1. Did I enjoy it? YES
Joaquin Phoenix's alleged final film is actually quite good, which is why it was a shame that he was so spaced out while "promoting it" on The Late Show with Dave Letterman. It follows Leonard, a man with emotional problems and suicidal tendencies who moves back in with his parents after his most recent suicide attempt. A lot of Leonard's troubles seem to stem from a breakup with his girlfriend. Leonard still has romantic possibilities on the horizon however. His parents want him to hook up with the daughter of a potential business partner, whose family happens to be coming over for dinner. Leonard, however, is also enamored with his new neighbor Michelle, who is dating a married man and has as many problems as he does. Who will Leonard end up with? He goes back and forth between both of them in this movie, though I suspected I knew the fate of his relationship with one of them. What I didn't see coming was the last scene. It may have been a compromise to Leonard, but I think he ultimately made the right choice and the better one.
2. Would I watch it again? NO
Nothing against the movie, I might see it if someone else wanted to, but realistically I don't see a lot of repeated viewings for most movies. Only a few at the top of my best of the year lists for the most part.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Julie & Julia (Bob says 4 out of 4)
1. Did I enjoy it? YES
I love a movie that literally makes me hungry. This film is one of them. It follows Julia Child's days living in France with her husband and Julie Powell's attempt to make all the recipes in Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Director Nora Ephron does a wonderful job showing us all these wonderful dishes. Powell's goal of making every recipe inspired me subconsciously I think to do the same thing with Jeff Smith's Frugal Gourmet cookbooks, some of which I recently discovered at a thrift store in Aurora. The reason both Jeff Smith and Julia Child were so successful though was not just their cooking abilities, but their personalities as well. Julia's especially has been mimicked all over TV; it was fun to see the Saturday Night Live sketch shown in this film as an example. Meryl Streep does a wonderful job as always with Child's way of speaking, appearance and movements. I suspect Sandra Bullock will end up nabbing the Oscar for best actress, but hats off to Meryl. She is one of the best actresses of our time.
2. Would I watch it again? YES
Whenever I feel the need for inspiration to cook or go through a book, this film will come in handy. Bon appetite!
I love a movie that literally makes me hungry. This film is one of them. It follows Julia Child's days living in France with her husband and Julie Powell's attempt to make all the recipes in Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Director Nora Ephron does a wonderful job showing us all these wonderful dishes. Powell's goal of making every recipe inspired me subconsciously I think to do the same thing with Jeff Smith's Frugal Gourmet cookbooks, some of which I recently discovered at a thrift store in Aurora. The reason both Jeff Smith and Julia Child were so successful though was not just their cooking abilities, but their personalities as well. Julia's especially has been mimicked all over TV; it was fun to see the Saturday Night Live sketch shown in this film as an example. Meryl Streep does a wonderful job as always with Child's way of speaking, appearance and movements. I suspect Sandra Bullock will end up nabbing the Oscar for best actress, but hats off to Meryl. She is one of the best actresses of our time.
2. Would I watch it again? YES
Whenever I feel the need for inspiration to cook or go through a book, this film will come in handy. Bon appetite!
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