So this week I finally got to watching a movie that’s been sitting in my Netflix queue for a while; Lars and the real girl. I’m not quite sure when it was made, but it’s certainly not a recent release. I kind of knew the basic premise of the film before it started; weird guy hooks up with even weirder gal, and all everyone in the town can do is watch the comedic tale unfold. I was expecting some laughs and a lot of tongue in cheek moments, and sure enough the plot delivered. One of my favourite scenes is when Lars introduces “Bianca” to his brother and sister in law for the first time; their reaction and the expression on their faces is priceless (especially when you temper it with the excitement they expressed just a few moments earlier when they thought Lars actually had a “real” girlfriend). I find a lot of recent “comedies” resorting to poking fun at certain groups of people, or lame (sometimes downright disgusting) physical humor. I guess this movie was written during a time when Hollywood still remembered what is was to be truly funny, without being boorish, blatant, crude, or slapstick. I appreciated that.

However, somewhere along the line, this movie goes from being a comedic tale to a dramatic lesson in the value of community. The way the whole town embraces Bianca, the way they love Lars, through the ups and downs of his “delusion”, we witness something I think that we miss in today’s society. How far would YOU go to make someone feel accpeted? Lines? Boundaries? Comfort zones? How do your relationships define the word “Real”?

Enjoy

The first few minutes of this film had me thinking my TV was broken; the screen goes black. Literally. And it stays that way. No sound, No image. Just. Black.

Eventually (after what seems like a while), there’s a glimmer of light, and we soon come to realize we’re buried alive.  Now where other movies would seek to explain with flashbacks and multiple scences, this entire story is told in one location, and with one (visible) character.

The concept sounds crazy, but without giving it all away, all I’ll say is, this movie delivers. The story is simple, yet the plot is complex. Ryan Reynolds delivers a superb performance, and I think many of the themes highlighted will resonate with you.

Enjoy

Enjoy.

Okay, so I know I have two listed this time, but I just happened to watch both of these within a few days of each other. They were both pretty good, and hit on similar themes, so here they are

Into the Wild: At first I thought this was going to be a showcase of the great outdoors. Yeah, there was a little of that, but it was mostly about the inner journey of a rebel soul, and all the lives he touched along the way. A lot of deep thoughts laced with a solid soundtrack

Up in the Air: I think there’s something about indie movies that bring out the best in good actors (emphasis on good. For bad actors it just makes ‘em worse). Clooney shines in this (as do all his co-stars). A similar, maybe more urban theme as Into the Wild , it traces the journeys (literally and figuratively) of a guy who thinks he can do it on his own, and that the point is “there is no point”. Ultimately we learn, “happiness is only real when shared”…the sad thing is often we spend our lives trying get something we already have (or had), and by the time we realize this, many times we’re just that…spent.

The fact that this film was witty, heartfelt, with plenty of aviation-related footage didn’t hurt my impression of it

So here’s to appreciating all we have now, may we never take life for granted, and may we never loose our realities chasing a dream.

Enjoy

Seeing is believing…or is it the other way around?
This one has been sitting in my netflix queue for quite a while. For some reason there always seemed to be something else I wanted to see more. Maybe I just didnt think it would be that good..I don’t know, but I never got to it…till today.
It starts out kind of slow, but maybe that’s a good thing. After all, isn’t most of life just that; slow? So when it sneaks up on you, the messages are even more profound. Maybe it needs that. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing complex here. No subtle plots and counter-plots with twists at the end. It’s a very basic story, with very basic characters, acting out what is probably the most basic question of the human condition: Do you Believe?
Enjoy