Der Untergang (Downfall)

So what is this one about?
I will leave this one to Wikipedia,

In the last days of World War II in Europe, the Soviet Red Army is fighting its way into Berlin. Deep within his bunker underneath the Reichskanzlei, Adolf Hitler celebrates his last birthday and lives out his final 10 days isolated from the world, desperately ordering counterattacks that will never happen, from armies that exist only on maps, commanded by men who are most likely dead. Hitler (Bruno Ganz) is presented as he was in the last months of the war: a sick, exhausted man but dreaming still of a Greater Germany amid the ruins of war-ravaged Berlin and callously ranting against the "weakness" and "deserved destruction" of the German people for their lack of resistance. As the Red Army draws nearer and imminent defeat looms over the Third Reich, Hitler is seen alone with his clique which consists of Joseph Goebbels (Ulrich Matthes), Albert Speer (Heino Ferch) and (briefly) SS leader Heinrich Himmler (Ulrich Noethen), along with his personal staff.

Most of the events are depicted from the perspective of Hitler's young personal secretary Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara). Events outside Hitler's bunker are mostly depicted from the perspective of SS doctor Ernst-Günther Schenck (Christian Berkel). On the day before his death Hitler marries his longtime mistress Eva Braun (Juliane Köhler) and they commit suicide together on April 30, 1945, ten days after Hitler's 56th birthday.

(Holy shit that is a lot of links!!!!!)

And how much did I pay to watch?
When I watched this I didn't pay anything, because I watched my own copy of the film on dvd. I did at one time see the movie in the theatre, which made me want to buy the dvd (which I did with an amazon.com gift certificate) so I did spend money on it at one time. But not this time.

And what did I think?
I think this film is amazing. Everything about it is just beyond extraordinary. But, the main thing that is so tragic and poignant about this film is that none of it needed to happen. The deaths of all the officers, the downfall of the whole of the German people. Its tough man. Its tough. And Downfall doesn't step back from slapping you in the face with the cruel and vicious and disturbing realities of that time.

You have to give a war movie that is really realistic a lot of credit. I once watched Come and See (a Belarusian war film that I will refer to in my write up of Defiance) and my professor told me that it is widely viewed as one of the most realisitic and therefore bleak war movies ever made. Downfall was sort of like that.

And, you know, now that I am reading the wikipedia entry on this movie I feel like maybe I shouldn't say a lot specifically about this film (a la Gran Torino, which I did see for a second time, and it was just as amazing the second time. Seriously, have you still not seen Gran Torino???) so that when you watch it (WHICH YOU SHOULD!) you wont have much of it ruined for you. I think that is what I should do.

I will say that the Russian history nerdo in me was very interested to see that many of the Germans who were in the bunker ended up in the Gulag once they were captured. And I will also tell you that the soft hearted, history aware, wimp in me tears up a lot during this one. It is just so, so, so, so, so, so good. It is really amazing.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
This is a movie that I consider pretty much perfect. If someone was like, "Hey Julia, you seem to complain about how movies aren't amazing. So, if you had to pick, what would be a 10 to you. Not a film you like a lot like Love Actually, but a really amazing, flawless, piece of film making?" I would say Downfall.

So, a 10 it is. And, immediately after I saw it for the first time I knew it was one of the best films I had ever seen.

The Longshots

So what is this one about?
Well, I wish I could have gotten the description from the United Airlines magazine, so I could communicate to you what I was faced with in the decision to watch this movie (as opposed to staring off into space for two hours), but, I cannot. We must settle for the Netflix description. Which is,

Eleven-year-old Jasmine Plummer (Keke Palmer) becomes the Pop Warner League's first female quarterback with help from her uncle (Ice Cube), a former high school gridiron star, in this true story directed by Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst. Despite her skills on the playing field, Jasmine raises eyebrows in her small Illinois town -- until she exceeds expectations by taking her team to the Pop Warner Super Bowl.

And I wondered, "wait, is that Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit?! Yes, apparently it was." Bizarre.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Well, if you want to be technical, since I watched it on an airplane, I paid how much I paid to fly on the airplane...which was $446. Since that would be insane though, I will say I paid nothing, since I watched it for free on an airplane. Woo!

And what did I think?
Well, airplane movies are quite an interesting thing, like I already said. You can either watch a crappy movie or do some other fun activity. My activities of choice included reading a crappy book, or listening to the music I listen to every damn day in the car, or falling asleep. Besides, when you watch a movie that makes two hours pass sort of quickly. And, when you are flying on United you get to watch NBC on United after the movie. HOORAY!!

So, what did I think about the movie? Overall it wasn't that bad. And Ice Cube, actually, is a fairly competent actor! I know, I know, catch your breath and get over the shock of what I just said. Actually, all the actors were fairly competent.

I vaguely remember seeing ads for this movie when it came out, maybe, and I thought it looked like it was supposed to be a stupid sports comedy. It actually wasn't, and it wasn't really that funny at all.

It was actually much more related to civic things, with a community pulling itself up by the bootstraps because they were inspired by one of the community members. And if you know me, you know that any movie that even touches on civic activism is something that I love (see Hairspray... well, once I write it.) But, you could have tricked me, because I was positive the movie took place in Michigan, not Illinois.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
Anyway, it was entertaining enough that I did watch it a second time on my return flight.

And it was surprisingly good, especially Ice Cube.

So, I give it a 7. Woah!

Meet Bill

So what is this one about?
The 'flix tells us,

Beleaguered bank employee Bill (Aaron Eckhart) has his hands full with his wife's (Elizabeth Banks) infidelity with a local television reporter (Timothy Olyphant), his oblivious father-in-law (Holmes Osborne) who runs the bank, and his own frustrated attempts to change careers in this screwball comedy. But when he's persuaded to mentor a teenager known as the Kid (Logan Lerman), things just might turn around for Bill. Jessica Alba co-stars.

Ok, sounds normal enough, I suppose.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Nothing, because I watched it on Devin's Netflix view it now option. View it now is kind of amazing, but the choices are a little limited.

And what did I think?
So, this seems like it would be normal enough. I get that Bill is a doormat who never asserts himself and therefore never gets what he wants. I get that when he finds out his wife is cheating he wants to take some steps to get her back and maybe turn around his life in the process. I don't however understand what the hell was going on in this movie!

It was one of the oddest things I have ever seen. My netflix review read, This movie was so weird, like, where did it come from? and why? and what was I supposed to get from

it???

That is pretty accurate. There were just so many bizarre things in the movie that were never really explained. For example, this "Kid" that he mentors. The kid is a little odd, but we are never made to understand what his flippin' deal is. How and why is he so weird. If there had been some explaination as to his weirdness maybe the rest of the movie wouldn't have seemed so creepily off kilter. So much of the oddity that happens in Bill's life is this Kid's fault. It seemed rather jarring that he was so weird with no explation.

Now, I am not saying I constantly need explanations in movies for why things happen, but I am saying it likely would have made the movie more funny if there had been some funny reason the Kid was so odd.

Instead it just makes other things really uncomfortable. Like, why is this Kid so in love with Jessica Alba? He is so in love with her that he dresses up in women's underwear and parades around a mall store in such. He gets Bill to go on a double date with a girl (like maybe early 20s) when the Kid goes on a date with Jessica Alba. The Kid then gets Bill to let him drink alcohol in the tent that all four of them sleep in. Oh wait, but not before they have sex with their respective date...while they are in the tent together. Why was Bill doing these things???

And why did he want a doughnut shop? What the hell was going on!?!?

So little explanation/exposition made the movie creep, creep, creepy.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
I gave it a 2 out of 5 on netflix, so I am going to give it a 3 here. Seriously, don't bother watching this. It was truly, truly bizarre.

Elf

So what is this one about?
The 'flix tells us about this one. They say...

When young Buddy falls into Santa's gift sack on Christmas Eve and is inadvertently transported back to the North Pole, he's raised as a toy-making elf by Santa's helpers. After growing up to be a misfit who never quite fits in, the outsized elf (Will Ferrell) decides to go to Manhattan and find his real dad. Co-stars Ed Asner, Mary Steenburgen, James Caan and Bob Newhart. Directed by John Favreau.

I should have known. Flippin' Jon Favreau...the filmmaker, not the Presidential speech writer.

And how much did I pay to watch?
I didn't pay anything. I watched this when I went to go visit Lori in Athens, GA. This is amusing for two reasons. I went to visit her over New Years...which was nearly two months ago! Second, well, not as amusing, she is Jewish but loves Christmas movies. She has been telling me to watch this one forever...so I finally did.

Oh yeah, but it cost nothing, because it was her dvd.

And what did I think?
I guess I see why she has been telling me to watch this for so long, because it was such a nice little holiday movie. Even though I watched it after Christmas, it made me feel all Christmasy.

Will Ferrell is really hit or miss, I find. I often find myself thinking, "Okay Will Ferrell, we get it. You're funny. You don't need to make a crappy film every year in order to remind us. Just make one good one every two years and that will be fine." But, he was funny and endearing as Buddy. Now, Zooey Deschanel on the other hand, was as irritating as I usually find her. She is just so overly spacey in every role. BUT, she was super cute and we--as the audience--really wanted her to get together with Ferrell.

It followed a predictable story line, but it was endearing none the less. I even got a little misty at the end. It was nice to have all the people who are normally grumpy jerks, believe in something. esp, Santa.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
It was a nice little Christmas movie filled with childlike wonder. It was certainly not an award winner, but it was nice, and amusing, and sweet. How can you not like that??

I give it a solid 7.

Frost/Nixon

So what is this one about?
"I'm saying, when the President does it, it's not illegal!" (and then I shake my face around while I'm saying it, like a horse...) it is a pretty accurate impression.

But, what it is actually about will be told to us by the 'flix.

Ron Howard directs this adaptation of Peter Morgan's popular Broadway play centered on a series of revelatory TV interviews former President Richard Nixon granted British talk show host David Frost in 1977. Nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture, the film stars Frank Langella, reprising his Tony Award-winning stage role, along with a stellar cast that includes Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Toby Jones, Kevin Bacon and Oliver Platt.

And if you want more information about the play, or the film, OR the interviews!, the 'pedia (nice one, right?) has good information.

And how much did I pay to watch?
My mom paid for our trip to the movies, and she paid $14 total. So it cost $7. But, I didn't pay. As I've said, as per usual... besides, when we go to that theatre she normally expects that my friend will let us in for free.

And what did I think?
I think what was so different and awesome and refreshing about this movie as compared to Oliver Stone's W was that Ron Howard (or maybe the playwright, since this is another film based on a play) didn't try and smash his value judgments into the storyline.

Instead, an actual character was used to demonstrate the different opinions that people may have had about Mr. Nixon. One of the characters--an academic who judgementally wrote negative things about Nixon-- an American, was so pissed at David Frost, a Brit, because he felt that Frost was trying to build sympathy for Nixon. Now, what actually happened in the movie/play/real life was that Frost absolutely skewered Nixon in his interview. And then the public/audience felt bad for Nixon. Even though Frost got Nixon to admit that he was a jerk, and a liar, and a bad guy it was in admitting this that the public felt bad for him. Awesome. Howard/ Morgan (the playwright, Peter Morgan) didn't need to inject their value judgement, because they probably thought the audience would be smart enough to figure it out. Whereas Oliver Stone thought that he somehow needed to force some sort of judgment about George Bush down his audience's throat (now, as I said when I reviewed it, I could figure out if he was serious, or mocking the whole administration...bad job suckah!)

Now, otherwise the movie was rather slow. Just like during Doubt, I may have drifted off for a few minutes during this one (Keep in mind though, that I do wake up at 3:35am...so, it might just be that I am tired). I think what is tough about watching a movie that you know is a play (at least for me, since I did theatre in highschool) is that I think about what the play would be like. And I have come up with the idea that this play would be bor.ing.

As a movie it was passable, but, it isn't going to win the Oscar for Best Picture either. *mumbles*stupidslumdogmillionaire*mumble*

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
Not too bad. A little better than average because it didn't force a value judgment on the audience. So, I'll give it a 6.