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