SHOCK! I'm dragging on the posting. Let's re-cap the last month or so....
First, Thanksgiving: Like many families - I'm sure - one O'Brien Thanksgiving tradition is the annual new movie screening which we all fight over until the majority makes a consensus. This year, the Li'l One wanted to see New Moon; however, none of her elders (who made up the voting electorate) had seen Twilight. So we overruled that. Then talks of An Education and Pirate Radio came up, but the times weren't convenient. Finally, after the long drawn out conversation ended, the clan selected The Blind Side for the 2009 T-day Screening. For Ma, Pa, Li'l One, and yours truly, this was a nice, family choice. I mean, who doesn't like a feel good sports flick? One that takes the underdog and gets him to achieve greatness in the face of adversity? If you don't like it, well, you must hate America. The Blind Side is by no means a perfect film. The performances are solid - I can't help it, I like Sandra Bullock. Ever since her days in The Thing Called Love, Speed, and The Net she's won me over. And the actor who played Michael Oher, the underdog who goes onto become the first pick in the 2009 NFL draft, was so lovable! His name is Quinton Aaron, and I'm excited to see what he does next. So yes - I recommend The Blind Side - especially if you're looking for a pick me up. You'll shed a couple tears of happiness and laugh at the amusing antics of the Tuohy family. And for those who are not football fans, you might just find yourself enjoying the sport - for the length of the movie at least. Also if you're familiar with Atlanta, you'll probably recognize a few places around town. ATL Represent!
Second: Christmas time! Of course I sat in front of the tele for the annual It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story screenings, but as it's usually around Christmas time that a lot of eagerly anticipated movies hit theaters, I did add a new release to the viewing schedule. This year there are a few on my list, but the one that I opted for this season - mainly because my movie companion and I showed up at the theater 10 minutes before it started - was Up in the Air. And you know, I did not love it. For weeks I've heard how fantastic it is. How original. How thought provoking. Well, I found it a tad boring. Really not all that exciting. Yes, it was pretty depressing, but I mean, how can a story about a guy who has no connections in life and really couldn't care less about the strength of his relationships not be a downer? I think the one element that makes this movie work is George Clooney. No matter how bad a movie is, George is gonna make it watchable. He really has that IT factor and ability to bring charisma and charm to an otherwise blah character. Not that this movie was "bad" - I just don't consider it the BEST movie of the year. I did like some of the characters. They were adorably awkward - much like most characters in Jason Reitman's films. They made me laugh. But overall, the movie made me sad. And also, it didn't really sit with me. I practically forgot what I had seen. I'm very interested to see how Up in the Air fares during awards season. So far, it's a front runner. Although, I don't think it's all that deserving, but hey. That's just me.
And other than those two new releases, I've been watching a lot of TV on DVD: Dexter, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Office (British and American), Vicar of Dibley, and South Park. I have Mulholland Drive awaiting me, but I know I have to get myself into the Lynchian mindset before I pop that one in the DVD player. It's gonna be trippy!
First, Thanksgiving: Like many families - I'm sure - one O'Brien Thanksgiving tradition is the annual new movie screening which we all fight over until the majority makes a consensus. This year, the Li'l One wanted to see New Moon; however, none of her elders (who made up the voting electorate) had seen Twilight. So we overruled that. Then talks of An Education and Pirate Radio came up, but the times weren't convenient. Finally, after the long drawn out conversation ended, the clan selected The Blind Side for the 2009 T-day Screening. For Ma, Pa, Li'l One, and yours truly, this was a nice, family choice. I mean, who doesn't like a feel good sports flick? One that takes the underdog and gets him to achieve greatness in the face of adversity? If you don't like it, well, you must hate America. The Blind Side is by no means a perfect film. The performances are solid - I can't help it, I like Sandra Bullock. Ever since her days in The Thing Called Love, Speed, and The Net she's won me over. And the actor who played Michael Oher, the underdog who goes onto become the first pick in the 2009 NFL draft, was so lovable! His name is Quinton Aaron, and I'm excited to see what he does next. So yes - I recommend The Blind Side - especially if you're looking for a pick me up. You'll shed a couple tears of happiness and laugh at the amusing antics of the Tuohy family. And for those who are not football fans, you might just find yourself enjoying the sport - for the length of the movie at least. Also if you're familiar with Atlanta, you'll probably recognize a few places around town. ATL Represent!
Second: Christmas time! Of course I sat in front of the tele for the annual It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story screenings, but as it's usually around Christmas time that a lot of eagerly anticipated movies hit theaters, I did add a new release to the viewing schedule. This year there are a few on my list, but the one that I opted for this season - mainly because my movie companion and I showed up at the theater 10 minutes before it started - was Up in the Air. And you know, I did not love it. For weeks I've heard how fantastic it is. How original. How thought provoking. Well, I found it a tad boring. Really not all that exciting. Yes, it was pretty depressing, but I mean, how can a story about a guy who has no connections in life and really couldn't care less about the strength of his relationships not be a downer? I think the one element that makes this movie work is George Clooney. No matter how bad a movie is, George is gonna make it watchable. He really has that IT factor and ability to bring charisma and charm to an otherwise blah character. Not that this movie was "bad" - I just don't consider it the BEST movie of the year. I did like some of the characters. They were adorably awkward - much like most characters in Jason Reitman's films. They made me laugh. But overall, the movie made me sad. And also, it didn't really sit with me. I practically forgot what I had seen. I'm very interested to see how Up in the Air fares during awards season. So far, it's a front runner. Although, I don't think it's all that deserving, but hey. That's just me.
And other than those two new releases, I've been watching a lot of TV on DVD: Dexter, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Office (British and American), Vicar of Dibley, and South Park. I have Mulholland Drive awaiting me, but I know I have to get myself into the Lynchian mindset before I pop that one in the DVD player. It's gonna be trippy!
