movies

11. Dogtooth - I'll take f'ed up foreign films for $600, Alec. Good grief. Netflix on demand and was an Oscar nominee. Not disturbing like Old Boy, not violent (although there is some blood), not extreme in really anyway - EXCEPT that everything about the story being told centers around a very extreme set-up of isolated adult children. The whole thing is portrayed so deadpan, no one is really emotional, even when they do act out it is shortlived.

10. Inception - RedBox rental meant to be watched after medical procedure, but it really took parts of 3 days for me to get it watched. So yeah, that was, huh. Often pretty. Not so so confusing, but Momento-esque in the what now, is this real or the past or huh. Was this based on a book? Cause maybe I would read that off one of your recs. I get why it was talked about a lot, but not sure I'd want to sit around talking it to death. Kinda makes my head hurt, because there is no real answer, is there? Not given what the film shows.
9. The Town - Netflix disk and an Oscar nominee. Nice film. Never been a big Affleck fan, but this was more understated and I think really good. Nice cast, decent pacing and script.
8. I am Love - Netflix on demand and an Oscar nominee. First off, SWINTON! I so often have problems with foreign films. I feel like I am missing information or like there is weird editing. This had lots of linear easy to follow stuff and then there'd be a small bit where I had no idea how or why we jumped from A to F.
7. The Social Network - RedBox rental due to snow in, plus I had a free coupon. Also an Oscar nominee. I remember laughing at some of the first commercials I saw for this movie, before I knew Sorkin had written it. It just seemed so ridiculous. Man what a bunch of unlikable people, like generally all of them. Really smart, rich, unlikable people. The dialogue is so Sorkin I could hardly stand it.
6. Lars and The Real Girl - Netflix disk. I have had this since before we moved. in July. I was pretty sure I was not gonna like it, but I really really did. Would a town all pull together like that and not have at least some people act like dicks? no. But it was a movie and I liked seeing a community act that way. Also, I tend to be sort of broken about people who are centrally defined by their loss of a parent.
5. Alice in Wonderland - Also Netflix on demand, also an Oscar nominee. I avoided this like the plaque when it came out, but I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. As with all Burton films, I loved a lot of the costumes.
4. Exit Through The Gift Shop - On my Netflix on demand and an Oscar nominee. Eh - interesting story and development, but I pretty much hate the whole street art scene as big business. It also felt a bit Andy Kaufman stunt-esque.
3. Tron - No, I had never seen it before. Watched it with mac. Not as bad as I was assuming it would be, but kinda ridiculous. Hilarious seeing Jeff Bridges, like zero acting chops.
2. Bright Star - On my Netflix on demand. I know nothing of Romantic poets or the period, but it struck me as not accurate. Didn't love it, didn't hate it, am glad I did not pay for it.
1. The King's Speech - Awesome. Just as awesome was seeing an adult movie at a theater with another adult. Makes me long for the years where I saw most of the Oscar nominated films.

books 2011

4. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - This took forever to get through. I read some of it aloud to mac and he read along while we listened to the rest on tape. It is a much larger book than he usually reads, but it was good to make him push through it and I did like the story. I think a few plot points were weak, and in such a long book I didn't like where they fell (on important areas). Not sure if we will read the follow-up book.


3. Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer - Also second in a series, and also read to mac. I liked this one as well as the first, less explaining was needed and that left more room for story.
2. Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monstersby Rick Riordan - The second in the series. Read this to mac, built on the first, but I didn't like it as much. It did end on a better cliffhanger, though.
1. Let Them East Fruitcake by Melody Carlson - The second of the Holiday themed books I picked up on impulse from the library. This was just not good. I did not notice until I got home, but it is "Christian Literature" whatever that is. I guess this would have to be considered Christian Chic Lit.