Movie Reviews

While in Austin this past week, Matt and I had the opportunity to see two movies (both in the same day!). The first one we saw was Benjamin Button with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. I had heard that the movie dragged on and was about half an hour longer than it should be, so I was not expecting great thing as I hate being bored in the movie theatre. Fortunately, I do not know what these people were talking about because not once was I bored. The movie is long - 159 minutes - but I was entertained the entire time. The acting is superb. The characters are multi-dimensional and they help keep the movie grounded in reality even though the plot is pretty fantastical. There are many thought-provoking themes including real versus perceived age, how timing can really affect relationships, and the quest to explore and accomplish something in the short period of a lifetime. The only aspect that Matt felt really did not fit in with the movie was the fact that Katrina is involved in the end. It seemed to have nothing to do with any of the other plots.

I would definitely recommend this movie. It is a very different concept with very familiar themes that everyone can relate to. It is now one of my favorite movies!

Later that night, we went to the Alamo theater with a few friends. It is really cool theater. They play some offbeat and classic movies. There are long tables in front of each row of seats and you can order food and drinks during the movie by putting order slips on a clip on the table. We decided to see Doubt with Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. Matt and I both love Phillip Seymour Hoffman (especially in Charlie Wilson's War -SEE IT!!), so we were interested in seeing his performance. All three actors give great performances. Meryl Streep is so versatile and it is amazing to see her transformation from the carefree Mamma Mia to this very heavy role. This movie was based upon a play that, I believe, consisted of only two actors having a dialogue. I have to admit that I was pretty tired while seeing this movie (I have trouble staying out past 10 sometimes!) so I felt that it moved pretty slowly. Sometimes I would get impatient with the pauses and the seemingly unnecessary extra dialogue, but the overall messages and themes of the movie are great. They really get you thinking about what you would have done had you been in the position of the characters. The end leaves you asking questions and wondering how you would have tried to solve the issue.

I would recommend this movie, but I would say that you can wait to rent it. It is worth seeing because the performances are great and the plot is thought provoking.