Seven Pounds

Eric and I both have very strong feelings about the movie Seven Pounds.  To him, this movie brought out a deep rooted passion about the storyline and for me . . .my emotions were deep but more in the “I totally disliked” this movie!!  I found this movie to leave a bad taste in my mouth!  I really did not like the subject matter and half way through the movie I figured out the storyline.  I thought the reason why Will Smith’s character was doing what he was doing was wrong!!  I disagreed with his intent and his “purpose” in life and I thought it relayed a poor message.  It’s hard not to give away the plot but let’s just say . . .it takes a very deep, twisted, and dark turn.  What he thinks will “redeem” his soul only leads to more destruction and pain.  The “gift” that he feel he needs to give, to me, is selfish and egotistical and it made me mad that he would choose that way.  He had all the resources to do what he felt he needed to do . . . but yet . . .he lacked the heart and hope of which should’ve been instilled in him for a higher purpose.  This movie just left me cold and angry. 

Seven Pounds

Seven Pounds is probably the movie Christy and I have disagreed the most about over the years.  And it has gotten ugly!  I’m surprised a fist-fight has never broken out!!!  We both feel that strongly about our opinions of this film.  I don’t know what she was watching, but I’ve never had a movie speak to me like this one did.  I’ve probably seen it at least 100 times – and still get pretty emotional when I watch it!  I don’t think he’s being selfish at all!  He’s trying to help as many people as he can and find a way to end his pain and suffering in the process!  Of course, he runs into some “complications” with his plan, but that’s one of the things that makes it such a powerful movie to me.  There are definitely decisions to be made and I think they would be hard for anyone to know what to do.  I wasn’t trying to “figure out” the storyline like Christy, I was just watching the movie and trying to put myself in the main character’s place – and wondering what I would do in the same situation...  I like to think I would do the same thing. 

Uh-oh, I can tell another fight is just around the corner when she reads this!

A Perfect Getaway & Red

I needed a “break” last weekend so I watched a couple of movies that did the trick.  A Perfect Getaway” is a cat and mouse thrill ride!  I really like Steve Zahn and Timothy Olyphant and this movie did not lack in showcasing their talents!!  The perfect setting - Hawaii - the perfect couples, Zhan, Olyphant and their wives played by Milla Jovovich and Kiele Sanchez  - and an almost perfect murder.  All of these couple get tangled up in a “who’s who” of murder and just when you think you know who the killer is . . .the hand is flipped and you’re back to square one again!  The suspense kept me guessing till the very end.

Right along with this I watched “Red.” A high octane, in your face, action movie!!  Bruce Willis is a retired C.I.A. Black Ops agent and a person you don’t want to mess with . . .but people are out to kill him along with other retired Black Ops agents played by Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren. They band together to make this movie a roller coaster ride of pure entertainment!  For an action movie -  it has a sense of humor and fun and just a bit of romance tied in with enough explosions and bullets to last to the very end.  The actors make this an outstanding movie and just a fun way to spend a couple of hours.

Rabbit Hole

I watched this movie not knowing much about it.  All I’d heard is that it was sad.  And yes, it is.  Very!  The whole movie is centered around a couple who is trying to figure out how to deal with the loss of their little boy who had been run over by a car while trying not to have it destroy their relationship in the process.  What is the “right” thing to do?  Do you talk about it?  Do you pack up his things?  Do you keep a “shrine” in his room that is exactly as he left it that morning and never change anything?  Do you go to counseling?  Do others have the answers?  Do you fight?  Does acting one way or the other mean you loved him more or less?  Do any of these questions even have “right” answers?  The movie also shows how others are affected by such an event and the pain they are feeling and how maybe there are no “right” answers.  Not everything is always going to make sense.  I didn’t enjoy this movie at all.  But, I don’t think I was really supposed to, either...  I thought Nicole Kidman was great as the mother and really made me feel her pain and what she was going through.  So, I would say it was a good movie, but I didn’t like it. 

The Walking Dead

I have to tell you, I am not a horror fan! I grew up in the generation of the old TV series Dark Shadows and read all sorts of scary comic books. So sometimes I admit, I want to watch some of the movies that go bump in the night!! This is a TV series that premiered last fall on AMC and after the first episode . . .I was hooked . . .zombies and all!! The premise of the show is about the end of man-kind as we know it. There is a worldwide virus that has turned your next door neighbor and families into corpses of rotting flesh. But then, we have a band of survivors who were not infected and are looking to stay alive in a world that no longer belongs to them. It was the characters themselves that got me hooked!! Right from the start I cared about the main character, the sheriff! I wanted to know what happened to his family and other people who took up the good fight. As the show continued, you get to know the characters, see their pains, their loves, their fears - and in a world that is out of control - they still have to focus on their lives. There are plenty of zombie scenes to fill your thirst for a little bit of the gore factor and the blood is sometimes in your face but they still take a backseat to an amazing plot. Great actors, great zombies, great special effects, and a storyline that will suck you in and leave you breathless till the season starts up again in the fall.

The Walking Dead

Well, this is one I probably wouldn’t have watched on my own.  But, Christy kept telling me how good it was and how much she enjoyed it.  After her bugging me over and over about how I needed to watch it, I finally gave in – and I’m so glad I did!  I would have to agree with everything she wrote about it.  It reminded me of the movie Zombieland for the story, but was a completely serious version.  You really do come to care about the characters and almost put yourself in their place, wondering what you would do or how you would handle different situations they come across.  It is kind of gory in many of the scenes, but doesn’t seem to be doing it so much for shock value as trying to look as realistic as possible (OK, some is definitely for shock value, too!).  I also liked that it wasn’t totally predictable and there were some surprises.  I guess I’m hooked, too!  I’m already waiting for the new season to begin!!!

127 Hours

When I’ve mentioned this movie to people, most have no idea what it is – but as soon as they start hearing the story, they realize they do know and remember the events from when they actually happened.  It’s hard to tell from the title, but this movie tells the true story of Aron Ralston, the mountain climber whose hand was pinned to a wall by a small boulder deep in a crevice in the mountains near Moab, Utah.  He was all alone and pretty much in the “middle of nowhere.”  Even knowing the story already and having read his book, this film completely engrossed me – from start to finish!  There were times where I was squirming in my seat as I could tell he was resorting to desperate measures to free himself.  I don’t normally get “that” into movies, but found myself holding my breath without even realizing it during the most intense scenes and letting out a huge sigh of relief once he was finished.  I really felt like this movie captured the feelings and emotions he must have gone through during his 127 hour ordeal.  His story is one that is very intriguing, but not one anyone would wish to actually go through!  Watching this made me feel like I did “experience” it as much as possible and it definitely felt real!!!  I highly recommend it!

127 Hours

So here’s the fun part of this blog . . .I’m going to disagree with Eric about the movie 127 Hours.  I knew of the story, read bits and pieces of the book and Eric and I have talked about his struggle and the sheer will of survival.  In that respect, I didn’t feel this movie captured any of that feeling.  I had no connection with the character even though I knew what to expect.  I didn’t think the actor did a good job with his portrayal.  I thought the music was horrendous for this type of film and the cinematography drove me crazy!!  I really did not like how it was filmed.  It was jerky and weird!!!  I didn’t like the flashbacks or the flashforwards - it did nothing to my heart strings.  This movie should’ve made me gasp out loud and make my heart pound but all it did was make me wish for the end!!