We Bought a Zoo

10/10 E.M.

10/10 C.E.

  So first off ladies I should warn you you're gonna want to bring your tissues into this one. It is without a doubt a fantastic film with amazing performances that will have you high then low then high again but there will be tears no doubt. The first performance that I want to highlight however is not that of Matt Damon or the adorable Maggie Elizabeth Jones but rather that of Elle Fanning. Ever since Super 8 I have personally been pleasantly surprised to find that this girl can not only act rediculously well but delivers an inexplicable something to each film she is in. Here we find no exception to this and we are able to follow her as she takes us on a tour of young love it's highs and it's lows from that not so secret crush to the final moment when everything that you want is finally in you grasp. Fanning is also able to portray the sweet innocence of Lily where you may actually side with Kelly's claim in the film about Dylan being the one who will do the heartbreaking.

  Now on to the aforementioned Maggie Elizabeth Jones. What more can be said about the girl than she is flat out adoreable. Seriously this girl will melt any tyrants cold cold heart and have them playing with puppies rather than whatever they were going to do. She does a great job of being a sweet little kid that is having fun and what is better to watch than that? This is why being a parent is a great gift this is why little kids can bring so much joy and it sparkles on the screen for us to be able to watch again and again.

  Matt Damon is able to deliver a compelling and well performed portrayal of a father who is at a loss of identity and more important of how to move on. He is able to deliver the pain and grief portion of his character very well however is a bit weaker on truly delivering the love he has for his kids, but rather has events and a well written script to lean on. The scene between Ben and Dylan although without a doubt powerful and well done draws more from the grief and conflict portion of his character rather than showing the love that his actions later and throughout portray. In the end however Damon is without a doubt amazing in the film and brings to screen what is required and then some.

  Johansson although charming and a pretty face doesn't bring a whole ton to the table and definitely nothing that we haven't seen from her before. Thomas Haden Church brings comic relief to the film in a most refresing manner as the naysaying older brother Duncan. Colin Ford although shows us both range and depth to his character Dylan and helps deliver with conviction some of the most powerful parts of this movie. The film's story is absolutely wonderful and will as mentioned before take you on a roller coaster making this a movie that really does have it all. Add on the fact that it's based on a true story and you are left with a flat out awesome film. Much like a kid at the zoo you may never want to leave.

My Week With Marilyn

10/10 E.M.
10/10 C.E.

  Just as Natalie Portman wowed us all last year with Black Swan Michelle Williams gives a pure and simply AMAZING performance as the American icon Marilyn Monroe. She doesn't simply act like the woman and show us some of her character but embodies every aspect from her own insecuries to her bigger than life persona. All of this being performed with such a fierce truthfulness to it where you don't feel for a minute as if you were watching someone act out another persons life but instead you feel that for a minute somehow Williams is able to live Monroe's life. It also helps that she seriously looks a lot like her which having watched Dawson's Creek I can say that I wouldn't normally have pinned Williams as a perfect Monroe look-alike so kudos to the make up department.

  One of the best parts of this movie is that it doesn't hinge entirely on Williams performance. I honestly would be hard pressed to find a single actor/actress in this film that didn't do a great job. Eddie Redmayne who plays the doe eyed Colin more than pulls his weight adding to the wonder that so many Americans (especially men) had for Marilyn. His character comes off as believable because Redmayne delivers it as such. This movie could have easily come apart without his character supplying the support, admiration and downright confusion when it comes down to it while trying to understand who and what Marilyn really is, yet alone what she wants. (Good luck for any man trying to figure out what any woman wants though)

  Emma Watson does do a good job playing the role of Lucy and comes off as a loveable character. This said one cannot help but notice and feel that Watson is still restrained as an actress. She shows us nothing new or different from the Potter films. The emotions she draws from remind me strongly of her performance in The Goblet of Fire where she is also in a love triangle. If you wish to argue seriously go watch the later Potter films and then watch this film you would have to be blind not to see the similarities.

  Judi Dench is as always lovely and Kenneth Branagh accurately portrays a man conflicted and plagued by a beautiful woman who is for all intents and purposes out of his reach. The dymamics between each of the characters play out beautifully never coming off as soap operaish but rather as peoples lifes being lived out in front of you which is the point of a good movie isn't it? The plot of the movie is of course complelling after all it's based on the events of a woman who kept America's rapt attention throughout her entire life. The music in the film is also of course good capturing the mood of any particular moment just right. All around if you want to see THE performance of the year by an actress and a darn good movie period go see My Week With Marilyn.

Rededication

That's right I'm bringing the blog back but before I do I want to say thanks so much for all those who supported me before and sorry for the long hiatus. The reason for it was two fold- firstly being way too busy after getting promoted to supervisor at my job and two my grandmother had died and for reasons I still can't figure out this put me out of the mood to blog about movies. So I would like to dedicate the relaunch of this blog both to her memory and to all of those of you who read and enjoy my reviews. Thanks you guys and I look forward to pointing you in the right direction on movies once again. -Matthew Gould

Insidious

10/10 E.M.
7/10 C.E.

  For those of you waiting hoping for a scary movie congratulations here it is. I have had the fortune of not only seeing it once with just my brother and I in the theater alone which is by the way scary as can be but also seeing it in an audience to see if our earlier fear was justified. Judging from the fact everyone was screaming bloody murder most of the movie and especially the girls I'd say the fact that my brother and I were screaming too was justified. I have also been very fortunate in that I have seen the movie both in digital as well as in 35mm film. For those of you unfamiliar with this film is the more traditional form of a movie however nowadays most movie theaters have upgraded to new digital projectors that project a less flawed better quality picture. Now that you know the difference I want to make it clear that if you want the MAXIMUM scare out of this movie go see it in a theater that has it in 35mm film!! If you're not sure ask because it's worth it the picture will be darker and less crisp thus easily adding to the scare factor plus film just has a certain quality combined with it's imperfections that will make it scarier. If you're really really lucky the bulb the projector uses will be older and flicker thus adding to the ambiance of the film.

  Now that you've been pointed in the direction of how to view the film let's break down the acting. The chemistry between the characters is very good the movie allows us to see between/before the moments of fright the love between them all and warm moments that make the entire situation that much worse. Patrick Wilson who plays the father Josh does a great job in the role showing us realistically his skepticism and then determination. There were no moments when you didn't feel that his character wasn't portrayed genuinely. Rose Byrne also does a good job and shows us what it looks like to be hysterical with fear and yet not looking like some pansy girl who's freaking out in a horror film and you secretly hope dies.

  Lin Shaye who plays Elise not only fills a look very well but also plays her role well allowing her to become separated from a character type that you usually see in many of these horror films. Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson do a great job of playing the objective observers of the film helping to make the audience feel the danger is that much more real and frightening. They also provide some lovely comic relief and have an amusing dynamic between them that help put you at ease if only for a moment. Barbara Hershey did a good job in her role and is starting to show a strange knack as the mother with a dark side or secret in her films also showing a bit of it in Black Swan last year. I want to also just point out three little trivia facts that deserve kudos/pointing out- the old woman in the film is actually a man Philip Friedman so nice job to him and also if you look at the chalk board in one scene at the school you'll see Jigsaw from Saw and lastly if you stay till the very very end of the credits there is a little something for ya not much but something.

  The movie has a good plot that will definitely keep you interested. Just when you think it's gonna be predictable you will find it twist and turns into something that you don't always expect keeping it pleasantly but not entirely surprising. The scare moments in this film are great and will combine familiar scares with whole new ones. One of the best parts of it is you don't always know when you'll be scared and thus you may find yourself griping the chair most of the movie. I do wish to point out though at a point in the film the spirits cease to be scary and remind me look wise a lot of the ghost in the Eddie Murphy film The Haunted Mansion which is kinda lame. The music in this film is incredibly good and well timed playing a huge role in the scares of the film and honestly is downright creepy just by itself if you want to hear it during the credits. So if you're looking for a movie that will keep you up at night and is downright scary you're looking for something Insidious!

Quick Review

Sorry folks I HAVE seen all three new movies that are out this weekend however I fear I must work and won't have time to fully review them. However I didn't want those of you who plan to see one this afternoon not to have a clue so here's a quick review. The full review will be up for them all later today once I get off work. This is just a rough review bear in mind I may boost or lower some scores but not much as I have time to think them over.

Hop-  5/10 E.M.
          3/10 C.E.
 Hop away from this one unless you have little ones or like Alvin and the Chipmunks

Source Code- 7/10 E.M.
                       6/10 C.E. ?
Good movie worth a watch

Insidious- 9/10 E.M.
                7/10 C.E.
Terrifying the best horror movie in the past year!