Impromptu Movie Reviews

Sometimes I think the only consistent thing about this blog is that it veers sharply from depressing, introspective posts like the previous one to frivolous stuff like this. There are probably many conclusions that you could draw about my psyche and comfort level with Internet exposure, but let's not go there, shall we?
So! I've seen lots of movies lately, some good and some not-so-good.

Rachel Getting Married - Very good, very funny. Anne Hathaway totally deserved her Oscar nomination. Awesome dysfunctional family story.

The Day the World Stood Still - This was terrible. Keanu Reeves plays an alien who came to earth to destroy humans and save the earth from our terrible pollutin' ways. Of course, Jennifer Connelly and her cute stepson convince him that humans aren't all bad and that at the brink of extinction, we can change. No word on what that change would be, just that we could magically make it because we're scared shitless. Could have been WAY more interesting.

Seven Pounds - Really, really good. I'd say that Rock and I had the storyline pretty much figured out within the first 30 minutes, so don't worry about all that mystery in the previews. Turns out, you can't preview this movie at all without giving away major plot points. It's sad, but the story is so well developed. I wouldn't have missed it.

Tell No One - I rented this because it said on the cover, "Based on the bestselling novel by Harlan Coben". I haven't read Tell No One, but I have read two other books by Harlan Coben (The Woods and Hold Tight) and both of them were excellent. I wondered about this film, though, because the only actress I recognized in it was Kristen Scott Thomas. When I got up to the counter to check it out, the lady said, "It has an English language track - make sure you set that." And then it clicked: the film was French. Kristen Scott Thomas does a lot of French films, too. But the video store lady was right - there's an English language track and there are also English subtitles, which frankly I thought were more accurate. I think they were created from the script, whereas the track was the actors' interpretations of their lines. Anyway, the movie is really good. The main character is a guy whose wife was murdered 8 years earlier. Except now, he's received an email with a surveillance video with her on it.

The Wrestler - Sad. So so sad. You all know what it's about, I'm sure. A washed up wrestler, trying to finally connect with someone - his daughter and a stripper he's in love with. It's such a pathetic story, and so moving.

So what have you seen lately?