Snazzified
Email me at: snazzified at gmail dot com
Posts tagged Movies
Movie #17 - Hunger Games
Before y’all pounce on me: No, I have not yet read the book(s). I will.
As I’ve mentioned before, I am always hesitant to watch a hugely hyped movie. Call me contrary, but I tend not to love the books/movies that others go nuts over. With the exception of Harry Potter (which I enjoyed, but am by no means gaga over), I have consistently been let down by all that is hugely popular. I didn’t even bother with Twilight.
With Hunger Games, my curiosity was slightly more aroused simply because the main character was presented as a strong female. None of this insipid waif crap, but an honest to goodness woman hero with physical cunning and emotional strength. Seeing as this is (sadly) a rarity in media, I figured it was worth a shot to see the movie.
It kept me on my toes. The violence was well-screened, yet still disturbing. Katniss was likeable enough. Peeta didn’t thrill me. Rue was adorable and I loved that her character added a dimension of camaraderie across the districts. The concept was, overall, engaging and kept me thinking.
My main complaint would be that it did not delve into the history enough. Obviously, those who have read the books have a far deeper knowledge of how and why everything was the way it was, but for someone like me, this area felt very poorly developed. I wanted to know more about the history than the brief video provided.
I also felt that in an attempt to leave an opening for sequels, this first movie left some hanging bits. For instance, Gale really wasn’t significant in the movie. I gather that he becomes a more important to the story in the subsequent books and that the movie wanted to introduce him now, but really, what did he add?
We’ll have to see how I feel about the movie after reading the book(s). I’ll keep you posted!
Movie #16 - Footloose
I miss corny dance movies from when I was a pre-teen. In fact, I miss teen movies from when I was a teenager because I am 100% convinced that they were better than the crap they’ve been coming up with lately. Footloose, while mildly entertaining, did not make much of an impact.
I’ve read some criticism about it mimicking the Kevin Bacon original too closely. Honestly, I don’t remember that one very well either, but I could see how trying to keep it the same would, in essence, hold it back. What jived in 1984 isn’t necessarily going to translate for audiences now. I wouldn’t have minded some updating.
Movie #15 - Invisible Sign
I honestly don’t remember this coming out in theaters, but a friend and I took a chance on it one weekend. It had a forced indie feel. Yes, it was kooky and unexpected, but almost to an extreme and with no sense to it. It felt gratuitous rather than serving any semblance artistic purpose.
Movie #14 - J. Edgar
I’ll preface this by saying I have little to no previous knowledge of J. Edgar Hoover, and therefore cannot judge in any way the accuracy of this film’s depiction of his life and character. If, however, it is a close approximation, then I can easily say that I definitely would not have liked this man. He came across as a control freak and an egomaniac. He was drunk on power, as well as spiteful and unafraid to break rules or laws if it meant getting ahead and leaving a legacy. If he was indeed in love with Tolson, I wonder how much it contributed to his need to cultivate a precise appearance. Perhaps his own repressed feelings came out tenfold as a calculating, harsh demeanor.
I guess we’ll never know for sure. But it’s certainly something to think about!
Movie #13 - Eagle vs Shark
SO. SO. SO. GOOD. Starring Jemaine Clement (from Flight of the Conchords) as the male lead, this movie is like a New Zealand version of Napoleon Dynamite but infinitely better. It’s awkward, endearing, adorable, and is chock full of hilarious lines and randomness. It’s totally my kind of movie and I could watch it over and over again.
Jarrod is a super awkward dude trying to win his family’s affection. Lily is also ridiculously awkward and trying to find a way into Jarrod’s heart. As you might guess, they do eventually find their way together, but not before some pretty damn adorable and freaky occurrences.
Movie #12 - Act of Valor
When you’ve married into the military and all of your friend’s spouses are military, it’s pretty much a given that you’re going to see a movie like this on a Friday night. Before I married Jack, I would have never even considered going to the theaters to see a movie like this. Now, I watch war movies with him and actually *gasp* enjoy them. Well, as much as one can enjoy a war movie, I mean. Maybe “appreciate” is a better word here…?
The neat thing about the Act of Valor is that it features real life active duty Navy SEALs. I would also go along to say that the detracting factor from this movie is that it features non-actors in a storyline whose main goal is to show off real life weapons and tactical maneuvers. This is where my opinion is probably unappreciated by those around me.
It’s not that it wasn’t touching. Of course I was moved by the pregnant wife at home and the demonstrations of braveness and camaraderie. But at the same time, I felt that the story being told lacked depth in that the movie’s purpose was more to allow the public a glimpse into the high action high intensity world of the Navy SEALs. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I personally tend to be more captivated by movies that grasp at something beyond the surface. For people, like my husband, I think the weapons, gadgets, and tactics alone made the movie a worthwhile watch and I’m sure much of the public feels the same. For others, like myself, the cool factor of all that was lost because I’m just not that into it in the first place.
If I’m going to watch a war movie, I far prefer something like The Hurt Locker, which satisfied my civilian curiosity as well as told a deeper story of what it means to serve and what is sacrificed in return. I guess I like to end a movie wondering more about human nature than thinking, “Wow, what a cool reconnaissance device!” It’s not an issue of what’s better, per se, but just my personal preference and taste.
Movie #10 - Rum Diary
Watched this at Jack’s request as he had read the book several months ago and was eager to see how the movie measured up. I watched it with zero expectations and found it quite entertaining if just for the several random and awesome lines. It’s about an alcoholic journalist in Puerto Rico reconciling the several worlds he experiences around him and attempting to stand up for some sort of justice. But mostly it’s about Johnny Depp’s character getting ridiculously trashed and running into rather interesting circumstances. I guess I’ll have to read the book to get the deeper meaning of it all…
Movie #9 - Gotta Dance
If you think hip hop has an age, then you clearly haven’t seen this film! Much in the way of the Young@Heart choir out of Northampton, MA, the New Jersey Nets’ senior dance team members show that they’re not willing to be pushed aside and forgotten because they’re old. They are every bit as vibrant as one might expect, but also touchingly honest about their doubts and fears. But really, the main draw to this movie is watching these seniors get down!
Movie #7 - Jurassic Park
Until last night, I had never seen this movie in its entirety. I guess I was never interested enough, but Jack insisted that I join him in this viewing. We spent a lot of it discussing the odd 90s clothing, bad decisions in survival situations, and the use of animatronics in movies versus CGI. In any case, I think I caught his geekiness because now I kind of want to watch Lost World…
Movie #6 - Red Tails
As a pilot’s wife, how could I not go see this movie with him? I’m really glad I did, though, because it tells an important story of an under-appreciated group of heroes. Red Tails tells a small portion of the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American servicemen during World War II. Despite the rampant racism, these men proved that they were capable of fighting for their country and that they could successfully carry out difficult missions.
Partway through the movie, it struck me that this movie was unusual in that it portrayed young African American men is something other than the comic relief opposite white main characters or gangsters. Honestly, how many movies can you think of off the top of your head the feature straight up black heroes? In general, how many non-Tyler Perry all black cast movies have you seen?
*scratches head*
See? Just for that, I wanted to support this movie. The Tuskegee Airmen deserve some recognition for their accomplishments, and African American youth deserve to have inspiring heroes to look up to as well.
Check out what George Lucas has to say about the creation of this movie.
Movie #5 - Contagion
A bit underwhelming, if you ask me. I love medical thrillers as much as the next girl, but this one didn’t really impress me. Sure, it had a great cast, but the story itself felt tired, as if I had already seen it a million times before.
Movie #4 - Midnight in Paris
How could I not enjoy this? It combines so many things I adore: Woody Allen’s humor; Marion Cotillard and Adrian Brody; 20s era artists, writers, thinkers. It was the perfect way to escape the doldrums of Del Rio life, if only for a couple of hours. Merveilleux!
Movie #3 - One Day
I didn’t realize they had turned this book into this movie! My book #47 of 2011 is now movie #3 of 2012, and this seems oddly appropriate. Normally I hate film adaptations of books (or at least dislike them for never living up to the greatness of the written version), but I thought this was a fine way of portraying the friendship and love story I so enjoyed. Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess captured the qualities I enjoyed most in Emma and Dexter. My only complaint would be that Hathaway is a bit too pretty and they should have made her frumpier in the beginning. Otherwise, a sweet movie that gave me some good warm fuzzies.
