The King's Speech

December 26.

If you follow my blog you know I love the British Royals. So, you can probably guess how excited I was to see such great actors in a movie about a royal story I knew almost nothing about.

Colin Firth plays King George VI, better known to this generation as Queen Elizabeth II's father. I knew his brother was king first and that he abdicated to marry an American divorcee, which made George VI king and Elizabeth heir to the throne; but the stutter was news to me.

"The King's Speech" was a perfect movie. Charming and funny, well written and acted. The story centered around the forgotten prince's speech impediment, his strong-willed wife, and his amazing speech therapist. But in the background was the story of the struggle with his family and his duty to his country just as Hitler was taking over Germany and pulling Europe into war.

I know a lot of people don't think they care about watching a king learn how to speak but I can't think of anyone who wouldn't like this movie.

I Love You Phillip Morris

December 26.

"I Love You Phillip Morris" is only playing in one theater in Las Vegas so I'm guessing not a lot of people are going to see it. But, it's so good I really hope people find their way to the theater.

Jim Carrey is twisted, touching, and funny in this real-life story of con man Steven Russell, who, after years of marriage, decides he's gay and starts committing insurance fraud to live a new life in Miami. He gets caught, goes to jail, and that's where the story really gets started. He falls in love with the sweet, cute inmate Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). Once out, he pulls a few more successful cons and gets caught and breaks out of jail numerous times - all in the name of love, he says.

The comedy is dark, the sex is explicit, and the story is sort of unbelievable, but it really happened, I looked it up. Although, even if it hadn't it'd still be fun to watch.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

December 25.

My final Christmas movie of the holiday season is one of the best, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." This is the third "Vacation" and my favorite of the four. The movie does a great job of showing all the good and bad parts of the holidays, mostly how you want your family around but can't stand them once they're there.

The Griswold's are great (with an age shifted Audrey and Rusty) and all the secondary characters including grandparents, the yuppie neighbors, and even Clark's boss are perfect. But, of course, the return of Eddie and Catherine in a broken down trailer really makes the movie - way back when Randy Quaid was just crazy in the movies.

I've been watching this movie since I was a kid and I can't imagine a year without seeing it.

A Christmas Story

December 25.

Ok, so I didn't start "A Christmas Story" at the beginning, but it doesn't matter. I just watched it through and then let it start again and once the kid stuck his tongue to the pole, again, I knew I'd seen the whole thing.

I didn't really like this movie as a kid. The adults are mean, the kids are mean, Randy's gross, the mom is nuts, Santa's scary. This movie just always made me uncomfortable. But I am an American and I wouldn't want to offend my fellow countrymen. So every year I do my civic duty and watch. Some of it has grown on me. The leg lamp and the Chinese Christmas dinner are my favorite parts.

TBS is taking advantage of all of us though. They know we have to watch so they show these really long commercials for their awful shows. TBS, you can stop, I won't see you again until next year.

It's a Wonderful Life

December 24.

"Look, Daddy. Teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings." The most classic line in the most classic Christmas movie ever made. I love "It's a Wonderful Life!" James Stewart, Donna Reed, Clarence!

I have always liked the movie but in the last few years I really appreciate it. I think I'm a lot like George Bailey. I grew up with these grand visions of what life would be like, all the places I'd go, the things I'd see. But then one day I woke up and realized this is it. How depressing. Of course George gets to see the world if he'd never been born. He witnesses the lives of all the people he has helped and the good he has done in Bedford Falls. When he realizes he had a wonderful life it's because everyone is falling apart without him. But maybe that is how you're supposed to value your life. And in the end they do save him too.

I don't know if I will ever have that revelation, but it's nice to watch George realize how much his life is worth and that he really has accomplished so much. So no matter how depressing it appears I always feel better when George screams Merry Christmas to Bedford Falls and Zulu squeaks out that famous line.

True Grit

December 24.

I didn't see the original "True Grit" and don't really have an affinity for Westerns. But when the Coen Brothers make a movie, I make it a point to show up. And again they made an amazing movie. The story was perfect, the dialogue witty, smart, and interesting, and the actors, well they were the best part. A Coen trademark is the actors. From the lead roles or the smallest parts every person is unique to look at and wonderful to watch. "True Grit" was no different.

Jeff Bridges is very Dude, or at least his speech is, as a tough U.S. Marshall,  always drunk and a little too old to be running around the Indian territory trying to find a murderer (not that the Dude did that). Although he is great, as is Matt Damon, and even Josh Brolin, it's Hailee Steinfeld, who I've never even seen before, that I fell in love with. Her character, the 14-year-old who hires Bridges to find her father's murderer, is tough and extremely bright for her age.

This is exactly a Christmas movie,  but if Christmas is about family and gun fights in the Wild West, then why not.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

December 23.

Wow. "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" opens with a close up of a makeup-less, 75-year-old Joan Rivers and gets more revealing from there.

This documentary was filmed during what Rivers calls a slow year. She does stand up, puts on a play about her life, and stars on "The Celebrity Apprentice." There are funny moments, well, funny lines. She is funny after all. And there are a lot of clips from her career and pictures of her life, which were awesome to see. But mostly this is a sad, sad look at an insecure old woman who has had a lot of tough times.

She's candid about everything from beauty, sex, plastic surgery, her daughter, and her husband's suicide. "A Piece of Work" is a really well made documentary and you have to give Joan credit for being so open about her life.

The Fighter

December 18.

Mark Wahlberg was great as the lead in "The Fighter," but Christian Bale is the real star of this true life story about a Boston boxer and his drug addicted brother.

Wahlberg plays stepping stone boxer Micky Ward, who might have the potential for something bigger. He looks up to his crack addicted, larger-than-life older brother, Dicky Eklund (Bale), who had his moment more than a decade ago but won't let go. Micky was a child when Dicky fought (and knocked down) Sugar Ray Leonard. Dicky taught him everything he knows and is still his trainer even though he doesn't always show up. The story takes place while HBO is filming Dicky for his come back, but once he gets arrested it all begins to unravel.

The drama has many heavy moments - some of Ward's beatings are hard to watch, as is the gritty Boston family and Dicky's drug use. But Bale's performance is so amazing everyone should see it. He always puts so much into what he does, physically and mentally. All you have to do is see the real Eklund to know what a transformation the normally sexy Bale made. Make sure you stay for the credits when the real brothers appear, you'll see Bale was not exaggerating.

Although I didn't exactly like Dicky or their mother, I thought Ward showed a lot of character sticking by the family that probably brought him down.

Black Swan

December 18.

When I first saw the preview for "Black Swan" I knew I wanted to see it but I wasn't sure what exactly was going on. Was Natalie Portman turning into a swan? Was she just freaking out? Was the ballet director making her sleep with him for the part? Was someone beating her? Is Mila Kunis trying to kill her?

Now that I've seen it some of those questions are answered, but I'm still not sure what was real and what was fantasy. This is definitely more than a drama though. Maybe it's horror or at least a psychological thriller.

Either way, director Darren Aronofsky made another too-real, intense, amazing movie. He strips away all the beauty of the ballet and shows the competitive dancing world complete with bloody feet, puking uptight girls, and an aging star who can't handle being replaced. And that doesn't even touch the surface of the actual story.

Some of the beauty does come back during the last act when you see opening night, but I don't want to give anything away so I'll just say see it.

How Do You Know

December 18.

"How Do You Know" has a few unfortunate pitfalls. It's billed as a comedy and the actors are usually comedic, so obviously you go in thinking it's a comedy. But it's really more of a drama with funny moments. I still liked it though. It's probably a little too long, and maybe they go into each story a little too much. I think that's the problem with stories like this. there are three leads (plus Jack Nicholson!) and way too much going on. It could have been a television show.

To turn this back into a comedy I think it mostly needed focus and editing. The Owen Wilson character, although funny, could have been cut out altogether, or at least made to be more of a sidenote. And Reese Witherspoon, who plays an aging (31) women's softball player who's about to get cut from the team, could have been fired in scene one instead of dragging it out.

The actors are still really good, especially the scenes with Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

December 12.

I was looking for "Home Alone" on instant Netflix and couldn't find it, but I found "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" and thought well, this will be OK, I'm sure it's just like the first one except set in NYC!

It was a mistake. I barely made it to the end without going crazy. Some of the jokes are exactly the same as the first movie, which seemed stupid. I know this is a kids' movie starring a kid, but does this kid really wish to be alone again just one year after being left alone?

Whatever, it's really stupid and I should have watched any other Christmas movie.

The Tourist

December 11.

"The Tourist" should have been a good movie, maybe even great. Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in a caper through the romantic canals of Venice is a great set up. But something was missing. Chemistry, I guess.

The storyline was good enough. It starts in Paris where she is being watched by Interpol. She gets a letter from a mysterious man, hops on a train, and per his instructions picks up a look-a-like - Johnny. Depp plays a bumbling American math teacher, set against Angie's cool, very together Brit. But from here it drags. The action never really takes off (and neither do those molasses-style boat chases) and the intrigue isn't really that intriguing.

Johnny is better than Angie. He's a bit charming and a little funny. She doesn't have a moment of levity though. It's also odd to see her looking old and too thin.

La Vie en Rose

December 10.

Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for her role in "La Vie en Rose," it's set in Paris, and follows the life of the famous French singer Edith Piaf. It really has the makeup of a movie I would love ... but I didn't. I don't know the singer or her music, and maybe that's part of it, even though that hasn't kept me from liking these kinds of movies in the past. ,

Cotillard seemed like she was playing a caricature of Piaf, who had a rough childhood growing up between the streets of Paris and her grandmother's brothel. Although she had bad parents they were both talented and she started performing as a child. She seemed to go from bratty kid to bratty, famous adult without missing a beat and although I felt bad for her I didn't really like her. The whole time I kept thinking I was watching a bad sketch on "Mad TV" played by Nicole Sullivan (she really looks like her).

My other complaint is the way the story skipped around. I don't always mind this, sometimes it's a great technique and adds something to the story, but it just confused me during this movie.

Tangled

December 5.

"Tangled" is cute enough if you're an eight year old girl, I guess. It has some of those classic Disney Princess moments - princess trapped in tower by evil, old woman, Prince Charming comes to rescue her, etc., etc. And it does move into the 21 Century because Prince Charming isn't actually a Prince and no one seems to care.

But, I don't know. There were no great sidekick like "Aladdin," "The Little Mermaid," or "Lion King" had and the humor didn't extend to the adult audience.

So, "Tangled" is OK but with so many great animated movies out it really doesn't cut it.