The Orphanage

Mom, Sharon and I went to see The Orphanage today. We didn't know much about this movie, other than that it was supposed to be scary. I LOVE scary movies - though they are rarely ever scary to me - and couldn't pass up a chance to go see this one.

The movie centers on Laura, who as a young girl was raised in the orphanage before being adopted. Now in her 30s, she has returned with her husband Carlos and their young son Simon to buy the orphanage and run it as a home for handicapped children.

Soon, Simon begins reporting conversations with new imaginary friends.

Then, an ominous woman claiming to be a social worker shows up and we learn that not only is Simon adopted, he's HIV positive.

The son goes missing. Six months later, Laura is convinced Simon is still alive, though probably desperately ill without his medications. A medium is called in and Laura seems to be walking a fine line between fantasy and reality.

If you don't mind sub-titles, this is a pretty good movie. The scenery was beautiful and the acting was superb. Although this one wasn't really "scary" to me, it was suspenseful enough to capture and hold my attention.

In the Valley of Elah

When Mom asked if I wanted to go see In the Valley of Elah this weekend and then went on to tell me it stars Tommy Lee Jones, Susan Surandon, and Charlize Theron, I was on board. I went into this movie knowing nothing about it, I had never even heard of it before mom called.

This movie takes its name from the story of David and Goliath, which takes place in the Valley of Elah. But it has nothing to do with the Bible.

Instead, it is based on the July 13, 2003, murder of Richard Davis, a 23-year-old Army soldier who had just returned to Fort Benning, Ga., when he was declared AWOL. The young veteran’s charred remains were discovered in the woods four months later.

The murder trial that followed revealed disturbing information about Richard Davis and the Army unit he had belonged to, including alleged war crimes they committed against civilians in Baghdad and the fact that some of the soldiers were suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

Tommy Lee Jones plays Hank Deerfield, the father of Mike, the murdered soldier and a retired Army criminal investigator. In the films beginning we learn that Mike has gone is considered AWOL. Jones' portrayal of Mike's worried father is painfully realistic.

Unfortunately, as a murder mystery, “Elah” is lacking. Once we learn the who, what, where and when about Mike’s death, the looming question of “why” — the one the PTSD angle is supposed to address — never gets answered.

Personally, I like to go to the movies to escape from reality and this one - although the acting was on point - was just a little too "real" for my liking.

Perfect Stranger

Mom and I went to the theater today but there wasn't really anything worth seeing and the one movie that we thought we may be interested in wasn't playing until tonight. However, a couple of really good movies have recently been released on DVD (so of course I had to buy them) and one of the ones I got was Perfect Stranger. Mom and I wanted to see it when it was in the theaters but other movies kept getting in the way. ha!

Tonight the hubby & I had movie night and the main feature was....you guessed it, Perfect Stranger. There have been a lot of negative comments about this movie but after seeing it tonight I am again reminded why I never pay attention to what the critics think (IMO they get it wrong more often than not).

This was a suspenseful movie about an investigative reporter named Rowenda (Halle Berry) whose friend had an affair with add exec Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis) and then ends up murdered. Rowenda vows to bring her friends killer to justice and, suspecting Hill, she goes undercover to work as a temp in his add agency - engaging in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

This movie kept my analytical mind working throughout its entirety. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad I've got it in my collection.