Holiday Movie Reviews

Parent Cafe
1

<p>DH (the birthday boy today), DS#2 and I just returned from <em>trying</em> to go see Will Smith’s “Seven Pounds” but couldn’t even get into the parking lot! So, we are back home, wondering if it would have been worth the effort. What movies have you folks seen in recent weeks, and what are you planning to see? Can you give a quick review?? We saw “Slumdog Millionaire” last night. Very good movie-- I highly recommend it. I predicted what would happen towards/at the end (won’t disclose anything here), but it was still a very good movie that captures your attention. In sum, it is about a young Indian fellow from the slums who is about to win the biggest prize on “Who wants to be a millionaire”. Much of it is told in flashback as they question how he could possibly know the answers to the questions. I highly recommend it.</p>

<p>My H was going to see “Spirit” but it got panned so he didn’t bother. I am interested in seeing “Doubt” , “Milk” and “The Reader”. Other recommendations?? Movies to avoid?? Anyone see Valkyrie today? Thoughts on FrostNixon? Benjamin Button?? Should we try again another day to get to see 7 pounds?? (Next time we’ll take DH’s car with his handicapped tag and hopefully get a parking space).
Thanks</p>

2

<p>Have not seen them yet, but I am interested in “Australia” and “Doubt”.</p>

<p>My son saw “Yes Man” with Jim Carrey. He said that he can recommend it, but liked other Jim Carrey movies better. I don’t know anything more. I caught a piece of the conversation that he was having about it with DH.</p>

3

<p>Anyone else interested in seeing Valkyrie and Gran Torino? Both look good.</p>

4

<p>My D thinks Seven Pounds was great, but goes on to add she likes things other people don’t ( gives second Fantastic Four and third Pirates of the Carribean as examples), and doesn’t like what other people do ( The Prestige)…I don’t really know anything about those, and she’s not telling about Seven Pounds…</p>

5

<p>Just back from Benjamin Button which I HIGHLY recommend. It is beautifully told, nicely shot & will make you cry. Brad Pitt certainly stretched his acting chops, and I’m impressed. I just read the F Scott Fitzgerald short story that it’s based on, but they hardly compare. The film and the story really only have one common thread. </p>

<p>Also saw Yes Man, it’s a cute, feel good film that can wait for the $1 theater or video. But I liked the message.</p>

<p>Heading to see Slumdog Millionaire tomorrow, and my friend saw Frost/Nixon and said it was “intense” and says that Frank Langella (played Nixon) is sure to win an Oscar.</p>

6

<p>The talk in our area is about Marley & Me, but that’s because the author of the book is a local. I want to see Australia but need a girlfriend to go with me.</p>

7

<p>I saw Valkyrie a few weeks ago (cinema class at USC that lets you watch movies early). While I enjoyed the story, I was bothered the entire time by the accents. It was an artistic choice that didn’t sit right with me, although it probably wouldn’t bother most people. If you go see the movie, I recommend going with little knowledge of the story. You will definitely enjoy the suspense more. Still, I found it to be exciting and intriguing, and the settings and scenery were very impressive!</p>

8

<p>We saw “Bedtime Stories”. It was cute, light, fun. No academy awards here - but a fun afternoon. (P.S. The theater was full)</p>

9

<p>LOVED Slumdog Millionaire. I confess to not knowing much about it before I saw it. Went with H and two college aged kids. It was mutually admired by all.</p>

<p>Outstanding cast (especially the little kids), stunning cinematography and score, not a famous face in the cast (which we really enjoyed!).</p>

<p>Highly recommend it, but do yourself a favor and don’t read about it first.
JUST GO.</p>

10

<p>OOps-- I gave a brief summary in post #1 curiouser-- hope you dont think I gave too much away about it (all I described was the basic premise)</p>

11

<p>Slumdog Millionaire is amazing. hard to watch, but amazing.</p>

12

<p>Just got back from Benjamin Button. It kept me entertained, but there were too many elements that kept reminding me of other movies (Big Fish, Forrest Gump). However, I was surprised when I began to cry, not realizing I’d been taken in by the story so much, despite the couple of quirky areas that I thought could have been eliminated. </p>

<p>Worst part, we ordered tickets on Fandango and scootched in minutes before the movie began. We had to sit in the second row… and it’s a long movie. I started getting stiff after a couple of hours.</p>

13

<p>We went to see Seven Pounds today and it was definitely a “must see.” Will Smith is incredible, and the story line keeps you thinking. It is a tear jerker so bring your Kleenex. I don’t go to the movies very often, but what struck me was the audience reaction when the movie was over…dead silence (except for sniffling!).</p>

14

<p>My boyfriend saw seven pounds yesterday (family friend already had a pirated version) and said it was the best movie he had seen in YEARS. He also admitted crying, which I have never seen him do even at the best chick flicks!</p>

15

<p>We saw Doubt yesterday. The story is powerful and the acting (Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams) was amazing. However . . . I think it’s too slow to be a truly compelling film. There’s no “action” involved, and trying to make it big enough for a movie made it difficult even for these superb actors to draw you fully into the conflict. I can see it working on stage much more effectively (and I haven’t seen it on stage yet). This may be one film that works better as a DVD on a smaller screen. It is definitely worth seeing, though.</p>

16

<p>I saw Happy Go Lucky over Thanksgiving and enjoyed it very much. I find both Tm Cruise and Jim Carrey intensely irritating, so neither of their movies is on my list, but I’d like to see Australia, Slumdog Millionaire, and probably Seven Pounds. Doubt and Benjamin Button I haven’t made my mind up about yet.</p>

17

<p>I saw Doubt a few days ago, and I was completely blown away by the acting. It had very Oscar-heavy dialogue, which bothered me a little, but definitely made for a very powerful movie. The story was beautifully paced (albeit a bit slow for people who are into heavy action movies) and the cinematography was beautiful. I really enjoyed the movie, and would recommend it!</p>

18

<p>My son and I have seen two movies so far since he came home for vacation. We both really enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire. Yes, it’s a little hokey and sentimental and predictable (some of which, I think, is the director’s “tribute” to Bollywood) but still immensely entertaining, and very affecting as well. The three little kids were just wonderful (there are three sets of actors portraying the three main characters – at ages 5 or 6, as teenagers, and as young adults). And the visceral sense you get of Mumbai is amazing. </p>

<p>Yesterday – going to a movie on Christmas is one of our traditions, good Jews that we are! – we saw “The Wrestler,” the new movie with Mickey Rourke as a physically wrecked, washed-up, professional wrestler who was “big” in the '80’s. Kind of like Mickey Rourke himself!</p>

<p>Best movie I’ve seen in a long time. Rourke’s performance is definitely worthy of at least an Oscar nomination. Marisa Tomei was great too, as an aging stripper.</p>

<p>We’re going to see “Milk,” finally, on Sunday.</p>

<p>And before he goes back to Chicago, we very much want to see “Revolutionary Road,” the Sam Mendes movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet based on the Richard Yates novel. Which both my son and I think is one of the best American novels we’ve ever read – certainly, the best novel ever written about suburban anomie and hopelessness in the 1950’s!</p>

<p>I doubt very much that the movie can do justice to the book – much of which takes place inside the characters’ heads, and which doesn’t have that much of a “plot,” per se. Always difficult to translate effectively onto the screen. Still, we want to see it.</p>

<p>Yesterday morning, on TV, we watched “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” Now, there’s a feel-good holiday movie!</p>

19

<p>Saw Milk and thought it was excellent. Sean Penn deserves the Oscar for his performance, if Frank Langella doesn’t get it for Frost/Nixon. Didn’t see the movie but saw Langella in the Broadway play and he was so believable in the role.</p>

20

<p>Just got back from “seven pounds”. The premise becomes predicatable by about half way into it, but it is still fascinating to watch how it unfolds.</p>