January Movies & Oscar Buzz
January 12, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
Rabbit Hole – the Academy seems to love depressing, sad movies since they continually get nominated year after year – and this movie is clearly another one of those – SHE
said, “It was very deep and emotionally raw, the main point of the film is about grieving and how everyone does that differently. HE said, “Eckhart and Kidman were both very good – didn’t need to see 2 hours of grieving (enough already).” SHE said, “thumbs up” HE said, “thumbs down”
Blue Valentine – this film is about the very beginning and the very end of a relationship – there is no middle – and felt with all the media hype about the movie I found it to be the same depressing stuff, different theme. SHE said, “Gosling and Williams are great actors, no question, but I am done with going to depressing movies. Several years ago my girlfriend Susan and I needed to see 3 movies that were up for Oscar’s so we went to the theatre where they were all playing and hopped from theatre to theatre to watch them. 30 minutes of each is all we needed to get a gist of the acting and not have to sit through more depressing stuff. I am going back to that!” HE said, “Ditto on the depressing and I found it hard to follow.” – “2 thumbs down”
Casino Jack – the reviewers said this would make a lot of people angry since it the events were too fresh in our minds. SHE said, “Spacey is truly great and I found it so disgusting to watch politicians’ flaunt their power and greed.” HE said, “Kevin Spacey was great. I found the movie too “slapstick,” didn’t present the events with enough seriousness. The rest of the actors were miss cast in their roles.” SHE said, “thumbs up” – HE said, “thumbs sideways”.
December Movies & Oscar Buzz 2010
January 11, 2011 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
What makes this Oscar season so interesting is that so many of the movies are based on true stories. Rumor has it that Reality TV is changing Hollywood. The Oscar for best movie this year should be between The King’s Speech and the Social Network.
Our “Oscar Buzz” Picks - The King’s Speech – lots of buzz on this one and now I know why, Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth are exceptional and the chemistry between them is outstanding. Definite Best Movie and Actors contenders – “2 thumbs up”
Colin Firth as King George
The Fighter – and yet another true boxing story, and a dysfunctional one at that – I love anything with Amy Adams (except Leap Year) and she has taken a role that is very different than anything she has ever done (rent Junebug if you haven’t seen it) – Mark Wahlberg is great as usual but Christian Bale’s performance is definitely Oscar worthy – “2 thumbs up”
Black Swan – we had to see this even though the movie trailer didn’t really excite us. Natalie Portman has a shot at Best Actress on this one! SHE said, “Even though it was a bit hard to follow (you don’t know what is real and what is not) this one left me feeling a bit haunted and I liked it. HE said, “Natalie Portman played this role extremely well and she was the only bright spot. The movie used too many flashbacks, was dark and predictable from the beginning. Overall just not very good.” – SHE said “thumbs up” – HE said “thumbs down”.
Our Other Picks – Love and Other Drugs – if you want a light, FUN, movie experience, you’ll love this one – great chemistry between Anne and Jake – predictable from the beginning but they added a twist that gave it more meat – “2 thumbs up”
The Tourist – this got such terrible reviews we almost didn’t go – we both liked it, and why? no special effects! and it felt like a 1960’s “To Catch A thief” kind of movie – Angelina looked like Sophia Loren, with great costumes – and how can you not like the sex appeal of a movie filmed in Venice? HE said, “The chemistry between Jolie and Depp just wasn’t there unfortunately.” – “2 thumbs up”
How Do You Know? – cute, predictable entertainment about denial, trouble, limbo and love – Reese Witherspoon is adorable and Owen
Wilson is just Owen Wilson, which is what I like about him – he plays a self absorbed successful baseball player – Paul Rudd was at his most charming best – “2”thumbs up”
All Good Things –Inspired by the most notorious missing person’s case in New York history, it is a love story and murder mystery set against the backdrop of a New York real estate dynasty in the 1980s – Ryan Gosling is truly one fine actor – and so is Kirsten Dunst! “2 thumbs up”
Not as Good as Expected – True Grit- no question that Hailee Steinfeld stole the movie, but we personally expected more from the Coen Brothers –SHE said, “maybe because they have set us up to feel that way – just felt too slow and hard to understand, too much mumbling” – HE said, “The performances from Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon (out of his comfort zone) were mediocre at best. The storyline was shallow and overall an unbelievably bad movie.” – “2 thumbs down”
The Oscar for best movie this year should be between the Kings Speech and the Social Network.
October/November Movies & Oscar Buzz 2010
December 28, 2010 by Susan Clarke · 1 Comment
We got back from our six week Africa trip the middle of October and slowly eased back into our weekly Friday movie habit. We usually go with our friends, and fellow movie critics, Susan and Bill. Now we’re in full swing!
Jesse Eisenberg
Our Picks – Social Network – heard from friends it was good and we agree – very engaging & great acting, but not our pick for the Oscar – “2 thumbs up”
Inside Job – this documentary leaves you feeling pretty “pissed off” at the banking industry and the scam they pulled off for years before it all came tumbling down. And the same people responsible for it are in charge of the bailout. Go figure! – “2 thumbs up”
Fair Game – the true story of Valerie Plame getting ousted by the CIA got panned by the critics and we liked it – truth and justice eventually prevail if you don’t give up – “2 thumbs up”
127 Hours – as gruesome as it was, we didn’t “feel like we were going to pass out” as was reported by some of the critics. He said, “The story was predictable from the start and I felt it was filled with too many flashbacks just to fill up time.” She said, “Well, we knew the outcome before we went in. I thought the acting was great considering James Franco pretty much carried the movie by himself – “2 thumbs up”
Unstoppable – I wondered how they could make a feature length movie all about a runaway train and it was great edge of your seat entertainment! She said, “How come you liked this movie if you knew the outcome going in?” He said, “I knew they got it stopped, I just didn’t know how they were going to do it.” – “2 thumbs up”
Angelina Jolie
Not as Good as Expected – Salt – just OK – too much “over the top” special effects and felt like “Angie was playing the female version of Jack Bauer.” And as we all know, only Jack Bauer can play Jack Bauer. “2 thumbs sideways”
Inception – forgot that we saw this during the summer and just could not get into it, too bizarre – “2 thumbs down”
Due Date – we surprisingly loved “The Hangover” but this was not near as good and a bit too raunchy for us. Robert Downy, Jr. did a good job. In the end it was just a so-so movie – “2 thumbs down”
Stone – Edward Norton is one incredible actor and this is another example of that – Robert De Niro’s character felt like I was watching “more of the same of De Niro playing De Niro.” “2 thumbs down”
Couldn’t Agree – Winter’s Bone – film about a young girl in the Ozarks was very bleak – acting was very good. She said “thumbs up” – he said “thumbs down.”
Summer Movies 2010
December 20, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
I find something to like about almost every movie I see. My husband on the other hand likes very few. That being said, this summer has been pretty disappointing.
Best Movies of the Summer – Toy Story III – great story, great twists and turns, just plain great FUN even though it was a bit scary. (my 5 year old granddaughter asked to sit on my lap at that part)
Knight & Day – although panned by the critics we both liked it. I belly laughed many times, especially at the end, and even gasped quite loudly on several occasions. Don’t get too picky about where all there change of clothes came from and how realistic all the stunts were. Diaz and Cruise had a great chemistry and the story was just FUN.
City Island – great indie film about a dysfunctional family that all harbor secrets and lies.
Get Low – academy award winning presentation by Robert Duvall as the recluse that plans his funeral while he is still alive.
The Kids Are All Right – great acting by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore
Robert Duvall
Not as good as I expected – Iron Man II – the first big blockbuster that I found to be too over done. We really liked the first one but the sequel was way too outlandish. Too many special effects that were just not realistic (felt the same way about Downey’s role as Sherlock Holmes)
Robin Hood – Ditto review see above. Love Cate Blanchet but it still didn’t work.
Movies 2009
December 30, 2009 by Susan Clarke · Leave a Comment
In 1977, my dear friend Gloria Boileau and I were attending the National Speakers Association Annual Convention in Anaheim, CA. On the last night at the awards banquet gala she said to me, “We need to get our picture taken with the Oscar because we are going to go to the Academy Awards. (On the stage stood a huge 10 foot Oscar statue) And I said to myself, “Yea, right.”
Gloria & Susan 1997
Gloria has always thought BIG! Bigger than life at times it seems to me. Fast forward two years later and I get a call from Gloria saying, “I have two tickets to Martin Scorsese’s Oscar Party at the Beverly Hills Hotel. You want to go?” I was speechless. (One of the very few times in my life)
I share that experience in my presentations when I am talking about the importance of goal setting. I say, “It has been said that if you don’t have goals you will end up living your life based on someone else’s goals. And if that’s the case, make sure you hang out with people who have really good goals!”
That was one of the best days of my life. To watch the Academy Awards on over sized screens in the ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel with so many stars was incredible. And then to stand on the red carpet behind the BBC afterward and watch all the limos pull up with all the stars who were returning from the awards ceremony was just beyond my wildest dreams. Miramax held their private party in the bar (which we tried unsuccessfully to crash) but we did get on the set of Bill Maher’s Politically Incorrect in the lobby. We got pictures with his scheduled guests, William H. Macy and Rod Steiger.
Me & Rod Steiger
I have always loved watching movies. I am probably more tolerant than most. I have never walked out of a movie theater. (I have turned them off at home if they were just so bad I couldn’t watch anymore) I don’t discriminate. Violence and foul language aren’t a problem for me. I try to keep an open mind and seek to understand why someone would make the movie they make.
Since 2000, my movie buddies and I have seen at least one movie almost every week. When we are not watching the latest releases at the theater, we are catching up on the one’s we missed at home. We rarely watch TV shows. And when we do it is usually a season later on DVD, although we do have a DVR. Favorite TV shows include 24, Lost, Six Feet Under, Dexter, The Tudor’s, and Damages.
So far for 2009, my overall favorite movie is “Julie & Julia.” I think Meryl Streep is the finest actress of this generation and Amy Adams is just blossoming! I have loved everything she has done since I first became aware of her in Junebug.
“The Hangover” has to rate because it appeals to all generations. It’s the male version of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” It played all summer and into the fall and brought in over $277,000,000 Definitely a “guy movie” but very funny and clever.
“The Blind Side” was another great movie. Sandra Bullock was voted the 2009 top performer by the theater operators. She is another of my favorite actors. “The Proposal” was cute and since “All about Steve” got panned by the reviewers I waited for it on Netflix. I didn’t think it was all that bad.
My favorite movies for 2009: It’s Complicated, Up in the Air, Invictus, Young Victoria, Star Trek, An Education, Hurt Locker, The Boys Are Back, Inglorious Basterds, 500 Days of Summer, Men Who Stare at Goats, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, Taken, Sunshine Cleaning, The Taking of Pelham 123, The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans