Archive for the ‘Romance’ Category
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
“When you can live forever what do you live for?”
I’m late in getting to this review – partly because I wasn’t excited to see it in the first place. We saw Twilight while on vacation a few weeks ago, when there wasn’t anything else worthwhile to see. We were pleasantly surprised that it was pretty entertaining, but teenage vampires really don’t do it for me. I prefer adult vampires who can have great vampire sex and not just LONG for it. lol… that being said, Rob Pattinson did a great job displaying the yearning and intensity that any male vampire seems to feel when they fall for a human woman [or in this case, kid] and needs to protect her, not only from himself, but from his friends… and enemies.
When we saw this, it was in a tiny theater in the back of a 14-theater megaplex, and it was my husband and I, 2 dozen teenage girls and a strange row of teenage boys down front. Every time Rob Pattinson had a closeup and said one of his intensley conflicted romantic lines, inevitably, one or two of the girls around us would pine, “he’s sooo coool!” or “he’s sooo awwwwesommmmeee!” Needless to say, we felt really REALLY old. lol…
This was decent entertainment and because I’m a big vampire fan I enjoyed it, but I also had a HUGE beef with the movie [and I suppose the book series, that I have NOT read]… there are certain rules that must be followed to qualify a person as a vampire and this series breaks 2 of them, that in my opinion aren’t breakable. So I did leave somewhat annoyed. But also infatuated with Rob Pattinson and his magical hair, making me feel kind of pervy because he’s so much younger than I am [how did that happen???] lol…
Anyway… sorry, this review is terrible, I know… back to business: The visuals were decent, the story and action wasn’t bad, the acting for the most part was pretty good. The lead girl Kristen Stewart who played ‘Bella Swan’ was a better fit than I initially expected, but her acting style got old pretty fast for me – like she went to the ‘party of five’ school of acting with the confused stuttering while looking hurt thing. Pattinson, who played Edward Cullen did a great job and he’s probably the only reason I’d see the sequel, if and when it comes out. [seems like a done deal, though...].
As an adult fan of vampire flicks I’d say Twilight is just a 2 1/2 out of 5.
Worth a rent if you love vampires – especially if you read ‘paranormal romance’ novels… If you don’t fall into either category, or if you’re older than 18, I’d say skip it.
Add’l Info: Release Date: Nov 21, 2008 • Runtime: 122 minutes • Rated PG-13 for some violence and a scene of sensuality • Photo credit: © Summit Entertainment, via movieweb.com
Posted in Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Thriller | Tagged Ashley Greene, Billy Burke, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, Nikki Reed, Peter Facinelli, Robert Pattinson | Leave a Comment »
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Brothers Bloom are two con men [played by Adrian Brody and Mark Ruffalo], and they’re after one last, BIG mark – an eccentric heiress [Rachel Weisz] and her millions – by showing her the time of her life, taking them all over the world on romantic adventures.
Rachel Weisz’ character looks pretty funny, and I’m a big fan of hers. She does a great job of choosing roles, so I trust her judgement. We first see her crashing a Lamborghini into the huge fountain in her driveway [which is AWESOME only because my husband always jokes that if he ever won the lottery, his only goal would be to crash a different Lamborghini every day of the week!... kidding, of course...], and then cut to one of the Bloom brothers asking her what she does for a living. Her response is “I collect hobbies.”
This one looks worth seeing. Written and directed by relative newcomer, Rian Johnson, who won many awards for writing and directing the movie Brick in 2005 [I'll have to check it out...]. If The Brothers Bloom is as good as the trailer makes it out to be, this flick could launch his career to the next level.
Check out the trailer HERE
Add’l Info: Release Date: Dec 19, 2008 • Runtime: TBD • Rated PG-13 for violence, some sensuality and brief strong language • Photo Credit: © Summit Entertaiment via movieweb.com
Posted in Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Preview Only, Romance | Tagged Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Nora Zehetner, Rachael Weisz, Rian Johnson, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane | Leave a Comment »
Monday, August 11, 2008
“One Taste Is All It Takes.”
Ain’t that the truth. This movie is satisfying on many levels. I love Juliette Binoche… I love Johnny Depp… Alfred Molina, Judi Dench, Lena Olin, Carrie-Anne Moss, Peter Stormare…I love Europe… and I love… CHOCOLATE. lol… This movie has it all.
Chocolat is a fairy tale-like story of Vianne Rocher [Binoche] and her daughter, Anouk [Victoire Thivisol] – drifters who follow the winds – how they move to a small French village and open up a chocolate shop during Lent, across the street from the church, much to the chagrin of the town’s overly-pious Mayor [Molina]. The Mayor believes that indulging in such pleasure is a sin, and tries to steer his townsfolk clear [as he denies himself] so the shop will fold and the outsiders will be on their way. But Vianne works her magic, offering samples of her divine product she lovingly makes herself by hand from fresh cocoa beans, with an uncanny knack for guessing peoples’ favorites. That is, until a band of gypsies come through on the river, including the mysterious Roux [Johnny Depp], whom she can’t peg no matter how hard she tries. Can Vianne win the hearts of the townspeople and change the Mayor’s mind before the winds carry her and her daughter away?
Directed by Lasse Hallström, the man that brought us The Cider House Rules, and The Shipping News, you can expect the same calibre with Chocolat. This is such a great story, with an amazing cast. All the characters are so rich. When we saw it in the theater I was completely immersed in that village with them. I bought it as soon as it came on DVD and when I watch it, I always have a couple of chocolate truffles on hand. It’s tough to see all that delicous looking chocolate without partaking. By the way guys, this movie isn’t just for the ladies, you’ll enjoy it too. ;)
4 1/2 out of 5.
Add’l Info: Released: Jan 5, 2001 • Runtime: 121 minutes • Rated PG-13 for a scene of sensuality and some violence • Photo credit: ©Miramax Films, via allmoviephoto.com
Posted in Comedy, Drama, Romance | Tagged Alfred Molina, Carrie-Anne Moss, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Juliette Binoche, Lasse Hallström, Lena Olin, Peter Stormare, Victoire Thivisol | Leave a Comment »
Monday, July 7, 2008
I thought I’d try something new and talk about some of the interesting-looking trailers we see when we go to the movies. One of them this weekend was for Blindness starring Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. Based on the book by Nobel Prize winner Jose Saramago, Blindness is about a city that’s afflicted by a mysterious case of sudden blindness, where everyone is quarantined, including the only person who wasn’t affected by the illness [played by Julianne Moore]. She feigns blindness to go with her husband [Mark Ruffalo], and turns out to be the only eye witness of how society breaks down and how the strong prey on the weak, even in extreme circumstances. Directed by Fernando Meirelles, who also did The Constant Gardener, Blindness looks like a roller coaster ride and I think it might be worth checking out… definitely not a feelgood movie, but it does look like a test of the human spirit…
Here’s a link to the trailer if you want to check it out: Blindness Movie Trailer
Add’l Info: Release Date: Limited: Sep 19, 2008, Wide Release: Sep 26, 2008 • Runtime: 120 minutes • Rated R for violence including sexual assaults, language and sexuality/nudity
Posted in Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller | Tagged Danny Glover, Fernando Meirelles, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo | Leave a Comment »
Monday, June 30, 2008
“A man, a woman, and 117 cows.”
I rented this one because I love Karl Urban and was looking around to see what else he’d been in. I honestly rented this one based on the title. Sometimes, that’s all it takes… ;)
The Price Of Milk is about a dairy farmer named Rob [Urban], and his girlfriend Lucinda [Danielle Cormack]. They were perfectly happy, plenty of fire in their relationship until Rob proposed and Lucinda freaked out. Afraid that the spark would die if they got married, Lucinda decides to follow the bad advice of her best girlfriend, Drosophila [the name itself should have tipped her off... fruit flies are a nuisance!... tangent over... played by Willa O'Neil]. In an attempt to make Rob angry, to keep the spark alive a whole slew of things go wrong including a hit and run accident with a strange voodoo woman, a stolen quilt, cow sales and weird wedding dresses.
Both my husband and I loved this movie and I believe my hubs actually bought it because he knew we’d watch it more than once. This story is quick and dirty at 87 minutes long – it’s low-budget, set in New Zealand and very quirky and funny… if you like quirky. It almost has a haphazard fairy tale-like quality to it. Don’t watch it and hope for it to make sense, just go along for the ride and laugh at the weirdness. Take it for what it is – cute, different, funny. No more, no less. ;)
3 out of 5.
Add’l Info: Released: Sep 13, 2001, Toronto Film Festival, Feb 14 USA limited release • Runtime: 87 minutes • Rated PG-13 for drug use and sensuality/nudity
Posted in Comedy, Romance | Tagged Danielle Panabaker, Harry Sinclair, Karl Urban, Michael Lawrence, Willa O'Neil | Leave a Comment »
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
“It Mu5t Be Found.”
Wow. THAT is a cheesy tagline… But it fits.The Fifth Element is another fav of ours. We saw it a few times in the theater and have bought it several times. My husband came home with it on Blu-ray the other day and we don’t even have a player yet… lol… he keeps trying to buy one but no matter where he goes, the one he wants is always sold out. Damn you Sony and your winning format with no inventory to back up your dang victory!
This movie is a wild and colorful ride… let me see if I can sum it up for you: the movie takes place in the not-so-distant future involving an ex-military-man-turned cabbie [Bruce Willis], a priest and his apprentice [Ian Holm & Charlie Creed Miles], a strange he-she entertainment host that makes buzzing noises [Chris Tucker], a greedy empire owner looking to profit on ‘Evil’s’ sloppy seconds [Gary Oldman] and his alien henchmen, the President [Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, aka "Zeus" of wrestling fame] and his men [lead by Brion James], an alien opera singer [Maïwenn Le Besco] and the ultimate weapon engineered to destroy “Evil” when it attacks Earth every 5,000 years [Milla Jovovich]. She’s a fragile girl, who catches up on what’s been going on with us humans in the last 5 millenia and starts to question if we’re worth saving at all… there. I dare you to try to tell anyone else the same thing [who hasn't seen the movie] and not have them accuse you of being insane! =)
Read the rest of this entry ?
Posted in Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller | Tagged Brion James, Bruce Willis, Charlie Creed Miles, Chris Tucker, Eric Serra, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Jean-Paul Gaultier, John Neville, Lee Evans, Luc Besson, Luke Perry, Milla Jovovich, Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, Tricky | Leave a Comment »
Friday, June 20, 2008
“How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.”
10 Things I Hate About You is the story of Cameron [Joseph Gordon-Levitt], a new kid at school who instantly falls for sophomore Bianca Stratford [Larisa Oleynik]. The problem is, Bianca isn’t allowed to date… until her sister Kat, the boy-hating, indy-rock loving, non-conformist does [Julia Stiles]. When Cameron learns about ‘the rule,’ he and his new best friend, Michael [David Krmholtz], come up with a cunning plan to get Kat to date involving ‘pretty boy’ Joey Donner [Andrew Keegan], whom Bianca has a crush on, and Patrick Verona, the mysterious new guy with a bad-boy reputation [Heath Ledger].
The dialogue alone is worth seeing this movie. There are some real laugh-out-loud moments, some with the quirky adult characters – like the girls’ father played by Larry Miller, and their guidance counsellor, Ms. Perky, played by Allison Janney [who spends her free time writing trashy romance novels]. Even though this is technically a ‘teen flick’, it’s just as funny for those of us who refuse to grow up. ;)
3 1/2 out of 5 for a great cast and a fun, new version of a classic story.
~ HELENA
Add’l Info: Released: Mar 31, 1999 • Runtime: 97 minutes • Rated PG-13 for crude sex-related humor and dialogue, alcohol and drug-related scenes, all involving teens
Posted in Comedy, Romance | Tagged Allison Janney, Andrew Keegan, Daryl Mitchell, David Krumholtz, Gabrielle Union, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Julia Stiles, Larisa Oleynik, Larry Miller, Susan May Pratt | Leave a Comment »
Thursday, June 19, 2008
“A Blooming Comedy.”
Based on a true story, Greenfingers is about Colin [Clive Owen], a man who has spent 10 years in prison. Due to good behvior, he’s moved to an experimental work-style prison when he’s eligible for bail, where he can learn a trade that will better prepare him for his eventual release back into society.
When he gets there, he doesn’t particularly care what trade he learns, so, inspired by his elder roommate, he takes up gardening and quickly realizes he has a green thumb, and that his beautiful plants and flowers bring joy to others. He finds his new trade therapeutic as he reevaluates his life, while inspiring others, making new friends and meeting a new love interest. He continues to work on his new found skills with the guidance of horticulture expert Georgina Woodhouse [Helen Mirren], who convinces Colin to use his talent to compete in the prestigious Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. But when a valuable artifact goes missing from the job site, Colin’s opportunity to compete is jeopardized.
Greenfingers is one of those different, inspirational feel-good movies and a solid 3 1/2 out of 5. It’s not exactly a comedy, in that it’s not full of laughs, but you’ll end up happy that you watched it.
Add’l Info: Released: Jul 13, 2001 • Runtime: 91 minutes • Rated R for language and some sexuality
Posted in Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance | Tagged Clive Owen, Danny Dyer, David Kelly, Helen Mirren, Joel Hersman, Natasha Little, Paterson Joseph, Warren Clarke | Leave a Comment »
Monday, June 16, 2008
“One person can change your life forever.”
Amélie, or Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain is near perfect in terms of enjoyment. This movie is a treat. It’s quirky, funny… and I can watch it over and over. Audrey Tautou is brilliant in this movie.
The story is about a young woman who grew up sheltered without much human contact beyond her father [because he was afraid for her and her supposed 'heart condition'...]. When she grows up, she moves out on her own and takes a job as a waitress in a little cafe. Her life changes when she discovers a long, lost treatsure in her apartment and decides to return it to the previous occupent, and she sees how it affects him. From that moment on, she decides to devote her life to the happiness of the people around her, including some very funny, colorful characters. And along the way, she may even find what she’s day dreamed about her whole life: love.
This movie is beautifully produced, giving it a modern fairy-tale feel. It’s a quiet yet wild, mischievous ride. 4 1/2 out of 5.
~ HELENA
Add’l Info: Released: Apr 25, 2001 • Runtime: 122 minutes • Rated R for sexual content
Posted in Comedy, Drama, Romance | Tagged Audrey Tautou, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Mathieu Kassovitz | Leave a Comment »
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
“Every second of every day you’re faced with a decision that can change your life.”
This is another favorite. Run Lola Run [or Lola Rennt] is a fun, frenetic movie about Lola, her boyfriend Manni, the 100,000 DM he lost, and the 20 minutes Lola has to find and bring 100,000 DM to Manni before he robs a supermarket and gets shot by the people he owes the money to. Lola has not one, not two, but three tries to get it right, as all the ‘what-ifs’ of fate are shown. Franka Potente [of The Bourne Identity fame] does an amazing job giving us a full spectrum of emotion during this crazy marathon set to an awesome soundtrack that I own and listen to all the time [there's just something about German techno that keeps me working at a crazy pace when I have a deadline].
Be sure to get the original German language version with English subtitles vs. getting the English dubbed version. The dubbing and the voices are terrible and distracting, and take away from the movie.
4 out of 5.
~ HELENA
Add’l Info: Released: Jun 18, 1999 • Runtime: 81 minutes • Rated R for some violence and language
Posted in Action, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller | Tagged Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Tom Tykwer | Leave a Comment »
