staring me in the face. And I started talking about it with my friend and she urged me to give it a try. And so I did. I read it in a couple of days. I loved it. It surprised me, from the very beginning it swept me up and kept a hold on me. Now I'm not usually one for the fantasy genre but this just interested me from the beginning and kept me interested until the very last page.
The story begins with Shadow. An ex-con just getting out of prison, on his way home to bury his wife. A wife who died just a few days before he got out of prison. On the plane ride home he meets a man calling himself Mr. Wednesday. A man that at first seems harmless and then starts telling Shadow things that he shouldn't know. It scares Shadow enough that when they get to the airport instead of making his connection Shadow decides to rent a car and drive the rest of the way home. Somehow Mr. Wednesday catches up to him and offers him a job. After a few drinks Shadow agrees. What follows is an adventure that shakes Shadow to his very core and makes his soul soar to new heights.
He meets gods and goddesses and speaks to them as equals. Although he is at times thrown for a loop he learns to find his footing in this new world. The world of gods from the past and gods of the present. He dines with Thoth and Anubis, meets Bast, plays chess with a Russian god of darkness and is given the moon. It's a world that most of the time confuses him but one that he ultimately feels comfortable in. And one that I grew to love.
This was a great book, one that will stick with me always, one that made me want to read more of the fantasy genre. Something I know will make my friend happy, and one that makes me happy due to the fact that this opens up a whole new world for me. If you enjoy fantasy or are trying to break into that genre "American Gods" is a great place to start!!! I highly recommend it!
Eventually I started getting interested in the book. There it sat on my bookshelf staring me in the face. And I started talking about it with my friend and she urged me to give it a try. And so I did. I read it in a couple of days. I loved it. It surprised me, from the very beginning it swept me up and kept a hold on me. Now I'm not usually one for the fantasy genre but this just interested me from the beginning and kept me interested until the very last page.
The story begins with Shadow. An ex-con just getting out of prison, on his way home to bury his wife. A wife who died just a few days before he got out of prison. On the plane ride home he meets a man calling himself Mr. Wednesday. A man that at first seems harmless and then starts telling Shadow things that he shouldn't know. It scares Shadow enough that when they get to the airport instead of making his connection Shadow decides to rent a car and drive the rest of the way home. Somehow Mr. Wednesday catches up to him and offers him a job. After a few drinks Shadow agrees. What follows is an adventure that shakes Shadow to his very core and makes his soul soar to new heights.
He meets gods and goddesses and speaks to them as equals. Although he is at times thrown for a loop he learns to find his footing in this new world. The world of gods from the past and gods of the present. He dines with Thoth and Anubis, meets Bast, plays chess with a Russian god of darkness and is given the moon. It's a world that most of the time confuses him but one that he ultimately feels comfortable in. And one that I grew to love.
This was a great book, one that will stick with me always, one that made me want to read more of the fantasy genre. Something I know will make my friend happy, and one that makes me happy due to the fact that this opens up a whole new world for me. If you enjoy fantasy or are trying to break into that genre "American Gods" is a great place to start!!! I highly recommend it!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Something So Sad About Comedy
This past weekend the movies that were for viewing were mostly comedies. I was looking forward to them due to the fact that it has been a dry time in the workld of good comedy. There was a Jim Carrey/Ewen McGregor comedy that looked promising as well as "Little Fockers." This was the third installment in the "Meet the Parents" saga. Also something that looked promising. I generally find Ben Stiller to be amusing and I thought that RObert De Niro and Ben Stiller made a good team in the other two. Needless to say I felt that this weekend just might be a good movie weekend. Wow when I'm wrong, I'm REALLY wrong.
Starting with "I Love You Phillip Morris" starring Jim Carrey and Ewen McGregor, written by John Regua and Glen Ficarra and directed by the same team this is a story about a gay con man. Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell a man who grows up living a lie. He is gay but he gets married, has a daughter, works on the police force and goes to church. He joined the police force to find his real mother, he had been adopted, and when he finally does and she rejects him he decides he is going to move his family to Texas and start over. While there after a night spent with a lover he is driving home and gets into a car accident. This is when he decides to change his life and just be gay. He moves to Miami and moves in with a boyfriend and starts living the expensive "gay lifestyle." This is where things start going awry.
Steven decides that in order to keep things the way they are and treat his boyfriend the way he deserves to be treated he starts running insurance scams. Finally he gets put in jail and there he meets Phillip Morris, played by Ewen McGregor. After a whirlwind courtship they fall in love and bunk together. After Steven gets out he promises to get Phillip out as well. What follows is the two of them living together happily for awhile, Steven goes to work and Phillip stays home. But it's in Steven's nature to go hunting for more. He continues to pull scam after scam. And he continues to get caught. Until finally he ends up in prison for good.
This is supposed to be based on true events and it's based on a book written by Steve McVicker. The whole time I was watching the movie I felt like instead of being a comedy about a con man it was a movie poking fun of gay men. It kind of made me sad in that respect. I felt that Jim Carrey's portrayal was over the top and the sex scenes, and yes there were a few, were over done. I was really pretty disappointed in the film. I felt that Ewen McGregor and Jim Carrey were an awkward match for the movie. I thought that they should have used Jim Carrey and someone equally outrageous and make it a complete farce or use Ewen McGregor and someone as tame and make it more a dramedy but the two of them were too opposite and the movie turned into a strange mix of real acting and one liners. I don't recommend it. It's a 2.
Onto "Little Fockers." The movie is pretty much what you expect, starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand, Teri Polo, Jessica Alba, Blythe Danner and new comers Laura Dern and Harvey Keitel the best part of the whole thing was the cast. I thought that this was going to be a sure thing in the laughter area but it was not to be. It is the story of the Focker's getting ready for their twins' 5th birthday party. A few weeks before the party Jack Byrnes, Robert De Niro, has a heart attack. And realizes how life just might be shorter then he hoped. He calls Greg Focker, played by Ben Stiller, and informs him that he is now the "GodFocker" of the family. Things kind of proceed from there. The whole "GodFocker" thing goes to Greg's head as well as his new happy relationship with Jack. When Jack and Dina come to visit for the party things go back to the way they were. In the first two movies that is.
The whole thing is a repeat of the first couple of films. The jokes are pretty much identical to the ones in "Meet the Parents," and "Meet the Fockers." It's the same misunderstandings and the same joke of Jack not liking Greg. It was pretty boring. And I think the only reason they had Jessica Alba in the cast was so that she could take her clothes off. I was really disappointed with the whole thing. It's a 4, maybe, out of 10 and although I know it won't stop people from renting it, due to the series it is a part of, I don't suggest it. Then again I might end up once again in the minority in this.
I also watched a TV movie called "The 19th Wife" based on a book with the same title. It was all about the murder of a polygamist man. And his 19th wife is accused of the murder. It stars Chyler Leigh and Matt Czuchry, both best known for other TV roles. Chyler Leigh is probably best known for her role in "Grey's Anatomy" and Matt Czuchry is most likely best know for his role in "Gilmore Girl's." The movie was like a long episode of the TV show "Big Love." It really wasn't much. If it is a story that interests you then go for it, and I didn't think that it was horrible. But it also wasn't anything to get all that excited about.
I guess none of the movies this week were really all that great. It's too bad. Tomorrow there will be a book post, I have finished a couple of books and will review at least one of them on the morrow. Until then gentle readers.
Starting with "I Love You Phillip Morris" starring Jim Carrey and Ewen McGregor, written by John Regua and Glen Ficarra and directed by the same team this is a story about a gay con man. Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell a man who grows up living a lie. He is gay but he gets married, has a daughter, works on the police force and goes to church. He joined the police force to find his real mother, he had been adopted, and when he finally does and she rejects him he decides he is going to move his family to Texas and start over. While there after a night spent with a lover he is driving home and gets into a car accident. This is when he decides to change his life and just be gay. He moves to Miami and moves in with a boyfriend and starts living the expensive "gay lifestyle." This is where things start going awry.
Steven decides that in order to keep things the way they are and treat his boyfriend the way he deserves to be treated he starts running insurance scams. Finally he gets put in jail and there he meets Phillip Morris, played by Ewen McGregor. After a whirlwind courtship they fall in love and bunk together. After Steven gets out he promises to get Phillip out as well. What follows is the two of them living together happily for awhile, Steven goes to work and Phillip stays home. But it's in Steven's nature to go hunting for more. He continues to pull scam after scam. And he continues to get caught. Until finally he ends up in prison for good.
This is supposed to be based on true events and it's based on a book written by Steve McVicker. The whole time I was watching the movie I felt like instead of being a comedy about a con man it was a movie poking fun of gay men. It kind of made me sad in that respect. I felt that Jim Carrey's portrayal was over the top and the sex scenes, and yes there were a few, were over done. I was really pretty disappointed in the film. I felt that Ewen McGregor and Jim Carrey were an awkward match for the movie. I thought that they should have used Jim Carrey and someone equally outrageous and make it a complete farce or use Ewen McGregor and someone as tame and make it more a dramedy but the two of them were too opposite and the movie turned into a strange mix of real acting and one liners. I don't recommend it. It's a 2.
Onto "Little Fockers." The movie is pretty much what you expect, starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand, Teri Polo, Jessica Alba, Blythe Danner and new comers Laura Dern and Harvey Keitel the best part of the whole thing was the cast. I thought that this was going to be a sure thing in the laughter area but it was not to be. It is the story of the Focker's getting ready for their twins' 5th birthday party. A few weeks before the party Jack Byrnes, Robert De Niro, has a heart attack. And realizes how life just might be shorter then he hoped. He calls Greg Focker, played by Ben Stiller, and informs him that he is now the "GodFocker" of the family. Things kind of proceed from there. The whole "GodFocker" thing goes to Greg's head as well as his new happy relationship with Jack. When Jack and Dina come to visit for the party things go back to the way they were. In the first two movies that is.
The whole thing is a repeat of the first couple of films. The jokes are pretty much identical to the ones in "Meet the Parents," and "Meet the Fockers." It's the same misunderstandings and the same joke of Jack not liking Greg. It was pretty boring. And I think the only reason they had Jessica Alba in the cast was so that she could take her clothes off. I was really disappointed with the whole thing. It's a 4, maybe, out of 10 and although I know it won't stop people from renting it, due to the series it is a part of, I don't suggest it. Then again I might end up once again in the minority in this.
I also watched a TV movie called "The 19th Wife" based on a book with the same title. It was all about the murder of a polygamist man. And his 19th wife is accused of the murder. It stars Chyler Leigh and Matt Czuchry, both best known for other TV roles. Chyler Leigh is probably best known for her role in "Grey's Anatomy" and Matt Czuchry is most likely best know for his role in "Gilmore Girl's." The movie was like a long episode of the TV show "Big Love." It really wasn't much. If it is a story that interests you then go for it, and I didn't think that it was horrible. But it also wasn't anything to get all that excited about.
I guess none of the movies this week were really all that great. It's too bad. Tomorrow there will be a book post, I have finished a couple of books and will review at least one of them on the morrow. Until then gentle readers.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The World of King Henry VIII
I have always been fascinated by the world of The Tudors. In that respect I read what I can on them. I read "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Phillipa Gregory, which I loved, I have spent time on the internet researching them. I bought a biography on Henry VIII and started reading that, it is a tad dry but I think that I will try it again. The point is I find the whole Henry VIII saga intriguing. In that vein I was at a bookstore and I stumbled across a novel, a rather thick one titled, "The Autobiography of Henry VIII" by Margaret George. I had read one other historical novel by her "The Memoirs of Cleopatra," and though it was long and a tad boring towards the end I thought that it was good writing and it seemed to be well researched. So I thought that I would give her Henry VIII a try.
Yes I know that the very definition of autobiography means written by oneself. And how is a modern novel written by a King who has been dead since 1547? The reason Margaret George called it the "Autobiography of Henry VIII" was because she put it as a first person narrative, the book was supposed to be Henry's journal. Hence the title. Anyway I was taken in from the start. To read things from Henry's point of the view was a nice change of pace. Reading about how when he was very young and was going to meet Katharine of Aragon in his brother's stead, how from the moment he saw her he fell in love. He felt that she was indeed the love of his life, that he should be the one to be in his brother Arthur's place.
We see Henry's pain as his mother and father favor the first born son over and above him. We experience his confusion when after his brother dies and then his mother and finally his father he finds himself King of England. And after many years he finds himself the husband of Katharine and truly happy. Then we watch as Henry becomes bewitched by Anne and throws his country into a tailspin trying to change the way the world worked. With each new bride we watch as he falls incredibly in love, sure that this is the one true love. And we experience his pain when he realizes he has been betrayed or that the ones he trusted most turned from him.
The book is well written and well researched, it had poetry and reality that was well mixed. I enjoyed spending time not only in the court of Henry VIII but also in his mind. If anyone enjoys historical novels or finds themselves especially interested in the Tudor court I would reccommend this novel. However it is not for everyone because it is a long novel and gets very involved. I give it a 7 out of 10. A good read, and well written but not for everyone.
Yes I know that the very definition of autobiography means written by oneself. And how is a modern novel written by a King who has been dead since 1547? The reason Margaret George called it the "Autobiography of Henry VIII" was because she put it as a first person narrative, the book was supposed to be Henry's journal. Hence the title. Anyway I was taken in from the start. To read things from Henry's point of the view was a nice change of pace. Reading about how when he was very young and was going to meet Katharine of Aragon in his brother's stead, how from the moment he saw her he fell in love. He felt that she was indeed the love of his life, that he should be the one to be in his brother Arthur's place.
We see Henry's pain as his mother and father favor the first born son over and above him. We experience his confusion when after his brother dies and then his mother and finally his father he finds himself King of England. And after many years he finds himself the husband of Katharine and truly happy. Then we watch as Henry becomes bewitched by Anne and throws his country into a tailspin trying to change the way the world worked. With each new bride we watch as he falls incredibly in love, sure that this is the one true love. And we experience his pain when he realizes he has been betrayed or that the ones he trusted most turned from him.
The book is well written and well researched, it had poetry and reality that was well mixed. I enjoyed spending time not only in the court of Henry VIII but also in his mind. If anyone enjoys historical novels or finds themselves especially interested in the Tudor court I would reccommend this novel. However it is not for everyone because it is a long novel and gets very involved. I give it a 7 out of 10. A good read, and well written but not for everyone.
Monday, March 21, 2011
A Couple Of Movie Reviews, As Promised
Alright I promised a movie review tonight and here it is. Actually, honestly it is a couple of them because I watched a couple of movies. The movies were "How Do You Know" and "The Tourist." I must warn you all that I don't have high praise for either of them, they were both simply mediocre. Let me explain.
"How Do You Know," starring Resse Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, and Jack Nicholson and written and directed by James L. Brooks, is a romantic comedy that forgot to bring both the romance and the comedy. Resse Witheespoon plays, Lisa, a baseball player who for most of the years of her life has focused on nothing but baseball. She has dated only jocks, and is pretty hard. She is at a time in her life when she is just past her prime and has found out that she has been cut from her team. She starts dating the ever egotistical Owen Wilson, another baseball player, who isn't so much about quality but rather quantity when it comes to relationships. And because things aren't serious with him she agrees to a blind date with Paul Rudd. Paul Rudd is a man who works in his father's company and who is currently being investigted by the government for...something. I couldn't really tell what was happening there. Anyway they have a great first date, according to George (Paul Rudd), and this is the first good thing to happen to him in awhile. He thinks that this might just lead to something great. She on the other hand pretty much forgets about him and moves in with Owen Wilson, who happens to live in the same building as George's father, played by Jack Nicholson. One day George goes to visit his dad and runs into Lisa. Lisa invites George into her new home and introduces him to her boyfriend Matty (Owen Wilson). Matty gets upset that she invited someone into HIS place, this statement makes Lisa angry and so she gathers her stuff and moves out. George invites her to his place for a drink. They have another great night together. After a few hours Matty calls and Lisa goes back to him.
That is pretty much the movie. There is no real surprise at all, and the comedy is so subtle that it's barely there. Paul Rudd has a few funny moments, he is usually the one to bring the real comedy, but other then that I spent most of the movie bored. Resse Witherspoon's character is supposed to be tough and kind of like a tomboy but she's really just annoying. And as for the romance part of this romantic comedy it was really all one sided until the big end. I found "How Do You Know" to be boring and pretty lame. Sorry to all those out there with high hopes for a Resse Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, James L. Brooks romantic comedy but this is definetly not.
On to "The Tourist." Starring two of the most beautiful and well loved actors in Hollywood Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp and written by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie, and Julian Fellows and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, this movie was simply okay. I had heard that the critcs weren't in favor of the film, they found that Jolie and Depp had no chemistry and that the whole film was a little awkward. However I also heard from the people that it was a good action/suspense movie. That everyone did a grand old job. And I was personally excited to see it because I have been hoping the two of them would make a movie together for a long time. It turns out that, that should have stayed a dream. The film is about Frank, a math teacher from Wisconsin, and Elise, a mysterious woman being followed by the police. They meet on a train on their way to Italy. Elise invites Frank to spend the evening with her and sleep in her hotel suite. What ensues then is case after case of mistaken identity. Frank is mistaken for a big time theif by Interpol and the gangster this theif stole from. And so begin the chase scenes and shoot outs.
It sounds exciting right? But it was really kind of boring. I disagree with the critics about Depp's and Jolie's on-screen chemistry. I felt that they had some. I don't know if there were sparks between them nor did I believe they made the most interesting couple but there was good acting going on. The chase scenes were typical action scenes, the bad guys easy to spot the good guys in the right. Yes there were a few twists that were supposed to shock but I kind of figured things out before they were revealed. It made for a rather boring film. I know that plenty of people are going to see the film due to it's star cast but I am stating here that I found it lacking.
There you go. On both films I would have to give them a low rating. "How Do You Know" gets a 3 out of 10. I was hoping for laughs and found none. "The Tourist" recieves a 5 out of 10 due to the performances of the actors involved. However I can't give it more then that because it really was rather perdictable. The Venice back drop did make for nice visuals but really nothing too exciting. A shame that this weekend yielded such poor movie results but I guess that happens.
"How Do You Know," starring Resse Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, and Jack Nicholson and written and directed by James L. Brooks, is a romantic comedy that forgot to bring both the romance and the comedy. Resse Witheespoon plays, Lisa, a baseball player who for most of the years of her life has focused on nothing but baseball. She has dated only jocks, and is pretty hard. She is at a time in her life when she is just past her prime and has found out that she has been cut from her team. She starts dating the ever egotistical Owen Wilson, another baseball player, who isn't so much about quality but rather quantity when it comes to relationships. And because things aren't serious with him she agrees to a blind date with Paul Rudd. Paul Rudd is a man who works in his father's company and who is currently being investigted by the government for...something. I couldn't really tell what was happening there. Anyway they have a great first date, according to George (Paul Rudd), and this is the first good thing to happen to him in awhile. He thinks that this might just lead to something great. She on the other hand pretty much forgets about him and moves in with Owen Wilson, who happens to live in the same building as George's father, played by Jack Nicholson. One day George goes to visit his dad and runs into Lisa. Lisa invites George into her new home and introduces him to her boyfriend Matty (Owen Wilson). Matty gets upset that she invited someone into HIS place, this statement makes Lisa angry and so she gathers her stuff and moves out. George invites her to his place for a drink. They have another great night together. After a few hours Matty calls and Lisa goes back to him.
That is pretty much the movie. There is no real surprise at all, and the comedy is so subtle that it's barely there. Paul Rudd has a few funny moments, he is usually the one to bring the real comedy, but other then that I spent most of the movie bored. Resse Witherspoon's character is supposed to be tough and kind of like a tomboy but she's really just annoying. And as for the romance part of this romantic comedy it was really all one sided until the big end. I found "How Do You Know" to be boring and pretty lame. Sorry to all those out there with high hopes for a Resse Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, James L. Brooks romantic comedy but this is definetly not.
On to "The Tourist." Starring two of the most beautiful and well loved actors in Hollywood Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp and written by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie, and Julian Fellows and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, this movie was simply okay. I had heard that the critcs weren't in favor of the film, they found that Jolie and Depp had no chemistry and that the whole film was a little awkward. However I also heard from the people that it was a good action/suspense movie. That everyone did a grand old job. And I was personally excited to see it because I have been hoping the two of them would make a movie together for a long time. It turns out that, that should have stayed a dream. The film is about Frank, a math teacher from Wisconsin, and Elise, a mysterious woman being followed by the police. They meet on a train on their way to Italy. Elise invites Frank to spend the evening with her and sleep in her hotel suite. What ensues then is case after case of mistaken identity. Frank is mistaken for a big time theif by Interpol and the gangster this theif stole from. And so begin the chase scenes and shoot outs.
It sounds exciting right? But it was really kind of boring. I disagree with the critics about Depp's and Jolie's on-screen chemistry. I felt that they had some. I don't know if there were sparks between them nor did I believe they made the most interesting couple but there was good acting going on. The chase scenes were typical action scenes, the bad guys easy to spot the good guys in the right. Yes there were a few twists that were supposed to shock but I kind of figured things out before they were revealed. It made for a rather boring film. I know that plenty of people are going to see the film due to it's star cast but I am stating here that I found it lacking.
There you go. On both films I would have to give them a low rating. "How Do You Know" gets a 3 out of 10. I was hoping for laughs and found none. "The Tourist" recieves a 5 out of 10 due to the performances of the actors involved. However I can't give it more then that because it really was rather perdictable. The Venice back drop did make for nice visuals but really nothing too exciting. A shame that this weekend yielded such poor movie results but I guess that happens.
"Every Life Has A Soundtrack, All You Have To Do Is Listen."
I finished the latest Jodi Picoult quite a few days ago but I didn't have internet for unknown reasons and so I am just now posting my review. Right now I will post this book review and then later there will be a movie review about upcoming movies. On to the book review part of the review now.
As I said in my previous post I love almost all of Jodi Picoult's novels. A couple have fallen a little short for me but this one intrigued me from the start. It is titled "Sing You Home," all about Zoe, a music therapist married to Max, a recovering alcholic landscaper, and their wish to have a child. It has been difficult for them due to both of their infertilities. The story begins when Zoe is twenty-eight weeks into an IVF pregnancy. Far enough along that she is actually hopeful that this will end in a baby and not a miscarriage like her first two. She is huge and healthy and happy. Her mom has a baby shower all planned out, gifts and games, and cake is waiting. Half way through the shower Zoe begins to hemorrhage and is rushed to the hospital. Where she delivers a stillborn son.
While at the hospital she discovers that she has a severe blood clotting disorder that could cause serious and permanent damage if she were to get pregnant again. Which is something she is determined to do. However after she gets out of the hospital and Max and her spread the ashes of the son they never knew Max tells her he can no longer go through the uncertainty of trying to have a baby. The pain and the money that goes into it. And so he asks for a divorce. After this Max falls off the wagon big time and almost dies in a car crash. It is this that points Max in the direction of his brother's church and pastor. The Eternal Glory Church with Pastor Clive Lincoln. An extremist church that claims to follow the Bible to it's fullest meaning. Especially the passages that condem homosexuality.
Around this time Zoe runs into Vanessa Shaw. A counselor at the local high school with whom she has worked in her musical therapist capacity. They begin spending time together. Working through Zoe's depression over her dead baby, and her clotting condition, and most recently the knowledge that she has cancer, and has to have a hysterectomy. They do little things together, going shopping, running errands and going to the movies. On one of their movie trips they run into Max and his new church buddies protesting a movie entitled "Juliet & Juliet." This is Zoe's first glimpse at Max's new life. Knowing that Vanessa is gay Zoe gets them out of the situation before it can escalte into anything.
Eventaully after spending all their time together Vanessa and Zoe find themselves in love. A situation that both surprises and delights Zoe. In short order they move in together and get married. Eventually they decide that they want a baby. Now that Zoe no longer has a uterus, Vanessa decides to carry one of Zoe's embryos so that it is a part of both of them. Zoe and Max have three more embryos frozen at the fertility clinic from their last round of IVF. Zoe goes to Max asking for permission to use them. However with Max's new beliefs and the new crowd he runs in, he denys her the use of them and instead wishes to take them so that he can give them to his brother and sister-in-law. And so begins the court case.
It is a battle of church and state. Questions such as "who will provide the best home life for the child?" "Is this a matter of the law being carried out or simply the church trying to push it's own agenda?" Each side believes they know what is best for the "pre-born children" as they are reffered to. Each side tries to trap the other into tripping up. Making a big enough mistake that the judge will rule for their side. It is a tough read at times.
The book was really well written and very well researched. Jodi Picoult nevers leaves a fact unreasearched, which should show just how dedicated she is to getting things right. And the poetry of her writing is absolutely beautiful. Because this story had so much to do with music and it's healing properties Jodi Picoult and her friend Ellen Wilber put together a companion soundtrack. Jodi wrote the lyrics and Ellen wrote the music and sang the songs. I think that it was a nice idea to have. The lyrics and music were beautiful although didn't really seem to go along with the chapters each track was selected for, but they should have hired a professional singer. Ellen just didn't have the range needed in order to make these songs beautiful. I was a little disappointed in that. I love to read and listen to music. And a lot of times I enjoy trying to find music to go along with the mood of the book and so I was excited that this book came with music already picked out. But I was disappointed in the outcome. I ended up using my own mix to go with it, using a lot of the artists that are mentioned in the book.
Despite the poor quality of the CD the book is a great read. It is a tough story to read, especially if you are thinking about having a baby or know what it's like to go through having a baby, but for me this makes it even better. The rawness, and the pain that come through make the story darkly beautiful in the way only Jodi can do. The story is told through the eyes of Zoe, Max and Vanessa. And so we get different perspectives on each person's life and how they see what is going on around them. We feel the power of music every time Zoe brings it up, and we feel the pain of everything she goes through. We understand Max's inability to cope and his need to keep drinking after every promise not to, and we feel his heart being torn in two during the trial. We watch Vanessa fall head over heels in love with Zoe and promise hersef that she will make sure that Zoe is always happy. It's a great way to storytell. I love it.
If you are at all a fan of Jodi's go out and get "Sing You Home." It's worth the money. And if you are looking to dive into a new author this may very well be a good first for Jodi Picoult. I recommend this novel highly and I can't wait to see what else Jodi has in store.
As I said in my previous post I love almost all of Jodi Picoult's novels. A couple have fallen a little short for me but this one intrigued me from the start. It is titled "Sing You Home," all about Zoe, a music therapist married to Max, a recovering alcholic landscaper, and their wish to have a child. It has been difficult for them due to both of their infertilities. The story begins when Zoe is twenty-eight weeks into an IVF pregnancy. Far enough along that she is actually hopeful that this will end in a baby and not a miscarriage like her first two. She is huge and healthy and happy. Her mom has a baby shower all planned out, gifts and games, and cake is waiting. Half way through the shower Zoe begins to hemorrhage and is rushed to the hospital. Where she delivers a stillborn son.
While at the hospital she discovers that she has a severe blood clotting disorder that could cause serious and permanent damage if she were to get pregnant again. Which is something she is determined to do. However after she gets out of the hospital and Max and her spread the ashes of the son they never knew Max tells her he can no longer go through the uncertainty of trying to have a baby. The pain and the money that goes into it. And so he asks for a divorce. After this Max falls off the wagon big time and almost dies in a car crash. It is this that points Max in the direction of his brother's church and pastor. The Eternal Glory Church with Pastor Clive Lincoln. An extremist church that claims to follow the Bible to it's fullest meaning. Especially the passages that condem homosexuality.
Around this time Zoe runs into Vanessa Shaw. A counselor at the local high school with whom she has worked in her musical therapist capacity. They begin spending time together. Working through Zoe's depression over her dead baby, and her clotting condition, and most recently the knowledge that she has cancer, and has to have a hysterectomy. They do little things together, going shopping, running errands and going to the movies. On one of their movie trips they run into Max and his new church buddies protesting a movie entitled "Juliet & Juliet." This is Zoe's first glimpse at Max's new life. Knowing that Vanessa is gay Zoe gets them out of the situation before it can escalte into anything.
Eventaully after spending all their time together Vanessa and Zoe find themselves in love. A situation that both surprises and delights Zoe. In short order they move in together and get married. Eventually they decide that they want a baby. Now that Zoe no longer has a uterus, Vanessa decides to carry one of Zoe's embryos so that it is a part of both of them. Zoe and Max have three more embryos frozen at the fertility clinic from their last round of IVF. Zoe goes to Max asking for permission to use them. However with Max's new beliefs and the new crowd he runs in, he denys her the use of them and instead wishes to take them so that he can give them to his brother and sister-in-law. And so begins the court case.
It is a battle of church and state. Questions such as "who will provide the best home life for the child?" "Is this a matter of the law being carried out or simply the church trying to push it's own agenda?" Each side believes they know what is best for the "pre-born children" as they are reffered to. Each side tries to trap the other into tripping up. Making a big enough mistake that the judge will rule for their side. It is a tough read at times.
The book was really well written and very well researched. Jodi Picoult nevers leaves a fact unreasearched, which should show just how dedicated she is to getting things right. And the poetry of her writing is absolutely beautiful. Because this story had so much to do with music and it's healing properties Jodi Picoult and her friend Ellen Wilber put together a companion soundtrack. Jodi wrote the lyrics and Ellen wrote the music and sang the songs. I think that it was a nice idea to have. The lyrics and music were beautiful although didn't really seem to go along with the chapters each track was selected for, but they should have hired a professional singer. Ellen just didn't have the range needed in order to make these songs beautiful. I was a little disappointed in that. I love to read and listen to music. And a lot of times I enjoy trying to find music to go along with the mood of the book and so I was excited that this book came with music already picked out. But I was disappointed in the outcome. I ended up using my own mix to go with it, using a lot of the artists that are mentioned in the book.
Despite the poor quality of the CD the book is a great read. It is a tough story to read, especially if you are thinking about having a baby or know what it's like to go through having a baby, but for me this makes it even better. The rawness, and the pain that come through make the story darkly beautiful in the way only Jodi can do. The story is told through the eyes of Zoe, Max and Vanessa. And so we get different perspectives on each person's life and how they see what is going on around them. We feel the power of music every time Zoe brings it up, and we feel the pain of everything she goes through. We understand Max's inability to cope and his need to keep drinking after every promise not to, and we feel his heart being torn in two during the trial. We watch Vanessa fall head over heels in love with Zoe and promise hersef that she will make sure that Zoe is always happy. It's a great way to storytell. I love it.
If you are at all a fan of Jodi's go out and get "Sing You Home." It's worth the money. And if you are looking to dive into a new author this may very well be a good first for Jodi Picoult. I recommend this novel highly and I can't wait to see what else Jodi has in store.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Books Once More
Well I know that it has been a long time since there was a book post but there was the Academy Award project to complete so I guess I kind of have a small amount of an excuse. But it is here, the time to put up a post about the books. I have been deabating for quite some time about exactly what books to talk about. I could talk about Jane Austen, I love her and I just finished re-reading "Sense & Sensibility" but I think that I want to read more of her before putting up a "how cool is Jane Austen" post. Then I was thinking that since I recently just read the first three of the MaryJanice Davidson "Undead" series for the second time, maybe I would talk about that. But that is something that I would like to write about as a whole. I could write about one of the books I am currently in the middle of but I would feel like that is a half hearted post. So what to write about? Obviously it has to be something that I really love. Something that will be worth the wait. And then I got to thinking about one of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult. With that thought in my mind, I have decided to write about her.
She now has 18 novels out. I own 17 of them, the newest just came out a few days ago. I can't wait to go get it! I didn't think that it was coming out until May otherwise I would have gotten it right away. Anyway minus her first couple of novels, which I still own, all of her work is pretty amazing. Granted I haven't read the Wonder Woman comics that she wrote or the play she wrote with her son but other then that I think I have read all of her fiction. I love it. Her style of fiction is really something that I enjoy reading. Hence the owning of all her fiction novels and the springing for the hardbacks of her newest novels. I bought two of the Sookie Stackhouse novels in hardback, and I don't think that I will be doing that again seeing as the series is declining, other then that I rarely buy an author's latest novel as a hardback. I'm rambling a tiny bit. I'm a tad distracted. Anyway when it comes to Jodi Picoult I don't mind spending the extra dough.
Her novels usually end up as a courtroom mystery. I think that the most recognized name is going to be "My Sister's Keeper." It has been turned into a movie starring Cameron Diaz and so it has become a pretty recognizable title. The novel is about a family who has a daughter named Kate who has leukemia. Because her life was going to be filled with waiting for donors and surgeries the family decides to genetically engineer another daughter they name Anna. She was born so that Kate will always have someone around who is a perfect match for bone marrow donation, blood transfusions, and any other surgery that may be needed. This is how life goes on for quite a few years. It goes on until Anna hires a lawyer and sues her family for the rights to her body. This is where it turns to the courtroom. The novel is told through the eyes of Anna, Campbell (her lawyer), Sara (the mom), Brian (the dad), Jesse (the brother), and Julia (Anna's guardian ad litam). The novel is told from all these points of view, each chapter a different person, a different font. It makes it iteresting. The reader gets to experience what almost everyone is thinking. Anyway I enjoy it. The writing is beautiful, the story heartfelt and real. It's a great place to start if you are just beginning to find your way through Jodi's work.
Her writing, even in the few that I didn't enjoy as much, is always thought out. Each sentence, each phrase is put together with care and finesse. She's a master at taking dark subjects, "designer babies", rape, autism,school shootings, abusive realationships, and putting them in words that make the reader WANT to read about it, WANT to look at it, face it head on. It's a brilliant ability. I just love her work, her poetry, her talent. I highly reccomend her novels. Maybe skip ahead to her third novel "Picture Perfect" and go from there. Her first two are really not as great. They are her still trying to find her style. They are only something that a real fan of hers will want to read. But I say give a lot of the others a chance. They are worth the time. I know that I can't wait until I can get to a bookstore and buy her latest novel "Sing You Home."
Jodi Picoult is an author that rarely disappoints, rarely lets me down. An author that I can see myself reading as long as she is writing. So go out, give her a try, see if maybe you become devoted to her as I am!
She now has 18 novels out. I own 17 of them, the newest just came out a few days ago. I can't wait to go get it! I didn't think that it was coming out until May otherwise I would have gotten it right away. Anyway minus her first couple of novels, which I still own, all of her work is pretty amazing. Granted I haven't read the Wonder Woman comics that she wrote or the play she wrote with her son but other then that I think I have read all of her fiction. I love it. Her style of fiction is really something that I enjoy reading. Hence the owning of all her fiction novels and the springing for the hardbacks of her newest novels. I bought two of the Sookie Stackhouse novels in hardback, and I don't think that I will be doing that again seeing as the series is declining, other then that I rarely buy an author's latest novel as a hardback. I'm rambling a tiny bit. I'm a tad distracted. Anyway when it comes to Jodi Picoult I don't mind spending the extra dough.
Her novels usually end up as a courtroom mystery. I think that the most recognized name is going to be "My Sister's Keeper." It has been turned into a movie starring Cameron Diaz and so it has become a pretty recognizable title. The novel is about a family who has a daughter named Kate who has leukemia. Because her life was going to be filled with waiting for donors and surgeries the family decides to genetically engineer another daughter they name Anna. She was born so that Kate will always have someone around who is a perfect match for bone marrow donation, blood transfusions, and any other surgery that may be needed. This is how life goes on for quite a few years. It goes on until Anna hires a lawyer and sues her family for the rights to her body. This is where it turns to the courtroom. The novel is told through the eyes of Anna, Campbell (her lawyer), Sara (the mom), Brian (the dad), Jesse (the brother), and Julia (Anna's guardian ad litam). The novel is told from all these points of view, each chapter a different person, a different font. It makes it iteresting. The reader gets to experience what almost everyone is thinking. Anyway I enjoy it. The writing is beautiful, the story heartfelt and real. It's a great place to start if you are just beginning to find your way through Jodi's work.
Her writing, even in the few that I didn't enjoy as much, is always thought out. Each sentence, each phrase is put together with care and finesse. She's a master at taking dark subjects, "designer babies", rape, autism,school shootings, abusive realationships, and putting them in words that make the reader WANT to read about it, WANT to look at it, face it head on. It's a brilliant ability. I just love her work, her poetry, her talent. I highly reccomend her novels. Maybe skip ahead to her third novel "Picture Perfect" and go from there. Her first two are really not as great. They are her still trying to find her style. They are only something that a real fan of hers will want to read. But I say give a lot of the others a chance. They are worth the time. I know that I can't wait until I can get to a bookstore and buy her latest novel "Sing You Home."
Jodi Picoult is an author that rarely disappoints, rarely lets me down. An author that I can see myself reading as long as she is writing. So go out, give her a try, see if maybe you become devoted to her as I am!
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