The first six

Unknown - Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger - 2011
My rating: 4.5 out of 10

Summary from IMDB: A man (Neeson) awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, (not even his wife), believes him. With the help of a young woman (Kruger), he sets out to prove who he is.

My review: Moments of slight suspense broken up by intense deja vu. Sure there were fight scenes and a car chase and lots of, "Wait, what's going on?" meant to elicit intrigue - but for far too long I was left with no idea as to what was happening and I found myself not really caring either. Diane Kruger's performance was flat and Liam Neeson was his usual squinty eyed man-on-a-mission. Before I was keyed in to what was actually going on, all I could think about was Sandra Bullock's 1995 movie, The Net. Since the moment I was finally clued in to what the real story was, I've been plagued by the idea that I've seen this exact story line before but I can't for the life of me remember if it was another movie, a TV show, or even a book I read once. All in all, I felt like I'd seen the whole thing before and the weak twist at the end wasn't enough.

Bottom line: I'd watch it if I didn't have anything else to do and it was on TV.



Paul - Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen (voice) - 2011
My rating: 7 out of 10

Summary from IMDB: Two British comic-book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.

My review: The foul-mouthed Paul the alien was a wonderful breath of fresh air after watching movie after movie of boy meets girl, boy and girl have lots of sex, boy and girl get into a fight, boy and girl make up and live happily ever after. It was ridiculously refreshing to watch a movie with NO love story at all. I've read a few reviews saying that this movie will only appeal to the nerdy crowd - maybe I'm part of that crowd and just don't know it but I've never been to Comic-Con and I still thought it was hilarious. The computer generated Paul was so well done that sometimes I forgot I wasn't watching a real alien. And the scene where Paul eats the bird... "Well, I'm not gonna eat a dead bird am I?!" Priceless. So if I liked the movie so much why doesn't it have a higher rating? Well, it seems like the only people you can make fun of in this world anymore are Christians and I don't really appreciate that. Watching the character Ruth learn how to swear was admittedly, pretty darn funny. But the characters of Ruth and her father were so exaggerated as to be offensive.

Bottom line: I'd pay $10 to see this in the theater.



Love and Other Drugs - Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway - 2010
My rating: 2.5 out of 10

Summary from IMDB: Maggie (Hathaway) is an alluring free spirit who won't let anyone - or anything - tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie (Gyllenhaal), whose relentless and nearly infallible charm serve him well with the ladies and in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie's evolving relationship takes them both by surprise, as they find themselves under the influence of the ultimate drug: love.

My review: Yawn. You don't even need to see the movie to know exactly how this one is going to go. To make it even more sappy and formulaic? *Spoiler alert* Maggie is sick - tear - and Jamie has to decide if he's up for the challenge. Can you guess what he chooses in the end? Sigh. There is nothing new in this movie. My guess is that the producers decided it didn't matter what the storyline was as long as the two gorgeous leads were naked and having sex as much as possible - which they were. From the 16,130 people who rated this movie on IMDB.com, the movie gets a 6.6 out of 10. Well, I guess what they say is true, sex sells.

Bottom line: I wouldn't even stop my channel surfing if it was on TV.



Blue Valentine - Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams - 2010
My rating: 6 out of 10

Summary from IMDB: The film centers on a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.

My review: I wish I could give this movie a higher rating - I really do. Gosling and Williams have ridiculous chemistry and give pitch perfect performances. The entire movie I rooted for this couple and pleaded with them to find some common ground and fix their problems - that's how good Gosling and Williams were together. It really cannot be overstated how incredible these two were in this movie. The storyline itself was good - a beautiful start to a relationship with all the promise and hope with which every relationship starts that eventually turns in to a twisted mess from which neither seems to be able to escape. It was dark and real. The only reason for the lower-than-I-would-like-to-give-it rating is because of the raunchy sex scenes. Over the top. I don't need or want to see that.

Bottom line: I'd pay the $2 at the cheap theater.



Limitless - Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, and Abbie Cornish - 2011
My rating: 5 out of 10

Summary from IMDB: A writer (Cooper) discovers a top-secret drug which bestows him with super human abilities.

My review: While this movie is totally relevant to the world today I think Bradley Cooper was miscast. I get that he's trying to break away from his other raunchy comedy roles like in The Hangover and Wedding Crashers, but I felt like he floundered a bit in this movie. Sure he's got leading-man good looks but those along with your "serious face" can only take a movie so far. The premise is just enough of a leap in the pharmaceutical world so as to make it movie-worthy but not so big that it seems outside the realm of possibility, which is what drew me to the movie in the first place. Ultimately though, watching a man use his new abilities for nothing other than himself was trying. Plus watching Cooper drink a guys' blood took things too far. Too far.

Bottom line: I'd pay $2 at the cheap theater.



Morning Glory - Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams, and Diane Keaton - 2010
My rating: 3.5 out of 10

Summary from IMDB: An upstart television producer (McAdams) accepts the challenge of reviving a struggling morning show program with warring co-hosts.

My review: Sigh. I had high hopes for this one and sadly every one of them was dashed. Of course McAdams is the perky new hire with man problems but who is darn tootin' ready to turn this morning show around - if only she can get the stereotypical grumpy old man in line. Really, Harrison Ford? Sigh. And of course, on her first day at her new job she meets a gorgeous coworker with whom she inexplicably begins a relationship - really, so little time is given to the development of this relationship that when their time to "dtr" (define the relationship) came, I was confused. Anyway, this is another one where you know exactly where it's all heading and where it will all end even after she gets the big offer from the Today Show - yeah, of course.

Bottom line: I wouldn't even stop my channel surfing if it was on TV.



Happy movie watching :-)