Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Michael Cera is great. He's got this subtle numbness to him, a nonchalant persona; a subdued personality. But then he makes these sarcastic, witty remarks, and you just have to laugh because you'd never expect it out of him.

We follow the course of events of a single night, which seems to stretch on forever. Everybody involved is trying to figure something out in their lives, separately. But they're also on a mission together, to find the band "Where's Fluffy." As they each sort out their tangled perceptions, they eventually come together, for better or worse, to see what they've been searching for all night - the band, but also the answer to their own questions inside them.

Lakeview Terrace

The movie does not have much story-line; it's just two people moving into a neighborhood. But we can sense some tension right from the beginning. We see the neighbor as being kind of "off," but we're not sure who he is, or what he is capable of. We soon find out he is simply a lonely, angry man - who takes his frustrations of life out on others.

The final shootout scene was a bit over-dramatic. When the cops showed up, why did Chris keep the gun on Abel? The cops had their guns out, in case Abel drew his gun from his back pocket. But Chris kept insisting he keep the gun on him. All the cops had to do was walk over to Abel and find the gun on him.

24, Season 7

With CTU gone, the FBI seems like childs-play compared. The FBI people are less interesting, and they seem to be more dumb - not as smart as CTU people were.

When Mutobo is trapped in his concrete-reinforced safe-room, Jack starts pumping toxic gas in through the ventilation. Why didn't Mutobo just close the vent, or get something to cover it?

With the first terrorist attack having already occurred, especially so close to the White House, where the president was able to see it from her window, why would they not move the president and aides to the underground safe chamber? They're still working from the oval office. It seems a bomb could go off any minute, in a matter of speaking.

They keep talking about a "CIP device." That had to have been repeated at least 100 times already, and I'm only on the second disc.

Chloe and Tony Almeida always have this constipated look on their faces.

The White House and FBI always have on the news - either FOX, CNN, etc. You'd think they wouldn't be listening to what the media is saying - instead, focusing on the objectives, and trying not to be persuaded/influenced by the media. Why is the TV always on?

This season seems to be a lot about "stepping over the line," and all of previous seasons indiscretions made by Jack Bauer, and his techniques to "get things done." On numerous occasions, we see dialogue coming to surface about Jack's stepping over the line, and Larry Moss never wanting to, but the red-haired agent walking the tight line of sometimes doing it, and still having a conscience not to.

Derailed

Clive Owen is a (for lack of a better word) pussy in this movie. He is being toyed with by a guy who's not very intimidating in appearance or action. On top of that, he is cheating on his wife, or came close to it. Then he goes home and pretends everything is OK.

This movie is missing some true grit and feeling.

Jennifer Aniston is a lifeless character in this movie.

I'm not done with it yet, but I might as well be. Not really concerned with what happens next.

The Savages

Interesting bond between the two siblings as they try to come to terms with their ailing father.

We Own The Night

Drama for the sake of drama. I don't even know how we got into it, but the drama started right away, and never left.

"Change is nature, Dad. The part that we can influence."

- Ratatouille

Twelve and Holding

It's about 12-year-old kids taking on some really adult issues.

Red

Quite a riveting story. All characters were passionate and believable. You really felt for the old man, and just wanted to see the rich family and boy suffer. But the movie teaches us a tough lesson: sometimes it's just better to walk away. The old man chose to fight, and looked what happened. They chose to war than to just let it be.

Towards the end, when they were in the woods with guns drawn, I almost thought the news reporter was going to come out of nowhere and blow away the bad guys, ala Jack Bauer, who always seems to be in the right place and the right time. But this wasn't 24. The old man somehow still made it out alive.

Bella

Can someone explain to me where the daughter comes from at the end? Maybe I need to think about it some more; let it sink in.

The Life Before Her Eyes

I noticed that each "era" (Diana's high school days, and her as a mother) are presented without any type of visual filter. Most movies show flashbacks with a different color tinted view, so it looks like it's old or aged. But in this movie, the flashbacks and the present are in full color, and without any type of gloss or filter. It almost makes the flashbacks less believable.

What's interesting about this story, as I'm only half-way through at the moment, is that there are three stories going on.

1. The present time, where Diana is a mother.
2. The past, when Diana is a high school student.
3. The bathroom scene, where Diana and her friend are confronted with the shooter.

The bathroom scene is the pivotal scene, as it continues to play out throughout the entire movie. We still have yet to see what actually happens in there. It appears as though the shooter will kill one of the girls, and if he does, it would obviously be Diana's friend, since Diana is still alive in the present time. But we don't know for sure that this will happen. There is no evidence, in the present time, that Diana's friend has been killed. Diana hasn't visited her grave, spoken of her, nor has there been any clues that she is no longer around. But the mere fact that Diana is recalling scenes with this friend, during this anniversary week of the shootings, tells us that Diana was very close to her, and that perhaps the friend is now gone.

I'm suspecting and anticipating a nice twist at the end of this story.

Sideways

I've seen this before, but just watched it again recently.

I love this movie because it subtly and effectively presents two different ways of living, neither of which are necessarily the "right" or "wrong" way to live. Both main characters take vastly different views of life, and we see how each one learns from the way they are. Miles is uptight and over-cautious, while Jack is care-free and without worry. The way they treat women reflects the overall manner in which they treat everything in their life.

Take wine, for example. A big part of the movie. Why wine, do you wonder? The movie compares wine to life, the way it is always living, growing, and peaking.

I found it funny that Jack always responds the same exact way at wine tastings. Whereas Miles over-analyzes every sip, Jack just shrugs and responds, "Tastes good to me."

And that... is how Jack treats everything in his life. It's there; it is what it is; and it's there to enjoy. Miles, on the other hand, is a little more critical, especially of wine. He knows what he likes, and rarely strays.

Towards the end, we see Miles come around. The pain from his divorce takes time to recover from.

And Jack, well... he's also in over his head. The way he lives, and the choices he made are no better than Miles' situation.

But it's a great clashing of characters. They both prove to be humorous in their own ways, yet unique and important as individuals.

The Godfather

Parts 1 and 2:

I thought it odd that Michael ended up being the next "Don." In the first movie (at the beginning), we see that he is uninterested in the family "business." He claimed to Kay that his family is "like that," and not he. Yet he eventually becomes like that. How? Why? It may have had something to do with the guys that tried to kill Vito. Maybe Michael was so upset over that, he'd do anything to get revenge. And he did. Then perhaps he just couldn't turn back?

Up until the end of Part 2, I still think of Michael as the "baby" - the youngest son, and his role as leader still perplexes me. Maybe I will get used to it through the third installment of the movie.

In Bruges

I didn't take anything away from it. It was like it was there, it happened, and it was gone.

It got so many great reviews for acting and shooting, but I didn't feel that. All I saw were two wandering morons (for lack of a better word), trying to come to terms with how they live their lives (killing). One of them (Farrell) felt extreme remorse for accidently killing a kid. Oh, he's also a complete asshole, yet somehow lures this beautiful European girl to actually like him.

The ending depicts a brief gun chase scene, with Farrell eventually getting shot. A slight twist with that occurs, but nothing amazing.

Perhaps it was a great twist, I don't know. The midget could be comparable to shooting a kid... perhaps. Maybe deep inside we're all kids? Yaddy yadda.

Cloverfield

First caveat: The camcorder would have run out of batteries by then. You can't film for 12 hours straight on any device.

Movie is left wide-open. What happens with the monster? Does Manhatten get blown away with military bombs, as they were alluding to?

The fact that Beth was able to move at all is utterly amazing. That metal rod through her chest/heart area should have been much more crippling than it was.

The camcorder survives??

21

I just couldn't feel anything for anyone in this movie. Characters were weak and shallow. Many scenes were predictable. Lawrence Fishburne was supposed to be scary, but he just wasn't. Kevin Spacey was far over-qualified for this movie. The love affair between the two lead characters was simply not convincing.

This movie played off like Oceans 11 meets ???

Grace is Gone

It's just light-hearted enough with the presence of the two daughters to keep it from being utterly depressing.

What I don't get is why he just doesn't tell the girls right away. Their Mom was at war - this is not a complete 360 shock. It would be different if, let's say, the Mom was killed suddenly in a grocery store parking lot. Then I could see the husband not knowing how to react to such "out of the blue" news. But her being at war, I mean the family must have talked about this. There is always that chance that she could be killed in combat.

It's kind of odd that we never meet the mother, but we're expected to feel something for her death.

The whole movie is about delaying the inevitable. It was just kind of cruel, in a way, what he did to the girls. It is also painful to watch, since you know what's coming, but he just keeps putting it off.

Cassandra's Dream

"It's funny how life has a life of it's own."

"You're right Ian, it's now. It's always now."

The movie title, Cassandra's Dream, dissolves it's presence right in the beginning of the flick. We see the boat is named for the movie's title, but then there's no other meaning associated with the title.

The Other Boleyn Girl

I liked this movie. What was, in the beginning, an innocent and charming gesture, turned into something as big and omnipresent as anything England was facing in those days. At least, in terms of mental anguish on the part of the king. How could something so innocent turn into death? That really gives us an idea of the times that the movie was portrayed in. As well as the power of love, sacrifice, and ideals.

Sure, most of the movie played off as a soap opera set in England's high chambers and castles, but there was more to this than just petty love and infidelity. Each character was tested in their strength and resolve. As the pressures mounted, and the drama taking unexpected turns, we see each character display their true identity and purpose.

The end was great too - the mention of Queen Elizabeth I think threw people off, in a good way. Nobody could have seen that coming. What a great twist at the end.

What I do wish, though, was that viewers could see more of that "era." All we were shown was inside castle walls, and their gaudy outfits. What was the outside world like?

The time span was also cramped, as we'd suddenly jump 5-10 months in advance without hardly a warning or suitable transition.

Blood Diamond:

Not one of Leo's best. This was a little too over-the-top. The side love interest for Leo didn't help his character.

The scene towards the end where Leo and the black guy were closing in on the diamond, then an aerial attack was ordered, Leo was almost killed about 10 times over. He was dodging bombs, diving into ditches, and surprisingly made it out alive. Then, the soldiers conducting the attack come down to the ground to talk to Leo's character. Leo was just like, "Hey, what's up? How are you?" Yeah... you nearly killed me about 10 times a few minutes ago, but no hard feelings.

Death at a Funeral

Life is always disorderly, but in the end, there is something that matters.

"My father was an extraordinary man."

Beyond all the malfunction of life's daily nuances, we all have something extraordinary to say.

I wrote this about The Station Agent on 12/11/2005:

I honestly had never heard of Peter Dinklage, until this movie - and I really liked him. I am certainly going to be checking out more of his movies. The Station Agent was so well done. I was entranced, every step of the way. The slow, subtle pace; the quiet sounds of summer; the innocence of Joe. Brilliant. It all came together for me, and the two hours felt like 10 minutes. If you''re looking for a very intelligent, thoughtful, and charismatic film - please see this, as soon as possible. I can''t recommend it enough. The movie contains so many metaphors - namely that of "feeling small." For Finbar''s case (Dinklage) - he didn't just feel small - he is small - a fact that he can never change. What this movie also tells us is to cherish those who come into your life - because before you know it, they will be gone. No matter how mundane it seems - each person has their place. In the beginning of the movie, I think Finbar really took for granted having Olivia and Joe around - and they respected him, despite his "cold" and negative attitude, towards them. But Olivia and Joe were also both "reaching out," for anything they could find. Joe was the bored, out-going one - and Olivia's husband had just left her. Finbar finally "opens up," and it is ironic - because it seems that is also finally when Olivia and Joe seem to "close up." But the striking moment happened when Finbar actually did something nice for Olivia - and she shut him out. Finbar was, in a way, getting a taste of his own medicine. I still don't really understand Emily's (Michelle Williams) role in this movie. She is like the "wild card." The same goes for Cleo, the young black girl. The movie really only centers around Fin, Olivia, and Joe - trapped in that small town, somewhere in New Jersey - during a peaceful summer. Emily and Cleo are there, as well, but they only make their presence known in the oddest of situations - when you least expect it. This is why this movie is brilliant. It really makes you think. The characters seem outwardly simple, yet underneath, much more lies. Each character plays a role - but each role is so vibrantly different - it's really astounding at how they all "come together." This is definitely one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Excellent.

The Office works so well because of:

Blank expressions, uncomfortable silences. 

American Beauty quotes:

Ricky Fitts: "And that's the day I knew there was this entire life behind things, and... this incredibly benevolent force, that wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid, ever."

Lester Burnham: When I was your age, I flipped burgers all summer just to be able to buy an eight-track.
Ricky Fitts: That sucks.
Lester Burnham: No, actually it was great. All I did was party and get laid. I had my whole life ahead of me.

Angela Hayes: Jane, he's a freak!
Jane Burnham: Then so am I! And we'll always be freaks and we'll never be like other people and you'll never be a freak because you're just too... perfect!

Lester Burnham: [narrating] It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself.

Lester Burnham: "... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life..."

Brad Dupree: Man, you are one twisted fuck.
Lester Burnham: Nope; I'm just an ordinary guy who has nothing left to lose.

The Sopranos is great because it's "soft on the inside, but tough around the edges." 

<p><a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0348914/"><img src="/images/333.jpg" width="110" height="150" alt="Artwork for the T.V. Series Deadwood" title="Deadwood" class="floatleft" /></a></p> 

Deadwood - Season 1

<p><a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0348914/"><img src="/images/333.jpg" width="110" height="150" alt="Artwork for the T.V. Series Deadwood" title="Deadwood" class="floatleft" /></a></p>

Al Swearengen is "the man," no matter how slimey, crude, or mean he is - he is the man. Anyone watching Deadwood would probably agree with me.

Timothy Olyphant first impressed me with his poise and persona (I even admitted he resurrected his career with Deadwood), but now I'm seeing he is only the same character he plays in every other movie/show he's in: the tough, uptight

Season 1 was pretty a pretty good introduction to this 1880's account of small town South Dakota.

Entourage: season 2

In one episode, there is a journalist interviewing Vince, and he has a web site which gets a lot of hits, apparently. Apparently enough to "sink" Vince's chance at making big money off of Aquaman.

They chose the guy from Six feet under, Arthur, who looks kind of "geeky." I don't like how movies and tv shows still portray "web geeks" as geeky-looking. It's just not true anymore.

The Wire - Season 2 

Poseiden - nothing like Titanic.

At first, it appeared all too similar to Titanic - the glamorous inside of a massive hulk, on the seas. I cringed at the commonalities. 

once things got rolling, however, my tune changed rather quick.

Viewers are thrust into a winding maze of sharp, sudden death; thrashing water; tunnels; darkness; and sheer panic, with the fierce eye of the ocean hunting them down.

The characters take a back seat to the intense force that is Mother Nature. 

Lucky Number Slevin

Good title - unique and intriguing.

I like the reference to North By Northwest, by Alfred Hitchcock.

I like the quote by "The Rabbi," which went something like this:

"Unlucky is just a frame of reference for the lucky. Unfortunately, the lucky do not know they are lucky, until it is too late." 

Brendan Frye: Throw one at me if you want, hash head. I've got all five senses and I slept last night, that puts me six up on the lot of you. 

-Brick

Brick had very good dialogue. The "slang" that was used was interesting, and almost a puzzle unto itself - to try to figure out what they were saying. Although it sometimes seemed verbose, it was also creative.

Grey's Anatomy is a "play on words" for "Gross Anatomy," which means: that which deals with structures that can be distinguished with the unaided eye; called also macroscopic a. Another definition: the study of the structure of the body and its parts without the use of a microscope.

Grey's Anatomy is perfect for someone my age, or Michelle's, because the characters are all young adults, just starting to adjust to the "real working world," as they try to keep and grow relationships, and have a life.

The Last Kiss:

I loved how this movie showed so many different types of relationships:

* The not-wed, but soon to have a baby
* The recently wed, and already dealing with a baby
* The older couple (50's), and the fallouts there
* The guy that can never let go of a past relationship
* The relationship that is just about sex 

Bones

Each episode is a new crime, much like Six Feet Under had a new death for each episode.

I don't like how each episode wraps up so nice and neatly. The crime always gets resolved like a nice little package. 

TV series on DVD that I need to watch (this also acts as an arbitrary spot to keep track of where I left off). The episode or disc listed below is the next one I have to watch.

* 24, Season 7
* Bones, Season 1, Disc 5
* Rome, Season 1, Disc 2
* Scrubs, Season 6, 7
* Entourage, Season 4
* Lost, Season 3 (have the DVD set)
* The Office, Season 5
* The Shield, Season 2 (quit during Season 2)
* Deadwood, Season 2 (quit during Season 2)
* Grey's Anatomy, Season 3 (started watching with Michelle, but never got anywhere)
* Friday Night Lights, Season 2, Episode 12, 26:00

24, Season 6

We left off with Jack Bauer helping some guys off a rooftop in sunny Los Angeles (or nearby town), as the nuclear bomb just hits. Jack had initially turned down the offer to help CTU, and was on his way home. With the explosion, he is back in the game.

Ideas for 24:

Have the terrorism threat occur somewhere outside of LA.
Stop using moles in CTU - it's getting old.

Let's see if season 6 lives up to this.

Sopranos, Season 6

We left off with Johnny Sacks getting arrested by the FBI.