The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

We took Anthony's mom to see The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel last Saturday. My mother-in-law is a huge fan of anything British, including but not limited to films, television shows, high tea, and the royal family. And while she was the one who had been looking forward to our outing for weeks, I was the one who was captivated by the story while she fought off sleep next to me in the dark theater.

There's something about these older adults trying to navigate a new stage of life that really got to me. Or maybe it was the accents.  You don't necessarily need to see the first movie in order to fully appreciate this one, but I would recommend that you do. It makes you care about the characters so much more and honestly, Maggie Smith's snark is not to be missed.

Tonight in Random Netflix-watching...

I put Stuck in Love on my queue months ago, and couldn't even remember why, but if you're looking for 90 minutes of relatively predictable romantic comedy, I would definitely recommend it. It didn't hurt that Greg Kinnear, who plays a writer, quotes from Raymond Carver's What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, one of my favorite short stories. 

One of the commenters on Netflix said that she watches this movie at least three times a week.  That might be taking it a bit far but it's more than worth a watch (or two). And there are a few of those really vivid, heartbreaking moments that will make you pause, then feel lots of wonderful feelings.

Typecast much?

 
I watched Girl Most Likely over the weekend and even though I'd give it a solid B-, it wasn't as good as I expected. At first, I thought that I didn't love it because of the farcical ending.  But then I realized that I had a very similar reaction to the movie, Bridesmaids, which was a film that didn't thrill me even though it got rave reviews.  Kristen Wiig plays basically the same character is both of these movies: mid-thirties, failed career, failed love life, eventually winds up living in her mother's home with no end in sight.

Okay, so generally no real issue with that (how many times has Katherine Heigl or James Marsden played similar characters in subsequent movies?). My problem is that these films are toted as comedies when they clearly are not pure comedy. I think they toe the line of dramedy at best. Sure, all the ladies in Bridesmaids wind up pooping while in expensive bridal wear but there's never any mention of the mental breakdown of Kristen Wiig's character.  In Girl Most Likely, the main character fakes her own suicide to get her uninterested boyfriend back.  Just because Wiig is quirky and these movies are ironic doesn't mean that they should automatically be classified as comedies.  Perhaps people won't go to a movie starring Kristen Wiig unless it's a comedy.

That being said, there are some memorable moments in Girl Most Likely: Darren Criss as a Backstreet Boy impersonator is great as is Annette Bening in the typical 'mom' role, although I think she is great in pretty much anything.  Also, the scene where Kristen Wiig's character, Imogene, wakes up in a casino parking lot in Atlantic City, still dressed in her johnnycoat from the psych ward, and walks into said casino searching for her gambling mother was pretty entertaining.  As someone who grew up in a family of gamblers, this rang true to me.

I'm excited to see The Skeleton Twins with Wiig and Bill Hader coming out in September, although this serious movie has a semi-uplifting trailer. I think it's time to embrace Kristen Wiig's ability for dramatic roles--who's with me?

Frances Ha (!)

Have you guys seen Frances Ha? I don't remember ever liking a movie's beginning and end so much, but absolutely hating the middle. I soldiered on through the parts that I found intolerable though because I really wanted to see how things turned out, and thankfully, I was rewarded by the movie gods (in case anyone is wondering, that scene at the dinner party right before she impulsively decides to go to Paris was superbly painful, although that was obviously the point).

Loves:

• It's shot in black and white. Every scene looked beautiful. It's nostalgic and reminiscent of movies from the 1960's and 1970's in the best way possible.
• The relationship between Frances and Sophie is amazing. It's co-dependent, at least on Frances' end, it's deep, it's personal, and they're closer than if they were actually a romantic couple. These are friendships that women really have in real life, and these are relationships worth exploring.
• Frances Ha is messy, and unapologetically so. Even though things settle a bit at the end, nothing is tied up completely, and I love that.

Ehhhs:

•  I've already cited the crazy awkwardness of Frances but my major ehhh is that I'm not sure she would really act like that and still have friends/acquaintances. Her social interactions go beyond awkward to unacceptable at some points. There's a point when she's walking with one of her friends (Grace Gummer) and she starts 'play-fighting' with her, which really just means punching the crap out her even when told to stop several times. It's off-putting and a little unbelievable.

I read somewhere that Greta Gerwig was in every scene of the movie. She's truly what made the movie special; her actions are delicate and fully-loaded. Thanks to Netflix for finally streaming a movie that I've been dying to see. xo

Trailer Session

You know how sometimes all you feel like doing is watching tv? And what I am referring to when I say 'watching tv' is that weird state of semi-consciousness when you sit in front of the television but aren't really watching it, just zoning out in front of it while you hold your almost-dead iPhone in one hand and a half-empty bag of sour patch kids in the other. I don't do it often but when I do, it's a pretty great treat.

If you're bored tonight, check out these trailers of upcoming movies that I'd really love to see. If you have a half-eaten bag of candy, feel free to chomp down as you view. Do any of these films look theater-worthy to you? I actually think Austenland has potential to be one of those movies that you can watch over and over again, like in about three years when Lifetime is showing it on loop. xo

Austenland

Drinking Buddies

The Spectacular Now

Gatsby

I feel like the last book-lover in the country to go and see The Great Gatsby but seriously, it was worth the wait.  I loved it, although I must admit that I'm partial to Baz Luhrmann's work since his version of Romeo & Juliet from 1996 is one of my favorite movies ever.  I really think Gatsby is one of the best screen adaptations I've ever seen.

Although I wasn't crazy about Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway (he reminded me of someone I went to high school with, but I'm not going to hold that against him), the casting of Carey Mulligan as Daisy was perfect. Leonardo DiCaprio was able to express the gamut of Gatsby's emotions right to the end. And even though I knew what was coming, I held my breath during the climax and let myself look deep into Gatsby's eyes as the camera closed in on his face before the shot was heard.

Visually, The Great Gatsby is just beautiful. At times, it seemed like the scenes were happening in slow-motion and fast-motion simultaneously, if that makes any sense.  The vibrant, almost saturated color palate and the contemporary soundtrack fit into the story perfectly. Oh, and the party scenes are amazingly jam-packed with hundreds of extras, all gorgeously dressed, singing, drinking and dancing. Luhrmann skillfully used these things to enhance Fitzgerald's story instead of distract from it.

Have you seen the movie? What did you think? Did you want to wear great headbands like Daisy and drive in fast cars after the credits ran or was I the only one? xo

Umm, I'm Not a Movie Critic but...

 
We watched Bachelorette tonight and I can't tell you how happy I am that I didn't spend money to see this movie in the theater. I love female comedies, and I truly love funny women. On a good day, I even consider myself to be kind of funny. This movie is not funny. If you can tell me where the humor is in a group of three mean, drug-addled, half-coherent messes who sabotage their friend's wedding because of their own jealousies, I'll force a fake laugh for you.


I can't remember the last movie I've seen that I wanted to turn off after a mere five minutes. I stuck with it though (I'm no quitter) and even though the end wasn't good, it was better than the first half. Shouldn't there be a character or two in a movie with at least one redeeming quality? I'm not talking about purely likable characters, but one that I don't want to strangle would be nice.

I liked Bridesmaids but I don't consider it a true comedy. Kristen Wiig has a legitimate mental breakdown near the end of the movie and because it seemed so real and raw, I don't see how people can laugh and not feel badly. But Bachelorette, in its crudeness and rudeness, left out the comedy and the heart.

Whew, okay, I'm done. Has anyone else seen this movie? I hope I wasn't the only one who was compelled to become a movie critic when the credits started rolling.

P.S. I love you, Kirsten Dunst. Please pick roles you deserve! xo

Sincerest Form of Flattery?

I quote from movies and television all the time.  Some of the popular lines in my rotation are from Friends, The Office and Seinfeld, along with such classic films as Empire Records, Sixteen Candles and The 40-Year Old Virgin. Obviously, these are movies that everyone has seen, and no one is ever confused when I spew out a random, seemingly unrelated quote mid-conversation.

Another fave of mine is the Tina Fey-penned Mean Girls. This morning, I actually said, "She needs to stop trying to make 'fetch' happen." And it was awesome because it totally worked with what we were talking about. I also love saying, "Go home..." and gesturing with my thumb, which is also a Mean Girls highlight ("I just have a lot of feelings!").

Yeah, I'm cool.xo

Movie Debriefs

Do you ever read a book or watch an episode of your favorite show and then immediately get an intense urge to debrief with someone? This happened to me several times in the last week: first with Midnight in Paris, then 2 Days in New York and Take This Waltz, and finally, the first half of Season One of Girls. So much to talk about, but no one to discuss with.

Girls was our Friday night entertainment; there's a ton of dirty-couch sex and whiny-girl indecision, but it was funny and thoughtful in a cable television kind of way.  Luckily, Anthony watched five episodes with me and actually liked them too. I love how some scenes were so awkward that I felt like I had to cover my eyes to shield myself from the humiliation on screen.  Is this a common reaction? Discuss. 

Also, I'd highly recommend Take this Waltz.  Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen are so wonderful and the movie is quiet, but poignant. I found myself cringing and laughing, sometimes at the same time. I kept thinking about it and wound up googling for a while, coming across several reviews and this awesome NPR interview with Sarah Polley, the writer and director of the movie, which is more than worth the listen.

What was the last movie you saw that you loved? xo

Empire Records Strikes Back

One of my favorite movies, Empire Records, has been on television every single day this month. This weekend, I even watched it twice. But that's nothing compared to the hundreds of times I watched it as a teen and then well into my college years, usually on VHS.  To me, it still holds up today even with the absence of technology throughout the film (I love that cassette tapes actually appear in the background more than once).

Has anyone else ever wondered where this move was supposed to take place? I always thought New Jersey since Lucas rides his motorcycle to Atlantic City late at night with ease, but after a quick Wikipedia search, I learned that Empire Records is supposed to take place in Delaware.  I also found out that that it was widely considered a flop despite the number of the actors that wound up becoming famous after they shot the film.  Apparently, Wikipedia can inform and crush hearts at the same time.

What I love most about Empire Records is the honesty and the camaraderie between the characters. I always wanted a group of friends like that, and a place where you were welcome at any time, whether it was to listen to music or just eat in the back room. And the film is so distinctly 90's, a time when things were simpler: less electronics and more time spent with actual people. There's warmth in the familiarity, and maybe that's why I keep watching it.  I don't think there will ever be a time when I don't covet Liv Tyler's plaid skirt and AJ's shabby man-cardigan. Word. xo

A Little Music For a Wednesday Night

Have you ever seen Stranger Than Fiction? Anthony and I saw it a few years ago when it first came out and it's a movie that really stayed with me. As a writer, I'm half in love/half terrified of the theory that the characters I create in my fiction might actually be real.  There's a part that I think about often when Will Ferrell's character brings his love interest, Maggie Gyllenhaal, a box of flours because she's a baker.  Whoever thought that a box of flours would be more romantic than a bouquet of flowers?

P.S. This is a clip of my other favorite part. xo



Movie Mondays: Happy Edition

 
Happy Columbus Day, everyone! Most people are off today, but I'm scheduled to be in the office. Anthony is out of town for work most of this week, but we had a nice, albeit rainy, weekend before he left.  And with this wonderful crisp weather, it finally feels like October.

Saturdays have become our day to explore Netflix streaming options.  Last week, we watched the first season of Portlandia and this week, we watched the documentary, Happy.  I've been into documentaries lately (thumbs up to Being Elmo and Kings of Pastry, which both made me cry), and after reading that Joanna from A Cup of Jo put Happy on her list of top docs, I was excited to watch.

This documentary is half science, half social science, and explores the feeling of being happy.  Some of the poorest countries in the world rank higher on the "happiness" meter than America; what's bogging us down? Simply put, lots of things contribute to our happiness levels, but we can ultimately make ourselves happier.  People who are driven by intrinsic goals (relationships, personal growth) are generally happier than others who are driven by extrinsic goals (money, image), and supportive friends and family make people happy. 

The clips interspersed between the stats feature people who have had misfortune but still find a way to be happy. The communal living situations in Denmark were so interesting (20 families in one large house by choice!) along with the man who works at the Home for the Dying in India caring for terminally ill people. The film made me feel very human and as the credits rolled, I actually felt a bit happier. It's all about mindset and appreciating what you have, not what you need, and I'll be the first to admit it's easy to forget that sometimes.

What did you do this weekend? See any good movies? xo

Movie Monday: Rom-Com Comparisons

We had a Netflix movie sitting on our television stand since December.  December. In case you're wondering, the DVD inside the red envelope was The Way We Were.  I don't know why we waited so long to watch it, but I do know that when I popped it in the mailbox to return it, I felt relieved.  We can finally get a new movie.  I don't have to feel badly every month because I'm paying for a service that we don't really use.  I am obviously the ideal Netflix customer.

But here's the important part:  I liked the movie.  I'm on a bit of a 1960's/1970's kick lately (The Graduate, Barefoot in the Park, The Good-Bye Girl) but these movies tell stories differently than movies today.  The people who wrote The Way We Were really trusted that their viewers were somewhat informed, somewhat intelligent, somewhat invested.  It's about love in a confusing time, which is made even more confusing when politics are mixed in.  The characters are majorly flawed, and mistakes are made, but the film confronts that head-on.  It's worth mentioning though that if this movie was made today, the end would have been very different due to society expectations and film industry pressures for happy endings.

This weekend, we also saw Friends With Benefits and found ourselves comparing it with other recent romantic comedies that we've seen lately.  It was one of the best romantic comedies we've seen in a while, mainly because it was romantic but not in a mushy way, and comedic but in a smart, snappy way.  There were lots of pop culture references, the dialogue was realistic and, if I'm being honest here, the stars, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, are adorable.  Friends With Benefits trusted that its viewers would get and enjoy the fun, yippy conversations and the darker, less-fun family situations.  It's kind of like The Way We Were with a happy ending, if you'll allow me to majorly oversimplify.

Anyway, I can't wait for the next movie on our queue to arrive and to share more Movie Mondays with you. I hope you all had wonderful weekends! xo

Must See: "Celeste and Jesse Forever"

Have you seen this trailer for the movie, "Celeste and Jesse Forever"? Rashida Jones, who I've loved since her time on The Office, co-wrote and is co-starring in this film and I can't wait to see it.  I especially love that she wanted a role that was different and not the typical 'best friend' character like she normally plays so she wrote a screenplay herself.  What a great example on how to be proactive, right? If you see it this weekend, report back and let me know what you think. xo

Turning Thirty: Old Favorites (The More Obscure, the Better)

I'm turning thirty years old on July 6th so for the next five weeks, I'm embracing life and trying to do at least one new and/or enjoyable and/or spectacular thing per day. Click here for more Turning Thirty posts.

 
Have you ever seen the movie The Thing Called Love? Don't feel bad, not many people have.  I completely fell in love with this film when I was in high school.  It starred Samantha Mathis, River Phoenix, Dermot Mulroney, Sandra Bullock and a few others before they were famous.  It was pretty unremarkable, except for the fact that it was River Phoenix's last film before his death, and was routinely playing on the WB network around midnight.  As soon as I saw it, I felt like it was made to be a cult classic. And I couldn't  believe that I liked it; it was all about country music and making it big in Nashville, and as a rule, I didn't even like country music.  I completely charmed by this movie that no one had ever heard of.

Of course, I wasn't surprised that Anthony wasn't familiar with The Thing Called Love.  After we started dated, I made him watch it with me.  Years earlier, I had taped it from basic cable so we fast-forwarded through the commercials and ignored the poor video quality (HD it was not!).  He wasn't a huge fan but sat through the entire thing like a trooper.  I don't think he saw all of the charm that I did, especially as I sang along with the characters for most of the movie.

I had a similar feeling earlier this week when I saw Country Strong.  When it was in theaters in 2010, I read a review with a spoiler and decided not to see it since I knew what happened at the end, but when I saw it listed as a 'free' movie on demand, I gave it a shot.  Remember in The Forty-Year Old Virgin when Paul Rudd's character Dave describes Matt Damon as a real Streisand? I kind of felt the same way about Gwyneth Paltrow AND Leighton Meester.  Note the word felt.  Both Paltrow and Meester were superb (in my opinion, obviously).  The love story seems authentic and the tunes are catchy and even though it's kind of a downer movie, I want to watch it again and again.  And sing along.  If The Thing Called Love was the obscure country movie of my late teens/early twenties, perhaps Country Strong will be the one of my thirties.

Everything's Better with Popcorn...

 
We went to the movies last night to see 21 Jump Street, and I'm going to be honest here: it was much better than I thought it would be.  It's a buddy comedy, and not so much a big-screen version of Law & Order like I thought it would be (although there is a crazy chase scene at the end).  It doesn't hurt that Channing Tatum is extremely good-looking; he and Jonah Hill make a good team on-screen. Next time, we won't eat dinner right before the show so we can get some of that horribly unhealthy movie theater popcorn to snack on. 

I also just finished watching An Affair to Remember, which I can't believe I've never seen in its entirety.  It was enjoyable for sure, but I found that I either loved parts of it or hated parts of it.  I didn't like the end, but I loved the entire first half when they were on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean.  I've seen Sleepless in Seattle over 100 times and finally, I'm able to see the similarities between the two films.  One thing is for certain though: Cary Grant's appeal has not faded.  He is still dreamy on the big screen.

I'd love to see Jeff Who Lives At Home this weekend.  Seen any good movies lately (legitimate question, not a pick-up line)?

Netflix Movies: The Graduate

The Graduate came out 15 years before I was even born but it's one of those classic movies that is supposed to stand the test of time.  The epic scene at the end when Dustin Hoffman bangs on the glass window while his true love gets married to another man is still wholly recognizable over 40 years later.  It was one of those movies I knew I'd love, the same kind of feeling that I had right before I fell in love with Annie Hall. 

So why didn't I really like The Graduate?  My first thought is that it was too slow, but I typically like slow-moving films as long as their interesting.  I've narrowed my dislike down to two reasons.  One, Dustin Hoffman cannot pass for 22 years old in this role as Benjamin.  He was actually in his early thirties when they shot the movie and honestly, I think he could easily pass as at least 37 years old.  It took the believability factor down a few notches for me.  Two, I didn't see the chemistry between Elaine and Benjamin.  Why did he want her so badly?  After reflecting a bit, I think it's merely because he couldn't have her and that made him want her more. 

Anyway, the ending was completely ambiguous and that I loved that.  I'm so disappointed that I wasn't an instant fan of this classic though that I'm willing to watch it again.  Besides the awesome Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack, what do you like about The Graduate and why do you think it's still relevant? Personally, I think that Anne Bancroft's portrayal of the polarizing Mrs. Robinson has a lot to do with it.

Movies: Our Idiot Brother

I've loved Paul Rudd for a really long time, ever since I was 13 years old and my friend and I begged her mother to rent Clueless at the video store, only to make her regret her decision when she walked in on the part when Cher is smoking up at a valley party (oh, Rolling with the Homies....).  Anyway, he made the movie for me with his weird but sweet crush on Cher, and then he made me love him even more with his bit parts in Romeo and Juliet and The Cider House Rules, and later co-starring with Jennifer Aniston in The Object of My Affection.

The point is that I knew I'd like Our Idiot Brother even before Anthony and I went to see it.  The cast rules with Rashida Jones, Elizabeth Banks and Zooey Deschanel, but Paul Rudd steals it with his awesome portrayal of Ned.  He's naive but not dumb; he's kind-hearted to a fault.  Ned tries to see the best in everyone and loves every part of life, and even though his sisters think he's an idiot, he doesn't necessarily come off that way to the audience.

Perhaps his optimism is refreshing because I also try to look on the bright side as much as possible, and I don't think people really understand that a lot of the time.  The movie is not for everyone but for me, it rang true and proved to be entertaining as well.  The end wraps up a little too nicely, but I thought the rest of the movie was so messy that I didn't really mind it.  I have a feeling that Our Idiot Brother will wind up in our permanent DVD collection in a few months, but until then, I'll continue to get my Paul Rudd fix by watching The 40-Year Old Virgin every time it's on television, which is like 90 times a week. 

Movie Time Away from Home

A few weeks ago, before Hurricane Irene ran through and destroyed so many parts of the great state of Vermont, Anthony and I were there during a stretch of rainy days.  We wound up spending a lot of time in our hotel room during the last couple of days of the trip, buying some choice alcohol from corner gas stations and watching HBO movies.  I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that we were pretty excited that so many of the movies we watched were on our Netflix queue; it was almost like we were accomplishing something and not only eating chips while watching cable television.  

But enough about Date Night and Dinner for Schmucks (the former was okay, the latter not so much).  The night before we started our vacation, we watched our Netflix DVD, which was Up in the Air.  I want to say up front that I've never enjoyed an opening sequence as much as the one at the start of this movie.  With vivid clips of sprawling prairies and gushing waters as seen from an airplane above, the movie starts off in a great way, with an overview of sorts of the country.  This is perfect for the main character, played by George Clooney, who isn't fully-engaged in anything but his job, traveling to his next assignment and racking up frequent flier miles.

There are many loops and sidebar-type details in Up in the Air, and there are some surprises near the end, the kind that I knew were coming about five minutes before they happened but I still softly gasped.  I thought that this movie would be simple: the story of a man who travels around the country as a consultant firing people, who freaks out when his job is threatened.  It is about that, but also about so much more.  The supporting characters are important, too.  Anna Kendrick is wonderful, but it was Vera Farmiga who won my heart (embarrassingly enough, I looked her up when the film was over and it turns out she grew up in an insular Ukrainian community in New Jersey, not speaking English until she was six years old--so interesting!).

Here are the opening credits from Up in the Air.  Do you like it as much as I do?






Image above found on weheartit.com

I'm Not Looking Forward to the Turkey

Thanksgiving 2011 cannot come fast enough...

What an adorable movie poster.  I seriously would pay money to pose against a wall of Muppets.