We Need To Talk About Kevin

This film will blow you out of the water with its poignant cinematography, beautifully ironic soundtrack, and mysterious intercutting between pre- and post-massacre. I saw this 2011 masterpiece without knowing anything about it- I don't even think I saw the trailer (I know, shocking!). I don't want to give anything away because going into this film blind was all the more rewarding. In short, it centers on an exhausted mother and the complex, disturbing relationship with her son Kevin. Tilda Swinton really does give the performance of a lifetime and Ezra Miller, still my favorite since Afterschool, is remarkably terrifying. This will juxtapose his performance as a gay high school student in The Perks of Being A Wallflower wonderfully!

This is definitely a shot Wes Anderson would create.

Note: this film is horrifyingly real and timely in its subject matter, but not scary!

Grade: A

Celeste & Jesse Forever

This was such a cute indie film and I left just as happy- even a little perplexed- as I was when I first saw the trailer. Rashida and Andy looked and played the part well- I mean, what CAN'T Rashida pull off? The film also used cinematography to its advantage, manipulating focus in many of its shots. Centered around the loving bffs Celeste and Jesse, the audience learns of the trials and tribulations of a relationship not fully over. The actors, including a highly complementing supporting cast, take this un-Hollywood melodrama on a comic and sometimes raunchy ride through Broken Heartsville.

Grade: B+

Trailer:

Paris, Je T'Aime

A wonderful collection of love stories, happy and sad, that bring together the beauty and mystique of Paris.  Paris, Je T'Aime brings together 18 stories, vignettes more appropriately, from internationally known directors, such as: Wes Craven, The Coen Brothers, Alfonso Cuarón, Gérard Depardieu, Vincenzo Natali, and Tom Tykwer; not to mention the amazing ensemble cast! I can't begin to describe my love for a feat like this film. Despite having a few short endings, the shorts turned out fantastically- however painstakingly heartbreaking or refreshed I felt after each. Enjoy the collection and get ready to be whisked away by greatness!
My heart melts: B+

The Tree Of Life

This is more than just a story- it's a lifetime of thoughts.  The Tree Of Life is Malick's epic gift of creation, the meaning of life, the feuding ways of life, and what becomes of these actions.  Some will find the dreamlike sequences too much, while others will cling on to every frame he graces us with.  Life is everywhere, life is in the planets, in every cell.  The ways of our family will forever "wrestle inside [us]," despite choice and the question of "Will you live by nature or grace?"  A must see award winning film, or rather piece of artwork, with a pristine case, exquisite cinematography and a journey never to be forgotten.
Left in awe: A+

check out my longer take on the film soon @ 27movies.blogspot.com

Sherlock Holmes

Let's remake Sherlock Holmes, shall we? As we indulge in Holmes' racing mind, the movie also races forward with a stylistic passion.  Holmes and Watson- a fine duo here- are after the black magic impostor Lord Blackwood.  After a thrill of events, the exciting conclusion leaves a huge cliffhanger as Holmes determines to pursue the genius Professor Moriarti.  The duo, along with the outstanding addition of Noomi Rapace, will do exactly that in the December released sequel A Game of Shadows. For an even better take on Holmes, revisit with the BBC program Sherlock (A+), starring the impeccable Benedict Cumberpatch.
Rating: B

Watch the sequel trailer here:

I Am Love

I Am Love, or more appropriately Io sono l'amore, is about love, acceptance and passion. Whether you find those landmarks in your family, your business, or your food, love is definitely a necessity to life.  Savor every moment and don't let ANYTHING get in your way.  The beautiful landscape of Italy frame this wonderfully told story, featuring Tilda Swinton and an all Italian cast.  This previously nominated Academy Award is much deserved for: costume, cinematography, editing, music, and if there were such a category, food appearance. :) The final scene will blow you away!
No flaws: A

As ambiguous as the trailer seems, the movie is all the more sensational!

A Better Life

A horrifyingly true, yet predictable story of a family of inmigrantes ilegales that try to make a better life for themselves in Los Angeles.  The story had promise, but I felt that I had seen it before: no mother, the son unhappy with padre, a struggle to make enough money day to day, and trouble that ends in a foreigner's worst nightmare.  The acting was decent and there was a great climactic scene, but the rest was mostly forced emotion.  The ending was well done and makes you appreciate how much of a better life we have in America.

Rating: B-