As previously mentioned, Wifey left me solo this week and I thought I'd catch up on some of our movie watching. I guess you could say I got stood up on these last 2 dates.
That's ok though because this next film was subtitled. If you're new to Our Movie Date you should know that Wifey will not watch black-and-white, silent, or subtitled films - at all.
As you can imagine that makes things difficult when you're trying to watch and review some of the greatest films of all time.
In any event, next up is The Kite Runner and it's another film based off of a novel. In this case one by Khaled Hosseini. Watch Trailer.
HUBBY'S REVIEW
I want to begin this review by saying that this was one of the best films I've ever seen and certainly one of the best I've seen all year. Maybe #1 or #2 on my list.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
So, Wifey and the Radt tots are camping this week with her parents and that leaves me all by my lonesome self. What to do? Watch movies of course!
Actually, it worked out quite well because the 2 movies we had left to watch here at home are 2 that I know Wifey wasn't too thrilled about.
The first was Lions For Lambs or the latest anit-American film out of Hollywood and this one was by Robert Redford. Watch Trailer.
HUBBY'S REVIEW
To be perfectly honest, this movie surprised me. It wasn't as liberal or left-leaning as I thought it was going to be given the subject matter, cast, and previews I had seen.
Even so, the whole thing just left me feeling as if I had watched the twenty-first century version of a Joseph Goebbels piece. Not in scope and grandeur mind you, but just the way it tried to come off as being a slick presentation of political commentary.
I mean, when was the last time you saw a film that starred 3 big name actors/actresses like this movie had and yet the length of the movie was barely 1 hour and 30 minutes?
Kids movies are usually only that short and adult movies (not that kind sparky!) are typically 2 hours or more these days. There's a substance to them. Not in this case.
I guess some people might argue that there's only so much you can argue about when it comes to contemporary politics and the War on Terror. I would disagree and would've opted for a little more character development and a deeper storyline, but instead we're given big Hollywood names who simply fulfilled a role of Mouthpiece A, Mouthpiece B, and Mouthpiece C that spewed the same old garbage we get any evening on the nightly news.
Talk about being typecast! This movie did nothing to break stereotypes and everything to enforce them. You had the right-wing, neo-con, Republican hawk in Tom Cruise's character whose only concern is himself and his political career. You have the liberal news reporter character in Meryl Streep who is torn between what's right (read her liberal perspective) and what's right (read Republican). You have a university professor in Robert Redford's character who is able to mold a vulnerable young student's mind in his own hands and subtlely influence them in one direction or another.
Like I said, the whole thing felt too contrived to me and although I appreciated that I could actually watch it (stomach it) because it wasn't "too political" it did end up feeling like I wasted 1 hour and 30 minutes and that it was nothing more than a LONG political ad.
I give it 2 Ben & Jerry's out of 5.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Our next review is of the movie Dan In Real Life starring Steve Carell of The Office fame. It's your typical "love-triangle-romantic-entanglement" story with a few twists. Watch Trailer.
WIFEY'S REVIEW
This movie was a good one. It was hard to take Steve Carell serious, for all you who know him in The Office. It takes place when Dan Burns finds himself in a book store looking for some kind of book when a woman walks by and asks him for help. He takes one look at her and falls head over heels for her.
Seeing that Dan is a single father of 3 girls ever since his wife died leaving him to raise these young ladies on his own with no female help there's a strong emotional element to this film.
Dan takes Marie out to get coffee and it seems as though they hit it off just perfect and all of a sudden she gets a phone call and has to go. They exchange numbers and go there separate ways.
Dan goes to a family function at this parent's house and comes to find out that his brother was bringing his new girlfriend to dinner. Low and behold it's Marie! Now Dan has to bring himself to forget her seeing she's with his brother.
It's a very funny way how they try not to know each other, but the odds keeping bringing them closer and closer to one another until the inevitable completely hooks them in.
They finally have to tell everyone that they are falling for each other and in doing so they break the other brother's heart. It all works out in the end (how you'll have to see for yourself!). This movie is a must see in my book.
I give it 3 Ben & Jerry's out of 5.
HUBBY'S REVIEW
Before I get started with my review I just want everyone to know that I gave Wifey some lip service tonight and told her that her reviews need to get back to telling what she liked and didn't like - more analyzing from her end instead of just re-telling the story because that's what worked so well for her in the beginning.
I'm sure she just loves me airing our dirty laundry like this in public!
I'll start my review by saying that I liked that Steve Carell took a bit of a departure from his wacky roles we usually see him in. There was a serious and endearing side to him in this movie that the viewer instantly connects with.
It's your typical "forbidden love" type of story except this one felt much more mature if that makes any sense. These were adults dealing with a love-at-first-sight circumstance, but once they realized that pursuing that love would break someone else's heart they knew that they had to do the right thing as you'd like to think that mature adults would do in their case.
It was also uncomfortable to watch at times. I mean, the only thing more uncomfortable than watching Steve Carell's character fall in love with his brother's girlfriend was if it was his brother's wife (his sister-in-law). Wait, scratch that! I thought of something more uncomfortable! His character falling in love with his mom's best friend or his "aunt" from his youth or, wait, how about his step-sister or something? Geesh!
Despite that fact, it was quite a heart-warming film actually and he played his role perfectly showing a lot of range and depth as an actor.
I too will give it 3 Ben & Jerry's out of 5 making the official Our Movie Date rating for this film a 3.
Monday, July 21, 2008
On behalf of Wifey and myself please allow us to apologize to our faithful fans for including reviews of the G-Rated variety.
Unfortunately, when you have two small children under the age of 3 you tend to use your free time watching movies with them ("Family Movie Night") so we thought it was only right that we include our reviews of those films here as well.
Without further adieu I present to you the Our Movie Date review of Shrek The Third.
Watch Trailer.
WIFEY'S REVIEW
So, I came to this conclusion: SEQUELS SHOULD NOT BE MADE! The first one was really good, the second one was ok, and the third one was LAME!
Ok, it was cute that they had little Shreks, but that was the last 10 minutes of the movie and before then it was Shrek and Dragon was trying to find the next person or ogre to be the king.
Same storyline as the other two and they have to fight off the bad fairytale people again and prove there strength. They find this really dorky kid and he now has to be the king, but getting back to the castle would be the challenge for the three of them. They have to battle prince charming and his people.
In the meantime, Princess Fiona gets herself into a lot of trouble while trying to help out Shrek, which she shouldn’t be doing because all those jumps and matrix like stunts while in her first trimester and good for her or her baby! We woman who have been there can say that with confidence.
So, to make a long, drawn out description short...they fight the prince charming and the new kid takes over the castle and claims his reign. I have to say it was cute to see all the princesses once again. After all this drama was over, Pricess Fiona finally pops out these really cute little shreklets.
Only 2 out of 5 Ben & Jerry’s for me.
HUBBY'S REVIEW
Obviously, this was just an excuse to squeeze as much money out of a film franchise as possible. I mean, even the trailers for this movie (one we saw dozens of times because it was part of another one of our kids' favorite movies) misrepresented what the story was about.
Wifey and I thought it would be funny to watch Shrek and Fiona play mommy and daddy to these dirty little monsters, but instead the babies weren't part of the story until the very end.
Hmmm...I wonder if Shrek 4 will be the movie that tells the parenting story exclusively? No, couldn't be, could it?
Now that I think of it, the Shrek Christmas special (Shrek The Halls) that debuted this past winter was more entertaining, funny, and original than this entire installment was and it was only 45 minutes long!
Like and old friend, it was good to see the regular characters again although there wasn't really any new material or originality as there was in the first two films.
Sadly, only 1.5 Ben & Jerry's for me for this dying franchise. That's makes the official Our Movie Date rating a whopping 1.75!
A film about teenage pregnancy is typically not something we would rent especially when we could find similar made-for-tv-movies on the Lifetime Network.
However, given the reviews of the movie Juno, what promised to be an entertaining cast, and the Oscar buzz from this past year regarding Best Original Screenplay all seemed to indicate that this one could be a winner.
Watch Trailer.
WIFEY'S REVIEW
This movie I thought was going to be good seeing it had a couple of the people from Arrested Development, but boy was I wrong! Ok, here’s the gist on what this movie was about…
Juno (Ellen Page) gets pregnant from Paulie (Michael Cera) and she chooses to keep the baby and find a good home for the little bundle of joy. In the meantime, Paulie’s mother hates her and doesn’t want her son to have anything to do with Juno. Your classic drama and tension filled movie.
Ok, so the Juno character is supposed to be 16 in this film although the way she talks it’s like she’s 30! I hate that it wasn’t realistic at all then again I never got pregnant at 16 in today's world. Juno’s father and stepmom didn’t even seem like they were mad or even concerned about her being pregnant.
Juno goes through the paper to find parents for her baby (who just randomly picks from a paper???) so she finds this really nice couple (or you think they are) and Juno goes to meet them for the first time and it was really akward seeing that.
There she was with her father and the new couple and a lawyer. The new dad Mark (Jason Bateman) was not even interested about this at all he was totally in lala land and the wife Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) was so excited.
Juno picks them and goes to see them throughout her pregnancy, but while going there Mark seems to be hitting on Juno. So gross to me seeing how much older he is to her in this role. She looks at it as he’s being nice until he springs the news on her (now you don’t think I would give away exactly how that happens do you???).
Overall, I thought this movie was very lame and I have to say it did have a happy ending, which made up for the whole beginning part of it.
Still, only 1.5 Ben & Jerry's ice creams out of 5 for me.
HUBBY'S REVIEW
Here's the thing. I'm always skeptical and hesitant to watch anything Hollywood puts out that has to do with pregnancy or parenting. Being a father of two little ones myself, I've gotten more than a little annoyed by the constant message that kids are a burden and that they should be treated as nothing more than pets and accessories.
Sadly, however, that's the world we live in these days. When young kids think it's "cool" and fashionable to have a baby bump and a child without getting married first there's a problem. I realize that life happens, but why is it that Hollywood always elects to tell the negative, sad, abnormally abhorrent story instead of the positive, happy, and uplifting ones?
Ok, I'm done now.
I agree with Wifey that despite the subject matter (and from what we knew about the film heading into it) I was excited to see this funny cast in action. Too bad it was too smart for it's own good within the first 2 minutes through to the end!
If you thought Dawson's Creek was bad with all the brainy, sophisticated, eloquent teenagers running around then you haven't seen this yet! The Juno character was ridiculously over-the-top with the vocab she used when talking to friends and family. Even her best friend who was typecast as the "dumb-goofy-sidekick-buddy" talked using words many 16-year-olds have never even read or heard of.
Aside from that, I was surprised that teenage pregnancy wasn't glorified and that it was toned down quite a bit. The way they handled the relationship between mom-to-be and dad-to-be I felt was accurate and spot on to how teenagers would handle themselves in that situation.
Without giving anything away (and I'm sure many of you already know the basic premise and storyline), it was also refreshing to see a popular mainstream film about an unexpected pregnancy end with the parents giving the child up for adoption rather than get rid of their "problem" by having an abortion or leaving the baby in a dumpster.
Personally, I did not share in the same "buzz" as others did so I give it 2 Ben & Jerry's out of 5 bringing the offical Our Movie Date Rating to 1.75 Ben & Jerry's.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Did you ever get excited about a Movie Trailer so much so that you made a mental note so that when that move finally came out months later you'd remember to see it? Did you follow through on that only to regret your decision afterwards and wonder what it was that got you all excited in the first place? If not, Martian Child is a perfect case study of just such a scenario.
WIFEY'S REVIEW
Girls get out a box of tissues on this one!Ok, this one was good! Here's a breakdown…A happily married husband and wife want to have kids and all of a sudden the wife dies leaving the husband behind and so devastated, but still wanting children although not ready to get re-married so he decides to adopt.
He goes to this one agency and plays around with some of the kids, but sees/hears this one particular little boy who intrigues him in many ways. Only seeing from under a box, David (John Cusack) inquires about Dennis a.k.a. the "Martian Child" (Bobby Coleman).
David decides to give it a chance with him and he adopts Dennis. Boy did it go wrong in so many ways! He’s afraid of the light, he only comes out of his box at night, and he talks really weird, but that’s what made this movie so interesting to watch - just to see how David was going to get Dennis out of his shell.
I give it 2.5 Ben & Jerry's.
HUBBY'S REVIEW
I tend to like anything with John Cusack in it. He just always seems like a real, genuine person and the type of characters he often plays are generally the same.
That makes me wonder if he’s that type of person himself or if he choose characters who he'd like to resemble more. I'm guessing it's the former because he makes acting seem so effortless.
Ok, my John Cusack man-crush is over. Sorry about that. Not sure what just happened.
This was a gentle, light-hearted film about a boy who needs a family and a man who lost his when his wife - his lover and his best friend - passed away. Oh yeah, and the boy also thinks he’s from Mars while the man writes about Mars for a living as a full-time Novelist.
It’s about what you would expect as it pulls the heart-strings several times, but in all the cliched ways. Where I personally felt the movie failed was by not giving us more of the child’s background. I just thought that they missed out on an HUGE opportunity to really connect emotionally with the audience if they had only given specifics about what he had to endure and suffer through instead of just saying, “He had it bad because he was abandoned.” Ok, well, puppy dogs get abandoned too, but even the SPCA knows how to paint a picture and tell a story to get you to feel so sorry for the dog that you end up adopting it on the spot.
For instance, there was one moving scene where he is unpacking his suitcase. From the outset, we learn that whatever’s in there is extremely valuable to him because he refuses to let anyone help him carry it let alone touch it. We then watch him unpack the items and treat each one with extreme care. They appear to be random too, which led me to think that the audience was going to sob (myself included) once we learned where they came from and why he’s kept them for so long as well as what each one means to him personally.
Not a chance.
Therein began the first of many “let-downs” for me by the filmmakers.So, while this movie had the potential of being something great it actually left me feeling like I did after seeing I Am Sam.
If I wanted to watch a Lifetime Network made-for-TV-movie I would’ve saved my $4.00 and turned on the Dish.
2 Ben & Jerry’s out of 5 for me and that's being kind. That makes this film's official Our Movie Date score a whopping 2.25 so it's a so-so flick.
I believe this is the very first film we've reviewed that was based on another original work. In this case, this movie was adapted from a best-selling novel of the same name that was published in 2000 by Philip Roth. Would it have the same fate as many other movies before it that attempted to capture the spirit of a great work of literary merit?
Watch Trailer.
WIFEY'S REVIEW
Were Back!!! Now we have to remember all the movies we saw in the last 2 months so sit back and enjoy all the new reviews!
Ok, for this movie, all I can say is don’t waste your night on this one. I thought it was going to be good seeing Wentworth Miller (Prison Break hottie!) is in this, but you hardly see him. Nicole Kidman's character is such a whore and the scenes she was in I felt very uncomfortable watching them with my husband (so trust me, it was bad). I like Anthony Hopkins and he was just weird in this movie.
Anyways, it’s mainly about a Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins) looses his wife and runs into Faunia Farley (Nicole Kidman) while she’s pursuing him she’s also trying to dodge her psycho ex husband, which it takes forever to get any answers out of her during the movie. Anthony's character is trying to get over the loss of his wife who died of a heart attack, but is so drawn to Nicole’s character.
During the movie you keep jumping back and forth in time to see how he grew up and how he met his wife. This part was ok, but overall this movie was B-A-D! I really don’t know what else to write for it. Sorry.
I give it 1.5 Ben & Jerry's Ice Creams out of 5.
HUBBY'S REVIEW
Have you ever had to watch a movie with your husband or your wife that starred an actress or an actor that you knew they “had the hots” for? I have.
His name is Wentworth Miller and he’s a stud - apparently. He looks NOTHING like me though so I’m confused about what that says about what it was that really attracted my wife to me.
Unfortunately, I think that Wifey would agree that all the good looks in the world doesn’t mean your movie (or TV show on Fox for that matter) will be a hit or even remotely entertaining.
Based on a novel by the same name, this film also starred Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman. Like most adaptations, the screen version leaves something to be desired.
Funny I used the word “desire” because that’s the single emotion that drives each character in this film. Depending on who you are and the circumstances you find yourself in, it’s this “desire” that seems to determine your specific course of action regardless of whether or not it’s the right thing to do.
In that sense, we are told to believe that “desire” is to blame for everything. We are free from personal responsibility because we all have underlying passions and “desires” that motivate us. Morality is relative in this worldview. I guess you can think of “desire” as the “human stain” that we all have to deal with.
I don’t know, for me it all just didn’t work and I highly doubt that had I read the novel prior to watching the movie it would’ve made any kind of a difference.
Gary Sinise dancing with Anthony Hopkins to the classic song “Heaven” on the porch was also very strange. Do yourself a favor and rent another movie instead.
Or, if you're like my wife, just tune into Fox on Monday nights to watch Prison Break so you can see Wentworth in all his mumbling glory. And if that doesn't work you can always stare at your Tiger Beat Magazine that has picture after picture of your favorite hottie.
1 Ben & Jerry’s for me, which brings the official Our Movie Date score for this film to 1.25 - yikes!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Let's face it. Everyone likes lists. So, with that in mind, this post is our contribution to our great nation's birthday.
While a lot of people might like to use the phrase, "The Best War Movies" or "The Best War Movies of All-Time" we want to take a different approach. Instead, this is our "Top 10: The Best 4th of July Movies."
While there are quite a few ways to approach this (i.e. do we take the "sacrifice made in blood and lives lost" route or the "American spirit in pursuit of the 'American Dream'" route?), we decided to honor those individuals and families that have given (and lost) so much to give and preserve all the things in this life that we hold near and dear to us. Without them we wouldn't be writing this piece today.
As one fellow commentator points out,
We couldn't agree more although we'd like to add that it's also because these are the types of films that should serve as a constant reminder to us of just how fortunate we are to live in this great nation. Unfortunately, many of us take our lives for granted. Hopefully, these films are an attempt to remind of where we came from, where we are, and where we should be going.
TOP 10: THE BEST 4TH OF JULY MOVIES
10. Black Hawk Down
Without question, this film depicts the real, and horrifying threats that our brave men and woemn in the military (as well as many innocent people living in these types of nations) face on a daily basis. It's one of the most recent titles included on this list and we did so simply to remind people that wars and conflict - and the heroes that are a part of them - didn't just go away after WWII. Sadly, our media and Hollywood would have us believe that there is not a single decent soldier in America's military today and that none of them are there trying to help or do what's right for others in need. This movie reminds us that despite public outcry we were in Mogadishu to try and put an end to the brutal dictators and tribal leaders who failed to provide for their people even though the world had provided the resources (foods, medicines, and supplies) that were desperately needed. This film makes you feel proud that we have men and women who are trying to do what's right for other people in other parts of the world even though politicians try to use their efforts as a political football.
9. The Great Escape
This 1963 classic depicts the riveting true story of 250 Allied soldiers plotting a massive escape from a German P.O.W. camp during WWII. The all-star cast includes Steve McQueen (watch him in the famous motorcycle chase across the German countryside!), James Garner, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn. The great thing about this film is that it reminds viewers of the importance of human freedom and what one will do to attain it - no matter how high the price.
8. Patton
This guy was tough and I'm glad he was fighting on our side during WWII! Linked is a video clip of the famous speech given in the film so do yourself a favor and be sure to check it out. As you'd expect, this 1970 film simply tells the story of General george S. Patton during WWII. Some interesting facts about this film include that it won 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture and that Rod Steiger was offered the role, but turned it down, saying that he did not want to glorify war. After viewing the completed film, he said that refusing the role was the biggest mistake of his career
7. Memphis Belle
I'm sure that this selection will surprise many. However, I remember this film from my youth and had to include it on this list especially because it's the name of the plane (B-17 Bomber) that was made famous during WWII. It's the story of the American bomber crew of the Memphis Belle, the first U.S. Airmen to complete a full tour of 25 missions during the air battle of Europe during WWII. The film begins the night before the Belle's last mission, and follows the crew through the hectic flight that they must endure, and survive, in order to go home. What I remember most about this movie is the human element. I remember the characters wrestling with making sure they have the right targets so that innocent people are spared, I remember them worrying about whether or not they'd make it through one more mission so that they could get home to see their loved ones, I remember the sacrifices that were made when a new life and a new beginning to their lives was at their fingertips.
6. Pearl Harbor
We've all seen the Michael Bay summer blockbuster. Hopefully, we all know the actual story and what happened on that fateful day even better because it truly was "a day that will live in infamy." This film had it all! An all-star cast, big budget special effects, and the emotional arc needed to pull you in, keep you there, and make you feel something. In fact, that's one of the things I will always remember about this movie. I remember when I first saw the trailer at the theaters. It was one of the most epic, inspiring, patriotic 2 minutes of footage I had ever witnessed on the big screen and I distinctly remember thinking to myself what it must have felt like to Americans alive back then to learn of the surpise attack on our naval fleet. Ironically, who would've ever guess that in just a few short months later our lives would be forever changed by similar events on 9/11?
5. We Were Soldiers
Another film that I think might surprise others epecially because we have it listed so high on our list. Even so, I encourage you to watch this film for yourself (watch it again if you've already seen it) and then let us know what you think. This 2002 flick starring Mel Gibson is another true story about the very first battle of the Vietnam War. The fact that it came out only a few months after 9/11 probably helped solidify it in my memory because of the full range of emotions I was feeling at the time. It's amazing to me to think that only 450 U.S. soldiers were surrounded by nearly 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers in a small clearing in a battle that lasted for 3 full days. Plus, the whole concept of Gibson's character who believes in being "the first foot to set foot on the battlefield, and the last to leave the battlefield" was inspiring to say the least and it embodied everything that is great about the American spirit.
4. Band of Brothers
Yes, we're well aware that this is a TV Mini-Series and not an actual movie. We're fully prepared to take some heat over this and hopefully it won't render the rest of the list meaningless. Besides, it's our list and we get to decide what to put on it! LOL This was by far the best depiction of the events of WWII that we have ever seen and since we often refer to those who fought in that war as "The Greatest Generation" this is our salute to our grandfathers and grandmothers who preserved our freedom and way of life.
3. Saving Private Ryan
No list would be complete without this title from 1998. I'm sure that many of you have seen this film and that you're familiar with the basis of the story - the War Department's Sole Survivor Policy. The screenplay was based on the story of Sgt. Fritz Niland and the circumstances involving him and the deaths of his brothers. The Niland Brothers were a group of 4 American brothers from Tonawanda, NY - in Our Movie Date's own backyard and only about 20 minutes away from here.
2. Glory
There was no way that Wifey and I could create a Top 10 list of The Best 4th of July Movies and not celebrate those films dedicated to telling the story of how this nation and this soil we stand on was formed and shaped over the years. The first entry in that respect is this 1989 classic starring Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick. This movie recounts the bravery of a group of Civil War soldiers often overlooked by history - the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts, a troop of free black men who fought to help win liberty for their enslaved brothers. This gritty and realistic vision of the horrors of war is a moving and critical examination of a lost piece of history. Beautifully shot and triumphantly acted (by a cast that also includes Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, and Andre Braugher), director Edward Zwick's film serves as a tribute to the courage and selfless bravery of the black soldiers of the Civil War. In essense, it's a reminder to us all that war often means that sacrifices have to be made by all of us.
1. The Patriot
What else could we put as our top choice on this list? This film captures the spirit and will of the first Americans and their attempt to fight tyranny and establish their own nation under God. This is the second film on this list that stars Mel Gibson so you might think we have a Gibson fetish. It also stars the late Heath Ledger who also gives a remarkable performance here. This is the type of story that is the central focal point to the establishment of this great experiement.
We hope you've enjoyed this list and we welcome any and all comments. For further reading, or to see what some others think should be included here, please check out this article.
Happy 4th of July!!!