Sugar & Spice

(2001)

Watched - 4/16/2010

Rating - High ***

Summary -

Jack and Diane were lovers, two crazy kids living in the heartlands (Gee, and John Mellencamp didn't get any writing or soundtrack credits). Diane is the airheaded captain of the cheerleading squad, who follows her through whatever she does. Jack is, of course, the football team's star quarterback. Diane comes up pregnant and the two are thrown out of their homes. They move into an apartment, where they try to live on Jack's part-time salary as a clerk at a video store. Meanwhile both continue in school - cheerleading and quarterbacking. As Diane realizes that they are not making it financially, she recruits the other cheerleaders to help her rob a bank. Their cheerleader oath of all for one commits them to helping her. They get guns from a local hood, who gives them the weapons in exchange for putting his homely daughter on the cheerleading squad.

-IMDB.com

Review-

This movie is simply a cute little comedy. 

I almost did snoopy dances over the main couple being named "Jack and Diane" (see John Cougar Melloncamp's song 'Life Goes On'). Pretty much the summary says it all. 

The acting was great, the dialogue was cute and fast paced, there were a few twists and turns, and there was some great humor.

"Jack" seems very excited and happy about becoming a daddy but seems to not realize quite how serious the situation is. "Diane" is almost equally airheaded and deluded as to how easy this will be, but seems to quickly realize that this is indeed hard. Hence the "robbery" plan. she is accompanied by her do or die team of cheerleaders, one of which, has a mother in jail whom the girls go to visit and learn much that they need to know.
Perhaps some of the best moments come from the fact that the story is narrated by the "A Squad"'s rival, the leader of the "B Squad" who would love nothing more than to see them fall, as she is questioned in a police interrogation room.
All in all this is another of the movies that would be fun to watch on a night with the girls while you paint each others nail and do whatever else it is that girls do.
thumb up from me!
In my opinion Give Sugar and Spice a Chance!!!

Brothers

(2009) 

Watched - 4/15/2010

Rating - Low ***

Summary-

A young man comforts his older brother's wife and children after he goes missing in Afghanistan.

-IMDB.com

When severely traumatized Capt. Sam Cahill (Golden Globe nominee Tobey Maguire) returns home alive from a military mission in Afghanistan after he was presumed dead, he learns that his brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), has gotten dangerously close to his grieving wife, Grace (Natalie Portman), and his kids. Mare Winningham and Sam Shepard also star in this wartime drama about human frailty and battles fought on the home front. Jim Sheridan directs.

-Netflix.com

Review-

 Honestly, I was very excited about this movie and was fairly dissapointed.

Now dont get me wrong. The acting had nothing to do with it. Tobey Maguire (while he mutilated his role as Spiderman, in my opinion) was completely amazing as a traumatized war hero. Something about his on the edge expression, and wide eyed glare was right on key, to show the difference between the happy man "Sam" was before he left, and the broken shell that returned. Jake Gyllenhaal was amazing as "Tommy", Sam's younger brother who has been in jail for a bank robbery. As always, Natalie Portman, stunned me with her portrayle as first an army wife, then an army wife who has lost her husband to the job he loved, to a woman who is getting back on her feet and is confused about the feeling starting to grow for her husbands own brother, to obviously relieved, and happy,  but unsure on how to deal with the situation once her husband comes home. 

The reason I was so excited that they put all the exciting parts into the trailer. The movie was a lot slower than they made it seem, and a lot less happened than was alluded to in the trailer. I mean yes this does happen a lot with movies today (Case and Point being recent remake "Last house on the Left"), but in my opinion that doesn't make it okay.

For me, Even the climax was anti-climactic. But maybe thats just me.

Either way, the acting was superb, but the story was a bit slow for my taste. Someone else may see this and love it! Honestly in the end I would vote that you give it a chance and form your own decision on this one!

Feed

(2005) watched- 4/12/2010

Rating - **

Summary - 

n Sidney, the Interpol agent Phillip Jackson investigates crimes in Internet with his partner Nigel. After a mission in Hamburg, Phillip has troubles in the relationship with his liberal girlfriend Abbey that tags him "chauvinist pig". While researching the web, Phillip finds a bizarre site where a man shows obese women being fed by him. He finds the origin of the site in Ohio, and without authorization, he travels to USA pursuing the pervert Michael Metszencalmpf, a.k.a. Michael Carter. When Phil meets Michael, he surprisingly knows who Phil is; further, Michael tells that what he is doing is not wrong since he is releasing fat women from the standards of thinness imposed by the society. However, Phil discovers the true motives of Michael, beginning a personal war against the deranged criminal.  

-IMDB.com

Review - 

Okay so I had fairly high hopes for this film, as it had that potential to be something dark and disturbing. Instead they took disturbing to the edge of plain and simple smut. 

First off they overly pushed the sexuality and nudity at the beginning, mostly pertaining to Phil's relationship with his girlfriend. The start seemed more like they were running for shock factor and weirdness. 

The antagonist though was, on some levels, extremely dark and disturbing. Calm and collected, manipulative, fluctuating between loving to cold to plain out disgusting. Honestly this film isnt for the faint of heart. The guy they cast as Michael did a wonderful job of being straight up creepy as well as seemingly unstable, in my opinion. the best moment to back this up being when Michael and Phil meet outside of Michaels suburban home in Ohio. We see cold calculation and a sick sort of blind faith in what he (Michael) believes.

The best part of the movie would have had to be the ending. When Phil finally confronts Michael at his "Lair", first off there was some fighting that soothed any need for violence. But truly it was the very end that was best. If you like Irony, you might enjoy that scene. Then again I enjoyed that scene and that was about it. The rest of the movie seemed like a bit of a waste of film. A good idea that was just trying to hard, as well as being pushed to hard on the masses. 

If you see this on the shelf and feel yourself slightly intrigued, I suggest you put it down and step away. Dont waste your time. 

But thats just my opinion. Hopefully someone can get these great dark ideas right without overly sexing them up some day

~Note~ 

Yes I realize I may sound a bit backwards saying that it was over sexed up when it is supposed to be a "Fetish" site, but thats not what I'm talking about. Some of the stuff in the film, there was simply no reason to show. Thats all, maybe you agree or disagree, I dont really care. If thats your cup of tea, go ahead and watch it, but I wont be watching it again anytime soon.

Julie & Julia

Rating - ***

Summary - 

Amy Adams stars in this truth-inspired tale as Julie Powell, who decides to enliven her uneventful life by cooking all 524 recipes outlined in Julia Child's culinary classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Based on Powell's book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, director Nora Ephron's heartwarming dramedy also stars Meryl Streep as legendary chef Child, for which she won a Golden Globe.

- Netflix.com

Review -

Ever since I was a little girl I have had a love of both cooking, and eating, which (along with my mothers influence) has inspired my love of cooking movies.

I thoroughly enjoyed Julie & Julia and as a person who can never quite keep a deadline, it was so easy for me to relate to Julie Powell's (real or imagined) need of a project that she could finish. 

This movie brought to mind the movie The Hours (2002) ( starring Nicole Kidman, Julian Moore, and Meryl Streep herself!) only in the way that it combined more than one line of time though (Although I feel "The Hours" did it more impressively). 

Meryl Streep plays Julia Child, and Amy Adams plays Julie Powell, and I felt they were both wonderful and completely convincing in this movie.

As any good cooking movie should, this movie elicited 2 deep resonating wants in me. A want to eat and a want to get into the kitchen and start cooking!

The movie started slowly enough with Julie (may I call you Julie?) beginning this regimen, as she calls it, where she will work her way through Julia Child's book " Mastering the Art of French Cooking for Americans" though I honestly don't remember if they state which volume. She sets her deadline for only a year, giving her 365 days for something like 524 dishes. While we watch with growing excitement as Julie begins her project, we also see Mrs. Child moving to Paris and finding her passion for cooking at the Cordon Bleu, after many tried and failed attempts at other hobbies. We see both women work through similar trials, spouting similar feelings5 about things that are going on in their lives, though in this movie, they never meet. 

I'd love to tell you more, but that may detract from your urge to go watch it for yourself, and I wouldn't want to ruin your appetite.

The movie has all the great ups and downs, and some wonderful humor. I found myself chuckling quite a few times at Ms. Streep's wonderful impression of Julia's Trill. Honestly I am not much of a Meryl Streep fan, but I must admit, that this movie has made me willing to go and watch some of her movies yet again and give her another chance. She was, in my opinion, completely convincing.

Dont be fooled by the humor though, there is drama. At the end of the movie I was absolutely crushed during a, hm... I guess I would call it a revelation made by Mrs. Powell. 

In the end, don't let my 3 star rating fool you. I quite enjoyed this movie, but I simply don't know how soon I will be willing to watch it again.

Meanwhile, if, like me, you grew up watching the cooking channel this movie is an absolute MUST SEE whether it becomes one of your instant favorites or the one time was enough. As for me? I'm sure I will find myself watching it yet again, but unlike Heavy Metal (1981) I will not be watching it once bi-weekly. Though it has inspired me to find and own copies of Julia Child's cookbooks. 

In the end my thanks goes out to The stars, Creators, and of course the people this movie was based on, because it has opened up an interest in Mrs. Child's cooking once more for a generation much closer to my own.

I hope you enjoy the film, and would suggest watching it while whipping up a meal of your own or else you will find yourself suddenly with the urge to get into the kitchen and banging those pots and pans as you create something whether it be a grilled cheese or a dish from Julia Child her selves cookbook, something your housemates may not be to happy about. I myself have satisfied that urge by typing out this review. 

Julie and Julia recieves a thumb up and three stars as it has left quite a good taste in my mouth.

Bon Appétit

Romy and Michele's Highschool Reunion

Rating- ****

Summary -

Two not-too-bright party girls (Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow) reinvent themselves for their high school reunion. Armed with a borrowed Jaguar, new clothes and the story of their success as the inventors of Post-it notes, Romy and Michele descend on their alma mater, but their façade crumbles quickly. The truth, however, has its own rewards in the film the New York Times calls "cheerful, giddy fun." 

-Netflix.com

Review -

Its cute, and its Campy. The first time I saw this movie, it was on T.V. (back when we Had cable). And I must admit that what must have caught my attention would have to be Lisa Kudrow. The name sound familiar? well it should! especially to anyone who's a 90's child like myself. She played the out there, yet lovable Pheobe Buffay. Once I began watching I was quickly sucked into the quirky cuteness of it, and found myself pleasently surprised at the arrival of Janeane Garofalo (The Bowler, from Mystery Men (1999)) as a dry, quick-witted fellow high schooler. As if her short, albeit wonderful presence weren't enough, throw Alan Cumming ( Spy Kids (2001) - Fegan Floop, Reefer Madness: The Musical (2005) - Lecturer) into the mix and you have a fast paced, fast talking hell of a good time, with Miss Kudrow maintaining that air headed ditzyness that we all fell in love with during those wonderful 10 years that Friends was on the air, but with more of a mainstream spin on it. 

This movie is very much one of those movies that quickly becomes a guilty pleasure, made for nights when all you want to do is sit home in your pajamas with your best girlfriend and a few pints of your favorite flavor of ice cream and innumerable other treats (I've personally never done it, but it seems like a good enough idea). 

It very much reminds me of Legally Blond, as this is not a story of romance (though !SPOILER ALERT! Michele does get the guy, who she never would have thought she would, and Romy realizes she much better off with the guy she spent those 4 long years of high school lusting over), but instead it is a story of self discovery. At the start Romy is a simple cashier at a Jaguar dealership, and Michele is unemployed, but spends her time making her own clothes. They hear about their upcoming high school reunion through a chance meeting with a fellow classmate (a surprise since their from Tucson now living in sunny LA) they decide they'd like to go, but change their mind numerous times, thinking about how their lives arent nearly impressive enough, attempting to remedy that, giving up and finally coming to a solution thats bound to bring quite a few chuckles. on their way to the reunion they get into an argument that, in the end works out, and helps them overcome the petty problem, as well as their highschool tormentors "The A Group". 

Well I'm done before I give away the whole movie!

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who just needs to be silly for a minute, and enjoy a few laughs. If you disagree and find Romy and Michele airheaded and over the top, well I'm sorry but I find this movie highly enjoyable everytime I see it. Thumb up for this one!

Dont forget to make a batch of popcorn though, before you sit down to enjoy this one!

Enjoy!