Blue Valentine

I didn't know really what to expect with Blue Valentine. I heard some wonderful things about the performances but wasn't sure if the movie itself was going to be any good. Was it going to be just a performance film or was it going to be something more.

It was something more.

A modern version of Revolutionary Road that will probably speak more to my generation than the Sam Mendes film which happens to be a very good movie also anchored by two great performances. Blue Valentine is a film that grips you emotionally right from the beginning. The movie is skillfully told by director Derek Cianfrance who handles the material just right to get the perfect balance that is mesmerizing but also devastating. The movie is so real you forget that it's just a movie. It has a feeling of something more.

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams own this movie from beginning to end. While the film is expertly crafted, it's the two actors that bring the heart to the film. These actors reminded me of early 70's films that feature Pacino, Hoffman, Duvall and De Niro. Watching those films you get these unbelievable fearless performances that are raw and real. Gosling and Williams have the same fearlessness and it brings this film to a whole new level.

This film stuck with me for a few days and it's not always the most pleasant thing to watch but it's hard to take your eyes off the screen.

Here's a good way to explain Blue Valentine - Krista and I went out to a nice dinner, had a bottle of wine and then we went to the movies telling jokes and having a nice date night. After the movie, we didn't really speak to each other and we ended up fighting later on. So, not a date movie but a good one.

National Film Registry inducts new films!

Every year the NFR adds 25 films to it's national archives...here is the list of the new films inducted!

1) AIRPLANE! (1980)

2) ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)

3) BARGAIN, THE (1914)

4) CRY OF JAZZ (1959)

5) ELECTRONIC LABYRINTH: THX 1138 4EB (1967)

6) EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, THE (1980)

7) EXORCIST, THE (1973)

8) FRONT PAGE, THE (1931)

9) GREY GARDENS (1976)

10) I AM JOAQUIN (1969)

11) IT'S A GIFT (1934)

12) LET THERE BE LIGHT (1946)

13) LONESOME (1928)

14) MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW (1937)

15) MALCOLM X (1992)

16) MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER (1971)

17) NEWARK ATHLETE (1891)

18) OUR LADY OF THE SPHERE (1969)

19) THE PINK PANTHER (1964)

20) PRESERVATION OF THE SIGN LANGUAGE (1913)

21) SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977)

22) STUDY OF A RIVER (1996)

23) TARANTELLA (1940)

24) TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, A (1945)

25) TRIP DOWN MARKET STREET, A (1906)

Movies Of The Week!

Movies You Should Check Out

Classic Of The Week: Night of the Hunter

Foreign Film Of The Week: Le Samourai

Unheard Film Of The Week: Four Lions

Movie you should go see in theatres right now: True Grit

Movie that came out today on DVD to check out: The American

Chick Flick Reviews!

Easy A - is one of the smartest high school comedies to come out in years. It's Mean Girl's meets Superbad meets A John Hughes Movie. Emma Stone is a star and Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci steal the movie. While it sometimes falls into traps the movie is so quick-witted and sharp that it never falls behind. I didn't think i was going to enjoy this one and ended up having a good time.

Love and Other Drugs - It starts off as a fresh adult romantic comedy that hollywood hasn't seen since the mid 90's but it falters with it's many subplots and it's rushed ending. It wants to be taken more seriously but it can never find the right tone. The movie is enjoyable though for the most part with really good performances from the two leads. Anne Hathaway (not her biggest fan) is excellent. It's worth a rental

Rabbit Hole (Not really a chick flick but whatever) - A very good adaptation of one of my favorite plays of all time. Nicole Kidman is fantastic, proving that she is super talented. John Cameron Mitchell expertly handles the story with crisp but subtle direction. The story never wallows in it's subject matter which makes the film very effective at the end. One of the best of the year.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmas Everyone!

Best Unheard Movies of 2010

Check out these films that slipped under the radar.

1. Frozen

2. The Ghost Writer*

3. Greenberg

4. Mother

5. Exit Through The Gift Shop*

6. Get Low*

7. MicMacs

8. Holy Rollers

9. Vincere

10. Please Give

11. Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work

12. Winter's Bone*

13. I love you Phillip Morris

14. Restrepo

15. Never Let Me Go*

16. Four Lions

17. The Wildest Dream

18. Farewell

19. Another Year*

20. Tiny Furniture

21.Animal Kingdom*

* In my top twenty

Worst Films of 2010

2010 wasn't the best year for film. Alot of mediocre were released but these are the top ten films that i thought were disappointing, forgettable or just plain bad.

10. Shutter Island - The Biggest Disappointment of the Year. Scorsese is obviously a master but this film is predictable and about 30 minutes too long.
10. Cop Out - Kevin Smith should stick to just writing. This film could of worked but a sloppy script and poor direction made this one a disappointment
9.Prince Of Persia - Just plain Boring.
8.Predators - One of the worst scripts of the year.
7.Clash of The Titans - One of the most forgettable films of the year.
6. Robin Hood - Should of been called Gladiator 2: This time with Bow and Arrows!
5. Repo Men - A Interesting Idea. A very bad movie
4.Alice In Wonderland - A huge Tim Burton Fail
3. The Tempest - A Huge Taymor Fail.
2. Film Socialisme - Just because It's Jean-Luc Godard doesn't mean it's a good movie. This film is clips of random shots and loud music.
1. DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS - Painful. Just Painful. Love the people involved but i wanted to kill my self during this one.