Surrogates

Science Fictions are not always my favorites, but it was the boy's choice tonight. It was a winner! It just goes to show you that Bruce Willis can make an action movie without bad language and have it be great. The special effects were realistic and the absurd believable. Isn't that what sci-fi's are all about? If you enjoyed 'The Island' you will like this one. I will enjoy watching this one again when it comes out on DVD. I rate this one 8 out of 10.

Bright Star

This romance was enjoyable because Nancy and I like the Jane Austin type stories that are delicate and lovely. The attention to detail in the costumes and landscape was beautiful. It might be too slow for the average person, but it was very relaxing to us. It makes us marvel at the social injustices of the time and thankful for our privileges today. Even though I enjoyed it, there have been others of that genre that I like better. I rate this one 6 out of 10.

Fame

We were so excited for this movie to come out that we went to the Thrusday midnight showing. Sadly, I was disappointed. It started out great with good character development and I couln't stop tapping my feet and swaying to the music. But the storyline was too fragmented. I kept waiting for it to come together somehow, but it never did. Each segment could have been great if it followed through and didn't just skip to the next year. It was like seeing a promo for a series of shows and not getting to see the actual show. I compare it to having a gormet chef prepare your favorite meal and then dropping on the floor before it gets to you. Chay thought it was great though. Mike rated it a 5 and I give it a 6 out of 10 because I liked the music and dancing. (I was expecting a 9 or 10 :( )

My One and Only

This movies was a nice surprise. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was very unpredictable and witty. I loved all the characters, and then to find out it is slightly based on a true story made it even more fun. I rate this one 8 out of 10.

Love Happens

We enjoyed this sweet romance. Not only was it funny, but dealt with issues about grieving in a tender way. I rate this movie 7 out of 10.

Cold Souls

This independent film fell very short for me. The premise was good but did not follow through. Nancy liked it better than I did. She thought it was thought provoking. I thought it did not show any difference in the character whether he had a soul or not. I think if you lived without your soul your character would change drastically. I rate this movie 3 out of 10.

Aliens In The Attic

Another fun family film. Very creative and humorous. Probably for a little older school aged kids. I rate this one 7 out of 10.

G Force

Fun family entertainment. Lots of action. Predictable outcomes, but very entertaining for school aged kids. I rate this one 6 our of 10.

500 Days of Summer

If you like a unique perspective on a love story, this is it. I loved the ending and Lizzy didn't. Even though I enjoyed it, it did not represent the type of relationship that I value. For me dating is also about finding someone with family values and creating a family together. None of that was shown in their relationship. But it does give you insight to the imbalance of passion for each other that occurs in relationships. There were times it was slow, but that's how relationships develop. I rate this one 6 out of 10.

Adam

This independent film lived up to our expectations. It let you into the life of someone struggling with an autistic disability. It was well acted and the love story was genuine. I rate this one 7 out of 10.

Departures

This was one of my favorite films of the year. Yes it is a foreign film and you have to read subtitles throughout, but it is worth it. I hope it receives an academy award. It has all the elements: love, humor, drama, meaningful storyline, music. I forgot I was at the movies. I felt like I was a fly on the wall in someones life. Very realistic. It honored death in a way I had not seen before. I cried more times than I can count. It was very touching and memorable. I hope I will be able to get it on DVD next year. I rate this one 9 out of 10

Food Inc.

What an eye opener. I already knew there were problems with our food sources, but this documentary was excellent in specifically bringing to light why the imbalance of control is there. It is a film everyone should view so control can shift back to the consumer. We can only make change if we are aware. I rate this documentary 9 out of 10. If you don't have access to a theater that shows it, make sure you rent it when it comes out!

I Can Do Bad All By Myself

Nancy and I like to watch disfunction in films, it helps us appreciate our own set of problems. Tyler Perry does disfunctional families and relationships well. I am not a Madea fan though, even though I appreciate her candidness. Some of his films balance humor and drama, like Diary of a Mad Black Woman. This one did not, not much humor. I rate it a 5 out of 10.

9

I did not view this futuristic animated film. Chay and Mike went to see it. (father and son bonding time) Chay (14) loved it, Mike thought it was okay.

All About Steve / The Proposal

Sandra Bullock did it again. She plays ditsy very well. She also plays drama well, and I'm looking forward to seeing her in Blind Side. I think I have most of her DVD movies. If you don't like crazy you won't like this one. We liked it though, it's just plain fun. I really enjoyed the wordplays from crossword puzzels. I rate this one 7 out of 10.

On the other hand, The Proposal was humorous, but I had a hard time recommending it to anyone because of the nudity. Yes it was embarrassingly funny, but it would have been just as funny without that much skin showing. I was disappointed with the rating system.

Time Traveler's Wife

People who read the book did not like this movie as much as I did. If you can take something so far fetched and make it almost believable, I will enjoy it. The special effects were creative and were close to looking realistic. The love story was sweet and showed devotion. There was some nudity in timetravel, but it was done in good taste. I rate this one 6 out of 10.

Bandslam

This movie did not get enough publicity. None of my friends had heard about it. I thought it was going to be another Disney highschool type movie, but it was not. It was sooooo much better. It had real depth to it. I wouldn't even mind having the soundtrack, great music. I actually saw it twice and loved it both times. It's one worth seeing. I rate it 8 out of 10.

Paper Heart

I couldn't wait for this movie to come out. But it was different than I thought it would be. Some things were better and some were worse. I really liked how kooky it was! It was fun and fast paced until the end where it dropped off dramatically. I rate this one 6 out of 10

Shorts

If you are a ten year old boy and you like to see bugers come to life, this is the movie for you. I am glad they are making fun wholesome films for children. But for myself and my family it was really stupid. I rate it a 5 out of 10. Wait for the DVD unless you have elementary aged kids.

Juie & Julia

What a fun movie! Meryl Streep is amazing. It doesn't matter what character she plays, she becomes that person. She has to be the most versatile actress out there. I love true stories and this one was not only interesting, but had so many elements to it. It was a love story, pursuing passions, overcoming obstacles, and just the pure enjoyment of food. It did have a couple of swear words, but still worth seeing. I rate this one 8 out of 10.