This Week in Movies – February 23

So, I started in on this thing with my book blog where every week I try and update what I read and then also what I plan to read the following week. Since I’ve been watching so many movies lately, I wanted to carry this over to this blog in hopes that maybe I can stay more updated in my reviews.

It’s hard to predict the coming weeks movies, but I can for sure say what I would like to watch or finish.

Watched Last Week:

• Frost/Nixon - Oscar nominated film directed by Ron Howard, lost to Slumdog Millionaire. A great based on a true story and adapted from a play, tells the story of talk show host Frost’s interview with Richard Nixon, in effort to get a confirmation that Nixon did commit a crime and his apology to the people. This was an amazing film and whether or not you were alive and remember Watergate, it is worth seeing just to watch Oscar nominated Frank Langella as a very compelling and intriguing Nixon.
• The Sopranos: Season 4 – finished this up finally this past week. Sopranos is slowly growing on me, but still a struggle to finish. This season ended with Tony and Carmella separating after must angst and argument. I only wonder what the rest has in store.
• Star Wars: the Phantom Menace – I never fully paid attention to the Star Wars franchise when my family made me watch the films, so I thought this time I would watch for pleasure and by choice. I remember this one the most out of all of them, having seen it in theaters when it was released. Much more enjoyable this time around.
• Slumdog Millionaire – The 81st Academy Award winning film for Best Picture was a very different story about a boy from the slums in India who becomes a contestant of Who Want’s to Be a Millionaire and wins. He is accused of cheating and so through flashbacks, the audience is told his story. It is an amazing film and one everyone should watch. Very little is actually in subtitles.
• Changeling – Angelina Jolie as nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal as a mother grieving over the disappearance of her son. Based on a true story, Christine Collins son disappears and the LAPD brings her back a boy who claims is her child, but is actually not. The struggle between Collins and the police is violent and heart wrenching, but did not win her the Oscar. Still very good if you are looking for a dramatic film. Jolie is a classic actor and worth watching in any movie.
• Gigi – Another Oscar winning film from years back, that tells the story similiar to that of the Princess Diaries. A young girl is transformed into a lady and is wooed by an older man who may or may not have her best intentions at heart. It’s a cute film.
• Star Wars: Attack of the Clones – Second Episode of the saga, one I remember less than the others, but still good. Ani is now grown up a Jedi, in love in with Padme and facing more evil forces. I’m looking forward to the original episodes since those I know least, but watching the transformation has been intriguing and fun.
• Transformers – A great film based on an old cartoon about aliens who can transform into anything, including cars and cell phones, in order to retrieve “the cube” to try to destroy the world. My favorite part was Josh Duhamel and I’m sad he won’t be continuing on in the sequel, but at least there was some good action. Good for a no-nonsense movie watching, less depth and pretty straight forward.

Watching This Week:

• Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
• Letters from Iwo Jima
• Sopranos: Season 5
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
• True Blood: Season 1
• Revolutionary Road
• Leon The Professional
• Star Wars: a New Hope
• Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
• Star Wars: Return of the Jedi