The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Aaron and I saw "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," yesterday

at a Sunday matinee

which is obviously the strangest combo ever to see this movie in,

and i'm very obsessed with it right now.

one of those things that grows and sticks with you, ya know?

so here's the deal.

i've never read the books.

and the movie is intense.

i looked at pics of the european version of this film online, and i'm going to say that i like the american Lisbeth Salander better.

she looks more innocent.

more actually like she might be 23.

which is incredible, that this character is actually this age.

i mean, this character KICKS SO MUCH SERIOUS ASS.

she's understated.

and perfect.

and spot on.

and i mean, i super have the hots for Daniel Craig, i totally, completely, irresponsibly do.

but i'm losing it over this fictional character Lisbeth Salander.

that's why i'm obsessed.

so the movie.

right.

the movie is good.

the movie is reaaaallly good.

there's a couple of serious graphic scenes that can srsly f*ck you up if you're not prepared for them

SO

do not see this movie with your mom

or your sensitive girlfriend(s)

it's not that kind of flick.

ideally, you need to see this film with someone that you don't have to worry about their feelings.

then, the two of you can sit back, experience the movie, and walk out of it kinda upset but super on board.

 

daniel craig is perfect in it.

rooney mara, as lisbeth, is amazingly impressive.

i mean, here she is in the movie:

and here she is in real life:

right?

it'll mess you up if you think too much about it.

but

"Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

works.

the story works.

the characters work.

the relationships work.

the conflicts/differences/situations work.

it's super freaky

but so, so good.

a story that begs to be told.

arthur christmas

aaron and i saw "Arthur Christmas"

a couple of weeks ago

because i wanted to see a movie

and he wanted to see one with a little more action than

George Clooney's new "The Descendants."

Speaking of which, I've yet to see this and need to and if you want to see it as well, THEN LET'S DO IT.

(also on the movie list--"We Bought a Zoo."

Arthur Christmas is adorable.

as it should be,

being the annual Holiday film for its studio

with elves and sleighs and santas galore,

all high-tech and modern and super spies

and all missing/forgetting/losing sight of what Santa Claus is really about.

UNTIL

one child is forgotten on Christmas Eve

and Arthur Christmas

the heart and soul of holiday spirit

makes it his accidental mission with Grampa

(pictured above with the flying teeth)

to save her holiday

and preserve the Santa Claus dream.

the movie is totally cute

interesting

and almost preach-y

but not so much that it would annoy a theatre-goer like myself.

there's a few quiet themes running through the film

one about tradition being paired with modern technology

one about the holidays

one about family and pecking orders

one about tongue-in-cheek women's empowerment

one about aging

and then the ultimate focal point,

the heart and soul that defines a Santa Claus.

It's cute.

and entire-family friendly.

so if you're wanting to see it, SEE IT.

you'll like it.

ides of march

i'm a sucker for all things relevant.

connections, missed connections, coincidences, shared experiences

heck yes, count me in, i'm interested in that!

so when all the hubbub was happening in cincinnati because george clooney was shooting his latest flick here, in an environment i live and work in, i was totally all over that.

and then, when it came out in theatres, i was also, totally, all over that. cincinnati looks GREAT on high-budget film!

seriously, though, "ides of march" was GREAT.

i saw it on a tuesday evening, thinking, "uggghhh, tuesday....i'm not up for a gigantic, thick, heavy, political film." and it started out that way. kind of dreary, exposition-y, laying out the world and the facts.

and then, and i don't know if this is because i'm finally old enough to get into political films or if it's because the movie just so darn compelling, BAM, the film takes off at breakneck speed.

events unfurl. lines get crossed. seemingly small choices become very big and very huge consequences. a young girl gets pregnant, and a political party gets entirely re-organized.

george clooney is impressive, consistent, and cohesive.

ryan gosling is effervescent, likable, witty, and very appropriate for his role.

phillip seymour hoffman is quiet and patient, aged, and perfect.

and paul giamatti is cutting-edge, abrasive AND slick, taut, and busy.

all in all, the movie is purely logistical, practical, chess-like.

which, of course, makes the eventual heartbreaks and betrayals all the more poignant. 

oh my god, blogoworld, i was practically screaming and heaving in my seat.

so tense.

so suspenseful.

sooooo so good.

and so very relevant. look at those george clooney "believe" political campaign posters created for the film.

they look AMAZINGLY FAMILIAR, don't they?

this film is a compact, well-implemented parallel of some producer's ideas about the 2008 obama campaign.

and it's great.

recommendation? absolutely.

go check it out!

Movie Review: The Help

I saw "The Help," awhile ago, and it was meh.

i wanted it to be AWESOME. i'm all about women's empowerment, and this is womens' empowerment in EVERY sense of the word. and it's set in the early sixties. the costumes were to be to die for. and a friend of mine worked on it. i wanted it to ROCK because i was so excited that she got to be in it.

but it was meh.

the acting was pretty good. hands down, viola davis knocks it out of the park. but did you guys see her in the meh-film "Doubt," a couple years back? she has eight minutes of screen time and walks in and out with a mission and purpose, totally steamrolling all of meryl streep's lauded performance (which is always too contrived for me, anyway.)

so, viola davis, amazing.

octavia spencer, duh.

emma stone, not so much. she's good, but she doesn't sparkle. i like my movie star idols to sparkle, and i reallllly missed it from her in this one. she looks like she was toned down, that it was a directing choice. anyway, she's one-dimensional in the movie--she exists only to write this danged book, and not much more. she doesn't even help with any comeuppance or take a stand on her work, her personal experiences, or her relationships. they all just kind of happen. so, forgettable, unfortunately.

jessica chastain was unbelievable. she's got a ton of movies coming out right now, including "The Tree of Life," with Sean Penn and Brad Pitt. She tooooootally deserves it. she's aaaammmaazzziiinngg, with a giant smile and a big, bright heart. So beautiful. So perfect.

dallas bryce howard plays hilly holbrook, a crazy, evil bitch that makes me really want to scrape my eyeballs out and scratch her face off. dallas plays her effortlessly, but, ultimately, there's no matching force to hilly holbrook in the very delicate balance of a film. she's so so so mean and evil, and there isn't anyone who can put her in her place. a couple of characters attempt it (the mom, aibileen,) but it really isn't entirely satisfying or successful to the audience.

we really just need one really good catfight where she gets slapped. it would totally be worth it.