The Notebook

The notebook story of an elderly lady’s life is being read to her, by her elderly partner in the hope that she will remember  and conquer her dementia.  Dementia is un-reverseable.  The story of the notebook, Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Alley (Rachel Mcadams) fall in love over a summer, however he is a country boy, and she is a very rich city girl.

A sort of cliche inside a cliche story, done moderately well.  I was extremely keen on the inside story (the notebook), rather than the outside wrapper of Noah overcoming Alley’s old age.  This is in no way a spoiler, it is made quite clear in the first 30 minutes the two elderly’s are Noah and Alley, it does not try to patronise you with a surprise gotchya.

Ryan Gosling a country boy, who works on a lumber made you really feel for him; from asking her to a date to all of his downtimes.  His dream is to get the run down house nearby in sea brook, do it up, and then Alley can paint and drink tea on the porch.  Rachel McAdams was brilliant in fighting off her parents and was rather good at kissing….there is a lot of kissing!  I could not imagine Alley and Noah played by anyone else!

I would have probably enjoyed it more, without the wrapper story of Noah and Alley in their age, however there would be no use for a notebook.  It was slightly ambitious having two cliches, upper class loves lower class, and my love life forgetting our story.  I did eventually have feelings for the wrapper story but it was a little too late.  All of the cinematography was quite amazing, flapping birds in slow-motion and moon shining on the water.   Incomparable to the English Patient.
IMDB The Notebook

Rating 6.6/10

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True Grit

Based on the classic story, a young girl (Hailee Steinfeld) is out to avenge her father’s death.  The girl is headstrong and stubborn, she knows what she wants.  She manages to get some money and a horse.  She finds Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), a man who has lost count of the number of people he has shot; he is mean and true grit but he takes a while to get off his horse.  Her room is taken by a texas ranger, la Boeuf , Matt Damon.  She negotiates an agreement with Cogburn and he asks her to set off tomorrow.  She finds that Cogburn has left with la Boeuf.

The adventure takes over when they set off.  Their adventure is endearing and thrilling.  It is a very calm western, with gun slinging action really in the last second half.  La Boeuf wants some respect as a texas ranger and does decide to do his own thing, but gets shot and bites his own tongue.  He acts with a bitten tongue, very cool.  Cogburn and La Boeuf always try to get one over on each other and be the best.

It must have been shot in the wilderness as it is all so realistic and makes you feel like your there. The atmosphere at times is just great.

With an eventful adventure, I could easily watch this again, the story is 1st class and the ending is majestic.

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Rating 8/10

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SE7EN

In this suspense chilling investigation, two detectives, a veteran, William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and rookie David Mills (Brad Pitt) are investigating a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sin as his modus operandi. This film comes with an incredible chase, huge climax and some uncomfortable moments. The murders are in ways you can not imagine so prepare your self for a heavy crime story.   Gwyneth Paltrow is David Mills’ wife and Kevin Spacey also stars, Kevin Spacey’s name is no where to be seen on my dvd case, nor IMDB first cast page but you won’t miss him!

The chase is incredibly nerving and thrilling. The start may seem slow paced and tame but it is filled with build up of iconic inspection in the dark with torch lights; an inspection of a suspects apartment is very chilling. You want to ask how each murder was done, how did it happen. Soon afterwards you wonder why you asked, and it is the same with each one!  This movie is very clever and well paced.

IMDB se7en

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Rating 8.2/10

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Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck star in and co-wrote this oscar-nominated and original screen play about a clever young man called William Hunting who works in one of America’s top Universities and is a gifted mathematician – the only difference between him and the other students is that he is merely the cleaner and not only does he not recognise an opportunity when one is handed to him on a plate, he cannot cope emotionally and is a terrible let down for the proud professor who wants to bring his protege to the forefront of mathmatics.  Robin Williams plays the Psychologist in a tailor-made role winning him an oscar.  Worth viewing as first Matt is very young in this and his acting is rather mature and secondly because he co-wrote it and so he must understand a lot more than I gave him credit for!  Rather cheesy American Shmaltz at times but Minnie Driver makes up for that.

Good Will Hunting IMDB

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Rating: 7.6/10

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What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

Gilbert Grape, (Johnny Depp) lives in Andora with his mum, his brother Arnie, (a young Leonardo DiCaprio) and two sisters.  Momma Grape is morbidly obese and she cannot leave her house.  Arnie is mentally challenged and the whole family have to look after Momma and make sure that her meals are ready and they collectively look after Arnie who is hopefully going to make his 18th birthday soon.  The story brings us into the bosom of the Grape family and lets us know how Gilbert is feeling in particular.  The interesting thing about this film is that you bond with the characters, Arnie becomes lovable, you feel sorry for Momma and you care about them all.  There is no over-acting and the pace is slow but careful and I just sat back and enjoyed every minute like a fly on the wall docu-soap.  Pure joy.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape IMDB

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Rating 7.8/10

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American Beauty

Kevin Spacey (Lester Burnham) is in his mid life crisis.  His love relationship with his wife is dead, and his stroppy teenager daughter Jane Burnham (Thora Birch) hates him.  He Continues to embarrass her by gawping at her attractive friend, Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari).  His job status is insecure too.  After developing a infatuation about his daughter’s friend Angela, he decides he has had enough and turns his life around.  A new family moves in next door.  Their son, Ricky, develops a liking for Jane Burnham.   While his Dad (Chris Cooper from the Bourne Identity) a marine colonel is checking on his son.  Kevin Spacey begins to lose all care for anything when he decides he has nothing to lose, he no longer cares that his wife, Carolyn Burnham (Annette Bening) is out cheating, he does not care about keeping his job.

Its not all about Kevin Spacey the depressed loser.    Each character has their own intensions and relate to each other like a spider’s web, giving the story many layers and much depth.  The title makes you think chick flick, this film was not what I was expecting!  The story is slightly surreal.

American Beauty won 5 oscars! American Beauty Movie Awards.

IMDB American Beauty

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Rating 8.4/10

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The Shawshank Redemption

This is a very clever film that taps into human nature at its best and worst.  Tim Robbins plays the hot shot city banker who is jailed for life in Shawshank Prison for the murders of his wife and her lover.   1940’s America and the prison guards are more corrupt and easily as brutal as the inmates themselves.  Morgan Freeman plays Red, the “Norman Stanley Fletcher” of Shawshank who operates a neat little racket as a smuggler of practically anything you could wish for.  Tim Robbins (Andy Dufresne) becomes indispensable as his banking skills are exploited.  A long film but with plenty of drama, suspense and story telling to help you along the way so getting a toilet break will be difficult.  To sum up, superb particularly the end.

IMDB: The Shawshank Redemption

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Rating: 8/10

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The Aviator

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the famous millionaire, film producer, playboy, recluse Howard Hughes.  This biopic of his life shows his obsession with airplanes and his decay into the neurotic OCD obsessive weirdo that we read about in the newspapers and wondered how anyone could keep bottles of their own piss and grow their nails until they were so long their fingers can’t function.  Leonardo plays Hughes so well in fact that after the neuroses creep in you have bought into it and don’t think of him as leo anymore.  You can watch the transformation into the germaholic from the very beginning.  Cate Blanchett does the Katherine Hepburn larger than life droll voice and manly mannerisms very well for someone who does not resemble Hepburn. Kate Beckinsale simply looks like Ava Gardner. It is not the usual Scorcese film set.  We are shown Hollywood elitism and time is spent in the air rather than on the ground and, these scenes are rather good, notably a crash landing just short of the Beverly Hills Wiltshire Hotel as was back then.  We are in technicolour it seems with strange colours being brought out reminiscent of the Wizzard of Oz.  Well over 2 hours this movie does not feel as long as it really is and I would probably watch it again just to see DiCaprio carrying yet another film to victory.  Other famous faces, Jude law, Alec Baldwin and Gwen Steffani also star.  Scorsese never relies on fresh blood. In summary, a detailed and authentic biopic of Hughes’extraordinary life.
IMDB The Aviator

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Rating:  8.2/10

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Sleuth

Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier star together in this psychological mystery drama set in a fabulous country mansion in England. Olivier is Andrew Wyke, a well to do country gent, well known crime writer and fanatical games player who thinks that the”younger” Caine (Mylo Tindol) is a jumped up Italian blue eyed wop out to steel his wife from under his nose and plans to exact some revenge or just teach him a lesson.   The idea is that Olivier gets Caine into a place where he is vulnerable and can be punished, so an elaborate burglary is concocted which is farcical in places and allows the two characters to reveal their true natures.  Full of quips and quick wit the two fellas initially hit it off until the game goes horribly wrong when shots are fired.   The second part is where the mystery begins and it unravels itself beautifully because these characters are unbelievably good.  Set in a by-gone era you are transported back in time and left in suspense until the very end.

IMDB Sleuth

Rating: 7.9/10

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Kramer vs Kramer

Wife Joanna Kramer (Meryl Streep) is standing in the hall with her bags packed and ready to leave she says she has to “find herself”.   Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) and Billy his 5 year old learn how to cope without her.  Have your tissues ready for this story that should have you crying and affect you emotionally for a long while afterward.  Set in an apartment in New York, Ted loses his wife and then his job – he’ll take anything even a cut in wages to keep from losing Billy when she decides that she loves her son and wants custody 18 months down the line.   One of the most poignant scenes I have ever seen is in the court room where they are expressing themselves in the witness box and facing each other in court for the first time – they  are both making valid points and they are just so believable.  This is acting at it’s finest and I think the little boy was absolutely brilliant in his role.  This film touches you there is no doubt about that.

IMDB kramer vs Kramer

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Rating: 10/10

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