Reviews Round Up: Albert Nobbs, Our Idiot Brother, Chronicle

Isn't it funny how much changes with the flick of a switch? Last week, I was struggling to find movies to review because a) there weren't that many movies out and b) anything I did see didn't affect me enough to squeeze a review out. This week, I have so many that I have to resort to the good old review round up of everything that came out in the past week on DVD: Albert Nobbs, Our Idiot Brother and Chronicle. Because I feel like my fingers need to hit the keyboard for these films.

Albert Nobbs was a film that I only held interest in seeing because of all the love it got during awards season. In fact, all I knew about it was that Oscar peeps seemed to be obsessed with Glenn Close's performance (at the expense of marvellous performances from the likes of Charlize Theron and Kirsten Dunst), Janet McTeer's performance (a well-deserved nomination), and the fact that these woman dress up as men in order to overcome adversity in 19th century Ireland. Yeah, it's the kind of thing that attracts Oscar like a magnet, but aside from the performances, the film wasn't the hit that everyone thought it was going to be. To be honest, I couldn't see what was wrong with the film. Perhaps it was because I didn't have any prior expectations. It was harmless, quite thought-provoking, and somewhat touching. Okay, it did drag a bit, and I do have to admit to occasionally having to reel my mind back into the movie. To add to that, I felt as if it was needlessly sad - as if the writers kept running into brick walls so they had to kill someone off in order to keep the story going. However, this film had a lot going for it. Of course, the performances were great. I was most impressed by Janet McTeer as Hubert, and the supporting turns from Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson (he's starting to churn out some really impressive stuff) and Brendan Gleeson (with a pretty impressive beard) were all worthy. Albert Nobbs him/herself was an interesting character, too, even if I didn't quite understand why he was so naive considering everything he has been through. Perhaps the reason why I liked this film so much spawned from one particular scene: where Albert and Hubert put on dresses for the first time in ages, and walk along a beach. Albert comes to realise her true nature and runs freely, enjoying this moment. Had this scene been put in a better film, it'd be the kind that film historians would say is one of the best scenes ever. I don't know, maybe it'll grow on people a little more in the future. It has the potential.

What I got:

"You've done some bad things, sweetie": Holy Rollers, Hall Pass, The Mechanic and The Warrior's Way

You remember how around a month ago, when I was wallowing in the pain of getting my tonsils out, I had a big clump of movies which I found really bad? Bad enough to get the "You've done some bad things, sweetie rating? Yeah well, that has happened again. Except this time there wasn't anything that made the experience really bad. Okay, Holy Rollers was watched during a thunderstorm, Hall Pass was watched after I'd been walking around in the rain, and The Mechanic and The Warrior's Way were watched last night when...uh, I had a blister on my foot? Yeah, these were just really mediocre flicks.

So, without further ado, here are my paragraph long reviews on movies which don't deserve I can't be bothered doing full reviews on.

Holy Rollers

Jesse Eisenberg was once this awkward geeky actor that everyone was billing as 'the next Michael Cera!' That was until he got nominated for an Oscar for playing an awkward geeky guy. But even though I love Jesse dearly, I can't help but be a little worried that he might not ever get nominated again, or, heaven forbid, ever get out of the Michael Cera mold. I thought that Holy Rollers had the right sounding material to ensure Jesse's acting extraordinaire future, but I could see Cera playing his part. The part in question is that of a Hasidic Jew named Sam who lives in an Orthodox Jewish community and is destined to become a Rabbi. Well, that's until some 'cool' Jew by the name of Yosef (played by Doug from The Hangover - Justin Bartha) decides to get Sam into dealing some ecstasy. And this is the true story of how ecstasy got into America via some Hasidic Jews. The problem with this true story is that it sounds exciting, but it really wasn't. I tried really hard to like Holy Rollers, believe me. Unfortunately, the movie moved quite slowly and there wasn't a lot really happening as such. This was due to it's overly cliched script and it's lack of depth into any of the characters. However, Jesse was brilliant in his role, with the awkward air hanging around him and all. Bartha, too, was impressive, even though his character fell prey to the lack of dimension. Just the rest of it felt like a wasted opportunity: the good premise, the interesting insight into Jewish life, and Ari Gaynor's character, who was pretty much just a sex object. It was such a shame that this didn't work.

Hall Pass

Every one I've spoken to absolutely loved this movie. My question is, why? Sure, there were some very funny parts. But when I went into this movie I was hoping for something similar to The Hangover - lots of fun without any consequences. Because, after all, a 'hall pass' and a night out on the town with the boys are pretty much the same thing, right? Hmmmm. The problem with Hall Pass is also it's best feature: the guys that have been granted a week off marriage never actually commit to anything that would hurt their significant others. That's all good, because in most movies, the guys are always doing all sorts of stuff and they're always the bad ones. But because of it's attention to all of this heart and domestic values, there are a lot of laughs missing. In fact, there's a whole lot of laughs missing from most of it. I just don't find Owen Wilson very funny anymore, as he is definitely better being a little more serious. In this movie, he barely gets any of the laughs, instead pushing across this movies dark undertone. Jason Sudeikis, on the other hand, is hilarious, especially in the scene where he tries out all of these different pick up lines on chicks. I am really warming to Sudeikis. But other than a few laugh at loud jokes, Hall Pass is trying so hard that it's not funny. At least it's a hell of a lot better than the Farrelly's last movie, The Heartbreak Kid.

The Mechanic

I really dislike Jason Statham. All I've seen him do is say 'menacing' things in his weird little voice, whilst walking around without any emotion. And then he goes and beats the bejesus out of someone. Yes, there's not much different about him in The Mechanic. In fact, this movie was everything that I thought it would be: mindless violent with lots of killing and guns. Except it stars Ben Foster, whom I loved in The Messenger. Sure, this isn't the best that he could have starred in, but he makes it work, somehow. With his good acting skills and Statham's...ah...persona, their relationship is surprisingly interesting. Especially seeing as their relationship is based on betrayal: the Statham is an assassin who has to train Foster who just so happens to be the son of someone Stathe killed. Now, while this is an okay premise, it's riddled with the same old cliches you expect to find in the average action thriller. The end is especially cliched. I really don't have much else to say about The Mechanic, I've pretty much forgotten it already even though it's been barely 24 hours since I saw it. All I remember is the mind numbing violence which I didn't find fun at all.

The Warrior's Way

I never watch films like The Warrior's Way. You know, the kinds with Asian assassins and ninjas and...clowns. The ones that look like video games. The ones with more slow-mo then you can shake a stick at. I would have given it a miss, but the promise of Geoffrey Rush starring in it made this seem like a bit of a better time. I'll admit, he wasn't in this as much as I would have liked him to be, but he made it a bit better. However, this is a prime example of why I usually ditch these sorts of films. I found it very over the top, using style over substance far more often then it needed to, and the lead actor, who remained silent for a lot of it, Dong-gun Jang, was so awfully blank that it hurt to watch him. He was impressive in the action sequences, but nothing more. The action sequences...well, they really were something else. It was exactly like watching a dramatization of a video game. A bad dramatization, that is. I really didn't dig all of the style that went into it, even though I do admire their effort. Apparently this film was made in NZ. I wouldn't have been able to tell. The cinematography is great, and I'm sure that everything looks like a set for a reason. But when I picture NZ, I picture lush green forests and pastures...none of that was present here, thanks to the whole thing practically having a green screen as the backdrop. If there was one thing that I did like about this movie was the Eastern/Western clash, but that was by no means enough to make this film passable.

Of course, all of these movies got this lovely rating:

Got any thoughts on these movies?

Reviews Round Up: Fair Game, Gnomeo & Juliet and The Last Exorcism

Fair Game

I could just about watch any film, but one genre which doesn't stick with me is the political thriller. I try to like them, I really do, but I have so much trouble understanding them (yes, you could call me a stupid, misguided youth who should really just stick to watching brainless blockbusters). So when it came to watching Fair Game, I got everything I expected. I did understand the movie as much as I possibly could, but the one thing I was most interested in was the marriage of Valerie (Naomi Watts) and Joe (Sean Penn). One reason that contributed to this was probably the beautiful chemistry between Watts and Penn, who turn in two excellent performances. However, I've always liked movies that explore the dynamics of marriage and family, and this one is particularly interesting. Just imagine living like Valerie - secretly being a CIA agent and then having her status revealed to the world, which results in people sending her family death threats. The way that works around her marriage and family life is nothing short of interesting. However, I can't really say that this film excited me that much. There's nothing wrong with the story (a true one, even though I'd like not to believe that), the script, the direction, the tension...anything else technical. It is a very well-structured film. But at times, the only reason why I was still watching the film was for Watts and Penn, who are at the top of their game here (see what I did there?). I could definitely recommend the film, but it probably helps if you like political thrillers a little more than I do.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Gnomeo & Juliet

Shakespeare, as told by garden gnomes? Are we really that desperate already? I do have to admit, I thought this sounded like a fun idea. But then, once I actually remembered what happens in the play, I realised that maybe gnomes weren't made to act it out. Nor was the play ever supposed to be sugar-coated into something appropriate for young kids. Instead of the Montague's and Capulet's just straight out hating each other, they have to be sorted into groups of red and blue. They have rifts over lawnmowers! Okay, for the most part, there is some creativity in the way they have made it for young children. Then again, there are quite a few jokes in the movie which aren't really suitable for it's target audience...if it has one. I imagine it will completely fail in trying to introduce Shakespeare's beautiful play to a younger generation, and it's better if they just learn about the real deal in high school. However, between the problem with having gnomes acting it out and a tiresome Elton John heavy soundtrack, this movie really doesn't give. It isn't the kind of movie I'd go to first to keep the kids happy. It was just...there. Nothing special, nothing awful...just a movie. Now, if only we could get it's voice cast into a live action movie: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Ashley Jensen, Maggie Smith, Jason Statham, Stephen Merchant, Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters...Hulk Hogan? Now that would make an interesting movie.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

The Last Exorcism

The Last Exorcism is the latest movie in the long line of docu-horrors and exorcism flicks (seriously, there's this movie at the shop called Exorcismus - it has pretty much the exact same cover as this one, and it has basically the same premise). Like Paranormal Activity, it isn't terribly exciting, but there are some genuine scares that don't last a very long time, nor to they actually induce nightmares, but they are good for the experience. To be honest, the family that this 'documentary' visits are the scariest thing ever. First we meet the son, Caleb (played by Caleb Landry Jones, better known as Banshee in X-Men: First Class), who gives the creepiest directions ever to the camera crew. Then we meet the father, who is a little brash. And of course, we meet Nell (Ashley Bell, who does all of the body contortions herself, since she has hypermobility), who is a sweet and pure young girl that's just really scary to watch. However, not everyone gets scared by people as I do, so this film will probably be very disappointing for horror fans. It isn't anything new and it takes forever to get going, but I did quite enjoy watching it. The end was quite a strange and twisted one, and was something that I didn't really expect after watching the movie for so long. Now I'm thinking about it, though, the end was blindingly obvious from the beginning.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

"You've done some bad things, sweetie": The Green Hornet, Yogi Bear, Dorian Gray, Sanctum

All of these movies have one thing in common: I gave them all the "You've done some bad things, sweetie" rating. Here are some paragraph long reviews on each of these films which I cannot be bothered doing full reviews for:

The Green Hornet

I like Seth Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg better when they're writing about fake IDs, obsessive compulsive penis drawers and Jonah Hill actually being fat and funny. Because that came from experience, so they know how to make it funny. Their efforts with The Green Hornet? Disappointing. These guys are more at home when they can use the F-word as much as they like than they are trying to make a friendly superhero flick. Which is a shame because a Michel Gondry superhero flick has the potential to be out of this world. The problem is, the film is never very super. It's only entertaining when it wants to be, which isn't very often, and it spends most of it's time being dull, even with some pretty impressive fight scenes. It's far longer than it should have been, which only adds to it's dullness. The cast all seem to be on auto-pilot also, apart from Christoph Waltz who gleefully slided through the film with his easy villain like presence. Seth Rogen was Seth Rogen, Jay Chou was...a sidekick who was a sidekick, Cameron Diaz was a little less than our normal Cameron Diaz. Sure, these people don't have superpowers, but Kick-Ass only had a quarter of this one's budget and none of those fancy gadgets, yet that still succeeded. Rogen and Goldberg would have been better going all out on a movie similar to that.

Yogi Bear

When I say that this movie is 'not that bad', I'm saying that because I was expecting a trainwreck of a movie. I was expecting annoying kiddie jokes and characters so diabolical that I might have to shoot myself. Thankfully, there was none of that. This isn't the type of movie that should be given 13% on Rotten Tomatoes. Because it isn't that bad. But yes, it is pretty mediocre. I laughed a few times, but that was only at things which I have laughed at many times before. There's nothing fresh at all about this movie. It's very predictable and sometimes downright annoying at how stupid it can be. It's everything you could expect out of a talking bear movie. I feel weird saying such negative things about a kids flick, since kids are no critics and they will watch and love everything as long as it's not too scary. Obviously, if you don't have kids, don't watch this movie. But New Zealand does look very nice in the background...

Dorian Gray

This movie made me feel intoxicated. Now that may have had something to do with the fact that I am on so many drugs right now that I may as well be a part of Requiem for a Dream, but this movie literally made me feel woozy. The direction is to blame for that. Everything is so hazy and unclear, and sometimes it's like the camera isn't stabilised by anything. The various 'sex scenes' are painful to watch because the director is so intent on not making one scene, but trying to make five scenes in one. And then we have Ben Barnes, who looked like he needed a good drink. I'm sure he's a talented bloke, but he was lifeless in the lead role. He never really took off in the role, letting it down a great deal because you can't really believe in him at all. Now, I know that 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' is a pretty popular novel (and a pretty good one - I'm halfway through it), but the way this movie chooses to portray the story doesn't do much good for the novel. It's cheap, B-grade and very dull. However, the performances from Colin Firth (who was definitely the best thing about this movie), Rebecca Hall, Ben Chaplin and Rachel Hurd-Wood offer some class to the movie - class which it should have taken with both hands to avoid the dismal mess that it became.

Sanctum

I am actually sick of movies about people surviving against the odds. It's great that they have such harrowing stories and all, but some of them aren't meant to be films. Just like Sanctum. Now, I'm sure this movie was amazing in 3D. But I'm also sure that this movie doesn't have a lot going for it other than beautiful photography. The story was probably amazing, but as a movie, it isn't in it for the long haul. And being underwater for nearly the entire time is a little bit tiring, since the audience is subjected to watching a whole group of people frantically swim around. But whenever the people are out of the water, it's just as annoying, seeing as the acting isn't anything particularly special. Throw in a lame broken relationship between a father and son and this becomes a movie which you just want to escape. Unfortunately, the screen goes black around three times before it actually finishes, which is amazingly annoying.

Of course, all of these movies managed to get a:

Have you seen any of these films? If so, did you find that they did some 'bad things' too?

Reviews Round Up, Part 1: American Beauty, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Red, The American

In the midst of my Classic Movie Marathon, I was still watching a lot of movies (thank you school holidays). Therefore, I have a lot to catch up on. So, sorry, long reviews fans, I'm just going to give some quick paragraph long reviews otherwise I'll never catch up, though you can expect a lengthy review on Thor coming veeeeery soon.

American Beauty

I was hoping to do a full length review on this one, but I kinda thought that since I’m incredibly late to the party and most people have seen it,  I won’t bother. I can’t really add much to what everyone else has said about the film over the past 12 years. I loved this movie. The performances, the script, the direction, everything. It just felt so real. Some people have pointed out that this film has aged so quickly since it was very ‘in the moment’ when it was released, but I didn’t have a problem with that. Sure, a few things have changed, but this film still captures the world of suburban boredom and discontent so well, and it does still seem quite relevant. Kevin Spacey was positively spectacular in the lead role, with his sarcastic and cynical outlook on life. Watching him with drama queen Annette Bening was great too, they really played the part of an unhappy marriage quite well. Thora Birch was also a believable teen, and one which I felt compelled to relate to in so many instances. Mena Suvari did a brilliant job as the popular dream girl, and I felt so happy once we found out the truth about this girl, because I know there are a lot of people like her. Alan Ball did a wonderful job with the script, using every trick in the book to convey a believable world. From this to the wonderful True Blood, I think he might just be my favourite person right now. Sam Mendes, too, did an exceptional job of directing, considering he made this so early in his career. This really hit the heights of modern film-making.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

The Disappearance of Alice Creed

2010 was really the year to release movies with minimal sets. Like Devil, 127 Hours and Buried. The Disappearance of Alice Creed, a British kidnapping thrilled set almost entirely in a run-down house, is every bit as good as the other movies. Sure, the film may go astray a few times, and it really loses some ground as the movie goes on, but I found it simply reeling with intensity. As the film goes on, it gets increasingly hard to watch, as it really throws you in the position of Alice in a small way. The dynamic between she, Vic and Danny was also very interesting, even though I felt that we found out the truth way to soon, leaving little to be desired for the rest of the film. In saying that, I was completely and utterly entertained throughout the whole thing, and despite it's many flaws, I just kept going with the flow happily. From start to finish, it was an enjoyable thrill ride with a truly haunting end. By far the greatest thing about the film was seeing Gemma Arterton finally in a role worthy of her talents. After seeing her dabble in that blockbuster business (Clash of the Titans, Prince of Persia), she gets down and dirty and seems to be at home when she is just being natural. I can't wait to see future projects with her in it similar to this one, though if a few people in high places see this, hopefully she'll get a bigger break.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Red

I admit, I need to watch this one again. While I liked it, and thought it was quite funny, everyone in Dannevirke has been going absolutely nutters for it. And fair enough, I think this is just a little too high above my age group, since it's all about old peeps with their guns. But hey, Helen Mirren, shooting people? Now that makes for a good movie! I swear that woman can do anything! And when Helen Mirren is in a film, you know the class level goes up a bit. Though you could say that this movie is pretty classy, as it has one of the better casts of recent history. You take Bruce Willis, you give him a little bit to do, some downright cool action scenes and tell him to smile a few times. Then you get John Malkovich to play a complete nutso. And along comes Morgan Freeman, taking a break from being God or narrator in Alec Baldwin's dreams to kick some ass. Mary Louise Parker also comes for the ride as the confused girlfriend of old Willis, and she's fun, too. Oh, and Kiwi man Karl Urban continues his Hollywood rise being a guy who always looks angry. The cast do lift this a hell of a lot, and it's a really fun ride. If only more Hollywood action comedies could be a bit more like this.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

The American

I do like slow movies. As long as I have the willpower to really get into them and dissect all the hidden themes . Which usually takes me a couple of watches. The American is a damn slow movie. Yet, in all it's slowness, in all the minimal things that happen, you really get to just bask in the glory of beautiful cinematography. Jaw droppingly beautiful cinematography. And then you get to bask in the glory of a mostly silent, completely charmless George Clooney. It's hard, but there it is. The story is quite interesting, as it unfolds slowly. The set pieces and the various beautiful women are great to look at. Yeah, this movie is all about the aesthetics. If aesthetics are enough, then there is a 75% chance you'll love this movie. The ending is absolutely haunting. However, I do admit to succumbing to boredom while watching this movie, and definitely wasn't wowed by it at all. It wasn't anything special, it was just an incredibly stylish and stunning piece of cinema. It's not a movie, it's cinema. Which will be a little too hard for the mainstream audiences to grasp, but that's just the way it rolls, Holmes.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Reviews Round Up: Skyline, Devil, Life As We Know It.

Skyline

There are many reasons why a few people who are more skilled in the visual effects area shouldn't make a whole movie themselves. Skyline is definitely one of them. The visual effects are great, I'll give it that, but the rest of the movie? Not so much. It's an alien invasion flick. Oops, I should have said *SPOILER ALERT*. This movie doesn't make any attempt to avoid all the clichés that you usually see in these types of movies. Instead, it takes everything you've ever seen before, gets some below average actors to act it out, and throws a whole lot of nice effects just to keep the audience mildly interested. The only thing is, the finale is so stupid it was as if the aliens had thought of it themselves. Which is a shame because, up until then, the movie wasn't 'so bad it's funny'. That ending made me laugh. I just wish I knew why the aliens were doing what they were doing, and I also wish we left the same stock characters we had to deal with the entire movie. They weren't exactly the heroes that could have made this movie a little bit better.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Devil

'From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan'. Judging by his latest works, that's not something that you ought to be throwing out there as the main marketing tool for a movie. The great thing about that one sentence is the fact that Shyamalan had little to do with the movie, apart from the fact that he wrote the story that goes with it. Devil didn't exactly make me change my opinions on Monsieur Shyamalan, but it did show that he can still write a good story, with a lot of suspense and tension. Like similarly themed 127 Hours and Buried, this film makes good use of it's claustrophobic premise, but it doesn't really take off like the others do. It's kinda scary, yes, though it did feel a bit like Paranormal Activity, and it did drag in some places. The ending feels a little too 'Hollywood', as it tries to get all sentimental and emotional, but it's a satifying ending to what is essentially a 'whodunnit' tale. There were a lot of flaws within this film, but I felt the payoff was worth it. I'm actually looking forward to what the rest of the series will bring.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Life As We Know It

As I said in last week's 'What's Happening Where I Am', I feel guilty (and somewhat ashamed) to say that I really enjoyed Life As We Know It. Okay, yeah, I admit it was quite predictable and pretty much the same as every other romantic comedy Katherine Heigl has ever been involved with. But I had a good time watching it, and I even cried a little bit as well. And with a baby that cute, how could I resist? Seriously, get over it, it's not that bad. I do admit I was in the mood for a romantic comedy (especially after watching the two other movies in this post). I wasn't in the mood to be challenged intellectually. Surprisingly, Katherine Heigl wasn't that annoying (like she was in Killers). And Josh Duhamel was...uh...Josh Duhamel. I actually think this is a movie that can be easily enjoyed by the most part of the female variety. But if you ain't going into this with an open mind, it will probably suck for you. Which is a shame, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Reviews Round Up: Black Death, The Switch, Cyrus, The Poker House (post #500!)

Can you believe it? I'm at post number 500 already. I believe 100 posts ago it was Christmas Day. Anyhoo, here are some quick paragraph long reviews on what I have seen in the past week:

Black Death

Yeah, while America has just got this in limited release at the theatres, we in NZ have had this on DVD since November. It was sitting in the preview drawer so I decided to give it a spin, and surprisingly, I liked it. The film is pretty much set in the times when the bubonic plague was just starting, and through word of mouth it is revealed that there is a village with a woman who has the power to bring people back to life. A group of men decide to search for this village, but when they come to it, there's something more sinister about the place. This movie was pretty gruesome (I mean, one guy in the film literally gets ripped in half), and it sure held a few surprises. It wasn't at all perfect, but it was surprisingly interesting in many places. It was also extremely religious and more gothic horror than I expected. Maybe I should stop doubting the quality of films in that preview drawer.

What I expected:

What I got:

The Switch

One of the most popular kind of movie out there at the moment is the good old Jennifer Aniston comedy. Just after that another popular movie type is one about artificial insemination. Jennifer Aniston+Artificial insemination=POPULARITY! Not even. I thought that having Jason Bateman in this movie would make this LOL-worthy but lordy, I don't think I even laughed. This movie was so bland and too over dramatic. I still think Jason Bateman has credibility, though. As for the Aniston...well, this movie was better than such outings as The Bounty Hunter and Love Happens. Just one more thing: what were Patrick Wilson and Juliette Lewis doing in such a film? This movie had such a killer cast, and I must admit, Lewis was pretty funny (just not laughable funny) and definitely made a stand out. The end really pissed me off. Like, I could have pretty much guessed that from the very beginning.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Cyrus

I kinda didn't feel Cyrus. I quite liked the movie, but it felt really slight. Like it felt as if I was going to forget it straight after the credits rolled. I don't like that feeling. However, I do remember it for the slightly strange relationship between mother and son Jonah Hill and Marisa Tomei. Jeez, that was beautifully played out by those two actors. John C. Reilly was brilliant and as confused as I was about these two, and I genuinely liked the way the characters interacted with each other. But several times during the movie I felt like switching it off and going to sleep (funny thing was, I finished watching this at 10.30pm-ish, and didn't end up getting to sleep until 12.30am). That's not saying it was a bad movie. It was just that the movie wasn't as witty or as electric as I had hoped it would be. The performances really got me through.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

The Poker House

Heard of The Poker House? I'm impressed. Haven't? Well, it stars Jennifer Lawrence, who recently got Oscar nominated for her performance in Winter's Bone, Selma Blair as her junkie mother and Chloe Moretz, who, of course, was Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass and is a part of the young taking over Hollywood. Basically, this was a precursor to Moretz and Lawrence's rise to stardom in 2010. Lawrence, particularly, was amazing. Here she plays a 14 year old who is living in a world of sex, drugs and near poverty, feeling like she ain't good enough for anything. Her performance is so heart breaking that it literally lifts the movie from the same old same old mould it has come from. It is based on the life experiences of actress Lori Petty, who wrote and directed the film quite well. I was surprised by this movie, as I thought it would just be an average thriller that came straight out of the preview drawer. Again, I should expect more from these movies. This one was brilliant.

What I hoped for:

What I got: