I believe in Revolutionary Road

Today I saw Revolutionary Road and absolutely loved it. Without giving away too much, don't go if you're looking for a feel-good movie, but do see it if you want to feel something.

If you've seen it and/or don't mind having any part of the movie spoiled for you read ahead.

It wouldn't ruin the movie beforehand if I told you that it was sad because you can tell that within the first 20 minutes. However, I didn't cry, and for me to appreciate and even like this movie says a lot for the way it spoke to me. This movie is about a marriage between Kate Winslet's character April and Leonardo DiCapri's character Frank in a 1950's suburban setting. After ten years of marriage, Frank and April find themselves with two kids, a beautiful house, a job that Frank hates, and a life of "hopeless, emptiness." The lack of passion and overall happiness in their lives takes a toll on their marriage as the couple executes quarrel after quarrel. It isn't until April finally suggests the idea of their family moving to Paris so that April can work while Frank has time to figure out what he really wants to do with his life that the audience can see why the couple married each other in the first place. However this dream is defeated when April becomes pregnant and Frank is offered a promotion at his job, forcing April to continue a life that brings her absolutely no joy. 

All April ever wanted was to live a life that meant something, and she encouraged Frank to try to figure out what that was for him too. Although it may seem like it, this movie isn't another film criticizing the mundane, routine, and close-minded world that is often associated with the 1950s. It's not just about the world being up against you, it's about not being brave enough or daring enough to do whatever it takes to be fulfilled. It's so easy to let all of the obstacles convince you that your desire is out of reach, but April never believed that. In the end she aborted the baby herself and ended up dying as a result, which was just as well because I believe that if she had kept living she never would have really been alive ever again. 

Never stop fighting. What you want is never out of reach. Don't let anyone ever tell you that you're crazy for wanting to be happier.

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 13

2. Slumdog Millionaire -10

3. Milk - 8

4. The Dark Knight - 8

5. Wall-E - 6

6. Frost/Nixon - 5

7. The Reader - 5

8. Doubt - 5

9. Revolutionary Road - 3

10. Changeling - 3

11. The Wrestler - 2

12. Frozen River - 2

13. The Duchess - 2

14. Iron Man - 2

15. Wanted - 2

Speidi: Give us another reason to be irritated

Congratulations Spencer and Heidi. You've given Alex yet another reason to be annoyed by you.

This picture that I found on Us Magazine's website today displays Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (no, they did not get married if you watched the season finale of The Hills) at the 99 cent only store shopping for Valentine's Day cards. Now first let me point out that they were likely photographed by paparazzi, and I just want to note that they are some of the only celebrities that I've seen actually posing for the camera when they're being stalked by vicious strangers. Secondly, I know that this couple makes bank because they get huge contracts for being on The Hills and have practically forced MTV to keep them on the show so they can keep getting paid even though the show is about Lauren Conrad and neither of these two were a part of LC's life this past season. Their sole purpose is to profit from their exhausted 15 minutes of fame as much as they can. So I know that they can afford to shop somewhere a little nicer for gifts, especially ones that are supposed to be heartfelt. This picture either shows that the couple is cheap or that they're trying desperately to target a different demographic that'll watch a new show that nobody with any taste would watch so that they can keep getting checks in the mail for doing virtually nothing except being obnoxious. Thank goodness Heidi has a day job, no thanks to Spencer.

Slumdog Millionaire vs. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Alex spent this weekend at the movies seeing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire.

Note: Heath Ledger won a Screen Actors' Guild Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: click here for more info

I saw this movie on Saturday night and genuinely enjoyed it. I do have to say that the highlight of the entire movie was the pure image of Brad Pitt during his 30s and 40s at the peak of his extraordinary handsomeness. (If you can look at that man and not believe that there's a brilliant God then you just are not looking hard enough.) Another aspect of this film that really stood out to me was the score. If you've ever been to New Orleans (and I have within the past month) then you know the feeling of magic in the air when you walk down the French Quarter. I mean it feels like you're on a movie set or in Disneyland or something. I actually saw the house where they filmed this movie, and walking down the street with all of those beautiful houses was like dreaming. My point being that this musical score captured that essence beautifully. I also appreciated that captured the moments preceding Hurricane Katrina and made you fall in love with the city and the people that have been destroyed as a result. Go Brad Pitt! (Another reason to love him is his heart for New Orleans.) 

Obviously the premise of the movie, Benjamin Button aging backwards, is one that inspires a great story. One of the categories that this film was nominated for was Make-Up, and I can't imagine them losing to Hellboy II or The Dark Knight in that respect. However, I did feel that there wasn't enough depth put into the concept of aging in reverse. They never really explained how this could have happened, and the ending also wasn't entirely satisfying. I was also slightly disappointed by both Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett's performances although it was fun to watch the countless scenes somewhere in the middle where they were either about to have sex, were having sex, or just had sex. Taraji P. Henson as Benjamin's mother often managed to steal the screen even when she shared it with Brad. Not to mention that there were plenty of other little visual and comedic treats to enjoy in the movie.

vs. 

Slumdog Millionaire: click here for more info

Between the two which are both up for Best Picture this year, I'm going to have to go with Slumdog. This screenplay was heart-wrenching in almost every way, evoking fear, distress, heartache, anger, and ecstasy in an altogether rush of a movie. I don't think you could give any one actor credit for doing their character more justice because the entire cast did exactly what they had to do wonderfully, which I'm sure is why they just won a SAG award for Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture. I also feel like the movie painted a clear picture of the kind of world to which many of us are rarely exposed and still managed to get us to sympathize as if we had all grown up "slumdogs." If you haven't seen it, go see it, and stick around for the credits which is one of my favorite parts of the whole thing. As far as the score goes, if you like M.I.A. you won't be disappointed.

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 13

2. Slumdog Millionaire - 10

3. Milk - 8

4. The Dark Knight - 8

5. Wall-E - 6

6. Frost/Nixon - 5

7. The Reader - 5

8. Doubt - 5

9. Revolutionary Road - 3

10. Changeling - 3

11. The Wrestler - 2

12. Frozen River - 2

13. The Duchess - 2

14. Iron Man - 2

15. Wanted - 2

A Tribute to Heath Ledger

Today, January 22nd, 2009 is the one-year anniversary of the late great Heath Ledger's death. 

ATTENTION all Heath Ledger and The Dark Knight fans!! Today Heath Ledger was nominated for "Actor in Supporting Role" for his phenomenal performance as The Joker on the one-year anniversary of his death by accidental drug overdose, making him the 7th actor in history to receive a posthumous Oscar nomination.

For more info about Heath Ledger and the family he left behind...

-"Heath Ledger nominated for Oscar for The Dark Knight"

-"Biography"

-Michelle Williams back on track a year after Heath's death

31 Days Till the Oscars!

Alex is making a goal to be fully prepared for the Oscars this year.

As some of you may know, I recently switched majors to TV & Film Production at LMU because after years of being chronically undecided about my direction in life I had finally come to a conclusion that the only thing I really really love is watching movies, and I think that I could live a perfectly happy life consuming myself in making movies. I don't know exactly what aspect of filmmaking will end of being my area of focus, although I'm thinking editing or screenwriting at the moment, but I know that I'd better start familiarizing myself with what are currently considered well-made movies. 

Henceforth, this year it will be my goal to view all of the films that have been nominated for the 81st Annual Academy Awards, with the exception of those nominated in the categories of "Documentary Short," "Documentary Feature," "Short Film (Live Action)," "Short Film (Animated)," and possibly "Foreign Language Film." To see the list of nominees, follow this link: http://www.oscar.com/nominees/?pn=nominees

I've made a list of nominated films in order by how many total nominations they received. After I have watched them I will update the list by changing the titles that I have seen into red font. 

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 13

2. Slumdog Millionaire - 10

3. Milk  - 8

4. The Dark Knight - 8

5. Wall-E - 6

6. Frost/Nixon - 5

7. The Reader  - 5

8. Doubt  - 5

9. Revolutionary Road  - 3

10. Changeling - 3

11. The Wrestler  - 2

12. Frozen River  - 2

13. The Duchess - 2

14. Iron Man - 2

15. Wanted - 2

Stay tuned for more updates about regarding the Oscars and other movie news! 

where the kissing never stops

Hi. I'm backkk. Its Sami by the way. I haven't posted in a while and thats kinda depressing but anyways I'm back. Its weird that I haven't posted but I've been pretty busy, even though I'm still on break, I know ridiculous, and I know, your jealous. I don't particularly have a topic right now i just wanted to say that Alex and I have not abandoned our blog we're still here but life is going pretty well for the both of us so nothing to complain about. and that alex and our bestest friend kristen and I will be starting a new project which will be fuuun. so check it out some time. details to come.