50 Shades of Grey {movie review}

 

 

 

Well, well, well. This movie certainly didn't disappoint. A couple girlfriends and I went to see this movie yesterday. I guess it's good that we all share a somewhat raunchy sense of humor, because it really takes a special group to sit and watch this movie together.....as in, not watching it with your spouse. I'm still not sure how this movie escaped the NC-17 rating.

 

The movie itself really followed the book quite well. If you see the movie without reading the book, there are a few scenes that might be lost on you - you won't understand the underlying meaning. But it doesn't ruin the movie by any means.

 

Let me just say, for the record, that I wasn't sure about either of these actors, in these specific roles. Dakota, however, nailed it. She played innocent, naïve Ana perfectly. Jamie....I'm just not sure what to say about him. He was NOT who I pictured in this role at all. However, I gave him a chance, and once I saw him in THOSE jeans (if you've read the books, you know which jeans I'm talking about), all bets were off. He was quite intriguing. I've never seen him in any other movie before, so I really just had to let my expectations (for the role of Christian) go. Once I did that, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. If you have read the books, this movie is an absolute must to bring everything to life.

Movie Review: The Judge

This movie packed a powerful cast (Robert Duvall, Robert Downey, Jr., Billy Bob Thornton, Dax Shepard...the list goes on). I have to say, this was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Downey, Jr. plays a hot shot attorney, Hank,  who escaped the clutches of small town life in Indiana and vowed to never return. His father, Judge Palmer, played by Duvall, is a judge in that small Indiana town. Hank is called back to the forgotten town when his mother unexpectedly passes away. He trudges through the formalities of the funeral and tries to quickly get back to his normal life. However, his father, the Judge, is suddenly thrown into a murder charge and it takes off from there.

 

I HIGHLY recommend this movie!

{Movie Review} The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

 

The Hobbit (book and movies) is very near and dear to my heart.  My freshman year in high school, while on our annual post-Christmas trip to the cabin, which usually spanned about a week or so, we got stranded. There were feet upon feet of snow, which was followed by days and days of rain. This is never a good mixture. This resulted in major mudslides that washed out portions of the highways.  Highway 17 was washed out, as was Highway 21. The avalanche gates up through Stanley were closed. We literally had no way out. We had to get pretty creative for entertainment, among other things. One of the things we did was read The Hobbit out loud, as a group of eight. At the time, I wanted nothing more than to be back home with all of my friends, going to school. Looking back, it was an adventure I will never forget. Much like Bilbo. ;-)  I would give anything to be stranded at the cabin again!

 

When Eric and I first got back in touch, many years ago, he had to force me to watch The Lord of the Rings movies. I understand they branch off from The Hobbit, but they just aren't the same. So when I heard they were making The Hobbit into a trilogy, I was extremely excited. The first two movies were excellent and followed the book precisely. The third movie, which we finally got to see the other night (I usually see these opening week, but my work schedule prevented it this time) was no different and did not disappoint. It was phenomenal. There was one portion that got a little to "fantasy" for me (ironic considering the entire premise) and I looked at Eric like, "really?" But it was short and moved on quickly. Overall, I am so pleased with how Peter Jackson brought this book to life. Every last character was so unique and he really brought out the heart of the story. I highly recommend reading The Hobbit, if you haven't yet, and even re-reading it if it's been 19 years.  (holy shit, it's been 19 years?!)  And then treat yourself to these movies.

Movie Reviews

 

Can I just say this trial SUCKS?

 

I can't even begin to tell you how many hours I have worked over the course of the last two weeks. Oh wait, sure I can. 80 hours one week, 67 this week. (Patiently awaiting those overtime checks, I might add.)  This trial has been like nothing I have ever experienced. I have been involved in numerous trials, in various capacities. This trial takes the cake as far as high level involvement, last minute prep, scrambling DURING the trial to find documents (when the attorneys don't even know what they are, no less) and mark them as new exhibits, flying over to the courthouse (sometimes 6-7 times each day) to run in documents, etc. Most days, I'm here at the office at 7:00 in the morning and not getting home until 11:00 at night. It's maddening and I have reached the end of my rope. The judge held court yesterday - that's right:  SATURDAY. The jurors were THRILLED about that. And we worked today, as well. I have worked 14 days straight. My billable hours for this month are going to be through the roof. The minute this trial is over, I'm taking the rest of the month off. 

 

After court wrapped up last night, I wanted nothing more than to veg. I was actually home in time to make dinner for my family, and I rented a couple of movies to accomplish that vegging.

 

 

Reclaim was actually a really good movie, based on (I'm sure) real events. The premise surrounded child trafficking, which is a very real and growing issue worldwide. And on a shallow note, I picked this movie to stare at Ryan Phillippe. Come on - he's certainly not the best actor out there, but when he's shirtless, his script can be a phone book for all I care. Bottom line:  this movie was fairly decent. And let's give props to John Cusack for doing a stellar job, as usual.

 

 

 

 

Oh, Denzel. He is so incredible and I will watch 99% of the movies he puts out. This was a great movie. I love watching him in these methodical roles - he really shines. He plays a former CIA-type guy, sort of doing his own vigilante justice in the world. It definitely has some great action and I really enjoyed this one in the few hours I had today away from the office.

Movie Review - Gone Girl

 

"This man may kill me."

 

 

 

Since I recently finished this book, I had to get to the theater to see the movie while it was still out. It did NOT disappoint. The acting was superb. The ending still wasn't what I wanted it to be (in fact, I was quite livid), but hey, it is what it is. And let's face it, two men doing frontal nudity? That's going to get a lot of ladies to this movie. ;) I definitely recommend reading the book first, but this is definitely a case where the movie follows it damn near 100% - the good, the bad, and the seriously intense. A psychological thriller at its finest.

 

On a side note, go do the VIP thing at the Village Cinemas. We sat up in these cushy seats, had drinks and dinner, and really enjoyed the movie. It's definitely the way to see a movie!

 

 

Movie Review: The Hobbit

Eric and I had date night on Friday, so we decided to see The Hobbit since I think this is the last weekend it's in Regal theaters, and I needed to use my passes.

The Hobbit is a story that is near and dear to my heart. Back in my freshman year of high school, my family got stranded at our cabin in Lowman. Some serious snow had come down, followed by a crazy amount of rain. Rain on top of snow in the mountains is not a good mix. There were some crazy mud slides, which wiped out some main roads. We were literally stranded. With limited entertainment, and no power or running water, one of the things we chose to do was read The Hobbit out loud every evening.  I remember some of the details, mostly the spiders.

I recently re-read The Hobbit in preparation for the movie.  I love the adventure.  The movie was a long one, that's for sure, and in the name of adventure, certainly took some liberties in adding scenes that were not in the book. I don't know if this was meant to elaborate on the (lacking) details of the author from the book, or just to stretch this into a trilogy to make some money in Hollywood....you be the judge. The beginning of the movie is quite slow. For a brief moment, near the end, I forgot that this was going to be a trilogy and wondered how long the movie was going to last! There was still so much from the book that hadn't even been shown. But then I remembered that parts two and three were still coming.  Overall, it really was a good movie. The details are fantastic - I would expect nothing less from this director.

Movie Review: Take This Waltz

 

Blurb:  Take This Waltz is a 2011 Canadian romantic comedy-drama film.^[3][4] The film centers on Margot (Michelle Williams), a 28 year old freelance writer who lives in a charming house on a leafy street in Toronto's Little Portugal neighbourhood, as she struggles with and examines her feelings for Lou (Seth Rogen), her husband of five years, while exploring a new relationship with Daniel, an artist and rickshaw driver who lives across the street.

 

This movie was one that I picked out. Eric wasn't a huge fan. I LOVED it. I totally understood it, and it brought out a lot of emotion. Something about it is just totally awkward - especially watching the strange, even confusing, interactions between Margot and Lou, as husband and wife. Some that really leave you scratching your head, wondering why the hell these two ever got married. It's a very different role for Rogen, and Sarah Silverman also plays an intriguing role. Overall, I simply loved this movie. It has some funny parts, some awkward parts, some parts I still don't understand.....the characters seem to be underdeveloped, but in a strange way, the entire thing makes sense. Give it a chance!

Movie Review: No Strings Attached

This was a great romantic comedy.  I absolutely love Ashton Kutcher.  Love him.  And Natalie Portman is such a great little actress.  I laughed out loud so many times during this movie.  And sure, it's your typical, totally predictable romantic comedy.....but it was still a good movie!

Movie Review: The Tourist

Thumbs DOWN.  All the way down.  I'm not a huge fan of Angelina Jolie.  At all.  I think she's an over-rated actress.  And Depp is only good for me as Cap'n Jack Sparrow, mates.  This movie was a total bust.  The acting was dreadful and I'm shocked to learn that they were both nominated for Golden Globes for this movie.  Awful!!  Don't waste your time.

Movie Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

Not too long ago, I did a book review for this book.  The movie came out Friday, so we had a date night last night with my parents to see this movie, since my dad has also read the book.  The movie followed the book extremely well, and there really aren't any glaring differences from the book.  I thought the casting was excellent, and of course, Mr. Matthew McConaughey was his usual steamy self.  He played the part well.  It was also nice staring at Ryan Phillippe the entire movie as well!  I definitely recommend this movie, regardless of whether or not you have read the book.

Movie Review: Stone

I wouldn't go so far as to say I had high expectations for this movie - but I did expect it to be good considering it had De Nire and Norton.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  It was one of the lamest movies we have seen in a long time.  There were parts that were intriguing, from a psychological standpoint.  But that was about all the movie had going for it.  It was a huge let-down, and Eric and I were both thoroughly disappointed when the credits started rolling.  Don't waste even $1 renting this movie!

Movie Review: Due Date

I do not have one bad thing to say about this movie.  The previews alone were hilarious - which is why we grabbed this movie last night when it was released.  I haven't been a huge fan of Robert Downey, Jr. - moreso recently, now that he's cleaned up his act.  But I do have to say, this movie was freakin' hilarious.  I mean, we had to pause several times because I was laughing so hard, tears were obstructing my vision.  Definitely a movie you need to see!

Movie Review: The Jonses

We watched this movie the other night and I have to say, I actually really enjoyed it!  I'm somewhat surprised given the fact that I'm not a huge David what's-his-face fan.  But it turned out to be a pretty good movie!  This family is definitely NOT your typical suburb family.

Movie Review: Losers

I haven't had a whole lot of movie reviews lately because Eric has take over the Netflix movie queue...and let's just say we haven't had the best of movie selection in our house.  In fact, I think there have been 3-4 in a row where I left the room after 5 minutes.  So I was again hesitant to even watch this movie when it arrived in the mail.  Surprisingly, it was actually pretty good!  Definitely an action flick with the right amount of comedy sprinkled in.  Go rent it - it's worth it!

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1)

It was a requirement that I see this movie opening weekend.  Part 1 of this finale did not disappoint, in the least.  It followed the book extremely well, with just a few, minor variances.  But nothing that changed the flow of the book or movie.  I thought the movie was amazing.  For being as dark as the book was, the movie still managed to have some light moments, the right amount of suspense and scary parts, splashed with some humor.  I can't wait for Part 2 - even though it means the end of this amazing journey Ms. Rowling provided. 

My vote:  RUN to see this movie.  :)

Movie Review: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

So I know I'm way late to the game in watching this movie.  And to be honest, I probably wouldn't have ever watched it had my aunt not hand-delivered it to my house.  But I do have to say, this was a really good movie.  The storyline was very touching, though there were some parts that got me quite fired up.  But I guess that's the sign of a good movie.....to work your emotions.  I absolutely LOVE Ashley Judd.  I think she's an amazing, gorgeous actress and she did so well in this movie.  I'm glad I gave it a chance - it was well worth it!!

Movie Review: Date Night

I know I'm totally un-American for this, but I'm not a huge Steve Carell fan.  However, I do like Tina Fey, so for her sake, I gave this movie a chance.  For the most part, it was pretty good.  There were some strange scenes, that's for sure.  But Mark Wahlberg shirtless is a plus in ANY movie.  The best part?  The out-takes.  No joke.  I could watch out-takes 24 hours a day!

Movie Review: Shutter Island

I had zero interest in watching this movie, but somehow, my brother talked me into it.  I thought Leonardo DiCaprio did a fantastic job, but the movie was just awful.  And even beyond that, there were parts missing - like when they were interviewing the patients and the one lady asked for a drink of water, when she actually took a drink, there was no glass in her hand.  I thought I blinked at first, but I had Eric go back, and sure enough, there was no glass.  How do they miss something like that?  The entire thing was just a complete waste fo 2 hours of my time.  Although, I do have to admit, from a psychological viewpoint, it was extremely interesting.  But that's about it.

Movie Review: Remember Me

For the life of me, I couldn't find a decent movie poster picture for this movie......maybe because I got distracted by the below picture:

That's really all you need to know about this movie. It has Rob Pattinson in it, and......the end.  Just kidding!  Honestly, it wasn't the best movie I have ever seen, but it certainly wasn't the worst.  It was strange seeing Pierce Brosnan play an asshole, but he did it well.  And all the pieces didn't "click" for me until the very end - I don't know how I didn't see it coming.  Overall, watch this movie. Even if for nothing else than to prepare yourself for more Rob next week.  And if you don't know what next week is, shame on you!!

Movie Review: It's Complicated

I was very excited to see this movie - from the very first previews I saw, it looked hilarious.  And while I didn't pee myself laughing, it was still pretty funny and had a great story.  This is definitely a movie I recommend for a good laugh and a genuine story.