| Movie | Rating | Review | Date | Your Rating | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duplicity - PG-13 | March 21, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Nightjohn - Unrated | Seeing the 19th century Old South through a little slave girl's eyes made this one of the most touching movies about the subject that I've ever seen. The girls thirst for knowledge, which is forbidden upon penalty of death or worse, and the mysterious character John both captivated me from beginning to end. I saw this movie as a child and need to see it again years later, but I highly recommend it. | March 21, 2009 | N/A | |||
| War of the Worlds - PG-13 | The perspective from the humans running in the streets, those camera angles just really brought me into the film, into their terror. This movie made me feel the main characters' fear all the way down to my toes! The close-ups, the human survival instinct, and group mentality under duress are all present and really pulled me into the movie. Tom Cruise was at his height of real-life weirdness, but this movie made me forget about it all for just a moment and let me focus on how captivating he could be on screen. The opening scene where he was covered in ash and sank to the kitchen floor in stunned, horrified silence was one of the best in the film. For an exciting, scary thriller about invasion this is a good movie choice. (Have not seen the original version, btw.) | March 15, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Beauty and the Beast - G | Looking back at this film through adult eyes, there are some very operatic over-the-top moments [e.g. Belle's Reprise about "wanting something more than they've got planned."], but I could still watching this film again and again without tiring. The Michaelangelo-inspired designs in the Beast's castle, and for the Prince himself, are not only a nod to Renaissance masters but a interesting study of the evolution of traditional Disney animation. | March 15, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Aladdin - G | This is one of my all-time favorite Disney films. Growing up this is one of the movies that I asked to see in theatres time and time again. The end result was knowing every word, every lovely gesture, and every element that makes this movie timeless, touching, and visually stunning. And who can resist an adventure threaded with magic and first love? | March 15, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Devil and Miss Jones - Unrated | This is a solid, classic movie with a few cute fish-out-of-water scenes and an unexpected turn to unionizing department store workers. Arthur is charming and Charles Coburn is gruff but likable in his role as JP Merrick. I saw this one on TCM On Demand and absolutely fell in love with it; I was shocked that the story holds up so well and is just as fresh in 2009 as it was in the 1940s. The Devil and Miss Jones is definitely an easy jump-in point for old comedies, with its smart and sharp dialogue and genuinely sweet characters. Loved it. | March 8, 2009 | N/A | |||
| An American Affair - R | March 8, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Crossing Over - R | March 8, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Watchmen - R | This movie is definitely a hard R-rating. Having read the trade before, it's definitely a faithful adaptation without much deviation except for a few missing subplots. Rorschach absolutely remains my favorite, near-heartless character, and the effects involving Dr. Manhattan were satisfying. One of my favorite bits were the montage depicting Dr. Manhattan's life past, present, and future threaded like a mobius strip. | March 6, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Coraline - PG | Wonderfully creepy movie that smacks of Old World folklore and Grimms' fairytale influences. Prep yourself to be immersed in this well-made stop-motion film, and treat yourself to a 3D showing too! While other movies may seem cheapened by 3D elements, Coraline is enhanced by the 3D treatment. The name actors in this film disappear into their roles for an amazing experience that will be on my DVD shelf soon enough. The visuals and colors are vibrant, and villainous situations thoroughly creepy. Definitely must be seen in theatres. | February 17, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Taken - PG-13 |
Quick, fast-paced action but with a good story you can sink your teeth into, Liam Neeson in Taken is a character you can get behind and cheer for. The guy is slick in this movie where he plays an aging spy trying to save his only daughter from an Albanian-run human trafficking ring in France. Luc Besson, of The Professional and La Femme Nikita fame, does this kind of movie well and never disappoints! Definitely a good European flavor to the lighting and action sequences, but the editing was a little too edgy at times where I lost track of who was getting hit and where. Although, that was nowhere near the overdone editing of the Bourne movies. This movie assumes that the audiences knows Neeson's character is an old hand at everything, so there are a few things that happen off-screen like Neeson hiring a translator to understand the Albanians. I'm glad the translator didn't stick around for more than one scene before things started to really gain momentum. Otherwise, the tone would have dramatically shifted into the wrong direction. If you're trying to equate Taken with anything and have not seen any of Luc Besson's previous work, then think Live Free or Die Hard except replace all the glossy CGI with real nail-biting stunt work and a dryer sense of humor. |
February 8, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Hotel for Dogs - PG | Solid kids' movie with few really painfully cheesy moments. The dogs were plentiful and talented; the training marvels this crew achieved with these dogs were why I saw the flick in the first place. Don Cheadle was a surprise but definitely added some genuine humanity to the movie. The kids were likable enough and I wouldn't mind seeing them in more movies. I won tickets to see Hotel for Dogs by chance, but this is definitely a rent or a see-on-cable event. | February 8, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - PG-13 | February 8, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Paul Blart: Mall Cop - PG | February 8, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Inkheart - PG | February 4, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Fanboys - PG-13 | February 4, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| He's Just Not That Into You - PG-13 | February 4, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Revolutionary Road - R | Performances were top notch, but that's a given with Winslet and DiCaprio. the subject matter was another issue entirely. I have seen such a feel good movie since The Hours! Prepare yourself for some interesting threaded flashbacks and a lot of angst. Winslet's character was driven up the wall by being a stay-at-home wife in the 1950s and I was almost driven up the wall just watching it! This is a genuinely well-made movie with a lot of ambiguous character moments that give themselves well to some heady post-credits conversation, but look for something peppy to watch afterward. | January 27, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Rachel Getting Married - R | Not completely worth all the Golden Globes-Oscar talk, but I will say that Hathaway really did an amazing job at playing a messed up, selfish, yet sympathetic junkie who was just trying to make amends. DeWitt's Rachel character infuriated me though; she seemed to want to pick fights at every turn with an accusatory "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!" routine that got old fast. Although, that's just a sample about how all the non-junkie family members are just as screwed up as Hathaway's Kym. Sure, they're not addicted to substances but each had a colossal failure in this movie that hindered a true connection with Kym. I liked that everything wasn't solved at the end of almost two hours, but then again after two hours some people may want more of a payoff than a step in the right direction. A minor gripe of mine was the wedding that seemed to make no sense. Hindu saris, dulcimers, throwdowns, open mic night dinner rehearsal; it was all just too much and almost became too much of a distraction to the characters' relationships that the movie was trying to establish. Also, fair warning that there are some poignant tear-jerker moments inside this little wedding package. | January 24, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Bride Wars - PG | The movie pretty much dove right into the bride-bending action. While a respectable rom-com, the Candice Bergen voice-over was a little strange. I think the movie could have done well without it. Otherwise, Hathaway did very well as the self-less best friend who just wanted her day to be special. Kate Hudson was deliciously cut-throat but believable when she thought twice about the whole situation. This isn't an amazing piece of cinema, but a great chick-flick to see with friends on a girls night; every rom-com's goal achieved. | January 24, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Slumdog Millionaire - R | January 24, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| I Love You, Man - R | January 19, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Echelon Conspiracy - PG-13 | January 19, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Push - PG-13 | January 19, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Uninvited - PG-13 | January 19, 2009 | N/A |
1071 ratings
316 reviews
