Apology

An apology to anyone who reads this blog... I haven't been able to see any movies since I've left my college town. I'll be up and running this movie watching business within the next week. Thanks for reading!

500 Days of Summer

Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn't.

It's not your traditional love story. And well, that's because it's not a love story. As it well defines at the beginning of the movie. This is a story about love.

Normally, movies that come from the Sundance Film Festival are pretty fantastic movies. It won't stop here. Amongst films coming from the Sundance Film Festival (fyi: its a festival that takes place in Utah once a year for private film-ers) are Once, the Visitor, and Precious (this year's winner).

This film is different. The filming isn't your normal start to finish story telling where you figure out the plot in the first five minutes and the rest of the movie you sit and predict how many people around you will cry or how many kissing scenes there will be. And regardless... this is not that movie. This movie keeps you watching and waiting, because you know more goodness is coming and so it does. I don't know why this movie isn't more widespread or receiving more theater screens, it's a whole lot more informative about male-female relationships than say... The Ugly Truth. But enough on that.

What I like most about this movie has to do with A.filmography, B. The Time Line, C. The characters, and D. The plot. Let's start with A. This film is inventive. Well, there is a tad bit reminder of Juno or the likes, but all in all, it's absolutely refreshing. It's as if you can step into the painting. Very effective. B. This is no ordinary 500 days. It's certainly not 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,... and you can bet your bottom dollar that it still makes sense! We connect with our main character Tom so much quicker by feeling his pain and then seeing how he gets there and where he goes with it. It's beautifully set up and I would be disappointed with anything less than this. C. Wow, Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt totally own this film. They are funny. They are likeable. Zooey lights up the screen as the quirky and unpredictable Summer. She is what she is. She doesn't really pretend to be what she's not and in her defense, she told Tom straight up what was going on in that relationship. Jordon was equally as great. He is a greeting card writer/failed architect. His character is so dynamic. There is growth. I wish I knew just how to say how relatable he is. But that's just what he is: relatable. Relatable to anyone who thought they found the one and then had their heart broken; relatable to anyone who loved; relatable to anyone who would try love again. Accompanying these two stars are largely Tom's friends. They are so funny and just fantastic! They provide comic relief especially when Tom hits... rock bottom. His friend McKenzie (played by Geoffrey Arend) also plays the wildly funny Karl Benson in Garden State. D. The plot is a breath of fresh air. Whilst, this isn't exactly a romantic comedy... in a way it is, but perhaps a little more true to real life. This story might not even be 100% original, but there is the feeling that it is. You don't come out of the theater thinking, "you know, I've seen something like that before." I appreciate both of the writers of this movie... and for both, this was their first movie to write (or to write and make it to screen).

I forgot one other part that was simply fantastic and slightly reminiscent of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. There was a dance scene. Um, hello, totally rad! And quite epic.

In conclusion, this movie is a don't miss. It's a "buy" movie. Either spend the cash now or get it when it comes out, because it is worth it. And for anyone that is wary of love... perhaps you may see a little bit differently after this viewing pleasure.

love love

The Lovely Bones

Just wanted to say something about this! I just saw, for the first time, a preview of this movie. I'm really excited because I read this gem of a book by Alice Sebold. It was a sad book, but I have hope for this movie because of the fantastic actors that signed on to this project. Oh, by the way, I have been IMDB-ing this movie for 2+ years. This is one of those movies that I have been waiting for, it seems like forever! But, let me give you a quick run-down on who is in this movie. Saoirse Ronan plays the main character. We've seen her in atonement. Along with her there is: Rachel Weisz, Mark Walhberg, Stanley Tucci, and Susan Sarandan! Yay! How can this movie go wrong. Well, I pray it doesn't!
Here's the website if you want to know more: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380510/

love love

Julie&Julia

This movie was fairly nostalgic for me. Why, might you ask? Nearly 7 years ago, I was a freshman in high school struggling through english. For our last assignment, Mr. Brooks assigned a speech. Oh, great! Like this class can't get any worse? (These were, after all, in my days of stage fright). But this speech led me to one of my favorite passions. Cooking. Slash baking. I took on the task of relaying the life of a Mrs. Julia Child to my naive peers. Well, technically, it ended up being 3 other students and my teacher because I delayed and we didn't have time in class so I did it after school. But, regardless... I feel in love with Julia Child, or at least the woman who ventured into unknown territory! Even though we were allowed to have notecards to use for our speech, I labored over memorizing this speech. It wasn't terrible at all. Each time I did that speech, I got to relive Julia changing the world and giving me a glimmer of hope that, yes, you too can change the world, you woman, you!

Every time I saw preview for Julie & Julia, I was able to go back to those glory days. Okay, well, perhaps not. But the point is, is that, Julia child spurred my desire to go to culinary school. I haven't actually ever done that nor will I. Julia Child opened my eyes!

I went to see this movie on my own (not a first for me). I knew that this movie had potential. I had high hopes! I ended up sitting or rather, some older ladies ended up sitting by me. As people were leaving the theater, I heard one of them say, "Oh, there are young people here, too." It amazes me that so few of my friends wanted to see this movie. It's like no one of my generation knows what Julia did! How is this? She is the pioneer of chefs on tv. Her book Mastering the Art of French Cooking sold millions of copies and transformed the way women cooked in America in the 1960s. It's her that we owe much of the respect that women chefs receive today.

So, perhaps now, my nostalgia is justified. Julia Child is a figure that moves my inner being. Though she was a democrat, her advances for women in cooking make me ridiculously happy!

This movie starts with showing us that Julie Powell and Julia Child are in different time periods. And no, they never meet. We walk through the life of Julia entering cooking school, her beautiful relationship with a dedicated husband, and with her love and devotion to food co-writes a cook book that changes cooking as we know it. Julie Powell is an on-the-side writer who has ended up in a low government job in New York in 2002 that leaves her unsatisfied. After meeting with friends and watching an episode of Julia on tv, she gets the idea to write a blog. 524 recipes in 365 days. Well, it was a great idea. Look where it got her... a book AND a movie! So, in order not to reveal all of the secrets and to avoid getting cramps in my hands, I won't say a whole lot more on the plot. But I would like to point out that few movies actually move me. There are the occassional though: Slumdog Millionaire, The Village, Pride & Prejudice (with Colin Firth), and some others. This movie moves me. It's well worth the money to see it (though, I only paid $3.50, I would have paid up to 9 dollars!)

In other matters, it's important to note the acting. Meryl Streep is unstoppable. Her work in this movie is, dare I say, epic! Playing a 6'2" woman who may or may not have been addicted to sherry when cooking, is not an easy task. Many of us have seen the SNL skits of Julia Child. It's no surprise that someone can talk like her and emulate her unique actions. It's another thing, though, to show the many emotions of a woman that possesses all of Julia's characteristics. Go Meryl! Amy Adams is largely comical. So many of us go through these actions where we wonder, "Is what I'm doing meaningful?" We can empathize with her. I want to finish something. I want to have something important to say. I want to be listened to. A success to her. I applaud her. Supporting actors Stanley Tucci and Chris Messina who play Mr. Child and Mr. Powell, respectively do a great job as well. Mr. Tucci does such an fantastic job. We've seen him and Meryl together before in The Devil Wears Prada. They have got it down, because there is chemistry. It's a wonder that you look at the two together, a 6'2" woman and a considerably shorter man and wonder how that happened? But, if Julia and Paul's relationship really was as they portrayed it in film, then right on! How beautiful.

Also, they showed Julia's kitchen at the Smithsonian. I remember a few years ago, one of my visits to the Smithsonian and marveling at that kitchen. It was beautiful. It was moving. Right there were so many of the utensils that I envied, making some of the most delicious food there ever was.

There is so much more I could say about this movie. I loved it. It's full of so many emotions. It's full of what we all desire: a purpose.

As Julia says:
Bon Appétit!