Get Smart

So what is this one about?
When the identities of secret agents from Control are compromised, the Chief (Alan Arkin) promotes hapless but eager analyst Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) and teams him with stylish, capable Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), the only spy whose cover remains intact. Now, they must work together to thwart the evil plans of KAOS and its crafty operative Siegfried (Terence Stamp). Based on the classic television show, this comedy caper co-stars The Rock.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Nothing, because it was Lori's treat for me and my mom.

And what did I think?
I thought it was fine. Yeah, just fine. I know it isn't a glowing initial response, but it wasn't really that amazing.

Steve Carell plays one character in everything he does. Now, fortunately for me, I like that character so I have no problem seeing it all the time. You know, Steve Carell in The Daily Show and Anchorman are really the roles that are different, so maybe they deserve all the credit. But, I am getting off topic. Really the movie was fine. Maxwell Smart was the nice guy that Michael Scott is (you know, underneath all of his nonsense) and it made the character very likeable.

Seeing a love connection between Carell and Hathaway was actually disturbing. Carell, in an interview in In Style (crap, or maybe it was in People) said that it was weird that he played a character who got to kiss a woman, and I totally agree. I mean, Carell is a handsome guy and totally loveable, but a leading man type....not really. not at all.

There were some laughs, Alan Arkin was especially funny, but nothing earth shattering. I liked the little bit of DC backdrop and I liked that KAOS was gonna blow up Los Angeles. I liked the scenes in Russia...though I'm going to venture a guess and say that the countryside is not nearly as nicely manicured in real life. And I liked that one of the bad buys was from the former Yugoslavia. I think he might have even been Albanian...though Serbian would have been more accurate. HA!

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
It was really a fine movie. Not like, "man, that is fine tailoring on that coat!" but fine like "How are you today?" "I'm fine" fine. It got a 3 out of 5 on Netflix, but I'll give it a 6 here because of my love for Steve Carell.

Juno

So what is this one about?
As if anyone doesn't know what this movie is about. I mean, it was terribly popular. In case you've been under a rock or living abroad I will tell you. Or, Netflix will.

Facing an unplanned pregnancy, teenage Juno (Ellen Page) devises a plan to locate the proverbial perfect parents to adopt her baby. But the seemingly ideal couple Juno chooses still has some growing up to do. Now, everyone in Juno's world must do a little soul-searching. Michael Cera co-stars while Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner play the pair of affluent yuppies anxious for a child in this offbeat coming-of-age comedy, which won the 2008 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Netflix. But, I did watch this in the theatres when it first came out** However, because I didn't really pay for it this time (it wasn't even my netflix, but rather, my fathers) it doesn't count for anything.

And what did I think?
Well, when I first saw this one I thought it was pretty great. Then the more I saw on TV about how it was the greatest movie in the history of mankind and all that nonsense I became less enamored of it. It started to get really annoying. Much like how my opinion changed about Brokeback Mountain for the same reason. Marketers...take notice!!

My main initial reaction to the movie remained when I saw it for the second time. When I first saw this one I was really impressed with Jennifer Garner. I thought her portrayal of a wannabe mother was very affecting and layered. You really saw in her that she was trying to hold back her emotions but she was very tortured. I thought this was very impressive. I mean, VERY impressive. I went so far as to say she should have been nominated for a Best Supporting Actress. No matter though.

Upon second watching I found Juno very annoying (the character, not the movie). She is really selfish and hateful, and as my mother pointed out, pushing people away with her 'whatever' attitude. She was so hateful to Bleeker and it was really irritating. She got upset, but she brought it on herself. Maybe I'm being too hard, because after all, she was supposed to be like 16. I guess her change in the movie speaks to the talent of her acting and the writing of stripclub mcgee (diablo cody, i mean). So, kudos.

Also, really, isn't Michael Cera too cute? He is, and you know it!

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
I initally rated this one 5 stars on Netflix. But I think thats inaccurate. So, now it is a 4 star movie for me. That makes it an 8 on the 10 scale. So I'll stick with that.

The 8, as I said, really comes from the over advertising and inflated sense of amazingness that was in the media. I mean, really, its not that great. The Pianist was that great. Get over yourself Juno.



**a note. I decided that I would put all the movies that I watch on this blog. That means I will probably review movies I have already seen. I will probably end up reviewing ones that I love and own and have seen dozens of times. Afterall, the point of the blog was to figure out how many movies I watch and how much I spend on them. So, in case I watch a movie I have already reviewed I will simply link to the old entry. I probably wont do this with TV shows though...because I usually just watch a few episodes at a time instead of watching a whole season like I do when I have the dvds for short time. And this blog isn't about tv, its about movies. and how much of a nerd I am, because I watch so many of them.

The Reaping

So what is this one about?
Netflix says,

In the wake of a devastating tragedy that killed every member of her family, Christian missionary Katherine Morrissey (Hilary Swank) loses her faith in God, devoting the rest of her life to debunking religious phenomena with the principles of science. But when she's called to a small Southern town to investigate a series of strange occurrences that appear to be biblical plagues, she runs out of logical explanations.

I'd say thats pretty accurate. You might remember the commercial, with the river of blood and the swarm of locusts, right? Yes, fine film making.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Netflix.

And what did I think?
Frankly its always a little shocking to see Hillary Swank 1) looking feminine and 2) doing a movie that isn't oscar worthy. But I'm no film snob (not at all) and who doesn't like movies that bring up biblical plagues? No one, thats who.

Pretty much this was what I thought it would be. Slow building of intensity and scariness, but I had no idea how it would end. Turns out--SPOILER ALERT--twas a biblical plague brought on by a bunch of satanists. A whole town of satanists, in fact!! SWEET!! The resolution and introduction of the satanist stuff went pretty quickly and I would have liked to see more explanation but it was fairly clear already.

I also would have liked for there to be a twist ending, but there wasn't really.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
It was a fine movie for the type of movie it was. It reminded me of The Skeleton Key but maybe thats just because they both took place in Louisiana. Interestingly enough, apparently this was filmed right after Hurricane Katrina, but all the people working on production onsite were really excited to have a paying job even though all the other stuff in their lives were decimated. Ahhh, the power of movies.

Anyway, it was fine for what it was, so I give it a 6. It gets the extra point (instead of a 5) because of all the satanist stuff. It was awesome.

Palindromes

So what is this one about?
Netflix's description of

Thirteen-year-old Aviva Victor (Sharon Wilkins) desperately wants to become a mother -- and she comes very close to succeeding. But just in the nick of time, her sensible parents (Ellen Barkin and Richard Masur) intervene. Still determined to get pregnant, Aviva skips out and finds herself lost in a strange new world. It's a broadening experience for Aviva, one that can't help but change her profoundly. Todd Solondz directs.

is accurate, but it left out a bizarre cinematic choice that Solondz made that suprised me so much it practically ruined the film for me.

And how much did I pay to watch?
It was part of my monthly Netflix.

And what did I think?
Well, ok, first things first. The film opens with the death, or funeral rather of everyone's favorite weirdo...Dawn Weiner. You know, from Welcome to the Dollhouse, Solondz's ridiculously awesome movie with classic lines like "3 o'clock. I'm going to rape you." and "Just because he's stupid doens't mean he's an asshole." and "The special people club? Special people means retarded. Your club...its for retards." I mean, what a real tragedy, right?

Then the next scene is Ellen Barkin talking to her daughter, who is black--with two white parents I assumed she was supposed to be adopted. But then in the next scene she is a white girl who is a red-head. So I'm thinking, ok, I guess maybe they're foster parents or something. Then in the next scene she is a white chubby girl with curly brown hair. Ok...what the hell is going on? When I check imdb I found no information to help with my confusion. It was only today (after watching the movie last night) that I found a review on Slate.com that explains the different actresses (and apparently, actor). They say, "Let me describe Aviva. She's black, heavy, skinny, white, and redheaded. She's also a boy. Plus, she's Jennifer Jason Leigh. Which is to say that Solondz has cast her with seven different actors to encourage us to identify with her regardless of our race or body type—and, on an even deeper level, to suggest the immutability of personality." UM. Right.

I guess the movie was the type of dark comedy dealy that we can expect from Solondz...and there were reappearances by characters from Welcome to the Dollhouse but frankly I pulled no message from the film.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
I gave this a 2 on Netflix (their scale is out of 5) so it would be a 4 on this scale. But I think I may give it a 3. Really it wasn't that great and I didn't really like it. I wouldn't watch it again, but I don't regret seeing it. (I've only ever watched one movie that I regretted seeing...and I'll talk about it on another entry).

So, I'm gonna stick with a 3 for this one.

Kraska v nesnazich (Beauty in trouble)

So what is this one about?
Netflix says, A natural disaster forces Marcela (Anna Geislerová) and her husband, Jarda (Roman Luknár), to make difficult choices in this powerful drama from Czech director Jan Hrebejk. To make ends meet, a desperate Jarda resorts to stripping stolen cars, but Marcela can't accept his new life. She moves in with her parents, becomes involved with a wealthy older man, and must choose between a life of quiet security and her turbulent, but passionate, marriage.

I guess technically this is a proper description of this film, but after seeing it this isn't really true. I guess this movie is about the choices people make.

Interestingly enough, Jack once told me about this website where they do TV Guide type one sentence descriptions for the movie that while factually accurate sort of miss the point. This movie was sort of like that.

And how much did I pay to watch?
$10 at Landmark E Street cinema. AKA...where all the bourgie city folk go on Saturdays.

And what did I think?
First things first...I saw this movie because I read a review of it in the Washington Post. They described the movie just like Netflix did. {Normally I don't bother reading reviews, EVER, but I saw the part at the bottom where it says, "Czech language with English subtitles", and I became curious} But after seeing the movie the description just seems wrong. While technically that is what the movie was about it just feels like it wasn't really accurate.

One of the weird things about this film was the music. I mean, the music choices were full on bizarre. Some of the music was like Czech pop/folk music, and it was woven into the movie through a character who interacted with the main characters who played accordion and sang. For example, in the opening scenes she was singing (like doing a sound check) at a bar that the main character's mother worked at. Then later she was doing a concert for the men in jail when her husband was in jail. And the songs she sang were subtitled in English and sort of like, told a story, recalled what had happened and made value judgements. Like when the husband was in jail and the wife was off in Italy with her kids and the new man the singer was like "She is gone, flown away, you let the bird slip from your hands". Odd things like that. THEN it got even weirder because there were 4 songs in English by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova--the musicians from the movie Once. It. was. SO. weird!!

I guess what the Post was blathering on about in their review was that the characters weren't "good" or "bad" but were good or bad at different points...telling us stupid Americans that Europeans don't have the same black and white conceptions of "good guys" and "bad guys". I mean, yeah, I guess this was true, but I don't think the vagueness added anything to the movie.

In the end I ended up not liking the main character or the choices she made.

Oh yeah, and her boobs were in everyone's face the entire movie.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
I guess this movie wasn't really a bad one, technically. I just didn't really care for it. Maybe I need to see it again or something, but even now I feel like I am not communicating well that for some reason the movie just didn't sit right with me. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, I just didn't really like it.

But it wasn't really a bad movie, so I'll give it a 4.

Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale

So what is this one about?
Netflix says,

Despite the popularity of his sitcom "When the Whistle Blows," erstwhile extra and current TV star Andy Millman (Ricky Gervais) longs for respect in the industry. His show is critically reviled, but is he ready to sacrifice his success to follow his artistic dreams? And just how far will he go in the name of personal integrity? Stephen Merchant and Ashley Jensen co-star in the finale of this Emmy Award-winning comedy.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Netflix.

And what did I think?
I thought it was simply fantastic. While watching it I was thinking, "wow, the other seasons were so funny and this one is so terribly sad." But it really paid off. Watching the show and seeing the characters going through their ups and downs you really empathize with them when things don't go well. And the writing of Gervais and Merchant (who by the way is totally hot) really plays with the emotions of the audience in this finale. It was just wonderful.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
10 out of 10, no question. The end of the show really clinched it for me. I purchased the show last week, but it hasn't arrived in the mail yet, and boy oh boy, I can't wait to watch it all again.

I implore you to go out and watch this series. Its just fantastic.

Extras: Season 2

So what is this one about?
Netflix says, Aspiring actor and perennial extra Andy Millman (Emmy winner Ricky Gervais) finally strikes career pay dirt in the second season of the hilarious HBO series: The BBC has picked up a sitcom he created. Now he must deal with intrusive network execs, fickle fans and his inept agent (Stephen Merchant). Meanwhile, his friend Maggie (Ashley Jensen) supports him on this new journey. Orlando Bloom, David Bowie and Ian McKellen (with an Emmy nod) guest star.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Netflix.

And what did I think?
I thought it was just as great as season 1. Just as funny and just as excellent. The humor was still hilarious, with the Orlando Bloom one being especially funny (to me). Daniel Radcliffe is one of the episodes...his was moderately disappointing, but some of the ones with British actors I didn't know were excellent.

Then watching the outtake reels and the commentary was hilarious as well.

And man, Stephen Merchant is totally hot. Yeah, totally. And his voice is so soothing and wonderful. I'm totally crushing.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
Again, a 10 out of 10.

Just watch it already!

coming soon!!

and still coming soon (I think I may see it again...) Sex and the City

also coming soon...ratings of the dvds I own, including what are 10s and what movie is a 1 PLUS a further explanation of the rating scale

Kontroll

So what is this one about?
Van Jegyed, indeed!!!!!

Wikipedia has a nice long explanation of this one. One of my Netflix friends has said that this movie was a waste of time...but he is wrong. And Wikipedia will tell you why.

Netflix also tells us, This Hungarian box office smash hit and winner of the Prix de la Jeunes award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival takes place entirely underground in the Budapest subway system. A variety of personalities converge on the turnstiles, including a dashing young man, an exotic woman and a murderer, all of whom are desperately racing against time and their surroundings to find one another … before they are found themselves.

You hear that? Prix de la Jeunes! You know, the prize of the youngs! It is very prestigious.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Netflix.

And what did I think?
I thought it was quite an accomplishment for Hungarian cinema. I'm gonna take a wild guess and assume that Hungarian cinema--like Romanian cinema--isn't too wildly popular outside of Hungary. Though, there were oodles, just OODLES, of Hungarian films at the movie theatre near our house in BP.

I also thought it was incredible, nay, extraordinary that before the film even started that there was a public service type message from the BKV (the Budapest Metro) telling us that they thought it was important for ambience that the film was actually filmed in the subway system, and that the ticket takers (the Kontroll) in the movie in no way represented the actual Kontroll who work for BKV. It was a brilliant joining together of Warsaw Pact subway systems and modern movie making!! And really the Kontroll were nothing like the actual Kontroll who work for the BKV. (man, Budapest rules...you should go visit!)

I found the netflix description somewhat misleading though. The killer mentioned in the summary was barely in the movie, and there was little to no resolution of it. Wikipedia suggests (because I know you guys didn't read the article...except maybe Alisha...hey buddddddy) "One interpretation of the final death race between Bulcsú [thats the main character] and the murderer is that the murderer is in fact Bulcsú himself, and that the last "rail run" is a symbolic race where the evil Bulcsú perishes while the good Bulcsú survives. Other interpretations suggest the killer is actually one of the other metro workers, or merely the creation of Bulcsú's imagination."

Though there was little resolution at the end, well, sort of, the pacing was great, and the movie was actually quite funny. Funnier, I think, if you've been to BP...but, my dad thought it was funny too.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
I think just like with Romanian film, I am more leniant with Hungarian film. I really liked it though, and it really transported me back to BP. As if I didn't already miss it enough.... It was a laugh to hear and see Hungarian language (which is like alien babblespeak) and see the metro stations again (including the one we got off at for school! Deeyak Beyatch!). I thought it was quite good, it prolly could have been better, but I thought it was quite an accomplishment.

I'll give it a 7.5.

And just for posterity, here is a photo of my station, Moskva Ter (not Terrace, not Square, just Ter) as seen from our glorious apartment.

The Happening

So what is this one about?
Its about an hour and a half too long. Har Har. I jest, no really.

Netflix says, In this thriller from director M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs), an environmental crisis emerges that threatens to wipe out all of mankind. When people begin dying, Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) and his estranged wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel), try to escape the unstoppable destroyer. As chaos spreads across the entire planet, Elliot and Alma struggle to figure out what is happening. John Leguizamo co-stars as Elliot's friend Julian.

I say, John Leguizamo?! I loved him in Land of the Dead!

And how much did I pay to watch?
Welp, Jack and I went to this one together. It cost 15.50. I put in $6 and he put in $10. So, I guess this cost me $5.50.

And what did I think?
I think M. Night Shyamalan is one tricky bastard. Oh M. Night...you show me people falling off buildings, a girl who is about to jam a metal chopstick into her jugular, and people standing deadly still in Central Park as if they are zombies. You knew just what to do to make me go see your ridiculous movie on opening day.

Well, this is what I think of that. SPOILER ALERT! the trees were killing people. Thats the crisis. Yes, the trees have come to seek vengance on us for using so much paper. That is his environmental crisis.

And here is what I think of the writing. THUMBS DOWN. Christ, there were times I was laughing in the theatre. Add to the horribly ridiculous writing the atrocious acting. Bless Mark Whalberg, bless him. He tried to hard to deliver his ridiculous lines in a serious way that wasn't too serious but was still serious enough. John Leguizamo was good, but like i said, I mean, Land of the Dead, Moulin Rouge, what is there not to like? But Zooey, oh Zooey. She was the most atrocious, most spacey, most ridiculous actress in the entire movie. She was horrible. From practically the second she stepped on screen I wanted the trees to kill her. I didn't even care if it was a tree, it could have been a bus, or a bullet, or an angry gnome, I didn't care. She should have just gone away.

Oh, and one more thing M. Night... I heard you on NPR. You have no accent, and if that isn't a bit of a mind fuck, I dont know what is.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
Here's the thing. I had a hard time figuring out if the movie was supposed to be ridiculous--like M. Night was playing a trick on everyone--or if it was just ridiculous because it was so bad.

There was nothing redeeming about this one except the confusion I suffered the entire time while I was trying to figure out if this was some sort of sick joke.

I give it a 2.

Extras: Season 1

So what is this one about?
Welcome to the world of Extras!! Netflix says... Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant -- creators of the award-winning BBC series "The Office" -- introduce yet another memorable character: full-time movie extra Andy Millman (Gervais), who's quit his former day job to become an actor. Insisting that most of Hollywood's A-listers are "just lucky," Millman spends his days hanging around the set with best friend Maggie (Ashley Jensen), desperately stroking egos to score his next big break: dialogue.

What it is really about is Ricky Gervais hilarity that is accessible, and HILARIOUS, for an American audience...THANKS HBO! Each episode features a famous actor/actress who is making a movie or tv show in which Andy and Maggie are extras. The actors for season 1 were Kate Winslet, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Stiller, Patrick Stewart, Ross Kemp, and Les Dennis.

And how much did I pay to watch?
This was part of my Netflix for this month.

And what did I think?
Holy jeebus god almighty. Now, the American Office is like my favorite TV show, but I didn't much care for the British version. I didn't get the jokes, I thought Ricky's David Brent was a mean asshole, and, though I hate to admit it, I was one of the American assholes who had to turn on the subtitles because the accents were so bloody messy! I thought because I didn't care for his Office that I wouldn't like Extras but boy howdy was I wrong.

The use of bigtime hollywood actors, who for the most part are playing insane versions of themselves, is hilarious. I don't think I've lol-ed so much during a TV show as I did during the Kate Winslet episode since watching"Womens Appreciation" from Season 3 of The Office. And what makes the use of the actors so flipping funny is that Gervais and Merchant wrote them that way! I have newfound love and respect for the humor that those two can create.

Andy as a character is sympathetic but still has the uncomfortable awkwardness--though its more Michael Scott than David Brent; Maggie is hilariously clueless, and Stephen Merchant as Andy's agent....good lord! Too forkin funny.

I guess it is sort of ridiculous for me to just keep saying everything is really funny.... BUT. IT. IS!!!

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
This gets a 10. The lol's alone from the Stewart, Winslet and Stiller episodes were enough to carry the series for me.

Go rent it, go borrow it, or go buy it. You wont be disappointed!

Young Americans

So what is this one about?
Man oh man. What isn't this one about?? A group of, you guessed it, young Americans attending a summer session at a private school in, I think, Connecticut.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Nothing. I watched it on the internet, I'd tell you what site (and link it right here) but I'm too afraid the fbi will come after me or something for copyright infringement or some shit. I mean, if netflix had it I would have rented it, and if it were for sale I'd buy it.

And what did I think?
Man. Where can I even begin with this one?

I guess first I will talk about the cast. Not only did it have the gorgeous Ian Somerhalder, of LOST fame--RIP Boone--but it also had my total actress girl-crush. (and its not even a non-sexual girl crush, man, but a full on girl crush) Who is this woman you ask? Well, it should come as no surprise that it is Katherine Moennig of The L-Word fame. Not only are these two intensely gorgeous people on the show but their characters are a couple. And not just a regular couple, OH NO, but Ian plays Hamilton, and Katherine plays Jake (nee Jacqueline) a girl masquerading as a boy so she can attend an all boys school. And they kiss. and it is hot. Hot. hot. hot. HOT. More insanity and attractiveness comes in the form of the local-boy-made-good Will, his town-y friend Bella, and his rich private school roommate Scout.

Now, the story gets an extra serving of crazy when Scout (he is the one on the far left) meets Bella (played by Kate Bosworth)--the beautiful little girl next door who works at the gas station in the town outside of the posh private school. [As an aside, the school is called Rawley, in the town of New Rawley, and I was very confused for awhile because I thought they were saying Raleigh, which led me to believe the school was in North Carolina, which is where they filmed Dawson's Creek, which was confusing because this show was sort of like that one, but, um, way better because James VanDerBeek wasn't there annoying the bejeebus out of everyone and Katie Holmes wasn't whining so much you wanted to smack her.] Anyway, Scout falls head over heels for Bella, but Bella's dad wants to keep them apart because he doesn't like boys who go to Rawley. Why you ask? Well, of course, because Bella's mom, who abandoned her when she was 5, had an affair with a Rawley guy who is Bella's real dad. And are you ready for this, hold on to your seats kiddies, the man who Bella's mom had the affair and child with was...are you ready???... SCOUT'S DAD! Yes, thats right. They're brother and sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They stop fooling around, but basically they're in love with each other for the 8 episodes of the season.

Other than those two insane story lines Will does the normal local kid who gets a scholarship to a pretigeous and expensive private school things. He learns, grows, and sees a whole new world that can be his if he just works hard enough.

Now, what did I actually think about this one. Well, the romantical plotlines were excellent. Beyond excellent. And for a show which I figure was just placeholder during the summer it wasn't bad. It smacks of Dawson's Creek but in a much better way. It doesn't feel so contrived and overly written. Besides the insane plotlines the story actually seems somewhat believable. I found myself cheering for all the characters and hating who I was supposed to hate (he's British) so I guess it was written for a fairly, um, plebian audience (but I fit right in) who needs to be told who to like and not.

OH, and the music was all Jack Johnson, Nick Drake, David Grey, and Cat Stevens. It was totally awesome.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
I recognize that this show, which I think was on the WB in 2000, is not really good. Not like The Pianist or The Office good, but by god if it didn't just make me feel joyous to be alive and lighthearted and romantical. But, it worries me, liking this show, with its ambiguous sexual relationship between a boy who looks like a girl (Hamilton) and a girl who looks like a boy (Jake) and its almost incestual relationship between Bella and Scout makes me think I might be really twisted...because I was totally cheering both relationships on... I mean, I guess what it comes down to is not all TV shows need to be like The Office, Extras, or Arrested Development to be good. Shows can be dumb as hell but very entertaining. Like, for me, I really like The HIlls I recognize it is not a good show but I still really like it. And that is how Young Americans was. So, I give it a 10. Oh yeah, also, the acting was really good for what it was, I mean, the actors were pretty strong actors, very believable. Oh yeah, also also, the casting was very strong because the characters really did have a lot a LOT of chemistry, which is practically impossible to act if it doesn't already exist. (Just ask Mrs. Hobson about the casting of myself and Danny Devlin. mmmhmm)

So yeah. A 10. And yes, part of that might just be for Katherine Moennig.

4 Days, 3 Months and 2 Days (4 luni, 3 saptamini si 2 zile)

So what is this one about?
Netflix says In the last days of communism in Romania, Gabita (Laura Vasiliu), a young college student, wants to end her unplanned pregnancy. With the help of her best friend, fellow student Otilia (Anamaria Marinca), she seeks an abortion, illegal under the oppressive Ceaucescu regime. Director Cristian Mungiu's searing portrait of life under dictatorship received a slew of film festival awards as well as a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film from the Golden Globes which is entirely accurate.

And how much did I pay to watch?
This one was a netflix rental. (Only at the end of the month could I say how much this one dvd actually cost....the more dvds you watch the less it costs per disc. The cheapest I've ever gotten it down to was 89 cents a disc.)

And what did I think?
I saw this movie Children Underground when I first got Netflix in 2005. Children Underground is also a Romanian film, about the results of Ceaucescu's "Lets have lots of kids!!" policy. The result was parents in the mid and late 1980s having lots of kids, who they didn't actually want, for the tax or social benefits--bigger house, bigger check, etc. These children essentially became orphans because their parents didn't actually care about them. This group of children that the documentary, um, documents live in the Bucharest subway system. It was absolutely the most eye-opening film I'd ever seen about the true tragedy of some of those Soviet/Warsaw Pact policies. (unrelated, but very interesting, in the Soviet Union the policy was abortions for all...the idea was that more children would distract the parents from being good Soviet citizens. I remember reading an article in undergrad that said the average woman of child-bearing age would have had 7 abortions over the course of her lifetime.)

Right, so Children Underground was amazing. Beyond amazing. Impactful and sad and illuminating. Just crushingly sad. Really, go watch it. But, I rented 4 days thinking that it would be the same sort of film. I was very disappointed that it wasn't.

The film itself was quite an accomplishment. It wasn't the story that made it that way, though. The cinematography was stunning. There were parts that looked like, and were reminiscent of one of those tracking shots where the camera follows the actor (actually they used that in Thirteen for all but the opening and ending shots). The use of scenery built up a tension that weaves though the film AND made it REALLY feel like communist Romania.

The actress Anamaria Marinca was quite talented and she was absolutely the star of the film.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
Perhaps I give a little bit more wiggle room to Eastern European films than American or British ones. But lets be serious, they do deserve a bit more credit! Their film industry was a million times more repressed than American or British ones and yet, they put out some amazing films. Granted, they put out 2 amazing films and the Brits put out 25 ones, but, um...thats ok, right?

So, for a rating, I think I'd end up somewhere around a 7 or 8. Lets say 7.5. It was no Children Underground (which would have received a 10) but many people wouldn't even see Children but they WOULD see 4 Days! Opening up audiences to Romanian cinema is important, and people who don't know it very well, I think, would think that 4 days was quite incredible. So...there ya go.

Thirteen

So what is this one about?
Netflix says, "Thirteen-year-old Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) is a good girl. She's smart, gets along with her mother (Holly Hunter) and is never any trouble. But then she befriends Evie (played by Nikki Reed, who co-wrote the movie), a gorgeous and popular classmate who teaches Tracy to let loose and introduces her to the beguiling world of sex, alcohol, drugs and self-mutilation -- much to the horror of Tracy's friends, relatives and, most of all, her mother."
I suppose really its about growing up, and what kids do to fit in.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Nothing. Not only am I a Netflix member, but my brother also works at Blockbuster (go visit him in Vienna...he'll hate it). He gets 5 movies free per week, so he got this one for me.

And what did I think?
I saw this one when it came out in the theater in 2003. I guess I wasn't really smart enough to process it, or maybe it just didn't really make that much of an impact. But Lifetime was advertising it, and I wanted to watch it again. I listened to the directors commentary and she points out something that you don't really notice as the audience, but it impacts you anyway. So, Tracy is a normal kid, I mean, as normal as an awkward 13 year old can be. And when the movie starts the color saturation is normal. Sunny outside, natural lighting inside, etc. But as Tracy becomes more and more destructive the color saturation begins to get sort of wonky, for lack of a better word. So the scene where she is on the street, looking for Evie (who by the way if off giving a bj to Tracy's boy) with the street kid who is dirty and drinking some sort of super strong alcohol (which tracy is drinking too) the color saturation is really green and sickly. Tracy is stumbling around because of the booze she took from the kid, and when the kid says, "wanna suck my cock baby" and she stumbles around sickly, the color saturation matches the downward spiral Tracy is in. Towards the end of the movie Tracy--who up to this point has really been beautiful with her makeup nicely done and such--goes into the bathroom and looks in the mirror. The color now is entirely desaturated and tracy looks sort of undead. She reapplys her makeup but its hard to add any color to her washed out self. Its really quite an amazing technique.

Its pretty shocking, the movie, but you really have to keep reminding yourself that these girls are only supposed to be 13. One part in the movie Tracy's counselor tells her that she will be held back in the seventh grade, and its shocking for the audience, because what we've all see doesn't match up with what we think a thirteen year old would be like.

Additionally, Evan Rachel Wood....man oh man. She is not only gorgeous but a super talented actress in this one. I try not to like her too much, but its hard, because she's totally awesome. Too bad she's like a total freak now...oh yeah, she's also dating Marilyn Manson. I am not saying they are causal, but it does seem like she is trying to be Dita vonTeese.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
8.5-9. Its a good movie, I will not debate that. I had originally written the 8.5 score, but as I was typing and thinking through the color saturation/plot maturation coinciding I decided it needed to be higher. The commentary is quite interesting, obviously I got a lot out of it.

The Strangers

So what is this one about?
A couple retreats to an isolated house where they receive knocks on the door. Needless to say, some creepy weirdoes are knocking, they terrorize them, and their weekend is ruined. Oh yeah, also the people knocking are psychos.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Nothing. Internet.

And what did I think?
I think I've seen this one before. What was that movie with Kate Bekinsale and Luke Wilson? Vacancy or something? I thought that one was a little scarier. But what I did really like about The Strangers is that as the audience we never discover why these three masked strangers are terrorizing them. I like that uncertainty, it leads the audience to feel really uneasy when they go home, then they lock the doors and don't answer if someone knocks on their door. As the masked creeps said in response to "why are you doing this to us?": "Because you were home". Viewer beware...never be home.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
I'm gonna go with a 6 on this one. It was better than average, but not much better.

Running with Scissors

So what is this one about?
Poor Augusten Burroughs whose mother was a delusional, pill-popping, over emotional nutcase. His mother never mothered him, and instead had her nutcase, insaneo therapist adopt him, so she wouldn't have to deal with it.

And how much did I pay to watch?
I am a proud Netflix customer since 2005. I got this as one of my movies. On my plan I get 3 movies at a time, unlimited, for $16.99/month.

And what did I think?
I remember seeing ads for this movie when it was in the theatre, and i thought it would be moderately amusing. But I was wrong. It wasn't depressing like I was depressed watching it, it was depressing like I didn't want to finish watching it because I felt so bad for this poor 15 year old Augusten Burroughs. The fact that it was a true story made it all the more depressing. Honestly, I wanted to turn it off, but I have a real problem not finishing movies I start. The ending wasn't really redeeming for all the horrors that had happened during the movie. And although I haven't read the book, I get the feeling that it should have remained a book and never been made into a movie.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
This one is tough to rate, because as a movie all the visual and artistic aspects were there which made the film very visually stimulating. I assume it brought to life this world that as watchers we wouldn't have been able to believe as readers. But the story was so awful, which really had nothing to do with the film. The acting was quite good too, especially the guy who played Augusten.
Therefore, I will rate it a 5.

Baby Mama

So what is this one about?
Well, this one is about a professionally successful woman (Tina Fey) who has been unsuccessful in having a baby. She decides that she is gonna have a baby, somehow. After finding out she has a "t shaped" uterus, she looks into adoption. After finding out she isn't an ideal adoption candidate she turns to surrogacy. Her surrogate is played by Amy Pohler, is totally white trash and dumb. Or so we think... Poor Tina Fey is being played by Amy P. who is actually not pregnant with Tina's embryoes, but is preggo with her boyf's baby. Tina doesn't know, and thus, she is screwed when she finds out.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Nothing. While I was in Budapest I had a student in my program who was a baaaaaaaaaaad influence and taught me where to stream movies on the internet for free. I had wanted to watch it in the theatre, but am glad I didn't, because lets face it...it was crap.

And what did I think?
This movie reminded me of Knocked Up in that it was supposed to look at pregnancy in a humorous way, but in fact I found it depressing. Poor Tina Fey, I mean, she was all screwed over, and we, as an audience, are supposed to find that funny? and SPOILER ALERT we're supposed to feel good when we find out at the end that even though she didn't get her baby from Amy P. she is now preggers with her own baby, by her new and hot and understanding boyfriend Greg Kinnear. Oh gee.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
I'll give this movie a 4. Not that horrible, but really, not great either.