I'm moving, and I hope you'll follow

Due to some techincal issues (mostly with my computer, but I don't know how to solve them) and the recommendation of a friend, I'm moving away from blogspot.com as a host for my blog.  Long story short, I've been having trouble posting.  Case in point, I spent a good two hours trying to get this post to upload, which it finally did through some wily maneuvering on my part, but it wasn't fun and I don't want to have to do it on a regular basis.  

So, I've ported all of my old posts over to my new blog: http://movierecommendations.wordpress.com, and I hope that you'll join me there.  Thank you.

Offside, Persepolis

Taking a break from the animated, the action-oriented, and the silly, I would like to recommend two very good foreign films that I watched recently.  Coincidentally, both of them Iranian.  

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Title: Offside

Summary: In Iran, it is illegal for women to attend sporting events because of the concern that they will be negatively influenced by the harsh language and brash demenor of the men there.  Set (and mostly filmed) during the 2005 World-Cup Qualifying game between Iran and Baharain (that's soccer, for those of you who don't know), this film follows several women who try and fail to sneak into the historic game, and then men assigned to guard them.  This film is banned in Iran.

Genre: foriegn film, independent film, philosophical, women's rights, cultural

 

Audience: Anyone who appreciates a good foreign film; anyone who enjoys learning about other cultures.  

Occasion: In the mood for a somewhat serious film, with moments of humor and the potential to start interesting discussions.  

Watch every minute? It's subtitled, so I'd recommend it.  (The spoken language is Farsi.)

Big Screen vs. Small Screen: For most people, small screen is your only option with this one (I saw in on a big screen, but it was for a class).

Why I liked it: This past quarter, my fiance was taking a class called "Reading Film."  Ostensibly an English class, what it really amounted to was him seeing a wide variety of interesting films that he (and therefore we) might not otherwise have been exposed to.  Offiside was one of those films, and he insisted that I come along with him to see it. 

With all of the negative news we get about Iran in this country, it was enlightening to see a film that portrayed the country positively.  The director, Jafar Panahi, worked to protray the controversial topics of the film in a way that was merely informative, and non-judgemental.  No matter your stance on women's rights, or Iranian law, or soccer, Panahi leaves the film open to interpretation.  It's more of a discussion peice than anything else, but that all was enough to get it banned in Iran, as I noted above.  

And true to form, it's possible to feel sympathy with each of the characters in the movie: The women who argue in vain to be allowed to see the game; the soldiers who are set to guard them, but who would rather be somewhere, anywhere else.  It is even possible to understand, even if you disagree, with the laws that keep the women from attending the games.  All in all, a very interesting, informative movie.  

"Own it" vs. "Once is Enough": I can't say that I would ever own this movie, but it would be interesting to see it again, if only to pick up on the things that you always miss the first time through.  

If you liked...: Shall We Dance? (and I'm refering to the original Japanese movie, not the recent American remake), Persepolis, Bend it Like Beckham

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Title: Persepolis

Summary: Through the eyes of a young woman growing up in Iran, we witness a the revolution, and the subsequence violence and hardship, that forever changed the face of Iran and the lives of it's citizens.  

Genre: foreign film, independent film, animation, philosophical, cultural

Audience: The film is subtitled, sometimes violent, and doesn't really hold back.  I wouldn't recommend it for younger children.  

Occasion: In the mood for a somewhat serious film, with moments of humor and the potential to start interesting discussions.  

Watch every minute? It's subtitled, so I'd vote yes.  (The spoken language is French.)

Big Screen vs. Small Screen: Either.

Why I liked it: This thought-provoking film tells the story of a young woman growing up in Tehran, and her take on the situations that arise in her life.  The original revolution took place when she was a young girl, and by the time she was a young teen, her parents decided it would be safer for her to be out of the country.  It follows her trials as she grows up, at home and abroad, facing the prejudices that come of being an Iranian woman, and struggling to create some sort of cultural identity for herself.  

The most powerful aspect of this film is the woman's relationship with her family, and espeically her grandmother.  They are the glue that keeps her indentity from disintigrating, even when she is lost and confused, wandering through Europe in search of herself.  

"Own it" vs. "Once is Enough": I'm still unsure if I will watch this movie again, but I might own it because I think that others should see it, and having it on hand is the easiest way to ensure that I can share it.  

If you liked...: Offside, and presumably others, but I can't think of them at the moment.  

Wall-E, Get Smart

Ironically, of the eight movies I brought for my father to see over Thanksgiving break, we only got around to watching the two I rented while I was home, Wall-E and Get Smart.  Ah well.  That being the case, I figure I might as well write recommendations for those two next.  

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Title: Wall-E

[Rent this movie from Blockbuster.com; Rent this movie from Netflix.com; Buy this movie from Amazon.com]

Summary: In the distant future, a small waste collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind. [imdb.com]

Genre: animation, comedy, social commentary, romance, sci-fi

Audience: Everyone.  Seriously.  I've not met a single person who didn't like this movie.

Occasion: Any time you need a heart-warming, uplifting crowd-pleaser.  

Watch every minute? Not necessary, but you'll miss some of the subtleties if you don't.

Big Screen vs. Small Screen: Fantastic on the big screen, fun on the small screen.

Why I liked it: From the minute I saw the teaser (I recommend watching the vingettes, too) for Wall-E in the run of previews before Ratatouille, I was excited about this movie.  First of all, it's a Pixar film, and they have never disappointed.  That's a huge selling point.  But secondly, from the moment I saw him, I just fell in love with the character of Wall-E, and I wanted to know his story.  He's a robot, sure, but he's also curious and good-hearted and heart-breakingly lonely.  

The film itself is brilliant.  As Peter Travers, the movie critic for "Rolling Stone" writes, "The virtually dialogue-free first half hour is jaw-dropping perfection," and the film only gets better from there.  Some might question my classification of Wall-E as a romance, seeing as it's a movie about robots in the future, but the love story between Wall-E and Eve that is truly magical.

"Own it" vs. "Once is enough": Oh, own it.  You know you want to.  This is one of those movies that I will be asking for for Christmas, and hopefully I'll get the three-disk special edition, which I've been told is packed full of interesting features.  This one's not on my shelf yet, but it will be shortly. 

If you liked...: Toy Story, Toy Story II, A Bug's Life, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Over the Hedge, E.T., Chicken Little... I could go on.  Just see the movie.  Really.  It's that good.

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Title: Get Smart

[Rent this movie from Blockbuster.com; Rent this movie from Netflix.com; Buy this movie from Amazon.com]

Summary: Maxwell Smart, Agent 86 for CONTROL, battles the forces of KAOS with the more-competent Agent 99 at his side. [imdb.com]

Genre: spy, comedy, action, spoof, homage

Audience: Fans of the original Get Smart TV Show (they did consult Mel Brooks for the movie, so it really is that good); anyone with a sense of humor; not good to watch if you don't like slapstick or bodily humor.  

Occasion: Good for a laugh that you don't really have to think about.

Watch every minute? Not necessary, but you'll laugh harder if you do.

Big Screen vs. Small Screen: Either

Why I liked it: This movie is a perfect blend of humor, spoof, and feel-good-ness.  Yes, that's right, feel-good-ness.  Steve Carell plays Maxwell Smart, a character who you think is going to be completely incompetent, but proves to be quite good at both being an CONTROL Analyst and an unorthodox, but effective Agent, for all that common sense isn't really his strong suit.  Anne Hathaway plays his unwilling partner and is a good as she is in everything (even The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which were popular, but very silly movies), and Dwyane Johnson (a.k.a. "The Rock") does a great job as the slick, competent Agent 23.  As one would expect with a movie based on a show by Mel Brooks, it balances the funny with just the right amount of serious, and it just a darn good time. 

"Own it" vs. "Once is enough": Obviously, I've seen this movie more than once.  This is one that I would own, if only so I could show it to others without having to rent it.  I can see wanting to see this more than three times.  

If you liked...: The 40-year Old Virgin, True Lies, Blazing Saddles, Get Smart (the TV show)

Thank You For Smoking, Lucky # Slevin

When I called my dad and told him that I was coming to town for Thanksgiving, he told me bring a few movies along that I might want to share with the rest of the family. Because what better to do on Turkey Thursday--after you've eaten yourself comatose--then to sit around with people you love (or at least tolerate) and watch something entertaining.

Two of the (eight) movies I brought were: Thank You For Smoking and Lucky # Slevin

This is merely a small sampling of the movies I have on my shelf, but not a bad place to start.

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Title: Thank You For Smoking

[Rent this movie from Blockbuster.com; Rent this movie from Netflix.com; Buy this movie from Amazon.com]

Summary: Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son. [imdb.com]

Genre: Satire, Comedy, Dark Humor

Audience: Best for those with a sense of humor, who don't take things too seriously; probably not younger children, they wouldn't have the patience for it.

Occasion: Good for a laugh, good to watch with friends

Watch every minute? Probably best, but not necessary.

Big screen/small screen: Either.

Why I like it: When I first saw the trailer, I thought, "Who would make a movie thanking people for smoking? That's stupid." Very silly of me, I know, but it's hard to help our snap judgments. (There's a whole book on that by Malcolm Gladwell, but that's a post for a different blog.) I almost didn't see it because of my initial reaction to the trailer. But then it started to get a lot of positive buzz from the critics and my friends all wanted to see it, so I decided maybe it was worth a shot.

So, I did. And it was worth it, definitely. Thank You For Smoking is the best kind of witty and satirical, because it also poignant and thought-provoking. It has almost the perfect blend of laugh-out-loud moments with touching moments. Starring at the head of a fantastic cast of characters (among them Sam Elliot, Rob Lowe, William H. Macy, and Robert Duvall), Aaron Eckhart almost makes you sympathetic for someone who promotes tobacco for a living.

If you liked...: I honestly have no idea.  I trolled the internet for almost an hour looking for sites that would give me recommendations based off of a particular film.  Two of the best I found were Blockbuster.com (but you have to be a member), and the Internet Movie Database (one of my favorite sites, ever).  

Of the movies recommended there, I could kind of see liking this movie if you liked American Beauty, and my step-brother says that he can see liking it if you liked Sideways, which I regret to say I have not yet seen.  But The Big Lebowski? Knocked Up?  Not that I dislike those movies, don't get me wrong, but... they're just not what comes to mind when I think of Thank You For Smoking.  The humor in Thank You seems more... sophisticated, somehow.  

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Title: Lucky # Slevin

[Rent this movie from Blockbuster.com; Rent this movie from Netflix.com; Buy this movie from Amazon.com]

Summary: A case of mistaken identity lands Slevin into the middle of a war being plotted by two of the city's rival crime bosses: The Rabbi and The Boss. [imdb.com]

Genre: Dark Humor, Crime

Audience: No one who dislikes violence; Probably not younger children.

Occasion: In the mood for a good twist.

Watch every minute? Definitely. You'll miss something if you don't.

Big screen vs. Small screen: Big screen is better, but you don't lose much on the small screen.

Why I like it: Lucky # Slevin is a fantastic movie for a bunch of reasons that I'm not sure I can adequately explain.  It's off-the-wall and irreverent when it's funny, dramatic and thrilling when it's serious, and just damn good.  There are moments that evoke the absurd, and it has one of the best twists in any movie I've ever seen.  Josh Hartnett does an amazing job as the main character, and Bruce Willis is wickedly clever and fun.  Add to that Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, and Lucy Liu (who plays my favorite character), and you've got a movie worth seeing for the cast alone.

 

If you liked...: Pulp Fiction, The Usual Suspects, The Professional, or Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang you will thoroughly enjoy this movie. (I might even add L.A. Confidential to this list, just for kicks.)

A brief explanation of terms

For these recommendations, I am going to include the following sections:

Title: The title of the movie is a link to the imdb.com page, where you can learn all about the movie if you've never heard of it, or refresh your memory if the title rings a bell.  

Summary: A brief blurb to let you know what you're getting into. 

Genre: The genres I list may not follow conventional genre wisdom, for the simple reason that conventional genres don't always explain adequately where a movie falls. Sure, Wall-E is an animated movie, which most people would put firmly into the Children's genre, or the Family genre, but that only tells you so much. I would label Wall-E as comedy, satire, romance, and action. Yes, romance, in an animated movie about robots. That's why I love Pixar. But anyway.

Audience: Have you ever tried to sit down to watch a movie with someone and then remembered, half-way through the violent, bloody death scene, that they don't like violence or onscreen blood? This section is for that. It could, I suppose, be called "Warnings", but sometimes the audience recommendation will be, "For anyone with a good sense of humor," or "Probably not for younger children, they won't have the patience for it."

Occasion: To tell you if this movie would be great if you need a laugh, want some inspiration, just need to escape for a bit, want some explosions, or need to feel thoughtful and maybe sad.  

Watch every minute? Do you know anyone who gets up in the middle of a movie to go do X thing that he/she forgot to do? Or wanders off to get a glass of water during the most important part? And then they come back and have missed it and want you to explain what they missed and it just throws everyone out of the movie viewing experience? This section is for them. To let them know whether or not they can give into the urge to get that glass of water just as the main character is about to turn that corner. Or whatever. Some movies you just have to sit through. The pay-off is just so much better if you do.

Big Screen vs. Small Screen: I will admit, I'm a purist. If I can see a movie on the big screen, I do, because that's my preferred medium. That being said, I think that there are some movies that really should be seen on the big screen vs. the small screen and some where it truly doesn't matter. Typically, just as an example, action movies are really better on the big screen. Something is lost in translation between big and small.

Why I liked it: This is where I will explain why I like this movie, and why I think you might like it too.

"Own it" vs. "Once is enough": In this section, I will explain whether or not I own this movie (or want to own it but lack the funds) or not. I only buy movies that I want to re-watch, or share with others, because otherwise what's the point?

If you liked...: These other movies, you'll probably like the one I'm talking about here. And if you liked the one I'm talking about, I also recommend these movies, because they have characteristics in common.

If there are other sections you would like me to add, please comment. I'll certainly take it under consideration, and I'm always open to suggestion.

Premier Post

Hi, all, I'm Megan, and I love movies.  

I love to see them on the big screen, I love to rent them and watch them snuggled up on the couch, I love to debate the good and bad qualities of them.  I am always recommending movies to my friends and family; it's one of my favorite past-times.  

That being the case, I thought I would take my show "on the road," so to speak.  So, here I am, to share my movie-viewing wisdom with the wide world.  Hello, and welcome.