A Little Step into My Head

Good morning and happy Saturday! As per usual, before the Oscars I tend to start catching whatever stray nominees I can. This time I saw 'Philomena'. I  posted the trailer  a while ago in case you don't remember. The rough story is that a young girl became pregnant in a fling and was forced to give him up for adoption and fifty years later she is trying to find him. She, being Philomena, has attempted to find him before with no luck. This time she has the help of an ex-BBC reporter who is quite a bit more forceful with his questions. Last but not least, this is based on a chillingly true story. There are many interesting and shocking twists in this story, which I shall not spoil. What's important is that it's a good story! 'Philomena' held my attention from start to finish. Best of all it touches on a vast  array of hot-button topics. This is why I call it a conversation starter. Oh the discussions I had, and could still have, about the various ...

Happy Thursday everyone! Today I am going to talk about 'Cairo Time'! It's a movie that has been loafing around my Netflix Que for quite some time and I finally got around to watching it! 'Cairo Time' is a movie about an American woman who flies out to Cairo to meet up with her husband. Her husband works for the UN and is stuck in Gaza. Now the wife has all the time in the world, alone in Cairo. Well, not exactly alone. She soon befriends her husband's retired head of security. Plot ensues! This is a rather quiet movie that has a lot of subtlety and finesse. I found it incredibly enjoyable!  They touch on some of the cultural differences and dangers of being a woman alone in Cairo. This adds some very mild seriousness to an otherwise easygoing movie. I was pulled right into the story and was captivated until the last second! On top of the great story the cinematography is absolutely stunning! I've never been to Egypt, and I doubt I will anytime soon, ...

Good afternoon everyone! Today I watched 'Kon Tiki'. You may remember it from the Oscar nomination last year. I have been interested in watching for all this time but have been beating around the bush. It's a movie about sailing across an ocean on a tiny raft, I feared it may be boring! Thankfully, it wasn't! 'Kon Tiki' is a film about real life events where a group of Scandinavians, mostly Norwegians, attempted to sail from Peru to the Galapagos Islands to prove that that is how the Islands were originally discovered. This rebutted the accepted idea that the islands were discovered from Asia. You see how I could think that it may be somewhat tiresome to watch? This is an incredibly well done movie! I was happily surprised with my viewing experience. Not only was I learning something about scientific and nautical history (don't judge my nerdiness) but it was intense and gripping from beginning to end! As an added bonus the characters don't get on the...

About a week ago 'The Monuments Men' hit the theatres. I have been anticipating this film for so long and finally I have seen it! Best of all, it did not disappoint! I first showed you the trailer  back in August. This has been a long time coming! Time to get down to business. I adore the detail in the background. 'The Monuments Men' is a movie about a small group of art scholars, historians, and the like trying to save as much art from the Nazis as possible. Naturally, this is set in WWII. The cast is star studded and primed for a great performance! This is a calm mature movie. it isn't going to shock or thrill you with flash and pomp. The story and emotion will suffice perfectly. That and the fact that visually, it's absolutely incredible! The detail as well as the grand images are both exacted with such correct perfection. I was pleased with every, single, second. It would be rather redundant to go ever the fact that a cast filled with old pro...

Yesterday afternoon, I walked into my local theatre to watch 'Saving Mr. Banks'. I didn't exactly know what to expect because I had heard some clashing reviews on the subject. I did have high hopes which I expressed in my previous post . I left the theatre about as pleased as I can possibly be with a movie watching experience! I absolutely adore this film! 'Saving Mr. Banks', as you probably know, is the story of how Walt Disney and his team managed to create the beloved 'Mary Poppins' film. A major part of this conquest was convincing the author to sign over the rights to the story! Throughout the movie you watch flashbacks to the authors childhood where the real life inspiration of 'Mary Poppins' takes place. Let me tell you, it is an engrossing and totally immersive situation! Part of what makes this movie so fantastic is the perfect casting. I loved every single character. I'm not even exaggerating. Paul Giamatti was a true delight ev...

Hello movie world! Today I have two movies that I think should be skipped entirely. This is for the people who are waiting for things to come out on DVD. I did that, too, and I wasted a few Netflix shipments on these mongrels. Everyone you get to see bicker for the entire film. First, is 'Now You See Me'. This movie is bang-your-head-against the-wall boring, completely flat in character and plot development, and sadly filled with good actors shelling out cheap, hollow acting. It's not even exciting! You just watch, essentially, the same heist go down three times broken up by a boring monologue in between that explains things. It's like a puzzle for dummies! They don't even give you enough time to become confused before they show you all the answers. This, paired with the fact that any major twists are either seriously predictable, or such cop-outs that they are groan-worthy, makes 'Now You See Me' an obvious skip. Just don't waste your time! Sec...

Good morning everyone! Today I have a trailer. I don't really know what I think about this one. I've been sitting on it for a couple days trying to decide if I want to blog it or not. Obviously, I decided to go for it! The trailer is for a movie called 'American Hustle'. The cast is so eclectic! Jenifer Lawrence, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, and Jeremy Renner. They are all so good in such different ways! Cooper, Bale, Renner, and Lawrence I absolutely adore! Just thinking about them all on screen together makes me want to squeal like a teenage fan-girl. Frankly, the idea of them all together just seems like a massive, glorious, charisma bomb. Let's take a look at the trailer now. It just looks so well done! I can't help myself! I definitely see potential for failure in that trailer but I also see potential for fabulous greatness! I don't know which way it will go. I do know that I was similarly apprehensive about 'Silver L...

'The Fifth Estate' or as I have been calling it 'The Assange Wikileaks' movie. It came out this weekend and curiosity got the best of me. There was no way I wasn't going to see this movie opening day. I feel like there are an incredible amount of angles with which we could look with this film. It's such a complex topic. I am going to look at it piece by piece. Storyline first. It's what's most important. The plot is very engrossing. I found myself very interested in what was happening. It doesn't start at the founding of the Wikileaks site but in fact just maybe six or eight months before the big massive leak that happened a few years back. I feel like I have to mention that it is a thinking movie. I could see someone getting bored or confused. That being said, I wasn't ever bored or confused. I did however seriously wonder how accurate it was. Not because it struck me as inaccurate (though there were many moments where I suspected slander...

Hello, movie lovers! I have three trailers today. They are all incredibly different but they have something in common. The trailers intrigue me but I just can't decide whether or not I think they will be good. Three wild cards. First I have 'The Railway Man'. Trailer first. The movie doesn't have a poster yet. This is the book cover! All right. So, it definitely piques my interest but it has the possibility to be so dark. I certain level of darkness is bound to be present but I hope they leave a lot to the imagination. The fact that it is based on a true story, naturally, makes me want to see it ten times more then if it were not. Sadly, I couldn't find a movie rating on the Internet. If it's 'R' we are probably in for some grit and torture. I'm pretty sure curiosity is going to get the best of me, I'll let you know the aftermath! Next, we have 'Last Days On Mars'. Yes, it's a Sci-Fi movie set on Mars. It's an ...

Yesterday, I bopped down to the movie theatre and watched 'The Family'. As you may remember,  I was pretty excited about this one.  Well, it was underwhelming to say the least. I was expecting a relatively lighthearted comedy that skipped on the line of a Dark Comedy. 'The Family' was more than I bargained for. It was a full fledged Dark Comedy (and I take that word 'Comedy' lightly) that flirted heavily with being gritty. It just went too far. The story was promising, but it was executed poorly. Instead of following this Ex-Mafia family as they tried to fit in and assume a normal life. What we actually get is to see them brutally, and I mean brutally, maim and torture countless innocent civilians for little to no reason. I understand that it's a Dark Comedy, and violence can be done with an air of comedy, this wasn't that. They just kept going. For example: The daughter starts hitting some boy who was making a pass at her. Okay, that can be funny I g...

Hello all! I have a trailer today. When I found this trailer, I was so thrilled. I felt like I had just discovered buried treasure. It's made by the French in English. So that's why there are French subtitles on the trailer. Here we go! It's just so charming! The cinematography grabbed my attention and the story grabbed my heart. I feel like the trailer really stands on its own feet. The only real question is Helena Bonham Carter, Hollywood's wild card. I think she'll do great. We all know she is capable of sane, serious roles, and we get to see that I think. All in all, keep your eyes out for this one! I expect great things!

DOUBLE POST DAY! You may celebrate however you see fit. I have a trailer that I just couldn't wait to share. 'The Fifth Estate'. Trailer first. That's right people. WikiLeaks. You may or may not already be aware that this movie is coming. There has been a lot of buzz about it for a long time. I. Am. So. Excited! This movie is so up my alley! I love a good intelligent, political drama. This one is so relevant that the interest is through the roof. Let's break it down shall we? The acting. Benedict Cumberbatch is Assange. Perfect, I love it. Stanley Tucci appears to be some sort of Washington man. He can pull that off I'm sure. David Thewlis appears to be a friend of Assange. I love that actor so much. I'm totally biased when it comes to Thewlis. As if that wasn't enough Peter Capaldi (The 12th Doctor in 'Doctor Who') and Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley of 'Downton Abbey') are also present. I am overwhelmed by this awesome lineup! I ma...

Hi all. Last night I watched 'Mud'. I was quite excited for this movie, I even  blogged about the trailer.  Sadly, the movie didn't quite stand up to the trailer. It's a very strange situation. It's not that it wasn't good, it's that there was too much bad. A shame really. I'm going to start with the good things. The acting, especially McConaughey, was impressive to say the least. He was gritty and pensive. Surprisingly, he was only shirtless for maybe 5-10 minutes of the film! No, in all seriousness, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about McConaughey's performance. Good job buddy! Frankly, most all the technical aspects of 'Mud' are great. Cinematography, costumes, and sets etc. It's this fact, the fact that is was so well done in most ways, that makes it such a terrible shame to have its two flaws. Told you so. The two flaws! (Dramatic music) Flaw number one! The completely unnecessary presence of filth in this movie. By...

Hello all! I have a movie review for you today. The movie is 'The Sapphires'. As you may remember, I  recommended this movie previously in a post.  Let's just say I wasn't disappointed! 'The Sapphires'. A movie about four Aboriginal girls in Australia. Three sisters and one cousin. These four girls can sing incredibly well together. They have a few things stacked against them though; They're black in the 1960's and they aren't polished as a music act. They can't do anything about the black bit, but upon meeting an enthusiastic man who agrees to be their manager, their career begins to really grow. This manager switches them from Country/Western music to Soul and teaches them some choreography. Oh, I almost forgot to mention one last thing! They go out to perform for the US troops in Vietnam. That ups the stakes a bit, doesn't it? This movie is simply great! My favorite thing about it is the characters. They are very unique, believab...

I finally got around to seeing 'Silver Linings Playbook'! I know that I am incredibly behind the curve on this one. I don't care though! I never see movies in the theatre when they are 'R' for nakedness. It's just too awkward. Anyway, I feel like it would be redundant for me to talk about how great the story and acting are. I mean, just look at how many awards it won. That being said, I do have some things I would like to go over. Firstly, I know a lot of people who have been on the fence about watching this movie because of content. Watch it. I would say that someone over 15 (and maybe have them look away at one key scene) should be able to handle this movie. There are a lot of 'F' words. 75 in fact, according to IMDB. They are sprinkled evenly throughout the entire movie so there is no escaping it. The nudity really isn't that bad. It's in a flashback. You see a naked woman from behind through a mildly foggy glass shower. You also see her b...

Hi All. I have quite the unique trailer this week. At least I think so. It's called 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'. Here we go! Okay, so I am totally in love with the idea of this movie. An average office worker who has a vivid, and adventurous, imagination who then has to go on a real exploit? This is right up my alley. Seriously! On top of that the cinematography looks really cool. They are really utilizing the fact that they are in his imagination. I love it! Aww, Christmas Day? Cute. :) The possible downside is Ben Stiller. Sometimes I can really despise the guy, but he can surprise me too. I think that this is quite a bit more serious then his usual work, and I like that. It's an adventure with a meaning! Also, some part of me can respect Stiller a little more now that he's aged a bit. I have a lot of hope for him in this part. As for the plot itself, I haven't read the original short story. Yet. I think I might just have too. I am incredibly...

As you may remember, a few month back I  posted the trailer for 'Into The White'.  Well, I watched it last night and I must say, I wasn't disappointed! If anything, this movie was even better then I expected. Let's get into some details shall we? This is a serious movie. Yes, there are some light moments, but the majority is tense and attention grabbing. I was expecting a bit more hiking about in the Norwegian countryside but no. Most of the movie is set in one, tiny, hunting cabin during WWII. The basic premise is that a British plane and a German plane shoot each other down over Norway. The both crash within three or four miles of each other and both crews end up at the same cabin. There are three Germans and two Englishmen. The Germans have more people and pistols so they take the British as POW's. It's a bit silly really, they are all trying to survive together but one group must be in charge. The story then follows all the little power struggles, surviv...