Ebert and Roeper eat your heart out.
I am an unapologetic fan of the period piece film and generally enjoy them regardless of the opinions offered by the critics. With its release in February and the fact that it was bound to be a depressing film (after all, anyone with a cursory knowledge of history knows just how Anne Boleyn meets her end), I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit worried that my 18 bucks (movie for two) was essentially being thrown away.
A few hours ago I had the privilege of visiting the theater to see the 3D performance of U2. Wow! Was it ever worth the paltry eleven dollars to see!
U2 is one of those bands I have long been a fan of. Their music is so unique and mature, even their earlier stuff has a maturity that stands out today. I am amazed by how relevant their music remains decades after many of the songs were first released. If anything they are more relevant today. And on top of that they have all aged really well. The bastards. 😉
The words ‘quirky’ and ‘delightful’ are ones that seem to frequent my film reviews. This is less the result of my wearing rose colored review glasses and more due to the fact that I do not review all the films I see. However, when a film is this much of a delight to view and is indeed a creative, quirky experience, I cannot help but pull out these old favorites in my description.
When you can walk out of a film and genuinely like every major character in the film and everything about the film it is an incredible experience that strengthens my faith in the medium. Don’t wait until Juno comes out on DVD. Go and see it now so that you can join me on Oscar night, filled with frustration as this marvelous film is overlooked by the Academy of Performing Arts.
—The Orphanage (El Orfanato)
–Executive Producer: Guillermo del Toro
–Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
–Screenplay: Sergio G. Sanchez
–5/5 stars 
A tale of two movies, indeed. Today was an exercise in extremes. From melancholy and depressing to saccharine and feel-good, today was a day filled with cinematic experiences.
Riding the wave of awards hype and starring two people who are quickly becoming must-see for me, Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, Atonement simply had to be seen, didn’t it?
And how could I resist Amy Adams, a captivating and crush-worthy actress who is certainly a new favorite of mine?
So let’s talk about these two wildly different films.