Grand canyon

I rented this film on lovefilm. It is a slightly surreal portrait of a group of adults in Los Angeles who are all coping with life crises of one sort or another. The group is centred around a man whose car breaks down in a rough area one night, and who is effectively rescued by a tow truck man. His indebtedness is then played out during the film. I found the film reasonably interesting in principle, but somehow I just didn't really warm to the characters. I would only give it about five out of ten.

A home at the end of the world

I saw this film a few years ago, and enjoyed it so decided to rent it again on lovefilm. I liked watching it second time around. It is based on the novel by Michael Cunningham (who won a Pulitzer prize for his novel the Hours). It tells the story of Bobby (Colin Farrell) and Jonathan (Dallas Roberts) who grow up together in suburban Cleveland; Bobby is straight and Jonathan is gay. Jonathan moves away after school, to live in New York, where Bobby goes and joins him some time later. The two of them share a flat with Clare (Robin Wright Penn), and the film is basically about the unconventional family they form. One aspect which I had forgotten about, but greatly enjoyed, was the music from the 80s that is played during the film, including the first ever time I have heard Steve Reich's music profiled - made me think of my good friend Jonathan who is a big fan! Bobby, Jonathan and Clare eventually settle in a rural location in New York state and set up a bakery / cafe.

True Grit

I saw this film with my friend Johnny at the Ritzy cinema in Brixton - where the seats in screen one are sagging a bit! It stars Jeff Bridges as a US Marshall on the trail of a dirty rotten murderer, at the behest of a 14 year old girl, whose father has been murdered. Jeff Bridges' accent is difficult to understand at times - it sounds like he has a sock stuffed in his mouth. However you get the general gist of things as he merrily waves his pistol in the air. The actress playing the 14 year old is very good - very confident and forthright. Matt Damon plays a Texas ranger who is also on the trail of the murderer. Although I enjoyed the film I didn't totally engage in it - maybe because westerns are not really my cup of tea.

Morning glory

I watched this on a plane between London and New York. The film stars Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton as the anchors on a US morning TV programme. The other main character is their young producer, who is ambitious and quirky. Both the Harrison and Diane characters are pretty hard bitten from their long careers and they rub each other up the wrong way - some of the banter between the two is pretty good! I would give it a seven out of ten.

Due date

I saw this film on a flight between London and New York. It stars Robert Downie Jr as an uptight architect whose wife is about to give birth to their first child, and an actor who looks like Paul Giacometti, playing an out of work actor with a small bulldog type dog in tow. They are both trying to fly from the east coast to Los Angeles, but get thrown off the plane and put on a no-fly list, so have no choice but to drive. The characters are pretty engaging, and as with all good road movies, you discover aspects of their personalities and lives bit by bit. I would give it a seven out of ten.

Paperclips

This was a documentary about a history project run by a school in Tennessee for eighth grade students to learn about the Holocaust. It was an interesting profile of how education can change people's views so strongly, and was good to see, if a bit sugary sweet at times. The schoolchildren got to meet some Holocaust survivors, and even some real modern day Germans - foreign correspondents working in Washington.

Matador

Being a big fan of Pedro Almodovar's work I feel it my duty to watch any film of his I come across. However I sometimes struggle with his earlier work. This film is set around two main characters who get their sexual kicks from death. One is an ex bullfighter and the other a lawyer. A young Antonio Banderas plays an apprentice of the matador who goes around confessing to various murders that have haphazardly occurred, although strangely he faints at the sight of blood (perhaps a small clue he didn't do them?!). Filmed in the 1980s.

Blue Valentine

I saw this film with my friend Wizzy at the Prince Charles Cinema in London - nice comfy seats!  Unfortunately I was quite tired, and I fell asleep after about twenty minutes.  However, I also think I was finding it all quite dull - a portrait of a marriage from two different time periods - essentially showing the couple first meeting and falling in love, and then years later when they are splitting up.  Partly due to my sleep induced interlude, I misunderstood a key part of the plot, which I won't give away.  Overall, I would only give this a four or five out of ten.

The Bucket List

I watched this film on DVD, on the recommendation of my friend Saul.  Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two terminally ill patients who basically leave their cancer ward to go on a road trip, to tick off a list of things they want to do before they die.  Although it is somewhat corny in parts, at other times I found it idly amusing.  I would give it a six out of ten - if I had been at the cinema I might have been tempted to go and get a small bucket of popcorn to jolly myself along.

Letters to Juliet

I rented this film on Lovefilm. It is unashamedly slushily romantic, being set in Tuscany and is based around a letter from an English 15 year old that was written 50 years ago and left at Juliet's house in Verona. It was hidden in a crack in the wall, and only found now by an American aspirant writer, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who replies to it. Needless to say, the 65 year old woman, Clare (Vanessa Redgrave), comes to Italy with her grandson Charlie (Chris Egan) in search of her love of 50 years ago, Lorenzo. There ensues a charming and very scenic road trip around Tuscany. Gael Garcia Bernal, one of my favourite actors, plays Sophie's fiancé, Victor.

Certainly not the deepest and most meaningful film I have ever seen, but I liked it.

Fermat's room

I rented this Spanish language film on Lovefilm. It is about four mathematicians who are summoned to a remote venue for a weekend retreat of problem solving. When they get there they discover they have been trapped in a room and are sent maths puzzles via a PDA. If they fail to solve them, the room starts to shrink. I found it quite an interesting thriller, as the four try and work out who might want to kill them. However, maybe I found it interesting partly because I like both maths and Spanish.

Sunshine Cleaning

I rented this on lovefilm on the recommendation of my friend Jacqui and I wasn't disappointed. It is the tale of two early thirties sisters in New Mexico who are both in fairly dead end situations but surrounded by contemporaries who appear to have achieved it all in life. Striking out they set up a company cleaning up houses after deaths, and the bond between them grows. All the supporting actors are very good, including the father of the sisters and the son of one of them.