“He’s Not That Into You” had some good advice for women, but it should have taken some advice on how to make a decent chick flick. The acting was lackluster; the script was meh, and I barely even faked a laugh. I was pretty disappointed because of the potential that this movie had. They should have just left it as a one-liner in the “Sex and the City” episode that it came from. It was funnier and interesting to hear Berger tell Miranda this, and her sharing the wealth with some reluctant women.

Even though I kind of forwarded through the movie, I did have to say that the advice is sound. I even see myself doing this with my daughter. “Oh honey, that boy is bothering you cause he likes you.” It did make me start thinking about what I say to my daughter and friends when it comes to “guy advice.” However, I probably would have gotten more from just reading the book of the same name from Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, instead of being tortured to watch the entire film.

The character that annoyed me the most was Gigi. She had this desperate personality when it came to men and then wondered why they ran away. It was worst because the one guy who would probably run faster when dealing with her is the one who was the love interest. If they wanted to keep it real and make it as a self-help guide for women to understand men, it should have been more realistic.

I hate when movies have potential to be great, but then end up like this one. Let’s hope that the next chick flick isn’t as bland as this one.

The Bride Wore Black (La mariee etait en noir) was a 1968 French film heavily influenced by Alfred Hitchcock and directed by François Truffaut, who was nominated for three Academy Awards. It is about a woman, (Jeanne Moreau, who bears a striking resemblance to Monica Belluci, whose husband is shot down while they are leaving the church. She tries to commit suicide, but is always stopped by her family, so she vows to get revenge on the five men who were part of it.

It’s a great film that asks “Would you want to revenge against the people who have ruined your life?” In this film, the answer is yes. I don’t want to reveal anything because you have to watch it for yourself.

I didn’t have any expectations when I began watching this short animated film based on Watchmen. I popped it in the DVD and began watching. By the first five minutes, I was hooked. The tale was macabre and kept me captivated til the end. The animation was well done. It was dark just like the story, and it kind of reminded me of the anime Heavy Metal.

“Gardens of the Night” is about two children, Leslie and Donnie, kidnapped by two men and their lives together. It’s directed by newcome Damian Harris who based his story on the kids, counselors, police officers, and pimps that he met during his two years of research. His years of perfecting the story was seen in how well made this movie was. As a parent, I felt the pain of what would happen if my child was taken and having to endure the horrors that these children did for over nine years. After they get too old, they are dumped by their captors and left to fend for themselves.

The actors did an amazing job bringing this script to life. The two children, Rayn Simpkins and Jermaine Scooter Smith, who play the young Leslie and Donnie really showed the pain that children who have dealt with this probably felt. I was impressed on how well they did for being so young. I was glad that they didn’t get too graphic on the parts when the children had to do deal with pedophiles because I probably would have nightmares for awhile thinking about how this really happens every day. The director was able to make his point across without showing too much. Some other directors would have gone for the shock factor, so I am glad that he was smart enough to realize that he would have lost his audience doing that.

The cinematography was great because it didn’t look like it was made in a fancy studio. It gave the feel like you were actually there with them throughout the entire ordeal. I also like how they show how this is usually a vicious cycle that occurs and that it usually doesn’t just end. You expect a big, happy ending where everything is perfect at the end, and I am glad that he kept it realistic. Every parent should watch this. Even if you aren’t a parent, you probably should. It will make you think twice about what to do if you see a sad child, who doesn’t seem like he/she belongs with that adult, looking at you with helpless eyes.

My daughter Isabelle is obsessed with Barbie, so I think that I have seen every Barbie movie out there. The latest one is a spin of the beloved story “Thumbelina.” It could have been better and was definitely not the best Barbie movies I have seen.

One thing that I didn’t like is that it really steered away from the original story. I loved the Thumbelina story because it made children realized that you should always be proud of who you are, no matter how different you are. This rendition definitely didn’t stick to that. It was more about bravery and helping the environment. I know that everyone is going green, but they could have done this without forgetting what was really important about the story.

Another thing that bothered me is how they are changing the way Barbie looks. Before she was beautiful and normal looking, but now she looks like this skeletal, hideous creature that can give kids nightmares. What makes it more comical is that the actual Barbie’s figure is fuller because of all the backlash it got. However, in the movie, she looks skinny and scary. To the creators, look at Fairytopia and The Island Princess and have Barbie look like that.

Other than that, the story was fine. It was nice to have a story about how materialistic belongings do not make you who you are, and that you should always help the people in need. The kids liked the movie, but they didn’t care to see it more than once. Isabelle even exclaimed that she didn’t get why Barbie wasn’t in this one either. It’s been like that for the past three or four Barbie movies. She is always absent. Please have her finally appear in the movie than just the narrator. I think the reason the kids want to see the movies is cause of Barbie, so have her in there.

The final episodes of “Paranoia Agent” were captivating. It focused on how people would rather conjure up imaginary villains instead of facing themselves. This is an anime series that everyone should watch because I think that all of us have been stuck in living a lie because we are so afraid of what will happen if we look in the mirror.

I was just discussing with my best friend how people play the victim role and want to remain there because they want the sympathy associated with it. Instead of saying “I need to change” because then the real battle begins.

I made the mistake of watching the anime finale before watching the movie. I knew that “Death Note: The Last Name” wasn’t going to be exactly like the anime because there were things that happened after the first movie, in the anime, that were too much to cover in one film.

If I had watched the movie before the anime, then I would say that the movie was good. It kept you at the edge of your seat watching the cat-and-mouse chase between L and Light. They didn’t have time to introduce two vital characters, Mello and Near, from the anime in the movie, but I think in the time that they had, it would have left people confused.

The only complaint that I have is that it could have been trilogy. It seemed like they tried to tie all the loose ends in the span of time that they had, which could have been done if there was another movie. Who knows why the didn’t. Maybe they didn’t have enough funding, etc., but it’s a shame cause I would have probably named this one of my top five trilogies.

If you have watched the anime, skip the second movie. I feel like I ruined the anime finale by watching this one. It tainted it and now I have to rewatch the anime ending to get the bad taste out of my mouth.

I will have to say that I just saw one of the best anime finales ever. “Death Note,” Volume 9 was action packed intelligence like I have ever seen. There is not much I can say without giving it away, but let’s just say that I had to watch the ending three times, and I still want to rewatch it again. That’s all.

This was one of the worst attempts of a musical I have ever seen. I don’t know if it follows that actually play to the tee, but if it does, then I can tell that people who rave about it don’t know what a great musical is. The only saving grace was that the music all came from Abba, which is one of my favorite groups of all time.

It’s about a girl who finds her mother’s diary, and invites three men, who might be her father, to her wedding. Meryl Streep, Colin Firth (I LOVE HIM), and Pierce Bronson are part of the cast to this ill-fated musical, and I must say that I am shocked that they signed on to be in it. The acting was not bad, but they didn’t finish a sentence before they were singing another tune. What’s worse is that their voices were not up to par. I cringed a few times and decided to just fast forward whenever they jumped into song. The plot was campy, and that is a nice way of putting it. Additionally, the movie was way too long for my taste. 90 minutes isn’t a bad number. I’m tired of this movies that want to extend over two hours.

Aside from Abba, the only good thing about the movie was the scenery. It was in Greece, which is where I want to go for my honeymoon. If it weren’t for those two things, I would have just returned it without watching it. Don’t waste your time. If you want to listen to Abba, get their greatest hits cd. If you want to see the Greek isles, get a documentary. If you want to see these fine actors, then go see another movie of theirs. I am trying to save you the pain.

When I came back from LA, my parents were the one who picked me up from the airport. The first thing my mom said to me was, “Shevonne, you HAVE to see this French film about the children’s choir that I have a cd of.” If my mom was that excited, I had to see what it was about.
The movie concerns two childhood friends who reunite after their beloved teacher passes away. He leaves a journal behind for one of them, who is now a successful classical musician, and they begin reading it. The movie flashes back to when the journal begins. It’s when the teacher enters a school for juvenile delinquents and forgotten children. He gives them hope by sharing his love of music with them, and that there is more to life than their surroundings that had become like a prison due to the overly stern Director.
The little boy who becomes the classical musician reminded me of my son. He was introverted, didn’t speak when pushed, and pretended he didn’t like something, but when no one was looking, he tried and did amazing at it. I am also a sucker for movies about teachers who go in and impact children’s lives. There are some movies that touch you, and this movie was one of those. I already know that I am going to buy it this weekend, so I can watch it over and over again. My kids also loved it. It was in French, but they still enjoyed watching the boys evolve into wonderful kids.