There's a moment, there's always a moment.

Closer

One of my all-time favorites, this gritty drama is a brutally honest look at relationships and the hurt people cause each other. The film is filled with vulnerability, strength, brilliantly shot scenes and fantastic performances.

Jude Law is so unlikable as Dan, a man who's slimy but think he's a romantic. I think it takes serious acting skill to play an unlikable character. While he doesn't turn in the film's strongest performance, he does an exceptional job. And his chemistry with Natalie Portman is amazing.

What his character represents is what's best about him. I'm in an evolutionary psychology/communication class and we talk about cheating, what drives humans, and so forth. In lectures on relationships, we've learned that everyone cheats; it's in our nature to not be monogamous because we need to mate with the best genes to produce better offspring, etc. However, when it comes to cheating, men especially want to cheat but do not want their female partners to cheat. There's some kind of intrasexual competition between men to sleep with as many women as possible while holding onto their mate. Dan is this theory. He's driven mad imagining a woman he's with sleeping with another man; it leads to the downfall of his relationships in the film. It's always cool to see things you learn in school in real life.

I really respect Julia Roberts for going outside her box. She's never been my favorite of actresses because she plays the same role a lot. But she's different as Anna. She's a liar and depressed, not cutesy and lovable. Good role choice. Next step, play a serial killer, eyyy Julia?

Clive Owen is phenomenal as Larry the "caveman," a man with an unquenchable sexual thirst but deeper complexities. In the original play, Owen played Dan which I cannot imagine at all. Owen's got a kind of Cro-Magnon look to him. He plays his character clever and though he's sleazy, he's far more appealing than Dan.

Despite the other stellar performances, all roads lead to Natalie Portman. She's so gifted. Her character is manipulative and sweet, she traps men in her web of intrigue. The lyrics in the opening and closing song by Damien Rice, "I can't take my eyes off of you," totally applies to Portman's character. People see her and fall in love, she's a "vision." This was a really adult role for Portman. We always knew she was talented but she stepped her game with Closer. This has definitely groomed her for what looks like an even more adult and intense role in the my most anticipated Christmas time film, Black Swan. I love her in this role.

Patrick Marber wrote a very intimate screenplay. The dialogue is in your face but seems very private. I shouldn't be listening to these conversations, I'm a peeping tom for watching this scene. The meat of the film is in the dialogue; there's not one sex scene in the whole film.

Coupled with the intimate screenplay is the way Mike Nichols shot the film. Many of the scenes are filmed as if you're a bystander at a variety of distances. You could be sitting a the table in the restaurant watching and listening to Anna and Larry's conversation or you could be standing at the top of a staircase watching Anna and Dan greet each other. I kind of feel like I have to take a shower after watching Closer; I feel dirty invading these people's space.

Mike Nichols shot some really great scenes in Closer. The juxtaposition of the opening and closing scene with the Damien Rice song playing is just brilliant. Furthermore, the use of fish is interesting. Fish pop up in several scenes in the film, which made me think of the saying "There's other fish in the sea." Going along with the repeated Damien Rice lyric, "I can't take my eyes off of you," and the last lyric in the song, "'Til I find somebody else," the idea of there being other fish in the sea makes sense. You can love someone until the end of time, having eyes only for them until you meet someone new and the feelings start all over again, just with a different fish.

Closer is truly incredible but it can be scary. Do not see this if with a person you are having a relationship with. If the relationship is good, you'll look for cracks. If the relationship is bad, you will break up.

Jason Bateman on Arrested Development

Every actor on Arrested Development is a genius. That show is so well cast. But to balance out all those insane personalities in the Bluth family, you need a straight man. And Bateman is the perfect straight man. He created a dedicated and understated character in Michael Bluth who was full of love but grew flustered with his ridiculous family. It takes a really strong actor to hold their own with all those extroverts and still be funny. Please let Hollywood make that Arrested Development movie, I wasn't ready for the Bluth's story to end.

Netflix

Toy Story 3-Dislike the 2nd one but this has gotten such great reviews.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)-Supposed to be bad but I love Jackie Earle Haley.
The Girl Who Played with Fire-Netflix Instant. I won't see this for a long time. Still haven't finished the first book in the series or seen that movie. Winter break project?

Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.

Mean Girls

A comedy staple! My generation's Clueless! Mean Girls is a slightly exaggerated, though mostly spot on account of high school and all the gossip and social climbing students encounter through that four year minefield of high school.

What an amazing performance from Lindsay Lohan. This role firmly established her as a talented young actress and I'm sure opened up a world of professional opportunities. But we all know what happened, and it's a shame. She really is talented. She's believable as the likable and naive girl next door from Africa and the "regulation hottie" who has been influenced by the Plastics, the cool/mean girl clique at her high school. With more of the right roles, Lohan could've (and maybe still could) had a bright career. Her comedy skills are definitely on point.

Mean Girls gives me reason number 537873 to love Rachel McAdams. The girl is amazing, talented, flawless and so on. She shines as the glamorous mean girl Regina George. She has a knack for comedy. Even though Regina George is so awful, I can't help but like her because Rachel McAdams is just so good. Rachel McAdams can do anything.

The rest of the cast are as exceptional as the leads. Lacey Chabert gains audience sympathy as the desperate Gretchen Wieners, whose hair is full of secrets. Great debut from Amanda Seyfried, an actress who's creating a great career for herself. Her dead pan humor brings the laughs. Amy Poehler is a goddess and is not used enough. Her spot on portrayal as a (wannabe) "cool mom" is kind of horrifying but simultaneously hilarious. Finally, we have the current queen bee of comedy, Tina Fey. I just have no words. Fey is practically perfect in every way.

Tina Fey's script is genius. There are so many great lines that my friends and I recite to this day; my roommate is always looking for an excuse to say, "You can go shave your back now," while I take pleasure in saying "And none for (insert name), BYE!" And I don't know any girl who doesn't laugh at "I can't go to Taco Bell, I'm on an all carb diet. God Karen, you're so stupid!" Rachel McAdams says stupid in a very weird way and that makes the joke funnier. Even after viewing this classic countless times, the jokes are still hilarious.

Not only do the jokes continue to be funny, but the depiction of high school always amazes me. Mean Girls IS high school, exaggerated of course. The overt and subtle bullying, the ridiculousness of people's behavior, the desire to find yourself and fit in along the way...all true. There's a darkness to high school that Tina Fey shows but accompanies with comedy, but we get the point. This movie spoke to my generation. It might not define it, but Mean Girls definitely rings true.

The serious line that always stuck with me is at the end, after all the chaos with the Burn Book and the "girls going wild." In a voiceover, the Lindsay Lohan character says, "Calling somebody else fat won't make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn't make you any smarter. And ruining Regina George's life definitely didn't make me any happier. All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you." Why do we call each other fat then? Does it really make us feel better about our weight? There's this competition between girls that is just alarming. We put each other down to feel better about ourselves but the feeling goes away. We have to be better and we can only be better by making other people lower. This competition is at its worse in high school, but it doesn't always end there. One just needs to be comfortable with oneself, not comparing them self to others or putting others down, and just solve the problem in front of you.

Mean Girls joins Clueless and Heathers as some of the finest comedy and teen cinema. They help the genre get taken seriously. Mean Girls is intelligent, funny, and eye-opening.

Claire Danes in Temple Grandin
I've never been a Claire Danes fan. I've ripped her apart when I've had the chance. But she is in fine form in Temple Grandin. Playing a real person is a challenge, but a real person with autism, that a whole other level of challenging. Claire Danes truly shows her acting chops in this HBO original movie. Throughout most of the movie I forgot I was watching Claire Danes. If you see any interviews or footage of the real Temple Grandin, you see how amazing Danes' performance is. She needs to turn out more work like this.

Netflix

Winter's Bone-Jennifer Lawrence is getting Oscar buzz.
Robin Hood-Missed this in theaters.
Some Kind of Wonderful-Netflix Instant. A John Hughes film not mentioned as much as his Molly Ringwald projects.

Times change, we need to change as well.

Invictus

I had wanted to see Clint Eastwood's inspirational sports movie starring God and Will Hunting last December when it came out but it was one of the couple that I missed. After seeing Invictus last weekend, I'm glad I saw it on DVD and skipped paying $11.00

Morgan Freeman is absolutely amazing as Mandela. It's the role he was born to play. Not only do the two resemble each other, but Freeman completely embodies the South African leader. We are so used to seeing Morgan Freeman play a wise man and say, "Ah, that's Morgan Freeman doing his Morgan Freeman thing, he's great." But there were times I forgot I was watching Morgan Freeman. He takes his typical wise man role to the next level. He's magical, authoritative, and engrossing. I've always found Nelson Mandela fascinating and seeing one of America's most beloved actors portray one of the world's most beloved people adds an extra emotional layer to the role. One negative, Freeman's accent faded in and out a few times, but that's easily forgivable. Definitely one of Freeman's best performances.

Matt Damon does the best with what he's given but so much of the writing and focus is on Freeman. They are both leaders leading broken people and while Matt Damon does portray his character's motivation clearly, his character's writing isn't as strong as Freeman's and doesn't really go anywhere with the role. Damon maintained a solid accent though.

Beyond the performances, the film has its highs and lows. Apparently, pretty much everything Invictus showed really happened, so good for Eastwood for trying to be authentic. The voice over of the poem that inspired Mandela, Invictus, is a great way to pull heart strings. The film is predictable as are most inspirational sports movies but enjoyable as are most inspirational sports movies.

There were some fairly awkward moments scattered throughout Invictus. There's an incredibly cheesy and distractingly out of place song, an awkward dance sequence, and unnecessary slow motion. While I like slow motion, there's just too much of it and when slow motion is overdone, it's distracting and annoying. On top of the slow motion is slowed down grunting noises from the rugby players...lots of them and for a long time. Yeah. Too much slow motion isn't leaving me tense and on the edge of my seat.

Furthermore, there's a lot of CGI in the climactic rugby game...and one can easily tell it's CGI. Clint Eastwood is a powerful, rich, and respected director. You think he could've done a better job of making the CGI look real.

This movie does remind us of the power of sports. Besides all the race relations and tensions (perfectly depicted between the white and black security guards), sports have a powerful way of uniting people and nations. Everyone backing their nation's team creates a sense of comradery and brother/sisterhood, even just for a little while. People who might not normally get along gather around radios and televisions (as shown in the movie) with something in common. Even more powerful is that that comradery can last after the team wins, as show in the movie. Beyond all BS regarding insane salaries, team/manager politics, steroids, betting, and so on, sports are a wonderful display of athletic prowess and are more important and have more potential than we give them credit for.

Definitely glad I saw Invictus, definitely better than some of Clint Eastwood's more recent work, definitely glad I didn't spend money on it.

Carey Mulligan in Never Let Me Go

This sad, ethical question raising film is filled with strong performances but they were lead by the outstanding Carey Mulligan. She again shows a wisdom beyond her years and handles heavy and complex emotional material with subtlety and restraint when one's instinct might be to scream and breakdown, much like Andrew Garfield's character (who was also incredible, he's one to watch). It's really exciting to watch Carey Mulligan get started in her roles, I feel like I'm watching the early growth and development of the next Kate Winslet or Meryl Streep. Mulligan is not only one the most talent young actresses currently working, she's better than a lot of the working actresses out there right now. I cannot wait to see what roles she takes on. She's a gift to the film industry.

Netflix

Leaves of Grass-An Edward Norton comedy where he plays twin brothers. Cool.
Boogie Nights-I love Mark Wahlburg and this was his big break. Plus it was one of Paul Thomas Anderson's first films.
The Breakfast Club-Netflix Instant. Freaking love this movie. And I still think it would make a great play.

The internet's written in ink.

The Social Network

After the stunning trailer, I had very high expectations for The Social Network, David Fincher's film about the founding of Facebook. The film met and far exceeded my expectations, creating a compelling story and fascinating characters.

Jesse Eisenberg is a revelation as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Ever since I saw him in The Squid and The Whale, I didn't like him. His character was a damaged asshole and I could not separate Eisenberg from the character in The Squid and The Whale. But seeing him play a different damaged asshole in The Social Network, suddenly something clicked; this guy is unbelievable! He's not the neurotic guy we've seen in the past; he's a driven, calculating, determined genius driving an unstoppable train towards fame and fortune. He's an ass and he's the antagonist, but Eisenberg makes him incredibly human. As strongly evidenced in the beginning, the end, and at various points throughout the film, Zuckerberg has human motives for the things he does and one feels sorry for him. That's totally a credit to Eisenberg, making the audience feel bad for the bad guy.

The supporting actors all held their own against the acting powerhouse of Jesse Eisenberg. Andrew Garfield wonderfully plays the "protagonist" character. He's really burst onto the scene this year and he's got a long career ahead of him. Very, very talented. Armie Hammer took on the daunting task of playing twin brothers who were very different but were totally dependent on one another. He made them individuals through his performances. Max Minghella provided some necessary comic relief.

The big question on audience's mind is how will Justin Timberlake do? I'm pleased to say he was very, very good. There were times when I forgot he was Justin Timberlake. He worked very hard to disappear into the role. He does not deserve an Oscar nomination for this performance but I applaud him for taking on a serious and pivotal role. If he keeps going in this direction and picking movies like The Social Network, he'll have a successful acting career.

For a movie about the founding of a website, writer Aaron Sorkin sure found a way to make it all interesting. The dialogue is witty but not unbelievable. The film is an excellent presentation of greed, ambition, and friendship and how those three rarely combine and end well. It was fascinating to watch Zuckerberg come up with the elements of Facebook users have been used to from the beginning, like the relationship status and "the wall." Furthermore, watching a character freak out about a relationship status on Facebook accurately portrays the internal and sometimes external freak outs Facebook users go through. A great way to laugh at oneself.

However, it's really important as an audience member to do your research before or immediately after you see The Social Network. This is not a 100% true story. This is fictionalized account and it's based on a book from Eduardo Saverin's perspective, the guy who gets screwed. It's very bias. If one can do the research, separate the fact from the fiction and look at the film as mostly fiction, it will be very enjoyable. Dislike the "character" of Mark Zuckerberg, not the real Mark Zuckerberg.

Furthermore, Trent Reznor's score was hypnotic. The best parts of Nine Inch Nails and then some. I definitely see an Oscar nomination in his future.

In a year of a lot of movie disappointments, The Social Network is a breath of fresh air and definitely one of my favorites of 2010. A must-see, but take everything with a grain of salt.

Kristen Bell in Veronica Mars

I've been on a TV kick in this section lately. I love Kristen Bell and my love began with Veronica Mars. Bell was witty, intelligent, and lovable as the young sleuth. It's a shame that her film roles haven't been as complex or shown off her talent the way Veronica Mars did, because this show proves she can act. She created a fabulous female role model in Veronica, a strong and smart young women with human imperfections. I'll love KBell forever for this role.



Netflix
Babies-Great trailer!
Notes on a Scandal-Want to see again.
Damages-Netflix Instant. I hear good things.

Don't look this bitch in the eye.

Clash of the Titans

I totally understand why Hollywood felt the need to remake Clash of the Titans. It's an epic story which could benefit from updated special effects. But the remake is just...crap. Crap, crap, crap.

One problem I had is with Sam Worthington as Perseus. Yes he's foxy, comparable to a young Harry Hamlin. But the hair. Why would his hair be buzzed? All the other Greek characters have long, gorgeous, thick and braided hair. I get that they are trying to make Perseus stand out from all the other characters (he's the hero and a demi-god after all) but the hair is a huge problem. It doesn't make sense with the time period and Worthington is much more attractive with long hair. The proof is in Avatar.

Furthermore, Worthington's acting leaves lots to be desired. He's a very grunty hero, doesn't connect too much with the audience. At least Hamlin was slightly broody and put some emotion into the role. Worthington just pouts a bit, mostly grunts, and runs around. Even his growing love story with Io, the replacement for Bubo the owl, seemed forced and unnatural on his part. I know my opinion matters so much to Sam Worthington, but he really needs to prove himself to me. Action stars can make decent actors (hello Bruce Willis). I read reviews of Last Night, Worthington's upcoming relationship drama and critics weren't fawning over his performance.

The special effects were lackluster is my eyes. The scorpians are big and intimidating, but they look so fake. In the original, they looked much more real. Caron is all special effects; he looks like a cross between a tree and a skeleton. Big deal. Being a cloaked ferryman is far more intimidating, like in the original. We get few glimpses of him and all we see is creepy, lifelike bone. In Caron's case, less is more. And Medusa. She looks far more like a woman in the remake, which adds a humanistic touch but the audience doesn't need that with Medusa. She's a means to an end. Making her all reptile-esque like the original brought the scares better in my opinion. The one special effects improvement I saw was the Kraken. Much more intimidating with all the CGI. Those teeth, so sharp, so scary!

The story and writing was a bit of a disappointment in my eyes. Perseus and Pegasus meet for about five seconds and then the work together; no relationship development. Andromeda, totally useless. Yeah, she's a sacrifice and all, but no love story between her and Perseus. And I would've liked a little more focus on the other Gods.

I did enjoy seeing some fine actors making use of bad material. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes had good chemistry and Zeus and Hades. And I did like the inclusion of Hades in this remake. Mads Mikkelson did fine as Draco, a mentor and fellow warrior to Perseus. Finally, it's nice to see Hans Matheson getting work in a big project, even if his character did get turned into stone by Medusa.

Maybe it's because I grew up loving the original and nothing will ever replace it in my heart. But this remake was a serious disappointment.


Michael C. Hall as Dexter

Dexter returns tonight! I'm so excited, I love this show. I don't love it just for the compelling story of a serial killer but for Michael C. Hall's performance in the titular role. He can play any emotion he's given and any situation he's in. He completely inhabits the role from the outside and in, as evident through Hall's excellent voice over work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the day he wins his Emmy.

Netflix

Me and Orson Wells-I have faith that Zac Efron is more than a pretty face.
A Single Man-A must see for a second time.
The Thin Red Line-Netflix Instant. Can't go wrong with Terrence Malik.

Once you have signed up to terror, your mind closes right down. It becomes only our story that matters, not their story.

Five Minutes of Heaven

A powerful and thrilling meditation on revenge and redemption, Five Minutes of Heaven tells the story of Alistair Little, a former UVF member who killed Joe Griffen's brother. Twenty-five years later, the media arrange a reunion between the two changed men.

Five Minutes of Heaven looks at the difficulty of forgiveness and letting go, and how hate and regret can come together and be resolved. This is all portrayed in the fabulous performances by Liam Neeson as Little and James Nesbitt as Griffen. Neeson, brilliant as always, uses physicality and voice to portray his regret. His hands shake, his eyes droop down, his body and face scream sad. But he will not physically be at the mercy of Griffen. Despite his regret, Neeson carries Little as a strong man who has been through hell but wants to live. Similarly, Nesbitt gives a superb performance that relies heavily on physicality and voice. Lots of twitching, shouting, and nervous ticks color Joe Griffen through James Nesbitt. I haven't seen Nesbitt in much, but he did make an impression on me in his small but important role as a detective in Match Point.

This quiet, nearly scoreless movie creates ample tension through the performances and the direction. Tight shots follow Griffen as he descends towards Little. Griffen contemplates killing Little much in the way young Little contemplated going through with the murder twenty-five years ago. The two men mirror each other in an almost creepy way. The film is very intimate, like one is eavesdropping or watching from a distance all this go down. Five Minutes of Heaven's writing and shots reminded me of a Patrick Marber (Closer, Notes on a Scandal) script. As a viewer, one feels as if they are intruding and could interrupt a crucial moment at any second.

This film ponders whether enemies can become friends, media exploitation of grief and misery, is it possible to truly forgive and the power of redemption. Those are some pretty serious themes to deal with in a ninety-nine minute movie. Five Minutes of Heaven's length is its Achilles' heel. All the listed themes are vital to the film, so an extra thirty minutes might've been a good idea.

I highly recommend this film. Five Minutes of Heaven leaves a lasting impression.

Jane Lynch on Glee

This is one of the most obvious good performances I've written about. Lynch is fabulous as the hateful but sympathetic Sue Sylvester. Her humor is obvious and dry, simple and intelligent. Her height matches her big personality and she's one of the two, formerly three, reasons I continue to watch Glee. With all the TV I watch, I'd be easy for me to just forget a show that I wasn't enjoying as much anymore. But Lynch is hilarious and makes Glee more than bearable for me. I love her in all the Christopher Guest movies, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Arrested Development, etc. It's nice that I know her now as Jane Lynch and not "that funny, tall, blonde lady."

Netflix

My Wife is an Actress-I enjoy Charlotte Gainsbourg and I enjoy French cinema.
Temple Grandin-Well, it won all those Emmys.
This Is England-Netflix Instant. Keeps getting recommended to me.

You think I want to sell stolen wheelchairs for the rest of my life?

Date Night

Date Night is a comedy about a married couple looking to have a little fun but end up being chased around New York City by mobsters and crooked cops due to a mistaken identity. The film, with a fairly predictable plot and decent jokes, is given all its magic through the king and queen of TV comedy, Steve Carrell and Tina Fey.

Carrell and Fey have their prestigious titles for a reason. They each have their own brand of awkward but intelligent humor that can be watered down or magnified to reach audiences of most ages and IQ levels. In Date Night, their humor is slightly dumbed down but hilarious none the less. They have wonderful, natural chemistry and easily slip into the role of a married couple, The Fosters, stuck in routines. But when this boring, normal, and believable couple are thrown into an extreme situation, the comedy sparks start flying.

But along with this comedy comes a heartwarming feeling. The Fosters are clearly in love, they've just lost each other a little bit. And they do not want to become what their newly separated friends became, "Really awesome roommates." Watching the Fosters run around in their extreme situation brings the laughs but seeing them work so well together as a couple brings the "awws." This shows that Carrell and Fey aren't just funny, but good actors as well.

The supporting cast also brings the laughs. Mila Kunis and James Franco make a hilarious appearance as a trashy couple with the answer to the Foster's problems. Mark Wahlburg's hotness is almost too much to handle and William Fitchner, yet again, shows that he can do anything, even pervy comedy.

Lots of couples go through sparkless ruts like the Fosters. Hopefully lots are lucky enough to get it back and rediscover each other.

Paul Rudd in Dinner for Schmucks

While this was an ensemble film with laughs from all actors, Paul Rudd stood out. His character, Tim, was a bit of an asshole, something we aren't used to seeing from Rudd. His character in the original French version is waaayy more of a dick, but Tim is an ass. It's nice to see Paul Rudd try to be more than a nice or cluelessly funny guy, and be believable at it. Though he has his nice guy moments and turns out to be a nice guy in the end, props to Rudd for trying something different.

Netflix

A Prophet-A supposedly brilliant French film.
The Ghost Writer-Regardless of who Polanski is as a person, he's a genius behind the camera.
The Young Victoria-Netflix Instant. I didn't wanna see this in theaters but I'll check it out since it's on Instant.