last 4 movies

Now that my baby is actually sleeping at a decent hour every evening I'm able to catch up on my massive list of movies in my Netflix instant queue.
Here are my reviews on 4 movies I've watch this month.

1. A Royal Affair.

I was drawn to this movie because of Mads Mikkelsen. He protrays Hannibal Lector 

On NBC's Hannibal. He is intoxicating to watch. I'm a huge Hannibal fan and read all the books last summer. Not to mention how much I adore Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal. I mean who beats Anthony? But I was totally surprised and enlightened to love Mads as Hannibal just as much. 

So with saying that this movie was a must see for me. BUT wait... Its a danish movie. All in danish. I have never been a fan of subtitles. So I almost passed this movie up. Thankfully Jim (my 7 month old son) was being a crazy baby one evening and after a long fight for him to go to sleep I was ready to get my mind off of being a mommy. 

The danish language was very peaceful and beautiful to my ears after hearing crying and whining for hours. The subtitles were nice because it was like reading a book with moving pictures. 

The movie in a nutshell is the affair between 

Queen Caroline and the royal physician struensee. Struensee becomes the physician to Caroline's husband king christian VII of Denmark. Christian is a wack job. He is a horrible husband and has major mommy issues. Mads who plays struensee is sexy. His accent, his pony tail, and his love for Caroline is intense. I fell mad for him. Yes I just punned. 

Caroline the queen is beautiful. She narrates the movie. The whole movie is based on true events from the 18th century. I did some research on the real history of king christian, his queen, and the physician and its very much like in the movie. 

I love period pieces. I love how struensee deeply cares for the nutty king and omg when he finally gets Caroline its so built up you just have to see it! 

Don't be dismayed by the foreignness of this film. Its wonderful. You will laugh, get all hot and bothered, cry, and maybe even learn a thing or two from this film. 

Its on Netflix. Watch it! 

2. Far from Heaven 

I love movies with the issue of race. I was drawn to this movie because I liked the premise. A white 1950s housewife pushing the boundaries with a black man who works in her garden, who happens to be super attractive. Yes please! 

I don't wanna give too much away but Cathy the wealthy housewife to frank (who secretly likes men) becomes caught up in the drama of her husbands indiscretions becomes friends with Raymond. Who is played by Dennis haysbert (he does the insurance commercials now with the deep manly voice). Raymond is pushing for equal rights and Cathy finds herself drawn to that world.  

I love the way the women dress, their houses, the cars, and just the very 1950s feel to the film. I adore Raymond and by the end you just want them to be together and say ''screw those who think its wrong!'' 

OK so not the best description of this film. But its beautiful. 

Its a must see for those that love the star crossed lovers feel. 

Its also on Netflix. 

3. The giant mechanical man. 

This movie was weird. I was drawn to this because Jenna Fischer is the lead. She's pam from the office. 

Side note: the office is about the only show I watched every week from season 1 til its last season. I'm proud of that. Who didn't love Jim and Pam?! I mean...come on! 

Well she's in this and is super dorky and awkward. She's in her 30s and is so confused about her life, her job, and her lack there of love life. She meets a guy who works with her at the zoo and they really get each other. Little does she know he's the street performer who stands on stilts and is covered in silver. He's artistic and needing someone to understand him and she's the same. 

It was nice to watch. But its not for everyone. Its very film festivally. Which I love but again its just very unique. 

Its for the free thinker! 

Its also on Netflix. 

4. World war Z 

What girl doesn't like brad Pitt? OK there are a few I'm sure. But my love for him started young watching legends of the falls. 

Swoon. 

My favorite quote from him in this movie is not even appropriate for this blog but its ahhhh amazing. 

Anyways Pitt. He's good in this film. Its through his plan b company. He produced it as well. Its brad saving the world from zombies. He's charastmatic and kind. He loves his family. He is willing to go through anything to find a cure. I mean anything! The guy can't catch a break for a lot of the movie. But its brad! We believe in you brad with the long hair and cute scarf around your neck! 

His wife in the film is Mireille Enos. 

I adore her in the killing on AMC. She was great in this. I love her middle part and plain look. I find it pretty and refreshing. 

Its a good zombie movie. I think its probably a better rent movie vs. Spending money on a ticket. 

(Us today right before seeing world war z...my husband is clearly taller than me.#shortgirlproblems) 

 OK so that's what I have seen this month of July. I adore film. I love acting and just the excitement of s very good movie! This blog is over 3 years in the making. I'm not a writer. But I love movies and shows and talking about them. 

Hope you watch one of these four soon! Let me know what you enjoyed or didn't about any of them through my Facebook! 

Emily 

You ought not talk that way. You just a boy.

For years my father would quote lines from Sling Blade.  I have always respected my dads taste in movies. He likes the ones that make you cry. We have the same heart, my dad and I. We both are way to sensitive to human nature. Movies like Shawshank Redemption, Man on Fire, and any movie with a horse in it will resort us to weeping.

There's a list of movies in my subconscious that I KNOW I NEED TO SEE but haven't. My excuse is timing or lack there of, or it may not be that good, or that actors really not my favorite. Then there's also my excuse for greatness. When I know  a film might be good and that could instill GREATNESS,  a small part of me doesn't want to see it. Watching that movie that rocks your world, makes you cry, laugh, and instills a change in you is precious. There's nothing like watching a movie and absolutely falling in love with it in that short period of time. Its like having sex for the first time. It happens once. 1 time. You can watch it again and again but its never the same as the first time.

Sling Blade was my first time. It was precious. I didn't expect it. I didn't want to watch it because I knew I would love it.  My dad quoted it for years so I knew it was good. But dang it was beyond good. I'm not gonna even try to think of a word to describe it. I'm just gonna tell you some good stuff from it. Then I hope if you haven't seen it you will. (for netflix users its on instant Que for free).

To let you know how much it affected me hours after watching the film (I watched it alone during a Tuesday afternoon while my husband was working) I was sitting on the couch after dinner with Kyle and I just started bawling out of know where. I confused my husband and after I caught my breathe I just kept saying "its not fair, Karl and Frank it was just perfect, its not fair!"

Billy Bob Thornton is the writer, director, and lead character in the film. Hes won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. He was nominated for Best actor for Sling Blade which he lost.
I've never had an opinion on Billy. I know hes quite unique. Maybe even a drunk but regardless he made this movie and I love him for that.

There are three elements to the film that make it.

1) Frank the little boy that befriends Karl.

If this little baby inside me is a boy I want him to have the heart of this little boy. Frank lives in a little old town with his mama. Frank hasnt been given a good childhood. His daddy is dead and his mama is dating a mean, nasty drunk. He needs someone who will watch over him, to love him, and to protect him. He is a lovely child who thinks deep and loves hard. He needs a friend and Karl comes into play.

2) Karl the mentally challenged convict.

Karl had a horrible childhood. The first scene when hes describing his childhood brings me to tears. He was slow and his parents were poor and ignorant. He describes his childhood in a shack in the back yard with a hole for a bed. He has to do some horrible things to get by. One occasion is the murder of his mother and her lover. Hes the last person you would think to kill anybody but that's the hand hes been dealt.

Karl's never had a friend or any love in his life. When he meets Frank on the day of his release from the mental ward something sparks in him. (its love but he doesn't know that).

3) The timing is perfect.

I don't know if Billy Bob believes in God but I like to think if this was based on a true story that Gods timing was included in this story. The timing is perfect. From When Karl was released from the mental ward. To Where Karl was sitting eating his fried mashed taters. And Why Frank was cleaning his families cloths at the wash and dry. In my head its all Gods perfect timing.

There's several scenes that bring you right to tears. I promise you will fall in love with Frank the sweet little kid. As for Karl well I'm sure you will like him just fine. I sure did.


My favorite scene not to give too much away is a scene with Karl and Frank. Karl finally knows what he has to do for this little kid and he just loves him and Frank just loves Karl. Its heart-wrenching. 

You'll meet them all again on their long journey to the middle.

This Movie changed everything for me. I was fifteen and my mother bought be the movie. After watching the movie late that same very night something changed in me, something somehow clicked and I saw who I really was. This movie became my bedrock of all future movies. 

I love films. I love how they can tell a story that can change your life. I wont talk about my personal life on this blog except when it comes to movies. I KNOW MOVIES. Its my thing. My hobby. I should warn you, I'm no writer! I'm not just saying that. I really cannot put a catchy sentence together without spelling a word or two spelled wrong. So read my movie blog or don't. I'm not a huge fan of you know the type ''mommy blogs'' or ''I sell homemade jewelry and scarves.'' So don't worry I'm not gonna sell you anything except maybe selling you on a must see movie. So here we go...

Penny Lane. 

 The girl every girl wants to be but could never be. She has wildly curly hair, sheer tops with no bras, and dirty bare feet. 

William Miller is a 15 year old kid who is very smart with a pushy worry obsessive mother (played by Frances McDormand). William doesn't want to be a doctor or lawyer like his mother pushes on him. He loves music and whats to be a rock journalist.

He manages to meet a guy by the name of Lester Bangs (last picture posted and his quote is my title of this blog) who helps him take steps into becoming a rock journalist despite the fallout of rock in roll during the times.

William Miller through manipulation and lies and most importantly Penny Lane become connected to Still water (led my Russell) an up and coming band trying to make it big.

The movie shows the vulnerability of people and how complex they can be. Williams rough draft story of still water is picked up my Rolling Stones magazine (they think hes an adult), and Russell thinks this is his big break. Russell and Williams relationship is perfectly played out in this movie. Its a connection only Cameron Crowe could magically create. Penny Lane loves Russell. William loves Penny Lane.

One of my favorite scenes of any film is at the beginning right where William is able to get backstage to interview Still water with the help of Penny Lane. William falls in love with Penny in this scene and introduces Penny to Russell from still water (not knowing Penny and Russell have a past). The "remeet" of Russell and Penny Lane is fireworks. Its such a movement. Watch.

I love what Kate Hudson did to make Penny Lane come alive (she needs to get back to this kind of acting and leave the dumb popcorn movies to Anne Hathaway) and how a past love can bring you to tears just like that.

Also starring in this film is Zooey Deschanel, Anne Paquin, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Jimmy Fallon.

Music is the backbone of this movie. Tiny Dancer by Elton John, River by Joni Mitchell to name a few.

 I hope if you haven't seen this movie you will. Everyone can relate to someone in this film. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Emily.

 

Lester Bangs: You CANNOT make friends with the rock stars. That's what's important. If you're a rock journalist - first, you will never get paid much. But you will get free records from the record company. And they'll buy you drinks, you'll meet girls, they'll try to fly you places for free, offer you drugs... I know. It sounds great. But they are not your friends. These are people who want you to write sanctimonious stories about the genius of the rock stars, and they will ruin rock and roll and strangle everything we love about it.