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Flicks for Chicks

Cub Scout Camping weekend is met with great joy around our house. The boys go camping and get very dirty, and very wet river rafting and come home sunburned and covered in band aids. But the greatest joy is when they back out the driveway and leave me to watch whatever I want. Now I had a sweater I wanted to finish knitting for conference, so I stacked up a pile of rentals and Netflix and got to work.

Robin Hood. I settled in to watch the first DVD in this BBC television series sort of expecting something akin to Pride & Predjudice or Horatio Hornblower. What I got was more Bennie Hill meets Monty Python. I was rather disappointed, because the film sets and costumes and sparks of moments give me hope of something seriously historical and then it goes campy on you. So then it turns from wonderful to watch (aka Cranford) to just sort of that guilty pleasure you get out of watching a reality show.

The Nanny Diaries. Okay, this is a girl’s weekend, and I knew I’d never get the DH to watch. That was sort of the criteria for all the choices this weekend. This being squarely in the “I’d rather watch reruns of The First 48 that that,” I decided to watch it. Laura Linney was wonderful and the final scenes of her with her son were worth the watch, but all in all, it was rather forgettable.

Juno. I came to this movie rather reluctantly because all of the praise and gushing Oscar attention it got and I was clearly skeptical that a movie could be that good. Boy, was I wrong. I haven’t cried this hard in a movie in a long time, and I sobbed. I had to stop the movie and pull myself together before I could watch the end. I thought Jennifer Gardner was completely breathtaking as the wanne-be mother. She just broke my heart. And Juno? She was so wonderfully quirky, so completely in over her head, and just as lost as Vanessa, Gardner’s character. Don’t miss this movie.

27 Dresses. I watched this on the recommendation of my good buddy, Melissa McClone. It was fun and quirky and surprising and again, liked it more than I could help. Of course, I had Matthew home with me, and it is one of his autistic quirks that you cannot watch a movie without subtitles and never in English. So I came out a couple of times to find the movie running along in French with Spanish subtitles, and my little angel grinning up at me. So it took a few takes to get all the way through the movie, but what I did hear in English, I thought quite fun. Would recommend this one.

What’s the best movie you’ve seen lately? And please don’t say The Dark Knight, because I am in the camp that says, “I wish I hadn’t gone and seen that.” It was just too violent for me. Yes, Heath Ledger is mesmerizing even when he is just sitting still in an empty jail cell. He should get an Oscar nod for that performance because it is quite amazing, but the complete anarchy and insanity of the Joker made the film too difficult for me to watch. What did you think?

6 comments to “Flicks for Chicks”

  1. therese
    July 31st, 2008 at 8:00 am · Link

    I had 7:30+ hours on Sunday’s flight from London and picked movies from the selection that my dh ignored.

    “Nim’s Island” was fun and Jodie Foster’s portrayal of the agoraphobic/adventure novelist was worth chuckles.
    “The Bridges of Madison County” – yeah, know this is an oldy but I’d never seen it. Liked the premise, enjoyed a bunch of the scenes and was glad to fast forward through others.
    “Young at Heart Chorus” is a documentary that I would recommend for all ages, it generated laughs and a few sobs from me. Had to walk through the whole plane for tissue! http://www.youngatheartchorus.com/
    “Juno” was playing in the park one night while we were at Lake Bled in Slovenia but I only heard some of the dialog from a distance while falling asleep.

    I love hearing about Matthew’s choice to hear movies in French with Spanish subtitles. We had the opportunity to watch some movies in Munich, one in Japanese with German subtitles, another in German with French subtitles. A reality show was in French with Arabic subtitles. The only English stations were news on the global economy – boring!



  2. Diane O'Neal
    July 31st, 2008 at 9:10 am · Link

    I’m looking forward to my flights from Pakistan to London and then to WashDC. Lots of movies, I admit I’ve checked the airlines website to see what is on, and there a few I’ve been wanting to see for a while. I’m going to the movies the first weekend in DC — in a theater. They have lots of movies in the shops in Pakistan — all illegal and I don’t buy them, though I have seen watched them at friends houses and admit I’ve borrowed one or two.

    Therese — wasn’t Lake Bled gorgeous? Did you go to Vintgar Gorge, it was so quiet and beautiful. I think I liked it better than the Plitvice Lakes area, because there were fewer people. Croatia is a beautiful country, the people are fantastic and the food, particularly along the coast is wonderful. Best trip I had in ages.

    12 Days and counting down for my departure.



  3. joujou
    August 2nd, 2008 at 6:50 pm · Link

    Although it came out last year, I recently saw the movie, The Departed. I loved it. It is a cops and mafia type of movie. It is a rather violent
    movie. But I loved the plot. Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin are quite funny.
    The ending was just fabulous. It had quite an interesting twist. The languae is rather strong and there are sexual themes in this movie. I could have done without the romantic part of the plot, but overall it was a great movie.

    I thought the batman movie had its moments, I liked the ferries scenes and the whole issue of moral dilemas in the movie.

    The only other movie that I have scene was the Walle movie which was pretty darn cute. I think the movie does appeal to kids but maybe not the younger ones. The first 30 or so minutes have no dialogue. I thought it was cute how they showed the robots interacting and gradually fall in love.



  4. Haven
    August 3rd, 2008 at 3:46 pm · Link

    I recently watched The Jane Austen Book Club and loved it! It has a very moving plot and often makes you wonder, what would Jane Austen do?

    I loved 27 dresses! That movie was just too cute!! And I’m looking forward to seeing the Nanny Diaries.

    A movie that I think was fun with action as well as a cute romance story, Fool’s Gold. I really enjoyed this movie. And Matthew isn’t bad eye candy hehe.



  5. Carla Cundiff
    August 3rd, 2008 at 9:30 pm · Link

    I recently went to see Mama Mia. I loved it and laughed so much. I really enjoy musicals so the fact that they broke out in song every few minutes didn’t bother me. It might some people. If you like ABBA’s music go see this movie. It will me a must buy when it comes out on DVD.



  6. Deanna
    August 26th, 2008 at 7:54 pm · Link

    I have to agree with you Elizabeth, did not like The Dark Knight. Don’t know what all the fuss is about, that said, Christian Bale = yummy!







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