I keep a running list of films I see and my ratings of them so eventually I can write a quick bit for my blog. And, um...I got a little backed up. Oops. So enjoy around 20 reviews. Seriously.
#49:
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit is one of my favorite books of all
time. So when I heard Peter Jackson was
doing it, I was excited…and worried.
Just as any reader is when they find out one of their favorite books is
being adapted. Lots can go wrong. I really enjoyed the first portion of the
movie, but was beginning to question why it was being spread out, why, why,
why. It was amazing, just fucking amazing.
I give the movie 9.5 out of 10.
The way that he did Smaug was brilliant, and voiced by my future husband
(yeah) Benedict Cumberbatch, it was the scene stealer. Do I think the movie needed to be split in a
franchise? No. But I think Jackson’s doing a decent job so far so we’ll see.
#50:
Mystery Men
This movie was on my Netflix list for ages, so
one day I finally decided to sit and watch it.
The movie centers on some weird superheroes that are just trying to make
the world a better place and getting no support for it. The film is quirky and strange, but
ultimately amusing. I give it 7 out of
10. The most standout
aspect for me was the cast. William H.
Macy as a superhero is pretty adorable.
#51:
Brick
This was another movie on my Netflix list, and
when I was catching up on stuff before it got deleted, this made the cut. The film is intensely cerebral
and features a complicated web of high school fuckery. Drugs, sex, lies,
deceit. So basically high school, am I right? (this was not my high school
experience in case you’re wondering) I give the film 7 out of 10. There is beautiful
cinematography and the film leaves you asking
a big question: is she lying or isn’t she?
But sometimes I got tripped up in the story. However, baby Joseph Gordon
Levitt is precious.
#52:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This was getting taken of Netflix so I knew I
needed to watch it. Which I did right
before I ended up getting dumped…yeah.
The story has an Inception like quality that I found amazing and was
supplemented with great cinematography.
I give it 8 out of 10. It was a weirdly
cathartic moment that ended up actually being cathartic because I wanted to
erase someone. It really makes you
wonder: Would you erase anyone if you had the chance?
#53:
Blackfish
I was obsessed with the Free Willy movies when I
was younger. My best friend growing up
and I used to watch them and pretend we were baby whales. We were so badass. I was interested in seeing this documentary
because of that fascination, and because I had heard people’s thoughts on
it. The film is definitely one sided in
stating the horrible state these animals are kept in captivity, so why are we
surprised when they lash out? Opposing views were
minimal and at times blame was placed on trainers.
In reality it is an animal, it can’t communicate
with us so how do we really know what it is thinking? I give it 8 out 10. While the film was one sided, it was a very interesting
concept to consider. Is it worth having
aquariums and zoos if the animals aren’t always properly taken care of and
could they lash out eventually?
#54:
Movie 43
I don’t have much to say about this film. It’s a compiled list of movie ideas from a
washed up actor and all these ideas play out as different parts of the
film. It is full of A-listers but not a
lot of good jokes. I give it 3 out of
10. The only redeeming part for me was Patrick
Warburton trying to handle guys reacting to a girl’s period. Which was still a cheap laugh, but I can’t
deny how funny he is. Overall, don’t
waste your time. Seriously.
#55:
Stuck in Love
This one popped up on my interest list and I
couldn’t help watching because not only is about writers but Greg Kinnear is
not in enough movies! The story follows
a family of writers navigating life. Dad
is stuck on his ex-wife, son is trying to woo the popular girl who has issues, and
the daughter trying to push away real emotional attachment. It’s genius.
I give it 8 out 10. I really
enjoyed the story and the cast was fantastic.
Also I crushed hardcore on Logan Lerman which is probably a bad idea
because he’s a bit younger than me, but whatever. He’s adorable in this movie.
#56:
Butter
I really didn’t know what to expect from this
movie. All I knew about it was that it
featured butter carving. So…yeah. What? Jennifer
Garner does crazy exceptionally well as a housewife losing her status and
trying to stay “on top” of the butter carving game. Although she is quickly undermined by a
little girl, who becomes obsessed with the practice of carving butter. I give it 7 out of 10. This movie is
ridiculous in its concept, but actually almost made me cry with the
sentimentality it gets to at the end.
The cast is pretty good too. Like
I said earlier, Jen Garner does crazy.
Really well.
#57:
Bo Burnham’s What.
I’ve been following this kid since his YouTube
days, so I knew I had to check this comedy show out. It had an absolutely hilarious songy intro. It was far more interactive than just a normal comedy show in my
opinion. But then again, I haven’t seen
many comedy shows. I give it 7 out of
10. The crass material can rub someone
the wrong way at times, but I think it’s important to remember it’s an act. Overall, it would have been a better show to
see live but he’s still hilarious.
#58:
God Bless America
I really wasn’t sure what to do about this movie
at first. A dad finds out he’s
terminally ill so what to do? Spend time
with people? Nope, go on a killing rampage!
There wasn’t a ton of well known names in this film. However at the very base of the film is a
pretty emotionally resonant concept: don’t be a vacuous idiot. I give it 9 out of 10. It was an interest concept that was done well
cinematographically well. It also makes
you wonder if you’re a vacuous idiot…
#59:
Jeff Who Lives At Home
Another Netflix pop-about, this film focuses on
a small family and in particular Jeff (played by Jason Segel) who just can’t seem
to get his shit together. His mother is
played by Susan Sarandon and his brother is played by Ed Helms. I was pretty tired during the movie so
unfortunately I don’t remember a lot of it except Jeff trying to make sense of
his life and helping his family do the same.
I give it 7 out of 10. It’s good
for some family feels time.
#60:
Black Dynamite
My friend had asked if I had seen this and I
hadn’t, so one night a bunch of us watched it.
I don’t even know how else to talk about this movie except how freaking
hysterical it is. A parody of 70s films,
especially those focused on African American actors and themes, it is quite
hilarious. I give it 8 out of 10. It’s good for a lot of laughs and some
hilarious catch phrases to throw around later.
#61:
Our Idiot Brother
Stacked with a really outstanding cast, this
family movie seemed to miss a cord with me.
The main character is a dopey but well meaning guy who is just wants to
make a difference. Paul Rudd is adorable
as the main character, and the cast of his sisters is well done. Unfortunately, I give it 6 out 10. It got predictable and overplayed as
characters continued to rag on the main character. It had moments, but overall disappointed me.
#62:
Camp Takota
I am a nerdfighter. You may not know what that means, if you do
DFTBA. If you don’t, Google it. Anyway, nerdfighteria is how I learned about
this film, made by and starring YouTube talent.
It’s the story of a girl down on her luck trying to change. She heads back to camp for respite and finds
her life pleasantly turned about. The
story is predictable, but amazing. I
give it 9.5 out of 10. The film is amazing
from a cast stand point as well as cinematography. It makes me sad to say I never went to camp.
#63:
Night Watch
An interesting take on vampires and evil, the Russian books
and films that represent them were supposed to be a trilogy. However, only two were made. I’ve yet to see the second one. But this first film was very amusing. I got tripped up occasionally by the progress
of the story. I give it 7 out of 10
because it was an enjoyable film but difficult at times to understand.
#64:
Divergent
I’m a fan of young adult literature, but I
always balk when transformed into film.
While the new series made its debut, it had many people comparing it to
the Hunger Games and which is better.
While the stories have many similarities, there are parts I liked better
in each. The film version of Divergent
stayed relatively true to the book, as most adaptations do. I give it 8.5 out of 10. The main cast was well placed and did justice
to their characters. I found Kate
Winslet to be an interesting casting choice, because I didn’t picture her
character anything like how she was portrayed, but I’m excited for the next
installment.
#65:
The Red Violin
This is the story of a violin. A red one.
And the film follows how the beautiful musical instrument changes hands
through the years. From the maker to a
monastery in Germany to a French man, and on and on and on. I give the movie 7 out of 10. At times, I found the movie exaggerating, but
overall a very interesting story, though at times incredibly sad.
#66:
The Brass Teapot
What would you do if you found a magic teapot
that dispenses money when you cause pain?
Tempting to use it at first, but it comes with a price. You end up losing some sanity or your soul or
your goodness. Whatever you want to call
it. The cast was very pleasant. I find Juno Temple absolutely adorable. I give it 7 out of 10. Sometimes it dragged or seemed disconnected,
but overall was a cute film with an ultimately good message.
#67:
Go
This movie is a classic 90s film, featuring several names
that were big in the decade. The film
follows a single drug deal from three different points of view. The varying stories were woven together into
a rich tapestry of crazy. I give the
film 7 out of 10. It was an interesting
concept, and so wonderfully 90s. I think
my favorite character was Taye Diggs. He
was so cute.
#68:
Violet & Daisy
Two adorable girls who are hired killers go about their
lives. They get an order for a hit, but
things aren’t quite what they seem. Alexis
Bledel and Saoirse Ronan star as the young killers and James Gandolfini is
their target. I give the film 7 out of
10. It was a good film though sometimes
plot points seemed out of place.
#69:
Spirited Away
I was pretty tired the night I saw this so I unfortunately
don’t remember some of it. From what I
do remember, a little girl and her parents get swept up into the spirit world
where some weird stuff happens and she tries to save her parents and also this
boy who is also a dragon. Yeah, like I said, I was really tired. I remember
enjoying it for the most part though was confused for some of it. I give it 7.5 out of 10. I’ll definitely need to watch it again for
some of the finer points of the film, but it was cute.
#70:
X-Men: Days of Future Past
I am a huge fan of the X-Men so obviously I was thrilled for
another movie (especially one that wasn’t only about Wolverine). Oh hey wait, this one kind of was. Okay moving on. Don’t get me wrong, he’s my favorite character
but he’s not the only X-Men. So anyway,
I was incredibly excited to see Peter Dinklage in the film because that guy is
insanely awesome. I give the film 7.5
out of 10. The idea of the story was
very interesting, but I wished more time could have been spent on the lesser
mutants that made the film. While I know
a bit about Blink and Bishop and Warpath and others previously seen in films,
other viewers might not know anything. The highlight of the film was
Quicksilver. I would be incredibly
excited if they gave him a stand alone film.
