Movie Orgy

For the last several years, we have set aside the month of December and the first few weeks of January for our annual orgy of film viewing. The goal is to see as many as possible of the potentially Oscar nominated films. The rest of the year we only see a handful of movies. I can’t even begin to estimate how many pounds of popcorn I have eaten.

We have seen a dozen movies seen so far:
Babel – Disappointing story about a gun. Even Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett can’t generate any smoke.
Blood Diamond - Exciting, dramatic adventure about diamonds. Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly are outstanding.
Casino Royale – Sexy new Bond adventure. Daniel Craig gets two thumbs up.
Dreamgirls – Loved it. Can’t wait to buy the DVD. Loved it.
Eragon – A budget “Lord of the Rings”. Took the kids. Ten year old son went out and bought the book afterwards.
Little Children - A favorite. A dark, sexy side of the suburbs, similar to “American Beauty”. Excellent ensemble work by Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly, Patrick Wilson, and Jackie Earle Haley.

Night at the Museum – Another kids’ favorite.
Notes on a Scandal – Disappointed. Was expecting something better than a cheesy TV melodramatic script. Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett are fun to watch nevertheless.
The Departed – Fun crime picture, good acting from Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon and a crazy Jack Nicholson.
The Good Shepherd – Solid, suspenseful spy drama. Matt Damon is one creepy spy.
The Queen – A favorite. Who knew a story of the modern British royalty could be so scandalously fun. Helen Mirran is the best.
Volver – Penelope Cruz stars in this Spanish film. Great fun and wacky story from director Pedro Almodovar.


On our list to see soon:
Children of Men
Freedom Writers
The Pursuit of Happyness