The Details

Disaster. I honestly wish I could just write that one word and leave this review at that. I am a big fan of Elizabeth Banks so when I saw she was in this film and it's on Instant Netflix, I figured why not. After it was over, I wondered why?

I am not sure how you come up with the idea for a movie having the basis be that a guy loses it because some raccoons tear up his yard. Now, I grew up with a dad who was crazy about his yard. I'm pretty sure if he didn't have me, he would have been yelling at the kids to stop playing on his yard. But compared to Maguire's character my dad looks like a saint!

Honestly, I'm not even sure how to review this movie. I'm going to give a lot of spoilers right now so if you plan to watch maybe skip the rest of the review. But, Maguire ends up sleeping with two women one being his best friend and the other being the crazy neighbor (cheating on his wife) and getting someone else to kill the next door neighbor after finding out she is pregnant with his baby. Now, the guy who does the killing is a guy Maguire plays basketball with and the killer owes Maguire because he donated a *kidney* to him.

I don't know if it is because I like a story that is a little more believable but with the way the movie went, I kind of was hoping after Banks finds out she was cheated on she killed him and gets away with it. But, I didn't write the movie so of course it ends differently, in a way which just made me dislike the movie even more. The whole movie I was thinking all of this because your lawn got screwed up, dude get a life!

Anyways, if I could go back I would not watch this movie, so as a result I do not suggest you watch it either. Skip it!

Wedding Daze

I could be wrong, but I am fairly certain this movie never went to the theaters here in the USA. I first saw this movie in 2008 and instantly rated it 4 stars on Netflix. This movie is ridiculous and I am will more than willingly admit that to anyone.

The concept that Anderson, Bigg's character, loses the love of his life and so he writes off love. Until, his best friend convinces him to try just one more time so Bigg's proposes to the first woman he sees which is ridiculous, but it only gets more ridiculous when Fisher's character accepts the proposal. However, that plot makes for a funny, entertaining movie.

Honestly, I like to be entertained and I like to laugh and this movie did both. The parents of both characters will cause you to laugh or you will be mortified, probably because they remind you of your own parents. It's a nightmare come true for so many people! I think it's a fun movie for so many reasons but one of them is you never know when you will fall in love with a stranger. He chose her initially because of the fact that she is pretty, but to make a relationship work it takes so much more.

Is it theater worthy? No. But it is a fun movie to pass the time and get a good laugh out of? Yes. Go ahead, rent it, if you don't mind some crude humor, you'll enjoy it.

The Fighter

This is the story of someone who has been beaten down and is trying to make a come back. My mother, in particular, loves feel good movies, and as a result this is one of her favorites. The reason I watched this movie (again) was because I was home visiting my family and it was on TV. Now, when I say that my mom loves this movie, I mean she loves it, we watched it in its entirety.

I rarely watch anything live on TV anymore because I can't stand commercials, but I do have a certain love for this movie too and sat through it both times. Mark Wahlberg does a fabulous job portraying Mickey Ward. You fall in love with his character and start to feel for every struggle he experiences. As a viewer you will feel for Wahlberg in all aspect starting with his struggle to come back, the defeats he suffers, to dealing with his (crazy) family.

This movie is just touching and it it hard a lot of the time to get a movie that makes you feel emotions as much as this one does. I would most definitely say to see this in theater, even though that's obviously not possible at this point. But, to do it justice, I did see it in theaters in 2010 with my parents and it was a film that all three of us walked away from feeling like we just saw a great film.

Also, if you are a woman that has somebody who doesn't like to watch "girly films" but you're tired of watching the same old beat em' up, take em' down, I strongly suggest this movie!

The Bling Ring

Okay, trying to review this movie is so complicated. Let's start with Sofia Coppola, I'm torn by her movie directing skills. If you are unaware of her movies she has done films such as Lost in Translation  and The Virgin Suicides. Now, I chose to say those two specifically because they are on the exact opposite spectrum from each other when it comes to movies I enjoy. I could not stand Lost in Translation, where on the other hand I love Virgin Suicides. So, going into The Bling Ring, I was unsure what to expect.

My initial want to see this film was triggered not by the true story it's based on but instead by the fact that I find Emma Watson to be very talented. Going into the film I knew little to nothing about the background story, but in the opening scene of the movie I quickly realized this family seemed familiar. And they are, if you have seen Pretty Wild, a reality show about a mom and her three daughters that aired on the E! network you will quickly realize this is that family. If you haven't seen the show and you are a subscriber to Netflix, I encourage you to check it out. If you can't make it through the show, you may not be able to make it through the movie.

I am not sure what Coppola's goal was with this film, if her goal is to make you infuriated with the characters portraying the real life individuals, she has succeeded in my case. The actors did, from what I can grasp from doing research, a great job of portraying the real individuals (although they don't really look like them). An article that I found incredibly interesting after seeing the movie was the following:

http://www.papermag.com/2013/06/nancy_jo_sales_the_bling_ring.php

That article is by Abby Schreiber and she did a good amount of research on the story.

Now, the question I am getting most frequently is "was it good"? Which is where the complications come in. The story itself is so frustrating. It's teenagers who are obsessed with fame and fortune and as a result go on a robbing spree to get things from celebrities. As someone who is not from California but has lived here for the past (almost) 8 years, I have noticed that a lot of teenagers dress, talk and behave the way the teens do in this film. Now, that in itself was excruciating to watch because it frustrates me how young girls, in particular, respect themselves and think it's acceptable to behave stupid because it will somehow make them more popular. As a society, I think we are letting down our youth by allowing them to behave the way they do and this film just helps to justify my opinions.

Now the good, Coppola has a way with making movies that is so unique compared to other directors out there. She did a good job of sticking to true story (from what I've read) and not having to "up the ante" in order to sell her film. The actors did a good job and Emma Watson has down the annoying American teen girl accent. All in all, even through irritation, it was a good movie. If nothing else, I hope it makes a lot of parents pay more attention to what their children are doing.

Would I see this movie in theaters again? No. My suggestion is to wait until it comes out and rent it. The music in this film deserves a mention as well, because it was amazing.