Enchanted, No Country For Old Men, December Movie Preview

Enchanted - Remember when Disney used to make good movies like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid? Well, they haven't completely lost their touch. Not only is Enchanted, well, enchanting (yeah, with a name like that, they are just asking for it) but also it takes you back to the golden day of Disney films which were full of evil witches, pretty maidens, poison apples and scary dragons. Enchanted is the perfect blend of animation and live action which makes it's story telling a throw back to old school classics while still feeling fresh and unique. The pretty maiden Giselle (Amy Adams) falls in love with Prince Edward (James Marsden) but when his evil step mother Queen (Susan Sarandon) finds out, she sets a trap that sends Giselle to a place where happily ever after doesn't exist - New York City. Prince Edward follows to find his one true love and, well, many a comedic thing happens. While in the Big Apple, Giselle meets a cynical New Yorker named Robert (McDreamy... I mean, Patrick Dempsey... I wonder how Dempsey feels to know there are people out there - me in particular - who only refer to him as McDreamy? That's probably weird, huh?) who she eventually falls in love with eventhough he has a super awesome girlfriend named Nancy who is played by none other than one of my lady crushes Idina Menzel. All hail Idina!!! Sorry, that's a bit off track, yes? Anyway, that's enough plot. There's a lot of singing and dancing and lots of animals and dress making. This movie is really the definition of "light entertainment." It's really such a perfect family movie. I'm a cynical bitch and I even liked the goddamn thing! The casting is just perfect. While McDreamy is not necessarily my type (I'll take McSteamy, thanks), so many women are in love with him that he really makes such a perfect modern day Prince Charming. Susan Sarandon was more or less born to play an evil stepmother / bitchy queen. I just wish she had more screentime. Unfortunately, she was usually animated or in dragon form. If they would have given her a meatier role, she would have been simply divine. James Marsden is absolutely hilarious and perfect. I'll take him over McDreamy ANYDAY! He's just brilliant. I can't really even describe what makes him so perfect for this role but he just is. You'll have to see it to understand. The same can be said for Miss Amy Adams. I think she's going to become huge thanks to this movie. Also, frontrunner for Best Actress Oscar much? My money is on her. She's simply perfect. Her perfection is just almost beyond words. No one else could have possibly played this part but her. She's simply divine. She's finally becoming the star she should have become after her great turn in Junebug. She's at this weird Julia Roberts / Julie Andrews place in her career right now. I say good for her. Anyway, the film is really just great so check it out!

Grade: B

No Country For Old Men - It's very hard for me to review this movie. It almost doesn't really seem like a movie to me. It's more than a movie. It's better than a movie. It's almost like a piece of art, amazingly beautiful. You just want to stand and look at it for hours and hours. The Coen Brothers have definitely crafted a masterpiece here. They knock it out of the park with this violent, pretty western drama. No Country For Old Men is slow-moving and character driven. It's violent and bloody and absolutely beautiful. There's humor aplenty but it is definitely a tough and gritty story. This is a thriller that doesn't disappoint or skimp on the thrills. Javier Bardem gives the absolute best performance of his career (of the year? ...so far). His portrayal is one of unrelenting evil, true derangement. It's a performance about a human being with no humanity. It's one of the greatest psychopathic characters ever captured on film. Yes, ever. The greatest thing about his character is that he is absolutely not cliched in the tiniest way. It's a character whose lunacy and craziness you can enjoy. It's a frightening, terrifying, masterful performance. I felt absolutely nervous and excited every time he graced the screen. Josh Brolin is great as well. He's really had a great year since he was also impressive in Grindhouse / Planet Terror. If Bardem didn't steal this movie in every way possible, you'd surely spend more time talking about Brolin's great performance. Then there's Tommy Lee Jones (who is not too old to be one of my movie star boyfriends). He isn't used much but he's used well. His scenes pepper the movie and add a great understated effect. He's also had a hell of a year with this performance along with his great turn in In the Valley of Elah. Then there's Kelly MacDonald. If it's a slow year in the Best Supporting Actress race (but, really, with all those Atonement women, how could it be?), she could sneak in there. Her final scene on screen is just a revelation to watch. The cinematography (by Roger Deakin) is breathtaking. There are scenes in this movie which are just up there with the best scenes I have ever seen in a film. There is one scene featuring Bardem in a gas station which has little to do with the actual plot development but which is still just a pleasure to watch. I'm not going to talk plot at all because it's better if you go into something like this knowing as little as possible. Be prepared for it to be slow-paced and violent. That's all you need to know. Other than the fact that it's one of the two best movies of the year (unless December REALLY wows me). It's just a masterpiece.

Grade: A+

December Movie Preview

December 5 - Juno hits New York and Los Angeles. At this point, I am tempted to drive to New York just to see this movie. I won't... but that's how much I want to see it. Ellen Page, Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Allison Janney... my god. This movie looks fantastic.

December 7 - Atonement starts it's limited release. It looks like my kind of love story - epic and potentially tragic. Plus, I love James McAvoy. The Golden Compass opens as well. I wasn't interested in it at all until Inge told me some background on it. Perhaps I'll see it now. I mean, Eva Green and Daniel Craig are in it so that's a plus! Grace is Gone opens in limited. I really hope John Cusack is as good as everyone says he is here. I really hope he'll finally get an Oscar nomination. Unfortunately, the race is probably too heavy at this point.

December 14 - Alvin and the Chipmunks? Me thinks not. I am, however, very excited about seeing I Am Legend. If there's one person I trust saving the world, it's Will Smith. The Kite Runner and Youth Without Youth open in limited release. Which means I probably won't see them this year.

December 21 - Charlie Wilson's War looks surprisingly better than I thought it would. Tom Hanks has an inherent charm about him. Put him with Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Julia Roberts and Amy Adams and, wow. What a line-up! When I see the trailer for National Treasure: Book kof Secrets, all I can think is: "Helen Mirren and Ed Harris are better than this." P.S. I Love You opens and looks... cutesy. That's not a good thing. The best parts are probably the parts with Lisa Kudrow from the trailer. Skip. Sweeney Todd opens as well. I'm disappointed that they are trying to hide the fact that it's a musical. Embrace it! Then there is Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Might be hilarious. Might be stupid. We'll see.

December 25 - Alien vs. Predator - Requim opens. No, I'm serious. The Bucket List opens in limited release probably just so Jack can try to get another Oscar nomination. Hell, I would give it to him but that's just me. The Water Horse opens for all the little kiddies. I'd say skip it and go see Enchanted again.

December 26 - There Will Be Blood opens in New York. Again, maybe I'll drive there just to see the showdown between one of the great (Daniel Day-Lewis) and one of the upcoming greats (Paul Dano).

December 28 - Two limited releases that I would love to see open in limited: Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream (eventhough the buzz is NOT good. Still, I would see anything Woody does. And I would recommend anything Woody does... unless it has the words "Jade Scorpion" in the title) and The Orphanage, a creepy Spanish horror movie.