New Moon

What can I say. New Moon was awesome, but the ending sucked. That's pretty much the jist of it.

Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge is a musical that was made into a movie in 2001. It's about a Bohemian poet named Christian, played by the lovely Ewan McGregor, who goes against his father's wishes and lives and works with Paris' underworld in the infamous section called Moulin Rouge. This part of Paris attracts anyone who is interested in sex, drugs and glamour. Christian ends up falling in love with Satine, played by Nicole Kidman, who is the most famous courtesan and highest paying star in Moulin Rouge. There is great music all throughout the film and plenty of entertainment, love and tragedy. I'm not into musicals too much but I have to admit, I did enjoy this one and suggest this film to anyone that can watch a PG-13 movie.

Titanic

I absolutely loved this movie and can watch it over and over again! First of all I love Leonardo Di Caprio who plays the part of Jack Dawson, a young American artist who makes his living sketching drawings in Paris. During a card game he ends up winning a pair of tickets for a trip on the unsinkable Titanic. The ship is divided into 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class, depending how wealthy or poor you are. Rose DeWitt Bukater, played by Kate Winslet, who although is on 1st class and is about to marry the rich and snobbish Cal Hockley, feels trapped and is suicidal. One night she tries killing herself by climbing over the rail of the ship but Jack sees her and convinces her to come back in. She agrees but slips and Jack heroically catches her and pulls her over. Her fiance, Cal, invites Jack to dinner the next evening but is rude to Jack because of his lower class position and so are many of the others who dined with them like Rose's overbearing mother. The comments made to Jack doesn't seem to bother him much and lures Rose away to a party in 3rd class. Rose has a great time with Jack and the two end up falling in love even though their relationship is taboo. Later the Titanic hits an iceberg and the ship starts going down. By this time, Cal and his crooked partner have learned of Rose and Jack's relationship and are after them. The movie is great and has some historical facts to it which I believe, adds even more character to the film. The unsinkable Molly Brown is played by the Academy Award winner Kathy Bates and all the other characters did a great job as well.

Kramer vs. Kramer

The movie Kramer vs. Kramer came out in 1979 starring Dustin Hoffman as Ted and Meryl Streep as Joanna. Ted has been under the impression that his marriage is just fine so when he comes home one late evening from work, he discovers that his wife Joanna has packed her things and is about to leave him and their 6 year-old son. He now has to adjust to his new life as a single parent and at the same time get over the heartbreak Joanna has caused not only him but Billy as well. Although difficult, Billy and Ted managed to get along and just when things were starting to get better, Joanna comes back and tells Ted she wants Billy to live with her. Ted is furious at this and decides to fight her for custody but he is let go from his job because he can no longer be the workaholic he used to be now that he had become the sole parent for Billy. Ted is able to find another job quickly and proceeds with the costly court battle. After the emotional hearing, the judge ruled that Billy should live with his mother and stay with Ted every other weekend. Ted is heartbroken but doesn't pursue an appeal because his lawyer would have to put Billy on the stand. There is a surprise ending and the actors are superb including little Billy who is played by Justin Henry.

Boys Don't Cry

The first time I ever saw this movie, it freaked me out! After I saw it I felt weird and sad at the same time. Boys Don't Cry was about 20 year-old Brandon Teena who left for Falls City, Nebraska in the early 1990s, one night with some new found friends she met in a bar during a brawl. She left with them to get away from the problems she was having in her town. They all liked him and Brandon started liking one of the group's girls, Lana. It seemed that the only thing these six people were interested in was having a good time and they did but what the group didn't know at first was that their new friend Brandon, played by Hilary Swank, was really female. In a small hick town like Falls City, it was a dangerous thing to be dressing and acting like the opposite sex or being openly gay. Soon, however, Lana and Brandon became an item but Brandon's roommate, Candice, found something that could only belong to a female. She asked Lana about Brandon but Lana insisted she didn't know what she was talking about. Soon the news about Candice's suspicions got around to the whole group and that's when the violent and crazy John and Tom took it upon themselves to literally show Lana what her boyfriend really was. After that, it wasn't enough for John and Tom so they grabbed Brandon as he was leaving Lana's house and beat and raped him near an abandoned building. Brandon managed to escape and ran back to Lana's house. He was taken to the hospital and then questioned by the police. The police were of no help and were cruel to Brandon. Some days later, John and Tom went looking for Brandon and found him in Candice's house where they proceeded to kill her and Brandon. The saddest part about this movie was that it's a true story. This film is very graphic and tells it like it is so I don't recommend it for everybody.

17 Again

I saw 17 Again this weekend and it's the type of movie you watch when you don't want to think too hard or go through an emotional roller coaster but do want to be entertained. I went into the movie theater hoping not to be surrounded by noisy swooning pre-pubescent girls and although there were some, to my delight, the audience consisted of almost every age group which kept the tweeny boppers in check. This movie is about Mike O'Donnell played by the picturesque Zac Efron at age 17 and Matthew Perry at 37. It all began when Mike was a 17 year old star basketball player on his way to getting a scholarship when he found out his girlfreind was pregnant. He decides to leave his basketball career and marry her instead. For many years he has felt disappointed with his life and 20 years later he is on the brink of divorce, his 2 kids think he's a loser, he's been passed over for a promotion at work and he's living with his high school nerd turned billionaire best friend. He is given another chance and is transformed into a 17 year old. He attends his kids' high school in hopes of changing his life for the better this time but instead may lose the best thing that ever happened to him.

Angels With Dirty Faces

Angels with Dirty Faces is a film with one of my favorite ancient actors, James Cagney. This gangster movie came out in 1938 which also starred Humphrey Bogart. It starts off with Rocky (Cagney) and Jerry growing up in the rough side of town. They robbed a train and in the process, Rocky saves Jerry's life by pushing him out of the way of an oncoming train. While they were trying to escape, Rocky gets caught and ends up going to juvenile but only after telling Jerry not to incriminate his own self. Rocky had problems in jail and ends up growing up there and not coming out until several years later. By this time, Rocky has become a notorious gangster and Jerry a priest. Rocky sets out to his old neighborhood where he gets together with Jerry and a girl he knew as kids. He also meets some young hoodlums who remind him of him so he takes them under his wing. Jerry, or Father Jerry, is also trying to get the boys under his wing but they choose Rocky over him because they've adored Rocky even before he got there. Rocky helps in his own corrupt way but doesn't really help them make better decisions the way Father Jerry would like them to. In the midst of all this Rocky is up to his old ways and starts getting into deeper and deeper trouble both with the law and the local gangsters and corrupt officials. In the end, Rocky is caught and is given the death penalty but what he never sees coming is the favor his old pal asks him to do before he dies. Black and white films are awesome! You can watch this movie in its entirety on YouTube.

The Passion of the Christ

I just love Mel Gibson movies! I know all of them tend to be bloody and violent but Gibson makes it look like organized chaos. Anyway, The Passion Of The Christ is an awesome movie about the arrest, trial, torture, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This movie is in Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew and has subtitles. The film came out in 2004 and was one of the highest grossing non-English movies ever. It starts off with Jesus praying in Gethsemane before He's about to be betrayed by Judas Iscariot. As Jesus is praying the devil appears to Him and starts to tempt Him. The portrayal of the devil is great because Gibson made him look something like a young woman but with a man's voice dressed in a black hooded cloak. He's androgynous which adds mystery and creepiness. Later Jesus is betrayed by Judas and is taken away where he is beaten, whipped and humiliated. The governor, Pontius Pilate, doesn't want to crucify Jesus even though the large crowd and the Sanhedrin do so he tells them to take Him to Herod. Herod is from Egyptian royalty where again Gibson does a great job of portraying an Egyptian royal. Herod with thick eyeliner around his eyes, is interrupted from his partying when they bring Jesus in. He tells everyone to shut up as he puts on a disheveled wig and goes over to Jesus in a half jokingly way and asks Him questions. Jesus doesn't answer him and in the end Herod tells them to take Him back to Pilate. Throughout the movie, Jesus and different characters in the film like Mary and Mary Magdalene, think back on Jesus' life. In the end, of course, they crucify Him. After everything is done there is a short scene where you see Him get up from death and walk away.

Deliverance

Some years ago, I worked at Hollywood Video which was a lot of fun because I got to watch any movie I wanted. What I decided to do was to rent movies that I had heard were good or controversial. One of the movies I saw was Deliverance and let me tell you, that was so not what I expected! This movie came out in 1972 and it's about 4 Atlanta businessmen who decide to go canoeing down the fictional Cahulawassee River. Lewis, played by Burt Reynolds, is an experienced outdoorsman and is one of those guys that has to keep proving how macho he is. Ed, played by Angelina Jolie's father Jon Voight, has gone on a few outdoor trips with Lewis but isn't that experienced. Bobby and Drew are new to the whole outdoors trip and to canoeing. What they thought was going to be a great time with the guys turned out to be a nightmare. A couple of "locals" who are depicted as inbred hillbillies, decide they want to rape them and in their attempt to do so one of the hillbillies is killed. The other one flees but keeps taunting and trying to kill the others. One of the cool things about their trip was the banjo playing scene with a young odd looking local. The Dueling Banjos became a big hit and is still recognized today. Although this movie is creepy and weird, it is also a well made movie. It got 3 Academy Awards including Best Picture and 5 Golden Globe Awards. This film, although disturbing, is worth seeing. On a side note, Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight were hot back in the day!

I Love You Man

I saw I Love You Man last night and it was good! It was somewhat of a romantic comedy except it was about a bromance. Peter is a real estate agent who just got engaged to Zooey but when he realizes he doesn't have any friends close enough to ask to be his best man, he begins going on man-dates. Each man-date was either awkward, confusing, ridiculous and/or embarrassing. During one of his house showings, he ends up meeting Sidney who is charming and opinionated. Their bromance starts off as usual, awkward and weird, but soon Peter starts getting the hang of it and starts to really bond with Sidney. At first Zooey is really glad he found a friend but later Peter starts hanging out with Sidney more than with her so it starts to create problems for their relationship. In the end, everyone gets along, the wedding proceeds and Peter gets his bro back.

I've loved you so long

I've Loved You So Long

This was a French movie that came out in 2008. It was about a woman, Juliette, that had not seen her family in 15 years and both her parents had disowned her. She now comes back and lives with her younger sister, Lea, who is married and has two daughters. At first, you are not told why she was gone for so long or where she was but then bits and pieces of her whereabouts are revealed throughout the movie. The actors were good but the movie was a little boring. I felt like the ending was supposed to be this huge revelation but it really wasn't and I was a little disapointed. The reason I didn't have any huge emotions when it came to this movie was because no passion was invoked. I cared somewhat about the characters and the reason she was gone was not as powerful as I had hoped it would be. You can't help but just shrug your shoulders and say, Oh well, whatever. I rented this movie for free and I liked that they spoke French so I guess it evened out. The picture at the top is not part of the movie. It's a reflection of more or less how I felt about this film. I did, however, add the trailer to I've Loved You So Long below.

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas

This movie is based on the the New York Times best-selling novel by John Boyne. It's about two eight year old boys who form a friendship during War World II. What's odd about this friendship is that Bruno is the son of a Nazi commandant and Shmuel is a Jew in a concentration camp very near to Bruno's new home. This story is interesting because it is told through the eyes of these eight year olds which is very innocent, curious and endearing. In one scene, Bruno betrays Shmuel by lying to a young Nazi that he did not give Shmuel a piece of bread. Due to fear, he told the heartless Nazi that Shmuel had taken the bread which then got Shmuel a cruel beating. Several days after this, Bruno finally sees Shmuel who had not been showing up to their meeting place and asks Shmuel for forgiveness and if he'd still be his friend. With his bruised little face, Shmuel looks up at Bruno and accepts his apology and tells him they are still friends. He sticks his frail thin hand through the electric fence and shakes Bruno's hand. It was a powerful and moving scene. Some of the movie lagged a little but for the most part it was a good story. The ending will also shock you. It was definitely not the ending I thought it would have. Make sure to have Kleenex nearby.

The Family That Preys

I rented this movie recently and it was really good. By the way, if you all haven't tried the red box I suggest you do. You can rent newly released movies for a dollar a day. Anyway, The family that preys has a great cast that includes, Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Robin Givens and, of course, Tyler Perry who also directed, wrote and produced this film. It's about two families whose matriarchs are close friends and whose grown children are getting into all kinds of trouble. This movie includes marital affairs, shady business dealings, betrayal and a paternity secret. One of the highlights of the movie is that Bates' and Woodard's characters take a trip to my beloved New Orleans which Perry did on purpose because it's his hometown. Although Perry did not come out as the hilarious Madea, if you like Tyler Perry movies then you're going to love this one.

Madea Goes To Jail

I went to the movies with my cousin and decided to go see Madea Goes to Jail. I've been a fan of Tyler Perry's character of Madea since the plays came out and I've seen all but one of his movies. For those who don't know, Perry dresses up as an old but spry woman with an attitude in these movies and although it is very comical, his movies have a lot of drama in them as well. Perry's character, Madea, doesn't think the law applies to her so being that she has a problem with anger, she has been arrested many times throughout her life but she's never had to serve much time. In this movie, her luck runs out and she is thrown in jail for destroying a woman's car at the local Big K-Mart. While in jail, she meets a young prostitute, Candace Washington, who she helps out. Assistant DA, Joshua Hardaway, is an old friend of Candace and does what he can to help her out of her situation which he kind of blames himself for. This movie has a lot of intense drama but is balanced with Madea's moments which are hilarious. Candace Washingon is played by Keshia Knight Pulliam who starred as Rudy in the Cosby Show.

Pride and Prejudice

I read the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen in high school but I couldn't really remember too much about it. My brother and sister-in-law rented the movie and we watched it a few evenings ago. I wasn't sure what to expect since I couldn't even remember what the story was about and the book is usually better than the movie. I liked the way the characters were dressed but I certainly wouldn't have liked to have lived during that era. Women had to make sure they got married with men who could support them because they weren't allowed to support themselves. In the movie, Elizabeth is one of 5 sisters in 18th century England whose mother is obsessed with getting them married with the right class of men. The free-spirited and outspoken Elizabeth, however, chooses to live a life that is not as constrained and has always stood up for herself and her sisters. When they meet the handsome and snobbish Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth is not very happy about his arrogance and lets him know it. Mr. Darcy ends up falling in love with her and lets Elizabeth see his true self which was not what she had first perceived. You need to pay close attention because of the English accents but other than that the movie was quite good.

Slumdog Millionaire

I just saw Slumdog Millionaire yesterday and it was awesome! I was very glad to see something different than what's been playing lately. The story is about Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of India who gets on India's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. When he is almost at the point from winning everything, the police and the host of the show get suspicious and believe that Malik is cheating since he is after all only a kid from the slums with no real education. The police arrest him and start to violently interrogate him. Malik then begins to tell them about his past and how he lived in the slums with his brother and his first love, Latika. He tells them about his past because the questions from the show pertain to something that happened in his past which is why he keeps knowing what the answer is. This film is well put together and the actors do a wonderful job. It was unfortunate that Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, the 10 year-old actor who played Malik's older brother as a child got slapped and kicked recently by his own father for not wanting to talk to the press. Both Azharuddin and the child that played Latika actually do live in Mumbai's slums but will be getting out soon due to the enormous success of the movie. Slumdog Millionaire won 8 Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Score and Song. Below is a clip from the now famous dance Jai Ho.

Psycho

Although this movie is in black and white and we have all pretty much been desensitized with all the horror flicks out there, this movie is going to freak you out nonetheless! It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and it came out in 1960. This film is filled with suspense and is considered a thriller. It's about a young woman, Marion, who is unhappy at her job and out of the blue decides to steal company money. En route to her escape, she decides to stay at the infamous Bates Motel where she meets a nervous but friendly innkeeper named Norman Bates. As she gets to know him, he starts to creep her out so she tells him she's going to go to her room to get some rest. After that all hell breaks loose and the great "shower scene" happens. Marion's sister and boyfriend go on a quest to find her after she goes missing. On their hunt for her they end up at the Bates Motel and what they find just gets more weird and freaky. Everyone who is a movie buff should definitely go watch this one.

Nacho Libre

Funny man Jack Black plays a cook at a monestary named Nacho, who sets out on a plan to make money to get better ingredients for the meals he makes for the orphans. Nacho himself was an orphan in the same monestary/orphanage but has always felt out of place. He makes friends with a rail thin thief who he convinces to become his wrestling partner in hopes of making it big and getting more money for the poor orphans and also to impress the young new nun at the monestary named Encarnacion. Nacho names the thief Esqueleto which means The Skeleton in spanish. Nacho and Esqueleto embark on a hilarious journey to train themselves to become the top wrestlers in Lucha Libre and to give themselves and the orphans a better life. I thought this movie was very funny. Jack Black did a good job with his portrayal of a spanish accent. Because I'm Hispanic, I also caught on to some of the humor that maybe someone who's not spanish speaking or familiar with humble Mexican people would have caught on to. It's a good comedy.

Knocked Up

Knocked Up was one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. It came out in 2007 and was co-produced, written and directed by Judd Apatow. Seth Rogen comes out as Ben Stone who is lazy and immature and Katherine Heigl plays Alison Scott who is very mature and career-minded. In the movie, these two get drunk at a club and end up having a one night stand. A couple of months later Alison finds out she's pregnant. Although they have very opposite personalities and seemingly have nothing in common, they attempt to make their relationship work for the sake of the baby. They soon find out that it is easier to make a baby than it is to make a relationship work. The film is hilarious and has great characters. It also has some graphic scenes which definitely makes it a Rated-R movie.

Clockwork Orange

Clockwork Orange is one of the most sickening movies I've ever seen. It's based on a 1960s novel by Anthony Burgess and then made into a movie directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1971. It's one of those movies where there are so many horrible things happening, you know you should look away and turn it off but instead you can't help but keep watching. I myself could only stomach it once though. It deals with terrible things like rape, torture, strange psychiatric methods, and ruthless gang activity. Since this movie came out in the 70s it looks even creepier and you can't help but walk away from this film feeling really disturbed.

Braveheart

I absolutely loved this movie! Braveheart may be gory and violent but it was awesome. Mel Gibson, who directed, produced, and starred in it did a wonderful job with this epic historical film. It's about the legendary Scot, William Wallace who's wife was murdered because along with Wallace, she fought off would be rapists who were English. The English killed her to get to him. He unwillingly started a rebellion against the English who had suppressed Scotland for years when he got his revenge. Along with his Scottish buddies, they eventually managed to get there freedom from the English. Along the way this movie gives you drama, action, and even some comedy. One of the best quotes to tell of William Wallace's comical disrespect of the English was when he said, "Before we let you leave, your commander must cross that field, present himself before this army, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own arse." There were many memorable quotes in this movie but I think the best one was, "Every man dies, not every man really lives." I believe we can all learn from that one.

Transformers

Transformers is a movie I had been wanting to see for quite a while and finally saw this weekend. Many of my friends had given it great reviews so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I have to agree with my friends that this was a good action-packed movie. It was about how an alien cube with the capacity to grant infinite power was hidden on earth by the Autobots (the good guys) and is now being searched for because the Decepticons ( the bad guys) are after it. The Decepticons want to kill all humans and take over earth so it is imperative that the Autobots find it first. The information on the cube's whereabouts was hidden long ago in teenage Sam Witwicky's great-grandfather's glasses. Sam is played by Shaia LeBeouf who I think is a great actor. Sam becomes an unlikely ally to the Autobots in their quest to fight for humankind's survival. Even if you're not a sci-fi fan, it's an exciting movie to watch with great action scenes.

Bad Bad Movie

I'm going to tell you about a movie that was so boring and stupid, that I'm not even going to put up a picture of the movie poster. The Miracle at St. Anna had great promise because it had decent actors, a good sized budget and it dealt with some racism which could have given it an edge. It was also set in Italy during World War II which could have given it great cinematography. But, no. The movie is about four soldiers from the army's all-black 92nd Division. During a gun fight they find themselves behind enemy lines. They end up in a small Tuscan village called St. Anna di Stazzema where they try to figure out how to get past the enemy and back with the rest of their army division. The movie was confusing and disappointing. USA Today said, "It tries hard to be inspiring, but it has jarring tonal shifts, stereotyped characters and a lack of narrative perspective." In other words, Spike Lee, your movie sucked!

Million Dollar Baby

A really awesome movie came out in 2004 called Million Dollar Baby. If you like drama, this is the movie to watch. I had recently caught a glimpse of it on TV and went ahead and rented it a few days ago, even though I had already seen it. The movie is long and filled with drama and since I was feeling a bit under the weather, it was the perfect flick to sit back and watch. This film, which won multiple Oscars is about a determined female boxer who convinces an older trainer to train her. Frankie Dunn played by Clint Eastwood is depressed over a painful estrangement from his daughter when Maggie Fitzgerald played by Hilary Swank walks into his life and finally convinces him to train her. With the help of Dunn's assistant, Scrap, played by Morgan Freeman, they help Maggie get to the top. They go through trials and tribulations along the way but they manage to stick together and stick it out. I have to warn you that the ending is sad so if you can't stand unhappily ever after endings don't watch it. But if you like a well written movie with strong actors, please don't miss this one.

Juno

Juno MacGuff is a 16 year-old girl who has a one time sexual encounter with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker and ends up getting pregnant. She decides to get an abortion but then changes her mind and instead wants to put the baby up for adoption. She finds parents for her baby in the PennySaver personals. The movie Juno takes you over the entire period of her pregnancy and after. I liked this movie because it was quirky and comedic even though it was about a serious issue. All the characters in this movie were characters themselves and Michael Cera, the actor who played Bleeker is one of my favorite actors. His movies are always funny.

Twilight

I know that some people were a little disappointed with Twilight, but because I never read any of the books and didn’t really know what to expect when I saw it, I liked it. It wasn’t your typical vampire movie which is refreshing. Even the violence and gore that comes along with vampire movies wasn’t so bad at all. And I liked that they had very good-looking people which is a great tactic for drawing people in. I wouldn’t say that I want to go buy this movie but I wouldn’t mind watching it again and I would like to see the next part. This film is geared more for people between the ages of 11 and 17 but it’s still a good movie to watch for anyone older. As far as the books go, Stephen King said that Stephanie Meyer couldn't write unlike J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. King said, “Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people… The real difference is that J.K. Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good.” I can’t say much about that since, like I said before, I haven’t read any of the books.

Kung Fu Hustle

Once in a while a movie comes along that you wouldn’t ordinarily see or are even interested in that type of genre but you’re forced to watch one day because a very pushy and enthusiastic person insists you watch it with her. You finally sit down and sigh and reluctantly watch as your friend energetically slides the DVD into the DVD Player, pushes play and happily comes and jumps on the couch next to you in an Indian style position. As the starting credits begin you see all these Chinese words and unfamiliar music and you begin to slouch down and cross your arms as your eyes glaze over, expecting boredom. But then a miracle! Even though the movie is in Chinese with English subtitles, it is one of the funniest movies ever! Kung Fu Hustle is a very different type of comedy than I’m used to seeing but it was none the less fantastic. It’s about these two misfits trying to be bad so they can get accepted into a gang. The more they try, the more they fail. In the end

they find out what they’re really made of

and who they really are.

Super Bad

The producers who brought you the 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up decided to come up with Super Bad and it was super funny! It is Rated-R because there is a lot bad language and sexual connotation. The movie is about these three teenage losers looking to lose their virginity before college. I know there are many movies with similar themes but this one is hilarious. Jonah Hill plays Seth who is awesomely funny as well as Michael Cera who plays Evan. Cera also came out in Juno and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Christoper Mintz-Plasse comes out as Fogell or better known as McLovin. Also very funny!

He's Just Not That Into You

Today was the premiere of He's Just Not That Into You which I went to go see. It was a chick flick so the majority of the audience were female. Their ages ranged from teenagers to late 50s. I liked the movie but it wasn't as funny as I thought it was going to be. It did give you insider tips on how men think and what they really mean when they say things like "it was nice meeting you". Overall it was a fun movie to watch with a bunch of friends. I don't know if guys would be into this movie or not but they did give men tips about women too so it wouldn't do them any harm to go see it.

Under The Same Moon

Under The Same Moon was a phenomenal movie which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival where it received a standing ovation. The story is about 9 year old Carlitos’ journey from Mexico to the United States. After Carlitos’ grandmother dies, he decides to make the dangerous trek to find his mother who is working as a maid in the US. He enters illegally which makes his course treacherous and risky, especially for someone so young. On his way he meets some interesting good-hearted characters along with some who have more sinister things in mind for Carlitos. This movie was very interesting and I can actually say it made me laugh and cry. The one thing I didn’t like was the ending. I wish they would have added just a little more to it. You’ll know what I mean when you see it. The movie is in Spanish but it does come with subtitles and it was loosely based on “Enrique’s Journey”, an ethnography by Sonia Nazario. They very loosely based it on this true story because the journeys some of these children have to make are too horrific and depressing so they had to change many things for the movie. All of the actors did an awesome job but I was particularly impressed with Adrian Alonso, the little boy who played Carlitos. He is such a great actor for someone so young. Some of you may have already seen him in his first American film The Legend of Zorro. America Ferrera also makes a short appearance in the movie.

Napoleon Dynamite

Although Napoleon Dynamite is one of my all time favorite movies I never went to see it when it came out in theaters in 2004 because I thought it was going to be another stupid movie. It wasn’t until a couple of years later after the “heck yes” and “luckyyy!” quotes and the Vote for Pedro t-shirts that I was strolling through Blockbuster when I came upon it again. My little sister who is now 15 years old had been bugging me to go see the movie since the beginning. I was in the mood for a comedy and when I saw that I couldn’t find anything good that I hadn’t seen yet, I grudgingly rented Napoleon Dynamite. Expecting something lame, it was awesome when I saw that it was so not like that! It was funny, smart, quirky, and one of those movies you can watch over and over again and still be amused after the 100th time. Overall, it was a fun movie and I also appreciated the fact that there was no cursing, sex or violence. That is a rarity! I don’t know how the co-writers and director Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess pulled that off and still managed to make an exceedingly successful film, but they did. Jon Heder, the actor who played Napoleon Dynamite did a fantastic job with that role and Pedro, Uncle Rico, Kip and Deb were also hilarious. They managed to make a very low-budget film into a true gem. That is also a rarity in Hollywood.

The Dark Knight

I know that the Dark Knight is old news now but I thought it was one of the best movies of 2008. Comic book movies have never been my favorite but that hasn't stopped me from going to see a few of those flicks which was usually somebody else's idea to go. You can imagine my surprise when I was actually intrigued and enthused during the movie! All of the actors did a wonderful job and the cinematography was great too. Of course, Heath Ledger's untimely demise added to the drama but even if he had lived, the movie's popularity and charisma would have stood on it's own. Ledger was nominated for an Academy Award as was Framestore CFC for visual effects. I really wish more people and departments would have been nominated for an Academy Award, but oh well. I also don't agree with those people who say that Ledger would have never gotten nominated if he hadn't died. He did an awesome job of portraying the Joker, in fact, he deserves not only the nomination but he deserves to win.