More recent movies: The Life of Pi, Silver Linings Playbook, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Lincoln, Les Miserables, Moonrise Kingdom, Magic Mike, Ruby Sparks and Safety Not Guaranteed

More movies recently seen: 

2012 The Life of Pi

Pi Patel: So which story do you prefer?
Writer: The one with the tiger.  That's the better story.
Pi Patel: Thank you.  And so it goes with God.

I enjoyed The Life of Pi.  The story was interesting, and the ending is a thinker -it's been on my mind for a few days now.  It's an ending that's completely open to interpretation, but I think the basic idea it poses is that you get to choose whether to believe in the miraculous (meaning God) or not.  What I did not enjoy was the CGI.  I know others found the movie to be beautiful, but it felt fake to me, and fake is not beautiful in my mind.  They did an excellent job with the tiger, and sometimes he looked pretty close to real, but I could tell when he wasn't real.  I understand that filming with a real tiger is difficult, but it can be done.  Same with the whale breaching scene -it's supposed to be magnificent, but it's not real.  A real whale would have been incredible, a fake one is not.  If you have to go fake, I almost always prefer models or puppets (The best job I've ever seen was in Jurassic Park, though I know they did use some CGI.  I like to compare the original Star Wars movies with the puppets to the later ones with the CGI characters -the CGI characters look like video game creatures, so they seem silly to me).  Other than the CGI, I did enjoy the movie, though it's tough to watch poor Pi suffer so much.  They do a good job keeping the movie interesting even with the inherent challenge of having the central relationship of the story be between a boy and a tiger.  We see their relationship develop, and find humor in their dealings: "I can eat the biscuits, but God made tigers carnivorous, so I must learn to catch fish.  If I don't, I'm afraid his last meal would be a skinny vegetarian boy."

2012 Silver Linings Playbook

Tiffany: Are you going to walk me home?
Pat: Are you looking at me?

Pat: You have poor social skills. You have a problem.
Tiffany: I have a problem?  You say more inappropriate things than appropriate things.

This was an interesting movie.  It's a romantic comedy that also deals with more serious issues, such as mental health problems.  Bradley Cooper plays mentally ill and emotionally tormented Pat, portraying him with great depth.  He has just been released from a mental institution after an eight month stint mandated by the courts after he almost kills a man when he catches him in the shower with his wife (with their wedding song playing in the background -cold -a fact that causes him to fly into a rage whenever he hears the song).  He is staying with his parents, who are worried about his still fragile mental health (he has been diagnosed as bipolar, which we see in its raw form when he flies into a manic state over the location of his wedding video one night), as he continues to dwell on getting in contact with his wife in spite of a restraining order requiring him to stay away from her.  He becomes friends with a young widow named Tiffany (played excellently by Jennifer Lawrence), who suffers from mental issues of her own.  Their blossoming friendship is the crux of the story, and their characters are both complicated and interesting. 

While Jennifer Lawrence was great, as the critics have indicated, I was particularly impressed by Bradley Cooper.  He captures the manic rage, the fragility, and the desperate longing of Pat as he continues to mourn the incident that broke up his marriage and longs to prove to his wife that he is ready to be a good husband (he exercises constantly to lose weight for her, reads all the books she assigns to her students, and is trying to improve himself in general).  It includes some fun music and dancing, which I liked, of course, and a budding romance.  I was a little baffled by Robert DeNiro's character, Pat's father, who is extremely obsessed with the Philadelphia Eagles and oddly superstitious about the effect every little thing will have on their performance, but he did a good job with the part.  Tiffany is an enjoyable character, deeply damaged after the death of her husband (and she had already suffered with some depression prior to this).  His death led to some self-destructive promiscuity ("I was a slut.  There will always be a part of me that is dirty and sloppy, but I like that, just like all the other parts of myself.  I can forgive.  Can you say the same for yourself, fucker?  Can you forgive?  Are you capable of that?") and sometimes rage, but she is spirited and smart, not to mention hilarious when she keeps popping out and startling Pat on his runs and persists in following him:

Pat [As Tiffany pops out behind him running]: What the hell?
Tiffany: What happened to your face?
Pat: Weight lifting accident.
Tiffany: That sounds like bullshit.  Why’d you run by my house?  Did our little conversation get you upset last night?
Pat: Hey, this is my route, okay?  Just back off.
Tiffany: This is my neighborhood.  You just ran by my house.
Pat: I like to run by myself, okay?
Tiffany: Me too. [Continues to follow him]
Pat: Hey, I like to run alone!  Will you stop?
Tiffany: What?
Pat: Okay?  I’m running here!
Tiffany: Me too!
Pat: Well then, why don’t you run somewhere else?  There’s a fucking ton of roads to run in!  What are you trying to do?
Tiffany: I like this road.  This is my neighborhood.
Pat: Oh, come on, please!
Tiffany: Calm down, crazy.

I'll definitely want to see it again when it comes out on video.

2012 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey


"Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found.  I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay.  Small acts of kindness and love.  Why Bilbo Baggins?  Perhaps because I am afraid, and he gives me courage." -Gandalf

"I know you doubt me.  I know you always have, and you're right.  I often think of Bag End.  I miss my books, and my arm chair, and my garden.  See, that's where I belong.  That's home, and that's why I came cause you don't have one -a home. It was taken from you, but I will help you take it back if I can." -Bilbo Baggins

I did not have very high expectations of The Hobbit after hearing some negative word of mouth, but I enjoyed it a great deal.  Very entertaining, kept my interest -humor and excitement.  Martin Freeman was great as Bilbo, the reluctant adventurer who becomes a hero, and I liked all the dwarfs (though I can't remember any of their names).  They all had a lot of character.  It was interesting, because the dwarfs look a lot taller in this movie, because they are mostly standing next to Bilbo, as opposed to elves and humans, so we see a different perspective.  It was funny when they visited Rivendale, because they are such fish out of water, being served vegetables for dinner and listening to elves play harps.  Richard Armitage (from North and South) plays the lead dwarf, and he was perfect as the king trying to restore the homeland of his people.  We get to see a lighter side of Galadriel, which I liked, and Gandalf is back to his fun, loveable self (as opposed to his uptight, ever serious self when he becomes Gandalf the White in The Two Towers).  Peter Jackson did a good job of making the scene with Bilbo and Gollum match the flashback in The Fellowship of the Ring perfectly.  Some of the battles were a little (okay a lot) unbelievable, with the characters surviving incredible things, but that's okay.  I would have liked to see more orcs portrayed by actors in costumes instead of manufactured with CGI, but oh well, it wasn't very distracting.  There was also a pretty bad one-liner from the Orc king that really should have been left out, but overall it kept my attention and was quite satisfying.  I'll enjoy watching it again when it is released on DVD.

2012 Lincoln

"I could write shorter sermons but when I get started I'm too lazy to stop." -Abraham Lincoln




I had very high hopes for this movie, but I have to admit I found it lackluster.  Daniel Day Lewis did a good job as Lincoln, but he was just kind of boring.  He soliloquizes so often and so long I almost fell asleep (the quote above pretty much sums it up).  I really didn't need to hear every thought that went through his head.  I enjoyed Tommy Lee Jones a lot (he played Thaddeus Stevens) -I thought his character showed a lot of strength when he agreed to compromise his moral ideals in order to get the 13th amendment passed.  It hurt him a lot, but he finally recognized that getting the amendment passed was so important that he needed to compromise -for the moment at least.  One step at a time.  Progress had to be made, even if it wasn't complete equality all at once like he wanted -he was right, of course, but at least it was an important step forward.  It was also funny when the mention of women getting the vote was mentioned and there was a huge chorus of outraged "No!"s from both sides -even the most forward thinking of the men couldn't handle that!  I guess I was just hoping for more -something a little more gripping, like Amistad.  Tyler would have liked at least a couple of short battles.  Instead, we got to watch as practically every House Representative cast their vote, one at a time, on the amendment -this may have been suspenseful if we didn't already know that of course it would be passed, so it was instead rather tedious.  As Lister from Red Dwarf would say, Tyler and I were "un-gripped."

2012 Les Miserables

"To love another person is to see the face of God." -Jean Valjean

"Here they talked of revolution.  Here it was they lit the flame.  Here they sang about tomorrow, and tomorrow never came." -Marius

I saw Les Miserables on opening day (Christmas), and was very pleased.  I pretty much got exactly what I expected.  The acting was terrific -if you listen to the soundtrack clips, the songs don't seem quite right, because you really need to see the performances, not just hear the songs.  For listening quality, the Broadway soundtracks are better.  Hugh Jackman was great, and Colm Wilkinson (originator of the role of Jean Valjean) had a guest role as the bishop.  Eddie Redmayne (from My Week with Marilyn) was truly excellent as Marius.  His performance of Empty Chairs as Empty Tables was so powerful -it's the best I've seen that number done.

I liked Samantha Barks as Eponine (one flaw -during On My Own you get a glimpse of a perfectly manicured thumb nailed -Mahala noticed it too!), though A Little Fall of Rain didn't have the punch I was hoping for, but I guess that was more on Eddie Redmayne's side, and was probably a decision by the director.  I would have preferred he show a little more surprise when he realizes that she's been in love with him all this time, and I would have liked it if he has seemed a little more upset and kissed her, as I've seen in some versions (not just on the forehead).  Ah well, director's prerogative.  It's hard to top Lea Salonga in my mind.  I have high standards because Eponine has always been my favorite character -I was annoyed that Samantha Barks was never listed with the cast even though she plays a major character just because she is unknown in Hollywood (she plays Eponine on Broadway).

 

Russell Crowe as Javert was the weakest singer of the bunch, but it didn't bother me much, because I liked his performance.  His suicide was pretty intense.  I heard that some didn't like Amanda Seyfried as Cosette, but I thought she was fine -I never liked the adult Cosette much anyway, because I am team Eponine, but Cosette isn't actually in the movie all that much.  Young Cosette was a charming child, and had a perfect face for the poster.  Gavroche was okay, not my first pick.  Anne Hathaway was incredible.  When she sings I Dreamed a Dream, they basically shot it in one long take zoomed in on her face -talk about an intense performance.  That must have been so difficult.  I see an Oscar in her future.  I loved the finale, when Valjean dies and is lead to heaven by Colm Wilkinson (perfect) and rejoins all those lost at the barricade in a triumphant reprisal of Do You Hear the People Sing.  Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter weren't amazing musically, but were comically great at the Thenardiers.  The opening sequence when the prisoners are hauling in a ship while singing Look Down was amazing.  Such a visually powerful scene.  It was overall a very satisfying adaptation, and I look forward to it coming out on video -the music has been stuck in my head ever since.

Rentals:

I have been reading online to see which movies are likely to receive nominations for Oscars this year (not just for Best Picture, but for the other categories as well), so that I can get a head start and have seen as many as possible before the ceremony.  This means watching some movies that I wouldn't normally watch, which included, last night, Moonrise Kingdom and Magic Mike (Matthew McConaughey may receive a Best Supporting nomination).

2012 Moonrise Kingdom

"We're in love.  We just want to be together.  What's wrong with that?" -Suzy


Moonrise Kingdom is a very quirky, oddly directed movie.  The characters don't act or speak much like real people, which I found amusing, and Tyler hated.  It's overall pretty unbelievable, but I think that's beside the point.  It's about two twelve year olds, Sam and Suzy, that fall in love and decide to run away, and the people trying to track them down.  I thought the love story was sweet -the two kids are dysfunctional, but work together, and are likeable.  Bruce Willis was great as the police captain helping to find them, and Edward Norton plays a humorous Khaki Scout Master.  Frances McDormand and Bill Murray play Suzy's parents, and they feel a little flat.  It wasn't a great movie, but it kept me entertained, and the ending was satisfying.

2012 Magic Mike

Mike: I have, like, $13,000 saved.
Paige: Wow.  That's a lot of ones.
Mike: There are some fives in there.
Paige: Oh, ok.  No twenties?
Mike: Oh, you don't wanna know what I have to do for twenties.


I really had no interest in seeing Magic Mike, and didn't force Tyler to sit through it.  It wasn't as bad as I expected.  It wasn't great, but it did show a different side of the world -the world of male strippers.  It's kind of a seedy underbelly of society movie, with lots of swearing, sex, drugs, and partying.  The main character, Mike (Channing Tatum), was a likeable enough guy, and I wanted to see him succeed in escaping the life he's in to start his own business as he dreams of doing.  It wasn't terrible, and now if Matthew McConaughey wins, I'll be able to have an opinion on the matter -before form that opinion, I'll have to see the other performances of course!


I have also checked out a couple of movies that I just saw previews for that looked kind of interesting to me, including Ruby Sparks and Safety Not Guaranteed.

2012 Ruby Sparks

"This is the true and impossible story of my very great love.  In the hope that she will not read this and reproach me, I have withheld many telling details: her name, the particulars of her birth and upbringing, and any identifying scars or birth marks.  All the same, I cannot help but write this for her, to tell her "I'm sorry for every word I wrote to change you, I'm sorry for so many things.  I couldn't see you when you were here and, now that you're gone, I see you everywhere."  One may read this and think it's magic, but falling in love is an act of magic, so is writing.  It was once said of Catcher In The Rye, "That rare miracle of fiction has again come to pass: a human being has been created out of ink, paper and the imagination."  I am no J.D. Salinger, but I have witnessed a rare miracle.  Any writer can attest: in the luckiest, happiest state, the words are not coming from you, but through you.  She came to me wholly herself, I was just lucky enough to be there to catch her." -Calvin



In Ruby Sparks, Calvin Weir-Fields is a novelist whose first book was a huge hit.  He is now struggling to write his next book.  After having a dream about a girl, he begins to write about her.  She is Ruby Sparks, his dream woman, and he falls in love with her.  His love, or magic (or something), miraculously brings her to life.  Things go well until he becomes worried that she will leave him, and he breaks his vow to never change her, and begins writing her again, with disastrous consequences.  He isn't able to undo the damage he has done, and Ruby's character becomes increasingly unstable, until Calvin completely loses it and makes her do a bunch of crazy things, such as barking like a dog:

Ruby: You don't get to decide what I do.
Calvin: Wanna bet?

He then realizes that the only way to fix this, is to set her free, and he writes, "She's no longer Calvin's creation.  She is free," though it is devastating for him to lose her.  He has seen that there cannot be love where there is no free will, where he has total control.  She becomes the inspiration for his next bestseller, and the movie has a sweet ending, full of possibility.  It was a different sort of movie, and Tyler particularly liked it.

2012 Safety Not Guaranteed

Kenneth: You ever face certain death?
Darius: If it was so certain, I wouldn't be here, would I?

I preferred Safety Not Guaranteed, also a very unique movie, which Tyler didn't like as much, over Ruby Sparks.  It is about Darius Britt (Aubrey Plaza), a quirky, depressed young woman working as an intern at Seattle Magazine.  She is unhappy, but doesn't really know why.  She, another intern, and one of the writers go to investigate an ad they find in the classifieds to see if it would make for a good story.  The ad reads: "Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me.  This is not a joke.  P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393.  You'll get paid after we get back.  Must bring your own weapons.  Safety not guaranteed.  I have only done this once before."  Darius poses as the person answering the ad, and begins training with the writer, Kenneth Calloway (Mark Duplass), who sincerely believe that he is able to time travel, and that government agents are following him.  She reports their activities back to her co-workers, including an incident when she accompanies Kenneth when he breaks into a building to steal lasers:

Jeff: Fuckin' lasers?
Arnau: What kind of lasers?
Darius: I don't know, I'm not a freakin' storm trooper.
Arnau: Stormtroopers don't know anything about lasers or time travel.  They're blue collar workers.

As she and Kenneth get to know each other, and continue to train for their mission, we see Darius finally finding happiness in this peculiar situation, the cloud finally lifting from her.  Somehow, this all fits for her, and her attraction to Kenneth grows.  Is Kenneth crazy?  Can he really time travel?  It's a fun story with a great ending.

Top 12 Visually Beautiful Movies

Top 12 Visually Beautiful Movies

Inspired by Anna Karenina, I have made a compilation of movies that are easy on the eye -clearly, I am drawn to costume dramas (I love the dresses).  And yes, I narrowed it down to 12, not 10.  I couldn't help it.

Marie Antoinette

I loved Sofia Coppola's adaptation of Antonia Fraser's biography of Marie Antoinette.  It was actually very historically accurate.  Many of the lines are straight out of history.  Setting it to the modern music surprisingly didn't throw me.  The whole movie looks like candy.  Sumptuous.


"Is your hair quite tall enough today?  Maybe you can keep a pet in there or something." -Emperor Joseph to his sister, Marie Antoinette

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 
 

The most beautiful of the trilogy.  The Shire is lusciously green and whimsical, and the elves are ethereally captivating.



"I miss the Shire.  I spent all my life pretending I was off somewhere else.  Off with you, on one of your adventures.  But my own adventure turned out to be quite different." -Frodo, to Bilbo



Memoirs of a Geisha
 

This movie was based on Arthur Golden's novel, and I loved the geisha outfits.  The geisha women (Sayuri, Mameha, and Hatsumomo) move so gracefully it is captivating to watch.



"Remember, Chiyo, geisha are not courtesans.  And we are not wives.  We sell our skills, not our bodies.  We create another secret world, a place only of beauty/  The very word "geisha" means artist and to be a geisha is to be judged as a moving work of art." -Mameha, to Sayuri


Anna Karenina

Not much about this movie was enjoyable other than the costumes and jewelry.


"There can be no peace for us, only misery, and the greatest happiness." -Count Vronsky, to Anna Karenina

Vanity Fair

 

Director Mira Nair added an Indian flair to this adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's classic, Vanity Fair.  She ignored the fashions of the time, and chose to make everything bright and interesting, including the uniforms of the soldiers.  She even opted to move the finale to India.



"India?  I cannot think of anywhere I'd rather see.  The palaces of Delhi, the Taj Mahal, the Burning Ghats...I'm enraptured with every scent and flavor of the East." -Becky Sharp



The Duchess



I enjoyed this movie based on Amanda Foreman's biography on Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire.  Georgiana was at the forefront of fashion in her day, and we get to enjoy it all in this movie.



"When she arrives, all eyes are upon her.  When absent, she is the subject of universal conversation.  And what we see her wearing tonight, I look forward to seeing the rest of you wearing tomorrow!" -Announcer, introducing Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

The New World

A fictional portrayal of Pocahontas, and her relationships with John Smith and John Rolfe.  There is very little dialogue, and the pacing is very slow.  It relies mostly on visuals, which are very serene and peaceful to watch.  Great raw shots of nature.

"I will find joy in all I see." -Pocahontas

Frida

 

An excellent movie about the painter, Frida Kahlo, and her husband, Diego Rivera, also a painter.  Frida Kahlo's unique, vibrant, and sometimes brutally honest art is worked into the movie extensively.



Diego Rivera: What do you care about my opinion?  If you're a real painter, you'll paint because you can't live without painting.  You'll paint till you die, okay?
Frida Kahlo: I have to work to earn a living, so I don't have time to fool around just for vanity.  If I'm not good enough, I have to do something else to help my parents.

Chicago

The Oscar-winning musical had amazing 20s costumes, spectacular cinematography, and dance numbers you couldn't tear your eyes from.

"Give 'em the old razzle dazzle.  Razzle razzle 'em.  Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it and the reaction will be passionate." -Billy Flynn, singing Razzle Dazzle

Moulin Rouge!

 

Baz Luhrmann is known for making aesthetically marvelous movies, and he outdid himself in this love story that is beautiful in every way.



"A magnificent, opulent, tremendous, stupendous, gargantuan, bedazzlement, a sensual ravishment.  It will be: Spectacular Spectacular." -Harold Zidler

The Phantom of the Opera


Lush costumes, from Christine's pure white gown in Think of Me to the spectacularly flashy ensembles in Masquerade, almost make up for the fact that the movie fails to live up to stage musical in almost every other way (and the fact that the Phantom, in this case, could not sing).  Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, and Jennifer Ellison were well cast as Christine, Raoul, and Meg, but other performers lacked the necessary vocal power -this is most obvious in Gerard Butler's case, as the Phantom is required to have a hauntingly powerful voice (think Michael Crawford).  He had the physical presence, but they should have dubbed in a different singer.  If they could do it for Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, they could do it for Gerard Butler.



"But his voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet sound.  In that night there was music in my mind.  And through music my soul began to soar!  And I heard as I'd never heard before...Yet in his eyes, all the sadness of the world.  Those pleading eyes, that both threaten and adore." -Christine Daae

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

 

The movie was mostly unexceptional, and offensively anti-Spanish and anti-Catholic, but the costumes (and the music) were remarkable.



"The forces that shape the world are greater than all of us, Majesty.  How can I promise that they'll conspire in your favor even though you're the Queen?  This much I know, when the storm breaks, some are dumb with terror and some spread their wings like eagles and soar." -Dr. John Dee to Queen Elizabeth I

2012 Argo, Hitchcock, and Anna Karenina

2012 Argo, Hitchcock, and Anna Karenina

Right now there are so many interesting movies in the theaters.  With small kids, it's not easy to go out to see movies, so I usually wait for them to be released on Netflix, but lately I have been making an effort to get out there and see some on the big screen.

Here are some brief reviews of the movies that I have seen:

2012 Argo

"You need somebody who's a somebody to put their name on it.  Somebody respectable.  With credits.  Who you can trust with classified information.  Who will produce a fake movie.  For free."

"Sir, if these people can read or add, pretty soon they're gonna figure out they're six short of a full deck.  It's winter, you can't afford to wait around until spring so it's nice enough to take a bike ride.  The only way out of that city is the airport.  You build new cover identities for 'em, you send in a Moses, he takes them out on a commercial flight."

Amazing.  Nail bitingly tense from start to finish.  It's about the Iran hostage crisis at the American Embassy, and focuses on a small group of six people that escaped the Embassy to hide out at the home of the Canadian Ambassador and his wife.  Ben Affleck directed the movie and stars as the CIA agent sent in to get the group out of Iran before they are discovered and likely killed.  He does this by pretending to be making a movie, with the six people pretending to be members of the film crew.  The movie played with history a bit to make it more exciting, and it was a good choice -it made for a gripping film.  Seriously, I felt like I needed a drink after seeing this movie, and I don't drink.  They also managed to work in some humor to break up the tension a bit -just a bit.  Tyler also loved it.  A terrific movie all around.

2012 Hitchcock

Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock.

Hitchcock: I will never find a Hitchcock blonde as beautiful as you.
Alma: Oh, Hitch. I've waited thirty years to hear you say that.
Hitchcock: That, my dear, is why they call me the Master of Suspense.

James D'Arcy as Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates).

A good movie, but not a great one.  Anthony Hopkins did a very good job, and captured Hitchcock's mannerisms well.  The guy that played Anthony Perkins (James D'Arcy) was spot on.  His fidgety nature, his voice, everything.  I was a little distracted by the color of Scarlett Johansson's wig, I have to admit.  It looked unnatural.  I would have preferred that the movie focus less on the relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma (played well by Helen Mirren), and more on the making of Psycho.  Normally, I like to see relationships being explored, but in this case, I was far more interested in Psycho than the two lead characters.  In addition, Hitchcock frequently hallucinates conversations between himself and Ed Gein, the murderer who inspired Norman Bates, and these hallucinations were never explained.  I thought they should have either explained what that was about, or not included it at all.

2012 Anna Karenina

Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina.  I love her necklace.

Alexei Karenin: I must warn you about something!
Anna Karenina: Warn me?
Alexei Karenin: You may, by indiscretion, give the world occasion to talk about you.

I did not enjoy this movie.  I had heard that most of the movie took place on a stage, and I had a hard time picturing how that would look, but it quickly became clear once it started, and I didn't like it.  It was weird and made me dizzy.  I felt like the director was trying to be like Baz Luhrmann, but failing.  Within five minutes I could tell the movie was not going to be for me.  The acting was good, but the way the movie was made was so distracting I couldn't enjoy it.  Not to mention, the story was depressing, though I already knew how it would end -it's based on a book, so it really can't be blamed for the ending.  I did enjoy the costumes a lot -particularly Keira Knightley's jewelry (there was one necklace that I fell in love with).  I think I could easily have cut out about an hour's worth of material to make the movie more watchable without losing anything of real value.  Question (if anybody reading this knows the answer): Why is it Anna Karenina and Alexei Karenin?  Why doesn't he get an A at the end of his name?

Shots on the stage -A horse race, Kitty amongst fake scenery clouds, Jude Law as Alexei Karenin.

Les Miserables.

I am hoping to be able to see Silver Linings Playbook this Thursday with my mom and sis, Lincoln possibly this weekend with Tyler, The Hobbit Friday with Amanda and Alan as a double-date if I can arrange baby sitting, and most of all, I would like to sneak out for a few hours on Christmas to see Les Miserables with my dad, stepmom, grandma and grandpa.  Les Miserables is the most excited I have been about a movie since The Hunger Games.  It looks absolutely amazing.  My only concern is that I may get my hopes too high and set myself up for a let-down.

Other movies that I would like to see if I get the chance: Oz: The Great and Powerful (should be released March of 2013), Hyde Park on Hudson (releasing this week), The Great Gatsby (coming out Christmas Day), Zero Dark Thirty, The Life of Pi, and The Impossible.

10 Movies that should have won an Oscar

10 Movies that should have won an Oscar:


The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Fiddler on the Roof

Psycho

Star Wars

The Shining



Arthur

A Few Good Men

The Shawshank Redemption

Amistad

Saving Private Ryan

10 Most Emotion-Evoking Best Picture Winners

10 Most Emotion-Evoking Winners:


Platoon -Disgust

Terms of Endearment -Sadness

Forrest Gump -Sadness

Braveheart -Sadness

Marty -Sympathy

Silence of the Lambs -Fear

Schindler's List -Horror

The Midnight Cowboy -Sadness

Million Dollar Baby -Sadness

The English Patient -Sadness