Cinemaholic

There aren't many TV shows that I think are worth watching. Thursday nights on NBC are an exception, as are some of the shows on the premium channels. And who doesn't love the History Channel? (I'm guessing a lot of people.)

Point is, I would much prefer to spend my evenings watching movies than watching mindless TV, and I have been watching a LOT of movies lately. I've decided to go movie-critic on you today, and share my opinions on some of the ones I've seen in the past few weeks.

Note: With the exception of one, these are all movies I have gotten from either Netflix or On Demand (i.e., they're not new).

The Squid and the Whale
Three stars. The kid who plays the character that cusses all the time was the highlight for me. I think he's gonna go places. This movie is subdued, kind of like a Wes Anderson film, but it has some funny moments.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
One star. I liked the first one, but this one was not good.

The Savages
Three stars. Good acting, but rather depressing. I mean, it's about putting someone in a nursing home, and how exciting can that be?

Coal Miner's Daughter
Four and a half stars. I love this movie so much that I've watched it three times in the past three weeks. Sissy Spacek totally deserved the Oscar she won for playing Loretta Lynn. Oh, Doo.

Slumdog Millionaire
Four and a half stars. This is a great movie, but you've probably already heard that from everybody else. I thought it was really sad. But, compared to a lot of the other crap that came out this year, it's a damn masterpiece.

Hostel
One star. I know several people who saw this movie when it was at the theater, and they all told me the same thing: Don't go see this movie. I knew it was about torture, which completely repulses me, but curiosity got the better of me when I noticed that it was On Demand last week. All I have to say is, I hope I never piss off the guy who wrote that screenplay. His imagination runs a little too wild.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Four stars. Casey Affleck and I would totally be a couple, if not for that pesky wife of his. His acting in this movie is wonderful, and Philly and I have agreed that he is way sexier than Ben. I just think all of the acting in this movie is great, and if you haven't seen it, then you should make that a priority. Like, maybe this weekend, when it's eight degrees outside (at least, where I live).

The Darjeeling Limited
Three stars. I really liked how this movie started off, but it sort of lost me near the end. There were some things I loved, though, like the idea for laminated itineraries. I am so doing that for my next vacation. I really like what Wes Anderson does as a director, but I'm still waiting for a movie that I like as much as The Royal Tenenbaums. None of his other films have come close to that one, in my mind. And I think he and Owen Wilson might be butt buddies.

The Verdict
Three stars. Philly told me I should watch this movie because, you know, it's about lawyering and such. I liked it, but I think it's one of those movies that you have to watch a couple of times to really appreciate.

Bobby
Four stars. I seem to remember that this movie didn't get the best reviews when it came out, but I really enjoyed it, especially the montage right before Robert Kennedy gets shot, set to the song The Sounds of Silence. Very moving.

Gone Baby Gone
Three stars. It would have gotten four, except for the fact that I had to rewind every other scene to figure out what the hell Casey Affleck's character was saying. (I still love you, Casey.)