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Ok so this is just a little note to fill you in on where we're at.
There are now 60 posts! And I'm still not sure that anybody is actually reading this but o well. It will be a laugh for me too look over this in several years time. The Oscars are just over a week away. Good news for a film lover like me. My hopes? Best Actor - Colin Firth, A Single Man. Best Actress - either Carey Mulligan, An Education, or Helen Mirren, The Last Station.
And to be honest, I'm not sure I'm thrilled with any of the options for best picture. But lets say, An Education. And hopefully it's anything but District 9. I seem to like that film less and less the more I think about that terrible trip I had to the cinema that time.
The story is pretty much the same for best director I'm affraid.Of the five nominees, I have only seen two of the films so I won't comment on that.
I am also hoping that Coco Before Channel gets Best Costumes, but I have a feeling that The Young Victoria may take that one.
Avatar was the biggest film of last year and is up for several awards but I'm kind of hoping that it doesn't do too well. Nothing on the people involved. That film just didn't work for me like lots of the others did.
My favourite films of 2009 - Coco Before Channel, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, A Single Man, Nine, and Sherlock Holmes. Very mixed I know.

The Hours

This film tells the story of three women from very different time. Virginia Woolf from 1941, Laura Brown from 1951 and Clarissa Vaughan From 2001.
The three actresses playing these characters are really good in this. Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep (respectively). The three stories also work really well together. whilst they all have their similarities, they are very different. I found that the story from 1951 was my least favourite, it just didn't seem to have the excitement and the things of interest that the other two did.
On the whole though, I do really like this film.

Evening

This is a beautiful story about a woman on her death bed who is trying to remember the time she was most happiest.
It is set in two times, one in the 1950s and one today. I thought all the characters in this were really good and at times, the story was quite touching in a sentimental kind of way.
Vanessa Redgrave is really good as Ann in her last few days and is matched perfectly with Claire Danes as Ann in the 50s.
Also, I loved how there were real life mother and daughters working together in this film. Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Richardson play mother and daughter as well as Mamie Gummer and Meryl Streep playing the same character in the two settings of the film. That seemed to work really well.

The Time Traveller's Wife

I haven't read the book to this film, but I have been told that the book is much better so when I get time (and when I feel like I need to do something), I will have to read it myself.
I did think it was a good story, of the struggle of the live of Clare (Rachel McAdams) having to live her life around the constantly changing Henry (Eric Bana) as his travels back and fro in time.
But every time I watch this film, it just seems a little long and a little predictable. I did enjoy it but I don't think I will be able to watch it, and continue to enjoy it as much as I first did, for many more times.

Plenty

I didn't think this was a particularly exciting film. It didn't have much in the way of a story and I was a little bored towards the end.
Having said that, it was acted pretty well, by Meryl Streep in particular. There were also a few scenes that made me laugh. One involving a dinner party especially. Other than that, I'm afraid this film just didn't seem to impress me that much.

Sophie's Choice

This in one of those films I have been dieing to watch for some time now and finally got round to it today. My verdict: amazing.
Meryl Streep is brilliant in this film about how Sophie Zawistowski (Streep) has lived through being held in a concentration camp in world war 2. The other two main character are also played brilliantly, and this story is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
This film definately deserves it place in those lists of greatest films.

Valentine's Day

Before going to see this I read a review of it in a paper which gave it a measly 1 star. So pretty much I was expecting a worse version of Love Actually.
And in reality, it probably was a worse version of Love Actually. But it did have some good parts.
Although I thought it was a bit slow in most parts. there were lines that made me laugh, and school boy Edison, who is in love with his teacher is quite cute. I did also like the ending.
I liked the way all the stories came together and I thought it was filmed quite well.
So really I think you get what you see really, it's a film in the shadow of Love Actually, but stick around for the end because otherwise you miss the good bit.

A Single Man

I think this is the kind of film that you have to be in the right mood to watch, otherwise it may seem abit boring (as my sister thought it was).
It isn't thrilling or adventerous, but in its own way, it is touching.
George (Colin Firth) is greiving for his partner (Matthew Goode), whos wake he wasn't allowed to attend, and who feels cut off from everyone else because of this. His old friend, Charley (Julianne Moore), is trying to rekindle their relationship and George finds one solace in the form of pupil Kenny (Nicholas Hoult).
This film did have a slow story line, but I wouldn't say that is a bad thing for this movie. I wouldn't say it was everyones cup of tea but I liked it.
Colin Firth has also been nominated for this years Best Actor Oscar, the ceremony for which is to be held on the 7th March.

Invictus

I was really interested to see this, having grown up in a household were one of the most talked about sports was rugby. (In our case, England and the Leicester Tigers).
At times I thought this film was a little slow and didn't really seem to be going anywhere. But at the end, when the credits started to roll and the lights began to flicker on, nobody moved from their seats straight away. I think that is probably the first time I have sat in a cinema when that has happened.
Afterwards when I thought about it, I realised it is quite an inspriring film. The story of how Nelson Mandela became to be loved by his country, and the world, by using the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Worth a watch just for that I think.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

To be honest, I found it really hard to get into this film. For me, it just seemed to move to slowly.
I would have to say that I had no problems with the actors, and the think the direction of the film was really quite good. but the story just didn't live up to anything.
Set in 1880s America, maybe I was expecting too much. But I was really dissappointed with the story. Not alot seemed to happen and when it did, even that seem to happen at a pace ten times slower than I have ever seen anything happen in cinema before. On top of that, it was over two and a half hours long. Not an easy film to watch I thought.

Slumdog Millionaire

Because this film won 8 Oscars after its release, I thought that it must surely be a great film. Luckily I think it pretty much lived up to that image.
I liked the way the story is told, with the story in the present and lots of flash backs. Also, all the actors that play the main character as he grows up were really good. I can't remember which other films were out that year as well but I would say that this film probably did deserve most of those Oscars.
The only think I would say is that the dance sequence at the very end doesn't really fit with the rest of the film. But I suppose it is after the story has finished and it does reflect the mood towards the end. In any case, it doesn't ruin the movie.

Prick Up Your Ears

Recently I have been interested in the life and work of a play write from the 60s called Joe Orton. This is the film of his life.
Gary Oldman is brilliant as Joe Orton and Alfred Molina is just as good as his lover and eventually murderer. Equally, I loved all the supporting roles. Having already read about the story of Joe Orton, I was apprehensive about seeing the film and thought it stood pretty well as to how I had imagined he would of lived.
I really enjoyed seeing this film and my idea of Joe Orton has certainly been lived up to. I am as intrigued, if not more, by him as I was before and will certainly have to look more at his plays. Which include Entertaining Mr Sloane, Loot and What The Butler Saw.

Tell No One

At first I wasn't really in the mood to watch a French film and have to read all the subtitles, but this film did seem to change my mind slightly.
It has a gripping story but somehow I felt it a little similar to other crime films.
Alexandre Beck was accused of murdering his wife, and eight years on, the whole story has come back into the headlines with more controversy. Although it was a good film with some great actors/actresses, there something that told me it was similar to every other murder mystery. (or maybe thats just me having watched to many of them recently).
The exception in this film though, was the very last scene. Maybe it was the setting, or the music, or the emotion, or maybe it was all of those things. But it seemed to end the film really well, with a great bit of filming.

The Wizard of Oz

I bought this film today on DVD because it was in the sale and it was really nice to watch it again after so many years. It's one of the most famous films in the world and stars some of the most famous people of that era (1939)
Although it was good to watch again, I don't think I will be rushing to see it again. I think it's one of those films that is best left to childhood memories.
An absolute classic that should be saved to show your children or grand-children I think.

A Perfect Getaway

I went to see this film at the cinema a few months ago, (I think because there was nothing else on), and was pleased to find that actually I really enjoyed it.

 I have just bought it on DVD with the conclusion, it was worth the money.

Although it does get ever so slightly gory at the end, (I am really not a fan of anything gory), the whole story was really kind of exciting. And maybe its just me, but I did not see many of the twists the story takes.
All three of the couples in this film are really good. Not only is the scenary quite spectacular to look at but it helps to get the story and the reason why these couples might meet.
I would have to recommend this film, even if you think it might not be your "thing".

The Hangover

This is a really funny account of what happens when a stag party in Las Vagas goes horribly wrong.
The three characters that are in the bulk of the film are great and work really well together. Alan (Zach Galifianakis) is the hilarious brother-in-law to be of the missing groom, Galifianakis is great in this role and plays the funniest character.
There are some great bits of cinema in this film, not only are all the characters funny, but also odd bits like a cameo from Mike Tyson when the guys find his tiger in the bathroom, and a parody from Rain Man. Basically, although not a massive story line, the content, characters and general mood throughout the film make up for it and more.
This whole story has laughs all the way through and is deffinately worth a watch.

Hercules

Another from the video collection. This is deffinately one of the classics and one of the best.
A typical Disney film, with trials and successes. The best character has to be Hades, Lord of the Dead. Along with his sidekicks Pain and Panic, they have the best lines in the film.
Also I love the soundtrack to this, although I haven't gone as far as putting them on my ipod yet, some of the songs in this film, mainly the ones sung by the Muses, are just great.
This is just one of those classics that will always be there, even if it takes along time before I get round to seeing it again.