Fool's Gold

For those of you wondering whether Matthew McConaughey or Kate Hudson were officially starting their run for the Oscar gold, or if director Andy Tennant (Hitch, Ever After) was suddenly switching gears to make a serious movie, I'm here to let you know that the wait is still on. Not unless "Best Exaggeration Acting" has been recently added to the Academy Awards. That's not to say the movie isn't enjoyable. It's silly and cheesy and dumb at times, but I probably laughed out loud at least a half dozen times while I sat next to Kath during date night movie time. I usually cut a film some slack if something happens within the first 5 minutes to let the audience know that it isn't meant to be taken too seriously. That's usually my signal to just sit back, relax and try and get a few laughs in. The signal in Fool's Gold was loud and clear before the first line of the movie was even spoken. It's your basic treasure hunting movie...if there is such a thing. Tess(Hudson) and Finn(McConaughey) are privy to some information they've pieced together over an 8 year rocky relationship about an enormous amount of gold that had sunk in a shipwreck in the Caribbean 300 years ago. Between getting divorced and fighting off a posse of thugs that work for a murderous Rap Star, they find time to convince Tess's boss, who owns a yacht, to go on this adventure with them. Complications arise when a rival treasure hunter shows up and the rapper, Big Bunny, starts issuing death threats. There are too many stories going on in this movie. It's hard to know if you are really supposed to pay close attention to Donald Sutherland's character as a multimillionaire who is trying to salvage a relationship with his daughter, or if Big Bunny is really that bad. There is a semi-decent plot somewhere at the core...in fact, there's a 5 minute scene in the middle of the movie where Finn and Tess are trying to tell the story behind the treasure they are seeking to Nigel(Sutherland) that actually was intriguing...I want to see that movie when it's made. Other than that, look for some cheap laughs, lots of wide-eyed expressions (enough to make any drama teacher anywhere cringe) and hot bodies everywhere which turn out to be a nice distraction from the acting!!

There Will Be Blood

If you had to describe this movie in 3 words, they would be "Daniel Day Lewis". I will be surprised if he isn't carrying a little gold statue home on February 24th. The movie is as dark as the crude California oil its about. There are movies with stories that uplift, stories that scare you and then the ones that leave you scratching your head at the end. I saw this with Ted, Chad and Chris and we argued over a milkshake at In and Out afterwards about what the story was supposed to be. You could say this movie had several mini-plots in place of one overall theme. Its slow at times, but if you're like me, slow movies don't always equal bad movies. You can't help but buy into Daniel Plainfield, the self-described "oil-man" and the conflicts that plague his life. His troubles are deep like the wells he digs and it seems to me that the journey of the movie is watching him deal with his demons...how he chooses to deal with them is what will keep you on the edge of your seat. The movie is very well done...excellent cinematography...the music is haunting...and watch for characters like the dingy, barren town and the oil in the well to help carry the story - yes I did say characters.

The Kite Runner

It seems to me, that once you get to a certain point in your life, you stop feeling "new" emotions...you will still feel emotion, but they are more like reminders of something you've felt in the past or an amplification of it. I love seeing a good movie that brings those feelings to the surface. The Kite Runner is one of those movies. It's a very strong movie that will make you deal with some emotions whether you're ready or not. The story starts in San Francisco, but will soon take you to places like Afghanistan and Pakistan...places that you are not prepared to feel a connection to. You can't help but get sucked in by the story, but its the characters that will stay with you for days afterwards. I've talked to a few people (Chad, Dad, Nic) who read the book before they saw the movie. From what they say, the movie is not as detailed, but still does a good job conveying the same feeling. Kath and I saw it together and still debate on whether it had a happy ending or not. My vote is yes. It made me stop and think about how good I've got it. We talked about this movie for a few days after we saw it... how much symbolism there was, which character we could identify with the most. It will stick with you. Let me know your vote on the happy/sad ending.

Atonement

This movie is heavy-duty, but I will very surprised if it doesn't win all kinds of awards this year. Now be warned...you may not walk out of this movie jolly. The story is amazing. I don't know who comes up with stuff like this. It's based on a novel and the movie plays out very much like a book. Be prepared for some funky flashbacks that keep you guessing. It all ties together so well...the director (Joe Wright) did a heck of a job on the editing. This is only his second major movie...keep your eyes on him. Pay attention to the scene on the beach...it's all done in one continuous shot. I love stuff like that! Fantastic acting from both Kiera Knightly (so hot!) and James McAvoy (don't let the fact that he is Mr. Tummus the Faun from Chronicles of Narnia bug you). Great love story...dudes and chicks both will dig it.

Bucket List

We saw Bucket List on Saturday night. I wasn't excited to see this at all...couldn't get into the previews and thought that it was going to be very predictable. Boy was I surprised. First of all, Nicholson is a freaking crack - up. His facial expressions alone kept me laughing throughout the movie. I don't believe that you would have to be anywhere close to middle-age or a senior citizen to appreciate the basic idea of the story. Let's put it this way...if you're going to a "date-night movie" anyway, and you have to choose between this movie and P.S I love you, choose this one. Then let me know what you think about the "kiss the most beautiful girl in the world" part. By the way, I haven't seen P.S. I love you and never will!!!

Two for the Money

Bad news! Even with a track record like Scent of a Woman, Insomnia and Heat, Al Pacino can still be seen in bad movies. I watched this DVD and was ticked off by the end that I wasted my time. I'm even a part-time fan of McConaughey (check out 13 Conversations About One Thing), but he was terrible in this movie too. Here you have this goofy story about an ex-quarterback who can magically predict the winners of College and Pro football games every weekend. He's recruited to work for Sports Advice, a company who's picks are so hot, it warrants their own cable show for the High Rollers who base their bets on the info from the show. Trouble soon erupts when the Ex-QB's hot streak runs out and the boss finds himself enduring several random heart attacks. Its supposedly based on a true story, but you get the sense early on that you couldn't possibly take a dumber real story and glorify it more in a movie. And even if the plot sounds remotely interesting, the acting is so bad and boring, you'd be more entertained by reading about the story online. Ladies - don't worry, the makers of this movie still found a way to throw in a few shots of Matthew without his shirt on - however, there are not that many scenes of him eating some kind of finger foods which is strange. You know its low-budget when all of the Pro teams are made up and the culminating game of the season is the "Super"...yeah it's hard not to miss the "Bowl". Last thing...saddest line of the movie...when McConaughey is trying to pick up on a girl he just saw in a restaurant, she asks "Are you just trying to get in my pants?" to which he replies "No, I'm trying to get into your mind, your heart and your soul...I don't see your pants anywhere in that equation." I think you get the point.