Away We Go is the 5th film from Director Sam Mendes. Known for American Beauty, Road to Perdition and last years Revolutionary Road which are very dark in tone and content, this is a step away from the norm from him and frankly is a breath of fresh air. Away We Go is the story of Burt, played by John Krasinski (The Office, Leatherheads) and Verona, who are a mid-thirties couple who find out they are going to have their first child. Burt’s parents played by Jeff Daniels (Gettysburg, Speed) and Catherine O’hara (Best in Show, Beetlejuice) decide to move to Belgium a month before the baby is born. Burt and Verona, having no ties to their home town any more, go exploring for the perfect place to raise a family. visiting lots of friends and family across  the country, it is a fun adventure of possibilities.

The performances in the film are all pretty good, but the one surprise performance that stands out is that of Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary). She plays Burt’s cousin and takes the idea of being close as a family to a whole new level, to the point of being creepy. Her performance is spot on as she delivers her lines with complete confidence without batting and eye as she talks about sharing a bed with her husband….and her kids! She is so good in this role, I could see her getting a Supporting Actress nomination.

Overall I don’t think this is Sam Mendes best film as the movies mentioned previously are very powerful films, but this is a very light, intelligent and delightful film. I would recommend seeing this movie, it is something fresh and not the usual rehashing of a story line you have seen twenty times already. Worth watching for sure!

Un lugar donde quedarse (Away We Go, 2009), 23 de noviembre de 2009.

El principal motivo por el cual hemos ido a ver esta película es por los excelentes antecedentes de  su director, Sam Mendes. No es que haya habido una acogida muy calurosa en su estreno en nuestro país. Las críticas que he leído por ahí han sido más bien tibias. Pero bueno… Es Sam Mendes, y había que verla.

Hay que decir que se trata de una película muy diferente a las anteriores. Tiene el tratamiento, incluso los temas, de lo que habitualmente se llama el cine independiente americano. En este caso una joven pareja, no tan joven, va a tener un hijo por lo que se plantean cómo y dónde van a vivir, que sea el mejor entorno familiar. En su momento se mudaron al lugar donde viven los padres de él, para tener un apoyo, pero estos les anuncian que se van a vivir dos años a Europa. A partir de ahí, comenzarán un periplo que les llevará a Phoenix y Tucson en Arizona, a Madison creo que en Wisconsin, a Montreal en Canadá, a Miami en Florida, y a un lugar indeterminado, donde finalmente establecerán su hogar. En este periplo, revisitarán a sus amigos y familiares, buscando un entorno amigable, que les ofrezca un apoyo ante las dudas y los miedos que les plantea la responsabilidad de la paternidad y del establecimiento de una familia formal.

Por lo tanto, no es una película de acción, sino de diálogos y de reflexión. Un filme que sólo tiene sentido en una sociedad como la norteamericana, donde la movilidad a lo largo de la vida de una persona es normal, frente al sedentarismo europeo, y especialmente el español, donde tanto nos aferramos al lugar de origen. La realización, aunque sencilla, está muy cuidada y en ella abundan los primeros planos de las personas que dialogan, aunque siempre conservando de fondo el entorno, siempre cambiante en el que se mueven.

Los protagonistas absolutos son los dos miembros de la pareja que inician esta particular road-movie (aunque se desplacen de forma diversa, no sólo por carretera). Y están interpretados por los para mí desconocidos John Krasinski y Maya Rudolph, que resuelven la papeleta con buen oficio. Entre los secundarios, los más conocidos son Jeff Daniels en una breve intervención y Maggie Gyllenhaal, siempre sólida actriz, en una exótica intervención. Todos ellos cumplen con buena nota.

En resumen, un pequeño drama con toques de humor y buen rollo general, que no nos cansará ya que dura un poco más de hora y media, hecho con dignidad, y que aunque nos describe una cultura un poco alienígena para los europeos, tampoco disgustará. Una buena opción para pasar una tarde agradable de cine.

Como mi puntuación sobre 10 puntos no me parecía suficientemente discriminativa, paso a una de estrellitas que vendrá a querer decir los siguiente.

***** – Obra maestra imprescindible.
**** – Muy buena, recomendable.
*** – Buena o aceptable, según las preferencias individuales.
** – Floja, sólo apta para fanáticos del tema, de los personajes o de los protagonistas.
* – Mala, no pierdas tu tiempo ni tu dinero.
o – Atentado contra el buen gusto, contra la dignidad; crimen de lesa humanidad.

Y a la película de hoy le pongo:

Dirección: ***
Interpretación: ***
Valoración subjetiva: ***

El ambiente melancólico del filme se acomoda bien a una imagen otoñal como la que os dejo hoy.

Hojas otoñales a orillas del Canal Imperial de Aragón a su paso por Zaragoza - Panasonic Lumix GF1, G 20/1,7 ASPH.

El dia de hoy me di a la tarea de ir al cine con mi hermana a ver una película que nadie esperaba (en serio, nadie) pero realmente me sorprendió.

Después de pasar 45 minutos en el coche para llegar al cine a ver “Amelia” (cosa que no paso) decidimos meternos a ver esta peli no indie pero con un feeling muy indie que no es indie con John Krasinski (The Office) y Mya Rudolph (SNL) sobre una pareja en sus 30’s, que viven de una manera de lo mas común y corriente y esperan a su primer hija. La primicia de la película se centra en que los dos son “Fuckups”  (o perdedores) y no tienen ni la menor idea de que haran el resto de su vida y la manera en como encuentran esta respuesta.  Viajan a Chicago, Phoenix, Montreal y Miami de las maneras menos esperadas, y se encuentran con gente realmente salida de una institución mental.

A mi parecer la película fue una grata sorpresa, ya que tanto como mi hermana y yo no podíamos dejar de reírnos con cada ocurrencia y cara que hacia John, o con la magnifica Allison Janey, en el papel de la clásica señora escandalosa en sus 50’s, apenando a sus hijos en publico diciéndoles o desperdicios o idiotas. Definitivamente una excelente alternativa a los otros estrenos de la semana The Twilight Saga: New Moon y mejor, si como yo, te encuentras a un par de viejitas platiconas, seguramente un poco sordas que desde el inicio de la película no dejaban de hablar, y unos 3 minutos despues se escucharon las palabras mágicas: “Bueno,ya cayese no!!!… por favor”

Did you know most people stumble upon Foxy Academy looking for Jason Mraz above anyone else? Who knew he was so in demand? In fact, this site received one of its very first visits because someone typed in “jason mraz penis” in a search engine. We couldn’t ask for more.

To our amusement, Foxy Academy has appeared as a result in the following Web searches:

• Aladdin (This is surprisingly drags in a large quantity of viewers)
• Pizza (This is too!)
• Jason Mraz underwear
• Josh Hartnett shirtless (I don’t blame you.)
• Hot dudes (What Foxy Academy was founded on.)
• Does Danny Masterson smoke weed? (Good question.)
• Does Jason Mraz have a boyfriend? (Another good one!)
• Kill the Beast (Must you?)
• Colonel Sanders full body (Not sure we want to know. Okay, yes, we do.)
• Jim Halpert friend zone (We’ll show you our friend zone for Jim Halpert.)
• A good lay (Also what Foxy Academy was founded on.)

Fellow blogger and my good friend Joanna Burns(who I lovingly refer to as JB) and I often find ourselves at a local coffee joint till the wee hours of the am chatting about all kinds of wonderfully random topics.  Just last week, in the course of a few short hours we contemplated that when Michael Jackson woke up in the morning would he actually debate which metallic pants to wear, why she and I should be stand up comedians-we think we are hilarious, and by the end JB had volunteered to be my life coach.  I also mentioned that I though Seth MacFarlane was totally crush worthy.  JB automatically got one of those silly JB grins on her face and proceeded to point out to be that I have successfully found a type of guy I am particularly attracted to.  They are usually tall and dark…and well pretty much all look the same.  I swore up and down that she was making things up and then I looked at the cold hard truth.  Michael Buble, Ben Affleck, even that Ryan guy from Paranormal State! This has nothing to do with today’s actual post, but I know it will make JB smile…. 

As stated above I am a huge Michael Buble fan and today while I was jamming to his latest diddy, “I Just Haven’t Met You Yet”.  I realized that though I have a crappy love life I am not as worse off as Buble.  One of the hits off his last album was called “Everything”.  He wrote that about Emily Blunt his then girlfriend.  The song was full of clever little things that she is to him.  My personal fave is when he sings, “You’re a swimming pool on an August day.”  His menthol cool voice makes me melt and I could go on and on about the Buble and how dreamy he is, but I’ll just get on to the point.  His everything…Emily Blunt is now engaged to John Krasinski better know as Jim Halpert.  That’s a big woops on his part.  I tend to develop crushes on gentlemen that I inevitably have to see almost everyday, and while that can be terrible awkward, nothing is worse than having the engagement of your ex in magazines and on TV being jammed down your throat every second.  When a normal persons ex eventually moves on Facebook or friends may keep you up on a few minor details of gossip.  Poor Michael Buble has almost every type of media to keep his updated on the engagement.  Mike dusted himself off and wrote a new song called “I Just Haven’t Met You Yet.”  Good save kiddo! 

So folks, the moral of the story is when ever you are feeling a little sad about your love life, always remember, you could be Buble.

One of my favorite things about going to school in Boston so far is the volume of filmmaker-visits and screenings I get to go to. Though Michael Cera doesn’t quite hit the bar of awesomeness set by John Krasinski and his majesty Michael Paul Stephenson, it would be awesome to get the actor famous for playing himself to come to BU. And we can!

He's very eager to come.

Eventful, the same website that helped get Paranormal Activity its national release, is running a contest in several cities asking college students to vote and the top voting school in each city will get a free screening of Cera’s new flick, Youth in Revolt, with the star in attendance.

So just click here, click demand it, quickly fill in your email (as someone whose done this before, I promise they don’t spam you) and get him to come to BU! Help a brother out.

UN LUGAR DONDE QUEDARSE (estreno 20 de noviembre)

Género: Comedia
Producción: EEUU-Reino Unido
Director: Sam Mendes
Intérpretes: John Krasinski y Paya Rudolph

Sinopsis:   La película describe los giros cómicos y las sorpresas emocionales de una pareja durante un viaje por Estados Unidos. Burt (John Krasinski) y Verona (Maya Rudolph) tienen treinta y pico años, llevan tiempo juntos, y van a tener un niño. Pero a los seis meses, Jeff y Gloria (Jeff Daniels y Catherine O’Hara), los padres de Burt, una pareja excéntrica como pocas, les anuncian sin previo aviso que se mudan y dejan Colorado, eliminando la principal razón por la que los futuros papás se mudaron a este estado. ¿Dónde, y cerca de qué parientes o amigos, podrán Burt y Verona echar raíces y criar a su hijo? La pareja se sumerge en un ambicioso itinerario para visitar amigos, parientes y evaluar ciudades. La primera parada de la gira es Phoenix, donde pasan un día viendo carreras de perros con la irrefrenable (y metepatas) Lily (Allison Janney), una ex compañera de trabajo de Verona, y su más que refrenable familia, encabezada por su marido Lowell (Jim Gaffigan). A continuación se trasladan a Tucson para visitar a la adorable Grace (Carmen Ejogo), la hermana de Verona. Más información.

It’s been a busy month over at The Fanzine:

Tao Lin, author of Shoplifting from American Apparel, on Werner Herzog’s short documentaries.

Darius James, author of Negrophobia and That’s Blaxploitation! has written a pretty amazing, sad and hilarious piece on his childhood experience watching the film Revenge of the Zombies with an eye for race, identity and voodoo.

Jennifer Blowdryer interviews people about their experiences being kicked out of bars, apartments and restaurants in the the first installment of 86′d stories.

Thom Donovan’s profile on cellist and disco pioneer Arthur Russell and interview with Israeli experimental curator Gail Eilat about the Mobile Archive, an unusual traveling video art exhibit that specializes in war zones.

Daniel Hamilton reviews Chronic City, the latest from Jonathan Lethem and uncovers the latent critique of capitalism in Stephen Soderbergh’s recent films

Amy Meyerson closely reads both David Foster Wallace’s and John Krasinski’s Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and comes up with some engaging contrasts.

Also: new fiction from Joshua Cohen, who has an 800 page novel forthcoming from Dalkey Archive, and Mike Louie’s stellar review of Girls’ Guide to Rocking.

Finally, a write up and photos of Fanzine’s participation in Kaya Oakes’ independent media discussion panel at Skylight Books in Los Angeles.

Read an interview that “ist” site Austinist did with John Krasinski on his directorial debut and DFW classic book cum film, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.

When is this bloody movie coming to Toronto?  I hope it does.  44% on Rotten  Tomatoes isn’t making me feel so good, but how can it be?

Get ready for some new Scrubs… yeahhhhhhhh

Thanks so much to a friend for letting me know about this new promo picture from the upcoming The Addams Family Broadway musical! That link happens to also have some new info about the show.

Entertainment Weekly has a list of 20 people they’d like to host SNL, courtesy of their readers. Although John Krasinski & Jenna Fischer are missing from this list (fail), I agree with many of these… come on, SNL! Let’s get creative!

Jim freakin’ Carrey has a new website and it’s insanity. I’ve always been a huge fan, since his In Living Color days, so I really love the fact that he’s made his website so awesome. I mean, honestly… how many huge movie stars have their own site?

I may read US Weekly religiously, but I am not celeb-struck. I don’t swoon over leading men and fantasize about someday marrying them (here’s looking at you, Katie Holmes). I wonder about their “real lives” and what they’re really like, but I’m not overly invested in what they are or aren’t doing. But I was really, really impressed by John Krasinski at his Q & A after Interviews with Hideous Men on Friday night.

The most impressive thing about John Krasinski was how open and intelligent he was. He was happy to revel in the analytical side of his work, honest about how he caught a lot of breaks to get this movie to fruition, and his intelligence really showed through. I mean, the guy went to Brown BEFORE he made it as Jim, so obviously there’s something cooking up top. But he hasn’t lost sight of that or let it slip, which is really great.

Without further adieu, a not-verbatim (I typed as fast as I could on my iPhone) transcript of my favorite parts of the Q & A:

I started writing the script before I had the rights while I was waiting tables. I knew who I wanted to cast. No one was allowed to read script until they talk to me. They were like, What?? Only Spielberg does that. And these actors’ agents were like, c’mon, it’s fine, it’s just Jim.

I cast all the people I was watching as I was writing the script. I’m all about breaking the rules.

I just put the words of book into the actor’s mouth and that’s it.

I never wanted to direct. That’s true. We were out looking for directors at lunch at Sharky’s in LA and I was with Rainn Wilson [the crowd ooohs a collective "ohmigod"] Ohmigod? … Wow Rainn never gets ohmigods. I’m gonna text him right now.

Anyway, he said why don’t you do it?

The best way to direct is in ignorance. Have fun … I compare it to bowling when they put down the bumpers. [He surrounded himself with other experienced Hollywood heavyweights like his director of photography] I’m directing and I’m like, I’m amazing! and they’re like, whoa, easy there, we put down these big gray things … you can’t fail…

All the other guys in the movie are playing insecure … they’re showing you, ladies, if you let us talk we will shoot ourselves in the foot. Start clapping.

The unforgivable thing is when you know what you’re doing is wrong and you continue to do it.

My character was a selfish character. He is gross. But he’s fun to play, I’m not gonna lie.

I had the equivalent of money fall from the sky and that’s not a joke. My roommate from college, I showed him the script. He said he wanted in and I said no, you can’t mix friends and money, blah blah and he told me how much money he wanted to put into it and I said, You are my producer. That was amazing. He trusted me.

There’s still time to see Interviews with Hideous Men this week at Alamo Ritz, here for tix.

Depuis le temps que je l’ai commencé, voici ma review .

Une fois de plus, je suis allée au ciné à l’aveuglette. Mais vraiment total aveuglette (Je vous le conseille fortement, je ne le dirai jamais assez)(cela dit je suis consciente que tout le monde ne paie pas 3,50€ ou n’a pas une carte illimitée). Sur le programme du cinéma “indie” de Dijon (où je veux aller depuis des années sans y arriver), j’ai lu que c’était dans la trempe de Juno et je ne sais plus quoi niveau mettage de bonne humeur, et je me suis dit banco, j’y vais jeudi.

Ensuite, j’ai lu que c’était un film de Sam Mendes. Youpi !

J’ai dû surmonter des épreuves telles que “on ne prend pas la carte en dessous de 18€” et “le guichet de la banque qui n’est pas la mienne va-t-il accepter de me donner de l’argent que je n’ai pas ? Et ce en 2 minutes chrono parce que le film va commencer”, mais j’y suis arrivée. Enfin. L’Eldorado (c’est le nom du ciné).

Mais passons au film.

Synopsis : Lorsque Burt et Verona apprennent qu’ils vont devenir parents, c’est la panique. Ils détestent la ville de province où ils habitent, et maintenant que les parents de Burt déménagent, plus rien ne les y retient. Ils décident alors de partir à la recherche de l’endroit parfait où fonder leur famille. Sur leur chemin, ils rendent visite à leur famille et à de vieux amis. Certains leur paraissent fous à lier, d’autres leur donnent envie de suivre leur modèle… Mais finalement, tous vont aider à leur manière Burt et Verona à réaliser qu’ils n’ont peut être besoin que l’un de l’autre pour fonder leur foyer.

Away we go sur Allociné.com

Away We Go est un film qui fait réfléchir sur la famille, mais sans prendre la tête (et avec ce sujet, ça peut vite arriver). Surtout sur la famille qu’on veut avoir. Chaque famille dont il vont croiser la route les aide vraiment à déterminer ce qu’ils veulent et surtout ce qu’ils ne veulent pas être, car c’est bien souvent comme ça qu’on se construit, en évitant/cessant d’être ce qu’on ne veut pas.

La BO est super, elle colle très bien à l’ambiance du film, folk, tranquille. Vous pouvez vous faire une petite idée par là.

L’avantage d’aller voir un film à l’aveuglette, c’est d’être surprise par le casting. Là, ma surprise, c’était Maggie Gyllenhaal, dans un rôle complètement dingue et très drôle. Caricature de hippie moderne (j’allais dire bobo, mais là c’est vraiment au-delà). Cette partie du film est sûrement la plus drôle, j’ai beaucoup ri et je n’étais pas la seule évidemment.

Le couple de potes de l’université est très touchant, tellement que je ne sais pas quoi en dire. L’ancienne patronne de Verona est… consternante. C’est terrible le nombre de trucs qu’elle dit devant ses enfants. On sent que si son mari a l’air d’apprécier la picole à ce point, c’est pas à cause de son taf ;o. Le frère de Burt est très émouvant aussi, il est complètement paumé après que sa femme soit partie et est convaincu qu’il ne sera pas à la hauteur pour leur fille. Oh et big up au gamin au cactus, qui sait ce qu’il faut faire avec les bébés xD.

Et puis parallèlement à tout ça, il y a Verona qui fait son deuil. Ses parents sont morts des années auparavant, et cette “quête de la famille parfaite” réveille ce qu’elle repoussait depuis tout ce temps.

Le petit fil rouge à propos des battements du coeur du bébé est très drôle aussi .

Les acteurs sont géniaux, rien de spécial à dire.

Bref, j’ai adoré ce film, encore plus que (500) Days of Summer, et si ça continue, je vais être fan de Sam Mendes sur the Face of Book (peut-être d’Alexi Murdoch aussi d’ailleurs). Je n’ai toujours pas vu Revolutionary Road, je sais c’est un scandale, mais bon je fais ce que je peux ;o ><.

Note perso sur IMDb : 9/10
Note globale sur IMDb : 7,5/10

Netflix Synopsis: Buoyed by the news that they are expecting their first baby, Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) embark on a journey to locate the perfect place on the planet to raise their child. But their quest inevitably yields many unexpected surprises. Sam Mendes directs this quirky comedy while Allison Janney, Catherine O’Hara, Josh Hamilton, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jeff Daniels co-star.

Let me start by saying this movie was slow. But, and this is a HUGE but, it worked for me. For some reason, I really connected with this movie. It was touching, sentimental, beautiful, and real. I am so glad I was willing to sit through it and let the movie wash over me. It was slow, but it felt like real life. You have to let go and yet still be fully engaged. The movie, the travels of the characters really emulated the journey of our lives. In each place they travelled there was some problem and yet it could be their home. And they continued their journey until they found it.

The soundtrack was soft and gentle and moving. It fit the movie perfectly. And each place, seven cities, was such a great representation of the location and it really felt like you were there. And one of the cool things about this movie was that it was produced in a “green” way. They put a lot of effort into making sure the impact of filming was very small. That is cool. Kudos to all involved in this movie, for sure!

What is in my mind the finest month for the movies is almost here!  Let Marshall guide you through the best and steer you away from the worst, but most of all enjoy!  The studios have been holding back their best movies all year to dump them all here, where they can get serious awards consideration.

December 4

A major Oscars wild-card is “Brothers.”  No one really knows what to make of it.  If the movie hits big, it could completely change the game.  But it could just fly under the radar like most expect it to now.  However, the trailer makes it look as if it the movie could be absolutely mind-blowing.  Directed by Jim Sheridan, who has received six Academy Award nominations, “Brothers” follows Grace Cahill (Natalie Portman) as she and her daughters deal with the loss of her husband, Sam (Tobey Maguire), in war.  Sam’s brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) comes to live with Grace to lend a helping hand.  But romantic sparks fly between the two at precisely the wrong time: the discovery that Sam is alive and coming home.  With the two brothers both tugging Grace’s heart for their share, a different type of sparks fly.

You have heard me say plenty about “Up in the Air.”  If you haven’t read my Oscar Moment on the movie or heard my bliss at the release of the trailer, let me give you one more chance to hope on the bandwagon.

But the movies don’t stop there.  ”Armored,” an action-drama that is tooting its own moral horn, starring Matt Dillon and Laurence Fishburne.  ”Everybody’s Fine” appears to be a holiday movie, so that might be worth checking out if your in the spirit.  The movie, a remake of a 1990 Italian film by the same name, stars Robert DeNiro as a widower who reconnects with his estrange children.  And “Transylmania” looks to cash in on the vampire craze sweeping the nation by satirizing it, but I doubt it will be financially viable because it is being released by a no-name studio and without any big names.

December 11

The highlight of the weekend for many will be “The Princess and the Frog,” Disney’s return to the traditional animation by hand musical.  The movie looks to capitalize on what we know and love Disney musicals for, adding some catchy tunes to a fairy tale we have known since childhood.  Anika Noni Rose, best known for her role as Lorrell in the film adaptation of “Dreamgirls,” lends her talented voice to the princess Tiana.  As a huge fan of “Dreamgirls” during the winter of 2006, I couldn’t think of someone better equipped to handle the sweet, soft Disney music (which isn’t designed for belters like Beyoncé or Jennifer Hudson).  That being said, the music won’t sound like anything you’ve ever heard from a Disney fairy tale.  It is being scored by Randy Newman, not Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” etc.), and will have a jazzy feel much like its setting, New Orleans.

This week also boasts the opening of three major Oscar players. Two have been featured in Oscar Moments, “Invictus” and “A Single Man.” The former opens nationwide this Friday, the latter only in limited release. I’ll repost the trailers below because they are worth watching. But read the Oscar Moment if you want to know more about the movies.

According to the people that matter, “The Lovely Bones” has all the pieces to make a great movie. But for summer reading two years ago, I read the source material, Alice Sebold’s acclaimed novel. I found it dreadfully melodramatic and very depressing without any sort of emotional payoff to reward the reader for making it through. But maybe Hollywood will mess up the novel in a good way. If any movie could, it would be this one. With a director like Peter Jackson and a cast including Saiorse Ronan (“Atonement”), Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Stanley Tucci, and Susan Sarandon, it could very well happen.  It opens in limited release on this date and slowly expands until its nationwide release on Martin Luther King Day weekend in 2010.

December 16

Due to the flop of “Amelia,” Fox Searchlight has moved “Crazy Heart” to 2009 in order to milk some awards out of this year (although they should have just pushed “(500) Days of Summer” harder!).  The movie stars Jeff Bridges as an aging alcoholic country singer and Maggie Gyllenhaal as the young journalist that falls for him.  Bridges has been nominated for four Oscars but has never won, so maybe the Academy will feel generous to him this year.

December 18

We will skip the big blockbuster to address what is perhaps my most anticipated movie of the season, “Nine.”  I’ve already devoted an Oscar Moment to it, but it deserves some more talk here.  I’ll just throw out some names.  Daniel Day-Lewis.  Marion Cotillard.  Penelope Cruz.  Nicole Kidman.  Judi Dench.  Sophia Loren.  Kate Hudson.  Fergie.  Director Rob Marshall.  At what name did you start thinking, “Get here now, December 18th, I HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE!”?

Most sites I read think “Avatar” is going to be a huge box office success.  However, I wonder how they can think that when I have not heard a single teenager talk about the movie at all.  That is a critical demographic to the success of this movie.  It is what made “Titanic” the highest grossing movie ever (unadjusted for inflation).  And without them, this movie will flop.  A bomb is something that director James Cameron and the head honchos at 20th Century Fox simply cannot have happen.  Let me hit you with a statistic that will make your jaw drop.  ”Avatar” cost nearly $500 million dollars to make.  No, I didn’t tack on an extra zero to that figure.  Half-a-billion dollars have been dropped on this movie, so they need to make a whole lot of money to make it a profitable venture.  I’m sure with worldwide totals and video receipts, they will undoubtedly break even.  But if it is going to be a bonanza, there has to be more to “Avatar” than the coolest visual effects ever.  And I’m not getting the feeling from the trailers that it has all that strong of a story.  But at this point, no one knows.

Guilty confession: I’m actually kind of looking forward to “Did You Hear About the Morgans?” The movie stars Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker as married members of the New York elite who loathe each other. However, they are forced to spend a whole lot of time together when they see a murder and enter the Witness Protection Program in Wyoming. Sometimes these “fish out of water” comedies turn out to be quite funny. Plus, Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker usually have good taste when it comes to selecting movies.

And to help out a fledgling production company, Apparition, I’ll plug “The Young Victoria” with an embedded trailer.  If Martin Scorsese is pushing it, how bad can it be?

December 23

In order to get “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel” out of a convoluted Christmas Day openers crowd, they moved it to Wednesday, December 23.  Honestly, who wants to debate if this movie will be good or not?  I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes more money than “Avatar” the way kids ate up the first installment.

December 25

Celebrate Christmas at the movies with your family like everyone else in America!  ”Nine” and “Up in the Air” will be opening nationwide today.

Nancy Meyers, the director of “The Holiday” and “The Parent Trap,” makes movies that are just plain enjoyable to watch.  ”It’s Complicated” doesn’t look to break that tradition.  I refuse to watch the trailer because I don’t want to ruin it, but the film’s poster shows Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin bearing smug expressions in a bed with the tagline “Divorced…with benefits” written on the sheets.  Featuring a cast that also includes Steve Martin and John Krasinski (“The Office”), this could be the perfect crowd-pleasing Christmas Day movie.

Also opening on Christmas Day is a reimagined “Sherlock Holmes,” directed by Guy Ritchie (yes, Maddona’s ex-husband).  I’m all for the fresh approach, especially because it includes Robert Downey, Jr.  I loved the smug touch he added to Tony Stark in “Iron Man,” and I’m sure he will bring the same energy to the timeless detective.  The movie will no doubt benefit from the presence of Jude Law as sidekick Watson and Rachel McAdams as a love interest for Sherlock.  Although the character has lost respectability over the past few years on the silver screen, this is a version that I am more than willing to get behind.

And it is with great sadness that I have to say that Heath Ledger’s last new movie, “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,” will be released this day.  He passed while in production of the movie, and Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law stepped into finish the role.  The three stars donated their salary for the film to Ledger’s daughter, Matilda.  The movie seems to be quite a visual spectacle, and the eye-catching visuals could be a great complement to Ledger’s final performance.

December 30

The final release of 2009 is “The White Ribbon,” winner of the prestigious Palme D’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival this spring.  The film, directed by Michael Haeneke, follows a community in pre-World War I Germany as they deal with “the origins of terrorism,” as the director puts it.  It has been selected as Germany’s submission to the Best Foreign Film category at the Academy Awards this year, so it is definitely a player there.  But with quite literal universal acclaim, it could compete in more serious categories.

So, have you started planning how you are going to fit all these movies into your holiday schedules like me?  If not, at least do me the courtesy of telling me what movie you would see if you could only see one.

To be honest, when I saw this in the theatre, I was on the fence about liking this film. After watching this again on bluray, I certainly enjoyed it more the second time around. Maybe because my expectations are were lowered a bit since going into it the first time, I really was wanting laugh out loud funny, and it didn’t deliver on that. Seeing it for what it is now, it is a light-hearted film with pleasantly funny scenes.

George Clooney (Oceans 11, Best Supporting actor for Syriana, Michael Clayton) directs and stars as “Dodge” Connelly, one of the veteran players in a dying professional football league. Clooney is adequate in this movie, but doesn’t deliver on the funny lines like O Brother Where art Thou. He still has some good chemistry going with Renee Zellweger (Chicago, Bridget Jones Diary), especially in the scene when they first meet. Trading one liners back and  forth was great and could almost used a few more of those type of quick witted fast talking scenes in the movie. The Film also stars The Office regular, John Krasinski (Away We Go) who is nicely cast as the young college super star.

Ok, would I recommend it to people, yes. Not to mention enjoying period pieces, especially from the roaring 20’s era, this film is solid, and enjoyable from start to finish. It is a lot of fun seeing the old-time football, leather helmets, wooden scoreboards, very few rules and half empty stands. Nothing groundbreaking or innovative from this film, but it is film that is well done in all areas. Just sit back and enjoy this easy-going and lighthearted journey about the beginning of professional football.

Jim Halper y Emily

Mi pareja favorita en el mundo salió a disfrutar de una proyección especial de una linda pelicula de los 40s, llamada The red shoes. Emily Blunt y John Krasinski salieron en NY, luciendo guapos y combinados; actualmente el canal FX está pasando la 5ta temporada de The office, y si no la están viendo deberían porque yo ya la vi completa y es de las mejores temporadas del programa, y la serie es de las mejores comedias al aire ahorita.

It’s apparently all I’m capable of anymore.  I had all weekend (except for when I saw The Good Body, John Krasinski, went to church, and watch the Patriots kick some Dolphin ass), and yet I did no homework.

Now I have to post for some online discussion for my Rhetorical Tradition class and I have to copy out my Spanish vocab from last week (although it could have been much worse, and I don’t have to do the online work till this afternoon).  But the kicker is that I have to write a short story.  Now, I have known about this story for over a week and that it had to be workshopped in Tuesday’s class and was supposed to be posted by noon on Sunday.  But I put it off.  I mean, I tried to tell my professor I knew it wouldn’t be up by then, but then I went so far as to come up with an elaborate lie by posting a dead attachment online os no one could read my blank page and I could just blame my computer.  But rather than actually writing the story to have ready to post “when I realized it was wrong before,” I didn’t.

Instead I perused Perez Hilton, played that Harry Potter game on Facebook, organized some of my room, watched Keeping Up With The Kardashians (which I never watch because I have this lukewarm hate towards them), and then watch Hitch.

But now, like 2 people posted after  me saying my link didn’t work, and I have class from 10 till 1, and I’m going to have to have a kickass story when I post it with a ton of apologies right after that.

UGH.  Why do I always dig these holes for myself?

I promise this is my last post blagging (I combined blog and bragging… yeah… clever) about my awesome Krasinski-filled weekend, but I think it’s sufficiently awesome to share.

A lot of people had cameras and what not at the Kendall Square showing of Brief Interviews with Hideous Men so I have been checking the youtube’s for the video of my question and proof that my gloves have J.Kras’ blessing. Found it. Youtube user jaredstehler had two separate videos and my question was split in half between them, so I donwloaded both and edited out my question. Here it is:

I’m not sure if it’s because of the point I’m at in my life… Away We Go was so fantastic. So great. So honest and real… great writing, acting and directing.

Away we go, c’est le nouveau film de Sam Mendes,  réalisateur du génialissime Amercian Beauty et des époustouflantes Noces Rebelles avec Kate Winslet et Leonardo DiCaprio (et non, ça n’est pas une comédie, et non, ça ne ressemble pas, mais alors vraiment PAS à Titanic…). Bref, un génie s’il en est, un mec qui envoie du steak quoi.

Away we go, c’est l’histoire toute douce d’un couple qui attend son premier enfant, et voyage en Amérique pour décider de l’endroit dans lequel ils vont finalement se poser.

Après la violence extrême des Noces Rebelles de l’an dernier, j’ai trouvé apaisant de voir ce film, plus tendre, plus doux, acceptant l’idée du couple et des compromis. Pour les deux amoureux, ce périple est bien sûr l’occasion de recroiser leurs amis, chacun ayant une style de vie unique – entre allumés du karma, parents adoptifs d’une grande famille Brangelina-style, et blagueurs vaseux…Une jolie galerie de portraits pour un joli film, dont la croyance en l’avenir fait plaisir à voir.

Pour n’émettre qu’une petite critique, je citerai Marianne 2, dont je partage l’opinion : “On a surtout, dans les moments de vérité, l’enclenchement fatidique de la guitare acoustique, qui sert à accompagner des chansonnettes fades.” Effectivement, quelques clichés empêchent ce film d’avoir l’impact émotionnel d’un Noces Rebelles, mais c’est une jolie parenthèse à vivre.

La bande annonce du film (VOST) – avec la guitare acoustique en fond :

Un autre avis ? Lisez celui d’Audinette.

Infos pratiques

Date de sortie cinéma : 4 novembre 2009
Réalisé par Sam Mendes
Avec John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Durée : 1h38 min