Nights in Rodanthe

Nights in Rodanthe is your ultimate romance movie, it’s not a romantic-comedy, it is a true romance. The movie stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane. Lane is a recent divorcee taking care of her friends beachside B&B. Gere is a brilliant doctor with a past who happens to be the B&B’s only guest. The two share walks on the beach and late-night dinner conversations and soon a romance begins to blossom.

At times I felt the movie was trying to make me cry, which only kept the tears at bay. The over-dramatic acting and storyline got to a point where it was uncomfortable to watch. The one redeeming quality, however, was that the movie was able to capture the essence of love between two people who are outside their twenties. It portrayed two 40-somethings as capable of having a passionate, compatible, emotional relationship that is sustaining.

Missy Cinema Score: C

Together Again...At Last

I don't know about you, but one of my favorite parts of going to the movie theatre is all the coming attractions. I love seeing what films will capture my imagination in the upcoming months. Having said that, one of my favorite websites to visit is www.comingsoon.net/trailers. Well, the website recently added the full-length trailer to Revolutionary Road and I couldn't be happier.

This film reunites Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. I think most people, myself especially, have been waiting for this reunion for a long, long time. I couldn't be more thrilled to see these two starring in a film together again--this time happily married, or are they? The film is set in the 1950s and revolves around the struggles of domestic life. It's going to be good, very good. From the looks of the trailer it seems really intense and I am not sure what direction it is going to take, but I can't wait to find out.

Here is a link to the trailer...check it out...let me know what you think.

http://www.leonardodicaprio.com/leonardo/movies/rroad_trl.html

Made of Honor

Made of Honor is a cutesy, predictable rom-com starring Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan. Dempsey and Monaghan play Tom and Hannah two gorgeous best friends with great chemistry who don’t realize how perfect they are for each other. Tom is a complete womanizer, bedding a different woman every night, and instead of finding this character repulsive, since he is played by Dempsey we are supposed to find him charming and engaging.

Hannah goes to Scotland for 6 weeks, during this time Tom realizes he loves her, but when she returns she’s engaged—oh no! and asks Tom to be her Maid of Honor, he accepts, comedy ensues.

I thought the chemistry between Dempsey and Monaghan was terrific, they really sizzled on screen together. The first 30 minutes was sweet and engaging; the rest of the movie just seemed like a movie I had already seen before—that’s right, I have seen it before, only it was called My Best Friend’s Wedding and it starred Julia Roberts.

Despite all the predictability and over-used story line the most irritating part of the movie is have us believe that Dempsey and Monaghan are the same age.

Missy Cinema Score: C

Sex and the City

I re-watched the DVD of Sex and the City: The Movie last night. And I am pleased to say that I loved it just as much the second time around as I did the first. Much to my surprise Chad even had this to say, "Yeah, it was pretty good." Pretty good...more like pretty fabulous. I loved the show and I loved this movie. The movie, a considerable length at 2 hr 28 min, is like a condensed 7th season and I loved every minute of it.

The movie captured everything we have grown to love about the show. The writing was crisp, witty, insightful and left a tear in my eye the entire time. The characters were true to form, the fashion was amazing and the plot never lost the true essence of the show; 4 fabulous friends in NYC. I love that SATC never lost touch of how crucial female friendship is. It makes me grateful for my great friends. And for the million dollar question, "what happens between Carrie and Big, do they live happily ever after?"...Well you'll just have to watch and see.

I loved, loved, loved this movie.

Missy Cinema Score: A

Baby Mama

It's good to see a comedic movie (any movie for that matter) with strong female leads. That is why I was so pleased with Baby Mama. It's great to see a movie where two females are the stars of the film. Tina Fey's character is strong, motivated, self-reliant and, like most females who are portrayed this way, isn't a bitch. This was new and refreshing and I really liked it.

Tina Fey and Pohler are simply great together. I loved them on SNL together and I loved them in this movie. They are like the female version of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matheau (Grumpy Old Men). Although the movie took a different path than I expected, it was still heartwarming and funny.

I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who needs a good laugh or good cry.

Missy Cinema Score: B

The Love Guru

Just as I suspected and just as every movie critic in the country stated; The Love Guru was bad, borderline terrible. I didn't laugh. I mean I laughed a few times, but at parts I don't think were supposed to be funny.

I wish Mike Myers would make a regular movie, playing a regular guy. I mean, come on, how many "characters" and accents can he do in a lifetime. At least, Wayne, Austin Powers and Shrek were genuine and humorous. In The Love Guru--Guru Pikta was just ridiculous, over-the-top and full of toilet humor that failed to deliver any jokes. I was utterly amazed at how many celebrities made cameos in this film, perhaps they didn't read the entire script, they couldn't have.

Jessica Alba. Not funny. Not talented. When is Hollywood going to stop putting her in every third film released.

The only highlight in the movie was Justin Timberlake. He is proving to be quite the comedic talent (check him out hosting SNL). He provided the only real entertainment in the movie and was responsible for a few laughs.

The only reason to watch this movie is to see for yourself just how bad it is.

Missy Cinema Score: D

Burn After Reading

I'll start by saying this: If it wasn't for the all-star cast I think I would have hated this movie. Nevertheless, it did have an all-star cast and I did like it.

Burn After Reading is your typical Cohen Brothers movie. Wacky, funny characters; an outrageous plot; unexpected violence and a tall-tale of how quickly simple events lead to disastrous consequences.

Bravo to the entire cast who gave phenomenal performances. I believe it was the material they were working with that was the movies downfall. The plot, at times, seemed hard to follow. In particular, the one scene in the movie that was supposed to bring all the prior events to a magnificent crescendo left me leaning over to Chad and whispering, "Did blank just happen or what is blank." Even after the movie concluded we still couldn't quite figure out what happened in that one pivotal scene.

The movie never bored me (thanks again to the cast), but it never captured my attention and imagination the way Fargo or No Country For Old Men did. Also, this falls blame to the script, but the characters were underdeveloped; again the layers that made everyone mesmerized by the characters in Fargo and No Country For Old Men simply weren't there.

Overall, entertaining and worth a watch, but not worth any gold statuettes come award season.

Missy Cinema Score: B-

Prom Night

Here was my husband’s take on Prom Night, “This movie is so bad that I am actually angry.” While I didn’t share his exact resentment, I didn’t think the movie was good either. It was everything I expected it to be: cheesy, bad acting, clichéd, predictable, horrible script and most of all not scary. But even with all those terrible attributes I can’t say that I hated this movie. I was fairly entertained for a quiet Saturday night on the couch.



So here’s the short and sweet plot of Prom Night. High school physics teacher Richard Fenton (Johnathon Schaech) becomes obsessed with one of his students, Donna Keppel (Brittany Snow). In an attempt to live happily-ever-after with Donna, Mr. Fenton brutally murders her entire family. She gets away by watching the murders take place from underneath a bed. Three years later, he escapes from a mental institution and wreaks havoc on her senior prom. Murder ensues.


As a side note, I hate the movie poster for this flick. One: the girl in it looks nothing like the star of the movie, Brittany Snow. Two: the star, nor any of her friends, are actually crowned prom queen. Three: The gilr in the poster, whoever she may be, I hate how her hair is all over her face.

Missy Cinema Score: C-

The Invasion

I never saw this movie in the theatre. It wasn’t even in my Netflix queue, which means one thing: I had zero interest in seeing it. I’m flipping through the cable stations yesterday. There’s nothing on; except football. I like football, I do, but I can’t watch a whole game so I am desperately trying to find something else to watch and even though I have hundreds of channels it’s proving to be a difficult task. I notice that The Invasion starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig is getting ready to start and I decide: what the heck—might as well. Maybe it was because of my extremely low expectations going into the viewing, but I liked it. Wasn’t the best movie I’ve seen lately, wasn’t even Nicole Kidman’s best movie lately, but nevertheless I was entertained for the hour and 45 minutes that it lasted.

The movie opens to a space shuttle disaster. A shuttle implodes during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Shortly after, people start getting the “flu”, and begin to act peculiar. Turns out the space shuttle explosion and this mysterious flu have something in common; perhaps something alien-like. We then follow Nicole Kidman’s quest to avoid this dangerous virus and save her son.

This movie had some bad special effects and the way people got infected with the personality-altering virus was downright gross, but it never lost its watchability. This was the first Daniel Craig movie I’ve seen…no I didn’t watch his turn as James Bond. I liked him enough in this movie that it made me want to go out and rent Casino Royale. He reminded me of Clive Owen, just not as sexy and rugged. If you need to kill an afternoon check this one out, not too bad.

Missy Cinema Score: B-

Tearjerkers

Okay, so here it is: I love tearjerkers, I absolutely love them. I love having a good cry during a movie. Call me crazy, but it’s completely cathartic. I will watch a movie simply because I think it will make me shed a tear. I love when cinema can ignite that kind of emotion.

Here are some of my favorite tearjerkers…

-Keeping the Faith
-Stepmom
-Steel Magnolias
-The Object of My Affection
-Titanic
-The Notebook
-The Bridges of Madison County

***Props to Julia Roberts for being in two of my favorite tearjerkers!***

My Favorite Person To Watch Movies With…

While this blog is dedicated to the movies I watch and the people in them, I have spent little-to-no time writing about the people I watch movies with. I am going to take a moment to gush about my favorite person to watch movies with. Obviously, that person is my fantastic hubby Chad, or Chadders in the inner-circle. My parents come in a close second, but I’ll talk about them later.

Chad’s passion for movies was not as great as mine in the beginning of our relationship; however, over the years his love-affair with cinema has blossomed. He could probably even tell you what movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture last year and which movie was number one at the box office last week.

On any given weekend you can usually find us at the local Cinemark, souvenir cup in hand (it gets us $1 refills, holla!) and popcorn buttered. Chad likes to get to movies early, I mean early, like an hour to an hour and a half before the movie starts. For example, we get to the theatre; it’s 1pm, there’s a 1:30 showing and a 2:15 showing, he picks the 2:15 showing. It’s a running joke in the family, “we better get there at midnight the day before.” We get our drinks and snacks and wait, and wait and wait. Chad usually partakes in some video games. The reason behind all this madness; Chad has a very specific seat preference and if he doesn’t get it, then all is shot to heck. As much as I make fun of his OCD movie seat tendencies it really is adorable.

Chad’s awesome in the fact that he is willing to watch anything with me. (Except Sex and the City, he changed his mind last minute and wanted to go, but was promptly un-invited…I was going with my girls!). He has seen every Leonardo DiCaprio movie and every Cameron Diaz movie. Luckily for him, I am also into gross-out comedies and shoot-em-up action flicks.

Chad is the best movie buddy because…….He lets me put my feet under his leg in the theatre when my toes get cold. He fishes in the dark for all the red sweetarts to feed me. He always gets Cherry Coke or Dr. Pepper ‘cause their my favorites and forgoes his favorite Mountain Dew. He never skips the previews on a DVD because, to me, previews are one of the best parts. He has the most comfortable shoulder on the planet and lastly Chad is the best movie buddy ever because: no matter how bad the movie I always have a good time watching it with him :o)

Missy Cinema Score: A++++

The Reeds

Ranking This Summer’s Movies (Revised)

Well, the kids are back in school and the weather is beginning to cool; that means just one thing: the summer movie season is over. The summer of 2008 gave us some enormous hits (The Dark Knight and Iron Man) and some huge flops (Speed Racer and The Love Guru). Below is my listing of the best and worst of Summer 2008.

1. The Dark Knight
2. Iron Man
3. Sex and the City: The Movie
4. Hancock
5. Tropic Thunder
6. Pineapple Express
7. Wanted
8. The Strangers
9. Get Smart
10. What Happens in Vegas
11. WALL-E
12. Step Brothers
13. The Incredible Hulk
14. You Don’t Mess with the Zohan

Here are a few surprises I came across this summer. Surprise #1: Robert Downey Jr starred in two of the biggest movies this summer (Iron Man and Tropic Thunder). Surprise #2: Comedic veterans Will Farrell and Adam Sandler find themselves low on the list, while up-and-comers Steve Carrel and Seth Rogan find themselves high on the list. Surprise #3: A Pixar film (WALL-E), while generating high revenue, did not turn into the cartoon hit of the summer; that honor was left for Jack Black’s Kung-Fu Panda (I did not see this movie, but am looking forward to it).

And here are some non-surprises. Non-surprise #1: Sex and the City: The Movie was just as good as the tv show. Non-surprise #2: Comic book franchises ruled the box office. Non-surprise #3: Will Smith had a blockbuster action movie that premiered on Fourth of July weekend.

Tropic Thunder

A satire is the truest sense of the word, Tropic Thunder is comic genius. The movie is directed, produced, co-written and stars Ben Stiller and proves that he is one of the smartest and most versatile men in Hollywood. The movie co-stars Robert Downey Jr and Jack Black and is supported by an all-star cast including: Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey and Steve Coogan.

Tropic Thunder follows three pompous actors as they shoot a costly Vietnam picture of the same name. After an acting lesson devised by the director that doesn’t work out to plan the actors, unbeknownst to them, suddenly find themselves amongst actual guerilla war lords. The actors must find a away to survive without catered food, assistants, cell phones and adoring fans.

Stiller, Downey Jr and Black all give brilliant performances and epitomize the 21st century Hollywood actor. Their arrogance is underlined by deep insecurity and their sense of genius is off-set by extreme naiveté. It is also worth noting that Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey give fantastic performances. I haven’t liked McConaughey in his last few movies and I haven’t liked Cruise in the last few years. Both redeemed themselves in this movie.

You find yourself laughing at parts of the movie that can be deemed extremely offensive, yet, since the characters truly don’t know any better the true point of the movie is revealed and an offensive scene turns into that of social commentary. Watch this movie. Laugh, laugh and laugh some more. Go into this movie knowing that it was not meant to be offensive or disrespectful, but rather a play on the Hollywood elitists today who takes themselves and their work far too seriously.

Missy Cinema Score: A-