Why I Liked... Special TIFF '11 Edition

There’s no such thing as too early when it comes to lining up for tickets.

There’s no such thing as not having a credit card be an excuse when it comes to lining up for tickets.

There’s no such thing as shoddy reception on your phone when it comes to lining up for tickets.

There’s no such thing as too many snacks when it comes to lining up for tickets.

You all getting this? I’m passing on VALUABLE INFORMATION here. Take it, use it, abuse it, fuse it...? I don’t know, I’m running on no sleep right now (I’m writing this before I take my nap), but it seemed like a good rhyme at the time.

Why I Liked... Wild Target (2010)

(Dir. Jonathan Lynn Starring: Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint)

 A really cute plot.

Yeah, that’s what I liked about this film. Bear with.

Why I Liked... Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)

(Dir. David Yates Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson)

HARREH POTTAAAHHH!!

Oh, my childhood. My beautiful, bookish childhood that turned quickly into a nerdy, outcast-ish adolescence. It has come to a cinematic end. And what an ending that was.

Why I Liked... Writing And Other Artistic Pursuits (My Life)

Hello all,

So yes, I can admit that it's been quite the while since I've posted here...bad me, bad! But truth be told, I've been in quite the writing rut lately. Normally when I can't write fiction I can write fact (and vice versa), but it's been a terrible combination this past month.

I honestly thought that once I had seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 that I'd be back on my game, but...well, it's not like I got depressed, I just stopped writing. Sadly.

But seriously-I'll get back to it all, I promise. I'm also thinking of adding a new feature to this bloggo (I know, right? Way to over-extend, G...), one that I hope you'll all appreciate. And figure out on your own. It'll be at my own pride's expense, so I hope you might find it amusing. Somewhat. And hey, I gotta make this place a little more original, don't I?

 Forgive me? (hint)

G

Why I Liked... Friends With Benefits (2011)

(Dir. Will Gluck Starring: Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake)

Legit, it followed the generic romcom tricks and made them funny.

Too easy is it for characters to go ‘oh boo hoo, romantic comedies suck, stupid songs play and everything’s way too perfect’ and then the rest of the film continues on in that vein anyway. But! Because they gave us that line, it makes us think they were clever and actually abandoned that generic formula, but guess what, Hollywood? Not so clever. We can see past your trickery! We’re not idiots! (sometimes)

Why I Liked... Bad Teacher (2011)

(Dir. Jake Kasdan Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake)

Jason Segel remains flawless.

And that’s saying something, considering he was barely a supporting character in this film. Like, that’s how much the rest of the film entertained. Or rather in this case, didn’t.

Why I Liked... Hot Coffee (2011)

(Dir. Susan Saladoff)

So my faith in Americans not being money-hungry opportunists has been restored.

Remember that law suit against McDonald’s way back when? How that woman sued the company after she had hot coffee (title!) spilled all over her lap while in the car? Ok, so tell me-what details do you remember from the articles written about it? Well, you’ve most likely been incredibly misinformed. Maybe not deliberately, but it’s happened.

Why I Liked... Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (2011)

(Dir. Rodman Flender Starring: Conan O’Brien, Andy Richter)

CoCo! CoCo! CoCo!

Conan O’Brien remains hilarious. Even more so when he doesn’t have to censor himself for television.

Why I Liked... Monte Carlo (2011)

(Dir. Thomas Bezucha Starring: Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy)

It was Canada Day, and all is forgiven.

Yes, even Canada Day can make me forgive little Selena (what can I say-hello, Baby Face...) for this giant mishap of a film. Allow me to elaborate....

Why I Liked... Cars 2 (2011)

(Dir. John Lasseter, Brad Lewis Starring: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Cain, Eddie Izzard, Emily Mortimer)

Pixar remains awesome at animation.

Ok, so here’s an unpopular opinion of mine-I really, really enjoyed Cars. More so than The Incredibles, which most people boldly declare is one of Pixar’s best. Frankly, I just wasn’t a fan. Of The Incredibles, I mean. Cars, on the other hand, was charming, genre-following, well drawn, and well-executed.

Why I Liked... Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

(Dir. Jennifer Yuh Starring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Dustin Hoffman)

Can I just? I. Oh god, if I could count the ways this film made me feel all sorts of fuzzy and warm inside...eek!

So despite my anti-orientalism stance, I super enjoyed the original Kung Fu Panda. I was really surprised because, well, hello, Disney’s Mulan, and with a majority American cast, and with Dustin Hoffman putting on an accent, I was a skeptic. But the original proved me wrong, and thus, part two has as well.

Why I Liked... Super 8 (2011)

(Dir. J.J. Abrams Starring: Joel Courtney, Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning)

I’m watching either: the life J.J. Abrams dreamt about, or I’m watching his autobiography. Either way, I like it.

Oh, and the signature lens flares were nice to look at, too.

Why I Liked... Becoming Jane (2007)

(Dir. Julian Jarrod Starring: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy)

I really, really enjoyed this. Like, a lot.

Which is weird, because by no means am I a huge fan of Anne Hathaway, and I know the accent she used in this won’t be the same one used in the upcoming One Day, but still-this has given me a teensy bit of hope that a beloved book won’t be unduly massacred.

Why I Liked... Rango (2011)

(Dir. Gore Verbinski Starring: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Ned Beatty, Abigail Breslin)

Animation made for the 2D screen and nothing else? Fantastic! Plus a fabulous script and great voice acting and superb detailing that makes you go ‘wait-that’s a fake feather, yes, ok, animated, computer, got it.’

This is...one of my favourite animations of the year. Yeah, now that I think about it, yes. It is.

Why I Liked... X-Men: First Class (2011)

(Dir. Matthew Vaughn Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender)

It’s guy love, love between two guys!

Pure comic book fun-it’s amazing how setting a story such as this back in the sixties makes it...so much more believable? I think that’s the word I’m going for. Because I mean well, in the comics and cartoons, we see these characters in yellow spandex and as we’ve seen from previous, more modern incarnations, they like to wear black leather instead. Which just goes to show-those sixties really were swinging...

Why I Liked... Bridesmaids (2011)

(Dir. Paul Fieg Starring: Kirsten Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy)

Um, how about how funny and real this was? Yeah. That’s a positive for you, Judd freakin’ Apatow. Boom.

Just as a preface-please note that I have ovaries and boobs. This review? Is coming from a woman.

Why I Liked... The Other Woman/Love and Other Impossible Pursuits (2009)

(Dir. Don Roos Starring: Natalie Portman, Scott Cohen, Lisa Kudrow, Charlie Tahan)

I actually really liked this. And I’m like, totally anti-other woman/man.

Which I suppose is good for my opinion of Natalie Portman in light of not-so-recent Black Swan-related events.

Why I Liked... Into The Wild (2007)

(Dir. Sean Penn Starring: Emilie Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone)

I felt a surprising lack of sympathy for the main character.

Which I liked, because yeah, I’m three, four years late to this film, but I’ve heard nothing but praise for this film since and how people want to just Leave It All Behind like Christopher (Hirsch), so I was expecting some sort of life changing event to bring us, with Christopher, into the wild (ooh, title!)

Why I Liked... Rio (2011)

(Dir. Carlos Saldanha Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway)

It’s nice to know that awkwardness translates across species.

I don’t know much about director Saldanha, but I do like how much detail he put into the background detail of Rio de Janeiro. Sadly, he uses 3D...

Why I Liked... Funny Girl (1968)

(Dir. William Wyler Starring: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif)

So I didn’t realise William Wyler had made a made a film about my life. Or that I was Jewish. Or a singer.  Or that I was alive back in 1968.

Basically, I’m in love with this film. Which possibly means this review will be shorter than usual. Depends on if I get to the point of waffling.

Why I Liked... The Eagle (2011)

(Dir. Kevin MacDonald Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell)

Jamie Bell’s shoulders are to die for. Phew.

And that’s about it. I kinda hate that I’m reduced to objectifying actors whenever I can’t find something positive about a film.

Why I Liked... Source Code (2011)

(Dir. Duncan Jones Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga)

I like Groundhog Day. I like action films. I like Duncan Jones. I liked Source Code.

Right?

Why I Liked... The Green Hornet (2011)

(Dir. Michel Gondry Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz)

The car was kick fucking ass. I mean, whoa.

But I’m not entirely sure that Gondry’s forte lies in making super hero films. Like, at all.

Why I Liked... Sucker Punch (2011)

(Dir. Zack Snyder Starring: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish, Jamie Chung)

I really like Zack Snyder. I really do. He’s got big ideas and frankly, I really enjoyed his adaptation of Watchmen-the subject material isn’t exactly the easiest to deal with, but he worked it. I dug it. Snaps to him.

Ok, so that wasn’t a positive thing about the film in question (Sucker Punch), but damnit-you try watching it and coming up with at least one positive.

Why I Liked... Red Riding Hood (2011)

(Dir. Catherine Hardwicke Starring: Amander Seyfried, Max Irons, Shiloh Fernandez, Gary Oldman)

Jeremy Irons’s son is really good looking. God bless Jeremy Irons.

Let’s roll with that, shall we?

Why I Liked... Hobo With A Shotgun (2011)

(Dir. Jason Eisener Starring: Rutger Hauer, Molly Dunsworth)

It was the most fun in a cinema I’ve had in a while.

Originally created as a trailer for the Grindhouse Double Feature by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, Hobo With A Shotgun, what with it’s incredibly revealing title, doesn’t hold back. It was as if we had been wooshed back to the 70’s and were at the cinema on a ho hum Monday night to watch decapitations, boobs, and hobos.

Which was fantastic.

Why I Liked... The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

(Dir. George Nolfi Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt)

I love a man who can pull off a snappy fedora, throw it on the ground and make passionate love to me.

Fedoras are cool. I wear a fedora now.

Why I Liked... Main Street (2010)

(Dir. John Doyle Starring: King Firth, Amber Tamblyn, Orlando Bloom, Patricia Clarkson, Ellen Burstyn)

Colin Firth, even in a Texan accent (though I have no way of telling how good it actually is), remains flawless.

Now, let’s get down to business, shall we? *cracks knuckles*

Why I Liked... Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)

(Dir. Edgar Wright Starring: Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, Mary Elizabeth Winstead)

Pretty. Damn. Awesome.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is a comic I’ve never read, and after skimming volume one in a store in downtown Copenhagen, I don’t really have any real desire to do so either. Maybe if I gave it time I could grow to love and enjoy it, but it just isn’t really My Thing.

Why I Liked... Casanova's Big Night (1954)

(Dir: Norman Z. McLeod Starring: Bob Hope, Joan Fontaine, Audrey Dalton, Vincent Price)

Bob Hope is damned charming.

Playing as a tailor’s lowly apprentice, Pippo Popolino (Hope) dreams of the day when Francesca (Fontaine) will give him the light of day (solely reserved for Casanova, of course). That day comes much too soon however, when the actual Casanova (Price) decides to skip town to avoid paying his debts, trading in his expensive suits for a horse, and Pippo’s help in his escape.

Why I Liked... Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990)

(Dir. Anthony Minghella Starring: Juliet Stevenson, Alan Rickman)

Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman are magical, magical beings.

Minghella wrote the script with Stevenson in mind, and it shows, because she just glows...

Why I Liked... The King And I (1956)

(Dir. Walter Lang Starring: Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner)

The sets and dancing numbers were exquisite.

That said, I couldn’t help but feel entirely offended the entire time watching this. Not one of the leads were actually from Asian descent-most of them were from Mexico, and the titular King (Brynner) was from Russia. I know it’s all about context, but even when I transport myself back to 1956 to watch this film, I can’t help but bring a little bit of 2011 back with me.

Why I Liked... Megamind (2010)

(Dir. Tom McGrath Starring: Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, David Cross, Brad Pitt)

I was sitting in Cathay Pacific Business Class (you know, the one with the fully-reclining seats and duvets) when I watched this film.

Other than getting a kick ass upgrade on a 15-hour flight, Megamind wasn’t exactly...great. At all. No really. AT ALL.

Why I Liked... The Oscars (2011)

(Hosts: Anne Hathaway, James Franco)

I got completely sloshed.

(in fact, I’m glad I’m not driving today, I think I still am a little)

Considering how the Academy Awards were only really started to add a touch of class to the then-seen sleazy film industry, it sure has come a long way to becoming now The Award To Win. Like the Palm D’or isn’t as important. Or the BAFTA. Or the Golden Bear. Or the Genie (HAH! Who am I kidding?).

Why I Liked... Never Let Me Go (2010)

(Dir: Mark Romanek Starring: Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightly)

This film’s score is pretty boss, really.

And Andrew Garfield is lovely to watch. So is Carey Mulligan. Also Keira Knightly (weird how I’ve been liking her more and more ever since The Duchess).

Why I Liked... Let The Bullets Fly (2010)

(Dir. Jiang Wen. Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Feng Xiaogang, Jiang Wen)

I laughed, a lot.

For two Christmases now I’ve been going to the cinema with my darling friend L, and we always make sure to see some of the local fare. Back in 2009 we watched Bodyguards and Assassins, which ended up winning big at the Hong Kong Film Awards. So this year, we had to find a film to live up to it. I found Bullets for us, which we both went into thinking it would be a super serious film with deep and meaningful messages and tears and stuff.

Oh, how we were wrong. So very wrong.

Why I Liked... Tangled (2010)

(Dir. Nathan Greno, Byron Howard. Starring: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy)

It was cute.

When my sister was a young baby model (no, really), she had blonde hair. Coming from a father from Scandanavia, this isn’t entirely surprising. I don’t know much about the length of said hair, but when my parents left us two in the care of our grandmother and went to Rome for a week, they returned to find my sister with a short brown cut. My mother was pissed, as you can imagine, and now my younger brother and I remain the only blondes in the family (my father has since gone grey).

Inaugural WIL: Special Oscar Edition

So every year I send out an email to friends and family with my picks for the Oscars. This year, Imma post it here as well.

So here we are, less than four days away from the Sunday of all Sundays, The Academy Awards. Woo hoo! It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, but better late than never, no? And I just know you’re all dying to hear my opinionated self. Just gagging for it.

Let’s start big-

Best Picture:

Why I Made...

I'm making this blog because despite being a bit of a cynical bitch most of the time, I truly do look for the good in people/things before I make a bee line for the reasons why I'm right and they're/it's wrong.


So this film blog will consist of my thoughts on films as I see them (though I'll try to be pretty much up to date with recent releases), starting with at least one positive thought. The world's crap enough as it is, and just because some films are also crap doesn't mean there can't be an ounce of good in them.