BLACK SWAN

Directed By: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
Rated: R
Review By: Sherri

WHOA. Natalie Portman in what I believe may be her greatest role EVER. I was floored at her talent in this. Absolutely speechless at the raw emotions that she portrayed in her character Nina. Mila Kunis was her cute self, playing Portman's "friend" who dances in the same ballet dance company.

In this film, Nina (Portman) is a ballet dancer, obsessed with being the best. She is driven mostly by her mother, who obsesses over her and her dancing. The film shows Nina's struggles through her obsession, and in the end.....well, you'll have to find out.

I recommend this movie. It is a weird film, and there are a few GRAPHIC sexual scenes (YIKES! I was a little bit embarassed!) so it isn't for everyone.

TRUE GRIT

Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld
Rated: PG13
Review By: Sherri

This was an altogether fun movie! I have to confess that I haven't seen the original. Yikes! Shame on me.

First off, Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, was a great young actor. She was so spirited, and rough. One of the very first scenes shows her taking complete control of an adult, and tricking him into seeing her way. That set out her character for the entire film. She was great.

Jeff Bridges was...well Jeff Bridges. He was fantastic as usual. He portrayed a drunken crazy US Marshall, and lemme tell ya, his raspy and rough voice in this movie built up his character. He is an amazing actor.

Matt Damon was Texas Sheriff LaBoef (pronouced La Beef! haha), and he was the joke of the film. Loved him the whole time.

The Coen Bros put all their usuals that I love into this. Their subtle humor, great script and wonderful actors make this movie. I am really not a fan of Westerns, but the Coen-esqueness of this one was great.

Go see it!

MILK

Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin
Rated: R
Review by: Sherri
We know, We know...this movie ISN'T NEW! It came out in 2008, and we have owned the DVD for almost a year, but we actually hadn't seen it yet! (Shame on us!!!) It was remarkable, definitley one that we recommend you watch. The life of Harvey Milk and the influence he had on people was incredible. Right after we watched this movie, I googled information on him, and he was simply an amazing person!

This film was so full of emotions..Love, hate, loss, anger, fear. Gus Van Sant truly does a great job of showing what the culture was like in San Fransico during the 70's. And, it is so relateable to what is happening today.

Sean Penn was up for best actor for this film at the Oscars 2008, but lost to Daniel-Day Lewis. I hadn't seen this film then, but I can see why he was nominated. He was amazing! In the end of the film, some actual video and photos of Harvey Milk were shown, and Sean Penn portrayed him perfectly.

LET ME IN

Directed by: Matt Reeves (Cloverfield)
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Moretz
Review by: Sherri
This film is a SHOT for SHOT re-make of the 2008 Swedish film Let The Right One In (Which neither of us have seen....yet.) which was directed by Tomas Alfredsen, and the original movie was based on the book of the same title, written by John Ajvide Lindqvist.
All I can say about this film is WOW! It was great. Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Moretz were terrific actors, and the story was fantastic! It was everything a vampire movie should be, and definitely didn't leave you with any "warm fuzzy/grotesquely gushy" feelings at the end. Moretz made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. She was ultimately creepy. Definitely a new favorite of mine from this year!!!

BONUS TIDBIT OF INFORMATION!
I kept commenting to Nate that the score of the movie was amazing...and come to find out that the music was written by none other that Michael Giacchino, who also wrote the music for LOST. We also saw a previous LOST star in this movie, and he was also terrific, Dylan Minnette, who played Jack's son David in Season 6.

Nate's Favorite films..and therefore the BEST films of the last decade

1. Punch Drunk Love: the most complete movie of the decade, it artfully balances all of the elements a film should have.

2. There will Be Blood: No one makes epic movies anymore. Paul Thomas Anderson is genius.

3. Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind: How could this not make it in anyone's top ten of the decade?

4. Dogville: I would not recommend this movie to anyone. Then again, I wouldn't recommend any Lars Von Trier. I have never been so sucked into a movie like I was in this one.

5. No Country for Old Men: The greates villain of the decade, and the un-matched dark comedy of the Coen Brothers.

6. Wall-E: The first 30 minutes are the best in film history.

7. 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days: No guns, no bombs, no special effects of imminent threat of death, but I have never felt so much tension from a film.

8. Before Sunset: The dialouge is great, the acting is great, the characters are so real. One of the only romantic movies that I can stomach. A rare sequel that is better than the first.

9. The Bourne Identity: Jason Bourne could kill anyone. Even Superman.

10. Cache: Michael Haneke is the master of ambiguity.

11. Knocked Up: The best Apatow and Rogen film. Their comedy defined the decade.

12. Finding Nemo: Thanks to my son, I have seen this show dozens of times but I've never been bored.

13. The Hurt Locker: Jeremy Renner is a man crush of mine, one of my all time favorite endings.

14. Memento: It has to be seen to be believed. Nolan keeps trying to make this film. My question is: How can it be matched?

15. Old Boy: Some of the coolest fight scenes of the decade. Maybe the best anti-hero of the decade.

16. Dancer in the Dark: Bjork plays Jesus. One of the least re-watchable films of all time, but only because it sticks with you long after watching it.

17. Unbreakable: M Knight Shymalan had only one great film. And it wasn't the Sixth Sense.

18. 28 Days Later: The best zombie film of all time. Amazing sound track to boot.

19. Adaptation: I know there are people that hate this movie. But it is for all the wrong reasons.

20. Kill Bill 1 and 2: My favorite is the first, but it wouldn't feel right to separate them. I could watch the crazy 88 fight scene until Uma Thurman rips my eyes out.

21. Elephant: completely unbiased look, in every way, about youth violence. The long takes are so moving.

22. The Departed: Now when I watch it, I keep thinking of Marc Wahlberg saying "Say hello to your mother for me"

23. Children of Men: I was so happy to see this in theaters. What an experience. The war scene at the apartment complex is one of the best of all time.

24. Shaun of the Dead: The second best zombie film of all time. Puts Zombieland to shame.

25. Sunshine: Danny Boyle made the best zombie film of the decade, and the best sci-fi one too.

26. The Lives of Others: If you see only one foreign film from this decade, see this one.

27. Man on Wire: The biggest flaw with this list is that I don't watch many documentaries. But this film was really fun.

28. Inglorious Basterds: Tarentino v. Hitler, and guess who wins? The second best villain of the decade.

29. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: I haven't seen this since it opened in theaters. I just remember it being so damn cool!!

30. Drag Me to Hell: I don't know if this would make anyones top 100, let alone, top 30. But I just love B movies so much. When they're done right...or wrong.

31. The Dark Knight: A notice to all fan-boys: This isn't the greatest film of al time. But it is pretty awesome.

32. Traffic: Along with requiem for a dream, this film makes me want to avoid drugs.

33. Amelie: This movie was so darned cute.

34. Napoleon Dynamite: I don't care if you think this film is dated or over-quoted. You know you used to love it.

35. Brick: Highschool film noir. Ryan Johnson can sure right the dialouge for it. And Josephe Gordon Leavitt cans sure play the protagonist for it.

36. Donnie Darko: One of the most re-watchable films of the decade.

37. Almost Famous: Hold me closer Tiny Dancer

38. A. I. : its been a while since I've seen this show, so it might be lower, I just remember really liking it.

39. The New World: Terrance Malick knows, more than anyone, how to make a beautiful film.

40. A History of Violence: I hated this movie the first time I saw it, but it took me watchiing other Cronenberg movies to really appreciate it.

41. Mullholland Drive: Naomi Watts probably gives the best female preformance of the decade. Warning to the ignorant: all David Lynch films are weird.

42. American Psycho: I don't know why I have this on my list. But I just can't stop thinking about it.

43. The Squid and the Whale: I thought I would hate this, I thought it would be another cute indie film. It wasn't.

44. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: The world loves Harry Potter, but it took me over a decade to find out why.

45. Iron Man: Robert Downy Jr. is the best superhero of the decade.

46. Bruno: Better than Borat. I'm Sorry.

47. Distric 9: Gets better with repeated viewings. The second best sci-fi of the decade.

48. Mean Girls: The rightful heir to the greatness that was Clueless.

49. The Mist: Steven King. Frank Darabonte. B Movie. Enough said.

50. Spiderman 2: I love Sam Raimi and I felt he needed 2 movies in my top 50.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

the Lord of the Rings, Return of the King

Ratatouille

Chop Shop

Grizzly Man

Minority Report

Michael Clayton

Gone Baby Gone

Best in Show

40 Year-old Virgin

Anchorman
Funny Games

Ocean's 11

Planet Terror

O Brother, Where art Thou

The Prestige

Easy A

Rated: PG13
Starring: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, etc.
Review by: Sherri
This movie is the story of a good highschool girl, who uses a rumor that isn't true, to advance socially. Ok. I don't have much to say about this film. I am typically not really a "Chick-Flick" kinda girl, but I do occasionally like a good one. This, was simply NOT a good one. The acting (excluding Emma Stone) was so-so, and the plot was just annoying. Despite the fact that I simply did not enjoy this movie, it did get a suprising 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Some critics are saying it is a combination between Clueless and Mean Girls, (both of which I LOVED) but I don't see it. Amanda Bynes was a great "mean girl" and Emma Stone did a pretty good job despite the fact that her character was boring; She did shine through in a couple of funny moments.

The Town

Directed by:Ben Affleck
Starring: Ben Affleck, John Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Blake Lively
Rated R
Review by: Sherri

This movie was co-written, and directed by none other than Ben Affleck. It is based on the novel "Prince of Thieves" by Chuck Hogan. It takes Place in Boston and is about a group of bank robbers. All I can say is wow, the acting in this movie is spectacular! Ben Affleck himself is great. I have has some issues with his acting in the past, like in Good Will Hunting, but he has really impressed me with this one. Rebecca Hall, who I first saw in

Please Give, was great too. Jeremy Renner was just.....insane, his character shows resemblences to his character in The Hurt Locker. Jon Hamm,(my favorite Mad Men character!) plays the FBI agent who is trying to catch these crazy thieves. All in all I really liked this movie, it is one I would definitely recommend, and see again.

Nate & Sherri's TOP 7 of 2010!

Nate and I thought we would start our fist post with a list of our favorite movies of 2010 so far. They're listed in no particular order. We originally were going to do a separate top five list for each of us, but we ended up picking the same movies, except for two. So Read on and comment if you want!

TOP SEVEN MOVIES OF TWENTY-TEN (so far...)


WINTER'S BONE: This movie premiered at Sundance Film Fest 2010. It is the story of a girl, taking care of her family in the Ozarks. One of the best dramas we have seen!

TOY STORY 3: Ok. We don't think this one needs an explanation, Pixar won us over again! We loved it. There couldn't be a better end to a great story.

CYRUS: This movie was a romantic comedy of sorts, starring Marissa Tomei, John C. Reilly, and Jonah Hill. This movie has its dramatic parts, and its hilarious parts. All-together a fun show!

Daddy Long-Legs: We saw this film at Sundance 2010. It was a fun movie about a dad in the 70's who doesn't know how to parent. It is the story of him taking care of his kids over an extended period of time. It was funny, but at the same time sad. It was filmed to look like a movie from the 70's. Awesome!

INCEPTION: Leonardo DiCaprio at in one of the coolest films we have ever seen! Chistopher Nolan did a great job of writing, and directing this wild ride. Marion Cotillard (Oscar for Best Actress 2008) was wonderful. Definitely one movie to see more than once.

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP: This "documentary" was so interesting! It takes you to the land of street artists, and the world that they create. Banksy
directed this.

BURIED: this was a SUNDANCE gem. Ryan Reynolds (what a fox by the way) in 94 minutes of pure terror. No other way to describe it. Reynolds is brilliant in this film, its a role we wouldn't expect him to be in.

WELCOME...our friends

This Blog is devoted to all-things MOVIE!!!!! We will watch a flick, and then blog about it. FUN!!! What will our first movie be???? You'll just have to check back and see. (wait a minute, that rhymed. complelety not intentional by the way. HA)