True Grit

Ouch. Has it been over a year since I've written on here?

I've continued to see movies of course, just haven't been as bloggy about them I guess. So let's kick off the new year with a great one. True Grit.

OK. Technically, I saw this in 2010, New Year's Eve with Ry and Greg. I don't usually like westerns. In fact, I usually turn around and walk out of the room when one is on in the house, but this is a great one. The kind of movie I feel like I should watch a few more times, just to soak it in. Beautiful images, unique story, stellar acting... I'm running out of my go-to adjectives, but you get the picture.

Hailee Steinfeld=Awesome. Matt Damon=OK. Josh Brolin=Hot Bad Guy With Greasy Hair. And let me just ask -- is Jeff Bridges in everything??? Seriously, the guy is everywhere. And while I doubt I'll be catching a midnight showing of Tron or anything, I think I really like him.

I was reading some things about the movie and saw the funniest message board post ever. Heading of the post "Are there any snakes in this movie?" hahahahhahahaha. Poor Rylan probably still has fingernail marks in his arms from the grip I placed on him during this scene. Snakes on a Plane has nothing on this one.

I really don't understand how this lost out at the box office to "Little Fockers" -- the theater was packed when we were there. When I got home I immediately added the 1969 John Wayne version to my netflix. Who knows, maybe I will become a fan of westerns after all. Happy new year y'all.

Every Little Step

Every Little Step is a documentary about the audition process for the broadway revival of A Chorus Line. Before I go into details about the movie, it's important to understand my fascination with A Chorus Line.

I was never a dancer, don't really like to watch dancing that much, my kids are all boys and don't take dance lessons, but A Chorus Line was one of my favorite movies growing up. In all honesty, I didn't really have a choice.

When I was in middle school my family lived in Belgium. There wasn't anything on TV and it wasn't easy to find movies in English. So... we had about a dozen vhs tapes with movies and other shows that friends sent us or we got from a creepy guy called "Video Bob". Top Gun, Porkies, Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Helen Hunt and SJP), AND A Chorus Line were in the lineup. So needless to say because we only had a few movies we watched them OVER and OVER and OVER again. 

So when I went to see Every Little Step it brought back GREAT memories of watching Michael Douglas as Zach auditioning dancers for his Chorus Line. I remembered all the songs and it was all I could do to not sing along (the 5 other people in the theater do not know how lucky they were). I have since ordered the DVD of the movie from Amazon (it will be here Monday!) and can't wait to belt out the tunes for my family.

But more than just a collection of nostalgic songs, Every Little Step is fantastic for two reasons. First, it does a fabulous job of following the emotional journey these dancers take as they go through the broadway audition process. From the seasoned broadway regulars, to Jessica, the newby, it didn't take long until I was completely sucked into their stories. 

Second, it told the surprising and inspiring story of how Michael Bennett came up with the idea for the original broadway play. Basically he gathered a group of his dancer friends, and taped a 12-hour wine-fueled conversation about their lives and what inspired them to dance. These tapes were transcribed and became the basis for the characters in the musical. He went on to direct the original tony-winning production.

Even if you didn't watch A Chorus Line a hundred times in the 80's, Every Little Step is totally worth watching today. 

The Promotion

A cute movie with Sean William Scott (or some other combination of those three first names) and John C. Reilly (I kept waiting for Will Ferrell to pop up as two grocery store assistant managers who are vying for the same job. As they go through the interview process for the manager position at the new Donaldson's location they both try to one up each other and keep things together at home. A little funny potty humor is never a bad thing -- Deli person of the month gets award for "Cutting the Cheese" for example.

If you have seen the movie Employee of the Month (Dax Shepard and Jessica Simpson), this is a smarter, funnier, less embarrassing movie to watch. Oh and if you're obssessed with The Wire like I am, you will appreciate seeing "Randy" in the parking lot scenes.

Sunshine Cleaning

One thing I really hate is reading reviews before going to see a movie. I always feel like a dumbass.

People said that this was a rip off of Little Miss Sunshine and I feel stupid because I don't see the connection. I mean other than Alan Arkin, a van, Sunshine in the name and being set in NM, I don't understand. So then, after I read another 4 reviews that make the exact same point I feel really dumb.

They said the story was flat but Amy Adams and Emily Blunt were great. I of course loved the story and the acting and once again feel like I'm missing something.

The reviews said the movie goes no where. I disagree.

I guess the real question is, if I read all these reviews about how lackluster the movie was, then why did I go in the first place?

I love movies. I love the feeling when I'm walking up to buy the ticket. I love the sound of ice in drinks and popcorn crunching in the theater. I love the Regal Arbor. I love my Regal Cinemas card.

And in the end, I DID like this movie. I thought it was good and original and the loved the two sisters. So what if people think it has similarities to Little Miss Sunshine. I liked that movie, too.

The Class

I was feeling pretty good about things. I'd been on a long bike ride, finished two puzzles in two days, and the dog hadn't escaped from the backyard once all week. Then I saw The Class.

The movie was great. The story focuses on a year in a Parisian middle school classroom. The kids are rough around the edges, the parents are totally disengaged and the teachers are pushed to the limit. Not a surprising or especially original point of view. But it works really well because the movie doesn't try to do too much. The movie focuses on the constant tension in the classroom contrasting with the little snapshot "ah-ha" moments (Mark, that reference is for you.) from the students. There is a raw, slice of life feeling to the whole thing.

The real reason I felt like a slacker was because after watching the movie, I found out that Francois Begaudeau not only wrote the novel that the movie was based on, he also wrote the screenplay and plays M. Marin, the main character. And the film was nominated for an oscar for best foreign language picture.

Yeah, but can he hula hoop?

Bug

It has been a long time since I wrote on here. And not because I stopped seeing movies. I saw every movie that was nominated for an oscar in the best picture, best actor/actress and best supporting actor/actress categories. I just got lazy. Sometimes it takes a really spectacular event to jar me out of laziness. A wake up call. In the case of this blog it could be a REALLY amazing movie. Or a REALLY terrible one.

I watched Bug (Michael Shannon, Harry Connick Jr. and Ashley Judd) on cable last night. It was possibly the worst movie ever.

EVER.

What were these people thinking when they read this script? These are smart people.

So how did I get myself in this awful place? As I was flipping through the movie options last night I got to Bug, clicked on "Info" to see what it was about. "Lost souls find each other at road side motel. Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon star." Hmmm... Michael Shannon was great in Revolutionary Road, husband has an unspoken crush on Ashley Judd, this sound like it's worth a shot.

I like almost any movie I see. My list of "don't ever go see that" is pretty small. Yeah, I love all the indie stuff playing at the arbor. But.... Paul Blart, Mall Cop? Laughed like crazy. Twilight? Was entertained and proceeded to read all the books. Hotel For Dogs? Holy cuteness.

This movie was fucked up. The moment they had sex you knew you were in a weird place. But like a train wreck -- couldn't stop watching. The scene where he pulls his teeth out to remove the egg sacks -- one of the most terrifying things I've ever seen.

So, this is my public service for the day. If you've seen this movie, I am deeply sorry, let's get a drink and try and forget. If you haven't seen it, DON'T. Do anything else. Check your own bed for aphids, or carve egg sacks out of your skin. Alec Baldwin in Thomas the Tank Engine is a better choice -- my former least favorite movie of all time.

The upside. My husband's crush on Ashley Judd may have taken a hit.

Frost/Nixon

I'll admit it. This is not the type of movie that would typically move me. I am usually much more interested in the funky love story or the quirky comedy, or the surprising thriller. There is a lot about history that honestly bores me.

But the 3 of you who read this blog already know this.

So, how surprising is it that I loved this movie? I mean really loved it. Maybe because I didn't know much of the David Frost story before walking in, maybe because the actors were good, maybe I'm even growing up a little and can handle my history a little better. Who knows? Who cares? It was another great day at the movies.