Another week of me trying to figure out my recommendations before giving up. You see, for me these very specific themes always are the hardest because I really haven’t seen that many films. With my no-double-recommendations rule as well, it sometimes sort of narrows me to a very tight squeeze. Like this week with the private eye theme. Anyway, that is the reason today’s post is like an uphill journey. Starts with the bad, ends with the good.
What I thought was going to be another hard week for me, turned out to be an easy challenge. Three movies where our main character is motivated by a disappearance, simple as that. Two movies I picked have the same director, and the third one has a similar theme to the other. They are all crime-related, obviously, and I love crime-movies and shows, which is why I like all these movies a lot.
It is only fair that after the Academy Awards there should be a post about the winners, yes, I agree but I am doing things a bit differently this time. I will try to watch all the winning movies and do a separate post about them all. Some will have a bigger post (the bigger winners including the Best Movie of 2011 – The Artist) some will just have a short review – so stay tuned.
This post may have spoilers.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was actually my cinema experience a little while back because I thought it would actually be something very interesting to watch in the cinema. I was right, I think it had an effect on me in the cinema, it was bigger and louder. I must state that I have read the book and slightly seen the Swedish version as well. I am quite happy with the installment from the book to Swedish film to Hollywood film because David Fincher kept it elegant and it seemed that he honored the book (and hopefully the Swedish movies as well). Coming back to the Swedish movie, I watched it slightly because I didn’t like the casting choice of the main character. Though Daniel Craig wasn’t the perfect image of the character written in the books, he was as handsome as I imagined Mikael Blomkvist to be. As far as Rooney Mara goes, yes, she did a great job, her half Swedish half English manner of speaking was something to get used to and she still fell short of the Swedish actress who visually resembled more to Lisbeth Salander – for me personally.
The movie was nominated for 5 Oscars but it only won one, for editing which was done by Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter. Rooney Mara was nominated as well, she did not win because she was in a very strong category, but to be there to begin with is an accomplishment on its own. So good for her and best of luck for her future roles which already look promising considering she has a role in Terrence Malick’s next movie, Lawless (starring Ryan Gosling!).
A little about the movie, I liked it. I was super thrilled after the credits which were totally surprising and dark, intriguing and all eerie – after the first 30 minutes I was a bit disappointed of the hype I had in the beginning. It was a solid installment of a book into a movie, that probably describes it the best. Stellan Skarsgård played the villain, which is ironic cause he was the only bad guy and also happens to be Swedish (there is an ironic joke in there some where) and Christopher Plummer had a small role as well. I mention him because he actually won the Best Supporting Actor this year but all about that in another post.
With the 8,1 score in IMDb The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is among the best 250 movies, and a well deserved place because it was simply that solid. Still I wouldn’t call it my favorite of the winners this year’s 84th Academy Awards and Fincher’s directing jobs – he has had movies which have left a bigger mark on me. Now the question remain, will other two movies come to life as well?
★★★★
It has been a while since I’ve done a decent trailer post where I gather some of the latest trailers and decide based on those trailers if I want to see the movie and how good of a movie it might be. As it turns out, there aren’t many trailers (except those who stand out immediately and get a post right away like Horrible Bosses did) that catch my eye but since I’m very behind on my posting and all the recent posts are shallow and not my best (since I don’t remember the movies I’ve watched lately) I try to make this one a little more close to my standards.
Starting off with something easy, Monte Carlo is another teen comedy/romance starring Selena Gomez (who actually is gorgeous in my opinion), Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy. Looks like another Lizzie McGuire movie but I hope it’s a little better because Selena is a much better actress than Hilary! Besides, there are two other strong actresses (maybe not strong but familiar) who might bring in a lot of people. Selena might loose some fans because she is the girlfriend of the boy who’s name I won’t name in my blog, but the plot looks promising as an okay rom-com (2 out of 5 probably).
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxm_bVVhbr8″]As we started with a rom-com we might as well continue with one, What’s Your Number? is probably the most promising romantic comedy next to Friends With Benefits. Anna Faris who usually comes off as uncomfortable looks really sweet here and Chris Evans (who I want to see in Capten America) looks hot as hell. Besides that, Anna Faris’ exes seem to be quite familiar names, like Zachary Quinto and Andy Samberg who I both love, making this a very well filled (name wise) movie.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNLiOojDgLE”]Switching from romance to action, Columbiana is about a woman who seeks revenge and probably will get it. Zoe Saldana who has come a long way since the Crossroads (a movie with Britney Spears where I saw her for the first time) looks absolutely bad ass in this one the plot seems average though, the usual hero movie.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_0R5mvrZ28″]Back to comedy and reality, because Conan O’Brian has a documentary Can’t Stop coming out – of the time he was off the air and touring the states being as funny as usual.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM5gzADld2M”]Thanks to Happy Feet 2 we have some music in this post as well, the trailer doesn’t give any information but its entertaining and I hope the movie is as well – for the kids, you know!
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twYq5QkNPKw”]Do be honest, I still haven’t watched Harry Potter (since the 5th movie) so I haven’t really watched the trailer of the Deathly Hallows part 2 but I’m still posting this because I will watch this in the movies! I just have to re-read the books and watch it all the way through and make probably a post about it and then.. celebrate with all the other Harry Potter fans.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_kDb-pRCds”]From the famous wizard to the famous X-Men – their franchise has come up with the next movie, this one being the sort of a beginning of the entire story: First Class. The list of names in this one is just mind blowing and I’m just gonna name them and not say anything else: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon and Nicholas Hoult to name a few.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yq7Za1JnZg”]Another action packed film that is gonna be in my DVD collection is the newest J.J Abrams movie – Super 8. At the moment I’m watching Fringe (also Abrams) and waiting the Star Trek 2 but I would love to enjoy Super 8 as well. Looks like a decent movie and little Elle Fanning looks all grown up as well.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRQQCKS7go”]Getting more serious with a dramatic romance starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum The Vow looks like another Notebook with guaranteed tears from the ladies as well as from me. I would watch this to be honest – and Channing is hot! (PS: one of the writers is the developer of Parenthood and that is very promising!)
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVaE1WoYROc”]The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a great book, I should know I read it and I even scrolled through the Sweden version of the film that had some really bad casting (the lead was horrible). USA version with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara looks better only with the casting and probably will be better (due to money of course). The trailer is well made (gives away too much in my opinion) but the music gives it the thrilling feel that I love.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yUwXwrR35U”]Because I love Emma Stone, I’m probably gonna watch this movie The Help as well (mostly because of Emma though). It looks like a rather interesting drama but the accents are throwing me off at the moment (can’t stop laughing). All though, it looks like a movie with heart and well, coming over the racial differences is something that I really enjoy in a movie.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0dWCXCjX9o&feature=fvst”]Last but not least, my favorite guy in a comedy about a guy who finds out he has cancer. 50/50 starring with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen is a must watch movie! And is a good trailer to end this post with.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30q67dlj8mo”]This concludes my special trailer post of movies I’m waiting and probably gonna watch as well, looks like it’s going to be a busy year for me – too bad my new living arrangements don’t give me an opportunity to go to the cinema – oh lord, what am I going to do!?
