Hey guys!  Lauren here with the news that I am going to be changing things up a bit on my end.  The majority of the time I try to write a review for any movie that I am watching for the first time, but as I have been going on that has been getting a little taxing.  I love movies, so the reviews keep piling up, and then there are so many that I can’t watch any new things for fear that I will forget what I had to say about one of the previous.

So here is the plan:  From now on I will continue writing about the stuff that is most relevant.  “What does that mean?” the voice in my head asks.  “Well I will tell you voice” I respond.  From now on I am going to write the usual length reviews for the films that are still in theatres, the films that have recently come out on DVD/bluray (within the last month).  “But Lauren!  I still want to know what you think about every other movie you watch for the first time!”  Well, fear not voice, I will still be writing a little blurb for those, and they will be compiled into one post at the end of the week.  Like this post here (“It’s the middle of the week!”  “Shut up, voice!”).  Oh!  And I will still be continuing my posts for comics, books (yes, someday I will start doing those), video games, etc.  I figured since I spend so much more time getting through one of the latter as opposed to sitting through a 2 hour film, they might just deserve a little more of a break down.  But we will see when the time comes.

Here goes nothing!

Films:

Nine

Nine follows a film writer and director named Guido who is having a little trouble producing the script for his next film, which everyone is expecting him to have ready to start filming now.  The musical aspect carries itself more as a stage production, with a lot of the numbers taking place on the set being built for his film, and I must say, the lighting they do for these moments was the highlight of the film for me.  The one thing that should have been the best part, which unfortunately fell short, were the musical numbers.  Don’t get me wrong, they were sang very beautifully on most counts thanks to the women cast in the roles (such as Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Kate Hudson, and Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson, etc.  Where as on the other hand, Daniel Day Lewis sounded a little bit like The Count from Sesame Street when he sings thanks to the accent he puts on), but the lyrics to the songs got a little annoying since it seemed that at least half of the time all they were repeating was Guido’s name over and over again.  So though it was expected, the film was just a tad too frustratingly egocentric for me.

Final Grade: B-

The Young Victoria

For a historical biopic, this is far from a snoozefest (nothing against history, but I have to be in the mood to sit through it).  The political aspect of being the queen cannot be completely abandoned, but The Young Victoria focuses on Victoria in her early years when she is first crowned, as well as her romance with Prince Albert.  The acting is great on all fronts, including Rupert Friend as her love interest, Paul Bettany as her trusted adviser, Mark Strong as her domineering “father figure”, and a hilarious depiction of King William by Jim Broadbent, but Emily Blunt truly outshines as Victoria.  In her performance she is able to capture Victoria’s youth as she revels in her newfound independence and power without giving up the presence of a woman who is actually capable of ruling her kingdom.  In addition to the acting, the look of the film is amazing and quite easy to gawk at, with beautiful sets and costumes that rightly deserve the Best Costume Design Oscar they received.  And best of all it was not drawn out, keeping the film far more entertaining than I ever imagined it could be.

Final Grade: B+

TV:

Avatar: The Last Airbender – As many of you probably know, especially if you are a nerd or a fan of the Nickelodeon Channel, a live action version of this animated film is coming out Thursday.  Though I am more than excited about the graphics and all that coming up, it should not be forgotten just how great the source material is.  That’s right grown up folk, get over yourselves and sit down to watch this cartoon, which quite honestly is one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time, with great stories, characters, and animation to boot.  Do yourselves a favor and watch all three seasons of the show.  They are available to stream for free on Netflix so you have no excuse, unless you don’t have Netflix.  Then I forgive you.  But the show is still in the rotation of Nickelodeon, so camp out in front of your TV until it is on and then settle in for some quality enjoyment.

Final Grade: A

Party Down – If you are still too proud to watch a cartoon, then another comedic show of the more adult variety is Party Down.  It follows a group of caterers, the majority of which have no real drive to do well at their job yet are stuck with it thanks to their other career aspirations.  Oh Hollywood… The job might be mundane enough, but the humor is ridiculous thanks to the roles and the actors that fill them.  Even better, the second season might actually be better than the first thanks to the addition of Megan Mullally (though I still miss Jane Lynch…).  Though the second season is still under way, both seasons are also available to stream instantly on Netflix.

Final Grade: B