got my popcorn and junior mints

Since television has really been my media of choice over the last year (it's hard to keep up being addicted to 5 shows!), I've been on a sort of an unintentional movie fast. Well, I broke that fast over the last few weeks and went on a movie binge--I watched three movies and the entire broadcast of the Academy Awards just last week alone. Here are some thoughts:

Half-Nelson
A small, independent film that got some main-stream recongition with Ryan Gosling's nomination for a Best Actor Oscar. The premise sounds cliche---a young teacher in a ghetto New York neighborhood trying to make a difference---except for one little detail: the teacher is hopelessly addicted to crack. Gosling's performance is brilliant in the way that he really causes the audience to experience two extremes of emotion: you feel genuinely frustrated with his character's apathetic attitude towards his addiction yet you sympathize with the possibly of why he became addicted in the first place. Shareeka Epps stars as the student who discovers her teacher's secret and they form an unlikley bond that grows throughout the rest of the movie. However, not all problems are solved at the end of the movie, only the glimmer of hope that change might occur. Overall, I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 for the performances of Gosling and Epps and for the original plot.

Flags of our Fathers
I never really enjoyed Clint Eastwood as an actor, but I definitely appreciate him as a director. Eastwood brings to life the story behind the six men who raised the American flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima, only three of which actually left Iwo Jima alive. This moment holds a place in Amercian history forever due to the famous photograph that caught the six men putting up the flag. It's a war movie in the sense that it has several long scenes, similar to Saving Private Ryan, of actual battle. But I would not just limit it to the war genre. It's an engaging look at the personal drama that each of the men who were part of the photograph went through as they are all caught in the paradox of being publicly hailed as heros when they truly believe that this title is undeserved. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Babel
I know people who loved this movie and people who considered it a waste of two hours they will never get back. I fall in between these two extremes, but I will say that I am glad I saw it. As cheesy as it sounds, I felt that watching this film with three interwoven stories allowed me to take a (short) global journey between the primitive deserts of Morrocco, the hectic urban frenzy of Toyko, and the boisterous energy of a wedding in Mexico. I wouldn't say that this is a profound movie, but rather a subtle reflection on the good and the bad of human nature. There are no grand statements made here, leading some to feel that as a whole the movie was pointless. However, I appreciated that there was no message being shoved down the audience's throat, which allowed the meaning of the film to be interpreted in a unique way by each individual viewer. If you're in a contemplative mood, I'd recommend it. 3.5 out of 5.

Academy Awards
Highlights for me: the song by Will Ferrell and Jack Black, Martin Scorcese finally winning an Academy Award, and the sound effects choir

What movies are next on my list? Zodiac, Stranger than Fiction, and The Departed

a musical, a Superman suicide, and some stretchy pants

I saw three movies over the weekend. Here's my two cents:

"Dreamgirls"- (4 out of 5 stars) This movie is definitely very entertaining and very visually appealing. However, I was surprised that the music in the movie wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. There were several overly sugary ballads that I thought dragged on for too long, but there were also several fun upbeat numbers so it all balanced out. I thought the movie was cast well--Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce, and Eddie Murphy all fit their roles perfectly. However, I do NOT think that Murphy deserved a supporting actor nomination---although he played his role well, I didn't really feel like he was stretching himself that much. Overall, this is another great musical made into a movie and I'll even consider buying it when it comes out on DVD.

"Hollywoodland"- (3 out of 5 stars) Ben Affleck stars as George Reeves, the actor who first played Superman on TV in the 1950's and ended up committing suicide. The main plot concerns a private investigator (Adrien Brody) trying to discern whether Reeves' suicide was actually a murder. The film trys too hard to be like "L.A. Confidential", but never quite achieves that kind of greatness. It is an interesting story though and Affleck does a good job at capturing the disdain George Reeves felt towards his Superman role, which he felt prevented him from being taken seriously as an actor. This is definitely not an uplifting movie, but rather a gritty character study.

"Nacho Libre" - (2 out of 5 stars) This movie gets only two stars because there are only two main reasons to watch it: if you're a die-hard Jack Black fan or a die-hard Napoleon Dynamite fan (it was directed by Jared Hess, who also directed 'Napoleon'). I wasn't expecting this movie to be profound on any level, but I WAS expecting it to be funny. The quirky and ridiculous humor that worked in some magical way in "Napoleon" did not really work for this movie---instead, many of the supposedly funny parts were just embarrassingly pointless (why did there need to be a scene with Black's character rubbing poo in someone's face?). I will say though, that this movie did have a cute and uplifting theme, so you didn't feel like the plot was a total waste.


In other movie news, I'm excited to rent 'Half Nelson' and 'The Departed', they just came out on DVD today!

reflections

In the last week, I've learned the hard lesson of letting go of an expectation, and replacing it with the peace of knowing friendships don't need formalities or titles to mean something really special. Although this was a tough lesson, I think ultimately it provided an opportunity for God to teach me how to swallow my pride and replace it with understanding and support for a friend who really needs it.

In the last week, I've learned how fun it is to rediscover old songs on my piano. I found the sheet music to Mozart's Turkish March last Saturday, and it's weird how my fingers quickly remembered the notes of a song I haven't played since high school. I definitely love the challenge of tackling an old classical piece.

In the last week, I've learned how neat it is to know that I will soon be an official member of a church. David and I finished the last part of a new member series offered by UCC, and I really enjoyed hearing the background of the Covenant church in general, as well as the history of UCC in particular. I think making a commitment to a church is important, and I feel this was an important step for David and I to take.

I look forward to seeing what I learn in the coming week (month, quarter, year)....