This was one of those DVDs that I felt compelled to pause periodically in order to call my boyfriend and tell him how much I was enjoying the movie. It’s not that he’s all that interested – had never heard of the movie, of course. I guess I just feel that if I’m going to wait 22 years before watching a movie and discover that it’s fantastic, I should at least pass on the news.

I guess I should read the book to find the answer, but maybe someone here would like to clue me in instead…

Why do the vampires keep going to high school? It’s not like they are grade schoolers who people would question if they weren’t in school. Edward’s 17 – just say you graduated already. If I was blessed with everlasting life, I don’t think I would spend my days doing high school over and over again.

Definitely one of the 25 best books I’ve read in my life. I wasn’t expecting much since I wasn’t a huge fan of the movie – but what a different experience altogether. I know the movie is classic, but the book could really be filmed much more true-to-word than it could have back then (when two people rolling on the beach was considered scandalous). It’s not just a book about Pearl Harbor, or even military life, but about the every man’s struggle within himself to live up to his own integrity. Loved every page of it.

I just fell in love with Happy-Go-Lucky. Sally Hawkins is amazing and deserved an Oscar nod. You start out the moving thinking she’s basically a nutter, and you kind of end up the movie with that impression as well, but somewhere along the line you begin to understand her and why she is the way she is, and question why you can’t look at life with the same joyful outlook as she does. It’s a nice change of pace from some of Mike Leigh’s other recent movies (Vera Drake, All or Nothing, Secrets & Lies), which are much more serious. If you have to have a lot of action and plot twists, this isn’t the film for you. However, if you can enjoy a good character films, this is definitely one to check out.

Definitely one of the best films ever made on the effect of drug addiction on a family. The writing and acting is brilliant – these characters are complete people who jump off the screen.

Obviously the John Patrick Shanley is a great writer and brings out the best in his actors (4 Oscar nominees for acting in one pic), but I think his directorial style robbed the movie of some of its punch. Too many off-kilter angles and a reliance on jumping from close-up to close-up during conversations – I think a better director would have easily found the film nominated for Best Picture. I was surprised to find out that he was also the writer and director of Joe Versus the Volcano, a film I really admire and which couldn’t be more different from Doubt.

My favorite thing about this movie was the unexpected way the two “big” characters interacted with their “littles.” Instead of following the more formulaic storyline where the adults guide the children into better lives by changing them (i.e. making the nerd cool), they accepted the kids for who they were and got to know them.

Obviously, the hardest thing about writing a sequel to Pride and Prejudice is the fact that it is one of the best-loved novels of all time and any sequel would therefore have to be compared to it (and would undoubtedly fail). So, the fact that Mr. Darcy’s Daughters is not as charming, witty, or funny as even Jane Austen’s lesser works, comes as no surprise. The settings are close, Aston has resurrected several well-loved characters, but she is not a great writer by any means. Where Austen’s novels focus on the underlying character within a very constrictive environment (while simultaneously keeping a rather light look at things), Aston misses this. Her characters are pretty one-dimensional and many of the scrapes the other sisters give way to “well, duh” moments for the reader. There are intrigues and balls, and lots of lots of descriptions of dresses, so anyone who enjoys reading about that time period (as I do) will probably come away pleased. However, I wish the author had simply written a book unrelated to Jane Austen, because it only hurts the book (well, I guess it helps in the pocketbook for the publishers). The only returning character she does well with is Lydia. And can you really have a sequel without Elizabeth and Darcy?

I didn’t know beforehand that this film is one continuous shot, and so about 20 minutes into it my brain starts to try and come up with how they are making these incredible edits. Although the film is known for this incredible achievement – a first in cinematic history – and rightly so because of the sheer brilliance it took to conceive of and execute the vision, it works first and foremost as a film. I love the look into Russian history and have recommended this to all of my friends with good taste in movies.

What would I do without TCM? It’s ridiculous that a movie this acclaimed is not out on DVD yet. It’s massively appealing – great character acting from two of the all-time bests, action, romance, adventure. This film easily fits into so many genres, which I think is the secret to its success – not a brilliant movie, but does everything well.