Lockout

Last weekend I also went to see Lockout (not my choice - it was for a friend's birthday and the birthday boy got to decide).

The basic concept of the movie is there is a prison in outer space where prisoners go, are placed under sedation, and sleep for their entire sentence.  Emilie, who happens to be the President's daughter, goes in her role as a psychologist.  She is trying to determine the side effects of the sedation drugs, which are thought to cause aggression.  She begins by interviewing prisoners, and the prisoners get out, wake each other up and all hell breaks loose.

Guy Pearce plays Snow:

 and Maggie Grace plays Emilie Warnock.

Rotten Tomatoes critics give the movie 33% and audience members rated it 53%.

One critic who didn't like the movie put it this way - "It is the kind of movie where someone tumbling in space above the earth's atmosphere opens a parachute and lands gently on earth without even gasping for a breath." Another called it "85 minutes of shoddy plotting, direction, and full on boredom."

Those who liked the movie seemed to see past the predictability, with one critic saying "it is cliched, ridiculous and very entertaining," and another says they did a fine job of "coming up with obstacle after obstacle for our two leads to dodge - not the least of which happens to be good old-fashioned logic." 

So yes, it may not be the most thoughtful, revolutionary, or barrier-breaking movie.  But let's be honest - you can go to The Flicks for that.  Sometimes it is nice to sit down for a good old action movie and let your brain take a break.

I do agree with the critic who said it is the type of movie where the parachute opens and they land gently.  That sums it every very well - everything seems to constantly, magically, work out exactly as it should.  Also, the movie attempts to be smart with "unique" subplots, but I think they were totally confusing and didn't add much to the movie without a more thorough understanding of what was going on.  It was like they decided, "we need to make this more 'intellectual'" so the writers threw in some twists.  The add-ons seemed totally irrelevant to the rest of the movie and were never hanging (in the way where you know they will desperately attempt a sequel).

I would say go see this movie if you want action, explosions and good looking people.  Don't see it if you want thoughtful, intellectual, or deep.  If you go with the right expectations, it can be an enjoyable movie.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

This was quite the weekend because I went to see TWO movies!  One was for a friend's birthday, and the other was because it was Saturday and I didn't want to go out.  Nothing sounded better than a movie.


Saturday I went with my friend Emily to see Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

The basic premise of the movie is a wealthy sheikh wants to be able to go salmon fishing in the Yemen river.  Money is no obstacle and Emily Blunt plays Harriet, his investment adviser.  She tracks down Ewan McGregor's character, Dr. Frank Jones, who is a salmon expert working for the British fisheries department.  He thinks the idea is preposterous, but due to circumstances beyond his control, he gets involved.  The movie is what unfolds on a mission to bring this idea this life.more »

The movie has Emily Blunt in it, whom I absolutely love (she is the girl above).

Rotten Tomatoes critics rate the movie 69% and audience members rate it 75%.  


Pleasant reviews say, "this cast, director, and writer, make it all come off as unlikely a delight as the very fishy story is it built on," and call it a "a charming little movie."  Those who didn't like the movie called it a "clunky melodrama" that "half-heartedly tries out wacky comedy, sweet romance, and inspirational drama."

Overall, I loved the movie and would recommend it as something worth watching.  I think charming is a good way to characterize it.  However, I do see where the negative reviews are coming from - it does seem a bit long, and at times seems like it is going for too much.  There were a few developments that seemed to happen very quickly and a little too perfectly.

But, this is a movie about life and you know how I love movies about life!  It isn't a particularly depressing one, and there are a few twists you wouldn't expect.   A perfect Sunday matinee.

Warrior

The recipe for a perfect Friday night? Frozen yogurt (dulce de leche + red velvet + cake batter if we are getting specific) smuggled in to see the movie WARRIOR.  If I am capable of convincing you of anything, let it be to convince you to go see Warrior -- I would put it in the top five movies I have ever seen.

I am not much of a fan of sports movies.  Actually, more accurately, I am usually apathetic toward them and just never feel like watching them.  I have never seen Remember the Titans, The Fighter, Rocky, etc...In fact, I kind of chose this movie because it was the latest showtime and I needed a few extra minutes  to go and grab my frozen yogurt.

I also was wary of seeing this movie because it is 2 hours 6 minutes.  I prefer movies in the 100 minutes realm, and whenever I notice a movie is at least two hours, I think twice about whether I really want to see it.  However, the reviews are great, and I wanted to do something that didn't involve getting drunk on a Friday night.  During the movie, I wasn't once bored and I didn't check the time at all -- a good sign that the movie was holding my attention.  When the movie ended, I actually wasn't ready for it to end either! I could have watched for at least another hour.

If all those reasons still haven't convinced you, maybe this will:

In addition to the excellent eye candy, the movie had me blinking back happy tears and sad tears.  At one moment I was rooting for one fighter and the next I found myself rooting for the other fighter.  The movie does an excellent job of getting you involved with the characters and each character seems real -- they are complicated people with ugly traits and good traits. 

The ending isn't sticky sweet and is also seemingly realistic.  The movie doesn't lay it all out for you like some movies do and doesn't feel the need to assure us that everything turns out wonderfully.  Basically it ends with a "life goes on" type of feeling but also doesn't leave you empty or wishing you knew what happened.  It is very satisfying.

Some other great characters were played by Jennifer Morrissette and Nick Nolte.

Go see WARRIOR! And of course, my recommendation would be to sneak some sort of treat in :)  I always have to bring something or it just seems weird.  Even if I finish my snack during the previews, it wouldn't be the movies without some sort of treat!

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Tonight I went to go see Crazy, stupid, love.  I LOVED it!  I think this is the perfect movie to go see by yourself.  It gets you thinking and there are some great twists.  It isn't the best date movie -- I think all that talk about love could get awkward.  It also is kinda intense at times, and so a group might prefer a comedy or horror movie.  However, if you want to go to a movie that gets your brain thinking, puts you on an emotional roller coaster, and leaves you feeling satisfied, Crazy, stupid, love might be your movie. 

I was going to swing by a doughnut shop to get a snack to bring in, but decided I needed to run by the Coop to get some wine and dates for a dinner party tomorrow.  While there, I got a pack of freeze dried raspberries and raspberry-lemonade.  The drink was okay...it was fizzy and tasty, but not the most delicious thing ever.  The raspberries were a perfect movie snack.  They were like candy (I prefer sour candy).  They were tart, crunchy, and there was a good amount.

As for the movie, it had an awesome cast.  I love, love, love Julianne Moore.

I also really like Steve Carrell in comedies.  It was nice to see him do a great job pulling off the more serious parts of the movie. 
I wasn't really feeling Ryan Gosling as some sexpot of a guy.  I don't know why, but I have never thought of him as super, super sexy.  However, by the end of the movie, I started to really like him in the role. I wonder why (just kidding).

I think the reason I really started to like him was the interaction between him and Emma Stone was adorable.

Anyway, go check it out if you have been on the fence.  I really liked it...it would also be a great movie to rent and curl up to watch on a rainy day.