_kelly's Talk

Disney's A Christmas Carol

First off the CGI and details in this film are phenominal, the story tells the traditional Classic tale by Charles Dickens and is brought to life superbly by the likes of Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman and Bob Hoskins.

It?s definitely worth seeing this film in 3D if you get the chance, not quite enough popping out of the screen at you moments, but none-the-less a wonderful watch.

The rating for the film is PG, but would have to admit there are a few things there that may scare the really young a little.

Revolutionary Road

This one makes it to 4 stars based purely on the acting. It is a performance driven film as there isn?t so much as a storyline more about a fly on the wall watching of the ins and outs of a couple's relationship.

The content acting-wise was huge and I?m sure quite challenging to both main stars.

Reunited again, are Titanic stars, Winslet, Dicaprio and Bates.

Nothing like I had expected the film to be and yet an intriguing tale of love.

Crimewave

In a word: wacky. Make that wackywackywacky! From start to finish, a manic, at times surrealist adventure chronicling one crazy night when a co-owner of a home-security business hires two psychotic exterminators to off his partner for selling him out. Neighbors, onlookers, and innocent bystanders all become involved in the mayhem with very broad, often cartoonish characterizations. Great camerawork and imagination with several laugh-out-loud moments (best: the final expression of Mr. Yarman.) Only a protracted car chase/cliffhanger bogs down the silliness. Not unlike an early Coen brothers comedy, and not at all surprising since they co-wrote the script with pal Sam Raimi directing one of his earliest films (which means a great role for smarmily handsome Bruce Campbell as a smug, slick-talking heel.) Five times more entertaining than Spider-Man for 1/50th the cost.

The Mothman Prophecies

One of the few movies that becomes better and better everytime I watch it.

I loved the plot and the atmosphere.

The performances were decent. Especially Richard Gere's performance was pretty good.

This movie is like a wine, which you have to taste many times until you decide if you like it or not and in the end becomes one of your favorites.

1408

Disappointing...

A Stephen King adaption, which had the potential to be be much better.

Humpday

At first I thought it was gonna be Zack and Miri meets I Love You, Man but it is so much more than just that. The three main performances are phenomenal and really do give credibility and sustain the story magnificently, and the movie itself explores the boundaries of "bromance", what we perceive ourselves to be as opposed to what we really are and our constant fear of having to fulfill a roll.

Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar (Love Me Forever or Never)

A live-action stage play.
No,I'm serious,the spotlight belongs to simply two characters who simultaneously ravish,mock,joke,blaze,torture (need I continue?) each other,a no-bars exploration to a recently divorced couple's systematic breakdown.It's not about the quarrels yet Jabor's flourishing video-projections leading to talkative realities are the concept after all,of deception and alternative lies,and they're not exhausting at all!
Chacon may be the experienced acting force but the solo tango is Fernanda Torres' privilege who could probably act the whole film by herself!

Fighter (Aicha)

A Danish film about a muslim girl and a christian guy studying kung-fu with a little bit of a generation conflict thrown in. What could've been a unique approach to the "world against her" story actually leaves no cliche unturned in this martial arts version of Bend It Like Beckham. Melodramatic and contrived, it's a bit difficult to really feel anything for the characters since this story has been told a countless number of times. However, there's a really decent performance from lead actress Semra Turan and I look forward to seeing her in future films.

Some of the fight scenes are done rather well, while other fights seem to be concerned with complimenting a flashy soundtrack (and a bad one at that) and come off as silly. Although Turan makes fights scenes that much more engaging, the story could've benefited by being darker, moodier, and less extravagant given its' subject matter.

Grandma's Boy

Not the best, but can bring many fun laughs.

The Blind Side

Heartwwarming tale about a suburban Tenneessee couple who takes in a homeless teen and how they change each other's life for the better. Given that plot, you'd expect an overly saccharine TV movie style drama. However, the action is surprisingly restrained in its sentiment. True, there is a certain organization to the script that seems overly pat. All of the lead characters seem almost too perfect to be real people. Yet this is a true story, one based on football player, Michael Oher, who was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. Given that, the story take on a dramatic weight that makes the events genuinely touching. The compassion the Tuohy family demonstrates here, as well as the quiet integrity of Michael Oher, is admirable. Overall, a straightforward and honest film that is one of the best sports dramas in recent years.

Law Abiding Citizen

"Law Abiding Citizen" is one of does movie that the trailer is a lot better than the whole package. The idea of the movie was incoherently good but ruined by the weak ending

Gomorrah (Gomorra)

A disturbing, thought provoking and totally bleak look at the city of Naples and the crime/drug lords that wreak havoc there.
The film does a good job at creating a very "fly on the wall" feeling and the acting and vilolence is very realistic.
While initially I felt that the film was a little rough and unpolished, I can not help but think that perhaps that was the intent.

Onibaba

A personal favorite of mine. It's dark, earthy, erotic, claustrophobic, eerie, but mostly a grim tale of a trio with little but the basics of human nature to keep them going. It's a harsh film shot with a minimalist set with survival as a key theme to the story, the look being the primary attraction. Dialogue is minimal, as is the percussive jazz soundtrack creating a Bushido-noir.

To judge the women in the film would be hypocritical since the impoverished world they live in has been created by the hierarchy of man and the aftermath of war. Then there's the sexual jealousy between mother and daughter stemmed from self-preservation; the mother may not survive without her and being reminded of her own unfulfilled sexual desires while only growing older. The pace is slow but time is never wasted. More psychological than spiritual horror, Onibaba is like no other film and has proven the test of time with other greats from Kurosawa, Ozu and Mizoguchi.

Season of the Witch

Event Horizon

Genre; Science-fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Adventure, Horror, Thriller

**********PLOT***********
A rescue crew investigates a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and has now returned...with someone or something new on-board.

**********REVIEW**********
-Gory
-Strange
-Intense
Works especially if you are a sci-fi fan.

The Proposal

Very vanilla and even knowing where, how and with whom it would end I still found myself enjoying this just enough to hold my interest.
It could have been the fact that I love Sandra Bullock as well as Ryan Reynolds (his timing is just impeccable and I really wish I had his abs!). It could have been the beautiful vistas. It might have been the tight editing and occasional snappy dialogue, good chemistry between Bullock and Reynolds, but whatever it was...it held up just enough.
This is an old story, you have seen it a million times before. There is really nothing overly special about it, but the execution gave me just enough gas to get through it.
I keep reading how this movie was simply "by the numbers" and I cannot disagree, but I just couldn't hate it (and please bring me more of Ms. Bullock in recently showered splendor to the screen).
A solid three stars and just fine for an evening fluff affair.

Romance and Cigarettes

With a cast like this, I thought "how could you go wrong?".

And there are some truely wonderful scenes featuring most of the big names. In particular Kate Winslet, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Walken, Elaine Stritch and Aida Turturro did not disappoint on an individual basis. (also watchfor Amy Sedaris in a small role as the crazy neighbor)

However, the film as a whole is a schizophrenic mess. Lots of interesting ideas, none of which ever really seem to gel very well together.

While not horrible...I can't say that I'd recomend it unless you are a fan of any of the cast mentioned above.

The Road

The thinking man/woman's post-apocalyptic film.
While the biological, geological and structural devestation is ever present and ominous, the film focuses mainly on the deeper horror of such an event; the social, psychological and physical deterioration of society,
This film is Intense, bleak and at times horrific. But always deeply thought provoking and very complex to spite it's simplicity.
WIth the exception of Mortensen and Smith-McPhee, screen time is minimal for the rest of the cast. But everyone does a really good job with the time that they have and over all the acting is pretty amazing.
One of those films that you will think (and talk) about for awhile after seeing it.

Spring Breakdown

Oh, come on! When I see names like Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, and Will Arnett paired with SNL staples like Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, and Seth Meyers I am thinking that there might be something funny going to happen even if just borne of improvisation.
I was really wrong.
This was horrible.
This is a Rachel Dratch creation and was stillborn.
This is a very talented group who need to fire their agents for having them put into this long SNL skit cr@pfest.
There were a couple of decent set ups and some funny performances and for that it gets 1.5 stars. The premise was old, the jokes were mostly stale, it basically flatlined out of the gate.
I am very upset with myself for watching this through until the end and I hope that this great group will come together again in some form or another and redeem themselves having taken a few showers to get the stench off first.
Miss this.

Funny People

Very impressive foray into more serious material Judd Apatow hits home with this tale of a man besieged by his own choices in life. Having forgotten where he came from reknowned comedian George Simmons (Sandler) begins to allow his darker self (exacerbated by terminal illness) to seep into his comedy. He finds himself completely out of touch with "the common man." He takes on Ira (Rogen) as his assistant to help him write jokes, but the true nature of the relationship is far deeper.
This is the story of a man who is desperately trying to connect with himself and in doing so connect with humanity...if he can find his own.
This is a "Dramedy." There are some very funny moments, good jokes, and a lot of the racy stuff we expect from Apatow, but once again he infuses it with that wonderful sense of being in touch with people and who they really are and how they really speak. We aren't just bombarded with jokes we are asked to look at selfish and selflessness and what it takes to find the self once it has been lost.
Very well done and forgiven for some of its foibles in loose plotlines this movie brings it home and feels just right in delivering exactly what it sets out to deliver.