Things I love about Kick-Ass...

Damon: Have you thought a little more about what you might like for your birthday?
Mindy: Can I get a puppy?
Damon: You want a dog?
Mindy: Yeah, a cuddly fluffy one! And a Bratz movie star makeover Sasha.
Damon: *amazed, confused look*
Mindy: I'm just fucking with you Daddy. Look, I'd love a Benchmade model 42 butterfly knife.
Damon: Oh child...you always knock me for a loop!
^if this scene doesn't make you fall in love with the movie, then I'm not sure what does.

I know quite a bit about Kick-Ass. Why? Because I have watched four times in the past week (well, I practically watched in once a day for four days). Trust me, even though most of the people I know hate this movie (no idea why), I find it insanely addictive. Must be time to roll out one of the Cinematic Paradox favourites: 'Things I love about...' (it's become a regular feature, in case you hadn't realized).


Realistic superheroes...so to speak.


Okay, so maybe Hit-Girl isn't exactly 'realistic'. I mean, the girl is about eleven years old, and can kick serious ass. I know she didn't go to school or anything, but if I ever met a girl who could do half of what she does in this movie, then I would be...shocked. Utterly shocked. On the subject of Hit-Girl, I still don't get why people get so angry about the fact that Chloe Grace Moretz spends most of this movie using *oh my goodness* profane language. Swear words are just another part of the English language, love them or hate them, and it's not like any little kids would be watching this movie. If they were, I would seriously have to question the mental state of their parents. And anyway, Hit-Girl mutilated at least ten people in this movie...isn't that worse than swearing??


Dave Lizewski, played by my latest guy crush Aaron Johnson, is a very believable super hero. He starts all the madness, only with a pre-concieved idea from his childhood and a dream that he may be able to fight crime. Sure, he has the advantage of being made out metal and having 'fucked up nerve endings', but he can't really 'kick ass' like all the other superheroes. Aaron Johnson does a great job of playing a loveable nerd, not unlike Jesse Eisenberg, and clearly needs some more roles. The guy is a hero.


As for the other two, Big Daddy and Red Mist, well, the former is definitely trained but not the sort of hero one would expect, and the latter isn't a hero at all. I think I may have liked Nic Cage in this movie, but the way he spoke when he was being Big Daddy sure did piss me off. Christopher Mintz-Plasse was equally great as the kind of misunderstood child. Look at it this way: Chris D'Amico is like Harvey Dent. Harvey lost Rachel, he went nutso. Chris lost his dad, and he looked well on the way to becoming a nut job. "You either die a hero, or live long enough too see yourself become a villain" definitely applies to Chris D'Amico.



Mark Strong


Mark Strong gets his own little section because I really respect this guy. He is in what seems like every single movie that comes out, yet still hasn't gained the accolades he deserves. His performance as the evil guy Frank D'Amico is a far cry from his previous days in films like Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. He just oozes with this tough guy exterior and totally has fun with the archetypal villain character. Who didn't wanna kill him? And the line he has: "Mummy, I wanna Kick-Ass party. Dumb little fucks." stays in my mind for some reason. Maybe because I wouldn't mind a Kick-Ass party.

Superhero spoof movie...is it?


I'm not talking those stupid spoof movies like Vampires Suck and that kind of crap. This movie very quietly takes the piss out of other superhero movies, or it has taken something from one and used it. Like, I'm pretty sure in one scene, you can here a piece of music that was used in The Dark Knight. The movie is all about being a superhero without superpowers or money, just a bit of naivety, and therefore it takes the superhero genre and turns it on it's side. Which I thought was pretty clever. And I got it all because I am a self confessed superhero movie geek...which I'm told is strange for a 15 year old girl.

The soundtrack...
...is totally rocking my world at the moment. So I'll just share some tunes from the movie which I really like.

This track, incidentally, was also on the soundtrack of 28 Days Later...which I am yet to review. There's another track in the movie, which is also composed by John Murphy, which was used in Sunshine, another movie directed by Danny Boyle.

Lastly, Matthew Vaughn's direction
He started with Layer Cake, which was a pretty standard British gangster flick which wasn't too memorable. Then he directed some schmaltzy fantasy flick Stardust, which wasn't really that great. I can hardly believe that Kick-Ass is by the same person. He's really studied what other action directors have done, and has added his own thing into there. I mean, watching this, I could definitely see similarities in his work to works of Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan. He knows how to set up an action sequence, slow mo in all the right places, capture emotions and keeps a good comic book feel to it. Matthew Vaughn is clearly at home making action and comic book movies. Let's see more of these as opposed to fantasy slice-and-dice (ahem, Stardust).

^ Beautifully set up scene, probably made all the better because of the music.

Five things I love about Kick-Ass. I am going to try not to watch it again for a week...which I can tell will be pretty hard. Can't wait for Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall in 2012!

Rewatch--Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

or: The movie with the worst title ever.

One word to sum it up: Ahhhhhhhh (not a word, in fact, that only really sums up Aaron Johnson)

Here in New Zealand, the 'Georgia Nicholson' book series by Louise Rennison are pretty much more popular than the Twilight saga. And fair enough too, at least these books are intentionally funny. It was always going to be a hard task adapting two of the books (or, as I like to see them as, a teenage girls bible) into a movie. Welcome to one of the most truthful and the easiest to relate to teen movie a teenage girl could ever see.

Georgia Nicholson (Georgia Groome) is just an average teenager living in a small town in England. She has her best friends there for her whenever she needs them, just as any average teenager would. Her Dad is moving to New Zealand, so she has her mum there too. Georgia's life turns around when she meets Robbie (Aaron Johnson), a 'Sex-God' who has moved from London, and Georgia instantly falls in love with him. She has to try everything to get him to like her, even if that means that she loses some things close to her in the process.

Even though this movie might seem a little weird to those who aren't 'in the know' with the source material, it's actually genuinely funny, just like Mean Girls was. Georgia Nicholson is the perfect teenage herione, who the younger audience can both relate to but find hopelessly funny at the same time. It's so great that they found Georgia Groome to play her, as she makes a convincing performance and really brings life to the character. Though it isn't the bible just like the books, it's still a worthy movie that has no trouble in keeping your attention for 100 minutes.

The movie is filled with a particularly unknown British cast, but luckily doesn't come across quite as annoying as the cast of St. Trinians. Georgia Groome lead the pack, and it really just felt like a polished documentary on a teenagers life. I can't go through a review without mentioning the gorgeousness of Aaron Johnson. I see why he was a Sex-God. Even if he was a little wooden in some places, how could you not fall in love with this guy? Hmmmmmmmmm?



THE VERDICT: Really good for the teen crowd, as for once the film doesn't alienate us teenage girls. Georgia Nicholson is my new hero, and a hero for all us misunderstood young people.

7/10

The Dark Knight was on TV last night...

...and even though I own it on DVD, and just watched it again like a couple off weeks ago, I still wanted to watch it. There's something so cool about watching a movie you love on TV...I mean, I literally watch any movie I love when it's on TV. Sure, the ad breaks get a little annoying, but I got over that. I was kinda surprised at how quick they got The Dark Knight on free-to-air, but it was cool because they had Batman Begins on last week. And, as I am probably the countries biggest Chris Nolan fan, of course, I had to watch his movies when they're on TV. Yeah...I know I have no life. But, I seriously looked forward to this all week.

This is a cool picture, it's like the picture of genius-ness...

There isn't really any point to this ramble. Okay, well, there's a couple of things I should say:
-I love The Dark Knight.
-It's my favouritest movie of all-time.

Now you know that, I'm sure you can get on with your day.

Oh, and by the way, A MOVIE A DAY is back for this week. Les Miserables is over (*sob sob*), and I have now the time to watch a full movie every night as opposed to one episode of True Blood. A MOVIE A DAY was originally set to finish on 30th September, which happens to be next Thursday. We must add on a week for which I missed due to Les Mis. But hey, I'm in a good mood, and I'm going to extend A MOVIE A DAY until the end of October. But there's a catch: I'm going away on holiday next week, so I'm not sure if I'll have enough time/movies to watch to do a movie a day for a week. So I'll still be watching a movie a day this week, but not next week. I'm taking a break from everything.

Sorry to break your heart, but you know...this hasn't been the easiest of terms at school, and I'll probably be hitting the shops for most of the week.

So, there you have it. A short story on my life at the moment. How's yours?

Rewatch--Whip It

Or: Juno with roller-skates.

One word to sum it up: Fun

As I have probably said before, in my eyes, Ellen Page will always be Juno. She can perform as another character unbelievably well, but in the back of my mind I have the vision of her in that white and orange striped tee shirt with a prominent baby bump sticking out. This happened to me a lot during Whip It, even though she did an amazingly underrated performance as Bliss Cavendar/Babe Ruthless.

Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) dreams of escaping her tiny Texas truck-stop town. Unfortunately, her devoted, beauty pageant obsessed mother (Marcia Gay Harden) is convinced Bliss can only succeed in life if she wins the crown at the local Miss Blue Bonnet Pageant. In the big city of Austin she discovers a world unlike anything she could ever imagine; roller derby, with its girl-power-meets-punk-rock spirit and its liberating celebration of wild individuality. Inspired by the likes of Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig) and feisty Smashley Simpson (Drew Barrymore), Bliss tries out for a spot on the Hurl Scouts, a rag-tag team of scrappy underdogs. Soon she's trading in gowns and crowns for skits, skates and scrapes becoming her alter ego, Babe Ruthless. Leading a precarious double life as a waitress by day and the fastest thing on eight wheels by night, Bliss is doing things she never dreamed of--including fearlessly facing off with bad-ass rivals like Iron Maven (Juliette Lewis) and falling for a boy in a band (Landon Pigg).

Whip It is amazingly cool. I hadn't even heard of roller derby before this movie, and now I am quite keen to try it out. Even though I'm probably too weak and un-coed to even go 30 centimetres in roller skates. While it is predominantly a film about roller derby, it is also a strikingly real teenage film. It's not let down by stereotypes, and it focuses on the relationships that teenagers have with their friends, boyfriends and parents. Bliss is believable, mainly because her life is run by her mother and she is doing things she really isn't happy doing. But once she finds the thing she wants to do, and the thing that she is good at, she is prepared to do anything to keep going. Like lying about her age and later leading a double life (luckily not the Hannah Montana kind).

Drew Barrymore makes a great directorial debut, and she should definitely take time out to direct another film similar to this. She managed to bring together a great cast of mostly women and doesn't let anything get out of hand. The soundtrack she acquired was indie cool, which may cause people to draw comparisons to that of Juno. If anything stands out in this film, it has to be the ensemble of colourful characters, who are really bad-ass, just like their names suggest (ah, Maggie Mayhem, Bloody Holly, Eva Destruction, anyone?). Then comes the sweet and tender look at love, shown through the relationship between Bliss and Oliver. I really and truly hope that if there was a future for this film, those two would get married and have mini roller-derby band kids.

THE VERDICT: Whip It is a strong directorial debut for Barrymore, but more than anything just a fun showcase for roller derby and a real teenage flick. There's something for everyone to relate to in this movie.

8/10

Adventureland

I watched Adventureland waaaaaay back before this blog even existed. You may have noticed though, back in January I reviewed the movie on here. Long story behind that one, but I decided to buy the movie and watch it again. What's surprising is that it's a bit better than I remembered it to be.

James (Jesse Eisenberg) dreams of travelling to Europe for a while, and is hoping that his parents will help him pay for that. However, his parents are having a few financial troubles, and James is forced to go work at 'Adventureland', where he is in charge of a games stall which doesn't give out it's prizes to easily. It's not all bad working minimum wage for doing nothing though, as James meets a whole raft of interesting people, including Em (Kristen Stewart), a girl who just wants to live her life without anyone interfering.

Kristen Stewart really annoys me. I really wish the girl had more talent, and you can see that she is trying her best, but she relies on blinking and pulling her hair back too often. With time, and definitely a lot more films like this, she could become the next best Oscar winner. I haven't seen The Runaways, but let's just say, her recent films, with the exception of this, haven't done wonders for the talent she has locked away in herself somewhere.

The film serves as nostalgia for the olds, even though it is predominantly a teen film. A teen romance with real heart, to be exact. Jesse Eisenberg is perfect as James, who is over-educated and awkward. Yes, that sounds a lot like another Michael Cera, but I'm sure with Eisenberg's upcoming role in The Social Network, we'll see a real star on the rise. The cast is filled with some talented and genuinely funny stars, including welcome appearances from Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, who serve as most of the films humour.

The 1980's never looked so good, and neither did a crappy summer job. Good luck watching this film and not wanting to go and get some cheap thrills from some less-than-exhilirating fun-park ride. It's just a shame that this never got a huge release here and turned up out of the blue on DVD last year. It's a little gem of a movie that will have you laughing but will ultimately break your heart.

Bring out the high wasted pants and the some 80's songs after you watch Adventureland. Makes the 80's look cooler than anything else.

8/10

Another Inception screening...*spoilers*

...yes, I went to go see it a third time in the cinemas (record), but this time it was for my birthday. I mean, did I really want to take all my friends to go see Salt? No. Of course, there weren't many differences to the other two times I saw it, apart from the fact that a) the cinema was almost full (the screening afterwards was full, and this movie has been out for just over a month, unbelievable), and b) the reaction at the end was worth the price of the ticket itself (it would have been enough to shatter a few windows). So I have decided to go through my favourite part of the movie--the cast--bit by bit. Because, this is the cast of the century. It's like the He's Just Not That Into You of sci-fi/actions. Though, you could class He's Just Not That Into You as a sci-fi/action, because most of the film is fiction developed from bad relationship science, and Bradley Cooper gets a bit of action with Scarlett Johansson...see?

Leonardo DiCaprio: Dom Cobb (The Extractor)

What else have I seen him in?? What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Basketball Diaries, Romeo + Juliet, Titanic, The Beach, Catch Me If You Can, The Aviator, The Departed, Blood Diamond, Revolutionary Road, Shutter Island and Inception.
As you should know, Leonardo DiCaprio is my favourite actor. This is probably my favourite film of his, but not my favourite performance (that would be The Aviator). However, I do think this is Leo at his best, because most of the films emotional connection comes from him. For once there is an 'action hero' who we sympathize with and hope for the best for. Cobb is a really damaged character, mainly because of this whole business with Mal, but still soldiers on in a job that isn't particularly great for him (stealing ideas through sleep? There would be some nasty stuff with that). He misses his children dearly, which is why at the end I always find myself in tears, the same when he is looking back on his life in limbo with Mal. Leo always does this to me, and I often find myself crying in 95% of his movies (especially Revolutionary Road, I didn't even like April but just seeing Leo's face made me burst into tears). Had a different actor got the role of Cobb, I'm not sure that this film would have been so affecting, and he would have passed as just another guy in an action movie.

Ken Watanabe: Saito (The Tourist)

What have I seen him in?? Batman Begins and Inception...shocking, I know.

Saito, I have to say, is probably my least favourite character because he is one shady dude. Sure, he's like dead for most of it and I should have really been hoping that he would make it through this ordeal, but I'm not sure he 'honoured the arrangement'. My theory is that Saito planted the idea in Cobb's mind that he would get to go back and see his children and the charges against him would be dropped if he incepted Fischer, but really, he would do this and then plunge straight back into limbo with his kids projections. Of course, the only one who rightfully knows the ending is Christopher Nolan, and I'm not one of those people who have to find out the ending or throw theories around. I'm just happy that it ended the way it did so I could remember it. But if I go by that theory with Saito incepting Cobb, then that makes Saito a horrid person. I don't care if he got shot in the first dream and then plunged into limbo as an old man.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Arthur (The Point Man)

What have I seen him in?? 10 Things I Hate About You, various episodes of 3rd Rock From the Sun, Brick, (500) Days of Summer and Inception (is that really it?)

Arthur is actually one of my favourite characters in this movie, mainly because he is just a bad-ass. I mean, did you see that hotel fight scene?? He worked that spinning hallway like the new and updated version of Neo from The Matrix. He is also part of the dynamic duo...him and Eames. On Facebook there is a page titled 'Arthur and Eames from Inception seriously need their own movie'--please like it, coz I totally think they should. Arthur is such a fun-sponge, but is also really fun. He looks so awesome driving a taxi and shooting at people. He really wants to get in with Ariadne. Okay, so basically, Arthur is awesome, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers a stand-out performance in the film. You see, this guy will be getting Oscars and he will be the next...Heath Ledger?

Marion Cotillard: Mal Cobb (The Shade)

What have I seen her in?? La Vie En Rose, Public Enemies and Inception.

I love Marion Cotillard, but I really, really, didn't like Mal. I mean, how could you possibly like her? She kept invading Cobb's dreams and killing off everyone just so she could get her husband to come back to limbo with her. The thing is, she is dead, and I doubt that Cobb would want to live the rest of his life with a projection. Then again, even though she does spend most of the movie shooting people to get them out of the dream (I actually started hating her when she shot Arthur in the foot), I still feel kinda sorry for her. She highlights the point that this movie makes: where is the line between reality and dreams? She killed herself because reality was getting to be too much for her. But she thought it was all a dream. Big mistake. I bet that there are hundreds of people who think just like her. Anyway, back to the hating. She makes Cobb's life hell, yet he keeps returning to memories with her in his dreams. Together, they are a pretty damaged couple...Cobb loves his dead wife's projection, Mal is dead and she wants her husband back in limbo. Good love story, that one.

Ellen Page: Ariadne (The Architect)

What have I seen her in?? Juno, Smart People, Whip It and Inception.

Despite Ellen Page's best efforts, I will never be able to see her as anyone different than Juno. That role made her. However, unlike Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana, Ellen has enough talent to carry off any role, as she does in this film, where she is all grown up and rearing to go. I can see why Arthur took a liking to Ariadne, because she looks very sweet an innocent, but like, say Rachel Dawes, she can put up a fight for herself. Ariadne is also the major lead between the audience and Cobb's story. Ariadne is the only one in the crew who knows what is really eating Cobb, and about all these 'experiments' he does when no-one else is around. This makes Ariadne someone more special than the creator of the dream world. Oh, and I must commend her for making all of those amazing dreams...I imagine aspiring architects would be super jealous of what she gets to do.

Tom Hardy: Eames (The Forger)

What have I seen him in?? Inception...yet he is still one of my favourite actors.

Eames is the funniest character out of all of them, mainly because he likes to take the piss out of Arthur and also make himself look like an over-tanned old man and some tall blonde chick who hits on both Cillian Murphy and Ken Watanabe in one night. What a lucky, lucky guy. I absolutely adore Tom Hardy in this, because he is the cool guy. He can be serious but you can't really take him that seriously. He isn't afraid to dream a little bigger darling. Tom Hardy will be the next big actor in Hollywood, as I'm sure this and his acclaimed turn in Bronson have confirmed him to be a star of the rise and one you should definitely be watching in the future. And Eames gets all the best lines in this movie...

Cillian Murphy: Robert Fischer Jr. (The Mark)

What have I seen him in?? Cold Mountain, Batman Begins, Breakfast on Pluto, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Sunshine, The Edge of Love, The Dark Knight and Inception. In the near future I will be watching Red Eye, Watching the Detectives and Girl with a Pearl Earring.

I am currently obsessed with Cillian Murphy. I don't know why, but everything about this guy is amazing. He is so under-rated and should really be getting an Oscar sometime soon, because he is such a diverse actor. Going from film to film it is hard to believe that it is the same person on the screen (especially watching Breakfast on Pluto and then Sunshine). However, in Inception, he starts off as an arrogant prick. He's a pampered rich boy who is exactly like his father, which is probably why they don't see eye to eye. I just really wanted to know why Fischer was hated by his father so much, was he a druggie or something?? Towards the end Fischer is the emotional character...the one we sympathize with. He's stuck in this dream where all these terrible things are happening, and BAM, his father is 'disappoint'. When he started crying, I started dying a little inside. In fact, everytime he came on screen, I started dying, because of those beautiful blue eyes and superbly crafted cheekbones...this guy is God.

Of course, I must also credit Tom Berenger, Michael Caine and Dileep Rao, who are all valuable assets in this multi-layered film of films. You guys are all probably aware of how much I love this movie. I promise that this will be the last time I watch Inception...until it comes out on DVD later this year...

Things I love about Mean Girls...

Mean Girls has to be one of the funniest high school movies ever made, and has completely defined my generation. Sure, it could have just been another teen comedy, but being written by Tina Fey, it's not. It is smart and captures what high school is all about: bitches, bitches, and more bitches. Hey, my high school doesn't really have a group as harsh as the Plastics, but there are people like them in every school.

Instead of going all out on a review, coz you have probably seen it (if you haven't, GO GET IT OUT NOW! You better be gone now...come back later!), I will unleash another 'Things I love review' (maybe a recurring feature on this blog??). I know that most of the following five things are mainly cast related, but that's because the cast is so amazing and they are the biggest contributors to the greatness of the movie. So anyway, enjoy=)

Wow, Lindsay Lohan used to be an actress?
Hard to believe. I'm really thinking that the Lindsay Lohan in this is completely different to the Lindsay Lohan that we see nowadays. It's a real shame because she used to be an alright actress, and the jobs she does manage to scruff up (i.e. Labour Pains) aren't very well received, and basically, no-one even knows they exist. I guess people kinda went off her after I Know Who Killed Me. However in Mean Girls, she makes the role of Cady someone to sympathize with...she is really just a jungle freak who somehow manages to make herself popular. Without the Plastics she probably would have been the same jungle freak.

Rachel McAdams as the mean girl.

She was 27 years old at the time of filming yet still managed to play the part of a teenager so believably, and I'm sure she is a lovely person, but I don't think I have ever hated a character as much as I hated Regina George. Okay, maybe it wasn't hate, because I loved watching her. But Rachel McAdams was definitely the stand out in this movie, by far. Like Regina George, whenever someone was near her, they shrivelled up and were soon forgotten. It's hard to believe that this is the same girl who was in The Notebook in the same year. What a fine, under-rated actress she is. She should so play another super-bitch.

Let's not forget the other mean girls.

I don't think Lacey Chabert has ever had another film like Mean Girls, as I have only seen her floating around the dark corners of straight-to-DVD-land. But she is perfect in this film as Gretchen Weiners, a girl who has everything from her rich daddy but will do anything to make sure she stays in the Plastics and doesn't look like a loner. I know a few people who are like her...they don't like who they are hanging out with but they feel they have to so they can get higher social status. Pretty sad, but that's the way 'girl-world' works. Then there is Amanda Seyfried, who plays dumb girl Karen. I think Karen is perhaps the most entertaining character out of the lot, and believe it or not, I actually know some people as stupid as her. This is definitely Seyfried's finest hour, as the romantic drivel she has been starring in lately (ah, Mamma Mia!, Dear John and Letters to Juliet) have only proved her sweetness but not her talent.

Tina Fey wrote a funny script and then she played a funny character.

Ms. Norbury is a teacher I would like to have. She's just so unsure of herself but can be really funny at the same time. She is like the other characters in this film, and I think what Tina Fey has done with this film is taken real life and made it funny. Everyone is unsure of themselves, and they have to find ways to get over that. And they get over it in different ways, but the outcome is always funny.

I watch it all the time and have never, ever, get bored with it.
Just everything about it is so funny and so easy to relate to. Trust me, I could watch this 1000 times and never be bored. I think you get the point.

I absolutely love Mean Girls. I don't think that it is wrong to say that this is one of the best films of the last decade. They really shouldn't have made a sequel.

The Devil Wears Prada

I got a copy of The Devil Wears Prada for my birthday in 2007, and for months, I couldn't stop watching it. The novelty kinda wore off after a while for some reason, and instead of watching it several times a month I probably watch it maybe once or twice a year. Still, each time I watch it, I enjoy it lots. Mainly because of my undying love for Anne Hathaway.
In New York, there is a fashion magazine named Runway, which is where a million girls dream to work. Andy (Anne Hathaway) is an aspiring unfashionable journalist who gets the job of a lifetime: being the second assistant to the Editor-in-Chief Miranda Priestley (Meryl Streep). She is introduced to a world of fashion and models, never being late for anything and moving mountains for her evil boss. All the while trying to keep her personal life intact.
While this isn't ever gonna go down as the best movie ever made, this is a fabulous scathing portrait of the fashion world. Instead of going into absolute detail into why this works so much like that, I'll just give you some of the quotes that most represent it:

Miranda: 'This... stuff'? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff.

Miranda: Do you know why I hired you? I always hire the same girl- stylish, slender, of course... worships the magazine. But so often, they turn out to be- I don't know- disappointing and, um... stupid. So you, with that impressive résumé and the big speech about your so-called work ethic- I, um- I thought you would be different. I said to myself, go ahead. Take a chance. Hire the smart, fat girl. I had hope. My God. I live on it. Anyway, you ended up disappointing me more than, um- more than any of the other silly girls.

Andy: I don't think I'm like that. I couldn't do what you did to Nigel, Miranda. I couldn't do something like that.
Miranda: You already did. To Emily.
Andy: That's not what I... no, that was different. I didn't have a choice.
Miranda: No, no, you chose. You chose to get ahead. You want this life. Those choices are necessary.
Andy: But what if this isn't what I want? I mean what if I don't wanna live the way you live?
Miranda: Oh, don't be ridiculous. Andrea. Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us.

Emily: One time an assistant left the desk, because she, I don't know, sliced her hand open with a letter opener. Miranda missed Lagerfeld just before he boarded a seventeen hour flight to Australia. She now works at TV Guide.
Andy: Man the desk at all times. Got it.

Nigel: Andy, be serious. You are not trying. You are whining. What is it that you want me to say to you, huh? Do you want me to say, "Poor you. Miranda's picking on you. Poor you. Poor Andy"? Hmm? Wake up, six. She's just doing her job. Don't you know that you are working at the place that published some of the greatest artists of the century? Halston, Lagerfeld, de la Renta. And what they did, what they created was greater than art because you live your life in it. Well, not you, obviously, but some people. You think this is just a magazine, hmm? This is not just a magazine. This is a shining beacon of hope for... oh, I don't know... let's say a young boy growing up in Rhode Island with six brothers pretending to go to soccer practice when he was really going to sewing class and reading Runway under the covers at night with a flashlight. You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls. And what's worse, you don't care. Because this place, where so many people would die to work you only deign to work. And you want to know why she doesn't kiss you on the forehead and give you a gold star on your homework at the end of the day. Wake up, sweetheart.

Got the message? This movie is so wonderfully scripted and makes us believe in this superficial world. Oh, and the film itself has some amazing performances, especially from Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. With outfits that literally make me die everytime I watch it.

10/10

Waitress

Ever since I first saw Waitress back in early 2008, I have loved it more than words can say. I don't know why I haven't watched this movie in nearly two years, but seeing it again just reminded me of the genius of Adrienne Shelly. And how much this town needs a pie shop and a pie maker like Jenna.

Jenna Hunterson (Keri Russell) is a woman who just wants to make pies and get away from her evil and aggressive husband Earl (Jeremy Sisto). But her plan is put in jeopardy when she discovers she is pregnant. She really doesn't want the baby, and goes through the pregnancy, still hoping to leave her husband and win a pie contest. Things change again when she meets a new doctor, Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion), who she starts an affair with.

This probably could have been just another pregnancy romantic comedy, but it wasn't. What was different about this movie is that it has heart. Most women could probably relate to it on so many different levels. Keri Russell is adorable as Jenna, showing some real depth into her unhappy character. However, I'm probably not the only one who absolutely hated Earl. Jeremy Sisto packs so much aggresiveness into the role that he is impossible to like in any way shape or form.

Adrienne Shelly created a masterpiece of true Independent comedy spirit with Waitress. Sure, it may not have been a huge money spinner or got a big release, but the film is too human to even have a place among huge blockbuster comedies and the like. What is a shame though is that this film and Juno were both released by 20th Century Fox, but Juno got pushed into the spotlight because of Ellen Page's performance. Waitress deserved to be nominated for a few Oscars, especially Best Actress for Keri Russell. If they also had a yummiest film category, this film would definitely win.

Waitress is an amazing and delightful comedy by Adrienne Shelly, who showed pure writing and directorial talent with this film.

10/10

Iron Man (how I love watching movies I have already seen when they are on TV!)

Like, back in 2008, when Iron Man came out, I really had no interest in seeing it. I thought that The Dark Knight was going to be pretty iffy just because it is based on some superheroes journey. But then I started this really random obsession with Robert Downey Jr. (you gotta admit, he is kinda hot...and super talented), so I really had to watch Iron Man. This movie, while not as good as the Batman movies, is one of the most enjoyable superhero action films ever.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a billionaire head of a weapons manafacturer who was captured in enemy terroitory, with what seems as no way of getting out. But thanks to his genius ideas, he builds a suit of armour to escape-and succeeds. Stark realises that he is on to something, and he modifies that suit to make himself 'Iron Man', becoming a reluctant hero along the way.
The heart of this movie really is Robert Downey Jr., who is fantastic as Tony Stark, using complete arrogance to make the character particularly unlikeable...but we all just end up liking him in the end. This doesn't come across as the average action film. Sure, it has a lot of bombs and sweat, but the way it is done is entertaining while being somewhat intelligent. This film has a great ensemble cast too. Gwyneth Paltrow is pretty sweet as the kind hearted secretary Pepper Potts. Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges also provide great support also.

If you are looking for a hard out action film, with plenty of attitude, the go no further than Iron Man. And don't leave it to the last minute, like I did earlier this year. Seriously, if you haven't seen it and you are reading this, GO GET IT OUT! Trust me, you won't be disappointed. I am so excited to see the sequel in a couple of months (cheapo...waiting for the DVD to come out).
10/10

This is what happens when you take The Notebook too literally.

Couldn't figure out what to watch last night, so decided since it was the only thing on TV, I would watch The Notebook. It wasn't completely my idea. My friend said if I watched it he would too. So we talked on MSN during the course of the movie. Here are some snippets of our conversation:
(Editors note: we are taking this movie way too 'literally' in the sense that everything said in this movie, we take the piss out of.)
*whilst watching the first scene in that house where Ally and Noah were going to...you know*
9:04:11 p.m. Stevee wow, pro piano player
9:04:41 p.m. Kieran aee!
9:04:46 p.m. Kieran icky!
9:04:55 p.m. Stevee PRO PIANO PLAYER RIGHT THERE!
9:05:25 p.m. Kieran dad told my sister too shut her eyes
9:05:30 p.m. Stevee lol
9:05:52 p.m. Stevee I'm just going to keep my eyes on the laptop for the time being
9:06:06 p.m. Stevee oooh she takes her earrings out just in case things get rough
9:06:32 p.m. Kieran lol good precaution i guess
We are mature, but looking at things immaturely is way more fun.

9:14:45 p.m. Stevee Two minutes ago--"I love him"
9:14:53 p.m. Kieran lol
9:15:01 p.m. Stevee Now--"I hate him"
9:15:08 p.m. Kieran lol
9:15:19 p.m. Kieran make your bloody mind up
9:15:41 p.m. Stevee they aren't really breaking up, are they??
9:15:57 p.m. Kieran for now they are
9:16:23 p.m. Stevee haha, its just another one of those fights their having


9:23:36 p.m. Stevee ITS JAMES MARSDEN!!
9:23:47 p.m. Stevee I LOVE HIM!!
9:24:00 p.m. Kieran haha hes taken
9:24:11 p.m. Kieran and a bit dead
9:24:26 p.m. Kieran hang on which one is he
9:24:29 p.m. Stevee he looks amazingly beasty in that cast
9:24:34 p.m. Kieran lol
9:24:35 p.m. Stevee that guy
9:24:42 p.m. Kieran oh him
9:24:48 p.m. Kieran Lon Hammond

*when Lon proposes to Ally, and then we see Noah coming back from war*
9:27:29 p.m. Stevee everyone is the happiest man in the world
9:27:36 p.m. Stevee every man I mean
9:27:48 p.m. Stevee wow, poor Noah
9:27:55 p.m. Kieran i know
9:28:25 p.m. Stevee since when do you get sunnies in the war??
9:28:33 p.m. Kieran i know

9:34:38 p.m. Stevee why do people go hairy when they reach insanity??
9:35:10 p.m. Kieran lol its weird ae?
9:35:46 p.m. Stevee I can understand Howard Hughes in The Aviator
9:35:52 p.m. Stevee but not this guy
9:36:02 p.m. Kieran hes just lonely
9:36:14 p.m. Stevee which means he should have more time to shave
9:37:10 p.m. Kieran haha exactly

*leading up to that rain scene*
9:56:28 p.m. Stevee "you look different"
9:56:41 p.m. Stevee uh yeah, he has a lot more facial hair
9:57:05 p.m. Kieran lol
9:57:29 p.m. Stevee throw in the towel and start laughing
9:57:46 p.m. Stevee why does it always rain that heavily in the movies...but never in real life?

10:12:26 p.m. Stevee this movie is quite stuffed up
10:14:33 p.m. Kieran it is
10:14:52 p.m. Kieran its i love you then i hate you then i love you
10:14:55 p.m. Kieran omg!
10:16:04 p.m. Stevee im not afraid to hurt your feelings
10:16:16 p.m. Stevee what kind of a stuffed up message is that?

10:19:51 p.m. Stevee I like my profile picture for msn
10:20:18 p.m. Kieran haha i saw that before lol
10:22:19 p.m. Stevee i want that picture on my birthday cake
10:22:39 p.m. Kieran hahaha is that possible
10:25:31 p.m. Stevee yeah, of course it is
(was that off topic? It's hard to talk about The Notebook for two whole hours)

10:30:36 p.m. Kieran ;(
10:31:10 p.m. Stevee this, I will admit, is really sad
10:31:41 p.m. Kieran it is but the ending is nice
10:32:16 p.m. Stevee he goes and sees her
10:33:09 p.m. Kieran yes he does
10:33:47 p.m. Stevee nawww
10:34:12 p.m. Kieran she remembers
10:35:08 p.m. Stevee all too late
10:35:21 p.m. Kieran yeah sad that isnt it
10:36:16 p.m. Stevee :'(
10:36:36 p.m. Kieran please don't cry
10:36:45 p.m. Stevee im not
10:36:52 p.m. Kieran good
10:37:06 p.m. Stevee even though the rest of the movie is pretty bad, I still find the end sad
10:37:11 p.m. Stevee hey that rhymed
10:37:22 p.m. Kieran lol it did
10:37:31 p.m. Kieran and yes it is sad
10:37:40 p.m. Kieran and we both survived it yay

There you have it...a conversation about The Notebook. I have seen it before, and I lauded it with 8/10. However, on a second watch, it is way too romantic even for my standards. But the end gets me every time. I don't absolutely hate it though...it just isn't one of my favourites. And I really don't like Nicholas Sparks, so I guess that doesn't help.

Batman Begins

The first time I watched Batman Begins I don’t think I appreciated it enough. Sure it wasn’t my favourite Christopher Nolan movie and still isn’t. But like every Nolan movie, the second view is always better than the first.
Batman Begins isn’t a flawless film. It’s somewhat let down by a weak lead performance from Katie Holmes (but that may just be because I am comparing her to Maggie Gyllenhaal, who I saw as Rachel Dawes first). It’s on a completely different wave length to The Dark Knight, because it isn’t as dark or as much of a noir.
But let’s look at this film on its own (which is pretty hard in this day and age because it is so hard not to compare it to its better younger brother). With the title Batman Begins you would be expecting a corny superhero movie all about how Batman got to be Batman. That’s only half of it. This is by no means corny and doesn’t surrender to the superhero genre. It is all very realistic. Christian Bale fills the role of Bruce Wayne using some great levels...first the young Wayne angry over his parent’s death, then the Wayne who is trying to find away to fight evil, and then the Wayne who becomes Batman. Had the role been giving to a lesser actor, let’s say...George Clooney, then maybe the role wouldn’t have been so macho, or god forbid, even believable.
The film starts a new lease of life for the Batman franchise. This is Christopher Nolan’s Batman, which isn’t at all like Tim Burton’s or any of the other previous attempts at bringing the comics to life. Just imagine if Zack Snyder had made it. Yes, he’s really good at making ‘comic book movies’. But Christopher Nolan is really good at ‘taking a comic book’s idea and making it into an actual film’.
Bruce Wayne's story is a pretty interesting one. I mean, considering the guy has a phobia of bats yet he runs around dressed up as one. But it's not just the central character who is the most interesting. Take a look as Johnathan Crane, perhaps better known as Scarecrow. Okay, so he isn't a fantastically scary as the villain like the Joker was. However, I'd be pretty scared if I was stuck in a room alone with Johnathan Crane. Because he could stick a bag over his head and all hell could break loose. Literally. Ah, how I am loving Cillian Murphy at the moment=)
There's not a lot more I can say about Batman Begins...well I could say a lot but you would get bored fairly quickly. My verdict: Second time is way better. Characters are more than interesting. Christopher Nolan is God. Oh, and the end...that Joker card...that started a phenomenon.

I have bumped the rating up to 10/10 for the second time around. Yes, I am going mad for Christopher Nolan films. Sorry.

So I went to go and see Inception again...

Instead of doing another review, because I only did one just a few days back, I'm just going to share a few things that I loved about the movie:

Complicatedness: If you have seen the movie you will understand what this thing means. But this looks a little bit like what me and my friend drew up on the whiteboard during Maths. We do work, I promise. But Inception hasn't left any of our minds yet. Sorry Maxine, Megan and Kieran, but this was not my fault.

Music: I thought 'Mind Heist' was epic, but the music in the movie was amazing! Especially 'Time' by Hans Zimmer, which is played at the end. Listen to this, and you will want to see the movie again. It hurts me to listen to it, because I don't think I'll get to see it again until it's released on DVD, but it's addictive.

Spinning top: Such a significance to the movie. I totally want one! A 'totem', that is. Damn you Dom Cobb, I want that spinning top!

Tom Hardy: The funniest guy in this movie. This guy is such a talented actor, and makes the role of Eames one to remember. I will definitely be digging up Bronson and other such films this guy has been in. Everything he said got a laugh from the audience. And I want to be a 'forger' just like him.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Beast. Absolutely loved him in this movie. Arthur is my favourite character out of the movie, and JGL's extreme good looks only make it better. I want to marry this guy. But I know that will never happen.

Arthur and Eames: I love the end of this clip!! It's the best quote ever!! Me and my friends cracked up when Eames said this! And Arthur's face!

Christopher Nolan: I am still in shock. I wonder how this one guy made this whole film up entirely from his imagination. Really, he could be just a director who never wears a tee-shirt but looks oh-so-superior in that suit, but he is a genius. More genius than Einstein.

I could not only completely enjoy it, but I also felt fulfilled by what it had achieved in just over two hours: In other words, I loved it.

I really want to go and see Inception again. And this post is dedicated to my chums Maxine, Megan and Kieran, who have put up with me harping on about this for months and coming to see it with me. They say they totally loved it. And for once, I know they're not lying just to keep my cinematic side happy=)

REWATCH: Memento

Date: 21/07/10. I get to see Inception tomorrow!!!!!!

Check out my original review here.
Even though Memento has been cruelly classified as 'unavailable' here in New Zealand, I have managed to find it. First on youtube, and now I bought the DVD over an internet auction site. Thank the lord. Memento is pretty much my favourite movie of all time. And I'm not just saying that because I worship Christopher Nolan. Memento is a truly beautiful film which puts truth into the saying 'films are art'. This movie is like that painting which you can't quite understand at first glance, but if you look into it a bit more, then you definitely will get it.
As you probably know, Memento is set in backwards chronological order, with some black and white scenes in chronological order intertwined within the story. It follows Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a man with 'Anterograde Amnesia'--a disorder which causes him to have short term memory loss, who is trying to find the killer of his wife and seek revenge. The way he remembers facts is by tattooing them on his body and taking photos and writing notes. But can he really be sure that the information he has written down will guide him to the right place?
This is the beauty of the movie: you, like Leonard, don't know much about anything and you are relying on the facts he is getting. But you, as the viewer, have an advantage: you can see other facts which are crucial to Leonard's investigation but he misses because of his condition. The way it is made is genius. Had this been in normal order it wouldn't have been anywhere near as good. Also, because it is done in this way it is a lot easier to relate to Leonard and his condition.
For this to become my favourite movie of all time wasn't a hard decision. I just love everything about it. Like the fact that everything isn't handed straight to me on my first watch, and it will probably take a few more watches to wrap my head around it (I may give the 'Beginning of the end' feature a go so I can see this in actual order). It has truly wonderful performances especially from Guy Pearce and then Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano in support. But, really, I admire it for the way Nolan sucks you in to Leonard's world. When I watch this film, my head starts hurting because I wonder how much it would suck if I kept losing my memory.
Like other Nolan films, the protagonist is seeking revenge over the death of a loved one, is also a genuine anti-hero who faces adversity, and has something mentally wrong with him. This is possibly one of the best examples of how a Nolan character works.

I love this movie just the same as any other Christopher Nolan flick, but because it is a low-budgeted Independent film I admire it all the more. I can't say anymore than that.
10/10

The Dark Knight (Rewatch?)

Okay, I have seen The Dark Knight several times before, but technically it's not a 'rewatch' because I haven't blogged about it before. So there, my 'movie a day' challenge remains intact.

As I said, I have watched The Dark Knight several times before. The first time I saw it, that was the most exciting day of my life. I watched it a few times when I got it on DVD, then I didn't watch it again for almost a year. A few weeks ago, I brought it out of my dusty DVD shelf and gave it another go. And again, as it was sitting right by my bed, I wanted to watch it again.

I sit here and wonder why I keep going back to this film. It almost seems like every time I watch it I gain something new from it...I find out something I didn't already know. But on this most recent watch, I think I may have the whole movie in the palm of my hand and that I have exhausted every single detail of the film...though can I really be sure?

This is what I love about Nolan films is that they are never that great on the first watch. Sure, they blow your mind to the extent that you will give it a full quota of stars. But to me, when I first saw it, I, like many, was blinded by the fantastic performance from Heath Ledger. So what has changed for me now?

I wouldn't say this has changed, as I was well aware of it during my first watch, but I was overpowered by it's originality. When people use the term 'superhero' movie to describe it, I can't think of anything less true. Yes, it has the central character Batman, who is perceived by many to be a superhero, but Batman is just someone who wants to make Gotham a better place. Just like people donate money to poor people, they are trying to make a difference. Just because Batman wears a cape and is insanely good at beating people up doesn't justify him to be a superhero. Superman is a superhero, hence the name. Nolan has managed to turn the tables on what Batman is supposed to be, an unfortunate image created by Tim Burton, and turned him into something completely human. With benefits.

When I first saw The Dark Knight, I had not seen Batman Begins. In fact, I had not seen Batman Begins until just recently. Call me stupid, but, when I put Knight into context through Begins I got a clearer picture. Though, that didn't necessarily make the movie any better for me.

The cast was more than just Heath Ledger. Everyone performed at their utmost best, but especially, to me, I have to praise Aaron Eckhart. Here is a truly underrated actor, who may pick some crap films (uh, Love Happens?), but manages to defy the odds as Harvey Dent. I don't know why people don't pick up on his performance more (okay, who am I kidding, everybody loved Heath Ledger, and left it at that.), because he handled the role with such polished professionalism and later disdain when Dent turns out to be the villain. Other than Eckhart, another particular standout is Maggie Gyllenhaal, who more than capably makes the role of Rachel Dawes her own. Katie Holmes was pretty weak in the role in the first film, but Gyllenhaal brings more strength to her character and fills in the blanks which Holmes was missing.

There are so many stories in this film, that all twist into one, though you don't have time to realise it. Of course, this is down to Nolan's quick editing techniques, which fit perfectly within this film because it gets so much point across in its 146 minutes, and still keeps you captivated. In the normal world, a film about Batman which last 146 minutes should be pretty boring and only focused on Batman going around saving the day and getting the girl. These two points are only minor factors in otherwise a thoroughly smart and rich take on Gotham's underbelly. That subject matter, which is actually the main point of the film, requires several stories of mobs (Salvatore Maroni's men), a villain willing to take Batman on (Joker), that villain cutting off some of Gotham's key links to cleanliness, an Attorney trying to make a change but ultimately becoming the victim of the villains nasty plan, and then of course, we have Batman trying to clean this mess up. If it wanted to be, this film could have at least been three different ones. But that would have been too easy. Nolan could handle a million films in one if he wanted to.

A lot of people died in this movie. And you know what? I usually have a problem with this. But the films massive violence and death rate makes it so much better. People get turned on by death, and most films throw this in there and it usually comes out stupid. Not this one.

Finally, the absence of CGI makes this so much more believable. That's what we need. We need to believe what we are seeing instead of believing the green screen.

When I think about The Dark Knight, I am usually greeted with fond memories of how it went straight to number one on IMDB's top 250, of how I fell in love with Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker, of how excited I was to go and see it. Then I realise that these three memories are memories which can never be replicated by another release. No film, not any film based on a comic anyway, will ever get to the heights that The Dark Knight so proudly sits on. It may, like some films, have become the victim of over hype, but this film was worth getting hyped up for. It still is. Sure, it may have made it's way down to bargain bins, but people remember it. And why is that? Because it's an almost perfect smart dark thriller, which is ambitious and has no limits. It just keeps aiming for the sky.

Favourite scene?

Either the interrogation scene, the hospital scene or the chase between the Joker in the truck and Batman's Batpod. But ultimately, I will never forget the prologue scene for starting an epic movie just how I would want it.

Favourite quote?

Harvey Dent: "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

The best film of the decade, no doubt about it.

10/10