Peacock

This was a weird movie to watch. It had an interesting setup but in the end I felt it came up short. It had a lot of potential to be a very good movie. That being said, you might want to watch it anyways because the acting was good. I might just be too harsh on the movie, but that's just the way I feel.

There were many mixed reviews on this film from both extremes of loving it and hating it. I was really in the middle.





Netflix summary:

Bank clerk John Skillpa (Cillian Murphy) hides a disturbing past from everyone in small-town Peacock, Neb. When a train jumps the tracks and crashes into John's backyard, his neighbors discover a confused woman named Emma milling about. They rush to aid the woman they assume is John's wife, but their efforts prompt John to descend into psychosis. Only Maggie (Ellen Page), a young mother, seems to know the truth behind his bizarre behavior.

Cast:Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, Susan Sarandon, Josh Lucas, Bill Pullman, Keith Carradine, Jaimi Paige, Bradley Steven Perry, Chris Carlson, Virginia Newcomb

Women in Trouble

This was a great independent movie with tons of well known actresses. I was surprised that it worked even with all the many different characters. Grab some popcorn and enjoy this Indie movie. Definitely worth watching once.

Cheers!



Netflix Summary:

One crazy day in the lives of 10 wildly different women -- including a porn star, psychiatrist, flight attendant, housewife, masseuse and others -- forms the basis of this indie comedy from writer-director Sebastian Gutierrez. Starring Carla Gugino as adult film actress Elektra Luxx, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Adrianne Palicki, Connie Britton, Garcelle Beauvais, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Elizabeth Berkley.

Cast:Carla Gugino, Adrianne Palicki, Connie Britton, Marley Shelton, Cameron Richardson, Garcelle Beauvais, Caitlin Keats, Paul Cassell, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Sarah Clarke, Rya Kihlstedt, Simon Baker, Elizabeth Berkley

The Road

This is another one of those post-apocalyptic movies and is very dark in nature. This particular movie is put together well and does a good job making the post-apocalyptic world real. The acting was good and the pace of the movie was a bit slow at times, but acceptable. I think it is worth seeing once.

Watch it if you like these types of movies. Hope you enjoy it like I did. Cheers!



Netflix summary:

From the ash-covered, post-apocalyptic remains of Appalachia, the Father (Viggo Mortensen) and Son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) take to the road in search of a better life. But the Father's health is failing, lending urgency to a journey impeded by nomadic bands of cannibals. Charlize Theron co-stars in this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, set in a fictional near future in which the world has been virtually destroyed.

Cast:Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Garret Dillahunt, Michael K. Williams, Molly Parker, Bob Jennings, Agnes Herrmann

Coco Before Chanel

I love watching French movies and have previously seen Audrey Tautou in other movies notably Amelie which was a fun quirky movie. This movie is a drama based on Coco before she became famous. I thought it was well done and put together well. The acting was good and overall the movie was entertaining.

I enjoyed it and hope you to do too. Cheers!



Netflix summary:

Audrey Tautou stars as legendary French designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in this lively biopic that explores the fashion icon's storied ascension from orphan to seamstress and cabaret singer and ultimately, the queen of Parisian haute couture. Alessandro Nivola plays Arthur "Boy" Capel, Chanel's lover and influential business investor who makes a lifelong impact on the young woman. Anne Fontaine directs this Oscar nominee for Best Costume Design.

Cast:Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, Emmanuelle Devos, Régis Royer, Etienne Bartholomeus, Yan Duffas, Fabien Béhar, Roch Leibovici

Remember Me, My Love (Ricordati di me)

I had high expectations for this foreign film. The trailer looked good. I have seen the actors in other movies and they are good. Unfortunately, this movie missed the mark. I think it was just a bad storyline and the characters were unlikeable. All of them: father, son, daughter, and mother were just characters that annoyed me.

Don't let the trailer fool you and skip this unsatisfying movie.




Netflix Summary:

Failed novelist Carlos Ristuccia (Fabrizio Bentivoglio) works at a finance company while his wife (Laura Morante) toils as a teacher (after abandoning dreams of being an actress). With their ambitions jettisoned, the couple has instilled little self-esteem in their teenaged son and daughter, who struggle to find meaning in life. Meanwhile, Carlos rekindles an affair with a former flame (Monica Bellucci), triggering a marital and family crisis.

En Tu Ausencia (In Your Absence)

This movie received excellent praise at netflix. It is one of those films you either love or hate. I think it is really might come down to how you relate to the characters in the film.

Frankly I hated this movie. It was extremely slow paced, camera work was awful, and the music did not match. The quality of the film used seemed cheap too.



Netflix Summary:

While wandering the southern Spanish countryside, fatherless and lonely young Pablo (Gonzalo Sánchez Salas) crosses paths with a dapper stranger named Paco (Fransisco Alfonsin) and strikes up a friendship that will ultimately give rise to tragedy. First-time director Iván Noel's affecting drama also stars Anabel Azuar, Antonio J. Atienza Sánchez and Ana Tutor as Julia, Pablo's brazen worldly friend.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo aka Män Som Hatar Kvinnor; Millennium: Part 1: Men Who Hate Women

This foreign thriller movie is from a trilogy book adaptation. Unless you speak Swedish, you will have to watch it with subtitles. The movie was very good and entertaining from beginning to end.

If you want to watch a different but good foreign movie, then you will want to see this. Enjoy!



Netflix Summary:

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and rebellious computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) team up to investigate the unsolved disappearance of wealthy Henrik Vanger's (Sven-Bertil Taube) teen niece (Ewa Fröling), only to uncover dark secrets about Vanger's powerful family. Niels Arden Oplev directs this Swedish thriller based on the first novel from Stieg Larsson's best-selling trilogy.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

I like crime drama and thrillers. I wish there were more good ones out there with Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro. This movie Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans with Nicolas Cage was good. I wasn't sure what to expect but the trailer and the genre made me want to see it.

I enjoyed it and think you will to. This is a good popcorn movie.



Netflix Summary:

Corrupt Det. Terence McDonaugh (Nicolas Cage) -- whose bad habits include pain drugs, reckless sports gambling and accepting sexual bribes -- investigates the murder of five Senegalese illegal immigrants in New Orleans. Co-starring Val Kilmer as McDonaugh's partner, Xzibit as drug supplier Big Fade and Eva Mendes as prostitute Frankie Donnenfield, director Werner Herzog's action drama is a loose update of Abel Ferrara's 1992 film, Bad Lieutenant.

The Time Traveler's Wife

This movie is based on a book that I didn't read. I am sure the book is better than the movie (they always are), but I enjoyed this movie anyways. Time travel is just one of those subject matters that interest me. Like the Back to the Future trilogy with Michael J Fox.

The acting was decent, storyline understandable, and overall this romance movie was entertaining. Grab some popcorn and watch it when you get a chance.




Netflix Summary:

Due to a genetic disorder, handsome librarian Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana) involuntarily zips through time, appearing at various moments in the life of his true love, the beautiful artist Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams). Also starring Ron Livingston as Gomez, the soul-stirring romantic drama was adapted from the best-selling Audrey Niffenegger novel by Bruce Joel Rubin, the screenwriter behind the beloved weepy Ghost.

It's Complicated

This movie was a fun Hollywood type of movie with great big named actors. I think my wife and I needed to see a decent movie that was light hearted and this did the trick. It is funny at times and definitely makes you smile.

I am in my 40s so that might make this comedy funnier than it really is. As long as you know what you will be watching, I think you will enjoy it too. I recommend watching this romantic comedy movie.

Netflix Summary:

Ten years after their divorce, Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Alec Baldwin) enjoy an amicable friendship. When the two unite for their son's college graduation, their romance is rekindled. But Jake is married, and Jane's architect, Adam (Steve Martin), has a thing for her. Now cheating on the younger woman for whom he left Jane, Jake wants his ex-wife back. But Jane's busy getting to know Adam. Nancy Meyers(Something's Gotta Give) wrote and directed this Golden Globe-nominated comedy.

The Counterfeiters

This period piece is during World War 2 and deals with the Jewish people and Nazis in a special concentration camp with the purpose of counterfeiting pounds and dollars for war purposes. I don't know if this actually happened historically, but I am sure it was an idea that was kicked around.

This movie was put together very well. The character development was good. Not just the main character but all the supporting characters on both sides. The storyline and plot was good, too and told from the perspective of the survivor. Even though this story isn't original, the movie is directed well that you never lose interest at any time.

You might have to be in the mood to see it, but I recommend you watching this movie.

Netflix Summary:

Facing an ethical quandary, Jewish master forger Salomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics) must choose between abetting the Nazis and saving his own skin in this taut, Oscar-winning drama based on actual events during World War II. Assembled at a death camp, a cadre of printers, artists and chiselers is tasked with counterfeiting currencies to weaken Allied economies. But will Sorowitsch's conscience begin to gnaw at him as the war draws to a close?

Sauna aka Filth

This was a crappy movie. Again, I am mislead by the netflix community into thinking this was an Indie or Art House type movie with their glowing reveiws. I should have known by the previews on the dvd before the movie started, that I would hate this movie.

This is a foreign movie that pretends to be a horror movie but it is mostly a drama. The characters are all unlikeable. The plot simply fails from beginning to end. The movie is slow paced and could have been told in 10 minutes.

Avoid this movie! The trailer is better than the whole movie.

Netflix Summary:

While mapping the new border with Russia in 1595, Finnish soldier brothers Erik (Ville Virtanen) and Knut (Tommi Eronen) stumble upon a spooky, almost-childless undocumented town. There, they find a mysterious sauna that forces all who enter it to face their past sins. Finnish director Antti-Jussi Annila's masterfully atmospheric horror film screened at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.

Wonderful World

I thought this was a comedy because Matthew Broderick was in it. I was wrong. This is a drama and had very little humor in it.

There were some good things about this movie that I liked, but I don't think I can recommend you watching it. The trailer looked funny to me, but the movie isn't anything that I expected. Not good but not bad. There were scenes that I liked in the film when the main character gets inspired and decides to make changes in his life even though it goes against his heavily ingrained negative attitude.

Again, for some reason the trailer made me think it was a comedy.

Netflix Summary:

Dejected, divorced and jobless, Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) is not inclined to see his glass as half-full. But when his roommate falls ill and Singer must host the man's Senegalese sister (Sanaa Lathan) in their apartment, his outlook begins to change. Darkman writer Josh Goldin makes his directorial debut with this drama (which he also wrote) about the attitude-adjusting romance that blossoms between Singer and Khadi.

The Lovely Bones

I didn't know what to expect from this movie. It had some big stars in it, but I knew it was about a murder from a child's point of view. From the trailer, I thought the girl's spirit tells her living father who her murderer is and he kills the murderer.

A couple of other things I thought the movie captured was the innocence of that time. It just seemed safer back then. I do remember a time when child predators were not as common as they are now today. Now we have pictures of kids on milk cartons and amber alerts.

The plot was very creative from beginning to end. Don't worry though, it makes sense through out the whole movie and is easy to follow. I liked the movie and would recommend it.

What is surprising is that this movie didn't get nominated for an Oscar considering all the 10 movie nominations. This was better than half of the nominated films and more deserving.

Netflix Summary:

When 14-year-old Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is murdered, she watches from above as her family deals with her tragic death -- and as her killer prepares to strike again. Torn between vengeance and healing, Susie's loved ones are forever changed.Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz star in Peter Jackson's adaptation of Alice Sebold's riveting, best-selling novel; Susan Sarandon and Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci co-star.

The Line aka La Linea

I really wanted to see an crime action thriller type of movie. It doesn't seem to be that many out there that looked appealing to watch. I found this movie The Line which is not an action or thriller but more of a crime drama. It had some big actors in it, but I never saw previews of this when it came out.

I thought the movie was better than decent and would recommend watching it. It is slow paced and really more of a crime drama film. In the end, the plot comes together with a twist. The acting is good and the cast fairly strong.

Netflix Summary:

Seasoned assassin Mark Shields (Ray Liotta) hunts down Salazar crime cartel leader Pelon (Esai Morales) in Tijuana, Mexico. Meanwhile, he becomes involved with Olivia (Valerie Cruz), a mother and meth addict struggling to clean up her act and improve her daughter's life. Andy Garcia, Armand Assante and Danny Trejo co-star in this action-packed crime drama inspired by the infamous Francisco Arellano Félix drug cartel.

Revanche - 2009 Academy Award: Best Foreign Language Film nominee

This was a great foreign movie to watch. I wasn't aware of this movie until my wife put it in our netflix queue. It became available as a streaming movie so that was even better. I read the reviews and it got many great ones. That always worries me because I then have higher expectations.

I watched the trailer and thought it looked OK. Then I watched the movie and just enjoyed it for what it was. The acting was good, the scenery real, and the storyline executed well. I think the development for the main character from beginning to end was well done.

This was also a 2009 Academy Award®: Best Foreign Language Film nominee.

Netflix Summary:

In a ragged section of Vienna, hardened ex-con Alex (Johannes Krisch) works as an assistant in a brothel, where he falls for Ukrainian hooker Tamara (Irina Potapenko). They hope for escape, but their plans unexpectedly intersect with the lives of a rural cop (Andreas Lust) and his seemingly content wife (Ursula Strauss). Austrian Director Götz Spielmann's Oscar-nominated drama is a tense, existential, and moving portrait of vengeance and redemption.

Up in the Air--2010 Academy Award®: Best Picture nominee

I like George Clooney movies in general, so I am partial to liking his films before I see them. This movie would be considered a romantic, comedy drama. It does deliver a little bit of everything.

The acting was great, the storyline good, and there was even a twist in the end that I didn't see. One thing I did like about this movie is it didn't have the typical Hollywood ending. This movie did get a lot of Oscar nods:

2010 Academy Award®: Best Supporting Actress nominee: Vera Farmiga
2010 Academy Award®: Best Actor nominee: George Clooney
2010 Academy Award®: Best Director nominee: Jason Reitman
2010 Academy Award®: Best Picture nominee
2010 Academy Award®: Best Supporting Actress nominee: Anna Kendrick

I have to say they are all worthy of them too. I do think this is a long shot to win best picture, and would be surprised if it won that category. For all the other categories, I could see all of them possibly winning.

I enjoyed the movie and am glad it got some positive recognition. Enjoy!

Netflix summary:

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) racks up miles flying around the country firing employees on behalf of companies. But he faces losing the job he savors to recent college grad Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) -- and losing the ability to escape emotional ties to anything. A connection he builds with Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), however, might change his outlook on the future. Golden Globe winner Jason Reitman's smart comedy also stars Jason Bateman.

A Serious Man - 2010 Academy Award®: Best Picture nominee

This was an Oscar nominated movie and I didn't hear much about it. I saw the previews and it looked interesting.

The movie was interesting and the characters were developed well. However the storyline has many gaps or holes that left me disliking this movie. There was a 10-15 minute opening of a Jewish husband and wife talking about an event that leads the wife to kill her uncle because she had heard he died. So upon seeing him, she feels he is a demon or evil spirit. I don't know what type of symbolism this represents and have no idea how this relates to the rest of the movie. This may have been a cultural thing, but honestly the directors fail to make this event cohesive with the rest of the storyline.

I think all the actors from the kids to the adults did a great job portraying their characters. Even thought the beginning was disjointed, the real story that begins after that is quite interesting. The movie kept me involved all the way until the end. And just like many French movies I have seen, this film ended like they just ran out of money. This is no joke. A Serious Man seriously fails to execute on a movie that could have been great. Instead, it leaves you with a feeling of being short changed.

The Netflix community seemed to love this movie. I read their reviews and most of their reasons for liking the movie was idiotic. For example, one reviewer gave this a 4 star rating because he liked the music even though the movie was just OK at best. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Would I watch this movie again? Nope. What I recommend it to a friend? No way. Is this Oscar worthy? Absolutely not. Will it win some awards? It probably will because the Coen brothers directed this movie. LOL.

Netflix summary:

Larry Gopnik (Golden Globe nominee Michael Stuhlbarg) has hit a "rough patch," according to a colleague, and it would seem so: people are dropping dead all around him, his wife (Sari Lennick) wants a "get" and his whining kids (Aaron Wolffand Jessica McManus) only add to the heavy load. Larry is just looking for some help. Can a few rabbis guide him to life's answers? Richard Kind co-stars in Joel Coenand Ethan Coen's 1960s-set, dark Jewish-culture send-up.

Avatar - 2010 Academy Award®: Best Picture nominee

I heard a lot about this movie so I was very skeptical that it would deliver based on all the positive press. I normally don't like what the main stream public likes, but this movie was excellent. I was very impressed with all the special effects they incorporated at every stage of the movie.

The acting was great, even though at times the characters were cartoonish. I am talking more about the military commander that comes across as a GI Joe wannabee. The actual avatars were pretty awesome. The storyline itself is predictable, although it did take a twist I didn't see. I didn't expect so many characters to die, too. That may have actually contributed to the overall story realism. Most Hollywood endings keep everyone alive for purposed of sequels.

Anyways, this is a great movie. Watch it and enjoy. Cheers!

Netflix Summary:

Disabled Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) travels to planet Pandora to become an avatar, ingratiate himself with the natives and help Americans mine lucrative unobtainium. But he finds himself in an interstellar conflict after falling for Na'vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). James Cameron writes and directs this Golden Globe-winning CGI odyssey that has broken box office records. Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang co-star.

The Young Victoria

I watch more bad movies than good ones, so I think I appreciate the well made movies that much more. In this movie The Young Victoria, I did not know what to expect. I have watched many BBC type movies, all the Jane Austen movies, and enjoy British movies in general. This movie did not disappoint me. In fact, I enjoyed this movie so much more than I would have expected.

It is actually based on historical events. How accurate it is I do not know, but the way it was presented was pleasant to watch. I think the characters were developed very well. You like both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert from beginning to end and hope they overcome the politics in their lives.

If you like these types of film, then you will certainly enjoy this movie. I will watch this again in the future. Cheers!

Netflix Summary:

Eighteen-year-old British royal Victoria (Emily Blunt) ascends to the throne and is romanced by future husband Prince Albert (Rupert Friend) in this lush period film that chronicles the early years of the British monarch's larger-than-life reign. Produced byMartin Scorsese and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, the film also starsMiranda Richardson as the Duchess of Kent, Jim Broadbent as King William andPaul Bettany as Lord Melbourne.