The Karate Kid (2010)

Not sure what prompted me to rent this from my little redbox, but I'm glad I did. I know I saw the original, but I don't really remember a whole lot about it other than what Ralph Macchio has been mentioning on Dancing with the Stars.

Maybe that's not completely true:

I know there were bullies

I know he learned karate from Arnold from Happy Days

I know the phrase "wax on, wax off" was from the movie

I know I watched it dubbed in French, in French class

Okay. So i don't remember much.

I liked Jaden Smith in the updated version. And the kids that bullied him made me want to tear my hair out. Even in a fictional movie, bullying makes me incredibly angry.

I'm not hugely into martial arts... and the movie was a bit too long for my liking.

Overall, it was fun. It had a Star Wars reference, so that made me smile. I can see why it did well at the box office. Lots of good stuff for the younger set to enjoy with their families.

Country Strong

I HATE country music, but I can appreciate when someone does it well. And Gwyneth Paltrow knocked this out of the park. Now, I just need to buy her new cookbook and I'll be a happy girl.

The acting was very good, but this was another one of those movies where none of the characters are very likable. I think we were supposed to like Garrett Hedlund's character, but I just didn't. The only character I wound up feeling any real sympathy towards was Leighton Meester's. Aside from that, they all seemed very selfish and self-absorbed. (Although there was one scene near the end of the movie where I was touched by Gwynnie's character.)

I think everyone associated with this movie did themselves a huge disservice by releasing it so soon after Crazy Heart. If they had delayed the release for a year or two, it might have done a lot better at the box office.

The Tourist

Every now and then a movie comes along that stars two A-list actors and gets universally panned. And then, shockingly, is nominated for a Golden Globe (which prompts all kinds of conspiracy theories.)

I haven't heard a single good thing about this movie.

I'm so glad I didn't care! I really liked it. And I can't stand Angelina Jolie. I thought it was very enjoyable. I figured out what was going on with her character, but the ending shocked me.

Didn't see it coming. Kind of how I didn't see myself liking this movie!

Tangled

When Hollywood hands you a movie that you hate, my advice is to counteract it with a Disney animation.

I've been waiting a long time for this to show up at the second-run theater, and it was well-worth the wait. I think adding a male character to the retelling of Rapunzel was a great idea. Having Zachary Levi voice said male character was an excellent idea. I don't have kids, but I think a boy would enjoy this as much as a girl, so I think they probably accomplished what they were setting out to do.

The music was great and so was the storyline. If I were in the habit of grading movies (which I'm not), I would give this an A+. Can't wait to see it again.

Blue Valentine

Ugh.

I saw this last night and it just depressed me. I came out of it feeling the same way I did when i saw Revolutionary Road: great acting, miserable movie. It wasn't miserable in the sense that the movie itself was bad. But, there was nothing likable about the storyline. Does that make any sense?

Neither of the characters were very cheer-worthy to me, although Ryan Gosling's character was slightly easier to like than Michelle Williams.

Oh well. Honestly, I think what annoys me the most is that Ryan Gosling didn't get nominated for it. He was amazing in this movie.

I'll be watching something happier next time!

My Recap of the 83rd Academy Awards

I can't believe it ended so early!!!

I know a lot of people weren't thrilled with Anne Hathaway and James Franco, but I gotta say that after Ricky Gervais's mockery of the Golden Globes, I enjoyed it.

First and foremost, I'm not at all surprised that The King's Speech won Best Picture. I was fully expecting it, even if it wasn't my first choice. However, I was NOT expecting Tom Hooper to win for Directing. Since Chris Nolan wasn't an option (don't get me started), I think David Fincher deserved this award. That takes nothing away from Hooper, but I'm just very surprised.

I really wanted Hailee Steinfeld to win for True Grit. I thought she stole the movie from the veteran actors. And she's adorable to beat. And probably wouldn't have dropped the f-bomb in her speech! Not that I care that Melissa Leo did... but I just think Hailee's reaction would have been awfully to see.

No real surprises this year. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Although I was sooo pulling for 127 Hours to win Best Picture. I knew it wouldn't. But I thought it would have been awesome if it did.

I'm very, very glad that Natalie Portman won. She did an amazing job. And the talk that I kept hearing about Annette Bening pulling an upset totally confused me. Because I didn't think the acting wasn't anything special in The Kids Are All Right. (Actually, that's how I felt about the whole movie. It wasn't bad. But not Oscar-worthy, in my opinion.)

I loved seeing Zach Levi and Mandy Moore singing their song from Tangled (which I will be seeing as soon as it lands in the second-run theater). I love him. And I'll take this opportunity to give a shout-out to Chuck. Please renew it for another season, NBC. PLEASE!!!!

Okay, let's talk dresses... my least favorite is the curious Givenchy dress Cate Blanchett wore. It wasn't horrible. It was just... odd. And not quirky odd. Just odd. But at least stil classy. And she's just adorable and her hair looked SO cute that I'm willing to forgive. At least she made an attempt. (Yes, Tilda Swinton, I'm talking to you. I think you may have sat this one out. I appreciate that.)

My Top Five Best Dressed (in no particular order)

Mila Kunis (Elie Saab)

Natalie Portman (Rodarte)

Hailee Steinfeld (Marchesa)

Jennifer Lawrence (Calvin Klein)

Jennifer Hudson (Atelier Versace)

Can't wait till next year!!!

Ranking the Best Picture Nominees

Here is how I rank the Best Picture Nominees in terms of my favorite:

10. The Kids Are All Right
9. Black Swan
8. Winter's Bone
7. True Grit
6. Toy Story 3
5. The King's Speech
4. The Fighter
3. 127 Hours
2. The Social Network
1. Inception

The King's Speech

I saw my last Best Picture nominee today! This was an excellent movie. It was just slightly dry in some spots, but wickedly funny in others. (Overall, it was excellent.) I can't say enough about Colin Firth's performance. It was stellar. The only other time I've felt so strongly about a nomination was in 2001 when Sean Penn was nominated for his role in I Am Sam. (He lost to Denzel Washington in Training Day, which I still think is a travesty.)

Anyway, between Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, if a movie was just based on the acting alone I think this would be my choice. And I have nothing bad to say about it... I just think Inception was better. And I loved 127 Hours and The Social Network.

Helena Bohham Carter was so quietly good in this movie. I adore her. She is quirky and a fabulous actress. Very deserving of her nomination.

Well, I'm ready now! Bring on the Oscars!!!

My Oscar Choices

My choices for the main categories (not necessarily who I think will win, but who i would vote for if given the opportunity):

Adapted Screenplay - 127 Hours

Original Screenplay - Inception

Directing - David Fincher (The Social Network)

Actress in a Supporting Role - Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

Actress in a Leading Role - Natalie Portamn (Black Swan)

Actor is a Supporting Role - Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Actor in a Leading Role - Colin Firth (The King's Speech)

Best Picture - Inception

My Favorite Movies From 2010

I didn't actually see all of these in 2010. And I haven't seen The King's Speech yet. But I tried basing it on movies that were actually released in 2010. {After seeing 'King's Speech' I can say that the list stands as is. I enjoyed it, but it wouldn't be in my Top Ten.}

10. Iron Man 2
9. City Island
8. Kick Ass
7. Ramona and Beezus (maybe not the best movie ever made, but it reminded me of my childhood, and nothing is more important than that!)
6. Unstoppable
5. Love and Other Drugs
4. The Social Network
3. 127 Hours
2. Inception
1. Shutter Island