The visual effects gave this movie such a whimsical quality. The situations Paddington gets himself into made me laugh out loud. Completely enjoyable movie for both kids and adults. Great cast with Bonneville and Kidman. A feel good fun flick.
Reviews
18 Reviews
Brittany Runs a Marathon
(2019)
Good story about making changes
19 January 2020
I liked this much more than I thought I would. The interpersonal relationships as Brittany finds herself and gets her life together were inspiring. It's not just about weight loss and exercise, it more about a young woman pulling herself out of the negativity and being more present for herself and those around her.
Cimarron
(1931)
Western from 1931
16 January 2020
Best Picture from 1931, Cimarron, a western about the Oklahoma settlers in the 1800s. You can tell that Talkies had only existed for 4 years, and they were still figuring out how to do sound in movies. I think this won because of the grandeur of the wild West scenes. Good movie due to the historical aspect.
Grand Hotel
(I) (1932)
Legendary Acting Performances
16 January 2020
Garbo, Crawford and two of the Barrymore's - Grand Hotel 1932, a movie set in a luxury hotel in Berlin, made one year before Hitler came into power. The old style acting is outstanding. Such a thrill watching these four legends perform on screen. Such a different time period with a different life style. Worth watching for the acting performances.
Cavalcade
(1933)
Interesting Overview of the Time Period
16 January 2020
Cavalcade, best picture Oscar winner. Story takes place on New Year 1899, ends on NY 1932. Fast paced, showing 2 English families moving through all the important major events during that time:: the Titanic, the War, Queen Victoria, etc... since it covers so much history the plot and characters don't get really developed. But it was interesting to see how fashion and styles and customs changes within the time period covered.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette
(2019)
Quirky and Inspirational
14 January 2020
Quirky comedy/drama with thoughtful questions about life. Cate Blanchett is a famous architect who has lost her way due to some downfalls in her life. Inspirational as she gets back on track with her neighbors, her family, her career and herself.
The Last Word
(2017)
Loved this Movie
3 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Just saw The Last Word, and got to hear the director speak afterward. I loved it. Heartwarming story, great character development. Serious, yet humorous - cute at times. Great movie about an elderly woman who is dealing with the final years of her life. Shirley MacLaine is outstanding. The little girl, played in the movie, by AnneJewel Dixon, is perfectly sassy. And Anne Heche gives a really great performance as MacLaine's daughter. I really enjoyed how MacLaine's character strengthened Amanda Seyfried's character and help her grow. It is very rare in Hollywood to see a movie focused on the issues that that the elderly face in their final years - and this movie does it in a touching way, sometimes lighthearted, sometimes serious.
Really Enjoyed It !
26 March 2016
I saw Batman v Superman this evening, and I really enjoyed it. I saw it in 3D and the special effects were great. Ben Affleck is the perfect Batman. He has the perfect look and tone for the character. And Henry Cavill was great as Superman also. I also liked seeing Holly Hunter in the role of The Senator, she really gave the role a professional business women feel to it. However as for Jesse Eisenberg, I do think the way he portrayed his role of Lex Luthor did not fit with the rest of the movie. His Lex Luthor was over the top, over acted and somewhat cartoon like. It didn't fit into the rest of the movie which is dark and serious. Overall I really enjoyed the movie, the special effects and the story line. I loved Ben Affleck as Batman most of all. I hope he continues to be Batman in future movies.
Superstar
(1999)
Very enjoyable
21 October 2013
I completely enjoyed Superstar. Its one of those movies that are kind of cute, but still had enough off color humor to keep your attention. It is not raunchy at all. The off color humor comes from many things that kids in the age group really go through.
I grew up attending Catholic High School. So I can related to many things in this movie. Just the uniforms alone are funny. And the characters of the Priests and Nuns are very funny, and reminds me of many of the teachers I had back in the day.
Yes both Molly and Will were a little too old for their characters. I wonder what the movie would have been like if they made it with child actors. It certainly would have been a whole different thing. But I like how they made it with the older actors. It's Molly Shannon's character and really no one but Molly can play her.
I grew up attending Catholic High School. So I can related to many things in this movie. Just the uniforms alone are funny. And the characters of the Priests and Nuns are very funny, and reminds me of many of the teachers I had back in the day.
Yes both Molly and Will were a little too old for their characters. I wonder what the movie would have been like if they made it with child actors. It certainly would have been a whole different thing. But I like how they made it with the older actors. It's Molly Shannon's character and really no one but Molly can play her.
Lucrezia Borgia
(1935)
Beautiful Film but Difficult to Follow
19 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I just watched the DVD of this, which said it was 2 hours and 4 minutes. And I had to search to find the function to turn on the subtitles, the DVD didn't automatically do that.
I have watched the Borgia mini-series, and two movies. So I am familiar with the story line. If I did not have that background, it would have been difficult to follow the story line of this 1935 film. But I don't think it is the fault of the filmmaker - I think there is a difference in the way people watch movies in 2013. It is just difficult to watch the type of film from that era. Add on to that it is a French film (when I am in the USA) and that adds a different type of difficulty. To me watching this movie, was almost studying it - because the time period and culture of the actual film itself.
***Spoilers Below *** All in all, I thought it was a beautiful film. Just the way some of the long shots were filmed. The scene of the women bathing was beautiful and artistic.
I had seen the comments about the orgies and nudity in the film. But I figured since it was made in 1935 it would be pretty mild. No, the nudity and orgies are pretty blatant in this. There is not a lot left to the imagination. I was actually pretty shocked. One expects this in modern day films, but to see it in a classic movie like this is very unexpected. I could also have thought this because Cesar was portrayed as a really vicious evil man (which he was). But in other movies I have watched he was somewhat romanticized, which soften his evil character. In this film he was made to look as a horrible terrible brute.
I have watched the Borgia mini-series, and two movies. So I am familiar with the story line. If I did not have that background, it would have been difficult to follow the story line of this 1935 film. But I don't think it is the fault of the filmmaker - I think there is a difference in the way people watch movies in 2013. It is just difficult to watch the type of film from that era. Add on to that it is a French film (when I am in the USA) and that adds a different type of difficulty. To me watching this movie, was almost studying it - because the time period and culture of the actual film itself.
***Spoilers Below *** All in all, I thought it was a beautiful film. Just the way some of the long shots were filmed. The scene of the women bathing was beautiful and artistic.
I had seen the comments about the orgies and nudity in the film. But I figured since it was made in 1935 it would be pretty mild. No, the nudity and orgies are pretty blatant in this. There is not a lot left to the imagination. I was actually pretty shocked. One expects this in modern day films, but to see it in a classic movie like this is very unexpected. I could also have thought this because Cesar was portrayed as a really vicious evil man (which he was). But in other movies I have watched he was somewhat romanticized, which soften his evil character. In this film he was made to look as a horrible terrible brute.
Gone with the Wind
(1939)
American Classic
20 May 2009
Gone With the Wind is definitely the all time greatest Romance movie of all time. Scarlett and Ashley are the real lovers in the movie, in my opinion. Rhett Butler and Scarlet come across as two very dysfunctional people when they are together - even though it is their romance that everyone remembers in this movie. Also, the background history of the Civil War makes this very emotional and historic.
The film and cinematography are just beautiful. I saw it on a movie sized screen - and if you can see it on the big screen as opposed to a DVD on a TV screen, I really recommend it. It is so breath-taking and beautiful. Even at almost 4 hours long, it is definitely worth the time. One of the greatest films ever made.
The film and cinematography are just beautiful. I saw it on a movie sized screen - and if you can see it on the big screen as opposed to a DVD on a TV screen, I really recommend it. It is so breath-taking and beautiful. Even at almost 4 hours long, it is definitely worth the time. One of the greatest films ever made.
The Pacifier
(2005)
Adorable Family Movie
14 March 2005
I have to say, that I love good family movies. And The Pacifier was really fun. And very funny. Vin Diesel really made a wise career choice in deciding to make a Comedy his next film. And he does an excellent job portraying a Navy SEAL who is required to guard a family of children while their mother is away. Not only that, but he looks very sexy holding a baby. What is it about caring for a baby that makes a man look extremely attractive. The scenes he has with the Firefly Girl Scout troupe are hysterical, and very cute.
Carol Kane is also outstanding as the foreign Nanny - what a great character actress she is. This woman simply needs to be in more movies. Brad Garrett is wonderful as the mean assistant principle of the school. As is Lauren Graham who plays the principle and Vin Diesel's love interest.
All in all, I thought it was a great family movie.
Carol Kane is also outstanding as the foreign Nanny - what a great character actress she is. This woman simply needs to be in more movies. Brad Garrett is wonderful as the mean assistant principle of the school. As is Lauren Graham who plays the principle and Vin Diesel's love interest.
All in all, I thought it was a great family movie.
Collateral
(2004)
Cruise is the Perfect Bad Guy
13 September 2004
really enjoyed Collateral. Tom Cruise's character Vincent is a contract killer who uses an innocent Taxi Driver named Max played by Jamie Foxx, to drive him around town as he kills his victims. Vincent assures Max that these are all "bad people" but as the story goes on you realize Vincent can't be trusted with anything he says.
Tom Cruise plays this evil character with a lot of depth and complexity. You start to see that he is actually very warped and evil. Jamie Foxx's character starts to wonder just how psycho this person is and you can tell he realizes this situation is getting worse and worse.
Jada Pinkett Smith plays the Attorney who rides with max before Vincent. She and Max flirt and it creates a very interesting plot twist. Mark Ruffalo plays a detective trying to hunt down the killers of the murder victims. Ruffalo was so good in his role, that at first I didn't even realize it was him.
I could see an Oscar nomination for Tom Cruise with this movie. His character is so complex, and Cruise portrays him with perfection.
Tom Cruise plays this evil character with a lot of depth and complexity. You start to see that he is actually very warped and evil. Jamie Foxx's character starts to wonder just how psycho this person is and you can tell he realizes this situation is getting worse and worse.
Jada Pinkett Smith plays the Attorney who rides with max before Vincent. She and Max flirt and it creates a very interesting plot twist. Mark Ruffalo plays a detective trying to hunt down the killers of the murder victims. Ruffalo was so good in his role, that at first I didn't even realize it was him.
I could see an Oscar nomination for Tom Cruise with this movie. His character is so complex, and Cruise portrays him with perfection.
We Don't Live Here Anymore
(2004)
Serious Drama about Married Life
13 August 2004
We Don't Live Here Anymore is a serious drama about 2 married couples who are friends. They each end up cheating on the other. Its an interesting story about what happens when marriage gets rough and people look outside their marriage for the answers.
The acting performances are wonderful in this movie. Mark Ruffalo, Laura Dern, and Naomi Watts are all outstanding. Also, the direction is great. Just the way the scenes are filmed adds so much to the movie.
The film is very serious and intense, and deals with the topic in a very adult manner.
The acting performances are wonderful in this movie. Mark Ruffalo, Laura Dern, and Naomi Watts are all outstanding. Also, the direction is great. Just the way the scenes are filmed adds so much to the movie.
The film is very serious and intense, and deals with the topic in a very adult manner.
My Favorite Harry Potter So Far
9 July 2004
This is my favorite Harry Potter movie so far. I have to admit I only read the first book. And I read the first book after I had already seen the first movie. So I think it kind of spoiled it for me. So I haven't read any of the other books.
But I have made a point to see each movie that has come out. And I think the Prisoner of Azkaban was better - and more scary - that the first two.
I also liked the addition of Gary Oldman and David Thewlis to the cast. And I think Michael Gambon does a wonderful job taking his role over from Richard Harris. The only cast member who bothered me was Emma Thompson - she didn't seem to fit it. The minute her character came on the screen I thought "Oh, theres Emma Thompson" - I came out of the fantasy and into reality. And I think Director Alfonso Cuarón did a wonderful job with his direction.
My favorite special effects were The Dementors, who are pretty dern frightening just in themselves. They are pretty ugly scary creatures, enough to give small children nightmares.
But all in all, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite Harry Potter movie so far.
But I have made a point to see each movie that has come out. And I think the Prisoner of Azkaban was better - and more scary - that the first two.
I also liked the addition of Gary Oldman and David Thewlis to the cast. And I think Michael Gambon does a wonderful job taking his role over from Richard Harris. The only cast member who bothered me was Emma Thompson - she didn't seem to fit it. The minute her character came on the screen I thought "Oh, theres Emma Thompson" - I came out of the fantasy and into reality. And I think Director Alfonso Cuarón did a wonderful job with his direction.
My favorite special effects were The Dementors, who are pretty dern frightening just in themselves. They are pretty ugly scary creatures, enough to give small children nightmares.
But all in all, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite Harry Potter movie so far.
Garfield: The Movie
(2004)
An Absolutely Adorable Movie
30 June 2004
Garfield was the cutest movie I have seen in a while. I have to admit that I have a cat - and I was laughing hysterically at all of Garfield's cat antics. Very realistic indeed. The animation effects really held my interest, it was like Garfield was a real cat.
The only weird thing was that all the other animals are real animals. Garfield is the only animated one. But once you get over that it won't matter.
A cute story-line, with lots of dogs, mice and even more cats. The script includes a story line about the mistreatment of animals, but does it in a way that young children will be able to understand.
I thought Garfield was very entertaining, and a great movie for all ages.
The only weird thing was that all the other animals are real animals. Garfield is the only animated one. But once you get over that it won't matter.
A cute story-line, with lots of dogs, mice and even more cats. The script includes a story line about the mistreatment of animals, but does it in a way that young children will be able to understand.
I thought Garfield was very entertaining, and a great movie for all ages.
Man on Fire
(2004)
Very Good Movie
30 June 2004
Denzel Washington is one of the greatest actors around, so its next to impossible for me to find any fault with any of his performances. In addition, he had a very interesting script to work with, so I think his performance in Man on Fire was fantastic.
And then pair Denzel up with Dakota Fanning and the performances are just absolutely amazing. Dakota is just outstanding in this movie. I saw her give an interview about the movie on a TV talk show, and she is just extraordinary.
The script just has you on the edge of your seat the entire time. With lots of surprises and suspense. Marc Anthony is also very good in this.
Very enjoyable, one of the best movies this year.
And then pair Denzel up with Dakota Fanning and the performances are just absolutely amazing. Dakota is just outstanding in this movie. I saw her give an interview about the movie on a TV talk show, and she is just extraordinary.
The script just has you on the edge of your seat the entire time. With lots of surprises and suspense. Marc Anthony is also very good in this.
Very enjoyable, one of the best movies this year.
Shrek 2
(2004)
The Most Entertaining Movie This Year
30 June 2004
Shrek 2 is a wonderful movie. The animation and script are really funny and clever. Try to catch all the store names in the background as they ride through "Far Far Away".... very clever !
And Puss In Boots is fantastic ! The audience was howling with laughter when he got the fur-ball. You could tell who the cat owners in the audience were.
I liked Shrek 2 even better than the first. With so many other movies, the sequel is a disappointment. But with Shrek 2 it seems to me that the filmmakers went out of their way to find new ways to entertain their audience. Very enjoyable and entertaining.
And Puss In Boots is fantastic ! The audience was howling with laughter when he got the fur-ball. You could tell who the cat owners in the audience were.
I liked Shrek 2 even better than the first. With so many other movies, the sequel is a disappointment. But with Shrek 2 it seems to me that the filmmakers went out of their way to find new ways to entertain their audience. Very enjoyable and entertaining.
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