In Response to my Sister's blog

I have to completely disagree with my sister.  I thought that there were fabulous movies this year.  Well there is some agreement so lets start there.  I agree that Winter's Bones was an outstanding film due both to the great acting and the writing.  It is a mystery and I love mysteries but it was unique in setting and style.  The one thing that I take from the movie is what I learn over and over.  Problems are all the same.  The human condition is all the same.  You could take this story and put it in the inner city and it would be no different.

I have not see The Tourist.  I liked the Black Swan, I thought Natalie Portman did an amazing job, but it just wasn't real enough for me.  It didn't seem believable and I work in the psych field.  Maybe it tryed too hard.  But it was an excellent movie.

My very favorite movie of the year is one that my sister just didn't get.  The Social Network.  She says perhaps it is because she doesn't get facebook.  I don't get facebook either.  I have lots of friends on it but I don't get it.  The Social Network however was not about facebook.  It was about a brilliant, obsessed individual who could not connect with anyone on an intimate level.  I don't think he was a bad guy just young, brilliant and alone.  The irony of the movie (and probably has no basis in fact) is that this kid with absolutely no social skills build a network for people to connect.  And Jessie Eisenberg who portrays the main character is nothing less than perfect.  I love the scenes where they are doing the deposition.  The unfortunate timing for this young man is that Collen Firth was just as good playing George VI in the King's Speech. 

The Kings Speech is the second best movie of the year.  This movie is not about speech therapy.  It is about intimacy.  Where the Jessie Eisenberg's character in Social Network could not be intimate because of his brilliance, Berty could not be intimate because of his social standing.  Its about resistance and trust and growth born out of intimacy with another individual.  Again the acting is superb and Geoffery Rush is outstanding.  But unfortunately for him the best perfomance of the year (men, women, lead or supporting) is Christian Bale's portrayal of Micky Ward's brother in the fighter.  Probably the second best performance is by Melissa Leo who plays his mother.  This movie is about finding out who you are, what you are made of and what is right for you.  Oh yea and how you can let the people you love help you without getting smothered. 

The Kids Are All Right is another look at intimacy and the problems a relationship can have even if you are a same sex couple.  You would think it would be easier.  But it's not.  Again the acting (all of the acting) and the writing, filming all superb. 

Lets not forget Toy Story 3.  A website I viewed actually put it as the number 1 movie of the year.  I wouldn't go that far, I would put it near the top.

Blue Valentine is a very intense look at a crumbling relationship.  The acting by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams elevates it to Oscar statis in my book.

I liked Sex and Other Drugs.  Not as an Oscar contender but as a romantic commedy with a heart.  And Judy there is a good line from the movie.  "You are the only person who every thought I was enough."

Most of my picks follow the Golden Globes picks.  As I was watching I was surprised at how smart those folks were to agree with me.  I had actually seen all of the movies in the best drama chategory and a few from the Comedy musical category. And although I was watching them by myself, my friend Laura and I texted back and forth.  It was an intimate moment.

Not much worth seeing

Haven't blog for almost a year but then there has almost not been a movie worth blogging about. Of the movies I have seen since last May, I have to say the best has to be Winter's Bone. A disturbing but beautifully filmed, directed and brilliantly acted movie. The King's Speech was also very good. I was one of the few that didn't like Social Network but maybe because I still don't get Facebook. I am on it, just don't get it. I also liked the Tourist. But I love Johnny Depp. I don't always like his weird movies but I like him. I liked True Grit but probably because of the young actor who did such a terrific job. I am glad I saw the Black Swan but it was too dark for my liking.

I miss romantic comedies that actually had some life to them. Some of my favorites are Pretty Woman, While You Were Sleeping, When Harry met Sally and of course Groundhog's Day. I went to see No Strings Attached tonight and it just did nothing for me. Romantic movies used to make me laugh and cry.

I miss the truly great pictures like The English Patient, Shindler's List and A Beautiful Mind. And I really miss the kind of movies that you watch everytime they come on like Pretty Woman, Shawshank Redemption, and My Cousin Vinny. I miss not having new movies that I can add to my one-line quotes like, "It's easier to believe the bad stuff," or "do you think the deer would care what you were wearing?" or "Get busy living or get busy dying." I was truly hoping that maybe there would be some great movies for the Academy Awards this year, but if there are, I haven't found them.---Judy