Lost in Cinema

I am not just about books I also love movies and not just costume dramas though those are my favorite. This weekend I saw 4 new movies (1 in theaters and 3 rented at Blockbuster Express) and I wanted to share my thoughts on them.

The first movie I saw was “Friends with Benefits” when I told people I was going to go see it this weekend they said they heard it was better than “No Strings Attached” I never saw that because it looked kind of lame. But that’s okay Natalie Portman everyone needs a bad movie after such an Oscar worthy movie look at Gwenth Paltrow and that Flight Attendant movie after “Shakespeare in Love”. Any way back to my original thought. First funny side note, I turned 25 this May and I feel like since then I have been carded less and less when I go out to eat and have a drink (which is cool for me) but at the movie theater I get carded to see a rated R movie. Secondly I will say that it was a little awkward for me to sit through a movie that was about sex and it wasn’t just about sex they went into some detail of what the characters do or do not like in bed. So if you don’t like the awkwardness of hearing about sex I wouldn’t watch it. But over all it was a cute/ funny movie that shows how people can’t just hook up with out feelings involved. I would like to insert a big DUH! here. But actually I was pleased with how well Justin Timberlake could act and I liked the parts he was a little bit musical. I also like Mila Kunis character who though she has had heartache and doesn't even know who her father is wants to still have a fairy tale it just needs to be updated (as her mother says). I just wish that they could make romantic comedies with out using the “F” word every few minutes.

This brings me to my next movie another romantic comedy “Letters to Juliet” rated PG. This movie is cute and sweet and a bit corny at times. Its about a girl Amanda Seyfried (from Mama Mia) who goes to Verona with her fiance they go on a pre-honeymoon trip because when they get married he fiance has a restaurant opening that will leave no time for a honeymoon. But you can quickly tell he cares more about the restaurant than his girl (not cool). Amanda plays a fact checker for the New Yorker but really wants to be a writer. She goes to the House of Juliet (found out from the making of the movie there is a Juliet museum made in the 1930s) and women (or so the movie portrays only women) write letters to Juliet seeking help with love, life and other things. Then the Juliet secretaries come get the letters and write back if you have a returned address (this happens in real life... almost makes me want to fly to Verona leave a note just to see what they would say...from a deleted scene I watched the secretaries don’t tell the writers what to do, they advise and then leave the writer with a question). So back to the movie, Sophie (Amanda) get involved with the sectaries and they found a letter that has been hidden for 50 years. The letter is from a woman Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) who didn’t run away with her Italian boyfriend and married the sensible English man and now 50 years later after getting Sophie’s letter Claire, Sophie and Claire’s grand son (Charlie played by Christopher Egan who looks a little bit like Logan Hutzenburger from Gilmore Girls) go looking for Lorenzo Bartolini (Claire’s love). Mean while we know Sophie’s fiance is off in another part of the country at a wine auction, I was thinking why aren’t they together? I won’t give the whole plot away, it was cute romantic comedy that I when I watched the end my heart was a little bit a pater. But I love the corny cute movies. Also the fact that it was shot in Italy was so cool to see the Tuscan country side and the city of Verona, I loved that!

The next movie I watched with my friend, who is anti-romantic movies and with her I watch movies that get me out of my comfort zone of the romantic movies. We watched “Limitless” with Bradley Cooper. Bradley Cooper plays Eddie Morra who is this out of work grungy author who has a book contract but nothing written. Then due to a run in with his ex brother in law who was a drug dealer gets a drug who allows people to use more than the 20% of their brain they use regularly so he writes his book and gets involved in the stock market and makes lots of money. But this drug is so addicting you have to keep taking it or you basically a slug. Also if you don’t take it you can end up in a comma and die. Yeah not good. It is a good almost conspiracy film. The thing I loved most about it was the lighting or cinematography because when ever he was on the drug the colors were so vibrant and when he wasn’t the colors were so grey. Definitely a movie good to watch on an HD tv. The thing I didn't like about it was that at the end it makes it seem its okay to take drugs.

At my friend’s suggestion I also watched the movie “The Brother’s Bloom” (seriously got to love Blockbuster Express) it stars Adrian Broody and Mark Ruffalo (who I love from 13 going on 30) they are brothers who grow up in foster care with multitude of parents and through that really only have each other. Mark Ruffalo the older brother is really the brains but he uses his brother Bloom (Adrian Broody) to set up the con. It seems after every job they pull Adrian Broody wants to get out but can’t because Steve (Ruffalo) is all he has. So there next mark is Rachel Weiz who is the sole inheritor of large multi million dollar estate. She lives by herself and is bored so find these brothers’ exciting and together they pool a big con. I loved that even though it takes place in modern day it has a vintage feel. I mean from America to Europe they take a boat and when they are in Europe they take a train, no planes, I thought hey this movie could be set in 1930s almost and Mark Ruffalo and Adrian Broody play the bad guys you love like the mob movies of the 1930s. And the costuming is so unique. Definitely a movie I would like to own and put in my collection.

My recommendations are for Letters to Juliet for a sweet kind of corny romantic comedy and The Brothers Bloom for an original story and vintage feel movie.

Tonight I am going to see”Crazy Stupid Love” with another friend of mine. I will let you know how it is.