Artist Dates, Week 16 ~ Movie Week

I love movies.  Films are my favorite art form.  Not only do I like seeing films, I equally like discussing films with others.  This week turned into another themed week by chance.  I saw five films this week...two in a theater, and three I rented.  All five films deal with dysfunctional families to some degree and all the trials and tribulations they go through.  I guess if it weren't for dysfunctional families and their stories, then what would a Hollywood screen writer have to write about? :-)

The first film I went to see by myself was Rabbit Hole, starring Nicole Kidman.  I loved this film, and it is on my top 10 best movies of the year list.  The film was adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name.  Nicole Kidman was outstanding and gave one of the most stellar performances of the year.  I hope she walks away with another Oscar...she deserves it.  When I told my friends I wanted to see this film, they all said they could not stomach seeing a depressing film.  The film is not at all depressing, in fact I found it extremely uplifting, and also very comical.  Plus the topics brought up in the film are right up my alley.  I am one of those What The Bleep Do We Know thinking people.

Next, my hubby and I saw The Fighter.  Both of us liked this film very much. It's based on a true story, but exactly how true the story is..I'm not too sure.  Nonetheless, it was enjoyable.  This film should be honored with many awards this season, especially in the acting department.

Over the week I also rented a few movies that I wanted to see, but never got to the theater to catch.  So continuing on with dysfunctional family week, I rented Mother and Child, City Island, and Cyrus.

Mother and Child

As much as I like The Kid's Are Alright, I liked this film even more.  Now this one was a real tear-jerker.  This film only made a little more than one million dollars at the box office and was only in a handful of theaters around the country.  Too bad because it was a great film.  Annette Bening is even better in this film than she is in The Kids Are Alright, and sadly she is not being recognized for this stellar performance as well.

This film is a HOOT!  Another great film which only made six million dollars at the box office.  This film is laugh out loud funny.  I rented it because director/producer Stephen Simon of The Spiritual Cinema Circle highly recommended it to the circle members.  I am glad he did, because this film is a real gem.



The next film I rented I thought would be very weird and quirky, and it was, so it did not disappoint.  The characters in this film were by far the most dysfunctional of all.  This little filmed made over seven million dollars, better than the other two films.  Even though I liked it, it was still my least favorite of the three films I rented.

I prefer to see films on the big screen, but I don't always get a chance to see them in movie theater.  Thank goodness they come out so fast on DVD and Blu-Ray these days.  I love films so much that I will always watch all the extra features on a DVD or Blu-Ray.  If I really like a film, I will even watch the whole movie with the director's commentary if there is one. 


Next movies I am planning on seeing are True Grit, The King's Speech, and Blue Valentine.  Movies I missed seeing in the theater but are waiting for them to come out to rent are Get Low, Conviction, Never Let Me Go, and Nowhere Boy.

What a man thinks of

himself...determines,

or rather indicates,

his fate.

HENRY DAVID THOREAU