Long time. The Visitor, and more to come.

I cannot say enough about this movie! It reminds me of Babel, but in a less circular mannner. For the plot you have to take one huge leap of faith, but from that point on you are well seated for a good ride. This film chronicles the life of down and out professor ( haven’t we all had a few of those!) whose reason to live has disappeared after the death of his wife.  The Professor (Richard Jenkins, from Six Feet Under) is asked to go to conference where he finds some squatters, Tarek and Zainab, the unfortunate victims of scam.

The decision to allow them to stay changes the course of his life forever.  The movie is not a quicked paced movie, and it never claims to be. I don’t think that that this film would have worked if has been cut down any more. For me, I felt as i I was connected with professor, and his emotion changed slowly. In turn, so did mine.  The Visitor would not be the same if it had not been for Tarek’s mother played by Hiam Abass (from the Syrian Bride [another great film you should see!])  . You feel her energy wanted to push through, but she hides it all behind her eyes.  I think her energy mixes nicely with that of Jenkins slow contemplated-ness (I am not sure if that it is a word but I just made it nonetheless!). We cannot forget the music though, which to me is the driving force of the film. The music director of this film must have had great taste because he takes two different worlds, classical and AfroPop drumming, and mixes them so seamingly you make the tranisition clearly. The music most prominetly featured in the film is that of Kela Futi. His rythmns and tamber push the scenes forward.  I think the best way to describe is image a boat surrounded by frozen water, and then it slowly starts to push this icey lake that is what the music does for this film.  The film takes a sudden twist near the end with Tarek’s arrest, as undocumented alien. To much more than this is spoiler so that is all I shay say about this great film! I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I did, and if you didn’t let me know why!

Bella, es Belissimma!

Even though this movie has perhaps one of the cheesiest tag lines I have ever heard (one moment you can change your life forever). This movie is number one on Yahoo! Movies and debuted at number one on Amazon.  This suburb film is directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde, he gives the film a movie feeling like a river. Each scene drifts together better than any other movie I have ever scene, yet the movie doesn’t feel frantic or rushed with all this changing of scenery it feels fluid. The story follows a young women, Nina (Tammy Blanchard),  who gets pregnant and then soon after looses her job due to morning sickness. Jose (Eduardo Verastegui), the head chef,  is heart broken by his brother’s heartless firing of Nina, and decides to help her out. From their meet-up we learn a great tale of his loss, and the pain that his brought him. The great thing about this film is that is does it all with such an elegant view that the viewer is never lost for feeling, yet we don’t feel rushed.  I think that this is one of the greatest movies that I have seen in the past five years. I am sure why this movie hasn’t gotten more attention or why I only picked it up Blockbuster. This movie deserve to be on everyone’s best movies of the year list!  Roger Ebert gives the movie a classic  tagline “a love story that doesn’t tug to hard.”  Jose the bearded lead doesn’t come a across as a crazy anarchist with is dark long hair, and even longer beard. Yet, his smile and kind words quick draw the audience in to him. This makes Jose and Nina’s story all the more beautiful. I never thought that a story about an unborn child could be more beautiful, and more heartfelt. I hope that you all see this movie, and find it quite amazing. 

Tammy Blanchard

 

Bella, es Belissimma!

Even though this movie has perhaps one of the cheesiest tag lines I have ever heard (one moment you can change your life forever). This movie is number one on Yahoo! Movies and debuted at number one on Amazon.  This suburb film is directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde, he gives the film a movie feeling like a river. Each scene drifts together better than any other movie I have ever scene, yet the movie doesn’t feel frantic or rushed with all this changing of scenery it feels fluid. The story follows a young women, Nina (Tammy Blanchard),  who gets pregnant and then soon after looses her job due to morning sickness. Jose (Eduardo Verastegui), the head chef,  is heart broken by his brother’s heartless firing of Nina, and decides to help her out. From their meet-up we learn a great tale of his loss, and the pain that his brought him. The great thing about this film is that is does it all with such an elegant view that the viewer is never lost for feeling, yet we don’t feel rushed.  I think that this is one of the greatest movies that I have seen in the past five years. I am sure why this movie hasn’t gotten more attention or why I only picked it up Blockbuster. This movie deserve to be on everyone’s best movies of the year list!  Roger Ebert gives the movie a classic  tagline “a love story that doesn’t tug to hard.”  Jose the bearded lead doesn’t come a across as a crazy anarchist with is dark long hair, and even longer beard. Yet, his smile and kind words quick draw the audience in to him. This makes Jose and Nina’s story all the more beautiful. I never thought that a story about an unborn child could be more beautiful, and more heartfelt. I hope that you all see this movie, and find it quite amazing. 

 

Tammy Blanchard

 

 

Cloverfield…Not a Four Leaf Cloverfield

Yeah. It’s bad. So if you want to stop reading I will completely understand, and there will be no hurt feelings. The movie is sort of like the 21st Century version of the Blair Witch Project. If you get nausea very easily then you might not want to watch this movie.  The movie takes place in the “former” Central Park in the great NYC.  It is really quite unreal the whole movie. The movie suffers from Abrams inability to let people die. I mean people die, people die you don’t think are going to die. The normal Sci-Fi doesn’t show images of things that say  ”Dam, you gotta be dead you’ve had a piece of rebar stuck through you heat” then not only is she alive, but she can manage to spit the distance of the city, and not be in any pain. If that didn’t happen I think that this movie could have gotten easily an 80% good rating, perhaps loosing points for lack of originality, and poor audio. The later is a complaint that is new to me. I have never had trouble hearing and understanding people in film, but this film. I had to stop go back and re-listen at least three times because it is so muttered. Perhaps, this supposed to be a part of the aesthetic of the movie. I didn’t work for me. Cloverfield aside from a few flaws is basically a good film, it is with out a doubt a huge step over the Blair Witch Project which I found tedious.

 

Overal Score: 3.5 out of 5   

 

Lions for Lambs

A Quick Yahoo! Movie search of this film has yielded that this movie is supposedly a “D+” I cannot disagree more completely with these ideas. The performance that Streep gives is perhaps one of the greatest that she has given in years. The movie is dull as many of the critics complain or lifeless, but instead has what I would call rhythm. The movie is basically a threefold story that takes places over just about one hour.  Sort of like vantage point, but a whole different level. The movie doesn’t seem to quite so repetitive as with vantage point because here none of the characters are related at all except that they are all telling the same story. 

Streep’s character is a high-powered TV news persona who is in a meeting with another equally high powered US Senator.  She skillfully demonstrates the emotions that they many in the new media must at least think about when the government feeds them a line. How much do I believe what is that I do with information. How do I decided whether to take the story and run with it? How do I decided how much analysis should I do before I but this story on the air? I don’t I think I know enough is her final conclusion with slightly stronger ambition.  

Cruise plays the high powered US senator who is trying to feed Steep the line of bull, Cruise here does what he does best which is his “A Few Good Men”  you cannot handle the truth line type stuff. To me this character is washed up for Cruise and it would be have been to see one else in the role, but he plays it just right nonetheless with all the right smoozy winks and nods in just the right place! Cruise demonstrates clearly what the life of two-faced senator must be like! I mean he takes a story that no one can believe especially after Streep shows how this is just a 21st century version of Vietnam, and just plays it from every angle. Is this what the goverment looks like? Is this how their decision making process must happen? I don’t know. I wish that I knew. 

Redford plays the quintessential liberal arts college.  We see him in just on place for the whole movie, and his owns. His eyes peer right through the camera, and out at you. You can feel his presences as he bullishly ask the fresh 20-something some tough questions about life. I cannot say how important it is for us to really stop and take a look at what is important here to see that the question he brings out about adulthood are not just for our pre-teen little selves but for everyone. Anyone who cares about this country should see through his questions for they are all pointing at. Where do we take this country next? I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows. I wish that I new. I wish that we all knew.

I am not sure what the critics didn’t like about the movie. I think that Roger Ebert got it the most right by saying it is good movie that just doesn’t quite make it full circle. It should nonetheless not be blown off. It is good. Streep deserves an oscar that she won’t get. 

 

                 

 

 

Indiana Jones…Rides the Wave to the Finish

While this movie is by now mean reliable or even viable, it is still none the less thrilling with action and adventure. The movie comes forward with a sort of raw power that grabs you in even with the plot holes, and things that we know are just well impossible, ie surviving an atomic blast in the fridge.  Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of  Crystal Skull is great for the mid-size young’ins. I would not really recommend it to the

younger kids. It has a bit to much of the way-bam slam dunk type of action for the little kids, but just the right amount of action the adults. The movie features all the great parts of the past Indiana Jones movies, the crazy Nazi’s (Russians in this movie), the a great adventure, and an awesome dame. The original Mary from the first movie is back again! The movie is so completely over the top that it works. The way that from the start the movie never attempts to hide behind it’s cheesy facade is what makes its work. Some other characters of note is Cate Blanchett playing Irinia Spalko, the sultry russian. Also, we have the great British actor John Hurt playing Mr. Oxley.  The movie is worth a go to in all of its cheesy wonderfulness.   

In other news the end of the term is on its way. This means that finals are coming here too, which to be quite honest is going to be awesome. I don’t think that I have ever been more nervous about a set of finals. I cannot believe that the end of the term is here, and well I just GAHHHH don’t quite what I am thinking about for next year.  I really really want to go the University of Colorado for graduate school, but I wonder if my grades are going to cut it. 

Till Much Later,

Patrick L. Cavins 

 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall…Five Stars All the Way to the Bank

 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a first rate movie for all people. If you like the 40-year old virgin type movie, then this is type of movie for you. It is a great movie to if you are type of person dislike the Will Ferrel type like Talledega Nights. This movie with Kristen Bell, yes from Veronica Mars,  and Jason Segel from Knocked Up, is great. The movie is based on the Sarah Marshall, and her break up with Peter is deep spiral into depression. Peter goes to Hawaii and meets Rachel, and the story flips, spins, turns, and dips into great hysterics!

The movie is perhaps one of the best that I have seen all year. It makes me wonder why they didn’t release the movie during the summer. It would have made a great summer release.  Perhaps, the success of this movie will make us all forget “the other”  Kristen Bell movie. Thats right the terrible horrible horror movie. This movie even plays fun at the movie and her past movie experiences. 

Rating: 4.5/5.0 

You can only save 5.0 for the classics.

 

Day 2

So last night I started to watch Sunset Boulevard starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson, and directed by the late and still great Billy Wilder. The movie is a smash if you have never let yourself see it! I think that it is one of the all time great! Unfortunately, my friend Yvonne decided that she was jet-lagged…haha…and that we couldn’t watch all of it. 

Maybe I can finish it i this weekend? I hope.

 

 

Anyway, I had class today once again! This first really day of organic chemistry and boy was it fun! We talked about the history aspirin, and how it is made. We also talk about lots of different drug types, and how they function and where their functionality came from…It wa alot of fun! 

So fun facts:

Lets see…Statins like Lipitor and Crestor work by via competitive inhibition! They block the HMG-CoA Reductase, and can therefore stop the production of squalene which eventually cyclizes to become cholesterol! WORD…yup thats cool.

Going to the gym tonight as well! Going to learn how to use the free-weight, at least I hope. I think that I have choosen a somewhat scarry teach a NCAA D. III ranked wrestler…I might not be able to walk tomorrow. How sad would that be? I think think that it would be really really sad! I hope that you too feel the same way. 

I am still looking for some good falafel????

 

 

Good Friends. Monster-in-Law

So, last night all my friends and went out and hit the town hard! I mean what else are you supposed to on Good Friday? I don’t really know. It seemed like a logical choice at the time, and I think that is how all bad decision begin. I would like to start of by saving that there was no law enforcement involved so if thats your reason for reading then just click away my friends just click away.

If you have never been to Edwardsville, Illinois. You should go. It’s nice because it different than the majority the college towns because it didn’t start off that way. SIUE intially was just a commuter school, but now it is finally start to change into full on “campus life” type college. It is still a commuter school at heart so if you are thinking of going there then just be fore-warned. Anyway, The downtown is nice about 3 blocks sqaure with all sort of different cafes, boutiques, bars, and movie rental locations. I really wanted a fourth thing to put there and thats all I got, sorry.

So we went to these two places, Lauries and the Jury Room ( and you guess it is right across from the court house, how convient!). They are both nice, but I would definetly suggest the Jury Room over Lauries espcially if you hope to avoid the Fabio P. Dhouche-bag scene of Abercrombie sporting, and women who appear to be over normal state school sluts up-bringing at Lauries. Sorry. Is that anger? Not really. Just truth.

Is that anger? Not really. Just truth.

It is SO late right now. I cannot sleep I don’t know why either. I have gotten in and out of bed like for times. Maybe this will make up for the fact that I slept till noon, ate starch on starch for both my meals today, and then went to DQ for a blizzard with some friends. 1,000 calorie limit diet out the window for today!

HAPPY EASTER before I forget!

I watched Monster-in-Law today on the couch ineruptedly because of TBS. Oh how I wish the movie adverisements would just die. The movie is good though. J-L0 and Jane Fonda make some good chemistry. I kind of wonder why all the critics gave it such bad ratings though? I mean the movie is funny, it never trys to be serious or does it pertend /scoot near to be. It is a good light-hearted film with some good ( not great mind you!) acting. I think it deserves more than the C- average ratings on Yahoo !Movies. So in other words critics you need to BTFO and CTFO.

Let’s see…

 

Babel, Yakety Yak…Please don’t talk back

For an oscar winner…

Nah.

I think that movies has some really good ideas, and themes but overall it is one of those critic worthy pictures that in reality is just plain…OK. I think that the story of the Mexican housekeeper and the two children is perhaps the most compelling of them all…I really could have done with out the story of of asian girl. I understand that the story of deaf-mute on film can be interesting for the simple fact that film is mainly visual, and audiotory and she lacks one of the two important parts. Nonetheless, her story did little to pull me into the framework of story which isn’t good. I think that Brad Pitt does a great job telling his story, and the scenes where he is interacting with groups of people you really can see the actor that Brad Pitt really can be!

Furthermore, I think that some of the social statements in the film are quite strong. Especially when is comes towards then, and the housekeeper dealing with deportation.

Overall Score: (3.2-4.0) B+