Sherlock Holmes: Game of Thrones

This is the second Sherlock Holmes film. While I always have big concerns about sequels, this is somewhat different than other sequels. The best aspects of the first Sherlock Holmes films were kept intact for this second film. The wit and intrigue continue in The Game of Thrones.  Robert Downing Jr. and Jude Law make an excellent duo. The only complaint I have is this film did not keep me involved in the mystery.

The best part of Sherlock Holmes is the humor and wit that the main character brings to the story line. Clever disguises, laughable one liners, and some hilarious physical humor make a great comedy! Robert Downing Jr. brings them all to this movie. I even heard another viewer in the theater say, "The humor was the best part." at the end of the film. Without Robert Downing Jr. I think these films would be nothing. He perfectly portrays this meticulous and detail-oriented character. The biggest upgrade from the original film was the viewer's entrance into the mind of this crazy character. The scenes were often slowed down to show us, the regular people, what the methodical Sherlock Holmes was seeing or thinking. This was an amazing addition that was not as strong in the first film. Jude Law plays Watson, Holmes's sidekick, wonderfully also. He is so calm and collected throughout all the chaos that bestows the pair.

The only downfall of this film, especially compared to the first one, was the lack of clues for the audience to see. I did not feel like I was trying to solve a mystery at all. Holmes discovers the mastermind villain at the beginning of the film, so there's not much to solve. He was just trying to figure out what was going to happen next. This does not bring the audience into the film very well. It is the difference between watching something happen and being involved in what's happening. I felt very outside of the action rather than involved in it like an audience should be.

Overall, I loved Sherlock Holmes: Game of Thrones. It was witty and humorous with two excellent actors. I miss Rachel McAdams's character a bit, but she didn't fit into the majority of this plot. If you liked the first Sherlock Holmes film, you definitely need to see this one!

SEE IT!

Footloose

While I have not seen the 1984 version of Footloose, I feel as though I got the gist by watching the 2011 version. It appears that this remake is quite similar to the original. This can be great for a great story line, but terrible for outdated clothing, dialogue, and scenarios.

Going into watching Footloose I did not have high hopes. I had heard about the struggles the makers had when trying to find a male lead. When Zach Efron and Chase Crawford both turn down the role, you probably aren't going to get a top-rate actor. While Kenny Wormald, the lead that decided to make this his big break, does have the moves and the looks for this lead role, a bigger name star would have made Footloose more of a box office hit. While the casting troubles did cause the film to loose marketing power, the film is not a total shamble. It is enjoyable, entertaining, and even funny! With that said if you are male or over the age of 17, I don't think you'll get much more than a few chuckles from this classic remake.

The acting is average. The story line is out of date. I respect the creators for trying to recreate some classic scenes, but when you put an adorable Julianne Hough in a 1980s dress, you fail to keep me engaged in a 2011 movie. Overall, I would recommend this film if you loved the original and want to see another take on it or if you are a High School Musical fanatic. If you are looking for a cheesy dance movie to finish off a girls' night, this would be fitting also. It would be worth seeing it for a dollar or two if you feel inclined, but it's not worth the $10 a movie ticket costs.

Maybe Redbox It

The Ides of March

The Ides of March is a political story about a democratic campaign team as they work in the Ohio preliminary. It features an allstar cast and an interesting, relevant story with a few twists. I had very high hopes for this film and I have to admit it didn't quite measure up. It felt a little slow-paced and there was not enough character development to make me feel strong effects when the twists came into play.

The best thing about this film was the great cast: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. These are excellent actors and they show that off once again. The story is a strong point also. Politics always create an opportunity for a great story, because of the deception, emotion, and personality invovled.

With a great cast and a good story, you'd think this would make an awesome movie. Something didn't quite add up this time though. The beginning of the movie seemed very ordinary to me. It consisted of scene after scene of regular campaign work. We were getting to know the characters, but most of the character traits were hinted at through a couple comments rather than fully developed. This created a feeling of slow pace and lack of connection with the characters. Things improved somewhat when the political twists shook things up, but even these were portrayed through a sequence of simple scenes. A little more ups and downs in the plot or a clear climax would have added a lot to this movie.

Overall, I enjoyed this film because it was a good story and some great actors. However, my high expectations were not met. The plot was a little slow paced and lacked some solid character development. It was a good movie but didn't have to fighting power that is expected with so many big name actors.

Netflix/Redbox It!

Moneyball

Moneyball tells the story of the Oakland Athletics's General Manager as he tries to create a successful team on a fraction of the budget of his opponents. This is an excellent story that incorporates the intensity and emotions of baseball. Brad Pitt shows us once again how great he is at acting. The producers and director used great creative in their filmography also.

This story is excellent! It is a incorporates the great intensity that baseball fans love and the behind the scenes drama brings you into another realm. It is exciting and keeps you hooked, especially if you are a baseball fan already, but non-baseballs will enjoy it too.

It's been a little while since we heard anything about Brad Pitt that wasn't just family drama. He shows off his excellent acting skills once again in this movie. Also, the producers and director did a great job using a lot of creativity in the filming and scenes.  This creativity added another element of depth to make this not just another sports movie.

Overall, this was an excellent movie. I expect it to be a box office big hitter! Pitt does some great acting, the story is riveting and emotional, and the extra creativity gives it something different.

SEE IT!!!

Drive

Drive is a film about a stunt driver who works also as a getaway car driver until he gets involved with some serious criminals. Ryan Gosling plays the main character amazingly! The story and directing are very exciting and unique! I even love the 80s soundtrack giving it a perfect flow. The only negative I have is that it was extremely, extremely, extremely violent! You may think three extremely's is too much, but this is more gore and violence than I have ever seen in my life.

By far the best part of this film is Ryan Gosling's acting. He has really shown himself in a variety of roles throughout his career. It if very impressive that he can create so many different characters and do it in a believable way. Again in this film he created a very different character perfectly. In Drive he talks very little and performs his acting through his body language. The fact that he can portray a introverted, caring, and aggressive character with minimal talking is evidence that yet again he deserves an Oscar nomination!

The story and directing are very unique. Nicolas Winding Refn has become known for his violent and award-winning direction. He continues with the violence and I think this time he will be winning some bigger awards. The story is riveting! I was at the edge of my seat (when I wasn't covering my eyes) for much of the film. It is difficult for me to explain what exactly is different about this film. I think it is the use of silence and body language to portray real emotion rather than making the film wordy. Overall, I am not a fan of the gore but I am impressed with the creativity in directing.

The final part I liked was the soundtrack. The font used in the film and the music both have an 80s film. You would think this would make the film seem less modern, but I really think, the music at least, added to the emotion of the film. The font didn't influence the film much but was unusual.

The only part I did not like was the violence, but apparently it is common for this director. This does involve serious mob/criminal drama, and in real life I'm sure people are this violent, but I don't need to see this at the movies. I don't really think it added anything to the movie. Take this as a fair warning if you are squimish, be prepared to cover your eyes.

Even with the violence, I think this was an excellent film. The directing and the acting are the strengths and deserve some award nominations. I like the story line, which keeps you guessing. I have heard there is some Oscar buzz already and I think it will continue. I am not sure if Drive will be on the Best Picture list, but I wouldn't be disappointed if it was.

SEE IT!!!!

One Day

One Day tells the story of two friends through accounts of where they are on the same day each year. It is based on a book by David Nichols, which is usually a good sign. However, this film was not at all what I expected. It has two actors who I love that acted well, but I was not impressed with the plot or the writing. It is fair to say that I was quite disappointed.

The previews for this film make it seem like a whirlwind romance between two people who are destined to be together. This is somewhat true in the film, but it all kind of gets lost in the shuffle. We don't get much background story since we only see the characters on one day out of the year. There is almost no attempt to fill the audience in on what has happened the rest of the year. There was no build up to make it feel as though these two were meant for each other. There was no climactic, romantic scene when they make an advancement in this relationship. It was just all flat. Then out of no where one thing changes the whole path of the film. After this everything becomes depressing, but then the plot finally gets a bit romantic in the last few scenes of the film. It was all just a mess.

I do love Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess who both did a good acting job. But the writing was awkward and choppy. The plot didn't really flow because we didn't get any hints into what happened during the days of the year we weren't seeing. The biggest problem, though, was it was very slow. I have not been bored in a movie in a loooooooong time! I kept talking to my friends sitting next to me, because most of the movie was not keeping my attention. If I had watched this movie at home, I definitely would have fallen asleep.

Overall, I like the concept of this film and the actors could make it great. But we did not get enough information to feel anything for the characters or fully understand their relationship. There was a little bit of romance towards the end of the film, but this just didn't measure up to expectations.

It's hard to say don't see it, but don't be sad if you miss it.

The Help

The Help is the story of a young female journalist in Mississippi in the 60s who decides to write a book about stories told by "the help," mainly the black maids and caregivers of white families. This, of course, is an emotional and strong subject which is felt greatly in this film. But The Help has some amazing acting, great writing, and an overall perfect portrayal of the struggles faced by many during this time period.

This movie was serious and emotional, but it was also hilarious!!! I have not been to many movies where an entire audience bursts into laughter multiple times during one film. The "sassy" oneliners from a couple of prominent characters and the karma that comes back to bite some asses creates so many funny moments!! This is one of its strongest characteristics. We can only take so much intensity. The break-up of comedy gives this movie a great dynamic.

The acting was excellent! Emma Stone, who plays the young journalist, once again is kind of broadening her repertoire. She portrays this strong-will girl who doesn't quite measure up to the usual beauty queens of the south.  She has the look, the acting ability, and the subtle comedy to support the other great actors in this film. I was really impressed with Octavia Spencer, who plays one of the maids. She had an amazing character written for her, but she could not have acted better! Her character was the source of the majority of the humor and she executed it all perfectly! Throughout the movie I was continually impressed by her performance. The rest of the cast was great. They set the scene and created the characters wonderfully, but I was most impressed with Spencer and Stone.

The biggest pull of a film like this is it gives us a peek into the past. This was such a volatile time in history and has been represented in a variety of medias. But The Help shows a more personal perspective. It puts you in the homes and lives of people living during this time and people trying to challenge the current system. Emma Stone's character's mother at one point says,  "Courage sometimes skips a generation." This referred to her feelings about her daughter trying to challenge these negatives systems in society when she was unable to. I just wondered how many parents at this time felt the same way. The idea that my great-grandparents or others living during this time could have thought that way makes the depth of the film intensify.

Overall, this was a moving, emotional, and funny movie. It shows a great picture of the struggles of inequality during the 1960s, but it's not just about a societal issue or history. It is so much more than that. Plus it was really fun to watch. You feel connected to the characters, because you watch their emotion and struggles play out. The majority of the audience tonight was women and older couples. I think it will resonate most with this audience most, but I would recommend this film to everyone!

SEE IT!!