Star of the Week: Cate Blanchett

Need I say more, Cate Blanchett is one of the best actresses around at the moment. She is known to be able to play so many different characters in different movies, and is able to do it well. The actress won an Academy Award in 2004 for her portrayal of Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator (2004) opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, but has also been nominated 4 other times.
Cate Blanchett hails from Australia, but had no trouble making it big in Hollywood. Her first screen acting role was in an episode of an Australian television show 'Police Rescue'. A year later, in 1994, she starred in the movie version of the show. A few more Australian projects followed, until she starred in Paradise Road (1997) with Glenn Close and Frances McDormand. A year later, she got her big break in Elizabeth (1998), in which she played Elizabeth I and scored her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Many Hollywood movies followed, such as An Ideal Husband (1999), Pushing Tin (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and The Gift (2000). In 2001, she starred in the first installment of the successful Lord of the Rings films, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). She starred in the next two installments of the series as Galadriel, earning her more recognition as a fantastic actress.
In between the success of the Lord of the Rings, she starred in a few more Hollywood and Australian films like Charlotte Gray (2001), Veronica Guerin (2003) and The Missing (2003) with Tommy Lee Jones. But it was after these films that Cate got fully recognized for her superb talent.

The Aviator (2004) was a Martin Scorsese film in which Leonardo DiCaprio plays Howard Hughes, a multi-billionaire film producer, celebrity and aviator. The film follows his life, and his loves which included Ava Gardner (played by Kate Beckinsale) and Katharine Hepburn. Cate played Katharine Hepburn, the fiery red-haired actress from the Golden Age of Hollywood. For her master portrayal, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2004, and soon started to star in more films which showed off her versatility and talent.
She starred in one more Australian film, Little Fish (2005), before starring in Babel (2006), a multi-plot film opposite Brad Pitt. Also in 2006, she appeared in the Steven Soderbergh film The Good German (2006), which was shot in black-and-white to suit the World War II setting. Notes on a Scandal (2006) was another one of her 2006 successes, and she was nominated for an Academy Award again for Best Supporting Actress.
Her next film, I'm Not There. (2007), earned her another Oscar nomination. In this multi-plot film which honoured the life of Bob Dylan, she played Jude, who in fact was a man. In the same year, she was also nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the sequel to Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007). She did not win either, but will surely win another Oscar in the future.
In 2008, she starred in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) as the villain, Irina Spalko. Her last film was the classic The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), in which she again appeared opposite Brad Pitt. This is a story of a man who is born old and ages backwards, and his relationship with Daisy, who is played by Cate.

In the future, Cate will be seen in Robin Hood (2010) as Maid Marian, and also in The Hobbit: Part I (2011), reprising the role of Galadriel. Cate Blanchett is one of the most versatile and talented actresses around, and expect to see more of her as the years go by.

Psycho II (spoilers)

My Mum forced me into watching the original Psycho when I was 11 years old, and I must admit I got pretty creeped out. Anyway, I loved that movie a lot, and when I heard that Psycho II (1983) was going to be on television, I knew I had to watch it, out of curiosity. Sequels annoy me, probably because most sequels go on a completely different wavelength then their predecessor, and end up ruining the whole series of films. This sequel did annoy me, because 1. Alfred Hitchcock movies are hard to beat, and if this film was going to be as great as the first then he'd have to direct it, but he had died three years before. 2. I felt that there was nothing more to go on from the original, Norman Bates was locked up and probably shouldn't have been let out. 3. It was 22 years on, and the Norman Bates case was old news, and now Norman Bates was pretty sane, so all the exciting bits from the first Psycho had been taken out. However, the sequel did annoy me, but I was very entertained by this 80s horror. The way I see it, 70s and 80s horror's are really cool, because they are unashamedly cheesy and crass, and just throw everything in them. Psycho II wasn't that scary, but quite creepy and chilling in some spots. Anthony Perkins is back as Norman Bates, who is let out from jail on the grounds that he has restored his sanity. He moves back to the old Bates Motel, and is haunted by his past. At a new job, he meets a young girl Mary (Meg Tilly), who decides to stay at his house, and soon discovers his dark past which may just come to catch up on him. Vera Miles returns as the sister of Marion Crane (who is killed in the first film), but this time tries to seek revenge on Bates. We don't really see the true Bates until the end, but it's well-worth the wait. Can't wait to watch Psycho III next week.
6/10

The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is currently rated #1 on imdb.com's Top 250, only after The Dark Knight swept the long reigning The Godfather back in July 2008. I was reading that Shawshank was not very popular in it's day, but garnered respect when it was released on video. In fact, it was a box office failure, and was struggling to get any profit, but then it turned out to be the most rented video of 1995. Go figure. I believe that a movie in the Top 10 of the Top 250 should have won an Oscar, but this movie was nominated for seven, including Best Picture, which it lost out to the classic Forrest Gump. It never even won one Oscar. So what makes this movie so great? It is a landmark in film history, a story about hope, shown in the most violent and heart-wrenching way possible. The Shawshank Redemption was a Stephen King novella originally named 'Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption' (a title dropped because people thought it was a bio-pic on Rita Hayworth), about Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a prominent banker who is convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover, and sent to Shawshank Prison in the late 40s. There he meets a world of emptiness, where the in-mates hate him and the prison guards show no mercy, and a murder is never a surprise. Andy never speaks to anyone, until two years into his life sentence he befriends Red (Morgan Freeman), a con-man who is known 'to be able to get things'. These two strike up a friendship, and Andy starts to make a difference at Shawshank, but is desperate to get back to his old life. This movie is great. It does deserve the top spot on every list of great movies. Because it is the best movie ever made, and shall stay that way for a few more years to come.

G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Okay, boy movies really aren't my thing. I mean, yes, District 9 was good, but movies like G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra? Way over the top of my head. When I watched this, I was sitting there trying to keep up with everything that was going on, but I was blown away by all of the amazing over the top special effects. It's worth seeing this film just for that. Anyway, the film is all about an elite military unit known as G.I. Joe, who have the motto "When all else fails, we don't". They find out about some dangerous arms dealers, who are ready to take down Paris, and the Joes embark on trying to stop them. Sienna Miller plays the 'femme fatale' of the story, Ana DeCobray, a woman who was once in love with Duke (Channing Tatum), but turned evil after her brother Rex (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, from (500) Days of Summer) 'died' in a war. The Joes are made up of some special operatives, like 'Scarlett' O'Hara (Rachel Nichols), a young woman who graduated when she was 12 years old and has never lost a battle. The verdict is, if you enjoyed Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, then you will enjoy this. Boys will enjoy it, girls will struggle not to hit the stop button. I give it a high rating for the special effects alone, and the pretty nifty gadgets they have in it.
6/10

The Notebook

Don't you just love those love stories?? You know, the ones that are a little far-fetched to have even happened in true life. The Notebook (2004) is a bit like that, it's all about love for 99% of the movie. Good thing was, was that the story was bearable because it was set in the 1930s-50s, and it's always easier to watch a love story that's got a period setting. I think it's just that I view that period as the 'romantic' period. So the story is told through the voice of old Noah, who is reading the story of Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Ali (Rachel McAdams) to an Alzheimer's stricken woman in present day. The story is about enduring love, but also forbidden love as Ali comes from a rich family and Noah has nothing at all to his name. They have a wonderful summer of love, but end up parting ways as Noah goes to war, and they think they'll never see each other again. Ali rebounds from this relationship and is about to marry Lon (James Marsden), a wealthy man, but Noah is still under the impression that Ali will come back for him. While watching this, it's easy to get very loved up, and the chemistry between McAdams and Gosling is undeniable (they were together at the time in real-life so I guess that made a huge difference). It does have it's similarities to some age-old romances, like Casablanca in a way, and it is one of those stories that nobody ever forgets. Lovely performances really carry it through some flaky bits, but otherwise, one to treasure.
8/10

Four Holidays

It's always great to watch a Christmas movie to get into the festive spirit. Four Holidays (2008) is a Christmas movie with a difference: it's not generally for the little kids. Instead, it would appeal more to adults than anyone else, with it's many jokes and funny scenes that adults will actually find funny.
Four Holidays is written by the writers of The Hangover and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Let me get this straight: it is way funnier then that terrible Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, but falls short of the hilarious The Hangover. It stars Reese Witherspoon (of Legally Blonde fame) and Vince Vaughn (star of the very funny Wedding Crashers) as Kate and Brad, a couple who spend their holidays avoiding their families.
Brad and Kate plan to jet off to Fiji for Christmas, but due to severe weather conditions, they are unable to fly out. Thanks to an appearance on television, their parents find out where they really are and each one of them invites them around for Christmas. So Brad and Kate are faced with four different Christmases...and they end up finding out a whole lot they didn't know about each other.
Four Holidays also stars Mary Steenburgen, Jon Voight (a.k.a Angelina Jolie's dad), Sissy Spacek (you may remember her from the 1976 horror Carrie) and Robert Duvall (from The Godfather, need I say more) as the parents, and what a lively bunch they are. Relative new-comer Seth Gordon directs, and I hope to see more of his work in the future.
Like The Hangover, Four Holidays has plenty of good lines and some original scenes (particularly the one where Brad and Kate play Joseph and Mary at the Church), but unlike The Hangover, it doesn't have enough 'individuality', as in people won't remember it for long after they see it.
All in all, Four Holidays is great entertainment for adults, and please, I beg you, do not let kids under at least 10 years old see it! And if you're expecting a real Christmas treat, you'll soon forget that this is all about Christmas, because it's really about being with family. That's the best thing you can do this Christmas.
7/10

Inglourious Basterds

When I first heard about Inglourious Basterds (2009) way back in 2007, my stomach did a little back-flip. I was a huge fan of Pulp Fiction, and all of Quentin Tarantino's work, so I couldn't wait for a war-film that he was working on. Okay, his spelling isn't perfect, but I guess that makes this movie stand out, and I can tell you, to me, it's better than all of his other work. Basterds is a long movie, and you really have to know QT's work to really appreciate it. It is divided into 5 chapters, and they all follow the story of Jews in Nazi-occupied France, who are out to kill any Nazi's they can find. We meet all sorts of characters, the main in which is Brad Pitt's Aldo Raine, a Jew from Tennessee who wants his Nazi's scalps-100 of them!!! He is the head of the 'Basterds', which is also made up of some fellow bad-ass Jews (Eli Roth probably has one of the funniest characters), and has the added help of German actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), who is a secret spy. Meanwhile, elsewhere, there is a young Jew girl, Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), who witnessed the massacre of her family in 1941, but managed to escape and be living in France under the fake name of Emanuelle Minieux. She has a cinema, which mainly shows German films, and has an attack plan to kill Nazi's, all of her own. In true Quentin Tarantino style, the film is violent, and is also filled with so much wit and dark comedy, coming mainly from the actors. I was engaged, but a few times the script dropped the ball, but otherwise, this film was great!
9/10

District 9

When I first heard about District 9 (2009), I thought, 'why the hell is this movie so big?' I mean, for a low-budget sci-fi made in South Africa and produced by a New Zealander to go straight to number one at the US box-office is pretty whack, huh? Now, seeing it on DVD, I know what all the fuss was about, District 9 ROCKED! Sci-fi's have never rocked my world, but I don't really see District 9 as a basic sci-fi, I see it more as one of those movies that changes people's point of view. Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copely) is an amateur sort of guy, who goes out as part of MNU to move aliens that made Johannesburg their home 20 years ago. These aliens, better referred to as prawns, came in a huge mother ship and invaded the slums of South Africa, known as District 9, not allowing any humans to come near them. But when their ways become too much for the humans to handle, MNU go and attempt to move them to District 10. This attempt is not only unsuccessful, but Wikus comes into contact with one of the prawn's belongings, one which eventually turns him into one of them. District 9 is amazing, because it has that 'taking-over-the-world' feel to it. It is also great because the whole cast is unknown, so it doesn't have that made for Hollywood label stuck to it. The way it is made, mostly documentary and home-video style, makes you believe this is really happening, and believe me, I really thought that aliens had taken over South Africa. Scary, action-packed and worthy of your time, District 9 is one of the best movies of 2009 and a definite must-see.
9/10

14th December 2009

An R-rated romantic comedy? Who's playing who? There is no such thing. Even if The Ugly Truth (2009) claims that it is. The ugly truth about The Ugly Truth is that it isn't much chop, and I really sympathize with whoever wrote it...they have probably had very bad experiences with relationships. The good is: Katherine Heigl is a great actress who needs to choose better films. The bad is: the film was not funny in any way, and it was so predictable. The ugly is: everything about this movie. It was not romantic really, it was just about a guy (Gerard Butler) telling a girl (Katherine Heigl) how to get a guy in the worst possible way. Butler plays Mike Chadway, who knows guys only want one thing, and hosts a show where he tells girls that guys will never be in love with them. Katherine Heigl plays Abby Richter, who is a woman who wants to be in love with someone, but just doesn't realize that rambling on about tap water and bottled water being the same won't get her the guy. Mike teaches her how to flirt with guys, and ends up completely changing her...but can he resist falling in love with her? I'll leave you to waste 1 and a half hours of your life finding that out. I really hope Katherine Heigl doesn't ever do a film like this again, otherwise her career will be dead...and she won't even have Grey's Anatomy to fall back on.
5/10

13th December 2009

Alright, I must admit that I bought my Dad Wedding Crashers (2005) on DVD for Christmas (he loves Owen Wilson, it's very strange), but I had to watch it first. I saw part of it on TV a while ago, and had to watch the rest. Now here's a comedy that is actually quite funny, but I don't understand how this slipped by with an M-rating. I mean, there is all-sorts in here that you would expect in an R-rated movie. One of the highlights of this movie wasn't Vince Vaughn or Owen Wilson, it was the funny performance by Isla Fisher. She is a very cute actress, and if you thought she was funny in Confessions of a Shopaholic, she is way funnier in this. She plays the clingy sister of Claire Cleary (Rachel McAdams), who falls in love with Jeremy (Vaughn) and never lets go of him. The title really says it all, there are two friends who wait all year for wedding season, and then go crash every wedding they can get invites to. The reason for this? So they can sleep with the bridesmaids. I know this sounds like a pretty sad way to spend your weekends, but Wilson and Vaughn make it look very fun. However, a romance comes into the equation, when John (Wilson) falls for Claire, the daughter of a wealthy secretary. The problem is, Claire is about to get married to Sack Lodge (Bradley Cooper), a tough, no-nonsense guy who John couldn't possibly compete with. Wedding Crashers is fun, but I found it to be a bit stupid in some places. Guys will like it, girls will swoon over Owen Wilson and Bradley Cooper...so I guess everybody wins.
7/10

12th December 2009

Yes, I love Paul Rudd, but even he could star in a bad film. That bad film that hangs over his filmography like the black plague is Over Her Dead Body (2008). Paul Rudd, how could you?? But to his credit, he saved this film from flopping like an uncooked pancake. It's obvious that I'm not a big fan of the ghost genre, I mean, hello? Ghosts of Girlfriends Past was bad enough. But why does the film industry keep making films like this?? Because they like to see alive people making fools of themselves, while they're talking to people who are dead and aren't actually there. Note to all directors and writers: people don't get laughs out of people hallucinating and being totally strange anymore. Over Her Dead Body also stars Eva Longoria Parker, who is probably best suited to her role in Desperate Housewives (which is getting quite dated nowadays). Eva plays the woman who is crushed by an ice angel without wings (ironic and stupid) and dies on her wedding day, leaving behind her fiancee played by Paul Rudd. He tries to keep himself away from civilization, until he meets a psychic (Lake Bell). This psychic can see Kate (Longoria Parker), and Kate decides to make her life hell. If you think this sounds like Drag Me To Hell then think again. No way is it near as good as that. Over her Dead Body is bad, and even the hugest Paul Rudd fan would be disappointed.
5/10

11th December 2009

You know it's that time of year when free-to-air television stations start to play Disney family films that are shown every Christmas. The Princess Diaries (2001) is one of those films that you see often on television, and I took time out of my night to watch it, mainly because I was extremely bored. The Princess Diaries is not all that bad, it has my favourite actress in it, Anne Hathaway. This was the first of many films in which she portrayed a royal fairytale sort of character, and it is hard to believe that these days she stars in artsy awardsy films like Rachel Getting Married. In this she plays Mia Thermopolis, a girl with frizzy hair and glasses, who likes to be invisible at school rather than stand out. She succeeds in doing this until she is contacted by her grand-mother, Clarisse Renaldi, who is the Queen of her country, Genovia. Clarisse asks Mia if she would like to be the Princess of Genovia as she is the heiress to the throne, but Mia has her doubts. But trying to keep being a princess secret from the rest of her school is not as easy as first thought. The movie is cute, funny, and pretty much what you expect from a Disney film. Yet the over-used formula (horrible nemesis, friends, loser at school, etc) actually works in this film, which is rare because most Disney films fail with this formula. Princess Diaries is good fun, and the perfect pick-me-up when your down.
8/10

Star of the Week: Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is one of today's rising stars, and constantly picks the right roles which are bringing him closer and closer to major fame. Bradley is probably best known for the comedy hit The Hangover (2009), which took the world by storm in early 2009. But Cooper has had many roles in other different hits, such as He's Just Not That Into You (2009), Yes Man (2008) and Wedding Crashers (2005).
His career as an actor began in one episode of the popular TV-series, Sex and the City, in 1999. The young actor made his film acting debut in Wet Hot American Summer (2001), and from there started a career of acting in several different TV shows such as "Touching Evil", "Law & Order" and "Alias". There were a few minor films stringed between them, but nothing of huge note.
Bradley's first major film was the comedy Wedding Crashers (2005), which also starred Owen Wilson, Vince Vauhgn and Isla fisher in her break-through role. The film was a hit for all involved, and Bradley soon found recognition after people saw him play a bit of an ass-hole. The success of Wedding Crashers was great, and Bradley next starred in another comedy, this time Failure To Launch (2006), this time starring with Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker and Zooey Deschanel. The film wasn't as well-recieved as Wedding Crashers, but Bradley was well on the way to becoming a successful actor.

In 2008, Bradley started to get more offers and more lead roles. One of his first lead roles was in the gory horror The Midnight Meat Train (2008). He started to star in more films, and made his last television appearance in the popular series Nip/Tuck. One of the biggest films he has starred in was the Jim Carrey comedy Yes Man (2008). In this, he plays the best friend of Jim Carrey, and is once again re-united with Zooey Deschanel. The film was a hit, but wasn't well-recieved by a lot of critics.
He's Just Not That Into You (2009) was the first multi-plot blockbusters he starred in in 2009. Starring opposite stars such as Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston and Scarlett Johansson, Bradley managed to hold his own. This film gave him some stardom, but the next film he would appear him would send his fame through the roof.
The Hangover (2009) was a low-budget comedy that no-body expected a lot from. It cast several actors who hadn't yet had their break-through roles, which puzzled some people. But once it hit screens, it was soon clear to see that this is one of the best comedies ever made. It follows three guys who go to Las Vegas with their friend who's getting married, but they lose that friend, so they must find him. The film was immensely successful and is loved by most people who have seen it.
As for Bradley's bright future, he has New York, I Love You (2009) which is due to be released in 2010; Valentine's Day (2010), another multi-plot star-studded comedy based around it's title; and action movie The A-Team (2010), which is heavily anticipated by most fans of the action genre.
Bradley has been in the news lately for his love-life, and is currently thought to be dating accomplished actress Renee Zellweger. Watch this space, bradley Cooper is the next big thing.

9th Decemeber 2009

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) is my second favourite movie of all-time. I watched it for the first time back in June and was absolutely dazzled by it, and I kept getting it out every week until someone decided to buy it for me for my birthday. Apart from getting the four-disc edition of Gone with the Wind (my favourite movie of all-time) for my birthday last year, Benjamin Button is one of the best birthday presents I've ever got. When people watch this movie, half of them love it and half of them hate it. It is mostly people in their teens who hate it, because they can't sit through long movies about one man's life. Even though I myself am a teenager, I was on the side that loved it, mainly because it taught me a few things about life. Benjamin Button is an extraordinary character, played superbly by Brad Pitt. He is a man who was born as an 85 year old, and finds out that he ages backwards. When he is (outwardly) around 80, he meets a seven year old Daisy (Cate Blanchett, who voices Daisy when she is a child, and then later plays Daisy for the most part of the film), who ages normally, but he still falls in love with her. The story is based around his life, and his love for Daisy. Along the way, he meets a raft of different people who changed his life, like Queenie (Taraji P. Henson), the woman who raises him; Elizabeth Abbott (Tilda Swinton), a woman he meets in Russia and who he has an affair with; Captain Mike (Jared Harris), a wayward sailor who shows Benjamin the rebellious way of life; and his estranged father Thomas (Jason Flemyng), who finds Benjamin 15 years after he is born and tries to reconcile with him. This movie is just simply amazing. The c-g work, and also the make-up to make characters look older/younger is one of a kind. And as for the story, it is enchanting, the kind that you will never see again. The performances absolutely blew me away, Brad Pitt was great and Oscar worthy; Cate Blanchett was astoundingly beautiful and did well as a bed-ridden 80-something year old woman; and even the support cast carefully crafted their roles so they were nothing short of the two leads. Now, I haven't seen any of David Fincher's other work, but I hear this a bit of a step out of his comfort zone, and if it is, I reckon he should stick to this. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will dazzle you with it's graphics, music score and cinematography, and will warm your heart with the performances, the story and the tearful end. Loved it.
10/10

8th December 2009

Romantic comedies are often the best entertainment you can find. And The Proposal (2009) is proof of that. I mean, you'd never expect romantic comedies to come from real life experiences. Just like you wouldn't walk into an office and be proposed to by a woman you couldn't stand. This is what this movie is all about. A successful editor, Margaret (Sandra Bullock), is on the verge of losing to her job because she is going to be deported. Her unsuspecting assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), walks in, and Margaret (who is known as the 'witch' at her work-place) decides that they should get married to avoid deportation. Andrew agrees only after being black-mailed by Margaret, who offers him the chance to be a published editor for her business. This at once sounds like a lot of fun, and it is. Right until things start to get quite dramatic and we see the true side of Margaret. The movie chugs along smoothly, with plenty of laughs along the way, but when everything starts to get melodramatic, it loses it's magic. Sandra Bullock does well as a high-flying business-woman, as does Ryan Reynolds, who plays his character with a lot of sarcasm. I love sarcasm in movies. These two are supported by a wonderful cast: Mary Steenburgen (who always plays second fiddle to many actors), Betty White (very delightful and funny old gran), Malin Akerman (okay, she needs to keep going in the direction that Watchmen led her to), and Craig T. Nelson (playing the most dramatic role of the film). The Proposal is directed by Anne Fletcher, who's last effort was another wedding-themed comedy 27 Dresses. She makes the most of the funny script and the good performances, and manages to produce one of the better romantic comedies of this year. A good holiday flick for all ages, even guys might like it.
7/10

7th December 2009

Even though I haven't watched the first, I decided to watch Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) purely because Amy Adams is in it. I love Amy Adams. She constantly manages to blow me away in any movie she's in. And yet, she is so under-rated. News flash: this woman is one of the best in the business. So, the title is pretty self-explanatory. The movie is all about one night at a museum, where all the exhibits come to life. Now I haven't seen the first one, so I didn't get some of the things that were happening in this movie. But some of the exhibits from the original museum get shipped off to the Smithsonian (I'd really like to go there, it looks massive!!), and put down in the archives. It's up to Larry (Ben Stiller) to save some of his 'friends', and on this journey he starts a bit of a war between the original Smithsonian exhibits and the new arrivals. During the little battle, Larry meets Amelia Earhart (Adams) and they spark an unlikely relationship. In the long list of forbidden love stories, this story between a museum night-guard and a 1930's pioneer aviatrix would be right up there with Romeo and Juliet. We see a lot of different exhibits come to life, which includes some annoying singing cherubs who are apparently voiced by the Jonas Brothers of all people. The worst thing is, is that they try to recreate the Titanic theme. Jo Bros: leave that song alone! The movie is really an adventure, where we can take a look at things that will never be (like live museum statues). You should watch this with the kids, because they will enjoy it.
6/10

6th December 2009

Okay, I cheated, but I just couldn't resist re-watching He's Just Not That Into You (2009). This movie has been one of those movies which I watch over and over, whenever I need a little, um, advice. The cast is huge: Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Connelly, Justin Long, Kevin Connolly and Drew Barrymore. Throw in renowned romantic comedy director Ken Kwapis, and we have a winner. I'm not going to attempt to try and explain all of the plots and sub-plots, because there are so many stories in this film that all relate to one thing: to be loved and not to be loved. Despite what people might say, the main character is Gigi (played lovably by Goodwin, who is so under-rated), who is desperate to have a boyfriend but just can't find the one. The great thing is, is that the 'one' is standing right under her nose and she didn't know it...at first. We follow many inter-locking stories, which involve some great characters played by the many stars. But by the end, we all learn a valuable life lesson: you have to know who's the right person for you, and not just judge it by the 'signs'. Some scenes are funny (like the scene where Gigi leaves a message on Connor's answering machine); others are heart-breaking (mostly the infidelities in Ben and Janine's marriage); and others you just have to cringe at (like when Mary recieves some unexpected messages on her phone). It's cute, funny, sad, or basically everything that romantic comedies of today don't have. This movie truly is one of a kind.
9/10

5th Decemeber 2009

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (2008) has a very long title. It's one of those movies which I expected to be really big but turned out to live up to small expectations. When I saw the cast, which had Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst (where has she been lately??), Megan Fox (in a non-blockbuster role), and Jeff Bridges, I knew that I may be in for a winner. And at first, it seemed that way. But as the movie droned on, it lost the winning magic right up until it seemed non-existent. Okay, it was amusing seeing Megan Fox trying to act like Mother Teresa, because she really can't act that well. The movie is about Hollywood, or New York rather. It takes a look at the world of fame and tabloid magazines and starlets of mediocre films. We follow Brit Sidney Young (Pegg), a writer who enjoys exploiting the image of stars. He moves to New York, and starts to work for a prestigious magazine which follows the lives of stars. There he meets Alison (Dunst), who teaches him the American way of life and who is the love interest of the story. Sidney is given an interview opportunity with young starlet Sophie Maes (Fox), who he also falls in love with, but only because of her beauty. The entire plot revolves around a Brit trying to become an American, and also the weird love story between Sidney and Alison. I quite enjoyed the first half, but found myself kind of tired by the next half. All in all, you should see this if you want to know what fame is really like. But if you have no interest, save it for a rainy day.
6/10

4th December 2009

I just finished watching Grand Hotel (1932) on you-tube (very trendy way of watching movies these days), and got my first taste of what Pre-code Hollywood was all about. It was really about show-casing all of the best stars of that era, in the most revealing way possible. Also, it made movies that could dare to be different, dare to do anything, before the Hayes Code prevented them from doing so. Grand Hotel is believed to be the first multi-plot talkie. It takes a look at different people's lives, who are all staying at the same hotel-the Grand Hotel in Berlin. Grusinskaya (Greta Garbo) is an eccentric dancer who just wants to be alone, when she find a thief in her room. The Baron (John Barrymore) was just out to steal her pearls for money, when he stole her heart instead. As Grusinskaya falls in love with the Baron, she invites him to come away with her, as long as he can get the money for the train ticket. Out of desperation, he spend the next day trying to find ways of getting money. Again, instead of stealing money, he steals the heart of stenographer Flaemmchen (Joan Crawford), who is powerful businessman Preysing's (Wallace Berry) mistress. Preysing employs a terminally ill Kringelein (Lionel Barrymore) as his book-keeper, who tries to give the Baron the money he needs. All these lives are brought together by tragedy, money and love, even though they don't know it. I talk about this film with such respect because it is the benchmark of glamourous all-star Hollywood movies. You see Garbo prancing so beautifully around her hotel room; Crawford being a flirt but ultimately turning out a very dramatic performance; John Barrymore trying to make everyone else's life easier while he is struggling himself; Lionel Barrymore talking as if his life were to end the next day; and Wallace Berry being a ladies man but also very powerful and cruel. No wonder this film won the Academy Award for Best picture in 1932. If you want to see what classic Hollywood was all about, then don't go any further than this film.
8/10

3rd Decemeber 2009

I've always enjoyed Cary Grant movies, mainly because of how romantic he is and how much chemistry he shares with his female co-stars. He had already starred opposite Ingrid Bergman in Notorious in 1946, but 12 years later he re-teamed with her to star in Indiscreet (1958). Okay, this was a movie which I bought last year, because I thought that it was Notorious and I actually wanted to see that movie. Shows how much I've learned about film in the last year and a half. Anyway, I couldn't spend that $10 without watching the movie, so I decided to drag this out of my collection and watch it. Indiscreet was directed by Stanley Donen, who took a break out of making musicals to make a fluffy romantic comedy. But of course, like any musical director, he had to put in a bit of dancing, which Cary Grant, er, happily displayed. Cary Grant plays a ladies man, once again, who captures the heart of Anna Kalman (Ingrid Bergman), a very successful and famous stage actress. They fall in love, but Anna soon finds out that Phillip Adams (Grant) is keeping a secret from her, and Anna sets out to get the perfect revenge. The main plot clincher (the revenge) doesn't happen until the movie is nearly over, which is a shame because the first hour is devoted to the very romantic relationship between Phillip and Anna. Unfortunately, this gets very annoying and I nearly switched off because of the lack of plot. Bergman has a very strange character, who's mood swings more rapidly than an adolescent teenager. The film really has a thin plot, and sometimes it just acts as an excuse to bring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman together again. If your looking for a better film with these two in it, try Notorious, and don't get in mixed up with this one.
6/10

Star of the Week: Amy Adams

I'm going to put a few new added things to my blog all about movies. So I'm going to add a 'star of the week', and this week it's Amy Adams.
Amy Adams is most commonly known for her role in the Disney fairytale film, Enchanted (2007). In this film, she played Giselle, a fairytale princess from Andalasia, who is about to get married to Prince Edward (James Marsden). But she is sent to modern day New York by Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), better known as the 'wicked stepmother'. Giselle finds it hard to adapt to the New York way of life, and finds herself falling in love with divorce lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey), who she is staying with until she can find her way back to Andalasia. In this film, she showed off her fabulous singing voice too. Amy played her part of the princess to perfection, and also managed to get a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy for her performance. However, this wasn't the only award she had been nominated for. Before her success with Enchanted, she starred in a small indie film called Junebug (2005). For her performance in this, she scored an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In 2009, she was nominated for the same award, this time for her performance as Sister James in Catholic drama Doubt (2008).
Even though Amy has not won an Academy Award, you can make sure that she will in the future. The strawberry blonde actress has starred in a raft of different movies, most of which were very successful. She started her film career in 1999, but it wasn't until 2002 when she got her first major starring role in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me if You Can (2002). This film also starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, and Amy played Brenda Strong, a young naive girl. Catch Me if You Can didn't bring her a lot of attention until she starred in Junebug, and then her career was really taking off. Among the successful films she starred in were:
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)--She played Susan in the Will Ferrell comedy.
Charlie Wilson's War (2007)--Amy once again starred with Tom Hanks has his secretary Bonnie Bach. The political drama also starred Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
Sunshine Cleaning (2008)--Another indie film which Amy starred in, also starring Emily Blunt. Amy played solo-mum Rose, who starts a crime-scene clean-up service.
Miss Pettigrew Lives for A Day (2008)--One of my favourite films of all time, Amy plays delightful actress Delysia Lafosse in the cute 1930's-set romatic comedy. Frances McDormand also starred as her dowdy 'social secretary'.
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)--The sequel to the popular children's film, Amy portrays Amelia Earhart opposite Ben Stiller.
Julie & Julia (2009)--A foodie comedy starring Meryl Streep, who Amy starred with in Doubt. Amy plays Julie Powell, an amateur chef and blogger.
Amy has had a great film career so far, and is next starring in comedy Leap Year and drama The Fighter (also starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale), which are due for release in 2010. Watch one of the bubbly actresses movies, you will instantly fall in love with her.

2nd December 2009

Body of Lies (2008) was one of the few Leonardo DiCaprio movies I hadn't watched. Leonardo DiCaprio is the best actor ever, and despite the lack of story in this movie, he still did a good performance. Because that's the kind of guy he is, doesn't matter how bad the movie is, Leo always performs to his best. And that's why I watch all of his movies. Okay, so Body of Lies is a bit touch and go. Most of the time I didn't understand was going on, and often thought that reading over my social studies book for the 50th time (I had an exam the next day) would be more interesting. The plot is mainly about terrorism in Middle-Eastern countries, with Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) going around trying to stop all of this crime going on. All the while, he is followed by a camera in the sky, and told what to do by Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe). Russell Crowe makes me laugh in this film, because since Gladiator he really has turned into a guy who looks like he doesn't look after himself very well. What I mean is, he just eats and eats, gets fat, and doesn't shave very well or dye his hair so he doesn't look so old. The guy really needs to look back on the Gladiator days and be like that again. The violence in this film is the bare-minimum, which is a bit strange considering the other films that Ridley Scott has directed. However, on the bright side, Leonardo DiCaprio turns out a great performance, which gets this film its merits. Only watch if you're looking for light entertainment.
6/10

1st December 2009

Well, Public Enemies (2009) has been a movie which I have wanted to see ever since I first heard about it. I remember when I went to go see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at the cinemas, and the trailer for Public Enemies was before it. I'm sorry, Michael Bay, but that trailer was more exciting than your whole movie. Then it came out at the cinemas, but I couldn't go see it. So I had to wait for it to come out on DVD, and boy, was it worth the wait. Johnny Depp is not my favourite actor ever, although I did love him in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape. But that was 16 years ago, and these days he is a great actor. His portrayal of John Dillinger is like seeing the real thing. Everything that goes into this movie and comes out is almost perfect: the cast, Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard; the set design and costumes, completely looking like the perfect 1930's gangster film; and the direction by Michael Mann. Okay, Miami Vice failed, but Public Enemies can make us restore faith in Michael Mann again can't it? Through this rather epic film, we follow John Dillinger (Depp) and his gang, who live life robbing banks through the Great Depression of the 1930's. He is soon labeled as 'Public Enemy No. 1' by the FBI, and it is up to Melvin Purvis (Bale) to find Dillinger and bring him down. But Dillinger is too good for the law, and Purvis finds himself in a game of cat-and-mouse. Of course, Dillinger has his girl, Billie Frechette (Cotillard), who he'd do anything for. There are so many violent gun-wielding scenes, and it's amazing that you start to think that Dillinger was a good person doing the wrong thing. The performances are out of this world, and Mann takes a good approach to directing this film. There is a flaw though: sometimes scenes run away on you, and you don't know what they are about. It would probably be suited more to people who know their movies, particularly people who have watched a few film-noirs or gangster films before. Overall, I was impressed by the out-come of this film.
9/10

30th November 2009

Death Defying Acts (2007) is just one of those DVDs which I grabbed off the shelf without thinking. I must admit, I never really wanted to watch it that much, but I thought it was a good enough film. I'm not the biggest Catherine Zeta-Jones fan, and I've never really thought of her as an actress. But seeing this, I think I can finally see her as an actress, and not as that chick who's married to the real old guy who was in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. The title, 'Death Defying Acts' was a bit iffy. I guess I was expecting a lavish film about acrobats in a circus, but I was wrong about that. Rather, it was about a faux-psychic, Mary (Zeta-Jones), who is very poor, and often is an act at a local club with her daughter Benji (Saoirse Ronan). She meets a famous magician/daredevil, Harry Houdini (Guy Pearce), who is trying to connect with his dead mother's spirit. Mary looks like the woman for the job, but Houdini ends up falling in love with her, and romance ensues. It was a beautiful work of art, I mean the sets were fitting for the time period (1929). But the story is tough and go. Right throughout it, I got very confused as to what Mary was trying to do. The romance between Houdini and Mary wasn't very believable, because of the lack of chemistry between the two actors. Mind you, life would have been pretty grim for Mary, especially because she lived in a graveyard. This is one of those movies that you are meant to just grab off the shelf if all else fails. It's not particularly outstanding yet not that bad. The end is pretty sad, so you might want to get a few tissues with this. But only watch if you're desperate.
6/10

29th November 2009

Okay, my mum loves horror films. It must be in the genetics or something, because I love horror films too. When I saw Drag Me to Hell (2009) was available, I knew I had to see it. I was a bit worried about it though, because Alison Lohman was in it. I'm not saying she's a bad actress or anything, it's just that she was playing a teenager in 'Flicka' when she was 27 years old. I mean, there is a time limit for how long you can be a teenager, and she passed it by then. However, seeing her in this film was like discovering a new actress, she was great. This movie wasn't really that scary (I don't find movies scary, but Changeling did scare me a bit), but Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) was a woman you wouldn't turning up on your back door any time soon. The story centres around Mrs. Ganush, an old lady who is about to get kicked out of her house by the bank. She pleads to Christine (Lohman) for an extension, but Christine makes the decision not to allow her another extension. This is a decision Christine regrets making. All of a sudden, she is haunted by this Mrs. Ganush, who is dragging her slowly to hell. All the while, Christine appears to be a bit of a freak, and even her boyfriend Clay (Justin Long) doesn't believe what is happening to her. Sometimes this movie is funny, but it mostly emulates what an old-school horror would be like. Sam Raimi returns to his horror roots, after being tied up in the Spiderman trilogy, which was very successful. Horror fans will eat this up. They will love it. I also think I am falling in love with Justin Long. I mean, he is comedy gold. He is particularly funny in 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno' and 'He's Just Not that Into You', but in Drag Me To Hell, he proves to be comic relief, even showing a dramatic side. If you're looking for a good horror, then this is for you. The end is not what you'd expect, so watch out.
8/10

28th November 2009

You know, British biopics have always been a hit with me. The Young Victoria (2009) has been one of those films which I've been looking forward to seeing. Mainly because I love seeing Emily Blunt in any role she's in, and was surprised to see her playing a historic royal figure. Emily Blunt, in my mind, should always be playing a snooty character just like she did in The Devil Wears Prada. She was just perfect in that role. But seeing her playing Queen Victoria was a stroke of casting genius. It was one of those rare moments when Keira Knightley should have been playing that role, but someone else did it so much better. The way that Blunt handled herself and handled her character was amazing, something that a lesser actor would have failed at. The unfortunate part was, the story was a little dull and didn't offer much entertainment. In a nutshell, the film follows Queen Victoria's younger years, like when she gets married to Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), and when she is coronated. It also has a back-story about her and her tutor, Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany). The story at some times is confusing, and failed to keep my attention. But I couldn't help seeing this film as a guilty pleasure. I love seeing amazing costumes that would be so annoying to wear. The film was like a luxurious stay in a palace because of the amazing sets and costumes. But there was something missing. And it was not Keira Knightley.
6/10

27th November 2009

Zac Efron, to me, is the most famous person in the world. But what is he famous for?? It's not his acting skills, it's his film career. I remember when High School Musical came out and every one went MAD. That was like 2006's 'Twilight' (I have to admit, High School Musical was better than Twilight). Every one, and I mean every one, fell in love with this Troy Bolton. Little did they know, High School Musical would come to an end, and Troy Bolton wouldn't be gracing the screens any longer. So Zac Efron had a supporting role in Hairspray, then went on to be a leading man in 17 Again (2009). While this wasn't the best film ever, there was huge cheese factor which made me cringe a lot. I watched this with my entire English class, and every time some people laughed at the movie, me and my best friend looked at each other like 'why the hell are they laughing, it's so cheesy!'. Cheesy entertainment is really fun though, because I just think about the sucker who was writing this and how many cheeseburgers they had that day. Anyway, the movie is about Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry), who is about to be divorced to Scarlett (Leslie Mann), the girl he's been with since high school. Something strange happens to Mike though, he is miraculously turned beck into a 17 year old, who is now called 'Mark' (Efron). Mike/Mark decides to have his high school life back over, but discovers it's harder than he thought. He tries to resist his 'daughter' Maggie (Michelle Tratchenberg) coming on to him, and helps his 'son' Alex (Sterling Knight) get into a basketball team and get a girlfriend. All the while, he just wants to get his wife back. It is a strange wee story, but the cheese factor makes it so enjoyable. I know Zac Efron will have a great career, he just needs to steer away from films like this.
6/10

26th November 2009

The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954) is a movie I got last year but took my time to watch. You see, last year, I had an infatuation with Grace Kelly, I mean, she was really cool. When I saw a three-pack of her movies I just had to have it. Really, I just wanted it because it had 'The Country Girl' on it, and The Bridges at Toko-Ri was just part of that pack and I didn't make a lot of effort to watch it. So the opportunity came when I hadn't rented a DVD out and I had no choice but to watch this one. War movies really aren't my thing, unless they are set in World War I or II and they have a lot of romance in them. Toko-Ri was not that exciting to start with, and I kept fidgeting and trying to find other things to do. But I stuck to it, and by the end I was satisfied. Grace Kelly wasn't in it a lot, but she stole the show. Every time she came on the screen, she movie look better. I'm not saying that William Holden is a bad actor or anything, but Grace was a delightful addition to the cast and one of the few reasons why I kept watching it. The story follow men fighting in the Korean War, and it was surprising to see Mickey Rooney in it as a temperamental Irish-man. Sometimes it felt like a boring episode of M*A*S*H (yes, I used to watch that program), and other times it just felt like a reason to make a propaganda film about why war's are bad. If you love Grace Kelly, you may just want to skip to all the scenes with her in it, but other wise, just save this for when you're really desperate.
6/10