Friday, July 17, 2009
The Proposal (2009)
The Proposal (2009) didn't get stellar reviews, but I enjoyed it, as did both my companions. The plot ideas have surely been used before: marriage of convenience to get a green card (Green Card (1990)), antagonistic couple grow to love each other, hard-charging female boss is mellowed by love, etc. etc. etc. But anyone who looks for a completely new plot in a romantic comedy is delusional anyway. The charm of Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock's individuality, and Betty White's terrific performance as Reynolds's grandmother all combine to lift this a bit above some other romcoms I've seen. And the gorgeous Alaskan scenery is almost a character in its own right. It was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon with some of my loved ones.
UP (2009)
Yes folks, I actually saw two movies in a movie theater while on a trip to Minneapolis. Sisterfilms makes sure I'm not completely living in the past as far as films go, on the all-too-rare occasions that we're together.
UP (2009) was a charming and heartwarming movie that was also a Ripping Yarn. I normally steer clear of animated films of any kind, but I do occasionally enjoy them when pressed by Sisterfilms. She assured me that I would prefer computer animation to cartoons and I really did enjoy the animation and colors (we did NOT see the 3-D version, which was just as well given the numerous scenes of people dangling from great heights!) It's really an animated feature for adults, with themes of youthful dreams, what life does to them, and fulfilling those dreams in a different way in old age. Older children might enjoy it. Younger kids would, in most cases, be problematic especially during the opening section where there is a montage of dialogue-free scenes that older people would understand instantly, but little kids might need explained -- better to wait for the DVD if you can't get out of the house without the 8 and under set, in my opinion. By the way, anyone who has a dog or knows dogs will laugh a lot. I'd like to watch this film again sometime to see how many more cultural references I can identify -- we spotted a visual quote from The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton and also the iconic picture of dogs playing poker. I suspect there were quite a few more; it's that kind of movie. Highly recommended.
UP (2009) was a charming and heartwarming movie that was also a Ripping Yarn. I normally steer clear of animated films of any kind, but I do occasionally enjoy them when pressed by Sisterfilms. She assured me that I would prefer computer animation to cartoons and I really did enjoy the animation and colors (we did NOT see the 3-D version, which was just as well given the numerous scenes of people dangling from great heights!) It's really an animated feature for adults, with themes of youthful dreams, what life does to them, and fulfilling those dreams in a different way in old age. Older children might enjoy it. Younger kids would, in most cases, be problematic especially during the opening section where there is a montage of dialogue-free scenes that older people would understand instantly, but little kids might need explained -- better to wait for the DVD if you can't get out of the house without the 8 and under set, in my opinion. By the way, anyone who has a dog or knows dogs will laugh a lot. I'd like to watch this film again sometime to see how many more cultural references I can identify -- we spotted a visual quote from The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton and also the iconic picture of dogs playing poker. I suspect there were quite a few more; it's that kind of movie. Highly recommended.
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