I may not go to the movies, but I do have Netflix

Remember when I saw nine movies in less than 4 months? In the theater, no less? Wow. Times. Have. Changed. However, with a husband that works nights every so often, a baby in bed and a Netflix account, I’ve been able to watch a few more movies lately, which, I have to say, has been great.

Whip It: Roller Girls have always intrigued me. For some reason, I think I could be good at a sport like this. Plus, it’s a hard-hitting, fast-paced sport For Girls. Which is awesome. The movie was cute. Ellen Page was her typical self. The storyline was sweet. And while I’m not a huge fan of hers on SNL, Kristen Wiig really impressed me in this movie. She was thoughtful, engaging and one of my favorite characters. I’d recommend it for a girls’ night movie, because these ladies kick ass.

The Social Network: My husband and I watched this together and we really liked it. I wasn’t too concerned since I’ve loved all things Aaron Sorkin since Sports Night (which was so before its time and canceled way too early). It was really interesting to watch an empire being created from the ground up. Eisenberg made Zuckerberg seem like an incredible douche and villain - with the touch of a (broken) heart - but yet, you still pulled for him. This was also one of my first exposures to Andrew Garfield, and I really liked him as an actor. JT wasn’t so bad either. We enjoyed discussing after the movie who really deserved part of the fortune, and who got away with a lot of money for doing so very little.

The Kids Are All Right: I liked this movie, too. It’s nothing flashy or groundbreaking, really, just nice. It was nice to watch a movie about two women raising a family where the fact that they were lesbians (or the fact that the kids had two moms) was not an issue. It just told it like it is. Marriage is hard. Motherhood is hard. People screw up, and then you still love them. Why Julianne Moore wasn’t nominated, though, is beyond me. She was terrific.

Catfish: I first heard about this documentary on Ellen (must’ve been a sick day or something), when she had the filmmakers on and just raved about the movie and the “twist.” It studies and documents the relationship of 24-year-old Nev with a family he meets on Facebook. And things aren’t as they seem. So, I knew there was a twist going in – and you can kind of assume what the twist is – yet the movie still really surprised me. There are rumors it may all be a hoax, but whatever. It was crazy. And good.

What have you seen lately?

Summer of Movies, Part II

I didn't plan to write a second act to my first post, but I've seen another handful of summer flicks (and I'm lacking in book posts right now) that I thought were worth mentioning.

Public Enemies: We saw this movie over Fourth of July, I believe. There were reasons I liked it, and some things that were disappointments. Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard were wonderful. I absolutely believed him as John Dillinger, and their love story was sweet and sultry. I thought the action scenes were pretty well shot. It was interesting to learn about the beginnings of the FBI, bank robbers' lifestyles and the mixings with the mob. It was also amazing to see them have shoot outs in plain daylight and get away. Crazy. However, I thought the movie's cuts between scenes were poorly done and the swelling music was rather cheesy. The sound and the coloring seemed off too, and because I talked to others who saw the movie at different theaters and said the same things, I don't believe this was just at my viewing.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: I already made some comments about the movie in this post, but I'll just reiterate a little bit. I still love these characters to no end, even more so now that they've grown up. While it's hard to condense these books down for screen, I think the film did justice to the book. The only part that lacked for me was the ending. I think the drama could've been played up so much more here. It kind of fizzled. But that's just a small part of the entire film, which I greatly enjoyed. Ron during the quidditch match was hilarious - well played!

500 Days of Summer: This was a trailer I watched at the same time as the Away We Go trailer back in April. I knew I had to see this movie, too. While she tends to play similar characters, I have a tiny love for Zooey Deschanel. And I loved this movie. It's not your typical romantic comedy in any way, and it really gets to the heart of the relationship. The time-shifting technique works well here, and the writing is so funny. I'm not unique in saying that my favorite scene is Tom's post-intimacy song and dance: Who doesn't love Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams," and when Tom looks in a store window to see a historical movie stud staring back at him, I almost died laughing. Fabulous and fun this movie. (For the boys out there, the hubby loved this one too.)

District 9: This was the hubby's choice, and he loved it. I thought the movie was interesting in its obviously "bigger meaning" ways. To think about how we separate those different than the majority is pretty sad. It also makes you wonder what we would do if beings from other worlds were to enter ours. But because of the deeper issues it raises, the movie depressed me, which means I didn't enjoy it very much. I have trouble enjoying depressing movies, but that's just me. The effects were great for such a small budget and the main actor, Sharlto Copley (who has never, ever acted before), was pretty bloody brilliant, especially when you know he improvised quite a few of his lines.

We don't have any movies on the list currently (I think I'll keep The Time Traveler's Wife for rental), but I know fall will bring several more we want to see including New Moon, The Informant, Shutter Island, Couples Retreat, Whip It, Where the Wild Things Are, and Sherlock Holmes. How about you?

Summer of Movies

I know the summer technically just started, but once July hits, for me it actually feels like it's already half over. Even so, this summer has been great for movies. I love the movie theater and we've taken time nearly every weekend to make it to a flick, which is helped by the fact that there are plenty we've wanted to see.

Terminator Salvation: We're Terminator fans. I never was until I met my husband who introduced me to the movies. If you can get over the cheesy '80s-ness of Terminator, the annoying-ness that can be Edward Furlong in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and the I-can't-believe-he's-governor thoughts throughout Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, the movies are clever, inventive and action-packed. I loved the short-lived, two-season run of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on Fox; I was sad for days when I heard it wouldn't return. Maybe it was because I became a fan 20 years too late, but I was pumped for Salvation. And it didn't disappoint. Christian Bale kicks butt as John Connor, and while many reviews claimed there wasn't much of a story line, I disagree. I really enjoyed it.

Up: I have to say, I had my doubts. Could Pixar really have a hit for the 10th time in a row? Ratatouille was probably my least favorite of all Pixar movies (with WALL-E and Toy Story 2 being my absolute faves), and I still liked that one a lot. But a movie about an old man flying his house to South America? I don't know. I was happy to be proven wrong - so wrong. That movie moved me more than any of the others. Maybe because it was actually about humans this time, instead of toys, bugs or monsters, but I fell in love with Carl (I have always been an Ed Asner fan) and Russell. That movie made me cry three separate times. A feat not achieved by any of the other Pixar films. Squirrel!

The Hangover: Here's another movie that I went into with low expectations. I knew it would be funny, so it's a perfect summer movie to see on a rainy Saturday. But, I'm not a huge fan of gross-out, boy-humor comedies. The 40-year-old Virgin, while funny, was mostly painful for me to watch. Superbad, again funny, but so disturbing to think "that's" all that high school boys think about. But this movie was hilarious and entertaining. I was only uncomfortable during the end credits - really about the only part of the movie that was over-the-top offensive. Otherwise, Ed Helms was in true form and I liked Zach Galifianakis, who I never had seen much of before. Bradley Cooper played the same d-bag character he's played a lot lately (though he redeemed himself at the end a bit), but I can see how this movie will make him the next big leading man. There's talk of a sequel, but I'm not sure what else you could do here - why the heck would these guys ever go to Vegas again?

Away We Go: Two words: Loved It. The moment I first saw the trailer a few months ago, I knew I had to see this movie. And it did not disappoint. Maya Rudolph was beautiful, thoughtful and serious. John Krasinski, while a touch Jim-like, showed extreme depth in his character too, especially in the scenes on the trampoline and at the bar in Montreal. There were several scenes where, while watching, I thought to myself, "That's just like me and [the hubby]," which made the movie that much more special. I loved how each half could freak out about their lives and the other would calm them down. That's important in a relationship. Freak-outs are fine, necessary even, but just try not to freak out at the same time as your partner. And there were so many hilarious supporting characters! I highly recommend this movie.

The Proposal: If you're in the mood for a mindless romantic comedy, this movie delivers. It's very cute, but also very predictable. Me? I don't mind that so much. I was just looking to be entertained, and I was. Sandra Bullock was in true form and Ryan Reynolds is never hard to watch on screen. Plus, I'm thrilled to see that Betty White is getting only more popular as she ages. She's a hit in this movie, as is Oscar Nunez. Maybe it's not necessary to see it in the theater, but it's a great girls'-night rental.

When it comes to movies, I'm not that picky, nor am I the best critic. But I've been loving this Summer of Movies. Movies to see in July: Public Enemies and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Best Picture, 10 nominations

I know this isn't book related, but I'd love to get some opinions. The Academy has announced that starting for 2009, 10 films will compete for the Best Picture Oscar. With only one winner.

I can see what they're doing. Several times there's been uproar over films absent from the Academy's top category (The Dark Knight, for example, as well as numerous noteworthy comedies that never make the cut. For some reason Best = Drama.). So, increase the number of nominees, and people/studios will be happier, right? After all, it's just an honor to be nominated.

With that in mind, sure, 10 noms sounds like a great idea. However, I stumble on the fact that there will still only be five slots for best director, actor and actress (supporting, screenplay, song, etc.). Does that seem fair? Particularly in the director category? How can you claim a film is one of the best, yet its director is not. (Granted, this still happens with just five slots. Directors get left off all the time. That doesn't mean it makes sense to me.) And, if a wider range/number of films can be up for the honor, why not the actors who starred in them? But then, it would be pretty ridiculous to make every category 10 nominations long, wouldn't it?

My quick opinion: Leave well enough alone. Your thoughts?