The Descendants
The Descendents is about how a family tragedy changes the relationship between a father and his two daughters. This was, by far, my favorite movie of the year. The story line is fairly dark, but with just the right twists of humor spread throughout. George Clooney does an excellent job playing the part of the confused adolescent-raising father and both the daughters do a phenomenal job as well. It had me shedding a few tears here and there, but I enjoy movie tears when the time calls for it because it usually means I’ve fallen in love with the characters.
Moneyball
I didn’t expect to think much of Moneyball from the trailers I had seen. I thought it would be a silly, light-hearted story of a baseball team (think Rookie of the Year)—and don’t get me wrong, it was—but in a good way. The fact that it was based on true events made for a stronger credibility and authenticity than just any sports flick. I really liked Jonah Hill’s character (he was nominated for best supporting actor) and Brad Pitt wasn’t too shabby either (up for best actor). If you’re looking for something light but not brainless, watch this.
The Help
I was so excited to see The Help after I read this book for my book club over a year ago. I loved the book. I know there has been recent controversy around how the book and film portray black women in the 60s, but I don’t care. I loved that book. Therefore, I thought I would love the movie. But I didn’t. I thought the flow of the story and the acting was just…well…awkward. I was expecting to be drawn into the story the same way I was when reading the book—rooting for the character’s triumphs and cringing over their tribulations—but I felt sort of “blah” through the whole film. I usually adore Emma Stone, too. Most people I spoke to loved the movie, so maybe I am just a book brat with extreme expectations. This is why I refuse to see the Water for Elephants movie. I’ll leave it at that.
Midnight in Paris
Rachel McAdams and Owen Wilson were a great combination in Wedding Crashers. Woody Allen is a great director. I love books and literature. I can appreciate a good romantic comedy every now and again. All of this combined seems it would be a recipe for a good review of a movie including all of the above, but I found myself wondering, “That was nominated for best picture of the year?” when I finished watching this. The story has a weird (and we all know Woody Allen is weird) plot twist where Owen Wilson is able to canoodle with some of his favorite classic writers when the clock strikes midnight while vacationing in Paris. I just couldn’t get into it, simply put. It wasn’t horrible, but it just doesn’t fit into the category of best movie of the year.
The Tree of Life
I do not feel worthy of reviewing this movie. I think it’s on a different level than me; a level where I was just completely, utterly confused and baffled by the whole thing. I can’t even explain what is it about because I honestly don’t know. It was just a bunch of random clips of a family and then outer space, and then landscapes with lots of people whispering on the voice-over. The New York Times reviewed this movie saying, “ Its most provocative sequences envision the origin of the universe, the development of life on earth (including a few soulful dinosaurs) and then, more concisely and less literally, the end of time, when the dead of all the ages shall rise and walk around on a heavenly beach.” If that helps at all. But they also said this, “Do all the parts of ‘The Tree of Life’ cohere? Does it all make sense? I can’t say that it does. I suspect, though, that sometime between now and Judgment Day it will.”
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