Precious

Genre: Drama
Director: Lee Daniels
Main Actors: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton
Rating: R (Would be awkward with parents Info in the post.)
Length: 109 mins.

IMDb Synopsis:
Claireece Precious Jones endures unimaginable hardships in her young life. Abused by her mother, raped by her father, she grows up poor, angry, illiterate, fat, unloved and generally unnoticed. So what better way to learn about her than through her own, halting dialect

    Originaly a novel entitled Push by Saphire (which none of us has read but fully intend to), it was adapted into screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher. Fletcher did an amazing job. This film… just… wow. It was a tough one to watch.  Not because it was boring or because it was badly done (it was quite the contrary actually), but because it was so real. Normally people watch a film to get their mind off of the world and escape into one that is different. In movies things are rarely how they actually are in life. In Precious though, man… you see everything. We knew that people have hard lives but we didn’t realize just how difficult some people have it. It changes your perspective on a lot of things.

    Precious was rated R by MPAA. We don’t always agree with their ratings but this one was classified perfectly. This is a graphic film. One of the characters gets sexually assaulted and the scene is harsh and sad. There is also quite a bit of… scratch that, A LOT of colourful language used in the film. There is physical and verbal abuse. There is some nudity and some sexual content. There is also fair amount of violence.

    The acting in this film was phenomenal. This was Gabourey Sidibe’s first film ever. She tried for it on a whim and got the part, which is amazing. She really made the movie. Her acting along with Mo’Nique was beautifully executed; they had some intense scenes! This must have been an incredibly difficult novel to bring to life on the silver screen, but they played the roles incredibly well. In our opinion, Gabourey could go very far with her acting career. She didn’t only play the role of Precious, she embodied it.

   Incredible acting, incredible message, incredible story. Go out and watch this movie. Buy it, download it illegally, stream it online, we don't care how you watch it as long as you do. We give this movie a well deserved 90%.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Mystery/Romance
Director: Robert Schwentke
Main Actors: Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana
Rating: PG-13 (Fine for children, but thye may not fully understand.)
Length: 107 mins.

IMDb Synopsis:
When Henry DeTamble meets Clare Abshire in a Chicago library they both understand that he is a time traveller, but she she knows much more than this about him as he has not yet been to the times and places where they have met before. He falls in love with her, as she has already with him, but his continuing unavoidable absences time travelling - and then returning with increasing knowledge of their future - makes things ever more difficult for Clare.

   Well, at the beginning of the movie I was so confused, even more confused than when my teacher tries to explain algebra or chemistry to me. Which means I was very very confused. Eventually, the confusion is straightened out. Don't worry.
   Once again we have the amazing Rachel McAdams starring in one of our movie night films- and of course she was amazing. This time her leading man was Eric Bana, who I'd never seen before- but happened to be tall, dark and handsome! Their chemistry is great, Rachel McAdams has perfected playing female romantic leads, and has so much experience in it now that it looks almost second nature to her! And Eric Bana, well Erin in particular liked her, and placed him under our "hungry/rugged" guys list. He was also very impressive in this movie. He had been visiting Clare since she was a young girl when he came there from the future. This was the part that confused me; the whole concept of him not knowing this because he hadn't done it yet was a bit beyond my mental capacity. It makes a lot more sense in the end though. This movie is based of the book which I've never actually read, but probably should so I don't know how well the script was written based on the book- I just know the movie was done very well.

   The setting of the movie, especially the meadow scene, I absolutely loved. And the relationship of Clare and Henry was so cute! Heartbreaking too, one can only imagine how hard it would be for the one you love to disappear randomly, without knowing when they will return, and for him not being able to control it in the least. I especially loved Tatum and Hailey McCann who played Clare and Eric's daughter Alba at four and five, and nine and ten. They made the somewhat strange child seem so cute, I forsee a good future in the acting world for the both of them. Possibly one of the best movie night movies coming up close to The Notebook- we gave this movie a 96%

The Last Song

Genre: Drama/Romance
Director: Julie Anne Robinson
Main Actors: Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth
Rating: PG (Suitable to watch with parents/ younger siblings)
Length: 107 mins.

IMDb Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Tybee Island, Georgia. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father ...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer on Tybee Island with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms - first love, the love between parents and children - that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts ...and heal them.


   Well, firstly I will let you know that we really do not like Miley Cyrus; so we could be a bit biased here, we will try very hard not to me. This movie is based off of the Nicholas Sparks novel which we loved and the movie, which we... not so much loved. Greg Kinnear, and Bobby Coleman were fantastic as Steve and Jonah (the dad, and son). Their relationship in the movie was hilarious, and at the end heartbreaking. Bobby was so cute, and his acting ability is well beyond his years. Liam Hemsworth was pretty good, I do think he would have been better than Taylor Lautner who was also considered for the role of Will (Caroline's opinion. hehe.).Liam's comedic timing, not to mention his overall chemistry with Miley (which was kind of one sided if you ask us) was great. Now, Miley. Miley, Miley, Miley. You are not an actress. You are a much better singer. For once, we agree with Rotten Tomatoes on this one. We didn't think that she was able to handle this type of drama/romance film, and could see her more in a comedy, but like I said before, we weren't Miley Cyrus fansto begin with.
 
   The setting for this movie was really nice. It was filmed in Atlanta Georgia, which fit really well- although it was supposed to be set in North Carolina, according to the novel. Now, we didn't agree with everything the writers did in regards to writing the script. It seems that with the Nicholas Sparks novels, they all get changed drastically- some for the good (The Notebook) and others for the bad (Dear John, The Last Song). Not saying this script wasn't good- because it was- but it omitted quite a few important parts , some which had a lot of meaning to the plot and even turned around one plotline (the church fire) completely!
 
   Although this definetely wasn't our favorite movie, what happened in the end and Bobby Coleman and Greg Kinnear's acting definetely made us cry, not so much Miley and Liam but whatever. Maybe we're freaks. Our rating for the Last Song was a definite 40%

Sex and the City

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance...Chick Flick!
Director: Michael Patrick King
Main Actors: Sarah Jessica Parker; Kim Cattral; Kristin Davis; Cynthia Nixon
Length: 145 mins
Rating: R (see first paragraph for details.)

IMDb Synopsis:
After moving in together in an impossibly beautiful New York apartment, Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big make a rather arbitrary decision to get married. The wedding itself proves to be anything but a hasty affair--the guest list quickly blooms from 75 to 200 guests, and Carrie's simple, label-less wedding gown gives way to an enormous creation that makes her look like a gigantic cream puff. An upcoming photo spread in Vogue puts the event--which will take place at the New York Public Library--squarely in the public eye. Meanwhile, Carrie's girlfriends--Samantha, the sexpot; Charlotte, the sweet naïf; and Miranda, the rigid perfectionist--could not be happier. At least, they couldn't be happier for Carrie. Charlotte still has the unrealized hope of getting pregnant. Samantha is finding a loving, committed relationship more grueling than she could have imagined. Miranda unwittingly lets her own unhappiness--created when Steve admits to cheating on her just once--spoil Carrie's. After a heated encounter with Steve, she happens to spot Mr. Big and tells him he's crazy to get married. She's really only thinking of her own marriage. But her angry remark gets Mr. Big to thinking.

   Okay first, this movie has a lot of sex. And I mean A LOT. That would be the reason this movie is rated R for all the sex, and nudity. And it shows EVERYTHING. This film is NOT for kids, or even preteens really. However for teens and up, and on a girls night or when you are feeling bad, this would be a very good choice :) We loved it, it had us rolling on the floor laughing at some of the lines, and we've even come to repeating some of them (ex. colour!)

    Although this movie was a bit long, it spans over a whole year, spending longer in places like halloween, new years, valentines day, and so on. The scenery in Mexico, was gorgeous that you saw, they really didn't leave the resort, and every bit of NYC you saw was perfectly suited for whatever scene they happened to be shooting. The plot, which revolves around the lives of Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte is mostly centered in on Carrie, and the fact that she was going to be the 40- year old bride, but since most people don't get their happily ever after, things happened. Of course most things ended up resolving themselves by the end, and it's a very good inappropriate feel good movie- like I said before the perfect chick flick. The acting was good, a lot better than I thought it would be, and the comedic timing was perfect. Of course these women are pretty well adapted to these characters after doing the tv show for years, so it wasn't too big of a surprise. All in all, we give the film a 75%

We'll be reviewing sex and the city 2 next month, so watch this one, then hang tight!

Juno

Genre:  Comedy / Drama
Director:  Jason Reitman
Main Actors: Michael Cera, Ellen Page.
Rating: PG-13 (There is sex and it shows a bit of skin, swearing. Proceed with caution.)
Length:96 minutes


IMdB Synopsis:
A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker?

   Ah, Ellen Page. A young actress who was literally plucked off the streets and put into a movie. She is an amazing actress who embodies the character of Juno. The role requires a huge amount of humour but also a lot of emotional acting. Ellen pulls it off with ease. Juno goes through a great amount of stress in the movie but keeps her humour light. Ellen shows the stress just below the surface.

   Juno is a real indie film. It isn't the type of film that is on a huge budget and that is one of the many reasons we enjoyed it so much. There were little quirks (like the hamburger phone, and the tic tacs) that made the film that much.... more. Reitman's directing was ace and Micheal played his usual role of nerdy, hot, odd boy fantastically.
 
   Caroline and Erin didn't really enjoy the film as much as I did. They don't seem to enjoy indie films (or indie music for that matter. The soundtrack= top.) that much. We give Juno 75 %.

" You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events."

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Genre:  Adventure / Comedy/ Drama / Romance
Director: Ken Kwapis
Main Actors: Amber Tamblyn, American Ferrera, Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel.
Rating: PG (Parent appropriate.)
Length: 119 minutes


IMdB Synopsis:
The movie is based on the young adult book, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Anne Brashares. As four best friends spend their first summer apart from one another, they share a magical pair of jeans. Despite being of various shapes and sizes, each one of them fits perfectly into the pants. To keep in touch they pass these pants to each other as well as the adventures they are going through while apart.

   The acting in this film is fantastic. Amber plays the typical pissy, angst filled, I-loathe-the-world teen, and plays it well. America is the girl with family issues and is one of the few actresses who can cry on cue without it sounding something like a dying hippo (I'm talking about YOU Nicholas Cage!). Blake is portrayed as somewhat slutty but determined and she owns the part. Alexis makes an incredible transformation as the movie progresses and everything from her wardrobe (Lisa Jensen) to her facial expressions and the way she speaks changes.  Actresses became friends during the filming and it shows through in their performance. The dinner scene with Carmen and her father's new family, Bradley Whitford started to improv and kept the entire crew laughing which made it difficult for everyone to get through the scene without laughing.


   The message in the film was basically love your friends. They will be there with you through everything. Cherish them because you never know when they will be gone. The film is a real girls night film. It passes all the criteria: Heartbreak, Attractive boys, Relateable, Funny, Love. We rate it 83%.

Fun fact: The dinner scene with Carmen and her father's new family, Bradley Whitford started to improv and kept the entire crew laughing which made it difficult for everyone to get through the scene without laughing.