The Thirteenth Floor (1999); The Guilt Trip (2012); Baggage Claim (2013); Austenland (2013); The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2011); Twenty Feet from Stardom (2013) rewatch

The Thirteenth Floor (1999)

Director:

Josef Rusnak

Writers:
Daniel F. Galouye (book), Josef Rusnak (screenplay), 1 more credit »

Stars:

Craig Bierko, Gretchen Mol, Armin Mueller-Stahl | See full cast and crew » 

New addition to my beau's VHS collection; watched together.
This was a movie about virtual/simulated reality and attempting to define reality. A little bit Matrix, a little bit Inception. Seemed like the twists kept coming, and it almost got to be a little much. It was an interesting concept, but very concept heavy. The title initially led me to expect something more beastly/horror, rather than drama.

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The Guilt Trip (2012)

As inventor Andy Brewster is about to embark on the road trip of a lifetime, a quick stop at his mom's house turns into an unexpected cross-country voyage with her along for the ride.

Director:

Anne Fletcher

Writer:

Dan Fogelman

Stars:

Barbra Streisand, Seth Rogen, Julene Renee | See full cast and crew »

Rented from the library. Watched sola.
This was a very sweet movie. Had its funny points of course and the two leads played off each other very well. One was allowed to appreciate the characters and see their growth.  

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Baggage Claim (2013)

Pledging to keep herself from being the oldest and the only woman in her entire family never to wed, Montana embarks on a thirty-day, thirty-thousand-mile expedition to charm a potential suitor into becoming her fiancé.

Director:

David E. Talbert

Writers:

David E. Talbert (screenplay), David E. Talbert (based on the novel entitled "Baggage Claim" by)

Stars:

Paula Patton, Taye Diggs, Jill Scott | See full cast and crew » 

Rented from the library. Watched sola. 
This movie was pretty predictable. SPOILER: As soon as we met her neighbor, we knew they are supposed to end up together. Took a while to learn they were classmates and had a history. It was kind of a silly story/concept. Luckily the 'gay best friend' role wasn't super-stereotypical. He was allowed to talk in a 'normal' voice and didn't have to do any hand motions, so it was nice to see that break a barrier. I don't know of any woman who would even dream about re-dating her exes. And the movie montage sure did make it seem like she had a LOT of exes. And honestly... 30thousand miles doesn't get you jackshit, if we're talking about reward miles. That's like ONE round-trip flight on American with about 2 layovers each way at shitty times... or at least from MY airport anyway. :( I guess it just wasn't believable. You would have thought if the mom was so into her daughter getting married, she would have pointed out that her childhood friend was a hunk! :P Some of the dialogue was on the nose. I did have to laugh because the male lead had an obsession with Bruce Lee and VHS tapes ... sounds like someone I know. ;) I DID enjoy seeing a non-Tyler Perry movie featuring a strong black cast and look forward to more films of substance. I know it's 'just a rom-com' but that doesn't mean it has to be one giant trope. It was more or less what I expected though. P.S. Paula Patton's voice is that deep sexy kind! Rawr! Go, Paula! :)

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Austenland (2013)

Obsessed with Pride and Prejudice (1995), a woman travels to a Jane Austen theme park in search for her perfect gentleman.

Director:

Jerusha Hess

Writers:
Jerusha Hess (screenplay), Shannon Hale (screenplay), 1 more credit »

Stars:

Keri Russell, JJ Feild, Jennifer Coolidge | See full cast and crew » 

Rented from the library. Watched sola.
I'm told this is based off of a book. I'm pretty familiar with Jane Austen books, but made sure to ask one of my Jane Austen experts what she thought of the movie. She's the one who told me it was based on a book and that it was cute. I'd have to agree. I had a general inclination of what was probably going on. Her character made choices I wasn't necessarily expecting, maybe because of the genre, but that at least kept me on my toes. The characters/actors and situations were fun. Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Seymour were especially great.

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 The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2011)

A master monk tries to protect a naive young physician from a thousand-year-old snake demon. A contest of psychic powers results in mayhem.

Director:

Siu-Tung Ching

Writer:

Tan Cheung

Stars:

Jet Li, Shengyi Huang, Raymond Lam | See full cast and crew »

Rented from the library. Watched sola.  

This was full of a LOT of special effects, not necessarily the most believable CGI. It was not meant to be based in reality, but asked a LOT of suspension of disbelief of the viewer. I guess that's more or less typical of the genre since characters usually do physics-bending moves in most martial arts films. It was interesting to spend time in a fantasy realm though. Kinda goofy that a talking mouse/rabbit/turtle are considered 'demons'. That kind of took me out of it, which is funny considering I was just watching snake women/sisters writhe all over each other... not knowing they were sisters until several minutes into it. Yeah, I thought I was watching a different kind of movie for a while there, and was surprised it got past the censors... Anyway. Would I recommend this? Only if you want a martial arts/fantasy escape for a bit, sure. P.S. The trailer does make it look kinda cool though. A nice recap of all the impressive parts and I only just watched it. Maybe it would have been more impressive on a big screen instead of my small 20" TV.

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Also this week I rewatched Twenty Feet from Stardom (2013) with my mom and my boyfriend. They both really enjoyed it. Since I watched it last time, it won the Oscar for Best Documentary. Congratulations to Nicola Marsh, the DP, with whom I've worked before, and the rest of the cast and crew. Great film (and music)! :)

 

Boogie Nights (1997); Ruby Sparks (2012); Is Anybody There? (2008); Obvious Child (2014); Growing Cities (2013); BFFs (2014); Sleeping With the Fishes (2013); Fading Gigolo (2013); Fool's Day (2013) (short)

Boogie Nights (1997)

The story of a young man's adventures in the Californian pornography industry of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Director:

Paul Thomas Anderson

Writer:

Paul Thomas Anderson

Stars:

Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds | See full cast and crew » 

From the collection of/watched with my S.O.
This film is filled with an all-star cast and doesn't condone or vilify the porn industry, but instead displays the players as real characters; people with fears, desires, and insecurities. We knew it was going to keep spiraling out of control for the characters and the filmmakers laid the path well so that the payoffs worked/had impact. The beauty of film is being able to view the world of the "other" without stepping into that world with all its risks. It actually had a lot of nominations and award wins, which may seem surprising based on the content, but it seems that big names helps justify something as more artistic rather than vulgar. I can only imagine the press about the film at its release! For those of you who remember, feel free to share in the comments. :)

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Ruby Sparks (2012)

A novelist struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.

Directors:

Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Writer:

Zoe Kazan

Stars:

Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Annette Bening | See full cast and crew » 

Found at antique store. Watched sola.
I bought this movie mostly because of Chris Messina  because he is in one of my favorite TV shows. Also Antonio Banderas because yum and Paul Dano because I loved him in Little Miss Sunshine (2006). (And Steve Coogan and Annette Bening were icing on the cake). Oh, and because I am a writer and I liked the idea; not that it's never been done, but I wanted to see how it played out. If you'll note, it was written by Zoe Kazan and she is the female lead. I thought that was awesome. Don't see any movie roles you like? Write one! It more or less plays out how you think it might, but doesn't rely on cheap tricks like him writing that her boobs are bigger, probably because it was a film crafted by a woman (with a female co-director). We like to think there are men out there who like our bodies the way they are (and there are!!) The characters were great. I really liked the visit to Calvin's parents. I would LOVE to live there! There were some parts where I wasn't certain how the characters were going to behave, or they caught me by surprise. A pleasant enough movie.

 

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Is Anybody There? (2008) 

Set in 1980s seaside England, this is the story of Edward, an unusual ten year old boy growing up in an old people's home run by his parents.

Director:

John Crowley

Writer:
Peter Harness

Stars:

Michael Caine, Bill Milner, Anne-Marie Duff | See full cast and crew »

 Found at antique store. Watched sola. 
I bought this because of Michael Caine, because it sounded sweet, and because I always think of how much potential there is for stories in old folks' homes. The movie and characters were sweet and relatable. The content was pretty realistic. I enjoyed it. 

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Obvious Child (2014)

What happens when Brooklyn comedian Donna Stern (Jenny Slate) gets dumped, fired and pregnant just in time for the worst/best Valentine's Day of her life.

Director:

Gillian Robespierre

Writers:
Gillian Robespierre (screenplay), Gillian Robespierre (story), 4 more credits »

Stars:

Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann | See full cast and crew » 

Watched as part of the Omaha Film Festival  The film debuted at Sundance, came to OFF and then played at SXSW! Lucky us!
I was nervous for this film because the preview video said it was something different from what we normally see. I prayed and hoped and it was EXACTLY what I wanted. SPOILER: As women, EVERY movie that deals with an unexpected pregnancy posits that there are ONLY two choices: keep the baby or give it up for adoption. And it's just unrealistic and unfair to women to stifle the truth. No one 'chooses' to get pregnant with the intent of aborting, and the decision to abort is not a choice to be taken lightly, nor do I believe most women do (take lightly). But it's about damn time we see a movie that is based in reality and isn't trying to shame women to sacrifice in a way no one has a right to demand. This film isn't going to inspire women to go out and have abortions in the way that other movies glorify/glamorize/normalize having kids, but will allow for women to see they aren't alone in having to make a choice. This movie is long overdue, that's for sure. It's like a coming out of the closet in a way; the admission that women can have abortions and are not evil people who are going to be struck down in the pits of hell. Of course, many people disagree with me, but I'm not trying to please them, nor am I telling anyone else what to do with their own body. All I know is that this film was a relief to me as a female who believes in a woman's right to choose. It was a story that needed to be told, something we haven't seen on screen. The characters were pretty nice. And I REALLY liked the end where there was a lot being said under the surface. More can be said without dialogue, or in the subtext of dialogue, and this film proved it. The film had plenty of laughs, which is great because it's centered around a comedienne so that worked well. A great film and unexplored territory. If it's not your thing, don't watch it and don't complain to me if our beliefs don't mesh. :P Otherwise, watch it and enjoy!

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Growing Cities (2013)

Growing Cities is a documentary film that examines the role of urban farming in America and asks how much power it has to revitalize our cities and change the way we eat.

Director:

Dan Susman

Writers:

Andrew Monbouquette, Daniel Susman

Saw the 60 minute version as part of Omaha Film Festival so there would be time for Q&A.
As someone who is attempting to grow cilantro (failing) and re-growing celery, I was pleased to watch a film that promotes growing something where you are. I have since purchased oregano and parsley and was told by an internet acquaintance that my windowsill attempts are futile. I'll have to consult my professional growers Black Sheep Farms and The Backyard Florist before I give up for good. But back to the film! It was a positive, upbeat film and was great to see how urban farming is beautifying/bettering many cities and the people involved. It was great to hear the stories and see the possibilities. There definitely isn't one set way to do it. I'm not sure if the full film has a bit more 'how to' but I suppose that would be complicated. There is so much to learn! But luckily with the internet community, it is easy to do so. As far as the 60 minutes I got to see, I kind of wondered how much we were going to see, if it became redundant: here's a city, here are people growing. It was only slightly, but with so many interesting real people/projects, it was more or less new each time. It had a feeling of hopefulness, but the people interviewed were very realistic, very grounded if you will. ;) If you need a push to inspire your green thumb, give this movie a look-see. It was made by people from my hometown. I really like the sense of community and humanity from seeing the variety of people involved, people overcoming challenges to make something grow; food and otherwise. :)

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BFFs (2014)

Kat and Samantha have been best friends for years. Kat is given a couples weekend workshop as a birthday gift by her mother (never mind that her relationship with her ex-boyfriend has been over for six months). Samantha never seems to have a problem finding men to date - they just never seem to last. Samantha convinces Kat to take advantage of the idyllic retreat by pretending to be lovers - how hard could it be? They expect some down time by the pool and maybe a few good stories to bring home with them.  What they don't expect is to get immersed in a world where they are surrounded by couples who are fighting to keep their relationships strong, and by default, make Samantha and Kat face their own shortcomings as they find themselves having to work on their relationship that isnt really a relationship. During an intense few days, they find the lines between reality and fiction start to blur. Could it be there is really something there, or has the Closer to Closeness weekend just worked a Jedi mind trick on them? 

Director:

Andrew Putschoegl

Writers:
Andrea Grano, Tara Karsian

Stars:

Larisa Oleynik, Sean Maher, Pat Carroll | See full cast and crew »

Watched as part of the Omaha Film Festival. 

I think we missed the very start of it. (Tech issues.) Started at family dinner. But I think we gathered what was going on. I really enjoyed the film/concept and was excited to see it. I think every woman entertains the idea of ending up with her best friend, so it was fun to see that put onscreen. I really liked that the women/characters were pretty 'real'-looking people. None of that super-glossed, unrealistic expectations crap. Like of course J-Lo and Halle Berry could agree to sleep with each other. :P I thought the film did a great job of accurately capturing the relationship between the two women as it was and as it morphed. Really felt a strong connection/history between the two of them. And it got me, an Ally, wondering. Sorry, girlfriends, I think we may have to stay friends. ;)

TRAILER HERE: http://vimeo.com/83556505
FACEBOOK HERE: https://www.facebook.com/HeadsWeDo

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Sleeping With the Fishes (2013)

A woman's journey of self-discovery and the dynamics of her zany family.

Director:

Nicole Gomez Fisher

Writer:

Nicole Gomez Fisher

Stars:

Steven Strait, Ana Ortiz, Gina Rodriguez | See full cast and crew »

Seen as part of the Omaha Film Festival.
As much as I wish I could say I loved it... there was something wrong. The components of 'The Hero's Journey' were all there, but I'd say it was pretty predictable and hard to sympathize with the main character. It was pretty frustrating that she never addressed the issue of body image that we kept getting slammed over the head with. The mother's character (actually both mother characters in the movie) is/are OBSESSED with body and say really terrible things to their daughters. I really wanted the female lead to tell both of them off, to tell them how detrimental that kind of mindset/speech is. But it never happened. So the film missed a major opportunity there. And everything played pretty conveniently, so there wasn't much to root for. The DJ character and his friends were really uncomfortable for me to watch. They were way too forward with the main characters, who kind of acted like the guys were harmless, super-annoying, yet let them get in their faces. It was disrespectful to women and never got addressed. They were basically just a gag. The character energy on screen was hard to connect to for the two female leads. I wasn't sure if the sister was older or younger because she dressed like a 12 year old. I get that she's supposed to be energetic, but it was kind of forced. And too convenient that she and the two kids had superheroes in common. Good things: The melded family of Latina/Jewish was a nice twist on what we usually see. "Shabat Shaladios" ;) I liked that the main character already had a past love history (but she seemed too easily convinced to start a new one - we needed more internal struggle here). The lead male was easy on the eyes. The cinematography was pretty good. I applaud them for a pretty good product visually. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to be both writer AND director because it's harder to see certain things (how to kill your darlings). I think the script/story needed more work, more complications, less predictability. I really hate bad-talking a film I wanted so badly to like, but I have to be honest about my feelings. However, I do look forward to future projects by everyone involved. Kudos to them for all the hard work. They seem to have been doing well at getting into festivals, so that's a great thing. And they actually got a film made, which is more than I can say for me ;) I'll admit that. It's easy to critique, harder to do. But this is my research! (P.S. Never fear... I didn't like the following movie either! (yet another writer/director attempt!)

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Fading Gigolo (2013)

Fioravante decides to become a professional Don Juan as a way of making money to help his cash-strapped friend, Murray. With Murray acting as his "manager", the duo quickly finds themselves caught up in the crosscurrents of love and money.

Director:
John Turturro

Writer:

John Turturro

Stars:

Sofía Vergara, Sharon Stone, Woody Allen | See full cast and crew » 

Seen as part of the Omaha Film Festival.
I felt weird seeing a Woody Allen film (not his own in this case) in light of recent events, but honestly, it wasn't anything that wasn't known for decades, and one can't choose entertainment based on the personal lives of performers because then one would find zero entertainment options. I generally like his movies (even though he is apparently a creeper...amazing how Hollywood people defend and applaud him, shaming the victim. Only two people know for sure what really happened...) ANYWHO! It was odd to see Woody Allen on screen in a film that wasn't of his own doing, and maybe that's why it was hard to like the film... unmet expectations. It didn't have the same feel. SPOILERS: I have NO idea why Woody Allen was playing uncle?? to a bunch of black children or what his relation was to their mother... It just seemed like a gag. One could tell all the kids involved were having a blast, but they weren't really acting. They were very conscious of the camera. I don't object to the content. The idea of a normal-looking man to cater to lonely women is romantic, in its own way (especially when he is well-dressed, gentlemanly, and brings charming flower arrangements). The insertion of the strict Jewish community was...interesting. It was nice to see people on screen that we don't normally see; Film is supposed to do that (or hasn't Hollywood gotten that memo?) But the outcome was a bit unexpected. Realistic, but character-wise didn't feel quite right from what we had seen. And there wasn't much range from Turturro, sad to say because he was the Writer/Director. Must be difficult to wear so many hats. I'm not sure the female characters played by Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara felt real. They seemed pretty flat, well Vergara's did (which is probably the first time she's been called flat! ba dum bum!) There were moments of roundness in character for Stone, and a lot of attention was given to the clothes, shape of women. The flowers were quite beautiful. I found myself feeling impatient during the film though. Unsure of what I was supposed to feel. So that's not a good sign.

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As part of the Omaha Film Festival, I also watched 2 blocks of short films, but I don't have the time or patience to review them here... except Fool's Day a short of 19 minutes is AWESOME and I would totally buy a copy of it. :)

Fool's Day (2013) (short)

Fool's Day is a dark comedy about a 4th grade class that pull an innocent, April Fool's prank on their teacher...that accidentally kills her. Panicked and convinced they will go to prison, the blood splattered classmates try to cover up the murder and dispose of the body before their D.A.R.E. officer shows up for his weekly lesson.

Director:

Cody Blue Snider

Writers:
Cody Blue Snider, Shane Snider

Stars:

Mitchell Jarvis, Justin Absatz, Phyllis Bowen | See full cast and crew »

Seen as part of the Omaha Film Festival.
The idea is hilarious and well-executed. The children are so very talented. AWESOME.