There are so many things to love about Silver Linings Playbook. So much of it is unexpected. I left the theater feeling satisfied and surprised. Robert De Niro is a treat, Bradly Cooper is unexpectedly good (and good looking) and Jennifer Lawrence is strong, fit and commanding. I didn’t expect Bradley to ever become an Oscar-worthy actor but he’s on his way. And it’s almost crazy to think of Jennifer now as Katniss and for the next 2-5 years in the Hunger Game movies. This movie subtly reminds you that we all make mistakes and we are all flawed, but we are always trying to improve ourselves (and that’s what makes us beautiful). This is probably my favorite movie of the year (although with so many good ones on the horizon, who knows if it will end up on top). A.
And then there’s Skyfall which I saw last week during Thanksgiving. Being a movie lover I am embarrassed to admit that this was my first ever James Bond movie. Yeah yeah, there are some trains I just missed all together in life (ahem… Expanded Universe). There are a few things about this movie that didn’t work for me. I did not enjoy some of the special effects including those in the motorcycle chase scene and the short scene with the scorpion at the bar. I also think it was about 2o minutes longer than it needed to be. This seems to be a growing problem with movies lately. Don’t get me wrong, I have great respect for many aspects of the movie — I love the casting (Javier Bardem, wow! and hello, Ben Whishaw) and the beautifully shot locations (Shanghai, Macau, Scotland). I’ll give Daniel Craig another chance, but I hope for a slightly more compact experience. C.
