Hello fellow movie geeks! Wow, it’s been a while. I really wish I had more time to write on this blog, but I’ve had so much to do lately, it’s hard to write as often as I’d like to.
Anyway, seeing as summer is almost here I thought it’d be a good time to write about summer movies! I don’t know what’s wrong with me. You know how people say they get the “winter blues”? Well for me, it’s the opposite. The summer kind of bums me out, but movies are kind of what keeps me from sinking into complete depression during this time of the year.
It’s also very hard to find good movies among all this blockbuster gunk that comes out during these couple of months. It’s a little different for me this year, however. If you’ve followed this blog for a while, then you know I’m not the biggest champion of not only summer blockbusters, but superhero movies (which is how summer movies tend to be defined nowadays). It turns out that this year, I have reasons to look forward to seeing these superhero movies.
I’m excited to see THE AVENGERS because Joss Whedon of FIREFLY and CABIN IN THE WOODS fame is directing it. I also quite enjoyed CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, so I feel like this is one of the superhero movies I’m most looking forward to seeing. I also like Marc Webb. I like what he tried to do with (500) DAYS OF SUMMER even though I do have some issues with the movie so I’m also looking forward to THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. Lastly, the sequel to one of the greatest superhero movies of all time is being released and I think the biggest question in all of our minds’ is whether or not it’ll be able to come close to its predecessor, and that’s THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. So although I’m not the biggest superhero movie enthusiast, I still find reasons to go see them this summer. Among these humongous blockbuster monsters is also PROMETHEUS, which I’m looking forward to because I happened to see the trailer and not only does Michael Fassbender star in it, but it happens to look like a sci-fi nerd’s dream come true!
I also have a list of movies that seem to me to be potential gems being overlooked due to the blockbusters. I’m looking forward to THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, a film starring Brit Marling of ANOTHER EARTH fame, a movie I couldn’t get out of my head for weeks after having seen it. In THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, Brit Marling plays a cult leader who claims to be from the future. I don’t know anything else and frankly, that’s all I need to know. I’m also looking forward to MOONRISE KINGDOM, Wes Anderson’s new film. Again, that’s all I need to know. I’m all in! BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD…a movie everyone who attended Sundance Film Festival back in January couldn’t stop talking about. And last, but not least, TO ROME WITH LOVE, Woody Allen…starring in his own movie…like in the old days!! Again, shut up and take my money!!!
Movies haven’t been all that great so far in 2012, but I think we’re in for a treat in the next few months. I’m very much looking forward to seeing and writing about all of these films and to spending a lot of time inside air-conditioned cinemas on hot California summer days! Oh and dear sadness, I shall not let you get me this time!
Brick (2006)
I have 3 things to say to everyone about this movie.
1. Watch it.
2. Pay attention.
3. IT. IS. BRILLIANT!
Another Earth (2011)
If you watch this video and don’t completely fall in love with this movie, then there is no way I can convince you of how utterly amazing Another Earth is.
Another Earth is about a young woman who after spending four years in jail for a crime she knows she committed, tries to find her place in the world by trying to atone for her mistake. An element of science fiction is added to the film when we see the main character also enter a contest to win a trip to a planet that looks exactly like Earth.
While watching it, I couldn’t help but to think of one of my favorite movies The Double Life of Veronique, which also brings about the idea of us (human beings) having doppelgangers, or people who look and act exactly like us. How could anyone not be absolutely fascinated by this subject? I kept thinking about what I would say to myself if I had the opportunity to sit down with myself and have a conversation…with myself. What would I say when I saw myself? This idea kind of freaked me out and I honestly think that what I would do is run to that girl, give her a hug without having to say much because we’ve felt each other’s pain and shared each other’s happiness.
Not only was the acting, direction and cinematography beautiful, but after having watched the movie, the ending shot played over and over in my head. I’m still thinking about it. And I probably will for a while. Just goes to show that the movies with the lowest budgets are often more beautiful and carry a more profound and important message than those with tons of money thrown at them.
Submarine (2011)
Had I caught up with this film three weeks ago, it would have made my top 10. NO QUESTION.
(via dulcealocada)
Beginners (2011)
I finally caught up with this movie yesterday. It’s a “romantic comedy” without being a romantic comedy. It actually felt real.
Plus, Christopher Plummer should get ALL the awards!!
(Source: kingdomofdust)
My Top 10 Movies of 2011
#10. Jane Eyre
You know that scene where Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) is talking to Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender) and she says: “You think because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little that I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! I have as much soul as you, and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you.” ??? Yeah. That bell rang very true to me. I felt it. I FELT IT, felt it! And it was so perfectly delivered, too. I love this story and it’s the best film adaptation of it I’ve seen. Oh, and Michael Fassbender is a favorite of mine, so I guess THAT helped. Ha!
#9. Midnight in Paris
I have a degree in French, and I’ve never wanted to visit Paris as much as I do now, after watching this movie. It’s a beauty! Woody Allen, you are indeed, the man! Owen Wilson, let’s hold hands and walk the streets of Paris together… S’il te plait, bien sur!
#8. The Muppets
For 98 minutes, I was a child again. :)
#7. Hanna
How could I not love this? Joe Wright is my boy!! I didn’t zone out in the awesome action sequences, which is something I usually do and the acting was spectacular. I’d say my favorite director’s got another good one under his belt.
#6. The Descendants
This film provoked a huge discussion about morals and values between me and the person who saw it with me (my friend Noemi) and that alone is reason enough to put it on the list. It’s beautifully acted (especially by George Clooney and Shailene Woodley) and amazingly directed! I wasn’t familiar with Alexander Payne, but I’m looking forward to watching more of his movies after this one.
#5. Warrior
It’s funny how even though this movie relied on a lot of the sports movie cliches, it was still one of the most touching experiences I had with a movie this year. Maybe it was because it had more to do with the issues of a family than with MMA, maybe it was because they managed to use music like a lot of other movies don’t, maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for sports movies, or maybe it was the fact that as an actor, absolutely NO ONE can mess with Tom Hardy. Whatever it was, I wish every movie had it so that they would all manage to move me the way this one did.
#4. Hugo
The best part was that I didn’t get a headache with the 3D. I definitely think it was the first time I wasn’t annoyed by it, as well. Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best part given that the movie managed to make me teary-eyed all the time, especially when Hugo cried. I mean come on, Asa Butterfield’s sad face and his teary, blue, glowing eyes didn’t break your heart? I kept thinking about Hugo as Martin Scorsese, too, so I guess that didn’t help either when it come to the crying. I fell in love with this movie and its story about the filmmaker George Melies, about dreams, about films, about dreams taking a tangible form through film, about redemption, about mending things, broken hearts, people…. about magic. It was perfect! Who would have thought that the guy who directed Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, Casino, etc would create such an innocent, timeless, and magical work of art?
#3. Win Win
What was most gripping about Win Win was how human and real the characters were. Amy Ryan (of The Office fame) and Paul Giamatti are at their best and newcomer Alex Shaffer shows that he’s got some pretty amazing acting chops of his own. Underdog movies come and go, but Win Win is one of the best ones that I’ve seen in a while.
#2. Martha Marcy May Marlene
In this movie, a girl named Martha flees from a cult that she has been a part of for two years and seeks the help of her sister. Although it’s been months seen I’ve seen it, this movie still comes back to me all the time. In fact, this movie made such a big impression that from the moment it ended, I already wanted to watch it again. Martha is portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen (yes, Mary Kate and Ashley’s much more talented sister) who is a gem of an actress and the discovery of the year for me. John Hawkes’ excellent portrayal of Patrick, the cult leader was also one of the most bone chilling of the year. The story is told non-linearly, yet the cuts from scene to scene seem very seamless and natural…another reason why I thought this movie worked so well for me. I could go on and on about how much I liked it, but it’s better if you find out for yourself!
#1. The Tree of Life
I don’t recall ever having a cinematic experience like the one director Terrence Malick provided for me with his new film, The Tree of Life. Not a lot of people seem to be on the same page when it comes to this movie, however. Honestly, that kind of bums me out because this movie is nothing short of a masterpiece. Not only did Brad Pitt deliver one of his best performances, but we got to see some pretty amazing young talent in the form of a couple of boys with the names of Hunter McCraken and Laramie Eppler. The Tree of Life tells the story of a family in the 1950s while exploring the meaning of life and the origins of Earth. Yeah, it’s pretty epic. Although slowly paced (at times), it was fascinating, beautiful and profound. I don’t even know that calling it movie does it justice because it’s not just a movie - it’s poetry.
Honorable Mentions (In no particular order): Poetry, Super 8, Rango, Meek’s Cutoff, Certified Copy, X-Men: First Class
Movies I regret not having seen: Drive, Melancholia, Take Shelter, Weekend, Shame
Just want to let you know…
that I’m very much alive and working on my Top 10 of 2011 list.
Can’t wait to share.
<3
Meek’s Cutoff (2010)
Perhaps one of the slowest films and one of the most ambiguous endings I’ve ever seen, but I was nevertheless intrigued. The performances were all spectacular (Michelle Williams and Rod Rondeaux in particular). If you’re a patient movie watcher, I would definitely recommend that you check this out. I’m positively sure that it will leave you scratching your head at the end.
It was just made available on Netflix Instant…just fyi.
(Source: bigredpillow)
![(500) Days of Summer (2009)
[Revisited]
The first time I saw this movie was a while after it came out on DVD. Everyone seemed to be talking about how much they liked it, and for a time, I kind of felt out of the loop because I hadn’t seen it. Marc Webb also happened to be one of my favorite music video directors. He had directed some of the most awesome music videos for some of my favorite bands and I knew this was the first time he ever directed a movie. I had also seen various gifs on Tumblr that I really liked. There was one in particular that made me really want to watch the movie; the one when Tom’s listening to The Smiths and Summer tells him she likes them, sings the song he’s listening to, and he’s utterly baffled. That was amazing! I went in with very high expectations, to say the least.
As it turned out, my expectations were too high. Although it was fun to watch, I just didn’t enjoy it the way most people seemed to have enjoyed it. I found that what I found most annoying about it was, in fact, Zooey Deschanel. I hated Summer and her “manic pixie dream girl” ways. And no matter how hard I tried, I did not understand why she was attractive to guys, why she caused that so called “double glance”, or why Tom wanted to be with her at all. It’s not that I hate characters like her, I actually really liked Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and she’s a lot like Summer. To me, Summer was just a teenager that didn’t know what she wanted and needed a serious talking to. I just wish Tom would have realized she wasn’t worth it.
The second time I watched it, I liked it a bit more. I still dislike Summer, but I was able to get past that and appreciate other things about the movie; the moments when there was narration, the “reality” vs. “expectations” scene, the nonlinear storytelling, and most of all Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I think the scene where Tom dances to “You Make My Dreams Come True” is by far my favorite scene in the movie. My second favorite would have to be the montage after he quits his job and his love for architecture rekindles. I love watching him act. I loved watching him when he was happy and I loved watching him when he was miserable (even if I did want to slap Summer when he was), and he was given some great lines. The guy is amazing and I found that the scenes I liked the most were the scenes Summer wasn’t involved in. I loved the scenes when Tom was alone, when he was with his friends, and even with his sister.
All in all, I’m glad I decided to watch the film again. Someone once said (and I really don’t remember who) that all movies deserve a second viewing, and I learned the meaning of that phrase after watching (500) Days of Summer a second time. So if you find that you dislike a movie, watch it again, and you just might find that you can appreciate it more. And if you still don’t like it after a second time, then that probably means the movie really is bad. I’m also still really excited to see what Marc Webb does with The Amazing Spiderman. If (500) Days of Summer was his first movie, I’m convinced The Amazing Spiderman is going to be fantastic!](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvmyenZfUd1qgd4dko1_500.jpg)
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
[Revisited]
The first time I saw this movie was a while after it came out on DVD. Everyone seemed to be talking about how much they liked it, and for a time, I kind of felt out of the loop because I hadn’t seen it. Marc Webb also happened to be one of my favorite music video directors. He had directed some of the most awesome music videos for some of my favorite bands and I knew this was the first time he ever directed a movie. I had also seen various gifs on Tumblr that I really liked. There was one in particular that made me really want to watch the movie; the one when Tom’s listening to The Smiths and Summer tells him she likes them, sings the song he’s listening to, and he’s utterly baffled. That was amazing! I went in with very high expectations, to say the least.
As it turned out, my expectations were too high. Although it was fun to watch, I just didn’t enjoy it the way most people seemed to have enjoyed it. I found that what I found most annoying about it was, in fact, Zooey Deschanel. I hated Summer and her “manic pixie dream girl” ways. And no matter how hard I tried, I did not understand why she was attractive to guys, why she caused that so called “double glance”, or why Tom wanted to be with her at all. It’s not that I hate characters like her, I actually really liked Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and she’s a lot like Summer. To me, Summer was just a teenager that didn’t know what she wanted and needed a serious talking to. I just wish Tom would have realized she wasn’t worth it.
The second time I watched it, I liked it a bit more. I still dislike Summer, but I was able to get past that and appreciate other things about the movie; the moments when there was narration, the “reality” vs. “expectations” scene, the nonlinear storytelling, and most of all Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I think the scene where Tom dances to “You Make My Dreams Come True” is by far my favorite scene in the movie. My second favorite would have to be the montage after he quits his job and his love for architecture rekindles. I love watching him act. I loved watching him when he was happy and I loved watching him when he was miserable (even if I did want to slap Summer when he was), and he was given some great lines. The guy is amazing and I found that the scenes I liked the most were the scenes Summer wasn’t involved in. I loved the scenes when Tom was alone, when he was with his friends, and even with his sister.
All in all, I’m glad I decided to watch the film again. Someone once said (and I really don’t remember who) that all movies deserve a second viewing, and I learned the meaning of that phrase after watching (500) Days of Summer a second time. So if you find that you dislike a movie, watch it again, and you just might find that you can appreciate it more. And if you still don’t like it after a second time, then that probably means the movie really is bad. I’m also still really excited to see what Marc Webb does with The Amazing Spiderman. If (500) Days of Summer was his first movie, I’m convinced The Amazing Spiderman is going to be fantastic!
My name is Maria. I used to write movie blogs and reviews on moviescenester.com, but it looks like Chad Gilbert forgot to pay the bill and the site was shut down. I miss it so much I decided to start this blog. 