Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal (Tommy Cahill), Natalie Portman (Grace Cahill), Tobey Maguire (Capt. Sam Cahill)
For complete info, see IMDb's Brothers page.
The previews I'd seen of Brothers led me to expect quite a few things that didn't happen in the movie, which was good. Brothers is definitely a very realistic drama (too realistic at times - I couldn't watch the screen for the entire movie). I'm not generally a fan of war movies. I have no interest in seeing The Hurt Locker in spite of the fact that it won Best Picture and I was glad when Saving Private Ryan didn't win. However, I think Brothers is a very good movie and totally worth renting. I cried at parts and it was very moving, but it was well done and when you're renting a movie it's easier to look away (or even fast forward, if necessary) through the parts of the movie that are a bit too much to take for the violence or other issues you may have.
The cast is wonderful and the story of Brothers is very well done. I definitely recommend renting the movie if you haven't seen it yet.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, drama, Jake Gyllenhaal, movie, Natalie Portman, suspense, tear jerker, Tobey Maguire, war
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), Mo'Nique (Mary), Paula Patton (Ms. Rain), Mariah Carey (Mrs. Weiss), Sherri Shepherd (Cornrows)
For complete info, see IMDb's Precious page.
In spite of the fact that this was partially presented by Oprah Winfrey (I'm not a fan), I really enjoyed Precious. Well, perhaps "enjoyed" isn't really the correct word. I think it is a wonderfully done film with a great cast. I didn't read the book, which is pretty rare for me with movies based on books, but I just watched the movie with this one.
The cast is amazing. Clearly, due to the subject matter, if you're in the mood for a light hearted and happy movie, this isn't a good choice. If you want to watch a deeply moving movie that will probably make you tear up a bit (if you don't get a bit teary when watching this movie, I can't imagine anything moving you to tears), this is a great choice.
Movies based on true stories almost always interest me and Sapphire's story was adapted to film very well. I definitely recommend renting Precious if you haven't seen it yet.
Grade: A-
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:45 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Meryl Streep (Jane), Steve Martin (Adam), Alec Baldwin (Jake)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's It's Complicated page.
I really enjoyed this movie. It was definitely not one that needed to be seen on a big screen, since it's story driven and doesn't have any special effects, but now that it's out on Blu-ray & DVD, I highly recommend renting It's Complicated.
The cast is great and the story is entertaining. When you're looking for a good romantic comedy, what else do you need?
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep, movie, Steve Martin
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Rachel McAdams (Clare Abshire), Eric Bana (Henry DeTamble)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Time Traveler's Wife page.
I loved the book, so I had to see the movie even though I didn't expect it to be very well done. I was pleasantly surprised. They did a great job with The Time Traveler's Wife adaptation. A few story lines were completely eliminated, but that's to be expected any time a book is made into a movie. I don't think anything major was changed and the changes they made seemed to work well for the movie. I missed some of the plot lines, but I understand why they had to be cut due to time constraints.
The special effects were done a lot better than I'd expected. The disappearing and reappearing happened a lot more slowly than I'd imagined it and it looked really neat in HD. I definitely recommend renting this in Blu-ray if you have it.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, adaptation, book, drama, family, fantasy, movie, romance, sci-fi
Reviewed by Kat at the 9:45 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Meryl Streep (Julia Child), Amy Adams (Julie Powell), Stanley Tucci (Paul Child), Chris Messina (Eric Powell)
For complete info, see IMDb's Julie & Julia page.
I might not have enjoyed the parts of the movie with Julie as much as I did if I hadn't heard such horrible things about those parts, but I thought all the parts of the movie were about at the same level. Meryl Streep did an amazing job as Julia Child. I didn't find the story all that interesting (either one, actually), but the cast was great and the story was well done. If you're really into cooking and like Julia Child, the movie will probably be more enjoyable for you.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2009, Amy Adams, biography, cooking, drama, Meryl Streep, movie, romance, Stanley Tucci
Reviewed by Kat at the 9:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Sandra Bullock (Leigh Anne Tuohy), Quinton Aaron (Michael Oher), Tim McGraw (Sean Tuohy), Jae Head (S.J. Tuohy), Lily Collins (Collins Tuohy)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Blind Side page.
I'm a sucker for movies based on real stories - especially if they involve sports. So, The Blind Side was a movie I wanted to rent as soon as it was released on blu-ray. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. I'm glad Sandra Bullock won the Oscar for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy. She and the rest of the cast were wonderful. If you enjoy heart warming movies based on true stories involving sports and haven't seen The Blind Side yet, add it to your rental list now! The story is very touching and well worth watching.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2009, biography, drama, movie, Sandra Bullock, sports
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Carey Mulligan (Jenny), Peter Sarsgaard (David), Olivia Williams (Miss Stubs), Alfred Molina (Jack)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's An Education page.
I didn't know much about this movie when I rented it. Once I read about a movie and add it to my list, I try to forget anything I know about the story so I can just enjoy the movie when I see it. That seemed to work really well for An Education for some reason. The idea behind the movie isn't all that unique, but I think An Education does it better than many movies managed. I highly recommend renting the movie if you didn't see it in a theatre.
As usual, I don't want to give anything away, but it's a great coming of age tale that works a lot better than Mona Lisa Smile did, in my opinion.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, Alfred Molina, Carey Mulligan, drama, movie, Olivia Williams, period, Peter Sarsgaard
Reviewed by Kat at the 6:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: George Clooney (Ryan Bingham), Vera Farmiga (Alex Goran), Anna Kendrick (Natalie Keener), Jason Bateman (Craig Gregory)
For complete info, see the IMDb Up in the Air site.
I'd heard mixed reviews about Up in the Air and while I didn't need to see it in a movie theatre, I'm very glad I rented it. I think Up in the Air was very well done. The cast is amazing and the story is well thought out.
If you missed this in theatres, I definitely recommend renting it. The story isn't just about a guy who loves his jet setting lifestyle and is fighting to keep it. The movie is much more interesting than that.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2009, Anna Kendrick, drama, George Clooney, Jason Bateman, movie, romance, Vera Farmiga
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Abigail Breslin (Andromeda 'Anna' Fitzgerald), Sofia Vassilieva (Kate Fitzgerald), Cameron Diaz (Sara Fitzgerald), Jason Patric (Brian Fitzgerald), Evan Ellingson (Jesse Fitzgerald), Alec Baldwin (Campbell Alexander), Joan Cusack (Judge De Salvo)
For complete info see IMDb's My Sister's Keeper page.
If I hadn't read the book, I probably would have enjoyed the movie a lot more. Don't get me wrong - the movie is very moving and still worth seeing. I think they did a wonderful job with the cast and addressing most of the issues in the book. Like all good books that become movies, a lot of the story from the book is missing in the movie version of My Sister's Keeper. Some of that is barely missed. I think they did a great job with the movie (overall) until near the end of the story when they totally butchered the ending.
Since I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone (whether you have or haven't read the book), I'll simply say this. The ending is drastically different in the movie and doesn't have even close to the same powerful impact as the ending in Jodi Picoult's book.
If you're interested in the story and love to read, pick up a copy of My Sister's Keeper. The movie is decent, but not as good as the book. Definitely worth renting from Netflix.
Grade: B
Labels: 2009, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, book, Cameron Diaz, drama, Jason Patric, Joan Cusack, movie, tear jerker
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Zoe Saldana (Neytiri), Sigourney Weaver (Dr. Grace Augustine)
For complete info, see IMDb's Avatar page.
Avatar is definitely as visually amazing as advertized, though I was pretty disappointed with the use of 3D overall. I definitely recommend seeing Avatar in IMAX 3D if available and digitally or 3D if IMAX is not available in your area. It's a beautiful movie. Did Avatar deserve to be one of the 10 (way too many - I think they should break them up like the Golden Globes do) Oscar nominations for Best Picture? I don't think so. The story isn't all that unique or super interesting. It was very predictable.
It is amazing what amazing visual effects can do for a story, since people talk about Avatar as if it's a lot better than they would without the beautifully designed visuals. Without the special effects and amazingly well done graphics, Avatar would be another standard Sci-Fi movie with a very predictable story line. With the special effects, Avatar is a movie I highly recommend seeing before it leaves IMAX 3D theatres early next month (when Alice in Wonderland starts). I'm sure it will be playing a lot longer in regular theatres, but IMAX is the way to go for a movie this visually stunning.
If I were just grading the visuals, they'd probably get an A or A-. If I'd seen it in a standard theatre, I'd give them an A+, but the 3D effects were pretty disappointing. The movie as a whole definitely doesn't do as well.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, action, adventure, movie, Sam Worthington, sci-fi, special effects, Zoe Saldana
Reviewed by Kat at the 11:45 AM show | 0 screams
Cast: Sandra Bullock (Margaret Tate) & Ryan Reynolds (Andrew Paxton)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Proposal page.
There's definitely nothing surprising in The Proposal, but it's a cute romantic comedy. If you like romantic comedies, you should definitely rent The Proposal and clearly if you don't you wouldn't even consider it. The ads made it clear that this is a standard romantic comedy. It's cute and has a great cast, so I definitely recommend renting it if you like those.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2009, comedy, movie, romance, Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock
Reviewed by Kat at the 6:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Cheyenne Jackson (Woody Mahoney), Kate Baldwin (Sharon McLonergan), Jim Norton (Finian McLonergan)
For complete cast info, see the official Finian's Rainbow site.
I'd never seen Finian's Rainbow before and I really enjoyed seeing Cheyenne Jackson in Xanadu, so I was interested in this production. I'm glad I saw it. The cast is wonderful, the sets, costumes, lighting, etc. are all very well done. There's good dancing and pleasant music. It's a very good old-time musical. A simple plot with a happy Broadway ending that everyone is able to enjoy.
If you're looking for a deep show, this isn't it. If you want to have fun and just enjoy a light, happy musical, this may be the perfect show for you.
Grade: B
Labels: 2009, Broadway, Cheyenne Jackson, comedy, dancing, Jim Norton, Kate Baldwin, musical, revival, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Michael McKean (Arthur Przybyszewski), Jon Michael Hill (France Wicks), Jane Alderman (Lady Boyle), and a great cast - complete info can be found at the official Superior Donuts site.
Not the best play and the fight direction (in spite of being done by a group that's choreographed many wonderful Broadway fights) needed a lot of work. The cast is great and I liked the story. I'd definitely recommend seeing it, especially since it's always available at TKTS. Tickets are expensive now. Enjoy an entertaining play with a great cast.
Grade: C+
Labels: 2009, Best Play, Broadway, comedy, crime, drama, Jon Michael Hill, Michael McKean
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast John O'Hurley (King Arthur), Merle Dandridge (The Lady of the Lake)
For complete info on the touring cast, see the Monty Python's Spamalot tour cast page.
The cast of the tour is wonderful. Were they all as good as those I saw in the Original Broadway Cast? No, but that's an unfair comparison - that cast was definitely an all star cast.
I was looking forward to hearing The Lady of the Lake sing the original lyrics to the Diva's Lament, since I'd only seen Sara Ramirez in Spamalot after she had won the Tony award for her role as The Lady of the Lake. For whatever reason, they opted not to change the lyrics back, so the only changes in the show were those to update it a bit more to current events.
I still think Monty Python's Spamalot is a hilarious show with some really good music. I also think that it's a show one can enjoy even if he/she isn't a huge Monty Python fan. I liked Monty Python in high school and college, but can't quote all of their movies and I really like the show. Even more telling, my sister, who really isn't a fan of Monty Python at all (and rarely found them funny) had a great time at the show when she saw it. Monty Python's Spamalot makes fun of musical theatre (including their own show) and takes itself as irreverently as the Monty Python team always did the rest of their comedy.
If you haven't seen Monty Python's Spamalot and enjoy funny shows, I can't imagine what you're waiting for... get tickets to see it on tour.
Grade: B
Labels: 2009, Best Musical, comedy, musical, tour
Reviewed by Kat at the 6:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Kay Panabaker (Jenny Garrison), Naturi Naughton (Denise Dupree), Megan Mullally (Ms. Fran Rowan), Bebe Neuwirth (Ms. Kraft), Debbie Allen (Ms. Angela Simms), Kelsey Grammer (Mr. Martin Cranston)
For complete info, see IMDb's Fame (2009) page.
When I heard they were going to remake Fame, I was worried that they might use too much of the original and try to copy the movie. Thankfully, they didn't do that. The new movie is a different group of (mostly unknown - at least to me) actors playing the students and teachers that (for the most part) people will recognize. I'm glad Debbie Allen was in the movie, since she was in the original movie and the TV show based on the original movie. Clearly, her part isn't nearly as focal as it was in the TV show, but I liked seeing her in the new movie.
The cast is a very talented group of performers and I think they did a good job selecting everyone for the movie. The music is very good and almost all a different style - even the remake of the song Fame, which had to be included in the remake, was very well done and updated.
If you like the performing arts, I definitely recommend renting this one. Do you need to see it in a theatre? No, but it wouldn't hurt. It's a fun movie. It's not quite as good as the original or the TV show, but that's to be expected. As long as you're not expecting it to be the most amazing movie you see, I think you can enjoy the movie and the performances.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2009, comedy, dancing, drama, family, movie, musical, remake, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Jimmy Page, The Edge, & Jack White
For complete info on this great documentary, see IMDb's It Might Get Loud page.
Since I love U2 and like Led Zeppelin, I was very interested in seeing It Might Get Loud as soon as I found out about it (not long before it opened in LA, surprisingly). We went to see the documentary late opening night and the theatre was packed. This is a very well done documentary. I'll probably end up owning it, though I've already added it to my Netflix list to at least rent it to watch all the special features. I'm sure they cut a ton of footage from the film and I hope they put a lot of it on the DVD when they release it.
I was surprised that I found the parts about Jack White the most interesting. He's an intriguing guy and I didn't really know anything about him, since I'm not a fan of The White Stripes. I found the parts about The Edge and Jimmy Page great, too, but I knew a lot of the information on them. I liked the locations of the documentary and was amazed by some of the old footage they dug up. There were some great early shots of all the bands. Seeing the three musicians play each other's songs together was really cool.
If you like Led Zeppelin, U2, or The White Stripes; I highly recommend seeing It Might Get Loud when it gets to your area (I believe the wide release is August 28th). It's already playing in LA, OC, & NYC.
Grade: A
Labels: 2009, documentary, Led Zeppelin, movie, musical, The White Stripes, U2
Reviewed by Kat at the 10:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Paul Rudd (Peter Klaven), Rashida Jones (Zooey), Jason Segel (Sydney Fife)
For complete info, see IMDb's I Love You, Man page.
I'm a huge fan of Paul Rudd and really like Jason Segel on How I Met Your Mother, so I was sold on I Love You, Man as soon as I saw the cast. This hilarious movie did not disappoint me. If you like romantic comedies, this one is great. Nothing super special about it, though the idea of a guy trying to find men to be friends with and to be in his wedding is definitely a little different.
If you like romantic comedies and haven't seen this one yet, what are you waiting for? It's out on BD & DVD. Rent it now.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, comedy, Jason Segel, movie, Paul Rudd, romance, weddings
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Dwayne Johnson (Jack Bruno), AnnaSophia Robb (Sara), Alexander Ludwig (Seth)
For complete info, see IMDb's Race to Witch Mountain page.
I'm sure I would have enjoyed this movie more if I'd seen it in a theatre. The special effects were very well done and even on Blu-ray disc, you can't quite recreate the movie theatre feel without a projection screen and I just have a large LCD HDTV.
I wasn't too impressed with what they did for the story. Perhaps it's been too long since I saw the original Disney movie, but I thought the kids in the original were actually kids, not aliens using the bodies of kids. Maybe I should see if I can find the original on the Disney Channel to check out that story line.
In any case, the movie was worth renting, but not as good as I think it could have been. The special effects are very well done and the movie has a good cast.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2009, adventure, Disney, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, family, fantasy, movie, sci-fi
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Clive Owen (Louis Salinger), Naomi Watts (Eleanor Whitman), Armin Mueller-Stahl (Wilhelm Wexler)
For complete info, see IMDb's The International page.
From the one preview I'd seen for The International, I had high expectations. I'm glad I saw how everyone was reviewing the movie before I got around to renting it. Had I expected it to be as good as it looked in the preview, I would have been a lot more disappointed. As it was, I still thought the characters were way too stupid at times. Considering how much they figured out, there were a few basic things that always seemed to shock them.
It was also a bit sad that the best part of the preview was the best part o the movie, so it wasn't as interesting as it would have been if you were seeing it for the first time as part of the movie. On top of that, The International just ends. I suppose part of the point of the movie is that nothing they do can change the way things work, but I was still a bit surprised by the end of the movie. I just looked at the screen and said, "That's it?"
Worth renting, but I'm not sorry I missed seeing The International in a theatre. It wouldn't have been worth rushing out to see immediately.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2009, Clive Owen, crime, drama, movie, Naomi Watts, suspense, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 11:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Katherine Heigl (Abby), Gerard Butler (Mike), Bree Turner (Joy), Eric Winter (Colin)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Ugly Truth page.
I had this on my rental list and it's where I suggest you put The Ugly Truth. It's definitely worth seeing and is a lot funnier than I thought it would be based on the premise and the one ad I'd seen for it.
For the most part, The Ugly Truth is your typical romantic comedy. The story is predictable, but it's a cute movie and though it's far from great I don't understand why the reviews have been so horrible. Is it a great film? Nope. Will it win any awards? Definitely not. Was it amusing throughout and hilarious at times? Yup. So, by my standards, it's worth renting or (as in my case) seeing with a friend just for fun. It was my friend's choice, but I really enjoyed the movie. As long as you go to the movie or rent the movie knowing that you're going to see a typical romantic comedy and that's what you're in the mood for, The Ugly Truth will entertain you for a bit.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, comedy, Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, movie, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:10 PM show | 0 screams