Movies!

I wouldn't say I'm addicted to movie watching, but I do watch probably more than my fair share of movies -or at least that's the response I get when I tell people how many I've seen and they look at me like I'm a weirdo. Okay we're not talking like every film made in 2012, viewed in 2012, but more than your average person and probably less than your real movie buff. Well what was supposed to be a quick intro to this topic is getting excessive so I'll get to the point.

In the past month or so I've seen 3 movies and I figure I'll mention them here.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey



I enjoyed the first installment (of three - people are surprised when they hear this so I like to include it when talking about the film) and I'm looking forward to the next ones. I don't know if anyone didn't enjoy this film. Okay so that's two negatives, so I'll restate it and say I think everyone liked this. No one had a bad thing to say about it. Okay so maybe some big nerds did but who listens to nerds anyways? It was a good movie, if you haven't seen it and you like fantasy bi-opics (because it is a true story), then you should check it out. The film also contains some of the most attractive dwarfs most viewers have ever seen (can you spot the three best looking in the poster above?).


Les Miserables



I expected this movie to have more talking and less singing. The acting was well done and I was glad that (SPOILER ALERT) some people survived. Okay not much of a spoiler but some people would be upset if they read that and they were expecting everyone to be dead at the end. Anyways, I was also disappointed that Wolverine wasn't in this film. I saw a lot of Hugh Jackman but no silvery claws. But I guess it would have been very different if mutants were invading early 19th century France. Although...Wolverine might have been there. Okay so he was born in the 1880s and the musical is set between 1815 and 1832 but maybe he teamed up with Bishop and time traveled there. Well, that version of events DID NOT occur in this musical which was kind of sad (more sad than the actual film). Also, people have been winning awards for this movie and stuff so I guess that's meaningful or something.

Cloud Atlas



I was seriously looking forward to this movie and it did not disappoint. I can't wait to see it a second time (with subtitles) so I can get a better understanding of the deeper meanings and see the wonderful storytelling and acting. While the main point of the story (as I understand it) is to explore reincarnation and show the evolution of a soul, one of the best actors in the film consistently plays "bad" guys/gals. Hugo Weaving's portrayal of nurse Noakes was awesome.

(Here nurse Noakes is in the background thinking "I'm gonna get you sucka!") On a more serious note, a lot of movies claim to be about storytelling, but it's formulaic, bland, been done (I hate remakes!) or big budget blockbusters. This film (while technically a big budget blockbuster) feels unique, is wonderful storytelling and makes a complex concept like reincarnation accessible. If I was handing out stars I'd give this movie all the ones I had on hand and with an I.O.U. check for more. Maybe it sounds like I'm really gushing here, but there are few movies that I really get excited about and that actually meet or go beyond my expectations and this movie was better than I expected (which rarely happens when I'm already expecting it to be awesome).