Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Why is the kid wearing those shoes and pants that never fit? That and many other questions are left unanswered.

I had such high hopes for this movie. I usually go into the theater reminding myself that very few films live up to my expectations, but this one made me want to believe that it would be incredible. I understand that no two people who saw the events of September 11^th unfold will have the same reaction. We are all unique. That being said few movies have left me feeling as emotionally manipulated as this one.

The performances by Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Jeffrey Wright, Max von Sydow and Tom Hanks were great but something got lost in the editing bay. I'd like to read the novel to see what will end up in the extras section of the DVD.

This is another quiet movie, one where the popcorn goes unfinished because you don't want everyone to hear you eating it.

I just wanted a concrete answer at the end of the movie and was left without it. I think it might be possible with some distance from this that I won't feel as angry as I do right now but I don't think it is going to happen.

As a side note I watched Fox's Touch last night and that show had some similar themes but was done in such an amazing way that it shines over EL&IC and this is coming from someone who hates Keifer Sutherland. My only complaint about Touch was that Keifer can now only sound like his Jack Bauer character from 24. Not everything needs to be said in that kind of gravelly 'I know how to kick ass' voice.

A part of me feels mildly unpatriotic for not liking this movie but I can't help myself.

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas

This is the Ocean's Eleven of stoner comedy!

As a disclaimer I was completely and utterly sober when I saw this.

You've got Kal Penn, John Cho, Neil Patrick Harris, Patton Oswalt, Bobby Lee, Thomas Lennon, Danny Trejo, David Krumholtz getting into some rather odd situations that will have you laughing out loud.

And if you've ever lit a Christmas tree on fire or gone to a party at a Russian gangster's house or pretended to be gay for the women you'll be able to identify.

Best use of 3D since Jaws 3D, stuff actually comes flying out of the screen at you.

And if you can laugh at the Occupy styled guys pelting Bobby Lee with eggs then you can probably laugh at a toddler crawling on the ceiling after getting into a bag of mysterious white powder.

Sadly this is no longer in the theaters and I imagine that the 3D on the TV you just bought will not be as good as the 3D in the theater.

This should be re-released each holiday season as a modern alternative to the Sound of Music.

Like Crazy

Like Crazy

Ever seen a movie where you begin to question every action you've ever taken that has led you to this moment. This is that movie. What was I thinking? This is like a college film project gone horribly, horribly wrong.

Let's make the first half look all golden and then when the love wanes we'll make everything gray and cold looking.

Why don't we have too stupid kids fall in love and spite the US government? Yeah, that sounds great!

Let's have them get together at the end and be really fucking miserable!

You can just hear the pitch meetings where everyone applauded the audacity to bring such drivel to the screen.

Luckily this is no longer in the movie theaters so you don't have to worry about mistakenly buying a ticket which should come with a prescription for powerful antidepressants.

If you are unfortunate to see this movie in it's entirety you will be driven, like, crazy

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

First I will point out that while I bought the book I did not read it prior to seeing the film.

It's a pretty amazing movie filled with faces you know.

What struck me the most was that when I was in my teens I wanted to be the true outsider, the one with the middle finger raised to the conventional world but I never had the balls. Rooney Mara's Lisbeth does this literally in the film.

Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgard were amazing, each in their own way. Robin Wright's accent was a little odd, I kept watching her mouth, odd I know but that's what happened. Joely Richardson nailed her part to such an extent that I can now forgive her for Nip/Tuck.

Much has been said about the rape scenes, I wondered how the audience of married couples in their 50's was going to react to it and there was no reaction, none. Not sure if they had read the books and knew what to expect or if the violence of Starsky and Hutch and Law & Order: SVU inured them to what was occurring on the screen.

I'd say go and see it whether you have read the book or not and if you don't make it to the theater, rent it, nothing will be lost in the translation from theater to home.a