"Chandni Chowk to China" (2009); "The Truth About Cats & Dogs" (1996); "But I'm a Cheerleader" (1999); "The Ides of March" (2011); "Maybe Baby" (2000); "Strictly Ballroom" (1992); "Puss in Boots" (2011); "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955)

Chandni Chowk to China (2009) - I'm almost sure I was in India when this film came out because I either saw ads for it or something but it seems quite familiar. If you have never seen Bollywood, this is either a terrible movie with which to start or a fantastic movie to break you into Bollywood. I'm going to lean towards, 'don't start with this movie,' but that's only because I don't want you to give up on Bollywood immediately. The movie has the common trends in Bollywood movie: escapism, mountain-high suspension of disbelief and dramatic situations like none other. Oh yeah and song and dance routines. There aren't as many as usual in this movie because it is an action flick. In which an Indian man is told he is a reincarnation of a Chinese hero and has to learn kung fu. So it's a bit Karate Kid in that sense... if you pretend Kung Fu and Karate are interchangeable... which is as unlikely as many of the moves shown in this movie (that I totally want to learn). Don't get me wrong, besides Akshay Kumar's terrible hair and the ridiculousness of the movie in general, it was an okay trainwreck to watch once. Oh, and I'm changing my name to Meow Meow. 

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The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996) - It had been a while since I watched this movie and it was fun to revisit it. Ben Chaplin is a cutie in a slightly odd looking way. I really enjoyed watching the relationship between the two women because it really touched on the physical expectations of females from others and for themselves. Although the wardrobe is dated (that's good for a laugh), we still get the idea of how differently people are treated because of their looks. Like the Bollywood film I just mentioned, this film is escapist and has a semi-high call for suspension of disbelief. This movie is very much a romantic comedy. Some well-known faces are to be seen in this 15 year old movie!

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But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) - I love this movie and was super-excited to catch in on TV on a day off from work! ;) This movie pushed the limits in my mind when I was younger, and I suspect it may have pushed the limits when it was released in general. It's still relevant today especially when you think off the conservatives running for public office who think they can change someone's sexuality. I'm sure you can assume that I'm not of that mindset and want people to find happiness, even if it isn't along traditional gender lines. I love seeing Cathy Moriarty and RuPaul in this flick and Dante Basco who was RUFIOOOOOOOO in Hook (1991), another one of my favorite flicks. Anywho... 'Cheerleader' is very much a satire and a well-done one at that. It shows how ridiculous it is that society focuses so much on gender roles and trying to create an idealistic and unrealistic view of 'reality'. This film is campy, kitschy, fun and very much worth the watch!

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The Ides of March (2011) - I didn't choose to see this movie because I HATE politics and this movie did a good job reaffirming my feelings. If I were to say that politicians are self-serving, self-important, immoral and scuzzy, this movie might basically agree with me. So I guess that means the movie showed me what I expected to see. Cinematic-ally speaking, the film was crisp but there were several close-ups meant for dramatic purpose that just made me laugh at the ridiculousness of the character's dialogue. I don't know if that's because the close-ups highlighted how serious they were trying to be but it just took me out of the film. Yes, the leading men were yummy (George Clooney and Ryan Gosling) but I was frustrated by the lack of a strong female character. I don't know if that is supposed to be a sting on the reality of lack of strong women in politics in real life or not but I didn't care for that bit of anti-feminism, nor this movie in general. My movie-watching companions liked it but for me, non!

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Maybe Baby (2000) - Since I am very Independent of Dependents (read: I do not want children for myself and would rather those who do want children adopt more often than they do) this film was VERY much an exercise and tolerance for me. I wanted to see what pushes people to try different fertility methods and why. I personally lack the urge to procreate and am quite happy for it but it was interesting to see what exactly people are willing to go through. My big frustration with these kind of treatments is that if they go on for years, the idea of having children is just an idea and isn't a reality. I can't fathom why people don't turn to adoption sooner. It seems a waste of money... instead of spending money on the treatments, use that money to help children that already exist. If you want to know more, follow the link above to read these musings and more on my co-authored blog. BUT as far as the MOVIE goes... I guess it was comical. Since I have a history in film-making, I always enjoy watching movies and shows in which they are filming something. I found it unlikely that they would start shooting a script that wasn't finished but that was probably just a plot device. As an American with acting tendencies, I really liked the time exposed to the various accents of the characters... Can anyone tell me what Tom Hollander's accent was? It was quite strong! So the film showed what these characters were going through in an attempt to be parents and it showed the strain this goal put upon them. To me, it was completely ridiculous that they never mentioned adoption, especially when the woman talked about a charity for orphans! I don't know if that was a deliberate message, maybe to try to show that 'there's more to it than just adopting as the easy answer'. I mean I guess I can't completely fault them for trying but to me the answer is so simple. I thought the idea of it was better than the execution. I wonder how it would have been interesting without the huge help to the storyline (the filmmaking bit) but at least I can say I watched it and had a chance to sit with accents. I suppose most other people who aren't as hung up on infertility/adoption issues as I am might actually enjoy the movie. I'd love to hear from those of you who have seen it and what you thought. P.S. I loved seeing Rowan Atkinson and Joanna Lumley  (from Absolutely Fabulous (1992)) in this movie. Emma Thompson as well.

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Strictly Ballroom (1992) - This movie is camp from start to finish. And of course it made me feel like dancing. Both things are always a good sign in my book! Reading up on director Baz Luhrmann helps the movie make a lot more sense, as far as content and style goes. He's Austrailian, born to ballroom dancing parents and did some dancing himself growing up. So I'm sure this film was very much his baby. His IMDB bio page says:

"His first three films, Strictly Ballroom (1992), Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Moulin Rouge! (2001), were dubbed the "Red Curtain Trilogy", as they all fell under a particular style of filmmaking."

He is quoted:

The Red Curtain requires some basics. One is that the audience knows how it will end when it begins, it is fundamental that the story is extremely thin and extremely simple - that is a lot of labor. Then it is set in a heightened, created world. Then there is a device - the heightened world of Strictly Ballroom (1992), Verona Beach. Then there is another device - dance or iambic pentameter or singing, and that's there to keep the audience awake and engaged. The other thing is that this piece was to be a comic tragedy. This is an unusual form, there's been a few goes at it - [like] Dancer in the Dark (2000) - but it's not common in Western cinematic form.

 So, what you want to know is what is the movie like? Gaudy for one, as ballroom dancing can sometimes be. But of course, he was doing this from an angle of familiarity, so it's more of an homage than anything else. I find it funny that 'gypsies' are often portrayed as experts on matter of soul, dance and music. I suppose that stereotype helps add some flair to the film. It contrasts the immigrant working class with the upper crust who can focus on making dance a career. I love the part when the Spanish dad is hanging out at a BBQ/asado, just chilling in his flamenco dancing gear, ready for a challenge. Oh, and here's a hint... if someone tells you some deep dark secret about someone else, save yourself some time and energy and go verify that story, mkay? ;) The movie was fun and I would watch it again... but in a group.... and then follow it up with some dancing and sangria! :)

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 Puss In Boots (2011) - This movie was okay. Had a good amount of jokes in it but overall was basically what you would expect. SPOILER ALERT: There was a bit of predictability with the cats... a six year old girl in the audience even called it "It's a girl!" Okay, that's really not spoiling anything for you. I mean you have two options when you see the new cat, it's either a romance (girl cat) or a buddy movie (boy cat)... and Puss already had a brother. Well, we don't know that at that point either but hey, it's a kids movie and they push both. If you think this is a spoiler, well wait til I tell you about... hey, actually I do have something else to spoil... the Golden Goose isn't even a goose... it's a baby chicken. Plot weakness. Oh and at the end, was that a 'go' for suicide? Yeesh! That part didn't sit well with me. The sacrifice crap. Ugh. But I like the Spanish flavor and it is voiced by very yummy Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek with a surprise from Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton, Amy Sedaris and Guillermo del Toro. That's the fun part about animations.... finding out who the voices are.

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Rebel Without a Cause (1955) - For having been a film studies major, I'm kind of surprised it took me so long to see this movie. It's supposed to be very iconic and it's interesting. I had to laugh when the title came up because it was displayed in such a way that it made it look like a horror movie. I suppose in some ways it is, when you think about all that happens in the film in the course of less than two days. I found the themes of parental duty and wreckless teens very interesting and it was probably very new at that point. James Dean plays the character in such an interesting way. Some of the vocalizations uttered are a bit strange. There were several iconic shots that made me light up with nostalgia for a film that holds such a high place in our society. I'm sure many males can relate to his character: a guy trying to prove he's a tough man but just really looking for friends. If only to be able to say, you've seen it, you better watch this film! 

Okay, that about wraps it up for me. I hope you liked the trailers I decided to add. The last one is a hoot and made me laugh! "Powerful, So Powerful... Sensitive, So Sensitive!"