Bad Teacher

Overall - dumb and not funny. Cameron Diaz as the awful teacher is not even awful in a funny way, it's in a mean way. Maybe the only highlight of this movie are a few supporting roles played by Jason Segel and Phyllis from The Office. Other than that - it's just blah. Didn't even laugh once. PASS.

The Conspirator

Oh my goodness this movie was so good. It is the first movie from the American Film Company, which takes great lengths to make their films as historically accurate as possible, their belief being "real life is often more compelling than fiction." I found this movie to be so moving - to see a reenactment of Lincoln's assassination was very interesting, and even though it took place in the late 19th century, it still shocked me to see our American President at the time be shot. The story is truly compelling, making the viewer realize that it wasn't about who was guilty or not guilty, it was about a fair trial, which we as Americans assume is always our right. However, because of the extreme circumstances and horror of this crime, Mary Surrat was not given a fair trial out of vengeance of the American public. I really felt like I was getting a glimpse into my country's history. Not to mention all the other "film" stuff that made it great as well - brillint acting, gorgeous sets and an overall direction from Robert Redford that made it seem so real. Please, CHECK IT OUT. This is the stuff good movies are made of.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Fairly exciting! It is different than your other superhero stories, which I found refreshing. And the WWII era stuff was pretty cool too. It was enjoyable, but I pretty much hated the ending, because it's kind of abrupt. But overall it's different and exciting enough for me to give it a CHECK IT OUT!

Thor

Not terrible, but not great either. I didn't really know what to expect, because I'm not really familiar with Thor. It was kind of cool at times, and it's especially funny when he comes to Earth and has to deal with people as an average civilian, but it felt incredibly rushed. It seemed to me like they tried to squish 3 films worth of information into 1 movie. Pretty exciting though, so I'd say it was BEARABLE.

The Ides of March

I don't really like politics, and this movie is very politically charged. I do, however, like looking at Ryan Gosling :), and George Clooney is not too hard on the eyes either. I also respect Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti (and Ryan and George) for that matter as actors. Therefore, I would say I enjoyed this movie, but the politics made me want to barf. I just don't get into that stuff. It was good, and the acting was great, but if you're not into politics, pass. If you don't mind it, then CHECK IT OUT because it's really quite exceptional.

50/50

Really good! I found it to be a refreshing take on cancer - not many young adults think about getting cancer, but we all know a few of our peers who actually have. Joseph Gordon-Leavitt was great as the young cancer patient, and Seth Rogen is surprisingly exceptional as his best friend trying to support him. The supporting cast was brilliant too - Anna Kendrick as the really young psychologist, Anjelica Houston as the over-bearing mother, and Bryce Dallas-Howard as the insensitive girlfriend were all great. Full disclosure - it gets very sad towards the end when he is getting close to knowing which 50/50 way he will be going. I seriously cried. It evoked real emotion from me, and therefore I will say - CHECK IT OUT!

Scream 4

Since the first Scream came out when I was in high school and was pretty much awesome, I was kind of excited to see this one after such a long hiatus. They did make Scream 2 and Scream 3, which were not necessarily terrible, but definitely not as good as the first one. Scream 4 is pretty much the same - not as good as the original, but not terrible either. It was kind of fun to see all the original characters reconnect, and there are lots of cameos of current actors playing in the movie within the movie, which was kind of cool. Overall, I'd say it was just okay - some parts were original and fun, and other parts were horribly cheesy. So, it was BEARABLE.

Unknown

Interesting premise, but it ended up being pretty boring. Up until the very end, you are as confused as Liam Neeson is, and not in a good way. It's like he keeps running around the city trying to explain to people who he is, which just got annoying after awhile. And once the explanation was revealed, it was fairly under-whelming and cliche. Pass.

Our Idiot Brother

Really enjoyable!  Paul Rudd was g-r-e-a-t as the Idiot Brother - and although he stole the show as the title character, there's a great supporting cast that each held their own next to him.  The 3 sisters were great - each miserable in different ways, and watching how their Idiot Brother seemingly ruined, yet actually helped their personal lives was fun and genuine.  The story is actually really sweet.  I would definitely CHECK IT OUT!! 

Cedar Rapids

Loved it!  It gets slightly raunchy, and maybe a little off-color sometimes, but it was seriously hilarious!  I love Ed Helms (Andy from The Office) - he always plays the nerd so well... maybe he's just a real nerd in real life.  Either way - he's great in this!  John C. Reilly is ridiculous as ever, and the black man who rooms with them cracked me up the whole time!  Overall it was a seriously quirky yet seriously hilarious little movie!  I would totally CHECK IT OUT!

The Change Up

Waaaaaaaay too raunchy!  I thought this looked cute and funny - but it ended up being pretty gross and not even that funny at all.  It was like they tried really hard to have lots of gross-out humor, and while it was gross it was definitely not that funny.  Overall, I was disappointed and found it to be a jumbled mess of yucky and stupid.  I'd say - PASS!

Friends With Benefits

Not gonna lie - this is one was VERY raunchy.  Lots of language and LOTS of sex.  But the story was kinda cute at times and I found it to be refreshingly real.  The 2 main characters seemed like real people with their own issues, not overly perfect and annoying like lots of movie characters can be.  And it was funny too!  I definitely laughed out loud lots of times - especially at Justin Timberlake.  He's really funny and I like it that he doesn't mind making fun of himself.  Mila Kunis wasn't bad either - they both carried the movie really well.  Overall, if you like movies like this I'd say CHECK IT OUT!  If you're not into raunchy, then definitely pass.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Not great, but not terrible either.  I had heard good things about this one, and I'll admit there were a few aspects to the story that I wasn't expecting, but I found it to be just okay.  I didn't really like the way it ended, and it was a little over-dramatic and cheesy at times.  (But when is Matthew McConaughey not over-dramatic and cheesy? haha)  Overall, I'd say it's BEARABLE. 

Burlesque

I didn't really have high expectations for this one - because Christina Aguilera is annoying and difficult to see as an actress, and Cher is a little over-rated if you ask me.  But overall, I actually enjoyed it!  The dance scenes were really fun and quite elaborate, and Christina and Cher didn't bother me toooo bad.  It's not great, but it was entertaining so I'd say CHECK IT OUT!

Red Riding Hood

I was really interested when I first saw the trailer... and pretty disappointed after watching it.  Not very exciting, not very romantic, and not very interesting.  I'd say - PASS.

Beastly

Nothing special.  I thought it had kind of a cool concept, but overall it seemed boring and predictable.  I'd say PASS.

The Help

LOVED it!  Reminded me of "Steel Magnolias" in a way - it's centered around a group of Southern women and the relationships among them.  I laughed, I cried (twice), and I cheered all the way through the end for equality among these women.  This is seriously a MUST-SEE for all women, and although I would classify it as a chick-flick, I think men would definitely like it too - it's funny!!  So CHECK IT OUT!!!!!!

Horrible Bosses

Hilarious!  This movie turned out better and funnier than I expected... sweet!  And bonus points for not being too crude.  I definitely laughed out loud alot, and one part was so funny my stomach hurt... so I guess you could say I found it funny!  If you can handle the bad language and lots of sexual humor, it's totally worth watching, so CHECK IT OUT!

I Am Number Four

Blah.  This movie was way different than I was expecting, but not in a good way.  The story was dumb and jumbled and not even that interesting.  Too many things left un-explained.  PASS!

X-Men: First Class

I enjoyed this, although it could have been alot better.  I mostly enjoyed it because James McAvoy as Professor X and Michael Fassbender as Magneto were both GREAT!  They totally stole the show and made it fun to watch.  However, the story left me a little confused at times - I was thinking "what are they doing now?" and "I forgot why they're doing this" kinda stuff on more than one occasion.  So overall, it's BEARABLE.  Again, I wish it would have been better.  Somebody needs to do a better job of approving these ridiculous scripts!

Country Strong

Meh.  It's just okaaayyy.  The music is kinda fun and all the actors were pretty good, but the script was terrible.  The story was jumbled and left me confused at times.  Overall, I'd say it was BEARABLE.  Could have been alot better!

The Hangover 2

I went into this thinking - "Don't expect it to be as funny as the first one, and even if it's terrible, I get to watch Bradley Cooper for the next 2 hours which is worth $10 anyway."  So... I was pleasantly surprised at how funny it was!  It is seriously hilarious (but gross) on more than one occasion.  It is very similar to the first one, obviously, but it was different enough that I didn't feel like it was a duplicate.  It has the same premise, but it has even crazier adventures than the first... I can guarantee you won't be able to predict any of the chaos they get themselves into!  It is very raunchy, but as always, if you can handle that, I don't think you'll be disappointed.  So CHECK IT OUT!  And ohh emm gee, Bradley Cooper is so hot.

Bridesmaids

Totally hilarious!  I was excited to see a funny movie entirely from a woman's perspective, and this one did not disappoint.  I'm not gonna lie, it's VERY raunchy at times.  Lots of sex scenes that are awkwardly awful (but funny) and lots of bad language, so it's definitely not family friendly.  But if you can handle all of that - it is legitimately funny.  And it does have some sweet moments between friends that are really touching, so it's not all bad.  But overall, it's really funny if you like these kind of movies - so CHECK IT OUT!

Something Borrowed

Totally cute!  It's a fun romantic comedy that I really enjoyed.  The premise seems a little trashy - the maid of honor and groom start a relationship during the wedding plans???  But really, it's a sweet love story about 2 people who have always wanted to be together despite circumstance.  I also enjoyed the friendship between the maid of honor and bride - female friendships like theirs happen in real life more often that you might think.  John Krasinski is totally adorable (of course) and funny as the voice of reason for the maid of honor, the guy who plays the groom is oh so dreamy in a Tom-Cruise-from-Top-Gun kinda way, Kate Hudson as the bride is perfectly arrogant and full of herself, and Ginnifer Goodwin is super cute as the girl every woman can relate to.  Overall, it was really cute and funny, with only a few R-rated words and conversations.  I think any girl would enjoy this one - so CHECK IT OUT!

Water for Elephants

Ok - I will admit that I was dying to see Robert Pattinson in a role other than Edward Cullen, so I was really excited to see this movie.  Other reasons include the fact that I love Reese Witherspoon (who doesn't?) and Christoph Waltz is a new actor to watch (he was absolutely brilliant in Inglorious Basterds.)  So - how was it?  It's another tough one to call because there are lots of positives and lots of negatives.  Positives:  really good story and beautiful scenery; Negatives:  animal abuse and no chemistry between Robert and Reese.  I understand that the animal abuse was a big part of the story, and I will say that they don't actually show it (they just imply it) but it was still hard to watch.  The chemistry between Robert and Reese was practically non-existent, which I had heard from movie critics before I saw it, but it was worse than I expected.  It's one of those things that you can't really explain, you'd just have to see it to understand it.  Don't get me wrong, Robert was oh so dreamy, and Reese was beautiful (although sometimes a little stiff.)  They just didn't work so well together.  Now despite those (fairly major) negatives, the story and scenery are really good, and it will make you wish you had a pet elephant.  So, overall, it's BEARABLE (unfortunetely.)  I wish I could give it a "check it out", but it just doesn't quite get there.

Madea's Big Happy Family

This was my first Madea movie, so I was a little overwhelmed!  Overall, it was pretty funny, but also pretty sad.  And it bounces back and forth between funny and sad ALOT!  The funny parts are pretty ridiculous, some of the comedic scenes drag on a little too long and are a little far fetched.  But that said, it's still gonna make you laugh!  The sad parts are very realistic - it's all stuff that families go through in real life, which I found overly depressing.  To me, a big reason for watching a movie is to be immersed in a different world so you don't have to think about your real life, and this one reminds you all too much of the family dramas that pretty much everyone has going on all the time.  Overall, I'd say it was BEARABLE... you will laugh, but you will also cry so it's a tough call!

Jane Eyre

Loved it!  I started reading the novel a few years ago but stopped early on so I knew very little about the story, except for the fact that it was dark and a little spooky at times.  While watching this interpretation, I was totally mesmerized by the whole film... the 2 girls who played young and adult Jane were both stunning, Mr. Rochester was charmingly arrogant, and the cinematography and setting were absolutely gorgeous.  As with other films based on novels that I loved (like Never Let Me Go) - it was like watching poetry on film.  I know that is a weird analogy but it's the only thing I can think of to describe the way I see it.  Overall, it was beautiful.  So - CHECK IT OUT!

Secretariat

L O V E D it!  Made me wish I had my own horse... seriously.  It's a great family movie that is exciting, suspenseful, and for the most part PG rated (I don't remember anything questionable, but I was so wrapped up in the story I might not remember it either way.)  I just can't say enough good things about it - so CHECK IT OUT!  The general consensus from everyone else I know that has seen it has all been highly favorable as well!

Source Code

Love me some Jake!!  And he's really quite good in this movie.  The story was interesting enough to keep me curious, but I will say that there was ALOT of scientific talk that left me a little confused.  I think I'd say that I understood the ending about half way - part of me was like "I think I get it" and the other part of me was like "Wait, what?"  However, because science fiction is not really my favorite kind of movie, I'm sure I totally ignored some important sci-fi talk while I was swooning over Jake.  Overall, if you like science fiction, or if you like Jake, CHECK IT OUT!

Never Let Me Go

I totally bawled my eyes out at the end!  I'm not talking the one tear down your cheek crying, I'm talking tears flowing, face all scrunched up, heart breaking kinda cry!  This movie is soooo beautiful and the story is very powerful.  Basically, in an alternate version of scientific history, children are "designed" to be clones of average human beings, and must begin donating vital organs around the age of 20.  The story revolves around 3 of these children all grown up and facing the reality of living for only a few more years at the most, all while forming relationships that create quite a love triangle.  My heart just broke at the end because of the love between 2 of them!  (I am a romantic at heart...)  I was so intrigued about what was going to happen, I actually watched the whole movie in one sitting, which doesn't happen often with DVD's.  So overall, it was a gorgeous movie, although maybe not for everyone.  It's very powerful yet understated, much like The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Road, and Cold Mountain - 3 of my all time favorites.  CHECK IT OUT if you think it sounds like something you might like!

Jackie's Top 5 - Romance

The Notebook

No question this is #1 on the list.  I dare to say that it's the most romantic movie ever.  I mean, come on:  guy and girl fall in love and then are seperated by circumstance, and years later he painstakingly builds a humongous house for her like he originally said he would without her even knowing about it?!  We all hope to find a love like that some day.

 Shakespeare In Love

It's been several years since this one came out, but even Jackie at 17 totally loved this movie!  It's quite comedic at times, but at its heart it is all about love.  It's a fictional tale about Shakespeare while writing Romeo and Juliet, probably the most famous love story of all time, where he meets and falls madly in love with a woman betrothed to someone else.  As you can imagine, it's ending isn't exactly a happy one, but I will say that neither of them die.  GREAT MOVIE!

Romeo + Juliet

How could Romeo and Juliet be left off this list?  I saw this movie like 5 times in the theater when I was about 15, and then had it on VHS and watched it ALL the time.  And yes, I was totally in love with Leonardo and wanted to be Claire.  But besides all that, it's really a good movie.  Baz Luhrman did a solid job transforming it to modern day, but kept random things original - like the language.  It's literally Shakespeare word-for-word.  And besides being a solid movie, it's really romantic and heart-breakingly sad at the end (we all know what happens, right?!)  Leo and Claire were perfectly cast, and they all did a good job transforming this classic tale to a 1990's film.  If you haven't seen it - you should!  Consider it educational - it's Shakespeare!  And it's entertaining!!

 

Notting Hill

Oh my goodness, I love this movie.  Everyone has at least considered what it would be like if their celebrity crush actually knew they existed, and this brings that fantasy to life so perfectly.  It's not always easy, and it's not always perfect, but they fall in love despite the crazy circumstances of a famous face dating a totally unknown man.  And how perfect that the famous face is Julia Roberts?  Hugh Grant is totally adorable as the unknown man, trying to impress this movie star, despite his cooky roommate, crazy family, and simple living as a book store owner.  Bonus points for being funny, too!!

500 Days of Summer

This is a totally fresh take on relationships, that was released quite recently.  See my original review:  here.  I loved loved loved the way this movie portrayed a realistic relationship - the excitement at the beginning, followed by fights and annoyances, and maybe even a little dancing in your head after a momentous occasion.  I also liked how it didn't hide the fact that often in relationships, one person is more in like/love than the other.  During the movie, you almost feel like you're in the relationship as well, because you begin to remember instances in your own relationships similar to theirs.  I just loved how it took me back that way - I would say that's not easy to accomplish without being ridiculous!





The Adjustment Bureau

Good thriller!  It won't change your life or anything, but it's exciting and unpredictable.  I had no idea how it would end, and it actually ended better than I expected (although maybe a little sappy.)  The adjustment guys work for a "big boss" who is never revealed, but is obviously a God like figure.  I liked how that was no question in the movie that a "big boss" existed, but I didn't really like the way they implied that this god may have made mistakes that needed to be fixed - like, was that a statement about our God?  But overall, it was really exciting and even sweetly romantic at times.  I would CHECK IT OUT!!

Going the Distance

Barf!  I expected this to be a light hearted romantic comedy, but it just wasn't.  It's one of those movies that can't quite decide what it's trying to be - is it a romance?  or is it funny?  or is it raunchy?  It kind of tried too hard to be all 3 of those and it just didn't work.  They used the F word so much it was annoying (do 30 somethings actually talk that way??  Maybe 19 year olds, but hello anyone over 25 probably has a job where they have to be somewhat presentable!) and they threw in random drug use and weird sex scenes that were just over the top.  Don't waste your time.  PASS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eat Pray Love

Blech.  I had to force myself to actually finish this on DVD.  The main character is ridiculously self-absorbed, and the story bounces around too much.  I liked the concept, until I found out that the author of the book got money from her publisher to take the trip in the first place.... lame!!  It was cool to see the different places she visited, but that was not nearly enough to save this jumbled mess.  I was just super bored with it.  So - PASS!

Life As We Know It

Not bad!  The story was a little choppy, but it was kinda cute, sometimes sweet, and even a little funny.  It's not gonna change your life or anything, but it's worth watching if you like these kind of movies.  Overall, it's BEARABLE.

The King's Speech

There's a reason it one Best Picture at the Oscars: because it is the best film of the year!  It's excellent.  CHECK IT OUT... NOW!

Babies

L-O-V-E-D this documentary!  It was really interesting to see 4 different babies, from 4 completely different areas in their first year of life.  There is no dialogue, it is seriously just the babies who of course are too young to talk.  That may sound kinda boring, but they do show quite a bit of bonding with parents and stuff like that so there's never a dull moment.  It's cute to see how they're so much alike, yet so different being from different areas of the world.  I don't even have kids and found this TOTALLY interesting!  I would definitely CHECK IT OUT!
 
 

Sanctum

Yes, James Cameron was involved with this movie... but he was a producer, he didn't write or direct!  It kinda seems low budget at first, because it's filled with Australians actors that I'd never seen before.  But the action started off quickly and kept me on the edge of my seat for the rest of the movie.  I'm telling you - it's intense!!  The acting is pretty terrible, and quite a few parts of the story were super cheesy.  But despite that, I enjoyed it because it was so exciting!  So CHECK IT OUT if you're looking for some excitement!

Tangled

TOTALLY ADORABLE!  It was funny, sweet, adventurous, musical and CUTE!  It's classic Disney at it's best.  CHECK IT OUT FOR SURE!

The Dilemma

Pretty good!  It's not gonna change your life or anything, but I definitely laughed.  Also, I liked the way it took marriage very seriously.  Vince Vaughn is great as usual, and the other actors were pretty solid as well.  CHECK IT OUT!

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Not too bad.  I really liked Shia LeBeouf and Carey Mulligan, I'd say their relationship was the best part of the movie.  Because it's about the stock market, there's ALOT of "Wall Street" talk (which I know nothing about) but none of that was really essential to understand who the bad guy was and where the story was going.  Overall, it's worth watching, especially if you liked the original.  So CHECK IT OUT!

Ramona and Beezus

Ok, this movie is kinda cute, but to me it could have been alot better.  Growing up in the 1980's, I love the Ramona Quimby books!  I remembered so many cute story lines from reading the books... but unfortunetely most of them were not in the movie.  The story line was much more serious than I expected - Ramona's dad loses his job and the mom goes to work, they argue over money, etc.  And then there were some parts that were totally unexpected, like Ramona's Aunt Bee reuniting with her high school boyfriend (Josh Duhamel) and Ramona being upset about it at first.  Also, the title of "Ramona and Beezus" didn't really fit, because Beezus was hardly in it.  I don't know, like I said, it was kinda cute, but also kind of a hot mess.  Overall, I'd say it's BEARABLE. 

Easy A

Pretty cute!!  It's kind of a fresh take on the "smart girl in high school becomes popular using ___" story.  A few times I thought they were trying too hard - for instance, the mail character's best friend.  She was loud, snotty, slutty, and kinda mean.  I thought she was just way too over the top.  But overall, not bad.  Worth watching.  Check it out!

Jackie's Top 5 Of All Time

This took me quite awhile to decide... lots of thought when into this list.  In no particular order, they are:

The Princess Bride -

Anyone who's ever heard me talk about movies knows that this is always at the top of my list.  It's got SO many great quotes: "There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world, it would be a pity to damage yours" and "Please consider me, as an alternative to suicide?"  It's brilliantly funny, sweetly romantic, and action packed... 3 qualities that are hard to achieve on their own, let alone all together in one movie.  So, if you ever want to watch this with me, my answer will always be "As you wish."

Inglourious Basterds -

I know, I was as surprised as you are that I loved this movie so much.  I'm not really a huge Tarantino fan (although I did see him on a plane one time and told him I was... solely based on THIS movie), but this movie is absolutely brilliant.  I was totally blown away by the cinematography, the music score, the beautiful scenery, the intensely long and drawn-out scenes and so much more.  It was 3 hours long and I literally didn't want it to end.  The script was sharp, the actors were perfect, the story was interesting... all in all it's just a great film.  Because it's Tarantino it got a little bloody, but those scenes were short and few and far between, so don't let that scare you away!!

Mary Poppins -

Oh how I love Mary Poppins.  I remember sitting on the living room floor watching this as a kid, glued to the TV, afraid to get up because I didn't want to miss anything.  Fast forward 20+ years, and I still just love this movie.  Julie Andrews is so pretty with the voice of an angel, the little kids are adorable, Bert is funny, and the adventures were straight out of a kid's imagination.  A carousel who's horses come to life?  Awesome!  A chalk painting that you can jump into?  Awesome!  This movie dazzled me as a kid and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Cold Mountain  -

This story is so beautiful, and so sad, that it literally stayed with me for days the first time I saw it.  It's set in the Civil War era, and it's about love and perseverence through troubled times.  Nicole Kidman and Jude Law are terrific as the long lost loves, and Renee Zellwegger has never been better as the loner who tags along with Nicole's character.  In some ways, the film is incredibly under-stated and very simple.  But the story is so moving that you are hanging onto every word.  Overall, it's a haunting movie with beautiful actors, a beautiful story, and a beautiful message.

 Ferris Bueller's Day Off -

Who doesn't love Ferris Bueller?  I just had to include this on my list, because it's timeless!  I saw it for the first time in high school, when the movie was at least 10 years old, and I totally loved it!  Even the teenagers these days like it... who can deny Ferris?  It's funny and endearing and FUN.  Plus, director John Hughes was seriously a genius.  He made perfect high school movies - including The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, and Pretty in Pink.  But out of all those, Ferris will always be my favorite.  Best line:  "A man with priorities so far out of whack doesn't deserve such a fine automobile." 

Save Ferris!!

Golden Globes Reaction

So, the Golden Globes were on Sunday night... and I only watched about an hour of it on TV (while I was kickin butt on the elliptical machine at the gym!)  There were a few awkward moments I saw while watching, like: Robert DeNiro's speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award was... awkward, his jokes were just not funny; and at one point the camera was on Brangelina, and she awkwardly gazed at him for longer than normal, it was weird!  Besides all that, I have some opinions about the winners...

Best Motion Picture - Drama: The Social Network
Totally deserved.  It was a really great movie with refreshing young actors and a sharp script.  The other 4 nominees were Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception and The King's Speech (which I have not yet seen) which are pretty tough competition.  But, this result does not surprise me because the Golden Globes typically award movies and actors that may get overlooked at the Oscars.  Either way, this movie was great and this award sits well with me.

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical: The Kids Are All Right
I don't really agree with this one, but the competition in this category wasn't too tough - the other 4 nominees being Alice in Wonderland (blech), Burlesque (haven't seen it), RED, and The Tourist (haven't seen it either.)  Based on these nominees, I guess they got it right.  RED was really fun but not exactly award-worthy, I hated Alice in Wonderland, and the other 2 didn't really do much at the box office.  Regardless, I just did not like The Kids Are All Right.  It should have been named "The Kids Will Be Totally Screwed Up" after all the chaos their mothers put them through.

Best Actor/Actress:
Actress, Drama: Natalie Portman, Black Swan... YES
Actor, Drama: Colin Firth, The King's Speech... haven't seen it
Actress, Comedy: Annette Bening. The Kids Are All Right... YES
Actor, Comedy: Paul Giamatti, Barney's Version... haven't seen it
Actress, Supporting Role: Melissa Leo, The Fighter... YES
Actor, Supporting Role: Christian Bale, The Fighter... YESSSSSSS

Now I CAN'T WAIT for the Academy Award nominations to come out on January 25!

The Fighter

GREAT movie!  I was expecting the tired boxer-comeback story with cheesy Boston accents, and instead I got a great family story and sharp Boston accents that sounded authentic.  One of my biggest pet peeves in movies is bad accents, and BAH-ston's is a tough one to pull off.  But this movie kept it authentic, with alot of minor characters being played by actual Boston-ites.  Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams and the lady who played the Mom were all great.  But the shining star of the whole movie is Christian Bale.  I know, I know, I've also heard that he can be hard to work with... but in this movie he's brilliant.  He plays Micky Ward's older crack-addicted brother, who taught Micky everything he knows about boxing, but is unreliable when it comes to training because of his addiction.  I was surprised that the plot was just as much about family as it was about boxing.  Overall, it's a great story with great acting... so CHECK IT OUT! 

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

This one came out on DVD recently... and I was pleasantly surprised!  The idea is fresh and smart - Scott Pilgrim has to defeat the Seven Evil Exes to be with his new girlfriend, he earns points/coins for doing romantic things and being funny, and he earns a one-up when he picks himself back up after losing a battle.  The movie really was like a video game!  I think we've all compared ourselves to our boyfriend/girlfriend's exes at some point or another, which made the movie a comedic take on relationships as well.  The fight scenes got a little old toward the end, but the video game concepts just kept coming, and they made me laugh.  Overall it's super fun and different than anything you've ever seen.  So CHECK IT OUT!

True Grit

Very good!  I recently watched the original 1969 version with John Wayne in anticipation of this one's release, and the 2 are similar in parts but very different at times too.  This version is much more serious and dramatic, where the first one was a little more comedic.  Regardless, I really liked it.  The girl that played Mattie Ross was GREAT, Jeff Bridges was good as the gruff and alcoholic Rooster Cogburn, and Matt Damon was perfectly arrogant as LeBeouf.  Overall it was exciting in a gun-slinging kinda way (it is, after all, a Western!)  I would definitely CHECK IT OUT!

Little Fockers

This 3rd installment is alot like the 2nd... meaning not nearly as good as the 1st.  The story has some weird tangents, but it was pretty funny in parts, and Robert DeNiro and Ben Stiller were great together (as usual).  It's not gonna change your life or anything, but it's BEARABLE if you liked the other films in the series. 

Black Swan

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 3 months, you've probably heard a little bit about this movie.  They (meaning movie critics, gossip magazines and such) have all been saying how great Natalie Portman is and how she'll probably win the Oscar for Best Actress, etc.  Well, I totally agree!  Natalie is great!  Mila Kunis is also great (who knew - she was Jackie on That 70's show, and she can actually act!), and the ballet director (not sure of his name) was great too.  The movie overall was very good, but I left slightly disappointed.  Too much hype and too excited to see it = I'll probably be disappointed.  Regardless, it is very good.  It's a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing to the very end.  I thought I had it figured out early on, but I was totally wrong.  And surprisingly, it's not really that much about ballet.  I anticipated lots of ballet terminology that I wouldn't understand, but it didn't have much of that.  It was a suspenseful and exciting movie that most people would enjoy, so CHECK IT OUT!

How Do You Know

This is definitely the worst movie I've seen all year. Just.... don't.  PASS!