P.S. I Love You

Despite the all of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, mom and I were able to make it out to a movie today. **Chick Flick Alert** We chose to see P.S. I Love you, which is based on a best selling novel by Cecilia Ahern. If you decide to go see this movie, you may want to make sure to bring some extra tissues along.

P.S. I Love You is one of those painful films that makes you cry right off the bat, then lifts you up with some choice comedy only to slap you in the face with a heart-breaking flashback. But despite the extremely depressing subject matter, it still emanates an aura of hope.

The film opens with Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank) and her Irish husband Gerry (Gerard Butler) fighting over a seemingly innocuous comment Gerry made to Holly’s mother. Just when the couple realizes how much they need one another, the film cuts ahead several months to Gerry’s funeral, where Holly is absolutely devastated. On Holly's 30th birthday she receives the first of a series of letters that Gerry composed during his battle with a brain tumor, which were to be delivered to Holly after his death, each ending with the phrase “P.S. I Love You.” As each letter arrives, Holly struggles with the memories of her past as her two best friends Denise (Lisa Kudrow) and Sharon (Gina Gershon), and the shamelessly blunt bartender Daniel (Harry Connick Jr.), all struggle to get her to start anew.

Ultimately, the film serves to prove that annoying adage you hear after every break-up, "‘Tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.” is true. You will not be disappointed with this movie. It is not an academy award winning film, but it is a tearjerker and definitely makes you go home home and hug your significant other and be more appreciative to have them in your life.


Although this movie seemed a little long at times, mom and I really enjoyed seeing it.

The Holiday

This is one that mom and I couldn't wait to see when it came out last year and it did not disappoint. After watching it again today, I remember just how much I loved this movie! It's a really good, light hearted movie, with GREAT characterization.

The Holiday is enjoyable to watch with touching and funny scenes throughout the movie. The ending is predictable, but what do you expect, it is a romantic comedy. You will leave the movie feeling good, and isn't that what movies are all about?!?!?

If you're tired of holiday films that are so stacked with so much Christmas cheer that it makes you sick, this is the perfect alternative. Light enough for some serious laughs, and with enough drama to keep it interesting to audiences, this one's a good date movie; definitely one for the collection!

Atonement

As you know, mom and I haven't been to the movies in two full weeks but we got back on track today and what a good day for the movies it was too - cold, rainy and wet, perfect conditions for sitting in a warm theater and forgetting about the weather outside.

We chose to see Atonement and we were not disappointed in our choice. This was a brilliant movie based on the 2001 novel by Ian McEwan. It begins on a light and airy note and descends into an abyss of tragedy and loss. The film, as the book, is divided into two principal sections with a short epilogue.

That story opens in 1935 in a vast British country estate where Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), a servant's son with a bright future ahead of him, is in love with Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley), the beautiful daughter of the lord of the manor. Cecilia returns his affections, but their love is a secret.

13-year old Briony (Saoirse Ronan, later played by Romola Garai) is watching this developing relationship and when she catches them in a compromising position, on the same night a shocking sex crime occurs on the manor, she gives wrongful evidence that forever alters three lives, including her own.

It skillfully pulls itself together in the end and packs an emotional punch that justifies the movie's title and concept. It will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.

This was an excellent movie! I would not be at all surprised if it were nominated for Best Picture.

Catch and Release

For the second weekend in a row, mom and I didn't make it out to go see a movie; instead, we spend our time shopping, again - 'tis the season. I feel certain that we will be back on the movie track come next weekend. There are several movies coming out soon that we have on our list...

Before you start feeling too sorry for me, that I didn't get to go to the movies, I should tell you that I did get to see a good movie that came out earlier this year called Catch and Release. Mom and I never went to see it but it was on cable Saturday night and it sounded good so I watched it.

This was a wonderful romantic comedy starring Jennifer Garner, as Gray, who is struggling to deal with the death of her fiancé and the secrets she discovers that he kept from her.

I don't know how we missed this one, but I can't recall ever hearing about it. Excellent little movie! Definitely one for the collection - which apparently my husband thought I would enjoy too, since he got it for my birthday and I forgot. I'm only sorry I didn't watch it sooner but, now that I know I've got my very own copy, I can watch it any time I want.

August Rush

Two movies in one weekend!?!?! WOW! What a lucky girl I am, and what a great weekend it was too!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know that many people like to go see movies over the Thanksgiving holiday’s and mom and I are no exception to this rule…..my only complaint was just how crowded the theater was, but other than that it was all good.

As you already know, we took my daughter to see Enchanted on Friday and we LOVED it!!! On Saturday we decided to go see August Rush, another one that mom and I were looking forward to seeing.

I had heard reports that this movie was a Fantasy, so I didn’t go in with the beliefs that this would be a realistic movie; therefore, I wasn’t as disappointed as some of the reviews have been for this one. Is it believable? No, absolutely not but I don’t know that it fits in the category of “fantasy” either – at least, not what I think of when I think of the word fantasy.

This is a movie about a boy named Evan (Freddie Highmore) - who is the product of a brief union between a punk rocker (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and a virtuoso cellist (Kerri Russell) – who hears melodies and harmonies all around him. He was put up for adoption - unbeknownst to his mother, who believes he is dead - at birth by his grandfather and grows up in an orphanage, where he is bullied daily for being a freak. But through it all, he never gives up hope that his parents will one day come for him.

When he runs away from the institution, he falls into the clutches of a musical Fagin (Robin Williams), who soon discovers the kid is a musical prodigy and puts him on the street as a busker. After that, the plot has the boy bouncing between Julliard and his old street gang. Meanwhile he's writing a symphony for the New York Philharmonic in hopes of telepathically reuniting his parents and mending his broken family.

In my opinion, the ending left something to be desired but overall, this was a sweet movie about music and love being able to overcome any obstacles. It’s a toss up whether others will like this one; it had some nice music, but I don’t think it will be for everyone. I believe this one is going to be one of those “loved it” or “hated it” types of movies; as for mom and I, we enjoyed it.

Enchanted

Today mom and I took my oldest daughter to see Enchanted. This was the cutest movie I've seen in a while. Amy Adams is wonderful in this film. It was easy to believe that she really did emerge from a fairy-tale land and what better choice for the evil queen than Susan Sarandon?

This movie begins in the animated land of Andalasia where there lives a beautiful damsel named Giselle (Amy Adams) and the handsome Prince Edward (James Marsden) both dreaming of loves true kiss. When the two meet, all of Giselle's dreams are about to come true; she's about to become a princess by marrying her prince charming which would dethrone Narissa (Susan Sarandon). The evil queen would do anything to maintain her position on the throne and she thrusts Giselle into a well which sends her via a manhole into New York's Times Square.

This is a great family movie!

Transformers

Mom and I had to skip the movies this weekend because of holiday family plans; however, the hubby asked me to get him the Transformers movie when it came out on DVD. We just finished watching this it and I must say... WOW!!! What an incredible movie!!!

For a man, there are few things more powerful than the relationship he has with his first automobile, and it’s no different for Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Sam is your typical teenager living the life of angst over not being one of the cool kids, and pining away for the girl of his dreams, Mikaela (Megan Fox). He has worked and saved for his first car, and his father has agreed to help him. Together they go car shopping, but all Sam can afford is a beat up old Camaro. However, this clunker is no ordinary piece of crap, it's more than meets the eye! Sam’s relationship with his car is about change his life and propel him into the middle of a galactic war between the Autobots and Decepticons.

Will the Decepticons succeed in taking over Earth as their new home planet, or Can Sam and the Autobots stop them?

Just because this movie is about a boy and his car does not mean that it skimps on action; in fact, it wastes no time getting right to the incredible, eye-popping, rampant robot destruction.

This is one for the collection!