Saving Mr. Banks, Movie Review

 
In Saving Mr. Banks, Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney as he persuaded author P. L. Travers ("Mrs. Travers!") to release her beloved Mary Poppins as a light-hearted musical.  Travers, played amazingly by Emma Thompson, wants to protect her Mary Poppins, safely hidden away in a safe world without frivolity.  Disney helps Travers work through her childhood issues which are the underpinning of her beloved Mary Poppins.

I came out of the movie crying like a baby; the dragon slayer -- gets me every time.....

Michael Buble' To Be Loved Review

Album:  To Be Loved
Artist:  Michael Buble'
Release Date:  April 23, 2013


Buble's latest album features your favorite Sinatra, Bee Gees and Elvis songs, typical Michael Buble' sounds in an American Songbook style, with one teeny little surprise. . .

. . . a duet with Reese Witherspoon.

I didn't know what to expect from that, but I loved it.  I'm a Reese Witherspoon movie fan, but I didn't realize she could sing.  Sweet.

To Be Loved also features four original songs co-written by Buble' that give us a glimpse of his personal life, the life of a man very much in love.  Also?  Buble' is about to become a first time dad. 

"I want to take you on a wonderful journey about love -- all different kinds of love," Michael says.  "The album swings big time:  it rocks, it's soulful, it's happy, sometimes a little sad.  It's romantic, it's yummy, and it's heartfelt.

Do not think I take my success these last ten years for granted.  I was anything but an overnight sensation, which inspires me to deliver big time for my fans -- maybe even make some new ones this time out," says Buble'.  "I labored over every song, every note and every arrangement because I can't resist trying to make each record better than my last one."

"I wrote Close Your Eyes about my wife and about the power of all the women in my life -- my sisters, my mom, my grandma and all women in general.  Let's face it, where would we be without them?  I Got It Easy, another original, is basically a song where I count my blessings and is a reminder to me and everyone to appreciate all the good parts of life.  I'm a very lucky guy and I never want to forget it."

You Make Me Feel So Young on YouTube.

Buy To Be Loved on Amazon.

Disclosure:  I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the album to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.

Lone Ranger Trailer

I.... Can't.... Wait. . .

The Lorax Movie and Dr. Seuss Birthday Party

Recently?

I met The Lorax.

He gave me The Lorax book by Dr. Seuss to bring home to Eva and invited me to his very own Dr. Seuss Birthday Party:

In which they took photos that made me look absolutely huge.

It's a Seuss-like character of myself.

Right?

Welcome to Thneedville

a city they say

that was plastic and fake

and they liked it that way....

Until...

..... Want to see something cool?

Whoa! What are they?

Trees!

They used to grow all around here!

The Lorax movie is now in theaters.

Eva and I loved the movie.

It made me a little uneasy as it examined gluttony and self-indulgence, ignorance, appetite that leads to self-destruction.

This has been a growing dis-ease with me as I've become more entangled with smart phones, apps, facebook, google and location based services.  The Lorax sheds such a stark light on it all.  I don't know about you, but I really feel like building a cabin in the woods and going offline.  Let Google and later, the government, eat you alive while keeping you happy by feeding you marshmellows.

See the movie.

You'll know what I mean.

What to Expect When You're Expecting

OK, so I don't know how it happens, but it always seems when I travel, I just stumble across all kinds of fun stuff.  I don't go looking for it (usually), I just somehow find it.

So Tom and I went to Atlanta recently and we went for a walk in Piedmont Park.  Everybody does it.  Not a big deal.

We rounded a corner and spotted a man in a bathrobe just like the ones we used at Loew's in our motel room.  This man was riding around the park on the back of a golf cart in a luxurious bath robe like he's some kind of superstar or lunatic.  So of course that got our attention.....

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides

Johnny Depp, Penlope Cruz
Release Date:  May 20, 2011
Director:  Rob Marshall

Yep, new director, you read that correct.   Gore Verbinski, director of the previous three Pirates movies was unable to do this one, so Rob Marshall was called in, which, I think, might be a good thing.  Pirates 2 and 3 were such a let-down that I would hesitate to see number 4, except for two things:  1.  a new director (which probably wasn't the problem with #'s 2 and 3 though) and 2.  an acknowledgement by writers, actors and producers that 2 and 3 were let-downs.  

Johnny Depp spoke to Ian Nathan of Empire magazine, published in the Feb. '11 edition, "The thing with Pirates 4, I felt like we owed it to the people.. You know?  Pirates 2 and 3 became quite.... sub-plotty.  The mathematics of it.  All these people went to see them two or three times" (hello) "just to figure out what was happening.  This one is a little closer in tone to the first:  more characgter driven... more subject-driven... It has a freshness... Less mathematics."

Music to your ears?....

Letters To Juliet: A Review

Letters to Juliet should have been corny, cheesy, but they pulled it off spectacularly. Predictable? YES, but enjoyably so. And the cheesy parts? Exaggerated (brilliant!) as if making a point: it's cheesy! (leaving you thinking: .... but it could happen!?)
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I want to be Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) when I grow up. Claire has aged well, but she's aged indeed and she's not trying to hide it. She is graceful, stylish, serene. Not dottering or angry. At 15, Claire found true love but didn't have the faith for it. It seemed reckless, too good to be true, so she bolted, leaving Lorenzo standing alone, waiting for her. Claire then married the person she was expected to marry and they had a reasonable, well-balanced life til death (his) did they part.
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Then Sophie came on the scene. You'll remember Sophie from Mama Mia, she was Sophie there, too. Movie crossovers - I love 'em!! They narrow the gap between virtual, make believe worlds and real worlds, why not blend the two for pity's sake?
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Sophie (Amanda Seyfried - Mama Mia, Dear John), an engaged young woman herself, is in Italy with her man who is very much ignoring her, caught up in his own life. Sophie finds Claire's ancient break-up letter to Lorenzo, the boy she ditched at 15. Sophie writes Claire and the two meet and begin recklessly searching for Lorenzo, 50 years after Claire last saw him, much to the chagrin of Claire's devoted, elitist, fine-mannered and wildly handsome grandson (Christopher Egan). Sparks fly between said grandson and the betrothed Sophie. (did I mention predictable?)
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Can you rekindle an old flame? Would you allow your 65-year old grandmother to chase after an old dream with possible, probable, heartbreak at the end?
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What if you had a second chance to find true love?

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I have been counting down the days for this movie to open. If I was a true romantic, I would have been at the 12:01 am showing. I'm sure I would be.... if I was 65. I'm going to be like that. But today, I had to work. And I was tired. And I'm in the busy-ness of a middle-aged marriage.
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What did I want from this movie? I wanted to roam the beautiful hills of Tuscany. I wanted to meander through the old cobblestone alleys of Italy, to sit at an outdoor cafe' and feel the furious, passionate Italian language swirl around me, I wanted to curl up in happiness and imagination. The movie delivered.
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Written by Jose Rivera and Tim Sullivan, directed by Gary Winick (Bride Wars, 13 Going on 30).
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One to watch: Gael Garcia Bernal who played Victor, Sophie's distracted finance'. Bernal's been in a ton of films, mostly foreign, none of which were wildly successful among American audiences. He began his career in a Mexican soap opera. For real. But keep your eye on him, I think he's just launched. He was hilarious and believable. I loved him even though he was totally self-focused and had no clue about his girlfriend. That's good acting.
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PS. Vanessa Redgrave (Mrs. Dalloway)? At 73 years of age, she's in the midst of four other films, three of which will be released in 2010, the other in 2011. She's unstoppable. When art beckons, she must respond. That is why I want to be Vanessa Redgrave when I grow up.
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Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the Princess
It's a love story, baby just say yes.

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- Love Story, Taylor Swift

Dadgummit. I'm a stupid romantic girly girl.

Toy Story 3 in 3D

No Toy Gets Left Behind

June 18, 2010

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Woody, Buzz and the rest of the toys get dumped in a daycare when Andy goes to college. This is especially poignant for me as all of my children have just gone off to college, leaving a smattering of their toys - and me - behind. (gameboys - remember those!? - broken VCRs - old musical instruments - old T-shirts - random happy meal toys - & get this: a talking Woody on repeat "there's a snake in my boot there's a snake in my boot there's a snake in my boot..")
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You know I'm a Pixar girl. But historically, nobody likes the third movie in a series. Historically, Pixar doesn't even do sequels. In fact, Pixar has 2 sequels in their 15 years of movie making: Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. I'm not sure they can pull it off. Daycare proponents might get loud and nasty. Woody and Buzz may have run out of clever banter.

This is a big year for finality. Shrek 3: The Final Chapter comes out in May and then Toy Story 3 in June. We are preparing Eva for Toy Story 3. Patti took her to Disney on Ice where she saw some Toy Story characters and then I rented Toy Story 1 with her and watched it recently. Her favorite characters? The army men. Go figure. She walks around imitating them now. Sir, yes sir. Alright, men, you heard him, Code Red: move move move move!

I'm looking forward to June 18. Here's a clip:

Alice in Wonderland, Disney 3D

Is it better to be feared or to be loved?

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Alice is back.
Or is she?
It seems as if Alice is back in Wonderland, oddly called Underland, but no one is quite sure if it's her. She is 19 now and all grown up; she herself is unclear whether her flashbacks are memories or nightmares. Was she the Alice that fell down the rabbit hole so many years ago before the evil Red Queen (magnificently played by Helena Bonham Carter "I need a pig here! I love a warm pig belly for my aching feet.") took the ruling crown from her sweet, lovely sister the White Queen (equally magnificent Anne Hathaway)? The wise catepillar declares her "hardly Alice," leaving them all thinking she's not their Alice, even Alice herself, who finally admits she is a weaker Alice, a shy, timid, frightened Alice, admiting "I'm not much lately, I used to be much muchier" until the Mad Hatter pronounces her just "the right Alice" and everything changes." Johnny Depp plays the Mad Hatter with his typical flair. He is awesome. The sets, costumes, and animation in this film is totally amazing. I think Director Tim Burton sketched most of the wild looking characters straight from his imagination. Check out the photo stream at IMDb if you want to see the progression from sketch to actors to costume design.
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The 3-D effects were weak & didn't live up to my expectations, but the creativity made up for it. This was by far my favorite Alice in Wonderland.
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"Is it better to be feared or to be loved."
The movie had some quality themes that left many movie-goers thinking:

• good vs evil
• fear vs love
• a hypocritical life vs a sincere & true life
• live up to societal expectations or follow your passion

In this clip, you can see Anne (the white queen, on the left), Mia (Alice, in the middle) and Helena (the red queen, on the right) talk about playing their parts. Helena is married to (or living and having children with) Director Tim Burton.

Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat: The Movie

Eva and I recently saw Alec Berg's 03 movie version of Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat (featuring the ever adorable Dakota Fanning!!). The movie was creative and artistic and fun, but I really don't recommend it. The crude humor and double entendres would probably make Dr. Seuss roll over in his grave. That's not how Dr. Seuss cultivated children's entertainment. In this adaptation, the characters are fascinatingly exaggerated, almost making the movie a spoof. Mike Myers makes the cat a curious mixture of lazy self-indulgence and philanthropy, maddeningly provocative for the viewer. The visuals are excellent, incredibly creative and fun, but the storyline strangely excludes Dr. Seuss' rhymes. Why have Dr. Seuss without the rhymes? I found that peculiar. And sad.

I Love a Warm Pig for my Aching Feet

Imagine this in 3D:



March 5, 2010, My calendar is marked.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

I'm a little excited about Fantastic Mr. Fox coming out tomorrow. I'm a Pixar snob, but this isn't a Pixar film, so I'm a little nervous about that. I think this is put out by 20th Century... well... Fox. They've got the best of the best in voices: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, William DaFoe. The director, writers, producers -- none of 'em have put out any movies I've liked except Sister Act and Julie & Julia. My hopes for this movie are fully vested in the author of the original story -- Roald Dahl (Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). Here's to hoping it's a good one. After I watch it, we'll see if it gets moved to the "Stuff I Love" category. Till then.... here's a quote from the movie I quite enjoyed:

"Put your bandit hat on!"
"I don't have a bandit hat, but I modified this
tube sock."

Peeking Through the Fog of Full Disclosure

Things are heating up in the blogosphere regarding the upcoming US FTC ruling basically telling bloggers that if we write about something we received for free with the intention of writing about it (promoting it) on our blog, then we have to fully disclose that information. If I review a book or cd, I have to tell you what compensation, if any, I am receiving for doing that review. It's actually an age-old concept: Truth in Advertising, it's simply applied to social media now and the good news.... social media is now being taken seriously. Click here to read the best blogpost I've found that explains it all in detail. (and no, she didn't pay me to say that)
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In the course of my blogging career, I've done several reviews. Passing on stuff I love is one of the founding blocks of my blog and my twitter account. If I like something, I want to share it with you. The books and music I've reviewed are often ones I get at the library, hear on the radio or buy off itunes. Several months ago, I began to review books for Thomas Nelson Publisher also. The only compensation I receive is a free book. I get nothing else. In return for a free book, I read it and write about it. If I don't like the book, I say so. If I do like the book, I say so. I want to be true and will always be true. Thomas Nelson also wants me to be truthful.
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Recently, I was approached by One2One Network and asked if I'd like to review products and promote the products I like through my blog and twitter. In exchange, I receive the book or cd free and usually before the release date, which is really nice. However, with One2One, I am also entered into a drawing to receive a gift card -- a "monetary value" I guess you'd say. I don't automatically receive that, I am just entered into a drawing and might receive that. Again, I will only tell the truth when I review One2One's products. I will not promote a product that I don't like. Thus, with that attitude, I signed on to review some products and am about to do a post for one - the Brandi Carlile cd.
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Apparently, if I love a product and tell you about it, I must also tell you if I received that product for free. To me, that implies you think I'll lie about it and tell you it's great just so I could get it for free. I don't like that implication. Therefore, I may not continue reviews for free products. I will most definitely continue reviewing books and cd's and passing on the ones I think are great and I will continue to share information that I think you'll like, as I do with my travel section. If I receive anything in exchange, I'll gladly inform you of that. I hope you trust me to be true and honest. This whole thing has been feeling "icky" lately and I don't like that. I've almost quit blogging because of it.
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I haven't decided what course of action I'll take. I may quit with One2One and Thomas Nelson, I may not, it's all under consideration. But I won't quit giving my opinions. And I hope you will continue to leave comments; actually, I hope you will increase your comments, it's been really quiet lately.
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Thanks for your visits, I really appreciate all of you and hope you get some benefit from my blogposts.

Julie & Julia: Movie Review

Meryl Streep has redeemed herself. I wasn't sure if she'd bounce back from that appalling musical Mama Mia, but she has proven once again that she is the consummate actor. Streep magnificently portrays Julia Child on the brink of becoming the Julia Child. Streep has never seemed so..... big. Flamboyant, colorful, thunderous, hilarious. Writer/Producer Nora Ephron says of Streep's Julia Child: "The performance is not an imitation, it's more of a habitation." It was a bunch of tricks of Ann Roth, costumes, that made Streep's 5'6" appear over 6' tall, but it was Streep's amazing acting that sealed and delivered it, combined with that of Stanley Tucci as Child's husband, doing an over-the-top job himself.
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So what's it about? Julie & Julia is based on the lives of two true women - Julia Child and Julia Powell, lovingly played by Amy Adams. The movie flips back and forth between Julia's life circa 1949 and Julie's life in 2002, chronicling the similarities. Julia Child is a wife trying to find her niche in the world as is Julie, over 50 years later. Julie has a first-edition Julia Child cookbook that she nearly worships. Julie decides to cook her way through Julia's cookbook for a year and write about it in a blog.
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This movie offers the best of the best in ChickFlickdom. Endearing, intuitive husbands. Beautiful, artsy, funky backdrops and locations. Quirky, funny leading ladies who are not sex objects running around in underwear or skimpy clothes. Girlfriends. Lucy Ricardo snort producing moments.
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This movie has secured the Number One Favorite ChickFlick of All Time label in my movie collection (formerly held by Elizabethtown). And now, my friend, I must go fix a bowl of popcorn, get in my favorite PJ's and watch Elizabethtown again. Chick Flicks, like everything else that feels good, just makes me want more.