Chick 1 says:
I like Jim Carrey. I think he’s both funny & he can act. He’s proved himself in movies like Ace Ventura, The Truman Show, Bruce Almighty, & one of my favorites, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But he’s also put out quite a few mediocre projects and Yes Man, about a man who is challenged to say “yes” to every opportunity, looked like it might just be Jim Carrey Comedy #48. So I went with limited expectations. Read more
Chick 2 says:
Right now, Michael Bay wishes he were Baz Luhrmann. Australia touted epic and it delivers. It introduces the characters in typical Luhrmann fashion, a bit silly and showy, but within 15 minutes or so it begins to improve and, in my opinion, proves to be the director’s best work. The leads, played by Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, are both people of tremendous character, the kind of people the world needs today. Lady Ashley (Kidman) comes to Australia and immediately must decide between the easy choice of returning to London and ignoring the injustice that’s being done Down Under, or making the tough decision to fight the battle of saving her husband’s ranch and the people whose lives would be affected. Read more
Chick 1 says:
Yummy Daniel Craig follows his debut as James Bond in Casino Royale. Did I notice anything in the movie besides the ludicrously attractive Craig? Surprisingly, yes!
What I Liked: The movie goes straight to the action, and it doesn’t let up. Director Marc Forster employs the increasingly popular handheld camera to capture the fights & it really gets you inside the action. The plot is driven in quick terse scenes, barely giving you time to catch your breath before you’re pulled into the next sequence of bone crunching stunts. Things move fast & the ride is awesome. The cast does a fine job & there are some very nice cinematic storytelling moments from both director & cinematographer. Read more
Chick 2 says:
In typical Nicholas Sparks form, Nights in Rodanthe delivers all the required chick-flick elements, although a friend of mine has recently termed movies of this particular type “Estrogen Movies”, and this one definitely falls into that category. Two strangers are thrown together in the midst of their respective mid-life crises and, wait for it, fall in love. Shocker. While Richard Gere and Diane Lane give good performances, the script just about pulls them down like the hurricane in the movie that represents “the storms of life.” Mae Whitman, who plays Lane’s teenage daughter, is one bright spot showing that the memorable performances she’s given since the age of five were no fluke. The Inn in which the two have their 5-minute romance is gorgeous but I don’t believe the actors ever set foot there, as the lighting indicates that even the ocean was green-screened in.
IF you are waiting for a good rental, or perhaps actually enjoy the sappy melodrama of a Nicholas Sparks’ script, THEN GO.
Chick 1 says:
Continuing my movie edumacation with Charlie Chaplin, Wendy & I caught the 1931 classic City Lights at our local indie theater. I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Of course, I’d seen a million clips before but never a full movie. I assumed the humor would be somewhat dated but I’d still be able to appreciate it. I was right but that’s not the whole story.
What I Liked: I laughed…a lot. From early in the picture when the Tramp is trying to unhook his pants from a sword so he can climb down from a statue to a classic boxing match to many an escapade with a drunken millionaire, I was wiping my eyes. I was completely amazed by the intricate choreography many of the laughs required. Not only was Chaplin amazing but he surrounded himself with talented performers. Almost everyone on screen is a dancer in this hilarious ballet. The movie is tender as well. A blind flower girl that Chaplin falls for & tries to help weaves a common narrative thread through several comedic episodes.
It’s easy to see Chaplin’s influence on decades of comedy; from Bugs Bunny to screwball comedies to Jackie Chan.
What I Didn’t Like: very little. Yes, some humor is a little dated but not as much as I expected. Good physical humor & likable characters are funny in any era!
Bottomline: Long live the Tramp!
Chick 2 says:
Our local art house was hosting a festival on the subject of the homeless and my sister and I were fortunate enough to see Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights on the big screen, starring Chaplin as his most famous character, The Tramp. I had never seen any of Chaplin’s films and his impact on film and comedy in general was immediately obvious. What I appreciated so much in childhood watching the antics of Tim Conway, Bugs Bunny, and others was so brilliantly displayed in its origin by Chaplin. The humor was, of course, dated and at first I only greatly appreciated his talent without outwardly expressing anything, but eventually his genius physical comedy and instinctive timing had me laughing my head off. I greatly want to see more of his classics, and my hat goes off to those who use their talent to not only create social commentary, but also make us laugh (hard) in the process.
IF you’re looking for classic American comedy in it’s origins, THEN GO (rent it).
Like Water for Chocolate is a subtitled film typical of fairy tale fantastical stories from Mexican directors. It’s the story of Tita, forbidden to marry her true love so that she can care for her overbearing mother, she pours all her unfulfilled emotion into her cooking. Her true love Pedro, in order to be near Tita, marries her older sister and drama ensues. It is a clever and cute story, but not sophisticated. The second act seems long as you wait for a final resolution to all the hardship, and that resolution may seem dissatisfying to some. Released sixteen years earlier, its story has similar characteristics but does not quite attain the magic of Chocolat. Lumi Cavozos is very endearing as Tita, and her sister Gertrudis provides for some brief entertaining comic relief.
IF you’re looking for a fun, fantastical rental, THEN go (rent it).
Rachel Griffiths & Alan Rickman strut their stuff
Chick 1 says:
I’d been wanting to see this quirky little British movie for several years. It has an amazing cast & looked like the hairstyling version of Strictly Ballroom, a movie I love.
Blow Dry stars Alan Rickman as Phil, a hairstylist in the small British town of Keighly, who was once an international hairstyling champion. He now owns a dumpy barber shop where he works with his son, Brian, played by Josh Hartnett. Phil, has not competed in 10 years since his wife, Shelley, ran away with his hair model, Sandra (Natasha Richardson & Rachel Griffiths). Shelly and Sandra now own a salon in the same town. The storytellers kick things off with an announcement that the international hairstyling competition is coming to Keighly and the revelation that a character has cancer, then sit back and let the madness ensue.
Well, kind of. Read more
IF you want to spend an afternoon or evening celebrating your female relationships, THEN go.
Things aren't going well for Brad
