"It's like that thing Jon Bon Jovi said: 'No man is an island.'"

About A Boy

2002; UK; 101 min.

Director: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz

Screenplay: Nick Hornby, Peter Hedges, Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz

Music: Damon Gough

Cast:

Will - Hugh Grant

Marcus - Nicholas Hoult

Christine - Sharon Small

Imogen - Madison Cook

Imogen - Jordan Cook

John - Nicholas Hutchinson

Barney - Ryan Speechley

Barney - Joseph Speechley

Fiona - Toni Collette

I'm sort of on a mission to watch every film that Hugh Grant has been in. He definitely has to be my favorite actor... ever. I was excited to see what Hugh Grant had to offer in this film. The plot begins with Will (Hugh Grant), a bachelor who sits around and really does nothing. Will is able to remain unemployed and live comfortably because his father wrote a song, "Santa's Super Sleigh," and every time the song plays, he collects royalties for it. Parallel to Will's story, we meet Marcus (Nicholas Hoult), a young outcast at school whose mother (SPOILER ALERT) attempts suicide. When Will and Marcus cross paths, they end up forming a fun, interesting relationship. The eventual friendship between the two is absolutely adorable and quite heartwarming.

While this film may have not had the most sophisticated cinematography or plot line, I thought it was great and really enjoyed it. I would recommend this to anyone as a pretty light and quite fun film.

iRate: 4.5/5 CDs

Trailer: Check out the official website by clicking here!

"I know what I want, because I have it in my hands right now. You."

P.S. I Love You

2007; USA; 126 min.

Director: Richard LaGravenese

Screenplay: Richard LaGravenese, Steven Rogers, Cecelia Ahem

Music: John Powell

Cast:

Holly - Hilary Swank

Gerry - Gerard Butler

Denise - Lisa Kudrow

Sharon - Gina Gershon

John - James Marsters

Patricia - Kathy Bates

Daniel - Harry Connick Jr.

"P.S. I Love You" was an absolutely touching and fabulous romantic comedy. The film is the story of Holly (Hilary Swank), who has just lost her husband, Gerry (Gerard Butler). Gerry has left Holly ten letters to help guide her after his death. Gerry, who has never made plans before in his life, has actually planned out the delivery of these letters to Holly following his death. The letters arrive via mailboxes, singing leprechauns and more. All of the letters end with a final "P.S. I love you," hence, the name of the film. Gerry's hope is to get Holly to experience life and not hold back and mourn. With the help of her friends, Denise (Lisa Kudrow) and Sharon (Gina Gershon), Holly does experience many new things and gets her life back. The letters lead the trio to Ireland and karaoke bars. Most importantly, the letters lead Holly (SPOILER ALERT) to a new appreciation for life and a new romance.

What I really love about this film (originally based on a book) is the concept of the letters. I think that it's absolutely so sweet and really romantic that Gerry left all of these letters for Holly and wanted to stay with her for as long as possible. While some may view what Gerry did as prolonging the agony of mourning a loved one's death, I think that it was a way for Holly to say goodbye. Holly never really had the chance to say goodbye to Gerry because he died from a sudden brain tumor. The plot of the movie is just amazing. I particularly enjoyed the scenery in the film. The scenery was particularly appropriate to the plot of the film. The scenes filmed of Ireland were breathtaking. I would highly recommend this film, and I will definitely watch it again.

iRate: 5/5 letters

Trailer: Click here to check out the trailer for "P.S. I Love You!"

"You'd rather focus on other people's Kodak moments than make memories of your own!"

27 Dresses

2008; USA; 111 min.

Director: Anne Fletcher

Screenplay: Aline Brosh McKenna

Music: various artists

Cast:

Jane - Katherine Heigl

Young Tess - Charli Barcena

Kevin - James Marsden

Tess - Malin Akerman

Young Jane - Peyton List

Casey - Judy Greer

Pedro - David Castro

George - Edward Burns

This is the ABSOLUTE EPITOME OF AN AMAZING ROMANTIC COMEDY! This might be my favorite one of all time. This film is perfect! This wasn't the first time that I have watched "27 Dresses," and it definitely won't be the last. I LOVE "27 Dresses"! Where do I begin?! The plot is adorable. "27 Dresses" is the story of Jane (Katherine Heigl), who is "always the bridesmaid, never the bride." The beginning of the film explains how Jane has always loved weddings, and she is actually working as a wedding planner. The first scenes are from two weddings that Jane is juggling in the same night - an American wedding and an Indian wedding. When Jane gets knocked out trying to catch the bouquet, Kevin (James Marsden), a complete stranger, comes to the rescue. (SPOILER ALERT) When Jane's long time crush (and her boss), George (Edward Burns) ends up falling for her sister, Tess (Malin Akerman), Jane loses it. Due to Jane's nature of being a "people pleaser," she is taken along on Tess' wedding planning journey. Jane begins to develop a relationship with Kevin, despite the fact that their relationship is rocky in the beginning. The twists and turns in the film evoke emotions in the viewers. Jane is everyone's friend - and has a collection of 27 bridesmaid dresses to prove it! She really is a big mush - she collects these wedding announcement articles written in the New York Journal by this guy Malcolm. Little does she know, Kevin turns out to be writing under a pseudonym - Malcolm. When secrets are exposed, Jane's relationship with Kevin and Tess' relationship with George are questioned. The film has a fabulous ending - "Casablanca" could learn a lesson or two from "27 Dresses"!!! Here are two of my favorite scenes:

This scene is towards the beginning of the film, when Jane literally begins to fall for Kevin (although she really is bothered by him at first). After an intense bouquet throwing scene where Jane is trampled, Kevin helps her and brings her home. The whole night he has been watching her go between the two weddings, however this is the first time in the film that he actually talks to her.

This scene is when Kevin discovers all of Jane's bridesmaid dresses. Afterwards, she proceeds to try them on for him, in an attempt to prove that they aren't that ugly after all. Kevin is taking pictures throughout this scene as the two have a little "photo shoot."

I can't praise this film enough! There are so many wonderful qualities that make this a success. The acting is great, the dresses are interesting, the music is perfect, the scenery is beautiful, and the screenplay is quite funny. James Marsden is incredibly gorgeous as well! I would highly recommend this to anyone (obviously!). I am certainly going to buy this on DVD and watch it over and over again. 

iRate: 5/5 dresses

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi598868249/

"My top schools where I want to apply to are Oxford and the Sorbonne. My safety's Harvard."

Rushmore
1998; USA; 93 min.

Director: Wes Anderson
Screenplay: Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson
Music: various artists

Cast:
Max Fischer - Jason Schwartzman
Herman Blume - Bill Murray
Rosemary Cross - Olivia Williams
Bert Fischer - Seymour Cassel
Dr. Nelson Guggenheim - Brian Cox
Dirk Calloway - Mason Gamble
Margaret Yang - Sara Tanaka
Magnus Buchan - Stephen McCole
Mrs. Calloway - Connie Nielsen
Dr. Peter Flynn - Luke Wilson

When we viewed the trailer for "Rushmore" and were asked to write about our expectations for the film, I wrote the following: a romance, a nerdy boy (overachiever), school environment. It turns out that I had captured the plot of the film in those three phrases. While most other students in Art of Film would probably rate "Rushmore" their least favorite film to date, I quite enjoyed it. Throughout the film, I began to fall in love with the dorky, know-it-all Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman). Maybe that's just me, but I really liked his character. Anyhow, the plot begins with Max, the son of a barber, Bert Fischer (Seymour Cassel), who attends Rushmore (a fancy academy) on academic scholarship. He is searching for a book one day in the library and finds a quote written in the book by another person. Max, being the persistant problem-solver that he is, tracks down who has taken out the book and finds that it is Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams), an elementary teacher at Rushmore. However, his friend, Mr. Herman Blume (Bill Murray), an administrator at the school, is also in love with Rosemary. Trouble and animosty ensues between Blume and Max throughout the film.

While some people found Max's pursuit of the Rosemary creepy, I thought that it was actually pretty innocent and sweet. He truly loved Rosemary, and in the end, I was secretly (well, I guess not so secretly now) rooting for them. However, (SPOILER ALERT) they don't end up together. So, on to my thoughts on some of the elements in the film that I saw while viewing "Rushmore":

- Mr. Blume: The name sounds exactly like the word "bloom." Is this a symbol for Blume's development throughout the film?
- Ms. Cross: In many ways, Max tries to "cross" society's boundaries with Ms. Cross in his pursuit of a much older teacher.
- Max Fischer: Max is fishing for success, and aims to be with Ms. Cross.
- Max has the same phone extension at both schools (#23).
- When Max is expelled from Rushmore, he goes to Grover Cleveland. Is there a significance between having him kicked off the mountain (Rushmore) of presidential greats to a lesser known president?
- Pathetic fallacy alert: There's a thunderstorm at one of the turning points in the film. (Pathetic fallacy has to be the oldest trick in the book for film!)
- Motif: Water & Fish (Fish! Like Max Fischer! Coincidence? I think not!)
- Motif: Curtains closing (Do the curtains closing throughout the film lead up to Max's play and the last scene of the film?)

The film reminded me of "Juno." I think it was probably due to the retro, vintage nature of the film combined with the deadpan humor. The film presented the idea that the younger you are, the more worldly you are (ironic, huh?). This idea is prevalent in "Juno" also. The high school environment was non-realistic, but I guess that's part of the film's charm. The film presents comedy as being equated with harmony. This idea means that all relationships are restored and come together in the end.

On the movie poster above, it says that "Rushmore" was "the best comedy of the year." I know that's just one critic, but I was around in 1998, and movies weren't so bad that this one would be considered the best. However, I did enjoy watching "Rushmore." I loved the line in the film, "She's my Rushmore, Max." / "Yeah, I know. She was mine too." I also really liked the sequence where the viewers were shown the names of influential, important people in philosophy, literature, history, etc. I thought that aspects of the film were funny, the music was appropriate (especially the lyrics to various songs) and would probably recommend this film.

iRate: 3/5 aquariums
Trailer: http://www.alltrailers.net/rushmore.html

"Hey! How's the weather in England? / I'm in Scotland."

Made of Honor
2008; USA; 101 min.

Director: Paul Weiland
Screenplay: Adam Sztykiel, Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont
Music: Rupert Gregson-Williams

Cast:
Thomas 'Tom' Bailey - Patrick Dempsey
Hannah - Michelle Monaghan
Colin McMurray - Kevin McKidd
Felix - Kadeem Hardison
Dennis - Chris Messina
Gary - Richmond Arquette
Melissa - Busy Philipps
Stephanie - Whitney Cummings
Hilary - Emily Nelson
Joan - Kathleen Quinlan
Grandma Pearl - Selma Stern
Thomas Bailey, Sr. - Sydney Pollack

Before I start blogging, let me just say that, yes, this IS another romantic comedy. When I started watching "Made of Honor," actually before I even removed it from the box, I was positive that it would be added to the list of my favorite movies (not that that list is such a hard list to get onto in the first place...). The plot, while extremely predicatable, was cute and funny. Tom (Patrick Dempsey) is a womanizer who has been best friends with Hannah (Michelle Monaghan) ever since he climbed in her bed by mistake in college. Years later, when Hannah goes to Scotland on business, she meets Colin (Kevin McKidd), and comes back engaged. It is then when Tom finally realizes that he wants to get married and settle down as well. When Hannah asks Tom to be her "maid of honor" (also known, apparently, as a "MOH"), he realizes that maybe (SPOILER ALERT) he should be standing somewhere else on the altar, like beside Hannah.

I enjoyed the New York City scenery that the film had to offer. The quick pace mirrored the pace of Tom's life, such as the romance between Hannah and Colin, which happened so quickly. Another aspect of the movie that I liked was the connection between the beginning of the movie and the end. The two events brought the plot full circle, and provided for a sweet and funny moment. Overall, I would recommend this film. While it's not the best that I have seen, it's a funny, light-hearted romantic comedy (yay!) and Patrick Dempsey isn't bad looking either.

iRate: 3/5 bridal showers
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGVpvkMmjK4

"There's this part of Judaism that I like. Tikun Alum. It said that the world is broken into pieces and everyone has to find it."

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
2008; USA; 90 min.

Director: Peter Sollett
Screenplay: Lorene Scafaria, Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh

Cast:
Nick - Michael Cera
Norah - Kat Dennings
Thom - Aaron Yoo
Dev - Rafi Gavron
Caroline - Ari Graynor
Tris - Alexis Dziena
Beefy Guy (Lethario) - Jonathan B. Wright

I'm not usually a big fan of going to the movie theater (gasp, I know). I happen to love just watching a DVD in the comfort of my own home. At home, there's no need to fret over people talking loudly, or if you're talking too loudly. There's no fee for the beverages, no fee for entrance (I was surprised when my ticket was over ten dollars - the last time I went it was nine and change... I feel old!). There are no previews (although I must admit, I do like when they have the rebus-style word games before the movie - yes, I am a bit of a dork like that...) and you can alway re-watch scenes and catch things that you might have missed. However, I ended up spontaneously going to see "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" with my friends. ("Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" is a film based on a young adult novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan that I wanted to read, but never got around to reading!)

I've realized that there's a power to movie theaters. Let me explain: I guess tonight renewed my feelings about going to see a movie in the theater. My friends picked seats all the way in the back, which is not my usual movie seating preference. What I loved about the seats, though, was that you could see the sides of the theater when you watched the film. Surprisingly, the walls added to the movie experience. The power of a theater is due to strength in numbers. Scenes that aren't typically humorous become hilarious in the company of others. I think after my experience seeing "Nick and Norah's" I'll definitely be frequenting the movie theater more often (but don't get me wrong, I'm still a DVD girl at heart!). Another thing that I like about theaters is the projector. As peculiar as that may sound, I like turning around sometimes and looking at the image projecting through the little glass window, with particles of dust floating in the light's path. I just find something interesting about that (I'm wondering if that's just me?). In the beginning of AoF, we took a survey about film, with one of the questions regarding if we had seen a film alone. That's something that I'd be interested in doing, actually. Maybe I'll challenge myself to do so before AoF ends...

So enough of my theater epiphany and back to the film! I can't tell you much about the beginning (we came in 20 min. late... that's the price you pay for spontaneity, I guess!). However, as the story of Nick (Michael Cera) and Norah (Kat Dennings) developed, I was able to catch onto the plot. The story is about Nick, who has just dealt with a break-up with Tris (Alexis Dziena), and is part of a band, "The Jerk Offs." Nick is trying to get Tris back by sending her mix CDs; however, Tris just throws them away. Norah, Tris' "best friend" listens to the mix tapes and loves them. When Norah and her friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) are at a club one night, the all gay band (except for Nick), "The Jerk Offs," happens to be playing. When Nick is playing his guitar, it's love at first sight for Norah. Then, Tris shows up with her new boyfriend; yet, Norah doesn't want Tris to think that she is without a date. Norah then asks Nick to pretend to be her boyfriend and kisses him. When Tris finally decides that she and Nick are over, Norah and Nick start to develop a relationship. However, when Tris sees Norah and Nick getting closer, she immediately wants Nick back. The story unfolds with a quest for a missing friend and for Nick and Norah's favorite band, "Where's Fluffy".

Kat Dennings delivered a performance very similar to that of Ellen Page in "Juno" (amazing movie - if you haven't seen it, it's a must!). Her character, Norah, possesses the same sharp, sarcastic wit that Juno has. What I loved about the movie is that the terminology and attitude of it was true to what teenagers are really like. "Nick and Norah" wasn't your stereotypical teen movie with stereotypical high school types (i.e. the jock, the beauty queen, the geeks, etc.). Stereotypical high school movies often overexaggerate what high school is really like, but "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" was right on target. The film was a sweet romantic comedy (I feel like I've used that same expression on half of my blog posts, but oh well!) and I really liked it. The scenery and NYC backdrop was great! The soundtrack was also quite impressive, and my friend (who is somewhat of a music guru) agreed as well (which is a high sign of praise). I would definitely recommend "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" as a light-hearted fun teenage film.

iRate: 4/5 pieces of gum
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-btDYY-uLeY

"It wasn't logic, it was love."

Sex and the City

2008; USA; 148 min. 

Director: Michael Patrick King

Screenplay: Michael Patrick King, Candace Bushnell, Darren Star

Music: Aaron Zigman

Cast:

Carrie Bradshaw - Sarah Jessica Parker

Samantha Jones - Kim Cattrall

Charlotte York - Kristin Davis

Miranda Hobbes - Cynthia Nixon

John James 'Mr. Big' Preston - Chris Noth

Enid Frick - Candice Bergen

Louise - Jennifer Hudson

Steve Brady - David Eigenberg

Harry Goldenblatt - Evan Handler

Jerry 'Smith' Jerrod - Jason Lewis

Although I have never seen the hit TV show, "Sex and the City," I was interested in checking out the movie when it came out on DVD. Based on the HBO TV series, "Sex and the City: The Movie," proved to be a fun romantic comedy. The plot follows the fabulous four friends, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), as they deal with life's issues. Carrie Bradshaw, a 40 year old writer is finally engaged to the man of her dreams, 'Big' (Chris Noth), while Miranda is dealing with marital issues. Charlotte has a successful marriage with an adopted daughter, Lily, while Samantha refuses to commit to a man and is obsessed with having sexual relationships with men. As Carrie's life begins to change, the women jump to her side and prove that friendship is a powerful bond. The love and caring between the women is a very heartwarming part of the film.

The plot deals with forgiveness, and what constitutes the ability to forgive. Both Carrie and Miranda are faced with this issue. Love is another major theme in the movie as well. While some characters seek out love, such as Carrie, others don't seem fixated on the issue, for example, Samantha. I particularly enjoyed the fashions that the women wore in the movies. The fashions play a huge part in painting this picture of rich New York women living in the lap of luxury. The scenery of NYC presented a great background for the film. In relation to the fashion, I happened to absolutely love the walk-in closet that Carrie received as an engagement present from big. I didn't think a movie like this could have elements of classic film in it, but when I was researching the film, I encountered an element of foreshadowing that I had missed. The foreshadowing incident takes place when Lily colors in Cinderella's shoe blue in her coloring book, which relates to Carrie later on. About the film - I do want to mention, however, that is is rated R for strong sexual, graphic scenes, as well as language and nudity. Overall, I would highly recommend this film - it was enjoyable, with a great soundtrack and a fun plot!

iRate: 5/5 Louis Vuitton purses

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6U809EdoVI

"You bring in a sous chef from an Italian restaurant and I'm the one in therapy?"

No Reservations

2007; USA; 104 min.

Director: Scott Hicks

Screenplay: Carol Fuchs, Sandra Nettelback

Music: Philip Glass

Cast:

Kate - Catherine Zeta-Jones

Nick - Aaron Eckhart

Zoe - Abigail Breslin

Paula - Patricia Clarkson

Leah - Jenny Wade

Therapist - Bob Balaban

All I can say is that "No Reservations" is now one of my favorite movies ever. I've been meaning to see this movie forever, and I'm so glad that I did! I absolutely love everything about this film! "No Reservations" is the story of Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones), an obsessive complusive chef, whose life consists of solely cooking for the restaurant she works at, 22 Bleecker. When Kate becomes the guardian for her niece, Zoe (Abigail Breslin), her life changes forever. Kate, unaccustomed to interacting with children, has to learn to care for Zoe, and become a maternal figure. Kate's life becomes a total mess when Nick (Aaron Eckhart) enters her kitchen at 22 Bleecker as a sous chef. The plot follows Kate and Zoe, as they try to adjust to their new lifestyles.

Everything in the film was just perfect. Parts of the film were sad and emotional, parts of the film were humorous, and other parts of the film were very sentimental and touching. The heartwarming story had me captivated from the very beginning. I absolutely loved the romantic aspect of this film - it was simply amazing and breathtaking. (Ok, so I'm a hopeless romantic!) The scenery in the film was gorgeous - featuring NYC in February. I could, and I plan to, see this film over and over again. Here are some of my favorite scenes:

This scene takes place when Nick comes over to Kate and Zoe's apartment to cook dinner for them. Zoe's wish finally comes true, and the three of them eat "in the jungle." Zoe and the adults pretend that they are on a safari adventure. After dinner, the triad plays pick-up sticks with breadsticks. This scene is one of the moments where Kate finally begins to let loose, and where we see her character begin to develop and change.

When Kate realizes that she cannot leave Zoe home alone at night while she is at work, Kate decides to bring her along to 22 Bleecker. Zoe begins to learn how to cook with Kate. What makes this extremely sweet is that Kate learned to cook from her mother, and now Zoe is learning to cook from her new maternal figure.

Overall, this movie was simply amazing! I absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone, especially romantic comedy lovers!

iRate: 5/5 saffron sauces
Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi295567641/

"That's wonderfully sensitive... especially from a man who wears such tight pants."

Music and Lyrics
2007; USA; 96 min.

Director: Marc Lawrence
Screenplay: Marc Lawrence
Music: various writers

Cast:
Hugh Grant - Alex Fletcher
Drew Barrymore - Sophie Fisher
Brad Garrett - Chris Riley
Hayley Bennett - Cora Corman
Kristen Johnston - Rhonda
Campbell Scott - Sloan Cates

I couldn't resist watching "Music and Lyrics" for about the fourth time when it was on HBO. This is definitely one of my favorite movies ever! The genre of this movie is romantic comedy - which I have said before is my favorite. The story is about Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant), an old popstar from the 80s, whose career is practically over. Alex's one last shot at fame is to write a hit song to be performed with Cora Corman (Hayley Bennett), who is more popular than "Britney and Christina put together." When we find out that Alex can't write his own lyrics, he encounters Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), his plant watering lady, who has a magical talent for writing. The story goes on to examine both Sophie and Alex's pasts. (There is much more to the story than this - I just don't want to give it all away!) The casting in this film is absolutely fantastic! Hugh Grant does an outstanding job as Alex - he's charismatic, has a great voice, and he's also gorgeous. Drew Barrymore also has a personality that seems to fit her physical appearance. She plays the part of Sophie fabulously - you can almost imagine that she is somewhat like her character. Hayley Bennett's character, Cora Corman, is hilarious - she's a buddha-loving, wheatgrass drinking self-proclaimed "spiritual" type, yet at the same time she's a promiscuous tween idol.

When I began watching the film with my new "film eyes," I was able to notice things that I wouldn't have noticed prior to my Art of Film enlightenment. In the beginning of the film, there's one shot where the camera is looking into Alex's apartment through a window divided into three sections. It's clearly visible that Alex is standing the the left section and Sophie in the right section, with the middle window pane empty. This is demonstrative of the space between them in the beginning of the plot. As the film goes on and their relationship develops, Alex and Sophie are standing closer and closer to each other. Also, in one scene when there is conflict in the plot, Alex and Sophie are standing over a New York skyline with a tower separating them. (This film gives the viewer a great sense of the NYC atmosphere!) I was surprised at cinematic elements such as these because I don't really think of "Music and Lyrics" as a "quality film," but more of a movie. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it and highly recommend it! I also happen to love the film's soundtrack. As cheesy as some of the songs may be, they have great rhythm, and of course, lyrics. Funny and sweet, "Music and Lyrics" is an outstanding film that I would suggest to anyone.

iRate: 5/5 tight pants
Trailer:http://video.google.com/videosearchq=music+and+lyrics+trailer&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#