We’ve watched a lot of movies this break. I’ve also been doing a lot of reading, and will write another post on my book reviews later. Here’s my quick breakdown on the movies I’ve watched:

American Hustle. Absolute “must see” for 2013 films. I love this movie. Acting is phenomenal, as are the God-awful 70s hairstyles, costumes, and sets. Amy Adams and a nearly unrecognizable Christian Bale have tremendous chemistry, and you won’t be able to look away from Jennifer Lawrence as a blond bombshell-train wreck you can’t stop watching. Props to Bradley Cooper also, with his tightly-permed hairdo and fierce desire for easy takings. You know, the hair alone in this movie is worth watching! But really, see it for the great storytelling (based on truths) and Jeremy Renner as the mayor you wish we all had. And the soundtrack – just WOW!

The Last of the Mohicans. Yes, I’m sadly behind the times by about 20-something years. Loved this movie. I watched it because I saw Daniel Day Lewis (herein referred to as: DDL) in another movie I’ll discuss next. Gorgeous scenery, compelling and swift-moving storyline, and violence coming out the yin yang. The soundtrack is gorgeous. Like I said, loved it. 

There will be Blood. I’m still catching up on movies from way back when. My son William convinced me that I had to watch this film, and he was absolutely right. I adore this movie because it talks about the oil boom in California and mentions and shows all sorts of places I know about. DDL is simply phenomenal as he shows you how the greed in men can change them over time and circumstances. You know he’s got a tender side there, what with how he cares for H.W. and all, but when his evil side comes out - beware! He WILL come and slit your throat in the night. And drink your milkshake! Don’t miss this masterpiece. I’m a confirmed DDL fan now because of this. Going to watch everything he’s done, and I’ll probably watch this one again sometime. The soundtrack is bizarre and jarring at times, and it works. Just an excellent film all the way around!

Candy. Wow…total downer, but beautifully filmed. Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish are beautiful young 20-something Aussies who spend hours each day trying to score heroin and then shooting up. Like for 10 years. She does degrading tricks on the side to make money for their nasty habit; he works minor money scams. What is their relationship really based on, aside from getting blasted as frequently as possible? Watch this movie and see. I decided to read the book since I’d seen the movie and found the book to be even more detailed and depressing. When you get to the part where the main character can’t find any more veins to use, well you know he’s about to hit bottom. Only with this couple, they hit bottom over and over before they really hit bottom. Disturbing movie, but compelling acting. And Heath - still love him and hate that the world lost him so soon.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Hmmmmm. What a strange little movie. Heath died while it was being filmed, so director Terry Gilliam (remember him, of Monty Python fame, and for Time Bandits and 12 Monkeys as well as many other awesome movies?) had to do a bit of finagling with extra actors to make the storyline work without the lead actor. This is a freaky, odd little movie that I wound up liking a lot after I just gave up trying to initially make sense of it. Then it all fell into place. My daughter Casey talked me into watching it and I’m glad she did, because I was resistant at first. The visual scope of it is so clever and amazing - like being in a candy store for the eyes, or perhaps being drunk at a small-town carnival. If you saw the cover, you’d think this was a movie for kids, but it isn’t – it has adult themes and scenarios.

Shame. Oh.My.God. This is a very sad movie about a man who is a sexual addict (played fantastically by Michael Fassbender) who spends his days looking for any type of action via women he meets, prostitutes, pornography, and voyeurism. His sister, another damaged soul beautifully played by Carey Mulligan, comes to stay with him and upsets his hourly sex-seeking habits. I’m not exaggerating when I say “hourly” because this guy can’t get through a morning without resorting to self-pleasuring episodes in the men’s room at work. I compared this movie in my brain with Candy (above) because the main characters’ lives totally revolve around satisfying their various addictions. This film is eye-opening and gritty, and doesn’t guarantee a happy ending (no pun intended) but is worth watching, in my opinion, to learn more about the ways addictions impact people’s lives. 

I get on a kick, much like I do with reading various authors, by watching actors across their film careers. Michael Fassbender makes a creepy, calculating appearance as the android David in Prometheus. I’d seen this move while I was working on my doctorate, and it didn’t all sink in. So I needed to see it again to try to understand the beginning scene, and to figure out what it all meant. I enjoyed this movie a lot, because I like the whole Alien franchise. It was good, spooky entertainment and sort of fills in the back-story of what happens years later when Ripley lands on the planet with her crew. 

I need to go back and watch Inglourius Basterds to see Fassbender in it, because when I first watched it I was focused on Brad Pitt’s performance, and especially Christoph Waltz as the despicable Jew hunter Hans Landa.

Next Up:

Marley & Me (I lost my doggie Rusty five months ago and think I’m finally ready to watch this)

The Descendants

Leap Year

By the way – I got all of these movies at the public library, with the exception of American Hustle, which I saw in the theatre.