Last Movies You Have Rented

[Noreen]

Lord of War Rated R 2005

Nicolas Cage as the world's leading arms dealer.
The movie narrated by Cage tells his story of being a gunrunner.
co-starring: Ethan Hawks, Jared Leto, and Bridget Moynahan.
It's a real eye-opener or maybe not, depending on how you feel about
revolutionaries. I personally liked it. 4/5

[geek the girl]

We rented The Wedding Crashers last night, and both enjoyed it very much. I'm watching season one of Millennium religiously right now and between all the Seattle rain, deranged serial killers and darkness, something funny and light-hearted was just what the doctor ordered. There weren't as many laugh-out-loud moments in it as in, say, Dodgeball, but I did giggle for two hours straight. Also, I think I've developed a bit of a crush on Vince Vaughn. So adorable.

[Florimel]

Empire Falls I found it thoroughly enjoyable with outstanding performances by Ed Harris, Paul Newman, Helen Hunt, and Dennis Farina. Joanne Woodward's role was much smaller, but she made the most of it. It deserves the accolades it got.

Mind Hunters Not bad for its type of film. It pretty much telegraphed that it was an updated Agatha Christie "And Then There Were None" plot, so I wasn't surprised by it.

Wedding Crashers A moderate thumbs up for me with just a so-so story, but some rather nice performances.

Two For the Money I liked it. I hadn't realized before viewing that it was based on a true story. Excellent acting chemistry among Pacino, Rene Russo, and Mathew McConaughey with good support from Jeremy Piven.

Focus A marvelous small film about anti-Semitism in 1943 Brooklyn, NY. William H. Macy was superb (no surprised there). Excellent performances also by Laura Dern, David Paymer, and Meat Loaf (big surprise for me there).

Junebug Another moderate thumbs up on this indy film. It was an interesting look at small-town southern life and relationships from the perspective of a Chicago based, world-traveled art gallery owner who marries into rural family.

[geek the girl]

My fiancé is out with some friends tonight, which gave me the perfect opportunity to rent a bona fide chick flick: A Lot Like Love starring Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet. I probably shouldn't admit this, being all David Lynch and Nick Cave and black nail polish, but I am a sucker for romantic comedies. The cheesier, the better. I cry, I laugh, I sit on the end of the couch wishing for the two people so obviously meant for each other to finally get real and get together. This was no exception. As far as romcoms go, it was pretty good. I'm usually allergic to Ashton Kutcher (although he's funny on That 70's Show, I'm more of a Topher Grace kind of girl), but he didn't annoy me at all in this movie, not even when he did a rather cringe-worthy rendition of a Bon Jovi song. There was some pretty good chemistry between Ashton and Amanda, too, and enough decent music (The Cure! And I must admit I have a thing for Chicago) and over-the-top romantic scenes to put up with the sometimes awkward dialogue and transparent storyline. I'd give it out of five, which is a lot more than most reviewers gave it. But then again, they might not have been as addicted to romcoms as I am.

[nilesgirl]

I just watched Red Eye and The Cave on Thursday. I really like both movies. I liked [Red Eye[/B] better but I did like them both. There were some scenes in The Cave that moved too mast and I couldn't follow it.

[lildago]

We just watched Just Looking and I laughed so much. It was really cute. I'd never heard of it and was a little unsure when my husband brought it home. It's set in the Bronx in the 50's and is pretty much the story of a young boy(who narrates) obsessed with sex. The sarcasm had me rolling!

[cablejockey]

I saw an older one--2003--called The Magdalene Sisters. Set in 1964 somewhere in Ireland it shows three girls who end up in a convent run laundry, to work for an undetermined amount of time, like a prisoner. Their crimes? One was raped by a cousin, but she is punished as the trouble maker leading young men astray; one gives birth to a baby while unmarried--the parents disown her by sending her to the laundry and give her baby away; another girl lives in an orphanage but is attracting too much attention from boys, so its decided that she will be nothing but trouble in a sexual way, so she's sentenced to the laundries. Their names are all changed, they work 10 hours a day for no pay, they are beaten if they disobey. After four years one of the girls--the one who was raped--is picked up by her brother and taken home. The other two look around and decide they don't want to grow old in that place as so many others who have no family to come get them and decide to make a break for it.
What is so disturbing is that these places really existed--the last one closed down in the 1990's--the convent made loads of money on the sweat and free labour of these women. the townspeople and families condoned this place and helped keep the system going. Nobody cared that 30,000 women passed thru this system over the years because of so-called crimes of this nature. Fascinating story, the movie drags in places but over all is interesting.

[AJane]

cablejockey, I saw The Magdalene Sisters a while back and loved it. I read an article (I don't think I can link it here, but if you google the movie title you'll find it) that said the abuse portrayed in the movie was actually underplayed in comparison to what really went on in those laundries. Very heartfelt, compelling performances by the young actresses. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of history and moral outrage with their drama.

[cablejockey]

Thank you AJane, I will google up some info on this topic.

[vondl0]

I also watched The Magdalene Sisters (about a year ago) and it still pops into my mind now and again. I'm glad I watched it but it's not one I could say "Hey, you gotta see this!" to any of my friends..........it wouldn't be entertaining enough for them.

Most recently watched Ghost World with Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson ( love just about everything she's in) and it was okay. Better was Manic with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun) and Don Cheadle (love him!). I saw him in Crash and Hotel Rwanda a couple of weeks ago and thought 'I'd like to see more of this guy'