Little Women

Have you heard, there's a new version of Little Women coming out by Lady Bird director, Greta Gerwig. I'm such a sucker for anything Little Women, and the last few remakes have been pretty sub-par in my opinion, but I'm feeling enthusiastic about this one.

Seen Any Movies Lately?

I read this book ages ago (well, technically listened to the audiobook, which I'd recommend) and now it's a movie. Looks pretty good, what do you think? Any other good movies worth watching these days?

 

Green Book

Have you guys seen this movie?  I vaguely remember seeing a trailer ages ago, but I watched this weekend with my dear friend Vanessa.  It was such a good movie!  Viggo Mortenson and Mahershala Ali at their very best, it's no wonder it was nominated for all kinds of awards.  Take a view of the trailer at the least, I imagine you'll enjoy it!

A Star is Born

Have you seen A Star is Born? I saw it last night with friends and was really impressed! First, Bradley Cooper can sing!? And Lady Gaga can act! Who knew? I appreciated Bradley Cooper’s grizzly voice and Lady Gaga’s unbridled authentic charm. Their chemistry together was electric, and the supporting cast rounded out the movie completely. Since seeing the movie, I’ve been listening to the soundtrack on repeat! It’s quite a soundtrack, featuring many songs that weren’t included in the final cut of the movie. My personal favorites were Is That Alright? and I’ll Never Love Again which Ally (Lady Gaga) srings solo in an emotional final scene in the movie.

Truth be told, I only recently became a Bradley Cooper fan. For the longest time, I always thought of him as the jerk, football obsessed intense boyfriend from Wedding Crashers- remember that? However, after seeing Silver Linings Playbook, I became a fan. And I’ve been a longtime fan of Lady Gaga. If you ever have a chance to see her in concert- do it! She is an fantastic entertainer and I’m so happy she took a risk and did this movie. And have a feeling it won’t be her last!

Go see it!

The Hate U Give

Did you read The Hate U Give?  It is an excellent young adult novel that debuted in February 2017, and has already been made into a movie!  I saw the preview when watching Crazy Rich Asians, I couldn't believe it!  Is it me or is the book-to-movie turnaround light years faster than it used to be?!

Anyway, this book is...WOW!  In a nutshell: sixteen year old Starr Carter is straddling two world; the low income neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends.  Everyday she navigates between her identity among her wealthy, predominantly white friends at school, and her the all black neighborhood where she lives.  She feels like she has a handle on her parallel identities when driving home at night with her childhood best friend Khalil, she witnesses his murder by a white police officer after they're pulled over.

Khalil's death becomes national news.  Many call him a thug, drug dealer, gang banger.  Protesting ensues.  Her identity as a witness is kept confidential due to her age, but what Starr wants more than anything is for the world to know what happened that night, that Khalil was sober, unarmed, and an innocent victim.  

As always, read the book first, but the movie looks just as captivating!

Crazy Rich Asians

Have you read Crazy Rich Asians - the first in the popular trilogy by Kevin Kwan?  I devoured this book in a manner of days, and was delighted to see that it had already been made into a major motion picture!  And major it was - this was definitely a big budget film, no expenses spared! The cast, sets, cinematography, costumes, humor, everything was over the top, visually captivating, and did justice to book!  If you haven't, read the book first (of course, a must!) and then see the movie.  

The ending in the movie was a bit different than the book, but it seems intentional to set up for what will likely be the next movie in the series.  

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

Did any of you read this book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society way back in 2009?  Long, cumbersome name, but a delightful, moving read.  Well, turns out, Netflix made an original film out of it, and we watched last night and enjoyed immensely!  Has a lovely, charming cast, including my favorite, Matthew Goode.  Here's the trailer.

What do you think?  Will you watch it?  I highly recommend!  

My Rewatchables

After binging on The Rewatchables, a podcast that rehashes and delights in favorite, rewatchable movies, I decided to make my own rewatchables list.  

First up, It's Complicated.  This is easily one of my favorite movies.  I can rewatch it over and over again and never get bored!  I tend to enjoy Nancy Meyers movies, both for their architectural and interior design splendor as well as their comedic timing and romance.  Meryl Streep's house and bakery in It's Complicated are swoonworthy.  But the real gem is the cast; Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski, this movie is entertaining, delightful, and good for a laugh.  It never gets old!  

I Love You, Man is another favorite rewatchable.  Paul Rudd is always a good time in movies, as is Jason Segel.  These two together are so hilarious. Paul Rudd's comedic timing is on point as he awkwardly navigates the world of making platonic male friends.  Some of his comments and one liners...I still find myself laughing out loud to some of the lines from this movie, even after watching it again and again. 

Even though they don't share a scene, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams shine in Julie and Julia - another rewatchable favorite.  I read the book upon which the movie is based and it seemed scattered, and kind of all over the place.  The movie however, seamlessly volleys back and forth between the life of Julia Child and the life of Julie Powell, one woman's infatuation with all that comes with the culinary traditions of Julia Child's most beloved cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  There are some witty supporting characters; Chris Messina, Stanley Tucci, Jane Lynch, and Mary Lynn Rajskub.  All in all, a feel good film that's comforting to return to.

Crazy Stupid Love.  This movie - again, all the laughs.  The cast, the scenes, so many funny moments!  The suave, uber confident Ryan Gosling taking sad, broken-hearted Steve Carrell under his wing. Marisa Tomei as the prowling for affection bar pick up (who also happens to be Steve Carrell's son's English teacher).  The Dirty Dancing "lift" remake scene with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.  The babysitter refusing to take Julianne Moore's "slutty money." The comical, almost slapstick man-fight at the end as all of the information surrounding everyone's entanglement comes to light.  The only caveat in this movie is Julianne Moore, I feel like everyone else's casting is pitch perfect, and she's just...okay.  All in all, a bit corny, but definitely rewatchable.

Father of the Bride, probably my favorite movie since it's 1991 debut.  I can quote pretty much the entire movie, much to the chagrin of whoever is watching with me.  It is just such a classic!  Dad, I met a man in Rome, and he's wonderful, and brilliant, and we're getting married!  Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams, they're all in their prime in this movie, and work so well together.  I even picked my father-daughter dance song for my wedding based off of this movie, The Temptations' My Girl which is the backdrop for the memorable father-daughter one-on-one basketball scene.  

These are just a few of my favorites.  I could go on and on...  I have many, many more, as I am very much a movie-rewatcher.  What are your rewatchables?

The Greatest Showman

I don't see movies too often these days, but when I do, I try and save the movie-going experience for films that seem like they wouldn't quite be the same from the comforts of my couch.  The Greatest Showman is amazing!  The story is loosely based on the P.T. Barnum (of Barnum and Bailey Circus), and I found it a compelling, engaging story.  Even more so if you're a fan of musicals.  

The cinematography reminded me a little of Moulin Rouge, with it's vibrant colors woven in with song, the music is inviting, catchy, and emboldens you to want to jump up and dance (just ask my kids, we've had it blasting on repeat)!  Listening to the soundtrack the week before seeing the film and and then seeing the same songs come alive on the screen was magical. 

If you're skeptical, perhaps try listening to the soundtrack first, it's phenomenal, and I highly recommend seeing in the theatre for the full circus experience!

The Big Sick

Have you seen The Big Sick?  While I'm not well versed in the movies trending in 2017, if there was ever a movie to watch, this is it (bonus, it's currently free with Amazon Prime).

Based on the true story of Kumail Nanjiani (you might recognize from HBO's Silicon Valley) and his now wife Emily, Pakistan-born comedian Kumail and grad student Emily Gardner fall into love when neither are looking for it.  Kumail is close with his family but does not believe in many of the facets of his Muslim upbringing, namely praying and arranged marriage.  His parents are skeptical of his career choice as a comedian, and continue to invite a revolving door of suitable Pakistani women to dinner in the hopes of enticing him into arranged marriage.  

As Emily and Kumail's relationship begins to falter as a result of their cultures clashing, Emily contracts a mysterious illness, ending up in a medically induced coma.  Kumail finds himself face to face with her feisty parents (who he's never met prior), his family's expectations, and his true feelings for Emily.

This movie was so poignant, honest, and real.  You see the characters imperfections and vulnerability which I think makes them all the more appealing and relatable. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter shine as Emily's parents, who are vary wary of Kumail, though find connection as Emily's hospital stay ensues.  

I really cannot say enough good things, I loved it.  You might too.

image/amazon

Me Before You

Have you read Me Before You?  I wrote about it here a while back.  It's sooo moving, heartfelt, emotional (you will likely cry), and I highly recommend you read it if you haven't already.  But anyways, I just learned it's been made into a movie.  Here's a sneak peek. 

Movie Review: Imitation Game

My husband and I are slowly making my way through the Oscar nominated movies.  Thus far, we'd only seen American Sniper in the theaters, (my review here), but now most are available for online rentals, the cheaper and more convenient route anyway.  I've really been wanting to see Still Alice, but unfortunately it wasn't available via amazon prime or netflix, so instead we picked Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (don't you love his name?), Keira Knightley, and Matthew Goode (who I love from The Good Wife).

This was a great movie!  Based on a true story of British mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing.  The movie is lengthy but doesn't seem to drag on, as it's told through a series of flashbacks, flash forwards, and present day clips, interspersed with real life footage from World War II.  You find yourself genuinely rooting for the characters to succeed in their quest to crack the German code machine the Enigma.  All in all - definitely a movie I'd recommend to any history buff!

image/teaser-trailer

Movie Review: American Sniper

Truth: I don't love war movies.  I'm more of a romantic comedy kind of girl - but every now and then, I can be persuaded.  As was the situation with American Sniper.  My husband had heard it rave reviews from colleagues and suggested we go see it.  My mom was already babysitting and feeling the weight of our long days, we opted for a casual dinner at a local Mexican restaurant followed by a movie night.

I couldn't stop thinking about this movie for 24 hours after we saw it.  First, Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller are phenomenal, as is the supportive cast, and I'm not historically a Bradley Cooper fan.  American Sniper flows well, the story is told across sniper Chris Kyle's four tours in Iraq, from meeting his wife to the aftermath of surviving post-war with PTSD. It is emotional, intense, poetic, and terribly tragic all at the same time.  Of course the film did include plenty of gunfire, grit, and raw imagery that typically dissuades me from such films, but nothing was gratuitous, everything was intentional and profound.  I found myself googling about the real Chris and Taya Kyle afterwards, reading about their story, and even placed Chris Kyle's autobiography (which the movie was based upon) on my queue at the library.  And this for a movie I didn't even really want to see in the first place.

image/liveforfilms

Movie Review: Wild

A few weeks ago, I went out with my girlfriends to Thai food followed by a showing of Wild starring Reese Witherspoon. The movie is based on the book of the same name, by Cheryl Strayed.  Her journey of self discovery hiking the Pacific Crest Trail which stretches from Northern Mexico to Canada.  Despite its catchy plot, I enjoyed, but didn't love this book.  

Now I rarely think a movie is better than the book, however, this might be one of the few exceptions.  The story of Cheryl's journey navigating the lengthy trail is told through snippets of her present day adventures pieced together with flashbacks of her tumultuous past.  In no particular order, the narrative flashes back to her childhood, her effervescent mother (by a show-stealing Laura Dern), the discovery of her mother's terminal cancer, and the string of events in which Cheryl unravels, destroying her marriage and reaching out for anything she can hold onto.  The movie portrayed an emotional element that I just didn't find (or feel) when reading the book.  Overall - two thumbs up!

Movie Night: Inside Out

Normally, I wait to see animated movies once they've been released to DVD, especially with movies being so spendy these days (anyone remember the $3 matinee??)  However, this new Pixar movie, Inside Out looks like it might be theater-worthy.  I laughed out loud watching this preview!  It comes out Summer 2015.  What do you think?

Home Alone at the Symphony

Is watching Home Alone one of your holiday traditions?  Even years later, this movie reminds me of Christmas, the music, the cheeky one-liners, "ya filthy animal," and all.  Here's a new way to see a holiday oldie but goodie,  watch Home Alone while the San Francisco symphony performs the accompanying score.  Here's a preview…

Cinderella

I'm not typically one for remakes, but Disney's new version of Cinderella looks pretty good!

Dirty Dancing

The other night, my husband and I made a discovery, Dirty Dancing is streaming on Netflix!  Side bar - I've been pleasantly surprised with the increasing number of fantatsic blast from the past movies appearing on the streaming menu (i.e. Clueless).  Through talking we discovered that he has never seen the movie Dirty Dancing!  Ever! Granted, it is a chick flick, however, there is plenty of leggy dancers, sex appeal, and a decent plot line to keep a guys interest, or so I thought.

Long story short, we watch the movie, and about one third of the way through, he states ever so matter-of-factly, "So the whole point of this movie that she learns the dance routine to keep the other girl out of trouble and they fall in love?"  Me: "Well…um…yeah, I guess...but it doesn't sound nearly as intriguing a flick when you put it that way… (Sigh).  

Clueless the Musical

Have you heard?  Apparently there is buzz that the 90's cult-classic - Clueless (a personal favorite of mine) is becoming a Broadway musical!  Perez Hilton in addition to several other semi-reputable sites reported that director Amy Heckerling has expressed interest in bringing the 90's fan -favorite to the stage - possibly starring none other than Katy Perry.  Personally, I'm not sure I can envision Katy Perry playing the lead character Cher (Alicia Silverstone in the movie), but I guess she can sing, and the girl does has moxie.  Not sure about you, but I'd go see it in a heartbeat!

P.S. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Paul Rudd made a appearance.  While he's probably too old to realistically play Josh, the guy can sing (or lip-sync)...

image via theshortandsweetofit

Tina Fey's New Movie

I'm a Tina Fey fan.  Loved her book, Mean Girls, Liz Lemon on 30 Rock, the whole shebang.  Here's a glimpse at her latest movie, and it looks pretty good!  It's been such a long time since I've seen a movie in a theater.  Between this, The Fault in Our Stars, and Gone Girl, I'm creating quite the "movies-to-see" list.

What do you think?  Is it worth $12 plus a $4 cherry coke?