(54) Movie List

In an effort to try to get through everything, I'm going to try to keep these movie "reviews" short. Also, I had mentioned some of the repetitive goals that I'm having trouble doing on a regular basis (once/week and once/month things). Jenn suggested that I shift those goals a little bit and rather than trying to do those from day one, I could work on making those a habit. That sounds much more realistic and attainable without feeling like I've already failed. While I think being super busy during the holidays will prevent me from starting these routines, I think that's more of a reason to take some time to myself and do those things. So we'll see how it goes. Ok, here are some movies I watched recently.

Sunset Boulevard:
"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."
Older movies can be harder to judge, especially with my lack of exposure to them. Our standards of what a movie should have/be are so dramatically different so it's tough being objective without wondering, "is this something they did a lot? is this normal?" But anyway, this was an interesting story of a screen writer lacking funds and befriending an older has-been actress who hires him to edit a script she wrote. She starts to fall in love with him while trying to relive her fame and then ends up going insane towards the end. The story got more interesting as it played out so I definitely enjoyed it more than I expected.

Amelie:

These "short" reviews aren't working. I'll try to work on that. Anyway, this movie always puts a smile on my face. It really conveys the beauty and innocence of youth and then throws in some funny twists, a love story and some Amelie-initiated karma along the way. It's subtitled, but it wasn't an issue for me (it can be with other movies). The visual effects, coloration/lighting and music help create the lightheartedness vibe, while still maintaining the flow of the story. I'd recommend this movie to everyone, although it does have a not-so-family-friendly scene a time or two.

Fight Club:


I love this movie and have seen it countless times. I'm a huge Brad Pitt fan, not just because he's nice to look at, but also because he picks such a wide variety of roles and does well at them, in my opinion. But anyway, I can't really explain the movie in a few sentences so I'll just say that when/if you decide to watch this, you need to pay attention the whole time. There are so many little things that I still catch for the first time after seeing the movie 10+ times. It's not for the easily offended or grossed out. That is all. :)

The Professional:

Wow, what a role for Natalie Portman! This falls under the typical good guy/bad guy movie with guns, fighting, corruption, etc, but it had a different undertone to it. I can't really place it, but the interaction between Leon and Mathilda was interesting and it was amusing to see the girl turn the tables on Leon, who is supposed to be the tough guy, hitman type. She plays a tough kid who has been through a lot and deals with it her own way. Oh and Gary Oldman was also in this - I really can't see/hear him without thinking of his character Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg in "The Fifth Element" with the thick southern-esque accent. Besides that weirdness, it had a strong emotional element that appealed to me.

Well, this concludes the movie review portion of the things I've completed recently. I hope to be able to upload a bunch of photos and put together some posts very soon. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving week!