Robin Agnew
I figure since it's New Years - Happy New Year, by the way! - few people will be reading this today. So I thought, what the heck, I'll just write up something fun. One of the things my family enjoys doing over the holidays is going to movies - inhaling in a big gulp all the good, award worthy stuff that's released this time of year. So here's a list of our favorites, I'd love to hear yours! The caveat: there's a few I haven't seen yet - like True Grit - but I'm a giant fan of the original. I was around 10 when it came out and was fascinated by Kim Darby's portrayal of a strong and sensible young woman.
In no particular order, here's what we enjoyed:
Toy Story 3 - Maybe my favorite of all of the movies. I loved the writing, the humor, the characters, and the last scene is a killer. I cried both times I saw it. Maybe it hit me more because my kids have grown up with the movies and like Andy in the movie, are off to college, but any way you look at it this is a terrific movie.
The King's Speech - I talked my Dad into seeing this with us. He hasn't liked a movie since, say, Casablanca, but he liked this one. We all did, a diverse family group, not all of whom were familiar with the royal story behind the perseverance of King George VI to overcome his stammer. When we told my Dad what it was about, he said "Are you kidding?" but he was a convert by the end. And I'm a sucker for Colin Firth. Nice touch: Jennifer Ehle plays the speech therapist's wife, reuniting briefly on screen the all time best Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. Yum. You may not recognize her with graying hair, but her beautiful face is the same.
Black Swan - my husband said "It's ballet porn!" I loved it! It's kind of over the top but of seen few better movies, ever, about the creative process. And Swan Lake itself is so iconic, and the music is so gorgeous, there's lots to love here, especially for a ballet fan. But what about the end? Anyone else seen it? Do you think she dies...or not?
The Social Network - Loved the dialog, the characters, the acting, and the story, which was strangely fascinating. It seemed like it would be boring but like Black Swan was a cool look at a different kind of creative process. I liked how fast they talked and thought.
The Kids are Alright - What great acting, and a great portrayal of a family. It felt so authentic, except for the part where Julianne Moore, in a committed relationship with Annette Benning, sleeps with a guy. I realize this was a plot device but it was jarring. Annette Benning was a heartbreaker, though, and I think I cried as much at this one as I did during Toy Story.
It's Kind of a Funny Story - I know this one disappeared quickly but if you an find it on Netflix or on demand, it's worth it. While I wouldn't say it was great it was very sweet, nicely written, with characters you really felt for. It's a story about a depressed teenager who, feeling suicidal, checks himself into the psych ward. It's kind of like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest lite.
Easy A - Funny, Emma Stone is adorable, and it's a cool look at The Scarlet Letter. Think Clueless with Hawthorne instead of Austen and you get the idea. The plot concerns the cutest high school girl on the planet, Emma Stone, pretending to have sex with a gay friend to save his rep. She finds she's hit a nerve, and she's branded a slut, and so starts wearing a red "A" on the new, slutty wardrobe she makes herself. This girl is cool!
Please Give - This is actually towards the top of my list. With one of my favorite actresses, Catherine Keener, playing the wife half of a couple who own a retro furniture store in NYC, the business side of their store was very familiar to me as a bookseller. She and her husband are kind of waiting for their unpleasant next door neighbor to die so they can get her apartment and expand theirs. ( In a cool bit of casting, the old lady is played by the actress who played Millie Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show.) Keener is feeling very guilty about her privileged lifestyle and is constantly offering strangers on the street money, but she won't buy her daughter a new pair of jeans. One of the things I loved about this movie is that it honored and illuminated every generation - teenager, young adult, middle age, and old age. And the obligations and pull of family. It's a beautifully written and acted movie.
And yeah, I saw Inception, and I thought it was kind of cool and dreamy but it didn't engage me on an emotional level. I think it's a guy movie.
Happy New Year! Here's hoping 2011 brings lots of great things for all.
