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: 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: Alice Ripley (Diana), J. Robert Spencer (Dan), Aaron Tveit (Gabe), Jenifer Damiano (Natalie), Adam Chanler-Berat (Henry), Louis Hobson (Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine)
What a show! This was definitely (by far) my favorite of this year. The cast, music, lighting, story, direction, scenic design, etc. are all amazing! Though I haven't seen Billy Elliot, I am still surprised that the show was able to beat out Next to Normal in so many categories. I'm glad Alice Ripley won the Tony Award for her portrayal of Diana, but I'm amazed that she was the only one to get an award in the cast. I was also surprised that the lighting and scenic design didn't win. I think the show was incredibly well done.
The set is three stories high, so I'd recommend sitting where we did (front of the mezzanine) for Next to Normal. The orchestra would be painful for those of us with neck problems and probably fairly uncomfortable for almost anyone by the end of the show unless you're far enough away that you might miss some of the expressions.
Next to Normal is not the stereotypical Broadway show, which is one of the things I love about it. However, if you want a happy show with sunshine and no tears, this is not the show for you. See Rock of Ages or another upbeat show. I cried (a lot) while seeing Next to Normal, but I ordered the album the second I got home (I would have ordered it while still in New York, but I had a gift code for Amazon at home). I've listened to it a lot and it's bumped Wicked and The Last Five Years out of their position as tied for 3rd.
As long as you can handle a musical with drama and some sad parts, Next to Normal is a wonderful show that you should rush to see. We got discount tickets because of Theatre Mania, which meant I could buy them days before we saw the show, we paid less than we would have at TKTS that day, and got better seats. In spite of not having the soundtrack to remind me of the songs, I was still singing Next to Normal music days later. There are a lot of catchy tunes. I recommend not listening to the show or reading too much about it until you see it, since I think some of the songs and many of the summaries I've read give away a bit much and it's more enjoyable not to know.
Grade: A+
Labels: Aaron Tveit, Adam Chanler-Berat, Alice Ripley, Broadway, drama, J. Robert Spencer, Jenifer Damiano, Louis Hobson, musical, original, tear jerker, theatre
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:00 PM show | 0 screams