Movie Review: Gone Girl

Holy. Moly.

David Fincher's film version of Gone Girl hit theaters this weekend, and since my book club read this book a few months ago (click here to see my review), we decided to go see it as a group.

And oh boy, did Fincher capture the book pretty much perfectly on film or what? There were some aspects that were even darker than the book (Desi's "offing" especially), and only a few differences and characters left out or downsized, probably because of time restraints (the movie is already over two and a half hours), but he pretty much got the twists and turn of the plot down pat. And, contrary to rumors that had been going around prior to release, the ending is pretty much the same as the book. I know many had their hearts set on a new conclusion... sorry guys.

The film stars Ben Affleck as Nick Dunne, and Rosamund Pike as his wife Amy, who move from New York to Nick's home town in Missouri after losing their jobs during the recession, and when Nick's mother becomes ill. On their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy goes missing, and Nick is blamed for her disappearance and suspected murder.

Affleck was perfect as the sometimes (or more-than-sometimes) unlikeable Nick, and Pike's "Amazing Amy" was just that. Spot on. Oscar worthy even. And Trent Reznor's score was perfectly haunting.

This film is rightly rated R for very strong violence, language, adult and sexual situations, and nudity. I would definitely recommend it only for VERY mature high schoolers (we're talking the oldest of the senior class here), possibly even college-age and up.

I give this one an A-.

Movie Review: The Boxtrolls

After a fun weekend at a family wedding in Ojai, my parents offered to keep my little man Eli there with them for a few days.

It's been nice (even though I really, really miss my guy!) to have some one-on-one time with my almost-9-year old, Sophia.

We've gone out to breakfast a couple times, gone shopping, planned out and chosen all the party supplies for her upcoming birthday tea party, and this afternoon, I surprised her with a trip to the movies, and dinner and ice cream after, since my hubby had to work late.

After her homework was all done, I suggested we put our cozy jammie pants on, because I had a surprise for her. We NEVER go to movies during the week, unless we're on some sort of break from school, so she was surprised when we pulled into the theater's parking lot.





 

She's been begging to see The Boxtrolls since she saw the first trailers a few months ago, and honestly I've been pretty antsy to see it myself.

The Boxtrolls comes from the same studio (Laika) that made one of my all time favorites, Coraline, as well as Paranorman, and it took YEARS to make. The story was fun, and original, there was a great message of acceptance and not judging someone before you know them, and the animation was AMAZING! Plus I LOVE anything Steampunk, and there were Steampunk elements all throughout this one. It was happy times!

I'd recommend The Boxtrolls, which is rated PG, for kids first grade and up. There are some somewhat scary elements, mostly having to do with the villain, who is allergic to cheese, eats it anyway, and has major, kind of gross, reactions to it, all the way up until the end. There is also some peril, to the point where Sophia, who is pretty emotional anyway, was crying, for fear that characters had died.

I give The Boxtrolls a B+.

Movie Review: The Other Woman

The Housewife (Leslie Mann), the Lawyer (Cameron Diaz), and the Model-Type (Kate Upton) all have one thing in common: they're seeing the same man (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, aka Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones). After finding out about each other, they team up to get back at him, and hilarity ensues.

There are certain movies that come along, that are by no means "amazing" or "though-provoking", and yet, you could watch them over and over.

The Other Woman is definitely that kind of movie. It will never win any awards. It is not life changing.

And yet I would gladly go see it again (in the theater even!) if someone asked me to go.

Why?

Because I laughed so hard in so many scenes, and it was like a great work of Chick-Lit ("Great work of Chick-Lit"? Is that an oxymoron?) for my eyes and I didn't even have to use my brain to comprehend what was happening.

This sounds like a terrible review so far, but believe me. It's not.

Sometimes as a mom, you need a little break where you don't have to think about anything. No one begging for cookies after they've already snuck three, or screaming because they don't want to take a bath to wash off the cookie evidence that is ALL OVER them, or even more screaming because they don't want to get out of the bath.

This is, in a sense, the perfect 2 hour vacation for us moms, who just need to do nothing for anyone else, and relax, though it could also be considered a great ab workout, considering how much I laughed! Especially at Leslie Mann, whose physical comedy style is very similar to Lucille Ball or Carol Burnett. She really makes this film. I don't think it would be nearly as funny without her.

My only regret is that I didn't see The Other Woman in the "fancy" movie theater, where they have 21+ showings where they actually serve YOU. Things like chocolate desserts and cocktails, are brought to you IN the theater by waiters, right to your over size, super plush, leather recliners.

Although, I wouldn't want to risk spitting my $13 drink out from laughing... Ain't nobody got money for that!

The Other Woman is rated PG-13 for adult situations, drinking, mild language, and sexual references. No sexual acts actually occur onscreen, but they are definitely alluded to, so I would only recommend it for somewhat-mature high schoolers, maybe ages 15 and up.

I say somewhat-mature, because apparently I'm part 12-year-old boy and found the poop jokes hilarious!

I give The Other Woman a B+.

Mommy and Me Movie Review: Maleficent

As the school year comes to an end this week for the schools in our area, summer movie time is just beginning!

My daughter, Sophia, and I decided to get a head start on our summer movie viewing yesterday afternoon, after a day of shopping and lunch together, when I surprised her with a trip to see Disney's Maleficent.

We both LOVED it!

Angelina Jolie is breathtaking and perfect as Maleficent, and the special effects, sets, and makeup are beyond amazing. The rest of the cast does a phenomenal job, too. And how cute is Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter Vivienne as toddler-Aurora?! Adorable!

There are a few "holes" in the script, I thought, where things didn't just flow, seemed like they were added as an afterthought, or felt a bit rushed, but I loved that it was a twist on the story of Sleeping Beauty that we all know so well, similar to what Wicked did for the Wizard of Oz story.

 Sophia, who is 8 years old, wrote her own review too, which included tidbits like "Maleficent is a fairy that is human size. She has wings that drag on the ground. Maleficent can not be next to iron. She has a crow that she can turn into animals that are bird like..." and then she goes on to give away the whole movie, so I won't print it here, so as not to spoil it for everyone.

But she gives it an A.

 

 

There are some pretty dark and violent moments (for a PG rated film), so I would recommend Maleficent to kids ages 7 or 8 and up, but there were kids in the theater much younger than that had no problem with the somewhat scary elements, so just use your own judgement, as you obviously know your kids better than I. Overall I give it a B+.

So if you combine our ratings, we give it an A-. Not bad Disney. Not bad at all.

And, just for the record, we'd totally see it again.

Movie Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

 

Cap is back yo!

 

In the sequel to Captain America, Steve Rogers is trying to figure out who he is and how life works now that he's living in the 21st Century, all while trying to fight a new (well, new-ish... but I don't want to give anything away.) enemy, The Winter Soldier. Oh, and Nazi-like organization Hydra isn't gone either.

 

I really liked this movie. So much so, that I saw it twice this weekend.

 

I wouldn't say it was as good as the first, because it's hard for any sequel to be as good as it's predecessor (unless we're talking about The Godfather Part II. That was just as good as the first. But Pat III was terrible.). But it was definitely worth seeing. Twice even! 

 

And it doesn't hurt that Chris Evans is Captain America, and Sebastian Stan (aka Jefferson/The Mad Hatter from Once Upon a Time) is The Winter Soldier. And Scarlett Johanson, though not my favorite in real life, is really good as Natasha/The Black Widow.

 

And please don't be one of those people who leave as soon as the credits start rolling. This is a Marvel movie after all. And there is ALWAYS more, at both the end of the animated credits (which might just have alluded to a possible Avengers/X-Men crossover!! Yay!!) and again at the end of the longer credit roll.

 

 

 

 

As with any sequel, definitely see the first one before you see this.

 

Though it's rated PG-13 for violence and some mild language, I recommend Captain America: The Winter Soldier for kids 10 and up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Movie Review: Divergent

Let's just start out by saying that movies are NEVER EVER as good as the books on which they are based. Actually, I can think of one movie I liked better than the book, and that was The Notebook. But that is the only one. And believe me, I've read a ton of books that have been made into movies. It has taken my a l o n g time to teach myself to separate movies from the books they are based on, as if they are two completely different forms of entertainment with the same base story lines. But it has made for much more enjoyable movie-going experiences. And I truly love going to the movies. (So much so, that right out of high school, I set a goal for myself to see at least one movie a week for a year. I way surpassed the 52 movies in my goal, and saw over 80 movies, in the theater alone, that year. This was obviously before kids and any kind of actual bills I had to pay...)

That being said, I can honestly say I did really enjoy Divergent. The script worked for anyone who had not read the books beforehand (which is a big deal when seeing a book-based movie), and the acting was good. And Four (played by Theo James a.k.a. Mr. Pamuk a.k.a. the guy who died in Mary's bed in the first season Downton Abbey. Yes. That guy.) is quite the looker, with a voice like honey to my ears...

Ah-hum. moving on...

But of course, because I have read the book series (more than once even...) I definitely found some major differences. They're things that, if you have not read the books, will not be a big deal, as the story still flows fine (for the first movie at least...) and I'm sure at least one omitted scene had to do with keeping the rating a mild PG-13 as opposed to an R rating for goriness. Also, I've heard so many fans say they think author Veronica Roth must be so upset with what they've changed... Um, you guys. She was a producer on the movie. She had a say in what got changed, and may have even done the changes herself to fit her vision, yet keep it within the time and rating restraints. (And Bonus: Did anyone else see her cameo? She was the first Dauntless out on the rooftop in the zip-lining scene!)

So here are where some spoilers might be starting. Don't read ahead if you don't want to know! You've been warned...

Major difference #1: Where the heck was Edward? The whole getting-his-eye-stabbed-out-with-a-butter-knife scene was a big part of Divergent, and why Tris hated and feared Peter (played by Miles Teller, who, in the movie, is definitely mean, but nowhere near as evil-cruel as in the book) so much. Edward practically did not exist in this movie, which makes me really wonder what they'll do for the second movie in this series, Insurgent, which will start filming next month, and, according to it's IMDB page, is due to be released March 20, 2015. Edward kind of has a big part in the rest of the story, as a factionless leader.

#2: It was never established that Will and Christina are actually dating, which will make it SO much harder for Tris to tell Christina that she killed Will when the Dauntless were under the serum attack, which in turn makes Christina kinda hate Tris for a bit there.

#3: So this isn't that big of a deal, I know, but Tris's mom doesn't sneak in to the loading dock area to warn her she's in danger. She comes to parents night at the Dauntless, and Tris realizes her mom used to be Dauntless when she tells her to try the chocolate cake, because it's delicious, after she tells Tris to be careful in a dauntless hallway, hidden from the view of the cameras.

#4: Jeanine and the Erudites (that sounds like a band name, doesn't it?) were not in the control room while Four was controlling the serum simulation (while under the simulation himself) and therefor was never "serumed" by Tris and Four to stop it. Four shuts it down on his own, after he breaks out of his serum-induced trance thanks to his love for Tris.

OK, those are all the spoilers I'm including... for now.

Like I said above, I really did like this movie. Enough that I would even see it again. It may not be as well done as the Hunger Games movies, but it was still an entertaining story and a great way to escape life for a couple hours.

I'd recommend Divergent to mature upper elementary aged kids, so maybe 11 or 12 and up, due to violence and some adult situations.

Movie Review: The LEGO Movie

 

 

"Everything is awesome!! Everything is cool when you're part of a team! Everything is awesome... when you're living for the dream!!!"

 

 

Yes, that song WILL be stuck in your head after watching this movie.

 

We went to see The LEGO Movie a couple weeks ago when our friends from Oregon were visiting. It was their daughter's 7th birthday, and she LOVES Legos, so what better way to celebrate than a trip to Legoland (which is only about 10 minutes from our house), and The Lego Movie the next day.

 

This movie is about an ordinary Lego construction man named Emmet, who is mistaken for a MasterBuilder, trying to save his Lego world from "The Kragle" with the help of his new-found friends Wyldstyle, Unikitty, and, of course, Batman. 

 

It was pretty cute, with good messages throughout. Plus, it's always nice to have a kids movie adults can enjoy too.

 

It's rated PG for some mild violence and mild adult humor (which goes right above the kids heads, really) but other than that, I say this is great for kids of all ages, especially if they're into Legos.

 

If you're interested in seeing how the movie was made, check out this video!

 

 

Movie Review: Swingers

 

 

 Many people tell me I'm a film buff, though I don't consider myself one, simply because there are way too many amazing films I have never seen. Films that you must see in order to be labeled a "film buff". Films like Scarface and The African Queen. I'm a failure in that sense...

My all time favorite movie, though, is a little low-budget indie flick from 1996 called Swingers, directed by Doug Liman.

 

I have no idea why I love this movie so much. But I do. It's not a blockbuster, it's only somewhat original, and not overly artistic. But there's just something so honest and funny about the writing and acting. Plus it has some of the best quotes and one-liners. Ever.

 

"You're so money and you don't even know it."

 

"Vegas Baby! VEGAS!!"

 

"I'll have a scotch on the rocks, please. Any scotch will do, as long as it's not a blend, of course. Single malt, Glen Livet, Glen Galley, perhaps, any Glen."

 

"Like F-in' House of Pain was gonna do anything?"

 

"I'm gonna make his head bleed for super fan number 99 over here." 

 

Just to throw out a few...

 

I think Jon Favreau's main character, Mikey, is the epitome of what it was like to be a recently-single struggling actor in L.A. in the '90's. Also, this is one of Vince Vaughn's first major movie roles, and the chemistry between him and Jon Favreau, who also wrote (and almost directed) the film, is just fantastic.

 

And don't even get me started on the soundtrack.

 

Dean Martin.

George Jones.

Heart.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

Tony Bennett.

Roger Miller.

Bobby Darin.

 

I'm pretty sure most of this films tiny budget (which was only something, like $200K... crazy low-budget!) was spent on music. And it was worth every penny that I'm sure those actors and production assistants didn't get paid. Without this selection of music, I just don't think Swingers would have been what it was, and still is, to it's biggest fans.

 

Rated R for strong language and sexual situations, I suggest Swingers for early high-school and up.

 

 

If you're as big a fan as I am, then I highly suggest this article on the making of Swingers.