Take Your Time with Eating, Praying and Loving

The Verdict: 
MAYBE SEE...


REVIEW:

In Eat Pray Love, the second unofficial "girl movie" of the year (Sex and the City 2 is the predecessor) America's Sweetheart aka Julia Roberts as always, is a delight to watch. Eat Love Pray seems to be her big comeback film, since her latest films (Valentine's Day, Duplicity) haven't been up to par with her earlier, well-known movies (Pretty Woman (1990), Erin Brockovitch (2000) ).

Roberts is perfectly cast as Liz Gilbert, an all American woman who seems to have the perfect life but suddenly one day, she wants to divorce her husband Steven (a silly and sad Billy Crudup, Watchmen, Public Enemies).

Eat Pray Love is based upon the 2006 New York Times bestseller memoir, Eat, Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Eat Pray Love (the film) had the potential to be a really inspiring film but despite having the great Roberts as the star, it falls short.

It actually reminds me of the 2003 film Under the Tuscan Sun (which I highly enjoyed), in which a newly divorced woman starts her life over in Tuscany, Italy. Coincidentally, that film is also based on a memoir.

However, because of the idea of the search for self for Liz (the main character in Under the Tuscan Sun goes to Italy at first as a vacation to escape her problems, but then falls in love with it so much she buys a villa and decides to call Italy her new home), I dub Eat Pray Love, women's Into the Wild (the beautiful 2007 Sean Penn directed film based on the non-fiction book of the same time, of the life and death of Christopher McCandless, a young man who abandons the life he knows, to travel to Alaska to find himself).

But unlike the tragic Into the Wild, Eat Pray Love is more about the celebration of life.

Admist Liz's divorce she decides to go away for a year--- first to Italy, then to India and lastly Indonesia--- in hopes of finding herself.

Liz eats until her heart is content in Italy, goes on a spritual quest in India and finds peace and love (with Felipe, played charmingly by Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men, Vicky Cristina Barcelona)again in Bali.

I like that she narrates the film at certain points, which is very effective, giving the audience access to some her thoughts and the feeling that she is actually telling her story to us.

The best scenes of the film are in Italy where food as pleasure, is her new way of life. The most scrumptious Italian foods from pasta to pizza are given close up shots so close, you can almost smell the aroma floating off the screen.

As Liz travels to India and Indonesia, India is lively and Indonesia is calm.

But it was disappointing not to see really any beautiful scenic shots.

In a film about traveling to different countries, you'd especially expect gorgeous shots everywhere but there isn't any.

There are some sweet and tender moments where you may find yourself about to spill tears, but they don't run rampant (the scenes don't and your tears won't).

The most poignant, powerful scene is when Liz spontaneously gets on her knees to pray to God asking Him while crying, what should she do. Should she divorce her husband or not?

Roberts is at her best in that moment.

How inspiring is Eat Pray Love as a whole?

Well the the most inspiring thing about Eat Pray Love the film for me is Liz's trip to Italy.

It inspired me in what to eat for dinner.

I really couldn't get the delicious looking Italian food out of my mind from Roberts' falling in love with food period.

I got pizza.

I never got around to finishing reading the novel Eat, Pray, Love.

Hmmm...

That should have been the red flag for me to skip the movie.

Fans of the book should love the film version however.

All others, unless you're a die hard Julia Roberts fan, take your time with seeing Eat Pray Love.

~Trailer:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810105588/trailer

*The Stars:
Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Billy Crudup, James Franco, Viola Davis, Richard Jenkins

~Director:
Ryan Murphy

~Music:
Dario Marianelli

~Rating:
PG-13

~How Long:
2 hrs. & 13 mins.

~Opening:
8/13/2010

FUN FACTS:
~Julia Roberts gained 10 pounds from her role of Liz Gilbert, from all her eating scenes while in Italy.
~Brad Pitt is one of the producers of the film.

If The Expendables Wore Pink

Would this be how the movie poster would look?

Of course this mock poster is a joke, but how would the actual theatrical poster look if the 2010 action film The Expendables (starring legendary action heroes Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li and with brief appearances by the king of all action heroes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as Bruce Willis) movie was starring female action heroes?

It certainly wouldn't look like the real The Expendables movie poster---

filled with guns and knives galore which look drenched in blood complete with a menacing skull.

An even more important question is, what would the cast sound like if the tables where turned and the stars were girls instead of boys?


Could there even be a cast?

I thought long and hard about the female version of The Expendables and came up with:


Jolie (as in Angelina)
Thurman (Uma)
Rodriguez (Michelle)
Liu (Lucy)
Lawless (Lucy)

Chyna

Jovovitch (Milla)
Garner (Jennifer)
Grier (Pam)
Davis (Geena)
Weaver (Sigourney)
Fox (Vivica A.)

Queen Latifah

Beckinsale (Kate)
Moore (Demi)
Dushku (Eliza)
Gershon (Gina)
Lilly (Evangeline)


These actresses have at some point played the role of a strong, butt-kicking machine woman (with the exception of ex-wrestler Chyna, who has done very few movies and more of television acting and Lilly, who has done movie acting but is best known for her T.V. role on Lost as tenacious Kate) but would they have it in them to play ruthless, killing machines as the actors in The Expendables do?

I don't know...

Maybe...

Yes!

I would love to finally see a real action film starring women. And not part cutesy and sexy like in recent girl action films, 2000 & 2003's Charlie's Angels and 2006's DOA (Dead or Alive).
I'm talking realistic, brutal, no holds barred action that happens in male dominated action films.

If the actresses mentioned above couldn't do such an action film, I don't know which actresses could.


Imagine this poster of The Expendables---

with the actresses' name mentioned before, wearing similar suits (and not in pink!) and armed to the teeth as the actors are.

I think it's only a matter of time before real women action heroes (read: not at all sexed up somehow) in film comes along.

Besides Alice from the Resident Evil films (has a late summer 2010 film out), Selene from the Underworld series (will reappear in a 2011 film), Black Mamba from Kill Bill series (she will resurface in Kill Bill Vol. 3 in 2014) and Lara Croft (who is MIA at the moment), what other female action heroes do girls have?

Angelina Jolie's recent fierce Evelyn Salt character could be the beginning of a new, real female action hero.

However Salt, Alice, Selene, Black Mamba and Croft still aren't as notorious as the male action heroes Rambo, The Terminator and John McClane.

When will we finally see a worldwide female action hero?

It's 2010 already.

Hollywood, it's time.

* http://screenrant.com/female-expendables-movie-pauly-67099/

* http://www.esquire.com/the-side/feature/top-female-action-stars-081210

Day of the Woman 2010

When I first read that the controversial 1978 exploitation film I Spit On Your Grave was being remade this year, I grinned.

I love the original, as hard as it is to watch at times (the main character Jennifer Hills (played by Camille Keaton) gets beaten and gang raped).

I grinned as I imagined how the new Jennifer (Sarah Butler) will exact her revenge on her attackers in the remake.

I just love a good revenge film--- especially when a female character has the chance to take revenge on someone (usually a male or males) who have horrifyingly wronged her (usually through sexual and/or physical abuse).

Female driven revenge films, are rare enough, but especially when rape is involved (Lipstick, Sudden Impact).

This of course is because who truly wants to see a film where a woman is raped and/or battered? Revenge on her attackers is what the audience wants to see. When the woman gets her revenge on her abuser(s) that makes the movie a little easier to watch.

The original I Spit On Your Grave (Meir Zarchi, who wrote the script after he encountered a woman who had been beaten and raped. When he took her to the police, they did basically nothing useful in helping her. Zarchi was disturbed by the whole situation.) holds nothing back with the rape scenes. They are very difficult to watch. Jennifer is raped for a lengthy amount of time first in the woods, then later on back at her cabin.

I doubt the remake will be as graphic in that respect as the original.

Maybe this is a good thing.

But the rawness of those scenes is what made the 1978 version so real and shocking.

Jennifer's revenge on her rapists in the original were classic. She was merciless. And she had the right to be. She hangs one, axes to death another and in the most infamous scene of the film, castrates one of her rapists.

Hopefully in the remake, the deaths of her attackers will be just as good.

I love the original theatrical poster tagline: "This woman has just cut, chopped, broken and burned five men beyond recognition... But no jury in America would ever convict her!"

The poster in itself is a favorite of mine.

I remember being a teenager and seeing the VHS of it in a movie section and the disturbing image of a woman bloodied in underwear holding a knife grabbed me instantly. I had to see it.

The remake poster (pictured at the beginning of this blog) is wonderful. It sticks to the classic-ness of the original poster.

The alternate poster however is not wonderful.

It looks like a bad horror film poster.

And the ultra bad, ultra wrong tagline: "It's date Night" is awful! Jennifer isn't date raped. She is attacked by strangers.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman..." as cliche as the saying is, would have been so much better.

October 8th 2010 (the release of the film) is Day of the Woman.

I love this play on the original title of I Spit On Your Grave.

Although I already know the remake won't top the original, I'm very excited to see it.

I'm rooting for the 2010 Jennifer Hills to be just as merciless.

It's (hopefully!) castration time!

Remake Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810148549/trailer

Original Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyEsbTb8Gb0

Why I Love 3D

So I just saw my first movie (Step Up 3D) in the much buzzed about Real D 3D.
It is God's gift to film.
It is the most amazing thing!

This grand step in movie making technology has made me love film even more.
How could someone not want to watch a movie where characters and the movie world are popping out at you?
Renowned film critic Roger Ebert doesn't for one. He recently wrote a blunt article for Newsweek that says it all: "Why I Hate 3D (And You Should Too)."
Before I saw my first Real D 3D movie, I used to say I hated 3D and would groan every time I heard about a movie being released in 3D.
Why?
Because I didn't think 3D worked. I thought I'd be sitting with red and green or red and blue paper glasses for nothing--- that the picture would look the same but in red, green or blue or be blurred.
Well, was I wrong.
I just had to see it myself to believe the hype.

First off, 3D in the 00's has been revamped majorly starting with the change from paper glasses to plastic glasses. They're pretty cool and look like sunglasses rather than the old ridiculous paper colored glasses that never worked as far as I can remember when using them as a kid.
Second, they actually work! And works like nothing you can imagine!
When I was watching Step Up 3, at some parts--- characters were seemingly coming right at me! I was very tempted to reach out and grab them to see if they were (of course I knew they weren't but the excited kid in me thought so). *Luckily I didn't or I would have looked pretty dumb grabbing air!
When things would blow out at me (bubbles and then slurpee (if you saw Step Up 3D, you know what I'm talking about, if not--- two characters were making designs in the air from blowing slurpee out of straws. It sounds weird if you didn't see it, but it was really cool if you did.) ) I actually thought they were going to land on me and I jerked back involuntary. *Hopefully no one saw me!

The whole 3D experience was just a treat.
I think I smiled throughout the whole film.
The only downside is if you already need glasses when watching a movie, you'll now have 2 pairs on.
Anyone else need prescription 3D glasses?


I definitely look forward to more and more films being shot in Real D 3D.
The extra money on the ticket is a pain, but worth it ($18 total at the theatre I went to).
However, I don't think every movie should be shot in 3D.
Inception would have been even more out of this world if it took the 3D plunge for example while
a comedy like Cyrus would be pointless to have made into 3D.
Action and fantasy based films especially can really benefit visually from the 3D look.
For example, Tron: Legacy (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810096458/trailer) looks like it will be amazing in Real D 3D.

I impatiently await!

http://www.reald.com/Content/cinema.aspx

(Step Up) 3 Is A Charm

The Verdict: 
GO SEE!


REVIEW:

Since Step Up 3D, the first dance movie of the year, opened over the weekend, I've already seen it twice.

Yes, it is that wow!

And the fact that it is presented in Real D 3D (my first 3D film so I was stunned in my seat for a good while) makes it twice wow!

The third in the Step Up Breakdancing/Hip-Hop dance movie trilogy (So far. I'm really hoping for a next film!) is the most exhilarating hands down.

I liked Step Up (2006), loved Step Up 2: The Streets (2008) but I am in love with Step Up 3D.

If you thought the Step Up 2 last battle scene in the rain was something else---

(if you don't believe me or didn't see part 2 watch this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv-cQrD4MS0 )

wait until you see the battle scene in water in this part. It contains the baddest (in a good way) dance choreography I've seen in awhile--- in movies and real life.

And the final dance battle? There's all these glowing, colorful lights that are on the dancers costumes that light up as the dancers dance. It's beyond incredible.

Step Up 3D (Jon Chu, Step Up 2: The Streets) follows BFAB (Born From A Boombox--- slang for very talented or pro dancers) dancers Luke (Rick Malambri, model turned actor), a breakdancer but more a film maker, Natalie (Sharni Vinson, T.V. actress turned movie actress) a dancer with a secret and Luke's love interest and Robert Alexander III but simply, Moose (Adam Sevani, Step Up 2: The Streets), the lovable, geeky but cool at the same time, Hip-Hop extraordinaire dancer.

Some of the dancers from Step Up 2 make an appearance towards the end of the film which is cool.

The plot is nothing to get excited about (but that's almost always the case with dance films)--- there's a love story (two actually, besides Luke and Natalie, Moose and Camille evolve into more than friends slowly) and of course a rivalry between two dance groups (The Pirates and House of Samurai in this Step Up installment)--- but who cares?

The most important thing in a dance movie is the dancing.

And Step Up 3D delivers big time on the dancing.

Besides the obvious breakdancing, there's a cute Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers-esque dance scene between Moose and his brainy best friend Camille (Alyson Stoner, Step Up)--- Tyler Gage's (Channing Tatum, Step Up, Fighting) baby sister from Step Up. Also, a seductive tango dance scene between Luke and Natalie.

Fans of legendary dancers Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson will surely love the scene where Moose does dead on impersonations of Presley and Jackson (the beginning of Step Up 3D is reminiscent of his This Is It as Luke's dancers The Pirates, are videotaped talking about why they dance. Ironically too, he is one of the dancer's reasons) and gives a spine-tingling little speech how dance can affect people and generations.

If you're dance fan, especially Breakdance and Hip-Hop, I don't think I need to tell you, but dance your way down to the theatres and see Step Up 3D.

You're in for an eye popping (literally!) foot stomping good time!

~Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810088499/trailer

*The Stars:

Rick Malambri, Adam Sevani, Sharni Vinson, Alyson Stoner

~Director:

Jon Chu

~Music:

Bear McCreary

~Rating:

PG-13

~How Long:

1 hr. 37 mins.

~Opening:

8/6/2010

FUN FACTS:

~9 finalists from the T.V. dance show "So You Think You Can Dance" earned roles in this film.

* http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2010-08-06-stepup06_VA_N.htm

Titanic 2

When I first read the news of a Titanic 2, I instantly became excited. Titanic is one of my all time favorite films, as well as one of the most epic films ever made I believe (along with most critics and fans). After over 10 years since it was released, a sequel seems due.
But when I didn't see Titanic's director James Cameron's name anywhere or even Leonardo DiCaprio's (though it would be impossible for him to be in a Titanic 2, since he died in Titanic. But hey, a girl can still dream!)--- I quickly became disappointed.
I was expecting maybe Michael Bay (blockbuster director/producer, Transformers, Armageddon) as the director or producer, but only saw an unknown one.
Not necessarily a bad thing, but when the actors are unfamiliar too, that's definitely not a good sign.
The only actor I recognize in the trailer (which looks like a TV movie) is Bruce Davison (who is most known as his mutant hater role, Senator Kelly from The X-Men series) as the captain.
Not a good sign.
Titanic 2 goes straight to DVD (thankfully!) August 24th, which is a good thing.
If this would have made it into theatres, I can't imagine the bad reception it would receive.
After the massive sucess of Cameron's Titanic, anything less is a waste.
I will eventually buy the DVD just because I'm curious about it.
The plot is interesting at least--- a new ship, Titanic 2, in 2012, is set to make the same voyage Titanic made 100 years ago. Can you guess what happens next?
At least the storyline doesn't try to pick up where Cameron's classic, beautiful 1997 Titanic left off.
Now that would have been a disaster!

*Trailer:

http://worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=18468&count=33

Shining Cloud

The Verdict:
GO SEE!


REVIEW:
Just by the title, Charlie St. Cloud (the St. Cloud particularly), you don't have to guess there's something magical about this film.

After seeing the trailer, you definitely know there is.

Talented young sailor Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron, High School Musical series, 17 Again) can somehow see and speak to the ghost of his deceased little brother Sam (adorable yet sometimes annoying (in the pestering kid brother way), Charlie Tahan, I Am Legend).

One night, Charlie tries to sneak out to a party instead of babysitting Sam but Sam convinces Charlie to take him along. On the way, they are involved in a car accident and Sam dies while Charlie almost dies but is brought back to life.

Of course Charlie blames himself and instead of going off to college with a sailing scholarship he earned, he stays in town and takes a job at the cemetary where his brother is buried.

The film fast forwards 5 years later after the accident where Charlie regularly talks to and plays baseball with Sam (before the accident he promised Sam everyday at sunset they would practice baseball). Charlie not only sees his brother, but also a high school classmate who was killed while serving in the military.

Charlie slowly starts to notice and begins to fall for an ex-classmate, Tess (Amanda Crew, Final Destination 3, The Haunting in Connecticut), a headstrong sailor who plans to sail around the world.

Charlie becomes torn between keeping his promise to Sam as he struggles to let go of the past, and starting a relationship with Tess who has fallen for him.

St. Cloud is a tragic love story on one hand, with Charlie not being able to let go of his brother. But a sweet love story on the other hand, as he and Tess fall in love with each other.

The film is filled with a surprising twist mid-way (think a less creepy Sixth Sense) that I didn't see coming at all.

It is visually great look to it (there's some really beautiful ocean shots especially), making the fictitious seaside town seem like a picture perfect place to live and one you easily can get lost in.

Efron is wonderful, real and so likable as Charlie. His career has the potential to sky rocket and hopefully it will.

Kim Basinger (9 1/2 Weeks, Batman) makes an appearance as the St. Cloud boy's hard working mother. Her role is tiny but it was a treat seeing her as always.

Ray Liotta (Goodfellas, Wild Hogs) unexpectedly pops up as Florio Ferrente, the paramedic who resisitates Charlie and gives him words of wisdom on living life that eventually wake Charlie up from the frozen state he's in.

Charlie St. Cloud is a lovely little film. It starts off with tragedy but by the ending, there's a lightness to it.

St. Cloud shines.

~Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810097537/trailer

*The Stars:

Zac Efron, Charlie Tahan, Amanda Crew, Ray Liotta, Kim Basinger

~Director:

Burr Steers

~Music:

Rolfe Kent

~Rating:

PG-13

~How Long:

1 hr. 49 mins.

~Opening:

7/30/10

FUN FACTS:

~The film is based upon the 2004 novel: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, by Ben Sherwood.