Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Can you say amazing? The seventh installment in the Harry Potter series may just be the best yet. Although the characters are all grown up and facing not only the evil Voldermort but also their feelings for each other, the movie works and feels like a more grown up version of the original Potter movies.
Daniel Radcliffe's portrayal of Harry Potter is at its best in the new film. He and Emma Watson have so much on screen chemistry (even though the two aren't supposed to have any chemistry) it's crazy. The play off of each other's emotions and their characters seem to be more in love with each other than they should be if they are truly only friends. Rupert Grint's portrayal of the emotional Ron also works well in the new film and shows Ron's angst at Harry and Hermione's steamy relationship. The actors finally allow for their characters to grow and develop into well-rounded adults.
The cinematography also surpasses that of the other films. David Yate's take on the seventh Harry Potter works completely. The film is darker than it's predecessor's but with good reason. The seventh book is much darker than the earlier books and the problems faced by the characters are darker and worse than ever before. However, I do feel that the film may have been too dark for children. But this doesn't concern me much considering it was not made to be a children's film. With a solid PG-13 rating if parents decide to take there kids to see this movie than they will just have to deal with the subsequent nightmares. Because there will be nightmares. From a scene where a woman's decaying body crumbles into a snake and viciously attacks Harry to an animated sequence where Death stalks three brothers and causes one to hang himself because of a broken heart, the movie is much more adult than the earlier films.
Deathly Hallows may not have been the best Potter book, but it was by far the best Potter movie. The adult themes, character development, and dark imagery all create a beautiful interpretation of Rowling's novel. Also, for those die hard Potter fans, the movie stays pretty close to the book with no noticeable changes.
Hope you all go see the movie and enjoy it!

-H

Mr. Bean's Holiday

Mr. Bean was a character created many years ago for a British television show. Played by Rowan Atkinson, Bean is a quiet, simple man who only speak in monosyllables. The original show was very funny, with well written skits. As much of the show was done without any dialog, it relied on sight gags and physical comedy. Some years afterward, a film, simply titled Bean was released that had some funny material, but still did not reach the heights that the television show reached. When Mr. Bean's Holiday was released, I hoped for a return to the simplicity and humor of the original material, but I was sadly disappointed.

Rowan Atkinson does his usual best effort. The actor excels at this type of comedy, relying on funny faces and humorous noises, but his stretchy face does him little good here. The material is dry and boring. The only good thing about this film is its mercifully short length of 86 minutes. Willem Dafoe shows up as a high art film director, making fun of the type of films that are shown at the Cannes Film Festival. I will acknowledge that those art films are the total opposite of what this is. Mr. Bean's Holiday is a shallow movie with no substance whatsoever. The fictional film that Willem Dafoe shows at the festival looks infinitely more interesting than the real film that we are watching. With all the excellent films Dafoe has acted in, I can almost see him asking himself which of his agents he should fire for signing him up for this movie. Rowan Atkinson shows no shame for showing up here. I think it is time for him to move on to something a little better.

-J

Natural Born Killers

Voted as one of the 25 most dangerous films of all times, Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers is one of the coolest, scariest, wildest movies I've ever seen. On face value, the movie is about two mass murderers, Mickey and Mallory, who are in love with each other and with killing. The movie shows their journey together. It shows how the meet, how they live, and then it shows a bit of their time spent in prison. But the movie isn't really about Mickey and Mallory. It isn't even really about murder. It's, almost too clearly, about violence in the media. We see the press coverage of Mickey and Mallory's killing, we see the fans they gain (a la Bonnie and Clyde), and we always see snippets of news reports covering the trial of a murderer, a murder at a wedding, and a forest fire ravaging a village. Oliver Stone weaved this tale of two murderous lovers to show how the media exploits the hardships of others for ratings.

The story of Natural Born Killers is just amazing. It's violent and gory and over-the-top and awesome. But the story is just the base of this movie. The story really isn't what's important. It's the characters. Mickey, played by Woody Harrelson, was just plain charming. Yes he's a murderer. Yes he's crazy. But you just can help but love him. And the more you listen to what he says, the more you understand his crazy. The more you feel for him and for his lover, Mallory, who is played by Juliette Lewis. You'll even find yourself rooting for Mallory when she lights her mother's bed on fire because of the life-long abuse she has faced from her father and mother. Both actors have a special ability. An ability to pull people into their characters, no matter how evil the character is. But, they weren't the only good actors in the movie. Tommy Lee Jones provides an astoundingly over-the-top performance as the manager of the prison housing Mickey and Mallory and Robert Downey Jr. delivers as a TV personality trying to get the best ratings by interviewing the notorious and well-loved Mickey.

Natural Born Killers best quality, however, was the editing. It was just astounding. There were nearly 7000 cuts throughout the film and everything blended together. There were different types of shots, some in black and white, some in color. And each shot, each cut, each color, meant something. The black and white meant that we were watching inside the head of the characters while color meant that everything was happening exactly as it happened with nothing changed or manipulated. And each cut showed a different demon, or dark side, that lived inside of Mickey. Every shot meant something.

Natural Born Killers is not a movie for everyone. There is very, very graphic violence that may disturb some people. There is a lot of blood and a lot of gore and the subject matter is deeply frightening. However, for people who don't mind a little, well a lot, of blood, Natural Born Killers is a must see commentary on the media.

-H

Toy Story 3

You know how people have a thing against sequels? People just think that if a movie's a sequel it's automatically going to be terrible. And in many cases, they're right. But Toy Story 3 is a major exception. Not only was Toy Story 3 a good sequel, I feel that it may possible be better than the first two. It is, for sure, the best movie of the year so far and will be popular with audiences for many years to come.

The plot of Toy Story 3 is absolutely heart-wrenching. Andy is all grown-up now and is preparing to go to college. We see the process of Andy growing up: of iPods and laptops replacing dolls and blocks, and of beloved toys ending up in the bottom of toy chests or in the attic. Once the montage of Andy's growing up is finished, Andy is forced to decide what to do with all of his old toys: college, attic, or trash. After some animated mishaps the toys all believe Andy means to through them away and somehow end up being donated to the Sunnyside daycare, where a seemingly kind old bear takes them under his big furry arms and shows them the joys...and horrors...of daycare life. The plot seems simple enough, almost too close to the plot of the second film, but something made this movie stand out. Something made this movie heart-breakingly amazing!

Since this is an animated movie I can't comment on the actual acting, however, the voice acting was incredible as was the actual artistry of the animation. Sticky to the roots of the first two movie, Tom Hanks does the voice of Woody and Tim Allen portrays Buzz. The two interact with each other, verbally, like old pals and the animation of the facial expressions is so realistic it's almost eerie. You forget, even though the animation isn't as "real" looking as some animation of late, that you're not looking at real toys, real living toys, interacting and talking to each other. All of the toys look so real, and adorable! Even the ones that are a little bit, on the, well, *SPOILER*, evil side.

Toy Story 3 will make you cry. You will cry for Woody who misses Andy and longs to get back to him, you will cry for Andy who must part with his childhood friends, you will cry because you know this is the end. The amazing story of toys that come to life when their owner isn't around is over. Pixar shoots straight to the heart with this movie. They know how to make you fall in love with the characters and then how to break your heart. However, as with any, G-rated Pixar film, there is always a silver-lining. While it may not be the happiest of endings, the ending of Toy Story 3 will make you smile and maybe even cry because of how tender the final moments are.

Toy Story3 is a family friendly movie that children of any age will enjoy. But this movie wasn't made for the children. It was made for those who were children in 1995, when the first Toy Story came out. This movie is finishing a story that was started many years ago and anyone who loves the first two movies will love Toy Story 3.

-H

If People In Horror Movies Only Knew

Okay, so everyone knows that horror movies are, well, kind-of, sort-of, stupid. And sometimes it's not the movie itself that is so stupid, but the characters in the movie. According to Scream, there are certain rules that you must follow in order to survive a horror movie. Personally, I love horror movies and I think that I would probably survive though the movie, or at least be one of the last people to die. Because of my love of horror movies, I've compiled a list of rules, along with some of the rules in Scream, that will help you survive a horror movie.

The first, and most basic rule, is simple: Always be aware of your surroundings. This can mean many, many things. First off this means stay sober. Don't drink or do drugs because both can seriously hinder your senses. When you're under the influence of any substance your mind cannot function properly and it will not register that you are in any danger, even when the mask killer is stalking you around the house. Secondly, this means always watch where you're going. When you're being chased by the killer, ruin around the big ditches and roots and branches. It will seriously hurt your chances of surviving if you can't stand up long enough to run away. Lastly, this rule means exactly what it says, be aware of where you are. If you're going into a big, scary, empty house check the closets before settling down with your headphones in your ears with the music so loud you can't hear the pounding footsteps of the killer coming up to slash your throat from behind. If you're about to get into a car check the back seat for knife-wielding maniacs. Also be aware of all possible hiding places, just in case you cannot run from the masked killer.

Rule number two is this: Do not have sex. There are several reasons for this rule. The first reason relates loosely to rule number one. While having sex, you cannot be completely aware of your surroundings. The second reason to not have sex in a horror movie is a little less complicated: the killer doesn't like people having sex. Most masked maniacs kill because of some deep-seeded sexual fears or repression so they absolutely hate to see anyone else having sex. Sex basically equals death in horror movies.

Rule number three: Always run. For some reason, people in horror movies always think their best bet is to hide. Whether it be in a closet, under a bed, or in an attic, people think it's a good idea to lay around and wait to be brutally hacked up. However, pretty much anybody, even if they aren't the fastest runner will have better chances of living by trying to out run their killer rather than hiding from them. It seems like people think these killers are deaf and blind. If the killer sees you go into a room and follows you in, your best bet would be to climb out the window or run out another door. Because if you just hide in the room, the killer will a) know you're in their, b) will hear you breathing, and c) eventually be able to find you and murder you because there are only so many places in one room that you can hide. However, if you're going to run make sure you follow rule number one and watch where you're going.

Rule number four: Never run up the stairs. Just don't do it. It's like running in to a death trap. I don't care if the killer is blocking the foot of the stairs. Run at him, full-speed, kick him in the crotch and get out that front door. Either way you look at it, going upstairs will probably get you killed. Once you're up the stairs there are only two ways that it could turn out. One, you get up the stairs, undoubtedly try to hide, and are corned and killed. Two, you get up the stairs and then try to jump out the window. This may seem like a good idea at the time, but in reality, the jump itself may kill you, and if it doesn't it might just injure you enough that you can no longer run from the masked killer. There is a third way running upstairs could end up, but it's very unlikely. If you do have to run up the stairs, and I mean there is no possible way around it, hide in a place that is close to the stairs and easy to get out of, then run down the stairs after the killer has come up and go straight out the door. Never stay upstairs for a long period of time because it will kill you.

Rule number five: Hold on to your tools. Everyone in horror movies have some sort of tools to work with. Whether it be a weapon like a gun or knife or something else helpful like a cell phone, everyone has something that might help save their lives. For some reason, people in horror movies think that if a cell phone has no signal it's completely useless or if a gun runs out of bullets they should just throw it to the ground. Hold on to everything that you can that doesn't slow you down. Cell phones can lose signal in one place and pick it up again a few feet away. And guns can be used as a weapon even after you've run out of bullets so don't throw it down.

Rule number six: Double tap. Heck, triple tap. Tap as much as you possibly can. Just because he looks dead doesn't mean he actually is. So don't let his playing dead fool you. It takes a lot to kill a psychotic killer. And since most horror movies have supernatural killers, it might take so much that you might not actually be able to kill him, just wound him enough for you to get away. But never shoot the killer once and assume he's dead. Shoot him ten times and assume he's still alive.

The final rule for surviving a horror movie is less a rule and more a way of life. First off, be a girl. Guys, I know you have no control over that, but you can at least act a little more feminine or something. But, honestly, it is very unlikely that a man, other than the killer, will make it through a horror movie. Secondly, be a boyish girl. Killers don't like girly girls. And it's easier to kill someone who's trying to run in heels and who doesn't know how to use a gun than a tomboy in tennis shoes. Third, be questioning. Be suspicious of everyone and everything, because it's not safe to trust anyone, not even your friends. These three qualities are the marking quality of the final girl. The one that survives and either kills the killer or injures him enough to get away. The final girl is like a boy. She's smart, she savvy, and she knows how to work tools and weapons and cars. And she almost always lives.

So, there you go. If you ever find yourself in a horror flick, follow these rules and, if you're female, you might just live. And, even if you are male, you may still have a chance as long as you follow the horror movie rules to the word. And don't try to be a hero. And most importantly, always double tap.

-H

The Worst Movies I've Ever Seen

Every where you look you can find a list of the best movies ever made or the most critically acclaimed movies. So, I thought maybe it would be fun to do something that's a little different. So, I've decided to make a list of the five worst movies that I have ever seen. Some of the movies that I dislike the most are movies that I actually turned off before they ended. However, I will limit myself to movies that I actually finished watching. So here's a list (in no particular order) of the worst movies I've ever seen.

Candyman (1992)

Candyman is a horror movie about a supernatural force that kills people who go into a dark room and say "Candyman" five times. The movie, which could have been interesting

if it had been done well, was boring and, frankly, stupid. The visuals weren't scary enough and the acting wasn't good enough for this to even be considered a funny B-grade horror movie. It just wasn't any good. The movie was written by Clive Barker which gave me high hopes that this movie would be a good scare. However, about thirty minutes in I realized that it was actually a major let down.

Norbit (2007)

Eddie Murphy used to be a funny guy. He truly did. But, his funniness has slowly gone away over the last few years. His movies, particularly his kids movies, just keep getting worse and worse. However, Norbit is probably the worst Eddie Murphy movie ever made. I can't believe I actually watched this whole movie. The movie is about a skinny guy, played by Eddie Murphy, who is engaged to a HUGE woman, also played by Eddie Murphy, who meets a pretty woman who he wants to leave the other Eddie Murphy for. Now, just re-read that a few times and you'll understand how terribly unfunny this movie was. I didn't smile or laugh at all, the entire time. It would have been more entertaining to sit and stare at a blank TV screen. This movie was probably the biggest waste of time ever.

The Forgotten (2004)

The Forgotten is a science fiction/thriller/horror movie that was completely ridiculous. The Forgotten is about people who are told that their children never existed. They then begin to remember that they did, in fact, have children in the past. Then the movie turns into some sort of weird government conspiracy and alien thing. It just didn't make any sense. Part of me thinks it was meant to be scary, while the other part of me thinks, maybe, just maybe, it was meant to be a comedy because it is so stupid it's actually a little funny. But not funny enough to make it worth watching. This movie is NOT worth watching.

Date Movie (2006)

Date Movie was such a waste of time that even writing this review of it is a waste of my time. So, I'm not going to write a review of it. All I'll say is that it's stupid and pointless and should never be watched by any one because by watching this movie people are supporting the people who make these dumb movies and these people should not be supported.

Well, there are the four worst movies I've ever seen. My recommendation is that you don't even waste your time with these movies because they are not worth it! If you're in need of some movies to watch scroll through the blog and find some movies that are actually good!

-H

Get Him to the Greek

Get Him to the Greek is a hilarious comedy that is a spin-off of the even more hilarious Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Get Him to the Greek, which has already been compared to last summer's hit The Hangover, stars Russel Brand as an out of control and over the top rock star who has lost his way. Jonah Hill plays Aaron Green, a young men working int he music industry. Aaron comes up with an idea to help out his company by getting Brand's character, Aldous Snow, to play a ten year anniversary concert at The Greek. The movie goes on to depict Aaron's and Aldous' journey from London to L.A.

Get Him to the Greek is not your everyday raunchy, sex comedy. While it has many gross-out and sex related jokes, it also has some truly hilarious situations. The humor and jokes are unique, as are the characters. Aldous Snow may be the funniest character I have ever seen in a movie. He is a washed-up, burnt-out, slightly psychotic rock star who knows how to have fun. And watching a friendship between Snow and the uptight Green, who is so whipped by his girlfriend that he would even, willingly, watch 100 hours of Gossip Girl, grow is just fun and hilarious. The two have a chemistry on screen that is hard to find between two grown male actors and it is so cool to just watch them interact. The two are great on screen together but they both are equally as great on their own. Jonah Hill is just a sweet, funny teddy bear. He seems completely harmless. Russel Brand is a wild mess and I just can't help but love both of them. The film is also peppered with a variety of other celebrities. P!nk, Tom Felton, Meredith Vieira, Christina Aguilera, Mario Lopez, and Rick Shroder all make appearances throughout the film. The one celebrity who really stole the show, however, was P. Diddy who plays Aaron's crazy boss Sergio. Every scene P. Diddy was in was laugh out loud funny. There was one scene, involving something called a Jeffrey and a bunch of furry walls, actually had me laughing so hard I felt sick. However, for every absolutely hilarious scene, there was a scene that just didn't flow with the movie. Some things just felt so out of place or they just didn't seem to fit. But these scenes did not damage the film's humor.

Be warned, however, this movie isn't just all laughs. It actually has a little bit of a message. So if you're going to this movie purely for laughs you might be a little disappointed. But if you can look past these few moments, then this movie is mostly laugh out loud funny for the entire 109 minutes. However, don't go into this film expecting it to be just like Forgetting Sarah Marshall because it is an entirely different type of comedy.

-H

Sorry!

Hey everybody. Sorry it's been so long since we last posted. J and I have both been so busy with school and exams and papers and everything! I know it's been awhile since we posted and we've seen SO many good movies! (And just so everybody knows, Kick-Ass is an AMAZING movie) So, I'm really sorry we haven't been writing, but just wait a little bit longer. J and I both will be out of school for the summer very soon and I promise we'll both start writing again. Thanks for your support and for continuing to look through our blog! :)

-H

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a movie about a fox who has a bad habit of stealing chickens and turkeys and other birds. When Mr. Fox and his wife got married, he promised her that he would start a new way of life, get a real job, and stop stealing. But once they move into a new tree, he starts to steal again from the three biggest farmers in the town. After he begins to steal from them, he gets them upset and the farmers come after him and his community.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a very cute stop motion movie. The animation is cute but something about it is really crude. With the recent improvements in animation, all animation appears very realistic and pretty. But Fantastic Mr. Fox isn't like that. It doesn't rely on pretty pictures like most animated films. It relies on the story and plot. The animals look real in some ways and sometimes they even look like stuffed animals. They're cute but also kind of savage and dirty, like real animals. Another great thing about the animation was the attention to detail. Everything worked and fit together perfectly and everything was very detailed, like the fur and paws.

The story is very good. It is well written and exciting, even intense at some points. Most animated are cutesy, but Fantastic Mr. Fox is more than that. Like most animated movies, Fantastic Mr. Fox has a point or life lesson. The lesson Mr. Fox learns is that he needs to stop caring so much about what he wants to have and more about what he already has like his wife and child.

The "acting" in Fantastic Mr. Fox is also very good. George Clooney is the voice of Mr. Fox. He does the voice very well and makes it sound like a fox. Meryl Streep plays Ms. Fox and also does a good job. But, I think, both Clooney and Streep got off easy. The script of Fantastic Mr. Fox gave them plenty to work with. The script was beautifully written with some truly hilarious lines and scenes. However, part of me doesn't think the movie was truly written for children. The director, Wes Anderson, is known for more crude and adult movies. But his venture into the realm of children's film worked very well for him, but he didn't completely leave the adult world. The animals in the movie deal with some adult situations like lying and stealing. And the animals do like to cuss, however they never actually say a cuss word. Whenever they cuss they actually say the word "cuss." It's cute, but not necessarily child friendly.

Fantastic Mr. Fox was nominated for an Oscar, but I think it was truly looked over by the public. Hardly anyone has seen this movie, but it's probably one of the best that came out last year. It's a fun and entertaining movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

-H

Oscars!

Well, it's official. The Oscars have been aired and there were some shocking wins and some shocking losses. Some great moments and some not so great moments.

Here is the list of winners for the bigger awards followed by some of my thoughts about the winners.

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Mo'Nique in Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Christopher Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

Best Screenplay: The Hurt Locker

Best Animated Film: Up

Well, I'll start by saying that I have only seen four of the ten nominees for best picture so I may have a bit of a bias in my opinions. The four I have seen are Up, Inglourious Basterds, Avatar, and An Education. I have not seen The Hurt Locker so I cannot say whether or not is deserved to win best picture. I don't know if it did or not, but I will let you know after I watch it. I have seen Inglourious Basterds and I feel that it should have won an award for something. I would have been ecstatic to see it win best picture and I would have loved to see Quentin Tarantino win Best Director. However, I must say that it does make me happy that Kathryn Bigelow one. It's about time a woman one for best director and hopefully her win will open the category up for even more female directors. The main thing, however, I think the Academy got wrong was the Best Actress award. I have not seen The Blind Side so I cannot truly make an unbiased decision, but I do think that it is almost disgraceful that someone could win an Oscar and a Razzie in the same week. I know it wasn't for the same movie, but it's besides the point. Sandra Bullock is not the best actress that was nominated. I truly feel that Carey Mulligan did an amazing job in An Education and, even though she wasn't even nominated, I think Diane Kruger was just fantastic in Inglourious Basterds. The Academy didn't get everything wrong though. Up winning best animated picture was one obvious yet exciting part of the night. Up was an amazing movie and it definitely deserved to win. Another appropriate win was Christopher Waltz who played a Nazi obsessed with hunting Jews in Inglourious Basterds. He was incredible and truly deserved to win.

The Oscars was a fun-filled night and both Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were great hosts and made the night funny and enjoyable. Anyone who missed last nights show can catch up on all of the winners at imdb.com

What are your thoughts on the Oscars? Did the Academy get it wrong or am I just bias? Comment and let me know!

-H

Garden State

Zach Braff's film Garden State was an interesting movie. Not the typical movie you see. I'm not quite sure to describe it but I guess I'll try. The movie is about a young man whose goes back home after being away for nine years due to the death of his paraplegic mother. While there, he meets a young girl who is a chronic liar and who has epilepsy. Then he goes with the girl and his best friend on a search around the town for his going away present.

Not only was Braff the director of this film, but is also played the main character. And he did a surprisingly good job too. His character was a very calm, quiet, hurting man and Braff portrayed all of his emotions so well. It was almost beautiful. While watching him on screen, you could see the hurt and distress in his eyes. Natalie Portman, who plays, Sam, also did a fantastic job with her part. She was bubbly and giddy and exciting and fun to watch. You could feel her happiness coming through the screen and you could feel her pain when she was hurting. The two also had a strange yet intriguing on screen chemistry. They were a strange couple, not just the actors but also the characters, but they worked. Their relationship seemed realistic and they seemed like they truly enjoyed each other's company and that they truly had feelings for each other. Their chemistry made for a very interesting movie.

The movie was very strange. The plot was not the normal movie plot and for being a movie with such famous actors it all felt very indie. And there was also a strong resemblance between Portman's character and Clementine from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind which came out the same year. And I think that's one of the reasons I enjoyed the movie so much. It had a very indie and artistic vibe that made it really interesting to watch. It was artsy but not to the point where it didn't make sense or wasn't enjoyable. It was just artistic enough to really have a point and to hit close to home. It's just one of those movies where you know that it has some meaning behind it. Even if at first you don't know what that meaning may be. And it took me a little while to figure out what I think it means, but now I think I know. I think the meaning behind the movie is life is too short. You must do what makes you happy and reconnect with the ones who you love and who love you. And that's why I really liked this movie. Most movies these days don't have any true meaning, but Braff's Garden State is different. It means something and it's interesting and entertaining too.

-H

Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese's new film Shutter Island is number one at the box office right now and is well liked by viewer's and critics alike. It tells the story of a young detective who goes to investigate the disappearance of a young woman from an insane asylum on Shutter Island. Once there he realizes that there are some really strange things going on at Shutter Island. Including some medical experiments and dangerously insane inmates who are locked up in cell block C. The plot is a little strange but is very interesting and entertaining.

The young detective, Teddy Daniels, is played by Leonardo DiCaprio. This is DiCaprio's fourth movie with the famous director Martin Scorsese. Many say that this movie is one of Scorsese's worse. I cannot comment on that because I have only seen one other movie by Scorsese, The Aviator. But I do think that The Aviator was far worse than Shutter Island, because I actually liked Shutter Island. But anyway, Leonardo DiCaprio is an amazing actor as usual and plays the part perfectly, with extreme emotion and realism. The touching story also create a very emotional movie. DiCaprio, however, isn't the only great actor from the film. Ben Kingsly does an equally good job playing the lead doctor at the asylum.

Shutter Island is one part crime thriller and one part artistic statement. It teeters between mainstream thrills and drama and artistic flashbacks and dream sequences that are not only beautifully done, but are essential to the main plot, so pay close attention! There are also many shocking and thrilling scenes because, truly, there is nothing scarier than a crazy person. I wouldn't necessarily call Shutter Island a horror movie, but it does shock.

Since the movie is so new, I won't give away the ending. But I must say something. This movie is full of twists and turns that will keep the viewer on the edge of their seat and guessing till the very last shot. However, the ending is somewhat predictable. And when I say somewhat, I truly mean somewhat. While watching the movie I guessed part of the ending. However, J guessed another part of the ending. Together we figured out a good bit of the ending, but still not all. And that's one of the things that makes this movie good. You may be able to figure out part of the ending but I honestly doubt that anyone could figure out every last bit.

-H

Dear John

With Valentine's Day just a few days away I thought I'd write a review for a movie many couples will probably be seeing this weekend: Dear John. Dear John is about a young man in the military who meets a girl. The two fall in love and spend an amazing time together before he is deployed to Iraq, right before 9/11. The movie is based loosely on the Nicholas Sparks book by the same title which I haven't read, however, I've heard that the book and movie are a little different and many people who have read the book do not like the movie as much. I can't comment on that because I haven't read the book, but I did enjoy the movie.

I'm not usually a chick flick lover, but I have a special place in my heart for Nicholas Sparks books and movies. Dear John is no exception. The movie was extremely sweet and romantic and I'm sure most women will enjoy it. Men, on the other hand, may not like it so much. The movie is made for women. It's sappy and so romantic that many men will probably just sit and role their eyes while their girlfriends cry their eyes out: at least that's what happened when I went to see it. But, anyway, the movie itself was not amazing. But it did have so redeeming qualities. The plot was actually very interesting. Many romance movies are very predictable and at first glance this one appears predictable too. But Dear John actually surprises with a few twist and turns that will make almost anyone cry.

Another redeeming quality was the chemistry between Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. The two were just amazing together. The way they looked at each other and the way they delivered their lines seemed so real, as if they were really a couple. The chemistry between the two whenever they were on screen together was just incredible. They both performed so strongly. They truly played their characters. They showed emotion and gave a tear-jerking and wonderful performance.

The thing I didn't like about the movie, however, was the ending. While it was realistic, it just left you without any answers. It made me feel almost like I had just wasted an hour and a half even though I loved the rest of the movie. The ending was just not fulfilling. Everything else about the movie was pretty good though.

Guys, if your girlfriend wants to see this, don't whine and complain. Take her. The movie isn't just a romance movie. It shows some cool scenes with the military and you even get to see a pretty cool explosion. And, also, if you take her to see this you'll definitely gets some brownie points because it is a real chick-flick.

Happy Valentine's Day!

-H

Oscar Nominations

Well, the Oscar nominations have been released! And some seem reasonable, and some not so much. So here are just a few of the nominations.

Best Picture:

Avatar

The Blind Side

Up

Up in the Air

Inglourious Basterds

District 9

The Hurt Locker

An Education

A Serious Man

Precious

Best Actor in a leading Role:

George Clooney in Up in the Air

Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart

Colin Firth in A Single Man

Morgan Freeman in Invictus

Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker

Best Actress in a leading Role:

Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side

Helen Mirran in The Last Station

Carey Mulligan in An Education

Gabourey Sidibe in Precious

Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia

Best Director

Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

Lee Daniels for Precious

James Cameron for Avatar

Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

Jason Reitman for Up in the Air

So, what do you think? What movies were missed and what/who doesn't even deserve to be there? Personally, I feel that Avatar doesn't deserve the Best Picture nomination or the best directing. It was a good film, but the story wasn't that amazing. Maybe The Hangover should go in it's place?

I also think that Brad Pitt deserved a Best Actor nomination for Inglourious Basterds. Why did he not get one? Who knows, but I do feel that he deserves one. But, I suppose it doesn't really matter what I think. What do y'all think about the nominations?

True Blood (Season 1)

Okay, so I know that this is a movie review blog and we don't typically write reviews for television shows. However, this weekend I had the pleasure of watching the entire first season of the hit show True Blood. True Blood is about a young girl named Sookie who lives in a small Louisiana town. At this time, vampires are "coming out of the coffin" and trying to live among people and drink a type of synthetic blood called TruBlood to survive. One night, Sookie meets vampire Bill outside of the bar she works at and the two begin a magical relationship.

True Blood is the grown up Twilight. Only True Blood has one thing that Twilight doesn't: vampires. Some of you may be saying, "Isn't Twilight all about vampires?" And my answer to that is NO. Not by any means. The vampires in True Blood don't sparkle in sunlight, they burn to a crisp. The vampires in True Blood don't hide away from humans, they live among them no matter how dangerous that might be fore them. The vampires in True Blood don't play baseball in an open field when a bunch of evil vampires are after them, they play Wii Golf. Well, that last one isn't very intimidating but you get my point. True Blood has True vampires. However, the dialogue in True Blood does resemble that of Twilight, but it's just so much cooler when it comes out of the mouth of a REAL vampire.

Another reason True Blood is MILES better than Twilight is the acting. Anna Paquin, Sookie, and Stephen Moyer, who plays vampire Bill Compton, are absolutely incredible. Paquin is a delight to watch on screen. She seems to really enjoy her role and her fear and anger and joy just flies off the screen. Moyer is also an extreme delight. He seems to sincere and he plays the vampire perfectly. Robert Pattinson has nothing on this man. Moyer is incredibly suave and sexy and alluring, just like a vampire should be. Nelsan Ellis, who plays Layfayette, is also an absolute joy who brings the comic relief in every episode so far.

The plot of True Blood is also very exiting. It has everything an exciting drama should have sex, violence, drugs, and murder. And it's not only vampire fans who'll enjoy True Blood. The story arch of the first season is actually more about a murderer (a human, I might add) than vampires or anything supernatural. However, there are many supernatural aspects to the show that I won't address in the review so I won't give anything away. But if you like murder mysteries or supernatural thrillers True Blood is the show for you. However, don't go into this expecting it to be like the light-hearted Twilight. True Blood is an emotional and dark show that was not meant to be seen by children due to it's extremely violent and sexual content.

The only thing I didn't really like about True Blood is how likable the characters are. Because as soon as you start to really like a character, they're probably about to be killed off. Oh, and one more thing, if you're squeamish about blood, do not watch this show.

-H

The Piano

A few days ago I had the pleasure of watching Jane Campion's The Piano in class. It's not the kind of movie that I normally watch, being more of the action frame-of-mind, but I very much enjoyed watching this gem of a film. Ada McGrath(Holly Hunter) is a mute woman in 1850s Britain who is sent off to savage New Zealand along with her daughter Flora(Anna Paquin), as a mail-order bride to a land-owner there, Stewart played by Sam Neill. Once there, her new husband, in a bid to increase his land holdings, trades Ada's most prized possession, her piano, to his neighbor, Baines(Harvey Keitel). Ada is naturally upset, but when visiting Baines in order to give him lessons on how to play his new piano, he makes her an offer: sexual favors for the return of her piano.
The Piano is a success on many different levels. Jane Campion, the writer and director of the film, crafted one of the rare films that works as both an accessible story, as well as a layered, meaningful work of art and literature. Watching the film once will be entertaining merely for the well written story, but watch it again and you will see the layers that it has. Jane Campion began her college life with art school. Once there, she realized that she was trying to tell stories with her artwork and that film school would be a better fit for her. With that background in the arts, Campion has a special way of placing the scene in front of the camera(what film students call mise-en-scene) that creates an artistic image to be interpreted by the viewer. The film is a joy to watch because the placement of the scene and of the camera has meaning and beauty all of its own. The story that Campion wrote also is many-layered, portraying gender issues of the nineteenth century, family relationships, and exchanges of power. Many of Campion's films include a tactile quality to them, emphasizing the sense of touch and what it means. Some of the most powerful emotions in The Piano are conveyed by the feel of a piano key.
The writing and direction were not the only good qualities of this film. The acting done by Holly Hunter as the mute Ada is some of the best I have ever seen. Jane Campion, when she made this film, wanted her heroine to have a piercing gaze that seemed to reach down into one's soul. I don't know how Holly Hunter managed to pull that one off, but she did. Though her character is mute, she portrays more emotion in the performance without a single word than ninety percent of actors more well known. Holly Hunter really carries this film with her perfect emotionality. Harvey Keitel also does an above-average job as the at-first lecherous, later not so much Baines.
Overall, The Piano is a film that I would give both of my thumbs-up to, as well as a recommendation to anyone I know.

-J

Lost in Translation

Sophia Coppola's film, Lost in Translation is one of the rare films that come along and truly depict human interaction. Most of us are used to fairy-tale endings or tragedies. Either the main character fall in love, grow up, get married, and live happily ever after or they meet, fall madly in love, and then one or both of them die before they're even close to getting married. We are also all used to the wild and crazy adventures that people in movies find themselves them: they are either involved in some outrageous scheme or involved in some wild, hot affair or something else completely ridiculous.

Lost in Translation is completely different. It tells the story of Bob Harris played by Bill Murray and Charlotte played by Scarlett Johanson. These two characters are both in a very lonely and desperate place. Bob is a famous actor who has had to leave his family to make commercials in Tokyo. Charlotte is a young woman living with her husband of two years in Tokyo. Her husband is a famous photographer who has to leave her alone while he goes on business trips. Both Charlotte and Bob are alone, in a strange place, with no one to talk to and no one to connect with. So the two of them form a strong bond after the meet in the bar of the hotel where they are both staying. The movie shows how their bond grows over time and how the two become closer and closer to each other and closer and closer to falling in love.

*SPOILER* But nothing happens. They don't have any kind of affair, at least not physically and they don't have some kind of fantastic adventure. They just meet, talk, and then they leave. It's just so realistic it's incredible. Sometimes, I think, movies get to bogged down with all the adventure and glitz and glam. But Lost in Translation is something that could happen and it's something that probably has happened many, many times in real life. And that's what made it incredible.

Lost in Translation was also amazing because of an underlying metaphor. The phrase lost in translation refers to so many different aspects of the film. The obvious aspect of the film that the title refers to is the language barrier between the main character and the Japanese speaking people. Another aspect of the film that the title refers to is the barriers built between the main characters and their spouses. Both seem to have trouble communicating their desires to their spouses which causes trouble in their relationships. The third aspect of the film the title refers to is a barrier between the audience and the characters. In the final scene of the film, Bill Murray's character whispers something to Charlotte and the audience cannot understand what he says. Many of speculated about what the actual line may be but I don't think that it is really important. The ambiguity of the final scenes is open to interpretation which leaves the viewers intrigued and keeps with the realism of the film. In real life, things are not black and white and sometimes we just don't know what's going to happen. And that's what happen in the film. Because we cannot understand that line, we just don't know what's going to happen to the two characters in the future and we can only guess at what may come for the two of them.

Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanson both do a remarkable job at portraying their characters. Johanson portrays Charlotte as calm and collected. Her depiction of Charlotte's sadness and loneliness is beautiful and truly works as does Murray's depiction of Bob's sadness and loneliness. It appears that both actors truly dig deep within themselves and must use some of their own emotions to portray their character so realistically. Anna Faris also appears in a small role and is hilarious as usual.

Lost in Translation is an incredibly enjoyable film. It is a deep and emotional film that will stick with you long after seeing it.

-H