Nick And Nora's Infinite Playlist

If you're going to watch this movie, don't have any expectations and you'll probably like it.
I thought it was going to be more funny more quirky, and indeed it had the foundations to be so, but it never lived up to my expectations.
It's actually kind of funny if you think about it... Michael Cera plays this straight straightedge indie kid who's the bassist of a band of homosexuals who can't get over the gross spoiled brat who dumped him two months previously and continues to make cds for her. The gross brat's nemesis, daughter of a record producer takes the rejected cds and feels that herself and Mikey are music soul mates, though she has no idea who he is, until one night the cross paths at a music show and continue on a romp around the city in Mike's awesome Yugo listening to tunes looking for the secret show of their favourite band, "Where's Fluffy".
It's cute and all, but I feel it was trying to be a little too much like Juno that they missed out on their own groove.
Also, Michael Cera <3

Wristcutters: A Love Story

Mary snatched up this movie at the video store because Patrick Fugit, the cute kid from Almost Famous was in it. For such a random pick, it was actually such a good movie.
Zia, the main character commits suicide because he broke up with his girlfriend, he ends up in the afterlife where people who commit suicide go, a world like ours, just a little shittier. Befriending a Russian who's whole family has committed suicide, he learns that his girlfriend also killed herself. So... of course he goes on a search for her.
The movie continues to become more bizarre and metaphorical. It has a fantastic little ending, if it wasn't for the ending I wouldn't have liked it very much.

Harold And Maude

I had to see Harold and Maude again with Mary as she'd never seen it before. I really think it's up there among my favourites, I remember seeing it at 14 and being shocked at the relationship between the older woman and the young boy, but watching it again, it's a more genuine relationship then some I see today.
Everything about this movie is great, particularly the characters. Harold's mother, whom I regrettably can't find any pictures of is so fashionably inspirational. Besides that, there are so many little philosophies about life/death in this movie that I love.
I hope to grow old like Maude someday.

There Will Be Blood

Wow... wow.
Very dark, depressing, and very very good. But it was almost too good. It's like looking at a picture of a woman in a magazine ad, where are her pores?
There's nothing wrong with being too good, but there was a little less soul from this movie because of it. Mind you, it was all too sad to be soulful.
And Daniel Day Louis, um, possibly the greatest actor of this age, actually. I mean, I knew that when I watched My Left Foot this was a talented actor
And the kid from Little Miss Sunshine? WHOA you're no longer that nerd from the Girl Next Door who ends up being a porn star, you're now an Oscar worthy actor...
I don't want to be a spoiler, but the part with the brother, crazy. And the church.
I'll say one thing, there will be blood.

if....

Me and Sophia popped into Video Difference yesterday. They have an amazing selection... from the new releases to independent, foreign, classic, documentaries... Sometimes it can take me ages to select something. Me and Phi discussed how we must see A Clockwork Orange as it is one of those movies everyone has seen, but we weren't in the mood for something really weird. Sophia pointed at a movie with a handsome boy sitting in a "Godfather" pose, and told me I'd probably like that film, as it is the same actor in A Clockwork Orange and is less strange, but still interesting.
Her recommendation was as good as any, so I decided to get it along with There Will Be Blood. Sophia got The Shawshank Redemption to show her boyfriend who hasn't seen it. I think The Shawshank Redemption is an excellent movie, but I tend to feel a bit apprehensive about something that so many people love because it makes it feel impersonal.
Anyway, I watched if.... this morning. It did not disappoint, it had surrealist scenes, along with an excellent performance by Malcolm McDowell especially considering it was his first leading role in a film. It is considered part of the Counterculture movement in the 1960s.
It took place at a prestigious English private school, where traditions of old still took place. Within the main character, Mick's 6th form there were certain students given a higher rank of "whips" who were able to hand out corporal/other punishments to their peers. One night the whips strike Mick's friends 4 times each, and 10 times to Mick because of their lack of spirit. I don't want to spoil the ending of the film, but what does end up happening, to me it is not clear whether it actually happens or if it is Mick's imagination.
I believe this will be a film that sticks in my mind for a long time...

Top Secret

If you've ever seen the movie Airplane you know to expect a lot of bad jokes, slapstick, and political stereotypes, Top Secret delivers. We used to own it, but my mother gave it to her best friend's brother... my friend wanted to see it again so we went and rented it.
The premise of the movie is to combine a war movie with an Elvis movie. It's also Val Kilmer's first big role... which makes it even funnier. I'm warning you, it's stupid, but so worth your time. The tunes are also so catchy and silly.


Here's the preview

The Queen

I love the show Prime Suspect which stars the same actress who plays the Queen, she is a brilliant actor and her performance blew me away. It was kind of fascinating to see the Queen in her more intimate moments (okay, I know it's fictional) after the death of Princess Diana. I thought the part with the stag was particularly powerful. I think Queen Elizabeth II is a very wise and good person.
My dad met the Queen once, and he said she was lovely.

I would like four matching dogs one day please.

Penelope

for some reason I really wanted to see this movie, it was pretty good. It was about a girl with a pig nose who needed to break the curse by having some guy accept her for who she was...

It was a little silly because yeah, her pig nose was big, but not as big as an actual pig nose, but every guy she met would literally run away screaming and run out a window... um okay. She's not THAT scary. I think her nose should have been more pig like. Despite the nose itself being a disappointment the movie was cute and I could imagine younger girls really enjoying it, I would approve too because it has a good moral and idea.

On the other hand, the guy who played Robbie in Atonement, James McAvoy was the main love interest, so I put up with the lack of nose for him. None of his Imdb pictures are that hot, but he is.

I found a desktop wall paper of him... haha.

Roger and Me

I think this was the only Michael Moore documentary I hadn't seen. It was about the closing of auto plants in his hometown of Flint Michigan which employed more then 30, 000 people. It was well done but left me feeling a little sad. I think Michael Moore points out important issues, and even though he can be biased he gets his point across it way that makes you feel he is most undoubtedly right. 

The Gods Must Be Crazy

We watched this in Philosophy class because it had themes of justice... but I loved it. Such a memorable little movie filmed in Botswana... which looks beautiful and I want to go there. They had no budget, and it was chock full of slapstick, but sometimes I think there needs to be movies like that. It starts off in a desert tribe in the Kalahari with what are known as the "bush people" they are "uncivilized" as they live in little tents and have no concept of ownership, thus they have no conflict, thus no concept of justice. Except one day a plane passes overhead and down drops a coke bottle... when the tribe discovers how useful it is, there is suddenly arguments and unhappiness about it. So the leader of the tribe decides to take it and throw it off the edge of the world. Much eventfulness follows...