The Tourist

So, I didn't really want to see this movie but it was showing at the right time for our movie club and hey it's Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie - they never make a bad movie - or more often than not really. It ended up being a little worse than I anticipated. It opened up in the second spot it's opening weekend and brought in about $16 million. It's now doubled that figure in it's second week running but still has a long way to go to surpass it's $100 million budget.

The movie is a classic spy/identity/thriller/romantic comedy and stars Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in the lead roles. Angelina plays the suave and mysterious leading lady and Depp plays the bumbling average Joe thrown into the mix while on vacation.

The plot turned out to be a bit predictable and one dimensional. It wasn't very probable at all. The sequence of events were very 'Hollywood'. The plot seemed to really drag, especially in the beginning, and there wasn't much action despite it being an 'action movie'. Angelina's character was very one dimensional and her motives didn't make any sense in the movie. Depp was a little more believable, but in the end their interactions didn't make much sense.

The score was ultra sappy and attempted to induce suspense which wasn't there in the different scenes. The film was average but the color correction was very beautiful given the European backdrop. The costume and wardrobe also was nice in the movie.

Depp and Jolie played what you'd expect from these two actors. If they hadn't been the lead role, this would have been a horribly forgettable movie. Depp did a bit better than his counterpart and seemed more genuine in his role. Jolie was herself as she's been in most of her recent roles.

Overall, the movie wasn't that great. I'm not sure if it was even worthy of a rental night. Depp and Jolie weren't bad on the movie, it was just an overly sappy plot and not believable. If they weren't in it, it would have majorly sucked. "You're ravenous.' 'Do you mean ravishing?' 'I do" -- The Tourist.

Black Swan

So I had wanted to see this movie since even before I had heard about it. I'm a big Aronofsky (Darren) fan for his past movies Requiem For a Dream and Pi. I had heard such great things about this movie and even some critics went so far to say this movie surpassed the two I just mentioned. My hopes were inevitably very high for this movie since I didn't think it was possible to exceed one of my top movies of all time (Requiem). Fortunately, I was able to see this movie at the one theater showing it in the entire city during it's initial limited release. It's about to go wide tomorrow and I'm glad a larger section of the public will have access to this movie. It's already grossed over $6 million despite it's limited release and is about halfway to is modest $13 million budget.

The movie is a dark psychological character study set within the New York Ballet Company and it's production of Swan Lake. Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis star as the frenemies the White and Black Swan. The weight of the role start to get to Portman, in a very literal sense and we watch as she struggles while unraveling at the seams.

The plot is dark and suspenseful, which makes for an entertaining ride. It's believable yet surreal - which is a hard thing to pull off. Portman's character is very well written and complex - as are the characters of the mother and the instructor. Kunis' character is very one dimensional, although this was clearly on purpose as her character was symbolic to the plot. There were some also genuine bits of humor thrown in a couple of places in the movie which helped ease up on the mostly constant suspense.

Aronofsky is one of my favorite directors because of the editing style and symbolic cinematography he employs in his films. Requiem is a masterfully edited film. The editing in this film is not quite as stylized however it flows gracefully with the beautiful handheld camera work and unique angles in the movie. The camera is right up there with the actors during the dance sequences, which was just beautiful. Instead of going to the standard wide shots and close ups using body doubles, the camera is right there with the actors. Portman was injured several times in this film and trained extensively throughout so that there were very few shots of body doubles used in the entire film. Once you see how beautiful she dances, you'll be amazed that it's mostly all her up there. He uses a lot of mirrors in the film and plays off those angles really well. Not an easy task to choreograph and stage and I respect the effort behind those shots - not to mention they were quite beautiful as well. Aronofsky also knows how to put the right people in place and get some amazing scores. He brought in Clint Mansell, who had previously scored the oh-so-amazing score for Requiem which was performed by the Kronos Quartet and arguably one of my favorite movie scores ever. Mansell took the original Tchaikovsky's original music for Swan Lake but played it backwards and distorted it. Pure genius. The result sounds very similar to the classic and amazingly, it works with the movie and enhances the suspense. Without seeing the movie, I would expect a classical score to greatly deter from the suspense and believability of the movie. Not only does it work to provide the right feel for the movie, it also is hugely symbolic as well and mimics what is going on with the characters and the plot.

I have heard some say that this is Portman's best role to date. She does an amazing job and I will be shocked if she doesn't get a nomination for this role. I'd put this right up there with V for Vendetta for her. There was more time with her character in this movie and so we got to see more of her raw talent than in V. Mila Kunis does a fine job as well although I'd be a little worried she is starting to become typecast if I was her. Vincent Cassel gives a really dynamic performance with his character. He really treads the line between exploiter and mentor and he leaves it up to the audience to decide for themselves.

Overall I was extremely pleased with this movie. I think that I built it up too much going into the movie. I loved it, don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to go rush out to see it as many times in the theater before it runs out. I was going into this movie positive that I would walk out with a new favorite movie, and that just didn't happen. This was a really great movie and definitely up there, but not at the very top. I wish more movies would be made like this - with obvious passion. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good dark thought provoking suspense. "That was me seducing you. It should be the other way around." -- Black Swan.

** For any who have already seen this movie and were also unlucky enough to see The Piano Teacher, did anyone pick up on the similarities in the plot as I did? While I did not like The Piano Teacher one bit or even have a shred of respect for that movie, I found these plots quite similar. It's almost as if Black Swan did the right way this type of prodigal mentally unstable character study should be done.Well just wondering. And for those who haven't seen The Piano Teacher, don't. **

Black Swan

So I had wanted to see this movie since even before I had heard about it. I'm a big Aronofsky (Darren) fan for his past movies Requiem For a Dream and Pi. I had heard such great things about this movie and even some critics went so far to say this movie surpassed the two I just mentioned. My hopes were inevitably very high for this movie since I didn't think it was possible to exceed one of my top movies of all time (Requiem). Fortunately, I was able to see this movie at the one theater showing it in the entire city during it's initial limited release. It's about to go wide tomorrow and I'm glad a larger section of the public will have access to this movie. It's already grossed over $6 million despite it's limited release and is about halfway to is modest $13 million budget.

The movie is a dark psychological character study set within the New York Ballet Company and it's production of Swan Lake. Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis star as the frenemies the White and Black Swan. The weight of the role start to get to Portman, in a very literal sense and we watch as she struggles while unraveling at the seams.

The plot is dark and suspenseful, which makes for an entertaining ride. It's believable yet surreal - which is a hard thing to pull off. Portman's character is very well written and complex - as are the characters of the mother and the instructor. Kunis' character is very one dimensional, although this was clearly on purpose as her character was symbolic to the plot. There were some also genuine bits of humor thrown in a couple of places in the movie which helped ease up on the mostly constant suspense.

Aronofsky is one of my favorite directors because of the editing style and symbolic cinematography he employs in his films. Requiem is a masterfully edited film. The editing in this film is not quite as stylized however it flows gracefully with the beautiful handheld camera work and unique angles in the movie. The camera is right up there with the actors during the dance sequences, which was just beautiful. Instead of going to the standard wide shots and close ups using body doubles, the camera is right there with the actors. Portman was injured several times in this film and trained extensively throughout so that there were very few shots of body doubles used in the entire film. Once you see how beautiful she dances, you'll be amazed that it's mostly all her up there. He uses a lot of mirrors in the film and plays off those angles really well. Not an easy task to choreograph and stage and I respect the effort behind those shots - not to mention they were quite beautiful as well. Aronofsky also knows how to put the right people in place and get some amazing scores. He brought in Clint Mansell, who had previously scored the oh-so-amazing score for Requiem which was performed by the Kronos Quartet and arguably one of my favorite movie scores ever. Mansell took the original Tchaikovsky's original music for Swan Lake but played it backwards and distorted it. Pure genius. The result sounds very similar to the classic and amazingly, it works with the movie and enhances the suspense. Without seeing the movie, I would expect a classical score to greatly deter from the suspense and believability of the movie. Not only does it work to provide the right feel for the movie, it also is hugely symbolic as well and mimics what is going on with the characters and the plot.

I have heard some say that this is Portman's best role to date. She does an amazing job and I will be shocked if she doesn't get a nomination for this role. I'd put this right up there with V for Vendetta for her. There was more time with her character in this movie and so we got to see more of her raw talent than in V. Mila Kunis does a fine job as well although I'd be a little worried she is starting to become typecast if I was her. Vincent Cassel gives a really dynamic performance with his character. He really treads the line between exploiter and mentor and he leaves it up to the audience to decide for themselves.

Overall I was extremely pleased with this movie. I think that I built it up too much going into the movie. I loved it, don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to go rush out to see it as many times in the theater before it runs out. I was going into this movie positive that I would walk out with a new favorite movie, and that just didn't happen. This was a really great movie and definitely up there, but not at the very top. I wish more movies would be made like this - with obvious passion. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good dark thought provoking suspense. "That was me seducing you. It should be the other way around." -- Black Swan.

** For any who have already seen this movie and were also unlucky enough to see The Piano Teacher, did anyone pick up on the similarities in the plot as I did? While I did not like The Piano Teacher one bit or even have a shred of respect for that movie, I found these plots quite similar. It's almost as if Black Swan did the right way this type of prodigal mentally unstable character study should be done.Well just wondering. And for those who haven't seen The Piano Teacher, don't. **

Love and Other Drugs

So I had wanted to see this movie since I saw the trailer because I usually like Jake Gyllenhaal (except Prince of Persia ) and the movie's premise looked quite promising. I also looked forward to seeing Anne Hathaway in another mature role. The movie opened up in the number 6 slot and has made over $23 million which is a nice chunk of the $30 million budget.

The movie is about an extremely charming ladies' man turned pharmaceutical sales rep during the big drug boom. He is the man who can't be tied down and meets the woman who wants anything but to tie him down. They start an unusual relationship and we are taken along for the ride.

The plot is very believable and the two main characters are surprisingly multi-dimensional. The story arches and their timing, are a little bit improbable, but hey it is a movie afterall. The dialogue was great in the movie and very witty. There was some great unexpected humor. The supporting characters were a little bit stereotypical and cliched, but the two main characters made up for it. There was tons of sex in this movie. I found it very realistic and it didn't shy away from what it's really like to be in a relationship of that nature.

The movie was filmed nicely and - of course - there was a great soundtrack. The costumes and sets were in keeping with the time period and was very flattering on the two leads.

Jake and Anne did just a superb job with these roles. Jake is at his most charming in this movie, and also pulls off some genuine vulnerability. His character's motives and actions may have been sitting on the fence between believable and hollywood endings, but for the most part he was completely genuine. Anne did a stellar job. She not only had to deal with the physical performance of a character with early onset Parkinson's disease, she had to break out the big dramatics and constant nudity. Easy tasks by no means. She definitely went all out with this character and it shows. Her actions and motives were more believable than Jake's and she was given more material to pull off a more dramatic performance. I don't think she necessarily outshined him though. They had great chemistry and were perfect in these roles.

The movie was believable - especially in the beginning and middle - and turned out to be quite sweet. The ending may have been a little bit cliched, but hey I won't count off for it. There was a whole bunch of sex in this movie, but I guess it's obvious from the title. It was almost a little too much for my taste to see in the theater - or at least should've been a date movie. It would make a great rental ;) If you're a Jake Gyllenhaal fan, then I'd definitely recommend this film or perhaps if you'd like to see Anne Hathaway shatter her Princess Diaries image. It was a mature look at a relationship and the complexities of modern life. It was cute and I'm glad I saw it. "I bet pfizer is swelling with pride with it's new drug to beat this hard problem American men are facing" -- Love and Other Drugs

Tangled

So I didn't really want to see this movie but caved after my girls asked me for about the 100th time. I thought it looked much too childish for me, but fortunately I was wrong. The movie - somehow - bumped Harry Potter from it's reign at the top and became number 1 this past weekend. The movie opened up in the number two spot and brought in $28 million. It's already grossed over an impressive $144 million worldwide, but it has a way to go to surpass it's amazing $240 million dollar budget.

The movie is a spin on the classic Rapunzel story and pairs up a lovable criminal with Rapunzel who's spent the last 18 years inside her tower and ready for an outdoor adventure.

The plot was fresh and innovative. The dialogue was quite humorous as were many of the plot points. It was entertaining enough and exciting enough to keep me - and the girls - interested until the end.

Some of the sequences were extremely beautiful. A lot of the humor was situational comedy and the animals especially were extremely funny, i.e. the lizard and the horse. I'm a little bit amazed at the size of the budget. Up only had a budget of $175 million and I wouldn't consider this near as beautiful. There were several songs in this film and there were recognizable actors, which may attribute for some of the inflated budget. Perhaps, promotional expenditures are being included in this budget and if that's the case I can easily understand why as this movie was being promoted every 5 seconds by Disney.

Mandy Moore did a really great job. She's so sweet and sings so nicely. Chuck, who plays the likable criminal, has a really great voice and did well also.

In the end, I found myself laughing out loud several times. This movie was quite humorous and totally cute. I wouldn't mind watching this over and over when it comes out on DVD, as I'm sure we will - right along with Toy Story 3. "Skip the drama, stay with mama" - Tangled

Burlesque

So I had wanted to see this particular movie ever since I saw those four little letters in that perfect sequence; C-H-E-R. I'm a self admitted huge Cher fan - heck I was there at her farewell tour back in 2003! I'm also a pretty big musical fan and needless to say was super excited for this movie. It opened up in the number four spot it's opening weekend, and wasn't even close to knocking out the Potter phenomenon. The movie to date has grossed over $28 million worldwide and is on it's way to surpassing it's $55 million budget.

The movie stars the highly talented musical sensations, Cher and Christina Aguilera. Christina is a small town waitress who moves to LA and ends up working in a burlesque club ran by Cher.

The plot wasn't anything fancy or anything we haven't seen before, think Coyote Ugly. All of the musical numbers were mostly believable and done on stage, so it wasn't one of those movies where people randomly break into song. The characters were pretty one-dimensional and the story was predictable. But what do you really expect from a musical besides entertainment? With out all the jazz added by the musical and choreography, the plot wouldn't have held any weight on it's own.

The musical numbers in this movie were quite amazing and man can Christina sing. I love Cher and she totally owned the stage during her solo near the end, but as Kristen Bell's character summed it up, that girl (Christina) has 'mutant lungs'. Her voice is crazy powerful and she is crazy tiny and pretty. The choreography was great and comical at the same time. It's amazing, but there was really only about 5 or 6 different sets in the entire movie. Most of the effort, and budget, went towards the club scenes, and rightly so. I really enjoyed the songs. Most were pretty whimsical, but I did download a few. And as previously mentioned, Cher does an amazing job with her heartfelt slower solo piece near the end. She actually did that whole performance live and it just shows how amazing she can be.

If Christina and Cher weren't in the movie, it would've been pretty bland. Christina was the perfect person for this role and I really don't think anyone else could've pulled it off. She had a great acting debut and was genuine throughout. Cher was amazing as always. Stanley Tucci really added a lot of value and humor to the film. Cam Gigandet and Mcsteamy were oh so pleasing to look at and did their jobs well.

So, overall I really enjoyed it. I think anyone who enjoys musicals, such as Chicago, would enjoy this as well. Definitely not as surreal as Moulin Rouge but more believable than Chicago. "It takes a legend to make a star" -- Burleque