At the flicks

Mary, At least I am on the correct side of t'river!!


Merry Christmas

true Rolanda.....sigh....

The Hangover was a very big surprise. I wasn't going to watch it but something made me read its reviews which were amazingly favorable. I enjoyed it, but it really is a guy's movie. My husband watched it twice! And guffawed both times.

Saw Nowhere Boy, the story of John Lennon's relationships with his aunt and mother. May have been just me...but I was a bit weepy afterwards....

Miramax has the distribution rights for Nowhere Boy in the US, but it hasn't opened here yet. London Times liked it but the few US critics who saw it at festivals and reviewed it were underwhelmed, particularly by the soundtrack. They wanted to hear more of the music of the period that was influencing the young Lennon.

I agree...there could have been more music. The fact that the story was about JL gave it more resonance that it really deserved.

One critic said showing the Strawberry Fields sign, and the teacher telling Lennon he's going "nowhere [man]" didn't cut it, but was about all the movie offered by way of explanation of musical influences.

I'm reminded of an SNL skit which imagined what might be involved to reunite JL & PM. A room was filled with lawyers negotiating a contract longer than most international treaties, the goal of which was to bar participation in the collaboration by Linda McCartney and Yoko Ono. Those were the days....

There was actually a lot more musical input than that. JL was talking about current songs, buying them and playing them in his Quarrymen band. It was pre-Beatles and was more about the music that influenced him than what he influenced...although the teary part that got me was the finale when they played his song about 'mother you left me, but I never left you'. The kid from Love Actually played a baby-faced 15-y-o PM who told JL they should be writing their own songs to make more money. Ahhh, hindsight!

Hello everyone! Saw a couple of movies lately - the first was "Avatar", which I was a bit worried about because of the 3D, but actually had no problem with. This seems a typical gung-ho action movie, but the visual effects are so stunning that they carry the movie beyond anything I've seen before - it's been a long time since I came out of a theatre just wanting to go back the next day and see it all again!

The other movie we saw was "Sherlock Holmes" - which I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I did! My sister complained about the shortness of the scenes and the speed of the camera movement, but I had no problem with this. It was fashy and funny - not the typical S.H. but terrific entertainment! (Plus it explained why my son kept singing 'The Rocky Road to Dublin' last time we saw him!)

So, two very different movies and we enjoyed them both very much. :)

Oops, that should read "flashy"!

I watched a couple of dvd's.

The Notebook - yes I whimpered (I think two tissues of whimper) but it was lovely and sentimental and...Ryan Gosling was a neat little number too. Lovely story about a couple in love and what happens to their relationship over the years. Bringing it back to the present day.

Doubt with Meryl Streep who was just wonderful. Amy Adams was excellent too. A story revolving around the Catholic Church and the importance of not acting inappropriately towards young adults. Very poignant indeed.

Oh I also watched 'Miss Potter' - loved it. Added to the mix the delightful Ewan McGregor (he is swoonable indeed)and the talented Renée Zellweger . All in all a feel good film. Worth a looksee.

Second the vote on Miss Potter. Wonderful, wonderful film. Absolutely no connection to Harry Potter (wouldn't that be interesting), also a good film.

I watched another DVD called The Hurt Locker. Very powerful and well worth watching. The chaos of war in Iraq from the viewpoint of elite soldiers who are there to disarm bombs. A great cast with a very brief visit from Guy Pierce(great admiration for him).

Didn't realize when I posted earlier about suddenly notiicng Simon Baker in everything, he's doing a TV show over here -- "The Mentalist." We like him so much, we had to figure out a way to keep him!

hello jello marshmellow(s)...I have scanned back a page (yes, A WHOLE PAGE) and am shocked, nay dismayed that no one, I repeat NO ONE has yet seen Bright Star...Terry, Bertie, Mary et al, I defy you not to sob and cry bucketfulls of salty tears and blow snotfulls into tissues (or hankies if you prefer). However, if you don't like Jane campion as a director (The Piano) you might be bored stupid. The story is about Keats and Fanny Brawne (sp?) and stuff, it helps if you like poetry, period movies, proper English, nice dresses and emotional stuff...

...and all that...stuff...

(Note: "Stuff" is a word that is humungous, it implies so much and yet is only 5 letters long...amazing really.

*)* (forgot to close the parenthesis - silly me)

And yes (sigh), I saw Avatar, and I think I liked it, I know I certainly looked really intelligent whilst watching it. Why did Sigourney Weaver's smoking get up my nose AND I'm (ahem)a smoker?? Wouldn't you think humans would have evolved past a packet of smokes and gone onto something a bit more advanced...like, er...something more sci-fi-ish? like a shot of electro plasma directly into the brain or somesuch - eh? other than that, great entertainment, not that original on the alien/human connection - think Matrix...but good stuff, I think...

Hello madam heels up high...I've had a look for the Bright Star (what time of night is best? Or are we talking xmassie carols!!). It is not due out until March'ish' here. But I did buy a film called 'Paris'...looks good. I've got a surfeit of 'stuff' at the moment - a sort of stuffestival of DVD's to watch so I may need some of that 'plasmagorical' liquid to get me through. Does it come in Rosé?

Went to see Sherlock Holmes. Loved it. Just a feel good kind of film. Full of action and a typical Guy Richie - 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Robert Downey jr was excellent as Holmes and Jude Law suited the partnership perfectly. Go and see it and enjoy.

Hubby and I enjoyed the movie Sherlock Holmes.

Robert Downey Jr. won Golden Globe last night for best actor in a comedy (?). (Jeff Bridges won for drama, and my money's on him for the Oscar -- they don't have two categories.)

Hello, Billy!

Billy, don't know how I missed Bright Star. Readng about it, it is right up my alley. US critics loved it, so I wonder how Campion got completely ignored at all the recent awards.

Thumbs up for Sherlock Holmes. Rollickin' good yarn.

Pop the corks and drink some champagne to me, dear girls. I'm moving this summer up the coast. But you're not toasting. Cleaning closets -- not to mention REALLY cleaning the house -- and doing all the reno work on the To Do List is going to kill me. Not to mention the stress of not know if the house will sell and for how much; will we find a house I love there; what will I have to do to make it a house I'll love .... Poor pitiful me.

I have a lovely little french number from a Cavé in France Terry, shall I open it now...it is a blood red champagne...Bouvet-Ladubay Rubis Excellence...wonderful you have my word.

Andre', thought I reponded, but it didn't post. Yes, please pop it.

Woo hoo, Terry, best wishes for the move. After you've cleaned your place...mine's a'waitin'....

Watched (part of) (well most, actually, of) The Road. Excellent movie, but not for the faint-hearted....hence the hiding behind my hands. Viggo and the kid were wonderful, Guy Pearce had a small role. The kid, Guy and the director (I think) were all Aussies. A touch Mad Maxish in parts....but how else to portray that scenario. I was horrified to read that most of the ravaged scenery was shot on actual location in the US. Some was post-Katrina footage, but other scenes were shot in three of the poorest states.
Wouldn't take any food into the cinema!

I'm only DVDing at the moment. Cinemas are full of Childrens 'half-term' feel good films and I'm not feeling 12yrs old at present. Anyway saw 'Body of Lies'. DiCaprio and Crowe, a perfect duo. Great film with a few bits of humour thrown in. Enjoyed it a great deal. Ridley Scott a good talent in the film industry. I was munching on Jelly Babies, sweet little things...

Finally saw The Time Traveler's Wife. Much darker than I thought it would be. Though there are many things worse than having Eric Bana popping in and out, as it were.

Terry

Watched 'Paris' last night. (Only £1.99 on DVD!). Wonderful. Small vignettes all in one package. Binoche was wonderful as were her co-stars. I particularly liked Binoche, her simplicity as she starts a new relationship, lovely moments. And as always scenes of Paris magnificent. A beautiful city.

Saw 'Paris' a few years ago in a French Film Festival. It left me yearning to return.

Hello. Oscars nite inspires no buzz? Sandra Bullock winning for the wrong role? James C's ex-kicking his you-know-what for the wrong movie (but who cares as long as it's not Avatar). District 9 getting nominated at all? Nothing to say? Do we love movies here or what? (Can you tell that the final remodelling before listing the house has sent me over the bend?)

yes...but I wouldn't have mentioned it, Terry.
So which movies (and why) would you have chosen to reward if it were the Terries?

Don't you find all this Oscar winning and awards all a bit O.T.T.? There has been some amazing films which have never reached the eschelons of the high society, and mores the pity, new talent is always lovely to see. Or am I just jealous because I secretly just want to be 6FT tall and 5st dead in my bare feet and utter the words 'Oh dwarlings...I must thank...'