127 Hours

Wow!  Totally mesmerizing.  James Franco is fantastic as Aron Ralston - the mountain climber who eventually cut off his own arm that was stuck between 2 boulders.  Needless to say, it's very intense.  The scene where he amputates his own arm was worse than I expected... it's pretty gruesome.  But at the same time, it was totally interesting to see what the human body is capable of when placed in dire circumstances.  I thought I'd get bored with watching him be stuck for 127 hours, but he starts having flashbacks of previous events that help you learn a little more about him that picked up the energy a bit.  I'd say, CHECK IT OUT (for sure) if you're at all interested in this story, like I was.  I love a good survival story!

Love and Other Drugs

We all know how much I love Jake Gyllenhall, and I really like Anne Hathaway too, so I've been looking forward to this movie for awhile.  And overall, it's just okay.  The love story is sweet sometimes, but the not-romantic parts of the movie were kind of a mess.  Like, they couldn't decide if the movie was a raunchy comedy, or a satire of the pharmaceutical drugs business, or a love story.  It's kind of all 3, but it bounces back and forth between each of those too often.  But overall, I liked the way it ended, and I enjoyed it enough to say it's worth watching.  Don't expect too much, and you'll probably like it.  So, it's BEARABLE.  (New middle of the road rating I just came up with.)

Due Date

Honestly - it was funnier than I expected it to be!  Zach Galifinakis is really funny (of course) and Robert Downey Jr. was not too bad himself!  He seems like such a dramatic actor that I was a little surprised he was so funny.  The movie reminds me alot of Planes, Trains and Automobiles - it has that same I-need-to-get-home-but-I'm-stuck-with-this-idiot feel.  So overall, it's totally worth watching (and good news - it doesn't get too raunchy)!  So CHECK IT OUT!

Morning Glory

Loved it!  It kind of looks like a romantic comedy, and in some ways it is, but it's mostly about Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford's characters forming a bond.  It was really pretty funny - I laughed out loud several times!  And the romance that forms with Patrick Wilson's character (love him!) is sweet and refreshingly real - without taking over the whole movie.  Added bonus - Rachel McAdams is so great she makes me wish I was her friend in real life :)  I would seriously watch any movie that she's in.  So overall, the movie was totally enjoyable - I'd CHECK IT OUT!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Let me preface this post with:  I'm not a huge fan of the Harry Potter movies.  I have read all the books, but I'm not one of those snobs that assumes the movie will be bad before I've even seen it.  What I don't like about the movies is that they're so rushed.  They have to fit SO MUCH stuff into 2 hours of film, and I feel like if I hadn't read the books I'd be totally lost.  That being said - it is usually pretty cool to see the books come to life on screen - and such is the case with this one.  The story drags a little bit sometimes, because this Part 1 is really just a big set up for Part 2 where they wrap everything up.  It totally feels like they leave you hanging at the end, because there's no big resolution or anything.  But, any Harry Potter fan will like it, I think.  They do a pretty good job of bringing the HP world to life.  So, CHECK IT OUT!

The Bucket List

I really enjoyed it!  I'm sure most people have already seen this one, but I'm just now getting around to seeing it.  Jack Nicholson was GREAT, and Morgan Freeman was pretty good too.  The story is sweet and interesting - and made me think about what I want to do before I die.  I would definitely CHECK IT OUT!

Robin Hood

Didn't really like it.  It's really different than the Robin Hood story we're all used to... in this one Robin comes home to return the ring to Maid Marion, who is the original ring owner's wife, then Robin pretends to be her husband so she doesn't lose her land.  Most of the time I was a little confused about what was going on - I got the general story, but I couldn't tell what some of the battle scenes were about.  I expected this to be better and it disappointed.  PASS.

Jackie's Top 5's - Comedy

To compile my list of Top 5 Comedies - I immedietely went to the movies that a) can make me laugh every time I watch them, and b) that I quote all the time with friends and family.  So (drum roll) here they are:

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective - it may be a little dumb to some people, but I seriously saw it for the first time when I was like 12, so it worked on me!  My favorite quote: 

"Ventura - when I get out of that bathroom, you'd better be gone!"

"Is it number one or number 2?...... I just wanna know how much time I have!"

The Big Lebowski - this is a recent one for me, I saw it for the first time when I was in high school and I hated it.  Then some persuasive friends told me to watch it a second time... and I loved it!  It's suuupper funny!  My favorite quote:

"Careful MAN - there's a beverage here!"

Dumb and Dumber - there are SO many classic quotes from this movie, it's hard for me to pick just one!  This movie works because Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels play dumb perfectly... they're either brilliant, or just that dumb in real life.  Favorite quote:

"We got no food, we got no jobs, our PETS HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!"

Napoleon Dynamite - This one makes me giggle nonstop throughout the whole movie.  It gets funnier every time I see it!  I know some people don't like it - probably because it's a little odd.  But come on - it's hilarious!  Favorite quote:

"I like your sleeves.  They're real big."

Tommy Boy - RIP Chris Farley.  He was one of the funniest actors that ever lived.  Seriously - does it get any funnier than an over weight man in a suit jacket that's too small??  Favorite Quote:

"I swear I've seen a lot of stuff in my life, but that... was... AWESOME."

So - there you have them.  What's your favorite comedy of all time?

Temple Grandin

See.  This.  Movie.  Seriously!  It amazed me.  Claire Danes was totally PERFECT as Temple Grandin, the autistic woman who took the business of raising cattle by storm!  Her performance was so good, at times it was eerie because that's just not how you see Claire Danes in her other movies.  She actually won the Emmy for Outstanding Actress (because it was an HBO TV movie) and she deserved it 1 million percent.  The movie gives you a small glimpse into the mind of an autistic person, which was very interesting and informative to me.  Whether any of this interests you or not, you definitely need to CHECK IT OUT - it's that good!!

R.E.D.

Totally enjoyable!!  It's not gonna change your life or anything, but it's entertaining and funny for a solid 2 hours.  I'm gonna keep this one short and sweet - CHECK IT OUT!

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

This is part 1 of a Trilogy, based on Swedish author Stieg Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy." An American version of the first film is currently under production. So - how's the Swedish version? It's very good! But be warned: there are several very rough scenes that were difficult for me to watch - the entire series is about "men who hate women" (i.e. abusing them sexually) - so these films definitely aren't for everyone. However, it had a classic mystery feel that had you guessing up until the very end. Almost Hitchcock-esque. I have heard from an unnamed source who read the novels that the first movie is better than the book! So, if you've read the novels or any of this sounds interesting to you - CHECK IT OUT!

Mansfield Park

I'll admit it - I'm a sucker for these Jane Austen stories. I don't really consider myself a literary buff, but even I can see that her stuff is brilliant. This story is a little different than her other stories, and it's supposed to be her "most auto-biographical." But, it still had that great Jane Austen feel - romance, humor, fear, etc, so I really enjoyed it! To me, it seems the most under-stated story, the love story is not as far fetched as some of her other novels. I'd CHECK IT OUT if you're a Jane Austen fan like me!

True Grit (1969)

I watched this old classic in preparation for the new version that is coming out around Christmas this year (which looks GREAT). Despite the extremely old feel (made in the 1960's, about the late 1800's) it's really good! It's enjoyable and interesting enough that it held my attention, even though I'm not super into Westerns. I felt like I got a little lesson about the legend that is John Wayne. I'd say CHECK IT OUT if you've never seen it!