(500) Days of Summer

--PG-13-- This movie made me angry. I go to movies to escape and become engrossed in a fantasy world...not to be slapped with a depressing story about a man that loves a woman that is totally selfish and ignorant of how her decisions affect those around her. And to top it off, everything works out for her in the end. Not teaching her a damn thing.

What irks me more than anything however is that the movie was well made in every aspect. I have no complaints about the movie as a piece of art, just a major complaint about the message it is sending to an already self absorbed world.

A funny thing about it is that most people won't understand what I am saying. Most people will identify with Summer. They won't recognize that how she acts and behaves has a direct influence on others. That while she may have "covered her basis" by stating "I am not looking for a relationship" everything she did was contrary to that statement. Treating him like a boyfriend, doing "couple" things lead to mixed signals that can and did become emotionally crippling.

Anyway, I don't recommend this to anyone.



cah

Julie & Julia

--PG-13-- Nora Ephron made a legitimate Oscar caliber film. Who knew she had it in her? I sure didn't. The queen of RomComs has shocked perhaps us all. With a steller cast comprised of Meryl Streep(another oscar caliber performance), Amy Adams as the titular characters with support from the likes of Stanley Tucci(I love this guy), Jane Lynch and Mary Lynn Rajskub. The ensemble cast was top notch and they all lived up to what we as fans come to expect from them.

Beyond the acting we have a story that was compiled from two books and weaved together to make a hilarious, touching and inspiring film. Ms. Ephron finally transcended her reputation and may perhaps garner her first Oscar nomination. She wrote, produced and directed this beautiful film and is well deserving of all accolades heaped on her this upcoming awards season.

Now to the story...Julie & Julia follows two women as they embark on life changing adventures. Julie is a failed novelist that finds comfort in cooking fabulous meals for herself and husband. Julia is Julia Child and the movie begins with her arrival in Paris and how she becomes "Julia Child." Inspired by a self-obsessed friend Julie decides to start a blog about cooking all the culinary delights in Julia Child's French Cuisine book in one year. This process tries her patience and her sanity as she struggles to create what we discover is perhaps an insane idea.

Throughout the course of the film you will laugh, perhaps cry but definitely will leave the theater smiling as you consider the beautifully executed (in every possible way) film that you just watched. A must see for everyone. It is not a RomCom, it isn't even a comedy by today's standards. This movie makes you think back to comedies use to be...laughter without the need for "potty" humor and "gross out" tactics that are now used in today's comedy realm filled with the likes of the Farrelly brothers and Judd Apatow tripe.



cah

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

--PG-13-- I don't want to spend too much time on this movie, because it is what it is. And that is a summer popcorn thrill ride. So I will review it as such. You won't be bored, and there are only a few cheesy lines. Granted the acting is a bit weak, but the action sequences more than make up for the few and far between serious moments. In a movie that runs just shy of two hours, there is easily 1 1/2 hours of action.

The action sequences in my opinion never run too long. They are well paced and perfectly timed so you won't feel exhausted at the end of the scene and it will leave you wanting more...which you won't have to wait very long for. In fact the longest you have to wait between action scenes is probably 5 minutes.

To sum up, the movie is what it is...an adrenaline fueled thrill ride that is based on an action figure that has been around for half a century.


cah

Land Of The Lost

--PG-13-- The best part of the movie is the very last scene. Everything before it should have landed itself on the cutting room floor. To say anything more would be a further waste of time.