7 movies

My local video shop has a great Wednesday special - 7 movies for $5. Weekly movies, so they are not the latest releases but it is a fab opportunity for me to catch up on the films that I've missed.

I must admit it's a bit of a chore to watch a movie every day.....but I did my best!

And here they are.

1. Cloud Atlas.

I loved the book by David Mitchell.
Not sure about the movie.
One of the things I loved about the book was its structure and the movie adopts a different way of telling the different, but linked stories.
I think if you haven't read the book then the movie would be more confusing, but I'm not sure I totally understand the book either!


2. Silver Linings Playbook.

Predictable but enjoyable.
Well acted, nicely filmed.
Funny, heartwarming, feel good.
Nothing wrong with that.

3. Life of Pi.

I loved the book.
And I also enjoyed the movie. I thought it was very well made and captured the essence of the story.
It was also gorgeous to look at.

4. The Sessions.

Great story, very well told.
Funny, bit sad.

5. Hitchcock.

 It was fun.

6. Red Dog.

I'd love to say this was a great Australian movie, but somehow it just doesn't cut the mustard.
Corny, predictable, OK acting, averagely shot.
Such a shame.
However it's not a total "dog", it's a good gentle movie when you don't want your brain stretched too far. Would be a good one to watch on a plane flight.

7. Perfume.

This is not an easy movie.
It is not a "nice" movie.
However it is fascinating, beautiful, unusual and too long.

Saturday seven - 7 movies

One of the good things about loooong plane trips (apart from going somewhere fab) is the inflight entertainment these days (unless you fly some low-cost airlines)....and catching up on some movies I may have missed.
Also seeing some brand-spanking-new ones that haven't been released here yet.

In all I managed to squeeze in 10, that's T.E.N movies! But we were in the air for 40 hours altogether so I actually physically watched more!

The best 7 of the movies I saw on the plane are -

1. The Place Beyond the Pines

The thing I liked most about this movie was the way the protagonist changes through the film. In fact it is more like 3 stories linked by strong connections. To say too much would be to be a spoiler.
Good believable performances and a tightly told story. Oh, it's not such a happy story, but not every story is happy.
Worth watching.

2. The Way Way Back.

Cute, quirky, off-beat, funny.
I liked it!
Great over-the-top characters and a lovely heart-warming story about being different, fitting in and acceptance.

3. Good Vibrations.

I enjoyed this quirky little film - a true story about Terry Hooley who opened a record shop in Belfast which led to him being a promoter of Ireland's punk rock bands.
His character is so adorably naive and sweet-natured, you just want him to succeed.
Notably I managed to fall asleep while watching it - Punk Music in my headphones and all!

4. Side Effects.

I was totally engaged by this movie. I thought the acting was really tops. And the story, although rather far-fetched had twists and turns aplenty.
Good airplane fodder.

5. Arthur Newman.

Well it has Colin Firth in - say no more!
I actually like Colin Firth as an actor, for the roles he chooses.
This slightly off-beat story was fun, moving and engaging.
4 stars!

6. Night Train to Lisbon.

I read this at my book club in fact it was the first book that we read after I joined.
And quite frankly I thought it was awful!
If it hadn't been my first book I certainly wouldn't have finished it, so it was with some interest I tuned in to the movie.
I must say it made a rather nice little movie, the book has been pared down (as movies really have to when adapting a book).
I liked Jeremy Irons in the role and I liked the look of the film and the way the story was told.

A nice surprise.

7. Drift, Mud, Quartet or Outside Bet
I cant decide - they are all reasonably average air-flight fodder.

Have you seen any good movies lately?
Seen any of these? What did you think?

Saturday Seven - movies

This may be easy or difficult - sometimes it's just too hard to chose!

These 7 movies can be your favorites, or just 7 that you have seen (or can remember seeing), or 7 that you would like to talk about beacuse they stimulate discussion.

Here are mine:

- Never Let Me Go - so unbearably sad, so poignant, so beautiful (watch with a box of tissues)

-The English Patient - I still love it after all these years, the different threads of the story and the characters, the mystery, Ralph Fiennes...

- The Usual Suspects - a very clever story that delighted and surprised when i first saw it, it still delights me even though I know the ending.

- True Grit or The Big Lebowski or Burn After Reading or Fargo or anything by the Coen Brothers.

- Lord of The Rings - all of them!

- Up ( the most delightful animation of all time).

- Blessed - not the cheeriest movie you will ever see, but very powerful.

It's really hard not to include little gems like Little Miss Sunshine or The Royal Tennenbaums, or something by Woody Allen or something with Robert de Niro in.....but that would be anothe rlist altoghether!

Blogtoberfest day 11 - 7 movies I like

1. The English Patient
2. The Usual Suspects
3. Taxi Driver
4. Love Actually
5. Everything by the Coen Brothers - If I had to chose - the Big Lebowski.
6. Early Woody Allen - esp Annie Hall
7. Lord of the Rings

What are your favorite 7?