Eat Pray Love

I think I could rename this movie: Boring Stupid Long. I didn't like Julia's character at all... enough that I started really disliking Julia Roberts. I wanted to shake her and tell her how selfish, clueless, and silly she is. It took her a year of traveling to amazing places to learn... what? Nothing? Some tidbit of life that the rest of us knew when we were born? Maybe I'm being too hard on the movie, but I'm trying to figure out how someone can make a year of being in some of the most beautiful and amazing places in the world the most boring story ever? Makes me glad I never wasted my time reading the book. 1 star.

Emma

I just watched the last segment of this movie online (I forgot AGAIN to watch it on TV on Sunday) and I love love love love loved it. I loved it. I can think of three versions of Emma off the top of my head, and I'd definitely say this is my favorite. I also love the one with Kate Beckinsale, and the one with Gwyneth Paltrow would be the bottom of the three. It's alright, but doesn't compare to the other two in my opinion. I thought the acting was very well done, I felt everything clear to my heart, and the scenery was incredibly gorgeous. So, if you're a Jane Austen nut like me, watch this one. I want to buy it, but I can't afford the $35 right now. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

I read this book a little while ago, so I knew exactly what would happen. The movie did a good job of putting the book on the screen, and it was well acted. The story is a little bit slow... they're making a movie out of a book you can read in one sitting after all, but it's worth watching. The story is about an 8 year old boy who is the son of a commandant in the German army. They move to a place he thinks is a "farm", but is really a concentration camp (Auschwitz). It's interesting to see perspectives from the "other side" and to see how these different characters react as they learn truths about what they are doing. I can't say much more than that, because I don't want to spoil anything... but I would say that you should all see this. 3.5 out of 5.

The Proposal

Successful editor being deported back to Canada blackmails her assistant who hates her into marrying her so she can remain in the U.S. They go to his families house for his grandmother birthday in Alaska. I thought it was cute but extremely predictable, it seemed to me to be How to Loose a guy in 10 days meets The wedding date. Cute chick flick, worth renting but I wouldn't buy it. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Julie and Julia

I really loved this movie. I watched it late last night all by myself and just relished every moment. I loved the scenes in Paris, and the houses in it, and I loved watching the cooking. I loved the relationships these women had with their husbands. I enjoyed both story lines... Julia Child finding herself and learning to cook in France, and Julie finding herself and learning to cook from Julia's cookbook. Meryl Streep (who I normally don't like very much) was fabulous. Amy Adams was fabulous. The thing is, I know most people wouldn't even like this movie at all, so I can't say to go and see it. :) For me, it's 4.5 stars out of 5.

Public Enemies

Public Enemies is set in the 1930's.  The FBI, led by Melvin Purvis, is trying to catch the notorious gangsters, John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd.  Apparently this is based on true events, although since I'm not up on my gangster knowledge, I didn't know about any of it.

I thought I'd like this more than I did, mostly because I really like Christian Bale.  He's one of my favorites.  But I was pretty bored throughout the whole movie.  In fact, I fell asleep for awhile, woke up, and there was still a ton of movie left.  It felt like we were watching it all day, even though it's only a little over two hours.

It just seemed to drag, and I really couldn't bring myself to care what happened.  There was even one point in the movie where they were watching a boring movie.  And even that dragged out.  So I had to watch a boring movie within a boring movie.  I would probably only recommend this to fans of gangster movies, and I'd rate it 2 out of 5.

Carriers

Carriers is about four young people who are caught in the midst of a viral pandemic.  The virus is passed through contact with those who are infected, and even just by breathing the same air.  They are on the run, trying to find a safe place.

When I read what this was about, I totally thought it would be a zombie movie, and hey, zombies!  But it so wasn't.  Not even a little bit.  It was also the most depressing movie I can possibly imagine.  By the end, I kind of wanted to shoot myself to escape the misery.  The acting was okay, although I wondered a good share of the movie how the four kids had made it so far already, because they were incredibly stupid.

I don't think I would recommend this movie to anyone.  There wasn't even any cool brain-eating zombies to redeem it.  I'd give it a 2 out of 5.

Gran Tourino

This movie was better than I expected it to be. My friend, Christy, wanted to go to the movies, and this was what she wanted to see. It's really not the type of movie I usually like, but it was a little different than I expected. I liked the story.

Valkyrie

 Based on actual events, a plot to assassinate Hitler is unfurled during the height of WWII.

We went to see this movie with our small group. It was pretty good, but also really depressing. I kind of expected it would be, though. 4 out of 5.

Stop Loss

I had never heard of stop loss before a few weeks ago. This movie made me sad, but it also made me angry. America is supposed to be the "land of the free", and yet there is this backdoor draft going on. What choices do these soldiers have when they're supposed to be done, and are being made to stay in active duty? It's not right, and it's just one more thing that makes me think this country is headed more and more into the crapper. It was a good movie, though, that showed the horrors of war, and what it does to the soldiers who fight. War is never good, and I pray that the war in Iraq will end soon so those soldiers can come home.

Fireproof

I loved this movie! It's one I'd like to buy on DVD when it comes out, because I think the message was just that good. The acting was a little cheesy here and there, but another awesome thing is that not one of these actors were paid. They all did it because they believed in the project. This is a great movie for married couples to see.

Nights in Rodanthe

I would probably never have gone to see this in the theaters of my own choice. Probably wouldn't even have rented it on DVD, either. But my friend wanted to go see it, so I went. It wasn't horrible. It was pretty much what I expected---same as any other movie based on a book by Nicholas Sparks. Manipulative tear-jerker.