Tropic Thunder

This isn't usually my genre but I try to watch a few things Nathan might like, once in awhile. I like a smart comedy, ala Old School or Wedding Crashers. I had heard this was hilarious but I was disappointed. There were some great pieces, like Tom Cruise. He should've been up for an Oscar for that performance! And Robert Downey Jr. truly was amazing in his transformation!
So if you like this kind of thing, you'll probably love this movie. I didn't totally regret watching it.

The Duchess

This is a great film. As a woman and a mother, it really made me grateful that I live in the century I do and therefore enjoy the freedoms I do. I loved the way it laid out the class struggles of the century. I found it terribly interesting and fun that this woman is an ancestor to Princess Di. And the costumes and hair are amazing!

Brain Candy

First I want to start by bashing some of the critics who've been bashing these two movies. The critics bash "chick flicks" because they say it reduces women to these man-hungry idiots who don't think about anything else but snaring a man, as if it's their sole goal in life. That is not what I take from these types of movies. Yes, at some point in our lives we're all on the lookout for our soul-mate. Does that mean it becomes the entire focus of our lives? NO! But in a movie you only have two hours to tell a big story, so you focus on the parts where the woman is trying to get her man. You don't always have time to show all the other things she's also doing at the same time, like getting a college education (SDSU girls, didn't we have a damn good time with each other!!!!!!) or working her first big job. It is a shame that they can't differentiate because sometimes there are truly bad chick flicks (ala most anything with Kate Hudson and/or Matthew McConaughey).

He's Just Not That Into You. Nancy and I saw this one today. I had low expectations because of things I'd read, but was actually pleasantly surprised. Nancy thought it was ok but they just didn't close it for her. It's a chick flick/romance with alot of different stories that are mildly related. There are alot of good actors in it...Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper (love him!!), Jennifer Connolly, Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson...need I go on? I thought they did a really great job of delving into the many kinds of relationships people can have and how things aren't always how they look!

Confessions of a Shopaholic. This one was hilarious. Isla Fischer is a true comic genius. I was laughing so hard the entire time! And Hugh Dancy is like a younger Hugh Grant...goofy and charming. And there are some great supporting actors like John Goodman, Joan Cusack, Kristin Scott Thomas and very briefly, Vanessa Redgrave. If you can only see one, see this one (Karen!)

Some good Oscar flicks

The Reader. I read this book a long time ago, but couldn't really remember the details so when going to the film it felt new. But now having experienced both I recommend you read the book first (if you are going to read it, and I recommend you do). The book allows you take in all the things the characters are thinking that is oftentimes the missing link when seeing the film. And the movie does make you think! It's not lite fare, if you really want to get something out of it. I do love Kate Winslet, she is the next Meryl. I knew she'd get the Oscar, not just for the Reader but for both her outstanding performances this year!

Milk. This film was also exceptional and Sean Penn really transformed himself for it. It has some great supporting cast members too...Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch and James Franco. Sean's Oscar doesn't make up for his and Emile's snub last year for Into The Wild but it was good to see some recognition finally!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

This is a really good movie. It was written by Eric Roth, who wrote Forrest Gump, and it has that same cadence. It spans Benjamin's entire life and it's just a well written story. The computer effects they used to make Brad Pitt unage are amazing. I highly recommend this one but bring ALOT of Kleenex. It's not necessarily sad, it's just moving. But then I am a big cryer so be your own best judge.

Bobby

We just rented this movie and it has become an instant favorite of mine. You will not find a more star-studded cast of really great actors like William Macy, Anthony Hopkins, Emilio Estevez (who also wrote and directed), Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Lawrence Fishburne, Joshua Jackson, Harry Belafonte, Helen Hunt, Shia LeBeouf, Elijah Wood, Martin Sheen and Christian Slater.
The story is about the events that happened at the Ambassador Hotel the day that Bobby Kennedy was assassinated there. It's a bunch of individual stories that all link together at the end and each story is a snapshot of something that was happening in society in those days.
Of course the story then weaves in the real story of the assassination by using actual footage of Kennedy speaking at the hotel that day.
It's an amazing glimpse into life in the late sixties and is even more poignant given the events of Obama's inauguration this week. The civil rights movement has finally come full circle, 40 years later.

Defiance

This is a great movie. I highly recommend. And if you're worried that it's really sad or depressing, don't be. It's an inspiring story about a group of Jewish people that formed a community in the mountains to survive the German occupation during WWII.