Fellow Movie Lovers

First I want to thank you for your words of approbation and encouragement in this my virginal voyage into the world of bloggers; or blogetts, in my case.

Secondly, I particularly appreciated those who shared their opinions and disagreements with some of my ratings; very valid criticisms. The major “bone of contention” was the five stars I gave Julie & Julia; especially the “lightness” or lack of substantially of the Julie role. It was on the second viewing that I concentrated on Julie; Julie, voted most likely to succeed; Julie who was wallowing in a world of  mediocrity while her friends were soaring in their professions.  Here is where I admired the brilliance of Nora Ephron; by casting Amy Adams (two time Academy Award nominee for Junebug and Doubt) as Julie, she found the one actress, with the strength, knowledge and intelligence to partner with the iconic Meryl Streep, playing the icon Julia Child.
Also, we have to remember the real Julie was only 30 when she turned her life around; Julia Child in her 80’s
was “baked” to perfection!  Julie is a work in progress; still in her 30’s, and still cooking!

Thirdly, without exception everyone liked the mini reviews! In this world of information and instant gratification folks just want to know if they should see the film or not. Movies are the “fluff” of our existence;
our release from “the world is too much with us”! I promise, no gospels and no plot revelations; viewers should be left to discover how the story evolves and concludes on their own! An integral ingredient and major element of the movie experience.

9 (2009 film)
Not to be confused with District 9 (see below)
Animination has always been associated with childhood.  This movie should not be seen by children under the age of ten.  Produced by, among others, Tim Burton; it is a terrifying account of a world no longer recognizable; a world inhabited by evil machines ( a Louise Bourgeois sculpture come to life) and stitchniks, with heads reminiscent of footballs or baseballs. It is the proverbial contest between good and dark forces. The animination is fascinating; the movie is good; but a better bet would be to rent Wall-E; also animated and one of the best movies of 2008.  Two Stars for 9!

District 9
Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings & winner of 3 Academy Awards) creates a gory and glorious futuristic film about the elimination of aliens in South Africa; who  have resided  there for over 20 years. Aliens who are masters of weaponery destined to be experimented upon.   The creation of Wikus van der Merwe, in charge of the roundup and his metamorphosis is the focal point of the movie. Fantastic!
Oh, what I would not give, for one day to wander in the imagination of Peter Jackson!
This movie is not for the squamish! Four Stars!

Amreeka
Wonderful debut film by Cherien Dabis tackleing the universal theme of immigration; fitting into an unknown environment without losing sight of one’s roots.  Here we have a Palestinian mother and son moving to Chicago in the aftermath of the Iraq war; ordinary people in extraordinary times.  Nisreen Faour and
Melkar Muallem give poignant and sensitive performances as the mother and son.  Thought provoking, heart warming, and amazingly entertaining; we know these people; we like these people!  Four Stars!

For Now……….Peneflix