Humans watch out, Rise of the Apes indeed.

This 2011 prequel to The Planet of the Apes franchise both hits and misses the mark. As this post title suggests, the "acting" of the apes far outshines anything offered up by the mere humans. Critics have been quite varying in their reviews of the film, but the one thing they all agree on is that Andy Serkis (Gollum in the Lord of the Rings franchise) and motion-capture CGI carries the film.

Andy Serkis's performance as the ape Ceasar is at times quite frankly breathtaking. Sometimes just the subtly of the emotions he would convey without words would bring me to the brink of tears; heck, half of the time I forgot he wasn't even saying anything but I felt it all. I wouldn't even be surprised if this might be the role that brings his controversial hybrid acting method to the level of Oscar-nom.

As for the rest of the film, the acting was mediocre at best, but part of me thinks that the filmmakers were more concerned with nailing the apes than nailing the human acting and dialogue. James Franco's best quality was that he managed to look less stoned and brooding than usual, which I personally appreciated (the stoned, brooding mysterious bad-boy thing never really did it for me). John Lithgow who plays Franco's father suffering from Alzheimer's also offers some touching moments, but his character is simply not given anything more than to be the face of the disease for the film. And while I was excited to see Freida Pinto in her first major mainstream role since "Slumdog Millionaire" she, like the other humans, was just not given much to work with and I was disappointed. Cast as Franco's love interest, she is nothing more than the pretty primate-loving zoo vet who wants to treat animals humanely; she is hardly given any lines and even her role of the love interest is lack-luster at best with her and Franco maybe sharing one sweet kiss in the entire PG-13 film. And Tom Felton essentially reprises his role as Draco Malfoy, only instead of rival wizards he is bullying apes. He did get the opportunity to deliver Charlton Heston's "classic" "dirty ape" line which fell flat and caused me to laugh out loud at its absurdity.

All in all I liked the film. It was enjoyable. As a science geek myself, I liked the biotech and gene therapy aspect of the film and that spin on how the apes rise to where they will end up; I'm a sucker for that complex ethical struggle that came from Franco's struggle to find a cure for his deteriorating father's disease and the unforeseen consequences. If you appreciate the quality of cinematic art then I recommend seeing the film simply for Andy Serkis's performance and the CGI; it's one of those performances that single-handedly carries an entire film and it's really okay.

It's been a while: So many movies so little time

In theaters and coming soon that I want to see:
The Help
Captain America: The First Avenger
The Change-Up
One Day
Colombiana
The Debt
Contagion- It's the new "Outbreak" and its cast is just as big; I can't wait!
Warrior
Moneyball
Abduction
Machine Gun Preacher
Killer Elite
Dolphin Tale
Courageous

And that takes me up to October!

An Exciting Fall Line-Up

Some upcoming movies I'm really looking forward to seeing:

Currently in theaters:

• Devil- I love me some M. Night Shyamalan films.
• Inception- I really need to get my act together and see this film.

I'll probably wait until it comes out on DVD:

• The Town
• The American
• Resident Evil: Afterlife- I have to see the next installment of this series even if it's probably going to be terrible!

Coming Soon:

Opening this week:

• You Again- SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS!
• Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

10/8:

• Life as We Know It
• Secretariat

10/15:

• RED
• Conviction

11/5:

• Megamind
• Fair Game

11/12:

• Unstoppable
• Morning Glory

11/19:

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
• The Next Three Days

11/26:

• Tangled
• Burlesque

12/3:

• Black Swan
• The Tourist

12/24:

• Little Fockers
• True Grit
• Somewhere
• Country Strong

I'll probably wait until it comes out on DVD:

• Buried (9/24)
• The Social Network (10/1)
• Love and Other Drugs (11/24)
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (12/10)
• The Fighter (12/10)
• TRON: Legacy (12/17)

Popcorn and Some Positive Reviews

A lot of these were in theaters quite a while ago, but better late than never!

 

Avatar 3D Re-release: Just as Good as Last Time.

I went to see the re-release of Avatar because my boyfriend was not fortunate enough to see it in 3D when it was originally in theaters. I was hesitant about seeing the film again because although it was fantastic, I have seen it SO MANY times and was worried I would be bored. Luckily I had about 9 extra minutes of footage to look forward to! While many of the extra scenes were gratuitous at best (I mean, they had to show the actual alien sex scene)- there were a couple that really added something extra that was missing. The addition of the scene where Tsu'tey dies really does add closure to his story and serves as a more tangible re-entry of Jake Sully into the clan. The sex scene between Jake and Neytiri must have been for the people who couldn't figure out how it all worked, although I thought that seemed pretty straightforward the first time. If anything it might have de-sexualized the sex (if that makes any sense) because the bond is formed in the same way as all other bonds with the creatures of Pandora; either that or it more sexualizes those other bonds- yet another case of the "rape-like" interaction between Jake and the flying creature. Also, seeing the film again on the big screen re-drew attention to oddities like the fact that the Avatars had 5 fingers on each hand while the natives had only four. Overall just as enjoyable as the many other times I had seen the film with a little more closure to some storylines.

 

The Expendables: Entertaining, but Expendable.

Entertainment: 3.2/5

Story: 3/5

Film: 2/5

Average: 2.7/5

The biggest problem with this film was that it was by Stallone and all about Stallone- I understand that it was a gimmick to have all THE action stars, but if you've got 'em, use 'em! There was so much potential with all these great action heroes, but the movie was simply too caught up in one man; it really needed to utilize its full arsenal. It wasn't a bad movie, in fact it had some great comedic and action moments, but that's all they were-- moments. Image from crazycritics.com

The Last Airbender: Good, but Not Great

Entertainment: 2.5/5

Story: 2.5/5

Film: 2.5/5

Average: 2.5/5

"Good, but not great." Kinda says it all. This is definitely a film that is a part of a series and in that sense it made me want to see what comes next, but I'm worried that that may only because I found this first installment lacking. There were some great effects, but when a potentially major film is supposed to be carried by kids, it often comes up short. Image from entertainmentflicks.com.

Toy Story 3: A Heartwarming End to The Toy Story.

Entertainment: 4/5

Story: 4/5

Film: 4/5

Average: 4/5

In many ways this film brought an end to an era for many of us. It was such a heartwarming and tender end while simultaneously serving as a kind of a beginning for a new generation. Really wonderful. Image from disneydreaming.com

Robin Hood: An Intriguing Twist to the Legend.

Entertainment: 3.5/5

Story: 4/5

Film: 3.5/5

Average: 3.7/5

This is not the romantic tale we normally think of when we think of the legend of Robin Hood; the romance has been stripped away and a more dark reality has replaced it, and I kinda like it. Don't get me wrong, I'm a girl that loves some romance, but there's something about taking a legend and trying to recreate the possible reality that offers so much potential to a film- the chance to travel back in time and get a glimpse of real life. Cate Blanchett steals my breath away as Marion, a disenchanted version of our beloved princess, she is actually an un-merry widow. She is rough and beautiful, and her challenging circumstances make her a more powerful heroine. Russell Crowe's performance is reminiscent of "Gladiator" but without the same charisma and magic. His performance really fell short for me, but he did fit the rugged outlaw-type. I don't think I would have enjoyed this film in the same way if it were not for Cate Blanchett. Although many critics didn't really look kindly on this interpretation of the beloved legend, I found it to be powerful and refreshing and insightful.

Image from cinemovie.net.

The Karate Kid: Surprisingly Impressive, but Don't Pretend to Remake a Classic.

Entertainment: 3.5/5

Story: 3.5/5

Film: 4/5

Average: 3.7/5

I went in to the theater not expecting much, I mean it's a remake of "The Karate Kid" but they don't even do karate (it's Kung Fu!)- that alone made me question the quality of the film. But I was so pleasantly surprised. Jaden Smith really turned out a captivating performance and proved himself a force to be reckoned with as he gets older and hones his skills. And Jackie Chan's subtle performance was outstanding; he was able to move away from the goofy comedic actor from the "Rush Hour" films and really provide a serious and deep performance and still give us subtle comedic moments. Really enjoyable, even if there were moments that were too absurd for words (like the snake hypnosis moment during the final fight scene). I was impressed, but I really don't think they should have worried about calling it "The Karate Kid"- especially since he was doing Kung Fu and not karate!

Image from cinemovie.tv

Now on DVD: Chick Flick Edition

Our Family Wedding (Rated PG-13)
Average: 2/5

Entertainment: 2/5
Story: 2/5
Film: 2/5

This was basically "Guess Who" but instead of a black girl meets white boy, it was black boy meets hispanic girl. I was fairly disappointed with this film. I wasn't expecting movie magic, but I was expecting to laugh and laugh and laugh. While there were some great moments, such as the awkward moment when the groom's father's date is an old classmate of the bride, but unfortunately I didn't laugh anywhere near as much as I thought I should have for this film.

Image from moviepostershop.com

Leap Year (Rated PG)
Average: 2.2/5

Entertainment: 2.5/5
Story: 2/5
Film: 2/5

As with all great rom-coms (aka romantic comedies) we all know exactly what will happen, but we still expect to be captivated as though we didn't. "Leap Year" is carried by Amy Adams who is the princess of playing the naive and high-maintenance damsel in distress; like all women (according to the great tradition of rom-coms) is justing waiting for her prince charming boyfriend to propose marriage. Like all men (according to rom-coms), he just never seems to take a hint- luckily it's a leap year and Adams is presented with the perfect solution: just ask him! In the end Adams cannot carry this comedy alone, and it falls a little short, but it's still a sweet film and you still care about our heroes finding their happily ever after.

Image from movies.about.com




New In Town (Rated PG)
Average: 3.5/5

Entertainment: 4/5
Story: 3.5/5
Film: 3/5



Reviews of "New in Town" were not the best, but I really loved it. I mean, it's a less than original storyline, but what chick-flick isn't? What this film really has going for it are the accents and small-town awesomeness; Siobhan Fallon (Beatrice from Men in Black and Dorothy Harris, Bus Driver in Forrest Gump) as Blanche Gunderson- a name that's as sweet as her tapioca pudding!- and J.K. Simmons (Mr. MacGuff, Juno) as Stu Kopenhafer are absolutely fantastic dontcha know. Zellweger is good as playing the "cute as a button" heroine, offering comic relief with her bumps and falls and helplessness, but the filmmakers betrayed her by making her look so old throughout much of the film.

I think the issue for some is that this is not your typical rom-com. While the film is about whether uptight businesswoman Zellweger will steal the heart of  the true blue-collar boy-next-door (we certainly hope so since he's the only eligible bachelor in town!), this film is more about Zellweger's icy exterior melting and using her heart to save the local plant from closing. In that sense, the romance is more of an afterthought, but I really don't mind and enjoy this cute, feel-good flick. 

Image from reelmovienews.com



The Last Song (Rated PG)

Average: 2.8/5

Entertainment: 2.5/5
Story: 3/5
Film: 3/5


Once I got past/ became numb to Miley Cyrus' annoying voice, I found myself enjoying the film. I found it to be pretty average as a film, but with lots of potential since I'm a sucker for a Nicholas Spark story- I mean, c'mon when affection and love blossoms over the protection of sea turtle eggs, who wouldn't melt a little- *sigh*. 


And like all Nicholas Sparks films, I found myself waiting for the sad twist, trying to guess who dies or whatever, and trying to brace myself for the moment when I know I would inevitably tear up in spite of all my will to not do so- Spoiler alert: yes, someone eventually dies, and yes, I did tear up in spite of my resolve. All in all not a bad film, but I couldn't help but compare it to "Life as a House" which I thought was a much better film.


Image from filmofilia.com

 

Dear John (Rated PG-13)
Average: 2.8/5

Entertainment: 2.5/5
Story: 3/5
Film: 3/5

My comments will be very similar to those for "The Last Song" as for all Nicholas Sparks films, so I will simply copy and paste! :)

"Like all Nicholas Sparks films, I found myself waiting for the sad twist, trying to guess who dies or whatever, and trying to brace myself for the moment when I know I would inevitably tear up in spite of all my will to not do so- Spoiler alert: yes, someone eventually dies, and yes, I did tear up in spite of my resolve."

Again, I'm a sucker for Nicholas Sparks stories and this is no different; I appreciate the idea that true loves will find a way to stand the tests, twists and turns, and pains of time and of life. An average film, but definitely sweet.   

Image from thecinemasource.com

So Movies So Little Time...Now on DVD Continued

A brief recap of recent DVD releases I have seen:

  The Wolfman (Rated R)
Average: 3.2/5

Entertainment: 3/5- If you're looking for a thriller, The Wolfman will put you on edge, give you goosebumps and satisfy a thirst for blood, but probably not to the extent that you would like if you are a true fan of horror films. For me, the psychological thrills of the film were much more intriguing than the startling, jump-out-of-my-seat aspects of the film, but to each their own.





Story: 2.5/5- I felt like the story was lacking a little in its sense of fullness. I felt like the film lacked some foundation in the characters' background stories, in particular regarding Emily Blunt's character, who seems to not deserve a lot of character development because she is the token damsel in distress and yet must ultimately help save the day.

Film: 4/5- The quality of the film quickly surpasses the shortfall of the plot and some character development. Roger Ebert's review of the film best describes the success of director Joe Johnston, photographer Shelly Johnson, designer Rick Hendrichs and composer Danny Elfman to create an atmosphere of ominous gloom that masterfully creates a period and place for the film. They are able to weave a cloak of haunting sadness and foreboding around the viewer that is a rare experience. And then there's Anthony Hopkins, a man that knows how to play creepy in such a psychologically fearsome way, his performance at times so subtle and yet so powerful, I'm still an awe.

Image from fanpop.com

Daybreakers (Rated R)

Average: 2.8/5

Entertainment: 3/5- I enjoyed the unique spin on this genre, but I thought the blood and guts and gore was a little excessive and unnecessary.

Story: 3/5- A vampire with a conscience, Ethan Hawke's character is a dark hero in the tradition of Wesley Snipe's Blade, but with a science degree! I felt there were a few too many gaps in the storyline where the plot fell short, and yet there were moments of brilliance such as the side-story of the villain businessman's relationship with his daughter.  In the end I applaud the intriguing spin on the all-too-common story of vampires and the potential end of the human race, with a hematologist as our unlikely hero; it's like a geeky Blade meets I Am Legend in an attempt to offer something different from the overload of apocalyptic films out there these days.

Film: 2.5/5- Overall not an outstanding film; enjoyable but nothing special. As I previously said the gratuitous excess of blood and guts and gore was simply unnecessary.

Image from filmofilia.com

Gamer (Rated R)

Average: 3.2/5

Entertainment: 3.5/5

Story: 3/5
Film: 3/5

Far from original; it's "Death Race" meets video games. It's an average film, but I really enjoyed the story. Plenty of entertainment and action. And there's even a scene where Gerard Butler fuels a car with the alcohol in his urine... far fetched but what drunk wouldn't want a future like that? Then again you could argue he was expelling the alcohol prior to driving? ;) (Yea, a bit much, but it was entertaining) The only real shortcoming regarding the story, I was expecting more from the storyline regarding Butler's controller, Simon, a spoiled rich kid who sits around all day controlling Butler's life and living as a celebrity in a cyber world. I personally think critics were overally harsh on the film, but in the end I say lots of great commentary on current society and our obsession with our cyber world, and probably more of a cautionary tale than we want to acknowledge.

Image from movies.about.com

Surrogates (Rated PG-13)

Average: 3/5

Entertainment: 3/5
Story: 3/5
Film: 3/5

Cut from the same cloth as "Gamer", this is another commentary on society's cyber obession- taking it to a new level where we simply stay at home and live our lives through robotic surrogates. Pathetic really, even sexual encounters happen between these shells of our actual selves. Overall an average film, but I really was having trouble dealing with the overally fake Barbi-doll hair and taking these robots seriously.  
Image from filmofilia.com

The Book of Eli (Rated R)

Average: 3.5/5

Entertainment: 3.5/5

Story: 3.5/5

Film: 3.5/5

Really fantastic; "The Book of Eli" is great to watch. A little slow at times, but totally worth it. I absolutely love it when a movie has that twist at the end that just throws you and you immediately have to watch it again to see all the little things you missed that point to the big picture. This is one of those movies, and it does it beautifully. Roger Ebert put it best when he described these "WTF! Moments"- Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman are fantastic as always, but Jennifer Beals, playing Oldman's abused blind wife is the wonderful treasure that occasionally graces the screen, each moment a brief shining light.  The symbolism is all subtle and artful and truly enjoyable.  This is definitely a movie you will have to watch more than once.

Image from filmofilia.com

Repo Men (Rated R)

Average: 3.3/5

Entertainment: 3.5/5

Story: 3.5/5

Film: 3/5

Another sci-fi commentary on problems in society today, but unlike "Gamer" or "Surrogates", "Repo Men" takes a stance on issues regarding the health care industry- yes, the industry- through the sale of artificial organs and the barbaric repossession of those organs (while you're still alive I might add!- but hey, they do ask if you would like an ambulance on stand-by while you're unconscious) if you can't make your monthly payments.

Roger Ebert jokingly comments on the film as presenting the futuristic "strongest possible case of universal health care"- but his sarcastic review is quite accurate in my opinion.  The film seemed very sattirical, whether or not that was intentional I do not know. I'm going to go ahead and pretend that was the plan all along- makes it more enjoyable. Lots of gratuitous semi-artful blood splatter, and many unrealistic fight scenes, the film is an action buff's joy. I enjoyed the film, but I wasn't fully convinced by Forrest Whitaker's performance. To me, he seemed like he's a bit too mature of an actor to play the rough and tumble trigger-happy ex-military man who likes to party, but he pulled it off ok and even grew on me more the second time I watched the film. I liked the twist at the end (yay for movies that keep you guessing), even though it was sad...spoiler alert: the big bad businessmen win :(


PS- This may just make me seem SO weird, but I personally was much more disturbed during the repo scenes when Jude Law was putting bloody scalpels and tools in his mouth than by the cutting and digging around for the organs themselves. Maybe that's just me and my science/medical/forensics background, but that's what really made me cringe.

Image from photogallery.filmofilia.com

Clash of the Titans (Rated PG-13)
Average: 2/5

Entertainment: 2.5/5
Story: 1.5/5
Film: 2/5

Personally I love Greek mythology and I love some of these actors, but this movie was mediocre at best. I mean, with the rich mythological story-lines that the Greeks have to offer this film simply fell short and did not do them justice. I was hoping for spectacular images and dramatic climax- Zeus was releasing the infamous Kraken  for goodness sake!- But this supposedly fantastic and fearsome creature was as underwhelming as this film.

Image from film-book.com

Shutter Island (Rated R)

Average:4.3/5

Entertainment: 4/5
Story: 4.5/5
Film: 4.5/5

It was a little slow getting into the film, but totally worth it. I really enjoyed this film. Martin Scorsese immediately envelopes the audience in this gloomy and foreboding atmosphere, and  with the artfully ominous nature of the film you know there's a secret and that you need to be on your toes.

You find yourself absorbing and thinking like Marshal Teddy Daniels (yet another captivating performance by Leonardo DiCaprio), questioning every shady and evasive comment and action of the caretakers of our gothic setting. "Something's just not adding up"-and you spend the entire film trying to figure out what everyone's hiding from you, only to be somewhat blindsided by the climax. I feel like the twist was masterfully done so that you felt it in your senses and you truly question your ability to perceive reality- Roger Ebert's review said it best when he suggests that "the uncertainty it causes prevents the film from feeling perfect on [its] first viewing."

Lots of fantastic acting in this film; DiCaprio continues to set himself apart from other leading men with his depth and range. Another noteworthy performance came from Ben Kingsley, who exuded a subtle menace that was outstanding. Overall a thrilling gothic and pschological film, once you get past the slower easing pace of the story; it's a puzzle you just want to piece together but can't and when the big picture is revealled to you, you just want to go back and watch it again and reattack that puzzle.

Image from film-book.com

Now on DVD: The Young Victoria

The Young Victoria
Average: 3.2/5 


Entertainment: 3.5/5- I truly enjoy most historical and biographical films. There is simply something about getting a glimpse into another person's reality, especially a true story, that captures my attention in a way I can't really describe, possibly due to a psychological desire to truly understand the mind of others.

Story: 2.5/5- I gave this category a slightly lower rating is because at times I couldn't tell if I was supposed to be watching the film as a history or a love story and because I was caught off-guard by its somewhat abrupt ending. I personally think I needed more of a sense of closure, but at the same time the film was meant to capture a very particular period of Queen Victoria's life.

Film: 3.5/5 -Emily Blunt shined as a young Queen Victoria.With each new film I see her in, I am continually impressed by Emily Blunt's caliber as an actress. Even though her role in this film was not as colorful a character as some of her other films like the Devil Wears Prada or Sunshine Cleaners, her control in this performance was impeccable.

I gave the entertainment and film categories higher ratings due to Blunt's captivating performance, the ability of the film to convey the famous courtship and love of Victoria and Albert, and the fact that watching the film left me with a desire to learn more about this young woman who took her place in a world dominated by men and politics.

Poster image from traileraddict.com.

Recaps and Ratings

I apologize for I am quite behind on my posts (not that there is anyone reading this I'm sure). Regardless, here's a brief recap on what I've seen recently and an introduction to a new rating system which will lend to a greater (although false) sense of legitimacy!


New/Recent DVD releases I have recently seen:
     The Young Victoria
     The Wolfman
     Daybreakers
     Gamer
     Surrogates
     Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
     The Book of Eli


New Theater releases:
     Robin Hood
     Sex and the City 2
     The Karate Kid

Now I must say that I enjoyed each of these films quite a bit, granted for very different reasons. Now let me introduce a rating system that will help me better explain my thoughts. First, I am rating these films on a couple of different categories: entertainment value, story quality, and film quality.

Entertainment value: This category represents the enjoyment factor: Did I enjoy myself? Did it get my adrenaline pumping? Did it make me laugh? Did it make me cry? Did I enjoy this film for what it was-- For example, Sex and the City 2- I enjoyed the movie as a mindless chick-flick that made me laugh when it was supposed to. It was not serious. It was not a breakthrough film on any measure of the imagination, and I don't think it was supposed to be. It was simply entertaining and nothing of substance, but sometimes that's absolutely fine.

Story quality: This category looks at the quality of the plot. I try to look at this category as having two sides: one which looks at the plots "fullness" and another that looks at its originality. It wouldn't be fair to make originality its own category because it is such a rare thing in films today, especially mainstream movies. And when I refer to the "fullness" of the film I mean does the story have the usual parts (beginning, middle, and end)? At the end of a film some answers need to be discovered, some resolution needs to be had; that's what I mean by "fullness".

Film quality: This category looks at the quality of the movie magic and the makers of the film. How was the dialogue? How were the actors? The effects? Was it well done?

So I'm going to try out this new rating system and might tweak things as I go along. Each category is out of 5 and then an overall average. Let me know what you think.

How to Train Your Dragon: Sweet and Endearing with Plenty to Offer Audiences of All Ages

Starring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrara, Jonah Hill, and T.J. Miller, How to Train Your Dragon was simply a delight. Although Dreamworks Animation still falls short of the brilliance of Pixar, its newest creation continued their tradition proudly offering a film with some of the emotional depth of Kung Fu Panda with the comedic maturity of the Shrek films. The film also offered a wonderful 3D experience, that is to say one that was fairly seamless and didn't make me feel sick throughout.


How to Train Your Dragon didn't offer the most original of plots: Hiccup (Baruchel) the dorky Viking village misfit who only wants to please his father (Butler) who happens to be the big and beefy clan leader inevitably proves wiser than his elders by extending friendship and tolerance towards the misunderstood dragons, saves the day, gains the respect and admiration of his father and the cool kids of his training class, and gets the girl (Ferrara). --Sorry if you didn't see those spoilers coming!

Other reviews of the film ran a full spectrum. I enjoyed the review in the New York Times because I think it best recognized the fact that the film is one that aims to pull at our heartstrings and make us feel good. It aims to make you smile, and it succeeds. Other reviews, like Roger Ebert's, I felt were a little harsh, focusing on the wrong things like the strange Scottish accents of the Vikings; it was like he forgot it was a fun family film. He and other critics raised great points, especially about the lack of originality of some interactions--but I ask, is that a bad thing? The inter-species interactions straight out of the ranks of Wall-E and Lilo and Stitch (Hiccup's dragon, Toothless was also markedly reminiscent of Stitch by the way) were hardly original, but they still made me feel great. On that note, the review by Alex Zalben on filmcritic.com, which I did not completely agree with, did make a very resonant point about the mastery of the "silent simplicity" of the initial interactions between Hiccup and Toothless. There is a growing trend in many of the great animated films recently released, of  beautiful silent dances (which you don't even realize are silent at the time!) between characters that literally take your breath away.  This is a sign of the true artistry of these films- no dismissing them as childish cartoons!

I think a great testimony to the success of the film was the 98% rating on RottenTomatoes.com.  It has been my experience that if Rotten Tomatoes gives a film that kind of rating, you are going to enjoy it. I really enjoyed How to Train Your Dragon. If you're looking for a light-hearted film that is cute, not too heavy, and can appreciate sweet and awkward unlikely heroes then I think you will, too!    

[Images from Film-o-Filia gallery at filmofilia.com.]

Brothers: An honest look into a military reality

I watched the film "Brothers" this past weekend starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman. I was really impressed by the film, especially by its heart. I thought it was extremely successful at portraying the complexities of the real-life drama without becoming an exaggerated melodrama. The film also bravely depicted a serious reality: the stress and trauma and troubles that our brave service men and women have to face, not just on the battlefield, but when they return home. Just like with individuals suffering from depression, the friends and families of soldiers simply cannot understand how these men and women feel as much as they want to and try to. It's a really tough place to be in, on both sides. It's becoming an increasing reality for American families, and it truly breaks my heart that all the love and happiness the should be experienced when our loved ones return to us is being overshadowed by sadness and heartbreak and fear. It's no one's fault. It's just a harsh truth and side effect of troubled times and war. Sometimes it seems to me that to be one of the fallen is a happier ending than to be one of those that survive although I would never wish that on anyone.

Maguire, Gyllenhaal, and Portman all delivered outstanding performances that are captivating, endearing and real. Tobey Maguire as Captain Cahill demonstrated a skill and ability that still blows me away. He proved himself to be more than the dorky nice-guy-superhero and revealed the ability to portray a dark and deep side that shook me to my core. The previews for the film depict a different story than the one that unfolds. It leads you to expect more development and focus on the relationship between Portman and Gyllenhaal, but that remained mostly unaddressed.  In many ways I also found the title of the film to be misleading as the relationship between the brothers played by Gyllenhaal and Maguire was not the center of the film but rather the relationship between all members of the family and how each struggles to deal with life and the situations they find themselves in.


Don't expect an uplifting and happy ending as this is a portrayal of the complexities of reality, not a fairy tale, and don't be surprised if you tear up a bit.