(no subject)

[green_queen]

Clip from "Deathly Hallows Part 2". Makes me pretty happy - looks like they're still sticking pretty close to the book.

Darren and Harry Shum have been made regulars for season 3; Chord Overstreet has not. They finally made me like Sam at the end of the season, so I feel really bad for Chord, but I love Harry and obviously I'm thrilled and not remotely surprised about Darren.





Yesterday I watched The Kids Are All Right

At the start I was expecting to enjoy this more than I ultimately did. It's got excellent actors giving excellent performances (including Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson - I'm telling you, don't sell this kid short), interesting explorations of sexuality (lesbians getting it on to gay porn!), and a realistic family situation. There was a lightness to the movie, but I felt like that pulled in the opposite direction to the angstfest it became towards the end.The end felt a little abrupt, too, like they didn't quite know where to go now that they'd taken us there.

It was beautifully shot with a great soundtrack, though, and it opens up some interesting questions about the modern family. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore KILL it, and I always love Mark Ruffalo. It just felt confused.

3.5 out of 5

Tonight I watched I Am Number Four

I was looking for light, fun entertainment when I went into this, and it mostly delivered. There's some pretty effects, fast-paced action, pretty blonds with super powers, tired alien back story. Actually, it felt like it could be quite a fun teen action show like the ones they used to make when I was growing up and don't anymore - like The Tomorrow People and The Secret World of Alex Mack. It did take itself a tad too seriously, though, and the cliches played out without any real surprises. It looks like it's directed by DJ Caruso - you know, like a music video (not necessarily a bad thing). Timothy Olyphant is hot and Dianna Agron is beautiful. Kevin Durand is on reliably terrific form as the bad guy - I think it's his background in comedy that makes him so brilliantly entertaining as a villain. He's always unpredictable and scary and fun, even wth make-up as heavy and a script as predictable as he he has to work with here.

Fun facts: Half the cast of this was Australian or British, seriously. It's kind of insane. Also, the screenplay was co-written by Marti Noxon! Yay.

2.5 out of 5

And then I watched Funny Girl

When we complain about roles for women now, this is the sort of movie we're comparing them to. Fanny Brice is a fierce, funny, flawed and relatable movie heroine, and Barbra absolutely knocks it out of the park. I know it's an excuse to showcase Barbra being Barbra, but what a showcase it is. I loved that I couldn't predict this one - that it never went to the places I thought it was going to go to. I love how much of Fanny's life is driven by both her ambition and her hang-ups about who she is - it's an interesting mix, and you can see how much of Rachel Berry is based on these kinds of roles. Barbra looks amazing and sings better - you can't help getting sucked in every single time the music starts up. The movie is long, but it's mostly very engaging.

I love musicals.

4 out of 5



Green Queen

Comments

[realproof.livejournal.com]

wheeee Harryyyyyy

[realproof.livejournal.com]

oh, and watched Funny Girl for the first time earlier this year and so agree with you, and loved it. Barbra was so amazing, i really ought to watch more of her classics.

[green-queen.livejournal.com]

I love Hello, Dolly. It's an adorable movie.

[realproof.livejournal.com]

I'll put it on my list :)

[subtle--sarcasm.livejournal.com]

The scene does look very book-like! Yay! :)

I saw Funny Girl for the first time this year, too, (with realproof actually :D ), and loved it! For exactly the reasons you said. Barbra was perfection, and you really couldn't see where it was going/would end up. Which is so cool, especially for a classic like that where I actually knew several of the songs etc.

And I had the same problem with The Kids Are All Right, though I still I may have still liked it more than you :D The performances were amazing on all counts, and it talked about interesting issues without trying to be overtly about them, you know? It just showed you a relatable, believable family with relatable, believable issues.
But the end did feel rushed/abrupt and kind of... aimless? Like you said, like they didn't know where to go from there. I still liked most of it a lot, though.

[green-queen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had ALL the songs completely out of context! Which is interesting and exciting for me. It kept me really engaged.

I don't know, I felt like it lost direction about halfway through and then never quite got it back. I also felt like they were interested in the son at the beginning and then not again until the end. He didn't even get a reaction scene to the reveal about the affair. It felt like it wasn't quite done.

[truffle-shuffle.livejournal.com]

My biggest issue with The Kids Are Alright, which ultimately made me like the movie less, was the affair between Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore's characters. Here's this movie setting an example for a different type of family, with a strong lesbian relationship at its core, only to go all Hollywood and have one of the lesbians start sleeping with the donor dad? It made me really angry, and derailed whatever point they were trying to make. It made Julianne's lesbianism seem...flighty. Like, she was only a lesbian until this attractive man came along to remind her of penis. It just sat poorly with me.

Other than that, all of the performances were wonderful.

[green-queen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I get that. I mean, I know that's not what they were aiming for there - which they sort of address in the dialogue - but it doe kind of cheapen the whole thing.