Celluloid Lovin'

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share my favorite romantic movies. These aren't just your average rom-coms, rather these are THE EPIC LOVE STORIES OF CINEMA (duh duh duuuuh)-- yes, the very films where all my unrealistic delusions of love come from! So get your hearts ready to flutter and your lungs ready to sigh!

The Village (also, the whole soundtrack in general makes me swoon)
What Dreams May Come
Big Fish
The New World
Unbreakable
Romeo + Juliet
Elizabethtown
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Tuck Everlasting (a little bit of a adolescent guilty pleasure, so kill me)

I'm not going to lie, I got a little teary eyed watching all those clips and trailers.

*sigh*

What are your favorite celluloid love stories?

(**Please note that The Notebook nor Twilight are on this list because, contrary to popular belief, they are absolutely atrocious "love" stories. Sorry, lust isn't love.)

peace,
k.

Movie Review | Drive

Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising)
Written by: Hossein Amini (based on the book by James Sallis)
Starring: Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love, Blue Valentine), Carey Mulligan (An Education, Never Let Me Go)
Stupid Rating: R
My Rating: 17+ for severe and graphic violence, nudity (showgirls' boobs), and language.

I first found out about this movie just days before it was released. I don't know how it flew under my movie-lovin' radar, but I suspect it has something to do with how insanely busy I've been lately. It caught my eye because it not only had Ryan Gosling in it, who is amazing, but also two of my top seven girl crushes in the form of Carey Mulligan and Christina Hendricks. And although it seems strange, I was also quite intrigued by the movie because of the font used for the poster. It had that sort of cheesy throwback feel, which I knew meant this film took some sort of risk.

 Drive exceeded my admittedly limited expectations. I assumed it would be worth while because Ryan Gosling tends to choose excellent roles, but car movies can only hold my attention so long. This movie not only held my absolutely undivided attention for the entire 100 minutes in the theater, but the next few days afterward as well. I would have posted this review sooner, but it's taken a few days for me to wrap my head around how genius the film actually is.

As a toast to the old Steve McQueen movies, the plot is simple, the music is gaudy, and most of the characters are seedy and stereotypical. Also true to throwback form, the car chases and crashes are real looking, organic, and relatively unspectacular compared to today's CGI obsession-- something actually very refreshing in my eyes. And then there is our nameless, all-American, leading man who transcends the hero of the American narrative. He's sort of awkward, at times unnerving, and yet I'm trying to think of a recent film's protagonist that I have enjoyed watching more. He's the perfect anti-hero.

I also must note the incredible cinematography. Although the whole film is a near visual perfection (without being a CGI fest), there is one scene in the film that is jaw-droppingly stunning (a hint: showgirls). I probably held my breath through the entire sequence simply because I had forgotten how to breath. It was so subtle and organic and perfect. Mmm.

What didn't I like about this movie? The excess of violence. You know that part in Pan's Labyrinth with the bottle and that guy's face? Yeah, that scene is pretty horrific, right? Well the violence in Drive is like that scene on steroids... again and again. I understand it was purposeful to character development and movie stylization, but sometimes the thought of what's going on off screen is worse than actually seeing that guy's face get stomped in. It was just a little too much for me.

4.5 OUT OF 5 THUMBS UP

brilliant protagonist + throwback feel - computer generated effects + non stop excitement + carey mulligan = a must see for film enthusiasts (who don't mind graphic violence)

Movie Review: Hanna

Directed by: Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice)
Written by: Seth Lochhead
Starring: Saoirse Ronan (Atonement), Cate Blanchett (Aviator, Benjamin Button), Eric Bana (Time Traveler's Wife, Munich)
Stupid Rating: PG-13
My Rating: 13+ for violence and dark themes (MPAA got it right this time). There is some sexually related material, but no sex scenes (just a brief rockin' trailer). Relatively light on language except for one F bomb.

I loved Hanna. Looooooooved it. I saw it maybe 5 or 6 times in the theater when it came out back in the beginning of April and I counted down the days until it's DVD release. However, most people I talk to have never heard of it before. If this is you, and you like good movies, go RedBox it this weekend. Trust me. 

Hanna is not your typical action film. Instead of busty bimbos you have two leading female characters that are strong, yet feminine, without the cliche sexualization you see in every action movie. Instead of vomit-inducing shaky camera work, you have interesting and calculated cinematography working with music that makes you want to stand up and dance. Instead of a boring plot you've seen a million times, you have a reinvented fairy tale and innocent coming of age story. It's not especially deep, nor is it without flaws, but it's oh so fun to watch (and you don't feel like your losing braincells while watching it). 

Hanna is a fun action movie for non-traditional-American-narrative film lovers, but is completely assessable for anyone (yes, even you normal guy not drinking tea while not wearing a scarf). Any of you film snobs that appreciate european cinema like Run, Lola, Run will appreciate this movie. And any of you non film snobs that appreciate other movies besides Transformers and The Last Song, this could possibly be your gateway drug into the wonderful world of non-Hollywoodized movies!

This movie is great fun, people. Go watch it. 

4 out of 4 stars

amazing female cast - cliche sexualization + beautiful action sequences + marvelous music + great themes + FUN = possibly my favorite movie of the year 

Movie Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

This is my first movie review on my blog, so I'm going to lay down a few ground rules here:

1. I won't give away important story or plot points in my reviews. Why would you want to see a movie when you already knows what happens? There is nothing more annoying than hearing the details of a movie before you see it. I'll give you vague reasons why I liked or hated the movie, but I'll never ruin it with "in the scene at the end where everyone dies... ". I'll also keep it pretty short. Who wants to read a 5 page essay on a movie? Booooring.

2. I am a film snob, BUT I also love a good popcorn flick, AND I understand that art house blah blah blah isn't everyone's cup o tea. I just want to share my love for movies with you so you might love them too!

3. Pay attention to the rating I give it. The MPAA should never ever ever ever ever be the gage you use for your own morals because they are a terrible and corrupt organization (yes, you cute little Mormons who don't watch rated R movies but go to all the PG-13 ones... I'm talking to YOU). You shouldn't base your morals off of my rating either, but I'm going to be more honest and give a more contextual opinion then they are which may help you form your OWN opinion on what is right for you to watch. 

Now, onto my maiden voyage of film reviews! CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE.

Directed by: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa (I love you Phillip Morris)
Written by: Dan Fogelman (Cars, Tangled)
Starring: Steve Carell (The Office, Dan in Real Life), Ryan Gosling (Lars and the Real Girl, Blue Valentine), Julianna Moore (A Single Man, The Kids Are Alright), Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland) with Kevin Bacon (X-Men First Class, Footloose) and Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler, My Cousin Vinny)
Stupid Rating: PG-13
My Rating: 16+ for adult themes, a lot of swearing, and 1.5 sensual make-out scenes. I would take my friends and parents, but not my grandma. No full nudity, no sex, no harsh or bloody violence.

I'm not sure I'm valid in how much I thoroughly enjoyed Crazy, Stupid, Love. The plot asks "just trust me" too many times for a very unlikely and cliched storyline, it lacked strong cohesion and flow, and there are few moments of needless silliness, yet... I loved it. It had me laughing, full-on, out loud, by myself, in a relatively quiet theater throughout the entire movie.

A lot of this had to do with the brilliant cast. Steve Carell and Julianna Moore make a fantastic married-on-the-edge-of-divorce couple. Their banter and humor was spot on and their emotional moments were surprisingly quite touching. There is a scene that I actually teared up. THIS IS A BIG DEAL PEOPLE. I never cry in movies and I was THIS CLOSE. They were so believable and likable that I simply fell in love with them.

Then there is Ryan Gosling who is one of my favorite actors of all time. Although The Notebook is one of the worst love stories of all time,  he made up for it by Lars and the Real Girl which is one of the best love stories of all time. And then he followed that up with Blue Valentine which is one of the best realistic love (and hate) stories of all time. This guys is amazing (of all time?). I love his character in this movie, and I love, love, love the chemistry between he and Emma Stone. Miss Stone also played her role very well, although I haven't entirely warmed up to her as an actress yet. She's reallllly funny, but her face is kind of weird. 

I recommend it if you're into witty-romantic tragi-comedies like Dan in Real Life, He's Just Not That Into You, The Break Up, 500 Days of Summer, or Stranger than Fiction.

3.5 out of 4 Stars

touching theme + clever dialogue + brilliant cast 

+ endearing characters + fantastic soundtrack 

= ridiculously enjoyable movie despite the cliche romantic comedy plot 

A Far Too Emotional, Somewhat Cheesy, But Entirely Genuine Post About Harry Potter

"Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend." - Stephen King

I was 10 years old when Harry Potter first came into my life. In true form of acquiring things before the rest of the world has discovered them, my dad purchased The Sorcerer's Stone in attempts read it to my brother, sister, and I each night. Looking back, it was the only book I remember reading together with family apart from the scriptures. We didn't find it too particularly amazing. It was good, I guess, but we didn't beg to be read to every night. With the second book, I took a little more independent initiative and read about half of it apart from our attempt at nightly readings. It wasn't until the third book that I was hooked. By that time, the Harry Potter phenomena started to take hold on the world.

Last Saturday, at age 23, the phenomena that is JK Rowling's world was finally completed. There was something very strange and unexpected about how I felt while watching part two of the Deathly Hallows. I was prepared to be lightheartedly entertained, but instead I was met with a raging waterfall of nostalgia and emotional poignancy.

I didn't read the last book out of homage to the films. I had been a devoted reader, but wanted to experience the last movie without my preconceptions. As much as the films are not as good as the books, the movies are a huge part of this phenomenon and I thought it was worth respecting. I didn't like the part one of the Deathly Hallows (at all) and I feared I would be let down with part two. But, from about 5 minutes into the second movie on, I was a giant ball of overflowing emotion. I never actually cried, but I was on the verge of it the entire time. This wasn't because I was saddened by what was happening during the storyline, but because I was finally realizing how integrated Harry Potter was in my life. Watching the film was like hitting a cathartic pressure release button.

As I watched part two of the Deathly Hallows on Saturday afternoon, I was finally grasping the idea of "coming of age" in my own life. I was pretty much the same age as Harry throughout the entire books, meaning my generation literally grew up with him. This story was there for middle, jr. high, and high schools, puberty, first loves, first kisses, first broken heart, angsty teen moments, manic young adult moments, and all the other things that make up the awkward experience that is adolescence. We all had Snapes, Dracos, Weasleys, Hermiones, Sirius', Dumbledores, Dobbys and most importantly Voldemorts in our lives. For many of us, the transition into full-fledged adulthood is just one giant Voldemort in itself. When we finally beat it with the help of our friends, love ones, and our own self worth, we may come out with scars... but it's not what has to define us. There is so much more than our trials and we get to choose the next step. We go through what we go through to decide to become who we are. We decide to become who we are to help others decide to become who they are. Circle of effing life, people.

As stupid as it sounds, the end of the Harry Potter era was very much so the proper end of my proverbial "coming of age"; nothing else has been such an, albeit accidental, reflection of my own life. JK Rowling's series is not complex literature, nor my favorite, but I'd argue that it's one of the most important works for my generation simply because it IS my generation. Even if you hate these books or movies, you have to at least acknowledge it's impact.

So with all that being un-eloquently said, I see last Saturday as the crescendo of my adolescence and a time to fondly say goodbye. I can let go of all my Voldemorts of past and wait for the prelude of my future. I'm officially a grown up.

But... uh... not too grown up.


peace,
k.