Michael Jackson’s This Is It
Many things about Michael Jackson’s passing have been tragic and devastating, but one of the most glaring is that he never got to perform the 50 sold-out London comeback concerts he was only weeks away from.
Luckily for us, there is a small compensation. The director and creative partner of that show, Kenny Ortega, was able to capture a huge deal of footage as Michael created, rehearsed and perfected what would have been one mind-blowing show. And that’s what we get with This Is It, a documentary that lovingly captures the creative process of one of music’s most indelible icons...
Up
Up doesn’t start out like any animated movie we’ve ever seen. It’s the story of a couple who grows old together and whose life gets in the way of their pie-in-the-sky dream of living in a house perched on a cliff in South America. When balloon salesman Carl (Ed Asner) becomes a widower, he decides to take matters into his own hands by attaching enough balloons to his house to lift it up and take it all the way to South America. Things are complicated though by an eager boy scout named Russell who accidentally ends up going along for the ride.
Let’s start out by saying that U...
Away We Go
Away We Go is the story of long-time couple and expectant parents Burt (John Krasinksi) and Verona (Maya Rudolph). To figure out where they should settle down to raise a family, they go on a road trip to meet up with various friends and family and observe first-hand an often funny variety of parenting philosophies.
Directed by the Oscar-winning Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road), and from a screenplay by highly-acclaimed novelists (and real-life husband and wife) Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, the film certainly oozes talent from in front of and behind the c...
Julie & Julia
As the first major motion picture to be adapted from a blog, Julie & Julia chronicles two real-life stories. One is the story of famous American chef, Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and how she parlayed her love of food, and French food in particular, into a mega-successful career. The other is the story of Julie Powell (Amy Adams), a lowly cubicle-worker who finds her true calling in life when she starts a blog all about cooking Julia’s recipes.
This interweaving dual story is handled deftly by writer/director Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail), who seems back on form with portraying smart, funny women. Amy Adams plays the part of the frazzled blogger well, but it’s Meryl Streep’s giddy, magnetic portrayal of the iconic Julia Child that gives the movie its heart, soul, and humour.
The relationship between Julia and her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) is also a beautiful and surprising thing to watch. But, we think it goes without saying, that the third big star of this film is all that magnificent-looking food. Yum!
Upsides:
- Meryl Streep’s giddy performance gives the movie its heart, soul, and humour.
Downsides:
- The movie might have been just as good by telling only one story – that of the iconic Julia Child.
Adventureland
From the director of Superbad, comes Adventureland – a funny and authentic look at a bunch of 20-somethings who may have survived college, but may not survive their summer jobs. Set in 1987, the film focuses on James (Jesse Eisenberg), a smart, loveable “nice guy” who is looking for true love and a job that can give him enough money to go to grad school at Columbia. That job happens to be a gig as a “carnie” at the slightly seedy suburban amusement park, Adventureland.
At its core, Adventureland is a simple story of first love. But it’s the unusual setting that b...
