Reviews

By far the best part of this film is Ryan Gosling's acting. He has really shown himself in a variety of roles throughout his career. It if very impressive that he can create so many different characters and do it in a believable way. Again in this film he created a very different character perfectly. In Drive he talks very little and performs his acting through his body language. The fact that he can portray a introverted, caring, and aggressive character with minimal talking is evidence that yet again he deserves an Oscar nomination!

The story and directing are very unique. Nicolas Winding Refn has become known for his violent and award-winning direction. He continues with the violence and I think this time he will be winning some bigger awards. The story is riveting! I was at the edge of my seat (when I wasn't covering my eyes) for much of the film. It is difficult for me to explain what exactly is different about this film. I think it is the use of silence and body language to portray real emotion rather than making the film wordy. Overall, I am not a fan of the gore but I am impressed with the creativity in directing.

The directing and the acting are the strengths and deserve some award nominations. I like the story line, which keeps you guessing. I have heard there is some Oscar buzz already and I think it will continue. I am not sure if Drive will be on the Best Picture list, but I wouldn't be disappointed if it was.

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The previews for this film make it seem like a whirlwind romance between two people who are destined to be together. This is somewhat true in the film, but it all kind of gets lost in the shuffle. We don't get much background story since we only see the characters on one day out of the year. There is almost no attempt to fill the audience in on what has happened the rest of the year. There was no build up to make it feel as though these two were meant for each other. There was no climactic, romantic scene when they make an advancement in this relationship. It was just all flat. Then out of no where one thing changes the whole path of the film. After this everything becomes depressing, but then the plot finally gets a bit romantic in the last few scenes of the film. It was all just a mess.

I do love Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess who both did a good acting job. But the writing was awkward and choppy. The plot didn't really flow because we didn't get any hints into what happened during the days of the year we weren't seeing. The biggest problem, though, was it was very slow. I have not been bored in a movie in a loooooooong time! I kept talking to my friends sitting next to me, because most of the movie was not keeping my attention. If I had watched this movie at home, I definitely would have fallen asleep.

Overall, I like the concept of this film and the actors could make it great. But we did not get enough information to feel anything for the characters or fully understand their relationship. There was a little bit of romance towards the end of the film, but this just didn't measure up to expectations.

It's hard to say don't see it, but don't be sad if you miss it.

This, of course, is an emotional and strong subject which is felt greatly in this film. But The Help has some amazing acting, great writing, and an overall perfect portrayal of the struggles faced by many during this time period.

This movie was serious and emotional, but it was also hilarious!!! I have not been to many movies where an entire audience bursts into laughter multiple times during one film. The "sassy" oneliners from a couple of prominent characters and the karma that comes back to bite some asses creates so many funny moments!! This is one of its strongest characteristics. We can only take so much intensity. The break-up of comedy gives this movie a great dynamic.

The acting was excellent! Emma Stone, who plays the young journalist, once again is kind of broadening her repertoire. She portrays this strong-will girl who doesn't quite measure up to the usual beauty queens of the south. She has the look, the acting ability, and the subtle comedy to support the other great actors in this film. I was really impressed with Octavia Spencer, who plays one of the maids. She had an amazing character written for her, but she could not have acted better! Her character was the source of the majority of the humor and she executed it all perfectly! Throughout the movie I was continually impressed by her performance. The rest of the cast was great. They set the scene and created the characters wonderfully, but I was most impressed with Spencer and Stone.

The biggest pull of a film like this is it gives us a peek into the past. This was such a volatile time in history and has been represented in a variety of medias. But The Help shows a more personal perspective. It puts you in the homes and lives of people living during this time and people trying to challenge the current system. Emma Stone's character's mother at one point says, "Courage sometimes skips a generation." This referred to her feelings about her daughter trying to challenge these negatives systems in society when she was unable to. I just wondered how many parents at this time felt the same way. The idea that my great- grandparents or others living during this time could have thought that way makes the depth of the film intensify.

Overall, this was a moving, emotional, and funny movie. It shows a great picture of the struggles of inequality during the 1960s, but it's not just about a societal issue or history. It is so much more than that. Plus it was really fun to watch. You feel connected to the characters, because you watch their emotion and struggles play out. The majority of the audience tonight was women and older couples. I think it will resonate most with this audience most, but I would recommend this film to everyone!

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There is some great acting, hilarious one liners, and a few hopeless romantics. It is very idealistic, a little over the top at the end, but I really enjoyed it!

This was definitely a comedy. It was really funny with lots of one liners to keep you laughing! It is also very romantic, you are striving for these couples to make it through. But it was very different from other romantic comedies. This is mainly because the story is told from the men's perspective. The men are the ones cheated on and damaged trying to pick up the pieces. This made the whole dynamic of the movie very different. It also was not happy-go-lucky through most of the movie. There was a lot of down-in-the-dumps moments, but yet again, somehow misery is hilarious!

My favorite part was the acting! Steve Carell perfectly portrays a 40- something man who's let himself go a bit. He hilariously shows this character that is downtrodden and the opposite of hip trying to turn his life around. His chemistry with Julianne Moore is questionable at times, but I think you are still fighting for these two throughout the movie. Ryan Gosling was also perfect as the confident, studly, womanizer who takes Carell's character under his wing. These two have great chemistry perfectly showing a man's perspective of relationship struggles. The casting of these two is great for a movie centered on the men! Emma Stone did a great job also. Her chemistry with Gosling was believable and romantic. This is a more mature role for her. She plays a mature woman about to begin her law career, much different than a high school hottie.

This movie, like many romantic comedies, was very idealistic! Everything is grand gestures and ends conveniently. But we have our own lives for depressing story lines, a little idealism won't hurt while we are at the movies. The ending is over the top. I do think it could have been wrapped up in a way that was a little more believable. I don't like to reveal too much, so that's about all I can say about that.

Overall, I had fun watching this movie. It was funny! It had some great acting and hilarious lines and moments. It is idealistic and doesn't have the best ending, but all this is forgivable. It claims to be the best comedy of the summer, which I don't think it quite achieves. There have been a lot of comedies this summer, and a couple really good ones. But I enjoyed it a lot!

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It is much different than the superhero movies we have seen recently. It is set in the 1940s which creates a completely different context that effects almost every part of the movie. This added to the fact that this is a superhero movie resulted in an overload of cheesy moments.

This movie reminded me of the Batman and Spiderman cartoons I used to watch as a kid. There is lots of slow motion running with explosions all around, anticipatory music to create a mood, and the villain escaping last minute with a quick remark. It is not as modern as the previous superhero movies released lately. This is not necessarily a negative, but it made me shake my head and chuckle often at the cheese-fest that occurred for the majority of the movie. I would not have been surprised if POW and BOOM action bubbles flashed across the screen at any time, luckily they left that to the original comic books.

I was a little worried about Chris Evans' portrayal of a superhero, especially one as iconic as Captain America. He did a pretty good job representing this little guy turned to super soldier. He also fits in well to this cheesy-type movie. He doesn't really have the swagger of Robert Downing Jr., but that's not what's needed for Captain America. I give him props on this one.

Overall, I enjoyed the film. The combination of a 1940s setting and the fact that it is a superhero movie should have made me expect the cheesy- fest that ensured. I think it outranks Thor, as I expected, but does not compare to Iron man in any way. For most people I would say wait and Redbox/Netflix this one. But if you are a comic fan already or hooked into this Avengers saga like I am, then SEE IT! And make sure you wait until after the 20 minutes of credits to see the amazing preview for The Avengers movie!!!

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Watching the trailers I expected this to be one of the worst films I had ever seen. My major concern was what appeared to be very weak and superficial casting. I would consider the acting to be the biggest weakness of this movie. Ryan Reynolds may have the look of a superhero, but he is much better suited for a romantic comedy than an action flick. Similarly, Blake Lively looks like the perfect superhero love interest, but in this movie she was also supposed to be a serious business-type woman. She did not pull this off well.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. The acting was not great. The effects could have been stronger and I would have been satisfied without so many story lines. But I enjoyed seeing the film and do not think it was one of the worst films I have seen. I think it will fall in the wayside of many other major summer movies, but Redbox it if you are in the mood for another good superhero adventure!

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This film had the potential to be very successful, because of the creativity of the novel. This potential was met despite all of my skepticism. The acting is impressive and very well cast. This unique story was brought to life in a creative and realistic manner. While this film is very much geared towards women, it can be a pleasant surprise to most audience members. It makes you apart of a world that is completely different and unknown to us today. If you are looking for a whimsical story of illusion and survival, Water for Elephants is the film to see.

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I'll start with the positives- The Company Men is a great story, especially with our current economy. Many people are going through this situation or similar ones. This is also very emotional. The writer, John Wells, created some great characters. Each of the three men are at different levels of the corporate ladder and different periods in their life. But on top of the emotion, it also sheds a positive light on this very depressing situation that many people have experienced. The film brings life to the message that there are positives aspects to each situation and you just have to find them.

And just a few negatives- The plot was a little slow at times. This is a great story with great characters, but depressing, unemployed life can be slow moving at times. Also, while the characters are relatable and diverse, they are not developed very well. I was often confused which business man was with which woman and which house and which expensive car. Maybe this is because all of the wealthy, now jobless men and their belongings look the same.

Overall, The Company Men portrays a great story with great characters that is a little slow and could use some more character development. I think it's a great film with great actors, but you don't necessarily need to spend the fortune that a movie ticket costs these days to see it.

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This films is essentially a newer version of the Exorcist with a little twist. It has its make-you-jump moments and some thrill throughout the film. This does provide the fright that a movie goer would look for in a horror type film. And the plot is not terrible. Anthony Hopkins brings his usually terror to this film. With all of that said, there were some slight set issues and mediocre acting and writing.

Overall, it is not as terrible as I expected. It does have the scary moments that you would like in a horror film, but I don't think it will compare to any of the classic horror films. It shakes you up and puts you on the edge of your seat more than anything else. If you are a horror or fright film lover, check it out! Otherwise, I would call this film missable.

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I had very low expectations for No Strings Attached. The couple would make the decision to use each, one would fall for the other, and in the end they would live happily ever after. I was correct about the overall story line, but, impressively, the writers found a way the mix in enough comedy to keep you entertained for the full 110 minutes. On top of that, there is enough cutsie romance to make for the perfect date night movie. Comedy to make you laugh and romance to cheer up any romantic girl.... sounds like a romantic comedy to me!

Natalie Portman shows her range of acting abilities by having two extremely different films in theaters at the same time. I was thoroughly impressed with her ability to drop the comedic one liners and portray a unaffectionate woman who's fallen in love realistically. Comparing this to her award-winning role in Black Swan made her abilities even more impressive. I cannot say the same for Ashton Kutcher. He has a great face and is great at comedic acting. However, each serious, romantic scene he was in became unrealistic and uncomfortable.

Overall, this is the perfect date night or girls night movie. It has some great comedic moments and brings in the romance that most ladies love to see. If you are looking for a light-hearted romantic comedy, this is a great choice.

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You can't doubt that the writers of Meet the Parents created incredible characters that nearly every person in America can relate to. They also created a story line that is hilarious and again something nearly everyone can relate to. Both of these can be said about the most recent film in this series, Little Fockers. They were very lucky to bring back all the original cast members once again and use the humor we love in a whole new way. This time Deb and Greg Focker have a family of their own and the grandparents are coming to visit.

The storyline and characters stays true the theme of the previous two films, but the predictability and craziness are there also. This is the only downfall of Little Fockers. The ending, as with the previous films, displays excessive insanity and complete predictability.

With both of these things in mind, I was not disappointed by Little Fockers. I always worry that sequels will be complete failures, but this film created a whole new plot with the same characters we have loved from the previous films. It is not an attempted to repeat the original. It does not use a bad storyline to make some extra dough off a over told story. That is the best you can ask for in a sequel in my opinion. If you are in love with Jack Byrnes and the Focker crew, get yourself to a theater now. If not, save your money and Redbox it!

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It cannot be denied that this film is a western. This includes the Old West setting, gun fights, horse riding, unique trading, and polite humor, but this film does not feel like the old time westerns you might be used to. It is modern, fast-paced, and very entertaining! The most impressive aspect of this film was how modern the film felt. The increased technology and high quality of the film help make this film feel different from the first scene. It is the fast pace of the plot and dialogue help make this storyline feel more relatable to our culture of constant motion and multitasking. Taking all of the usual western elements and transforming them into a film that is relatable to today's audiences is no easy feat, but it was achieved in this film.

The casting for this film is phenomenal. Jeff Bridges proves himself as an acting heavy hitter yet again. He transforms himself into this role and makes every word of dialogue, gesture, and movement believable. I was skeptical of Matt Damon in his role as a half-witty, yet cocky, Texas Ranger, but he also appears to have morphed himself in to this character to make it fully believable. His performance/character is also very humorous. He is very clearly the less intellectual of the main characters, but he is immensely lovable. Josh Brolin comes in later in the film to accomplish a great performance as the Old West's "villain", but this is highly overshadowed by the excellent performances of the main characters. None of these compare to the performance of Hailee Steinfeld as the hard-headed, witty young Mattie Ross. She appears to be fairly new to acting focused mostly in film shorts and television movies. She perfectly portrays this young girl who will not back down to anyone she encounters.

Overall, this film was excellent. It takes the classic story of a western, keeps some of the age-old elements, but adds some modern twists to make it relatable and enjoyable to today's audiences. While it does contain clear evidence of the Coen brothers' brutality and wit at times, I think this film can be enjoyed by everyone (even those who have not enjoyed previous Coen films).

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The Fighter is really a story about family. Mark Wahlberg's character struggles with the craziness of a large, loud-mouthed family and trying to fulfill his dreams. Throughout the movie he works to determine if victory is better with or without your crazy family.

Overall, I was very impressed with this film. I believe the acting stood out above any other element. However, the story is exciting, hilarious, and emotional. Plus who can't relate to a little bit of family drama. But as award season approaches, I expect to see more individual actor awards rather than overall film awards.These amazing portrayals make a real-life tale come alive on the screen.

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