Woolly Mutts

On the BIG screen

Here's something we haven't done for awhile; how about some movie reviews?  (YaY) Nothing like a great film to round out a weekend.  Pity there have been so few of those lately. I have HIGH hopes for Jane Eyre, which, of course, has not yet come to Rockford and I may have to drive to Madison to see because Holly LOVES Jane Eyre so, so much. If you have seen the movie and think it is horrible, please don't tell me.  Let me experience the heartbreak only once.  On to a few I have seen.....

First up - The Adjustment Bureau.  Reportedly taken from a Philip K Dick short story.  I wanted to love this film.  I love the concept and Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.  The idea of diverting your path for the love of your life is so very romantic.  But....I didn't love it.  It was good and I'm glad we went to see it, but it was only "ok" for me.  I was disappointed.  Sigh.

Rango.  Hilarious.  Creative and well crafted and funny. I'm not sure that I think it would be great for small children, hence the PG rating.  It was actually sort of a commentary on excessive water usage.  (Take that Las Vegas.)  What they can do now with animation is extraordinary.  LOVED it.

Battle: Los Angeles.  Oh poor LA.  So much blowing up of everything, but then, I guess that is what happens in a colonization.  In case you haven't heard, the premise is that alternate life forms from unidentified planets arrive on Earth to suck her water.  Salt water=yum.  They turn up on the west coast and the east coast and all over the coastal planet, but our story is centered in LA.  I have to say I liked it.  Since Amazing Husband was living in LA when we met the city has some sentimental qualities, one of which is the LA River, which is really just a giant cement monstrosity that has very little water in it, but got some nice air time in this film.  AH and I enjoy the sci-fi so we might be a little prejudiced, but this film was exciting and pretty well done for your basic alien invasion film. 

Lastly, Red Riding Hood.  This film was so visually beautiful that I would see it again just to be able to savor it more closely.  During dinner afterwards, AH and I talked about this scene and that; Grandma's house, the elephant (yes, there was an elephant and it was fabulous...well, not what it did, but how it looked), the gloriously red cape.  Taking into consideration that two 50ish people were not the target demographic (teen flick) we really liked it.  I never saw the end coming and neither did AH.  There were short performances from Daniel Jackson and Cy Teague for those of you Syfy watchers.  They didn't last long, but were fun to see familiar faces on the big screen.  If you think you might want to see it, don't wait for Netflix.  It's a big screen kind of experience.

That's it for now.  If I do see Jane Eyre I will review ASAP. 

Does the nerd club have an age limit?

One of the countless things I love about the "us" that is Amazing Husband and I is the fact that we both love Sci Fi.  Love it.  If it is anywhere beyond what might be considered possible we're both in line for it.   The Sci Fi channel used to be a regular viewing for us until some idiot turned it into Sy Fy and betrayed the sci fi covenant with pro wrestling.  Seriously?  And, while we're at it, what the frak happened to Caprica?  Good stuff, that. 

So Saturday we decided to go see Skyline with full knowledge that it was probably going to be cheesy.  Not as cheesy as Mega Piranha vs Mega Octopi or some such Sy Fy creation, but cheesy.  Haven is one of my often watched shows and one of its actors is the lead on Skyline, which was reason enough to see it.  (He was also on 24 which I am still grieving.)  As it turns out, it wasn't all that bad.

I think it was Stephen Hawking that said something to the effect that when thinking about first contact of the alien variety we would do well to consider how well the English invasion of the US went for the Indians.  Not so great.  Same concept here in Skyline.  Whenever I go to an alien film I always have this little glimmer of hope that, somehow, they are going to turn into the good guys.  In this film, not so much.  They are the zombie equivalent aliens, only after the human brains.  (Anybody else spend precious free time playing "Plants vs Zombies"? You should...it's great fun! *brains*)

Big alien ships come to LA (yet another good reason to live in the Midwest) and begin searching out humans to suck into their ship to harvest their brains.  They aren't terribly creative dudes....sort of a conglomeration of Matrix, Alien, and any other creature feature you've seen in the last 10 years.  Slimy and fast and not a little gross. Our story revolves around a group of over indulged people, led by our hero who seems to have the only brain (*brains*) in the bunch, who do all the things you expect.  They run outside to get a better look.  (Don't do it!) and make endless and pointless plans to escape.  There is running and screaming and shooting and aliens brain grabbing and in all honesty, I rather enjoyed it.  Unless it completely bombs at the box office, which is a distinct possibility, there will be a sequel. 

I give it maybe a 3 out of 5.  It certainly isn't for everyone, and for heavens sake, keep your kids at home.  Waiting for it to be Netflix available would be a wise choice.  Unless, of course, like me, you find a bit of alien frou frou a fun way to spend the evening. *brains*

3D is so cool.

Weekly movie reviews are becoming a featured thing here in Muttville.  Let me know if you get sick of them.

We began our weekend movie adventure Friday night with Push.  The premise is rather like Heroes with people possessing powers like telekinesis or precognitive abilities and other people wanting to control or exploit them.  It was Dakota Fanning's first go at an action flick and she was pretty good. The setting was Hong Kong and it sure didn't give me any good reasons to visit there.  The film was just ok.  I was expecting more than I got. I'm beginning to see that the life of a film critic might not be quite as much fun as it sounds. I'm pretty easily entertained, but I'm starting to be a little tougher on the films we see.  With Push I felt like I didn't get enough information to really grasp the entire concept.  I feel this way when we see films based on comic books or video games that I've not have previous experience with.  I give it 2 stars.

And then there was Coraline.  We traveled to Barrington to see Coraline in 3D and am so glad we did.  A couple of observations before I review:
*Parents, just because a film is animated doesn't make it appropriate for all ages.  Do your homework.  Coraline has content that is just plain scary.
*Seeing a film in 3D with a theater full of kids is so.much.fun.  All the exclamations of amazement make the film that much better.
That out of the way, Coraline was a wonderful film for age appropriate kids (maybe age 8 and up) and adults.  The skill of the filming process for stop action animation is just incredible to watch and the film makers went out of their way to make Coraline a visual and magical adventure in every way.  There was some deviation from the book, but I feel they did it proud.  Neil Gaiman should be very happy.  If you plan to see the film I highly recommend you see the 3D version, and be sure to sit through ALL of the credits.  The very last image is well worth the wait.  4 1/2 stars.

One mindless entertainment and one for the award season.

So many movies, so little time.  Friday night we decided to go for a non-thinker and saw Taken.  I have long enjoyed Liam Neeson and have kept an eye on Maggie Grace since she had the good fortune of Sayid's affection on LOST. In Taken, Mr. Neeson plays a retired father of a spoiled seventeen year old daughter(Grace), although it is not made clear what exactly retired from.  Security of some sort, since, as he tells his daughter's kidnapper, he has a particular set of well honed skills which he uses to get his daughter back.  A little contrived and occasionally completely implausible, it was still a decent film.  I prefer Liam as an academic or romantic, but he did fairly well as the white knight/save the day guy.  Filmed primarily in Paris with some lovely scenes of art and architecture.  2 1/2 stars....maybe 3.

I had the pleasure of reading Bernhard Schlink's beautiful little book, The Reader, years ago. I recall that it moved me, but the film version may very well be one of the few times that a film is as good, or perhaps even better, than the book.  The Reader is a story all about shades of gray.  No matter how black and white you think something may be, there is always a blurring, a shadowing that opens a door to a place you had not considered.  It is a story quietly overflowing with emotion and love and sadness.  I'm not going to explain here what the story is about, but simply say that you must see this film. I have always believed that history is not about dates and wars, but about people and that we must never forget what we, as people, are capable of, both good and horrendously bad.  The Reader shows us a bit of both.

I am not privy to the criteria used when choosing nominees for film awards, but I think someone missed a step when David Kross, the young man who played Michael Berg from age 15-25, was ignored. Not that Kate Winslet wasn't fabulous, but the Mr. Kross was outstanding.  The emotion and conflict of his character reached right out and touched me.  5++++stars with a MUST SEE endorsement.

Weekend movie reviews

Most of you know that I have a fascination with vampires.  Throw in a werewolf or two, all the better.  AH and I are fans of the first two Underworld films and were anxiously anticipating the third, which is really the first.  In Underworld - Rise of the Lycans, we learn more about Lucien, Sonja, and Viktor (nasty power hungry vampire that he is).   I'm not going to go into too much detail here.  If you liked the first two films you won't want to miss this one.  It isn't as good as the first, but it had it's moments.  After watching the SAG awards last night I was surprised to discover that Michael Sheen, Lucien in the Underworld films, is also the actor that played Frost in Frost/Nixon.  Quite a departure from leader of the lycans to journalist.  Well done him.  I have to admit that an Underworld movie without Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman was less than satisfying, but again, worth a watch if you're already a fan.  I give it a 3 out of 5.

Also viewed this weekend was Inkheart.  AH had read the book and spoke highly of it so we knew we wanted to see the film.  I think there ought to be a worldwide film viewer understanding that no film made from a well loved book (or flop for that matter) is going to be as good as the book.  Inkheart was an enjoyable viewing with some wonderful actors.  Paul Bettany (he will always be Chaucer in "A Knights Tale" for me) was a perfect Dustfinger and Helen Mirren (isn't she fabulous?) did a wonderful job as the eccentric aunt.  I found my mind wander now and then but I really loved the light it shone on reading in general.  Despite the excitement of a wonderful film, there is really nothing better than a good book.  AH said he thought they did a respectable job of bringing the book to life.  The scenery alone, mostly Italy I think, was worth the price of admission.  Another 3 out of 5 from me.

Really looking forward to Coraline!

A great movie after a few weeks of nothing.

For a couple of people who really love movies, Amazing Husband and I have been having a dry spell.  I know there are a bunch of films out right now that are getting great reviews, but nothing that has inspired us to go out in the cold and partake.  Saturday we decided that it was time to break the movie silence so we headed to Barrington to our favorite theater and saw Last Chance Harvey. What a lovely film.  No action, no fx, no deep historical plot, just a sweet movie about a couple of lonely people who connect in London.  It gave me the same sense of time well spent as another of my favorites, Once. London was the perfect, extraordinary setting; almost like another character in the film.  I must confess that I adore Emma Thompson and have since the very first time I saw her in Henry V (if you have never seen Henry V get it on your Netflix que, even if just for the music.).  She is such a person of depth that she draws me to her character in each role she plays.  I never would have pegged Dustin Hoffman for a leading man, but it worked and he and Thompson are brilliant together. It's possible that the film resonated in me since my life circumstances of late were somewhat similar.  Dustin Hoffman's character is in London for the wedding of his daughter.  His ex-wife has remarried and the step father has become an important part of the daughter's life.  Made me wish I had been a little kinder to my ex when Kysa got married.  Not that I was nasty, but I could have tried a little harder.  Emma's character is caring for her aging mother and fielding constant phone calls.  I can relate. So, I give it two thumbs us and suggest it as a lovely way to spend an hour and 39 minutes, especially if you just want to leave the stress behind and smile a bit. 

After the film we grabbed a bite at Portillos (YUM) and them made our first ever visit to Cabela's.  For those not familiar, Cabela's is a huge, no make that HUGE, store for outdoorsmen/women.  Clothes, shoes, hunting, fishing, cabin decorating, camping, boating, you name it.  They were having a sale on Smartwool socks and I had heard it was something to experience so we decided to give it a go.  I found my socks, avoided the gun library (seriously) and enjoyed the aquarium.  Favorite find: a folding camp poker table that seats 8 and comes complete with cup holders and matching folding chairs.  Made me laugh.  Ok, here's the thing, I really hate hunting.  I know all about culling herds of deer for the health of the herd, but I honestly do not, can not comprehend why a person would want to kill something for sport.  The center of this store has an impressive display of commonly hunted animals and then upstairs, another display of safari animals, some I had never heard of.  As expected, I was creeped out by all the dead animals....it was like a bad visit to the Field Museum.  The whole visit really confused me.  It seemed clear to me that the people that frequent this store really love the outdoor life and have a great deal of respect for the animals that live there.  So, why kill them?  I asked a hunter this once, a guy I knew had a real soft heart, and he said it was more because of the time spent outdoors and less about the actual kill.  Still confusing. Why not just go for a nice walk.  If anyone reading is a hunter, or knows one well, I'd really like to hear what it is about the hunt that makes it enjoyable.  Is it a latent part of our evolution; the hunting/gathering thing?  I'd really like to understand and I promise to try my best to be open minded about it.

I am, perhaps, a little bit too sensitive.

Remember back in the 80's when the Snowy River films came out?  Tom Burlinson and Ingrid Somethingorother?  The horsemen that became a part of the horse when they rode, the brombies, the scenery?  Sigh.  I fell BIG for Australia back then. It was just so gosh darn romantic.  My girlfriends and I were ready to pack it up and embrace the outback life.  This being the case, when we went Friday evening to see Australia, I was hoping for more of the same.  Instead I got three hours of epic annoyance and stress.

I am the first one to admit that I am, perhaps, a tad too sensitive.  Animals and little children in any sort of peril stress me out.  There was a great deal of that during the last couple of hours of Australia and I spent a lot of time crying into my hankie or covering my eyes, but even AH only gave it a 2 out of 5.  I don't want to go into too much detail in case you haven't seen it and my sister enjoyed it very much, so you ought to have the same opportunity.  I will say that the young man that played Nullah was absolutely luminous.  "I will sing you to me"....sob.  But it wasn't enough.  Even shirtless Hugh Jackman couldn't save this film for me.

I'm going to add Man from Snowy River to my Netflix que and remember the good 'ol days. 

Weekend movie

Yesterday Amazing Husband and I took a trip into the Chicago burbs to do a little Christmas shopping.  We needed Container Store, Godiva and Lush and Rockford has none so we ventured into the land of mass humanity and got it done.  We dodged the crowds, had a nice lunch at CPK and on the way home we stopped in Barrington to see a movie.

Barrington is an upscale burb less than an hour from us and hosts a movie theater that is an experience in itself.  It's the AMC 30 Barrington and it's like a city in there.   Thirty theaters, at least three concession area, HUGE open holding area for the crowds attending the real hot films.  We enjoy going there because they show a wide range of films and is generally showing whatever we want to see.  Yesterday we saw Slumdog Millionaire.  Filmed in India, Jamal is up to the last, big winning question on the Indian version of Millionaire.  The authorities don't believe that it is possible that a young man like Jamal could know the answers to the questions and accuse him of cheating.  He must explain how he knew the answers and the film is a story of his life and the events that provided the answers.  I can tell you with complete honesty and absolutely no exaggeration that this is one of the best films I have ever seen.  Jamal's circumstances were so outside the realm of anything I have ever known that I could hardly wrap my head around it.  I was mesmerized and completely delivered into story from beginning to end.  We talked about it all the way home.  Our local theaters were not showing it, so you might have to search a bit to find it, but I encourage you to do so.  Beautifully filmed and acted, it is worth going out of your way to find.  I leave you with the film's trailer.  Would love to hear your comments if you've seen it.

Twilight the movie.

I was going to go on and on about how they got Edward all wrong and everyone's hair looked like it had be done by beauty school drop outs, but really, the most honest response is...meh.  It wasn't good, it wasn't bad.  My strongest response is my desire to save enough moola to visit Washington state cause it is beeeuuuuutttiiiful there.  I would be pleased to hear your thoughts if you've seen the film.

Two very different films.

Friday evening AH and I went to see the anxiously awaited Bond (James Bond) film Quantum of Solace.   Although mostly favorably received, this film has been taking some heat for Bond's somewhat stoic performance.  I could not disagree more, I think the guy fairly dripped with emotion, but in that tough-guy kind of way.  If you recall, in Casino Royale, Bond loses a woman that he cared about and he thought had betrayed him.  In this film he searches for some answers.  I admit that when they originally casted Daniel Craig in the classically dark and suave Bond roll I had reservations and he has done an excellent job putting them all to rest.  He is exactly what Bond should be, rock solid with just a hint of something intoxicating beneath the surface.

I thought the film was quite good and, in fact, would like to see it again because I'm pretty sure I missed something important.   It had all the usual Bond action, glorious scenery of places I'll never see (or maybe want to ), and beautiful women.  The title is perfection.  I'd give it 4 stars.  Oh, and the opening song with Jack White and Alicia Keys rocks big time. 

So, last night we were looking for something to watch and decided on Stranger Than Fiction.  I had seen this film at least twice, but AH had never had the pleasure so we popped it in and I was reminded why Stranger Than Fiction is up there in my top  5 favorite films of all time.  Where Quantum is like a roller coaster ride, Stranger Than Fiction is a lovely dinner with good friends, and lovely is the best way I can describe it.  What follows is the final narrative in the film.  Just in case you've never had the pleasure I'm going to leave off the very last line.  You can read the entire passage as well as several other wonderful pieces of dialog from the film here.

As Harold took a bite of Bavarian sugar cookie, he finally felt as if everything was going to be ok. Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true.