April 29, 2013
Friends with Kids (2011)

IMDB Synopsis: Two best friends decide to have a child together while keeping their relationship platonic, so they can avoid the toll kids can take on romantic relationships.

Jennifer Westfeldt (Jules) wrote, directed, and starred in this romantic comedy in which herself and Adam Scott (Jason) are two bff’s and want to have a kid, but not miss out of having sex. So this film basically takes you through this 3 year experiment filled with sexual exploits, judgmental friends, etc. Yes, it is a romantic comedy. Don’t let the cover fool you. It’s funny, and it’s raunchy, but it’s cheesey and gooey and romantic at times too. This includes (spoiler) a big over the top romantic ending as well. However, the parallelism between this film and When Harry Met Sally can be obvious; it’s then overwhelmed with this modern twist. This big, enormous modern twist: the last few lines. These lines being “Let me f**k the sh** out of you.” (Jason is trying to prove to Jules he is attracted to her as well as emotionally devoted.) Yes. Crude and naughty, proving that long gone are the days of cheese rom-coms, filled with Meg Ryan antics and saying “freaking” when we all know you meant to drop the f bomb. And although I’m typically a traditionalist when it comes to films, I adore this progress in romantic comedies. At one point, it was shameful to say you adore rom-coms. They’re known for their classic cheeseyness. But this movement in crude dialogue gives the entire genre a general feeling of relatability. It’s so much more real in a sense. It makes more sense for a boy to profess their love in a profane way as opposed to a Shakespearean sonnet. Romantic love in the traditional sense has completely become obsolete in today’s society, but in all honesty, I don’t even mind. Granted, it was cute and funny to act in the PG way, but let’s face it, we live don’t live in a rated world and that’s makes life so much more interesting. 

Ok, back to the film itself. The cast was brilliant; the dialogue was real and wonderful. The pacing and the cinematography were mediocre.  It was a solid film though. I would recommend this to anyone who likes crude humor but has a romantic side as well. Plus it’s on instant on Netflix.

Rate 7/10

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(Notes: 3)
  
Filed under: friends with kids jennifer westfeldt adam scott film movie review 2013 in film sarah edition 
April 24, 2013
Garden State (2004)

IMDB Synopsis: A quietly troubled young man returns home for his mother’s funeral after being estranged from his family for a decade.

AHHHHHH! Ok, well this is probably one of my favorite films. Ever. I first watched it because Zach Braff was on Scrubs at the time, and that’s was (still is) one of my favorite shows. Anyway, he plays the “quiet troubled young man” Andrew Largeman, who returns home (New Jersey) after his paraplegic mother dies. He basically hates his dad, a crazy psychologist, and he reunites with old friends and meets this manic pixie dream girl Natalie Portman. I know, “Sarah, manic pixie dream girl stereotype? You hate those!” Well, yeah I do. But on the other hand, she is and she isn’t. She is manic, and spontaneous, and romantic, but she’s also just as crazy as Andrew Largeman is, which compensates for her quirkiness.

But here’s the real reason why I love this film. Minus the fact that’s it’s the awkward humor that’s just glorious. The soundtrack. Is. Amazing. If you’ve never experienced a good soundtrack, well here’s the best, of all time. Please listen to it. Ranging from The Shins to Coldplay to Frou Frou to Simon and Garfunkel, it’s just so perfect. And if you listen to it while drinking some tea in your room with some rain, it’s the best experience ever. I highly recommend this film, if not, just listen to the music, because there is a very good chance it will change your life.

rate 10/10

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(Notes: 2)
  
Filed under: garden state film movie 2013 in film sarah edition zach braff andrew largeman natalie portman 
April 10, 2013
The Giant Mechanical Man (2012)

IMDB Synopsis: An offbeat romantic comedy about a silver-painted street performer and the soft spoken zoo worker who falls for him.

So you basically see this cast on Netflix: Chris Messina and Jenna Fischer and Topher Grace: holy cow!

But then you start to watch this film and quickly realize that this is just another “off-beat” indie rom-com where two white people have no clue as to what they want to do with their lives and fall in love. However I did like the focus on a female protagonist, this film basically included every cliché of an indie romance that I just did not enjoy it. The sarcastic tone of the entire film layed on thick, reminsicient of Garden State but it didn’t compensate for that tone with humor. Now trust me, I understand dry humor, I love it, I bask in it, I drink it from a metaphorical flask in my purse of comedy, but this humor wasn’t even dry, it was just boring and dumb. Unless you count how annoying Topher Grace was as Doug Duncan (even has cliché white guy names) in this film. I wouldn’t really recommend it unless you have a hankering for drinking tea and feeling like a pseudo-hipster-intellectual of some sort. But even then, don’t resort to that, that sort of human has no appreciation for fine films. 

Rate: 4/10

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(Notes: 3)
  
Filed under: 2013 in film sarah edition the giant mechanical man jenna fischer chris messina topher grace film movie movie review 
April 4, 2013
Monsters (2010)

IMDB Synopsis: Six years after Earth has suffered an alien invasion a cynical journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through an infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.

Hello everyone! Long time, haven’t written anything worthwhile. I hope you’re all doing lovely and enjoying life and cinema. Anyway, Monsters was actually fantastic. Reminiscent of District 9, Gareth Edwards wrote and directed this mockumentary following Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) and Sam (Whitney Able) through Mexico as it has become an “infected zone” filled to the brim with aliens. Considering the overall budget for the film was a mere 9,000 dollars, it’s really quite impressive. The camerawork and editing was absolutely remarkable. Scoot McNairy was in Argo and Killing Them Softly, his performances in other films weren’t as memorable, but this film gave him a lovely opportunity to shine as the cynical photographer capturing pictures of children affected by the “monsters” in this country. 

The actually plot and storyline was pretty original, which was refreshing. However, the dialogue wasn’t that wonderful, and everything felt very predictable. However, because of how AMAZING the cinematography and general production, I recommend other film/sci fi nerds watch this. The graphics weren’t Prometheus level, but given the circumstances in which this film was produced (completely on the spot and for mere pennies) they are pretty good. 

Rate 7/10

Also, if you have any film recomendations for me, my ask is always open c:

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(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: monsters film movie review movie review scoot mcnairey gareth edwards sci fi 
March 18, 2013
The Hurt Locker (2008)

IMDB Synopsis: Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.

To be quite honest, I’ve seen this movie before. I just really wanted to write a little piece about it, considering I live in that world where Kathryn Bigelow is God. 

Anyway, Bigelow and Mark Boal takes the audience on this tumultuous roller coaster of the story following the lives of the men that basically disarm bombs. It’s literally the coolest thing ever. The sound effects, the visual effects, everything is so insane that it works. Unlike other films about war, you’re not overwhelmed by backstory all at once, which I enjoy. The pacing is perfect. The story is incredible. The acting of Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty are absolutely impeccable. 

Now that I’ve stated the obvious, here’s why I love this film.

I love the fact that this movie holds your attention from the very beginning. Granted, there’s a dull spot here or there, but the filmmakers really wanted to keep you on your toes.

I love the way they mixed the sound; it changes constantly in accordance with the onscreen tension, but not in an overly dramatic or emotional way.

I love the lightening in this as well, they really captured the natural light in such a way that the film almost looks artsy, but it’s not overdone.

The story is incredible, and you really never know what’s going to happen next, which I adore. Ok, sorry, except for Guy Pierce’s quick performance in the first ten minutes. That, I saw coming, but not in the way that I expected. 

I love how Bigelow took on this project. Considering she is a woman, and typically “war films” aren’t tackled by directors of the female persuasion, it was really awesome to see her rise up to the challenge in such a way that it changed the film industry forever. I adore her, I adore her style, and I think she’s an incredible woman. In addition, shout out to my boy Mark Boal, who wrote this amazing film! Yes, the dialogue did lack at times, but in retrospect, it makes sense given that Boal tried to capture the way soldiers talk.

I highly recommend this film to anyone. It’s really amazing, and considerably better than a James Cameron film.

Rate 10/10

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Filed under: 2013 in film sarah edition kathryn bigelow the hurt locker movie review jeremy renner film movie 
March 4, 2013
Life of Pi (2012)

IMDB Synopsis: A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.

Yes! I saw this film awhile ago, but I figured I should finally review it. Media has primarily given this film very mixed reviews, and I hate to say it but, I feel very mixed about this film as well. But to Lee’s credit that could be the effect the author of the book was going after.A cinematic visual masterpiece, yes, however, I think Ang Lee tried to throw in so many concepts all at the same time that it became a tad overwhelming, then mixed with bouts of just plain dull moments. To counteract those lags though, some scenes in Life of Pi are absolutely brilliant. Suraj Sharma in his breakout role acted the role of Pi brilliantly considering it was filmed basically in a pool with an imaginary tiger. I mean you can definitely tell that he’s a beginner, but it works with the role of young teenager Pi. He really should have been nominated for an Oscar, but due to the unfortunate fact that the Academy NEVER answers my letters and emails, he was not. Sorry Suraj, better luck next time. Also, the CGI on this film was REMARKABLE. Far better than Avatar to say the least. Anyway, the story is very original. The behaviorisms and dialogue of our young hero, Pi, were remarkably charming. This is a long film, and it has a religious tone to it, so be wary if you’re not necessarily into that sort of film. However, it is a really gorgeous film so if only to just watch it, have something beautiful to look at for a little bit, then I suggest you watch Life of Pi for that reason at the very least. 

Rate 8/10

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Filed under: life of pi 2013 in film sarah edition film movie ang lee oscar suraj sharma 
February 8, 2013
Django Unchained (2012)

IMDB Synopsis: With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.

I loved this movie. I’m not going to lie, at first I torrented this (I’m so sorry.) But then, I liked it so much I paid the 10 dollars for a ticket and saw it in theater. First of all, the cinematography for this film is impeccable. Completely and utterly perfect. The angles, the lightening, the shots of everything, contributed to the plot in such a way that I could never really describe it. I loved Christoph Waltz in this movie as the German bounty hunter. Granted, he is such a strong actor that at times his performance overpowers Jamie Foxx as Django, but I think Tarantino set it up like that because Django’s character did play off as a very underwhelming person for a while. This, by far, is the best performance I have seen Leonardo Dicapprio in. I love him dearly, but this was such a reach of a role for him (a Southern plantation owner) that I was shocked that he could pull it off in the most incredible way. The dialogue is rich and hilarious. This is probably one of my new favorite Taratino films. ( But if you havent seen tarantino before, Probably start with Pulp Fiction, then this, then Inglorious Basterds?) I’m kind of over Tarantino’s cameos in his own films, because most of the time it’s just self-indulgence and pointless and doesn’t contribute to the film at all. Another negative point, although Kerri Washington is absolutely gorgeous, she was horrible in this film as Django’s wife Hildegarde. Anyway, this is an amazing film, please watch it.

Rate 10;/10

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Filed under: django unchained film movie 2013 in film sarah edition quentin tarantino christoph waltz cinematography leonardo dicapprio jamie foxx 
January 20, 2013
Reservoir Dogs (1992)

IMDB Synopsis: After a simple jewelery heist goes terribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.

Considering it was the legendary film maker, Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut (He’s known for Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Basterds) this is a brilliant film. Granted, it does get a little confusing at times, but stick with it. The only film I can really compare it to is The Usual Suspects, but it’s a tad gorier. Even then, this film doesn’t even compare in gore to his other films. I’m not particularly a fan of Steve Buschemi, but he’s my favorite character in this film. His performance is absolutely stunning, considering he’s so remarkable convincing as a professional jewel thief. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes David Lynch type films, or has seen Pulp Fiction and liked that. The film itself has several flaws, but considering it’s his first time, I recommend you overlook that, unless you’re a hardcore cinematography/ consistency nut, then it might bother you. It’s a really dark sense of humor, and most audiences don’t really…how do I put this? Understand Tarantino? But it’s something everyone should try at least once, and if you like it, you like it, and if you don’t, you don’t. 

Rate 9/10

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(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: reservoir dogs film movie quentin tarantino 2013 in film sarah edition steve buschemi 
January 19, 2013
The Tao of Steve (2000)

IMDB Synopsis: Underachieving, overweight kindergarten teacher Dex finds a woman who forces him to reexamine his Zen-like system of seduction.

I watched this entire movie, and I basically didn’t understand the entire thing. I know that sounds superficial of me, but the main character, Dex, has this super religious thing going on, and also tries to hook up with girls, but he’s also in love with this one girl, and just, I don’t get it. It was an all over the place, made for tv movie. The worst part about it was that it wasn’t funny whatsoever, except for this one scene when they start laughing over the word “solipsistic.” I’m sorry, but if vocabulary-related humor is the best part of the movie, then it’s clearly not a fantastic cinematic experience. I wouldn’t recommend it, unless you, like myself, were put into the unfortunate situation in which it’s your aunt’s favorite movie and you had to sit through it and watch it with her. It was so bad, I just was on instagram the entire movie. 

Rate 3/10

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Filed under: the tao of steve movie review 2013 in film sarah edition 
January 19, 2013
Ted (2012)

IMDB Synopsis: As the result of a childhood wish, John Bennett’s teddy bear, Ted, came to life and has been by John’s side ever since - a friendship that’s tested when Lori, John’s girlfriend of four years, wants more from their relationship.

Ted, in general, was just ok. It was it’s really, really funny parts, but it was weird because you could clearly tell that Seth MacFarlane was trying to actually put morals and themes in the film as opposed to his typical Family Guy crude humor. Mark Wahlberg is pretty great in funny roles, as if Mila Kunis. I liked how Ted, the bear, and Mark Wahlberg’s character John had cute little traits about them, like their obsession with Flash Gordon. Ryan Renolds has a non speaking cameo as a gay guy, which is great for Ryan Renolds because really he’s a poor actor and just shouldn’t…talk…. Sorry but it’s true. It’s super sexual, kinda hilarious movie. Don’t watch it with your mom. 

Rate 6/10

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Filed under: ted seth macfarlane 2013 in film sarah edition mark wahlberg movie review mila kunis ryan renolds flash gordon?