The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

            I went to see this with my video editing class, and I had to take notes, which is quite helpful when writing a blog post. I was a Wes Anderson virgin before I saw this movie, but I was aware that his style was fun and quirky and a lot of people like his work. I can see why. I want to live in a Wes Anderson movie. Everything seemed so idyllic, and I suppose I have the splendid art direction to thank for that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie so cleverly edited. There were some awkward parts that I didn’t get, but that only added to its charm.

            Ralph Fiennes was perfection. He actually made me laugh out loud on several occasions, which is extremely hard to do. I felt like he always had so much to say, yet he delivered his lines with great comedic talent, which is different from what I’m used to seeing from him.

            I’ll have to watch a few more Anderson movies to decide if I really like his style. Moonrise Kingdom may be next on my watch list.

IMDb rating: 8/10

Divergent (2014)

            I told myself that I wasn’t going to get myself into this series, but my mom highly recommended that I read the books and then watch the movie with her. I must say both the book and the movie highly entertained me. I think even if I hadn’t read the book I still would have enjoyed the film with its faced-paced action and clever editing.

            There were of course changes from the book, but that is only to be expected. I thought they did a pretty good job keeping in line with the book’s storyline up until the end, and even then, I understood why they made the choices they did to spice up the climax. I can’t say which storyline I liked more, because they were both fine.

            The thing that impressed me the most was how they transitioned between hallucinations and reality. It was really creative how they edited it so you did not notice when Tris slipped under and her simulation began, sort of like you were experiencing it like she was. I especially loved Tris’s mental test were each of her fears segued into each other. That was a cool sequence to watch.

It was a fantastically written novel and fantastically filmed movie, but neither blew me away. To its credit, it takes a lot to impress me these days. Maybe once I have more time to process (I read the book in four days and saw the movie two days after) I will have a better opinion about it.

IMDb rating: 7/10

American Beauty (1999)

I have recently started watching House of Cards on Netflix, and now I am on a Kevin Spacey kick. I never realized how talented an actor he is, which is probably because I haven’t seen many of his movies. American Beauty did not disappoint me as far as Kevin Spacey awesomeness is concerned. He plays a frustrated man going through a midlife crisis perfectly, and Annette Benning as his equally crazy wife is also an entertaining performance.

There were many more levels to this movie than I thought there would be, such as the unique relationship between the daughter Jane and the new neighbor kid, Ricky. Ricky is the kind of character that proves that there is a very fine line between romantic and creepy. I haven’t seen much of Wes Bentley either, but his performance as Ricky was really moving, especially during the plastic bag scene.

The writing is captivating and there was no point in this film that I was bored. There were a few awkward, uncomfortable parts, however, that would prevent me from watching it too many times. Getting into the heads of the weirdest, most desperate minds of humanity isn’t really how I want to spend a lot of my time. I could definitely see myself rewatching it some time the future, however, and its no wonder that this film is a classic.

IMDb Rating 8/10

The Book Thief (2013)

            I finally was able to watch The Book Thief this weekend. I was anxiously waiting for it to be released, and I just never really got around to see it. “Anxiously” waiting is the key phrase. The Book Thief is one of my favorite books, so I was extremely nervous that the movie would disappoint me. I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised.

            I thought the casting was brilliant, even though I thought Liam Neeson would be the perfect Hans. Geoffrey Rush had a spectacular performance, however, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had received an Oscar nod solely for the scene where he breaks down and cries because he put his family in danger.

            One of the issues I had was the voice of the narrator, a.k.a. Death. The voice did not sound like a weary, but still comedic entity but instead the narrator of a children’s movie, which the book thief definitely is not. Overall, however, I thought that it was a beautiful film that captured the themes of the book.

IMDb Rating: 8/10

My Top 20

First of all, I know my blog name sucks, but until I think of a better one, “Kailah’s Movies” will remain. To start off my blog, I would like to list my Top 20 favorite movies, and explain why they are my favorites. I ranked the movies, but they aren’t really in any precise order.

1. Pride and Prejudice (2005)

This is my absolute favorite movie of all time. It’s one of those movies that I can almost recite verbatim, which is quite impressive given the face-paced, complex, 18th century dialogue. I know that most Jane Austen fans will disagree with me and say that the Colin Firth version is better, but this film is just pure beauty to me. Keira Knightley’s flawless performance of Elizabeth Bennet, the gorgeous cinematography, and the crackling script captivated me ever since I first saw it when my dad brought it home for my mom for Mother’s Day. It’s also the movie that turned me into an Austenite, so there’s that.

2. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

It would be impossible to pick a favorite out of the trilogy so I am just including all three of them. These are the most brilliant fantasy movies out there, hands down, and I’m pretty sure the combined 17 Academy Award wins are enough to prove that. It’s not just that they tell a wonderfully epic story, they are also timeless, and I can’t wait to show them to my hypothetical kids someday.

3. Finding Neverland (2004)

I could write sonnets about how much I love this movie. The fact that I am a writer might be the reason why I connect with it so much. It tells the (mostly) true story of how the play/novel Peter Pan was created. The performance by Johnny Depp is splendid as he interacts with Kate Winslet’s character and her sons. The last scene also makes me cry like a baby every single time I watch it.

4. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

My grandma took me to see this after we had visited India, so this movie obviously resonates with me. It’s just such a victorious movie, and one that gives you a wonderful feeling after the credits roll. It also has a killer soundtrack.

5. Fight Club (1999)

This movie blew my mind the first time I saw it, and if you’ve seen it, you know why. In addition to the huge twist, the editing of the film is so creative and edgy. I have yet to see another movie that is like this one.

6. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

I grew up on a steady diet of Disney movies, so it’s only natural there are a couple on this list. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorites, and always will be. Belle will always be my favorite Disney “princess.” Book nerds unite!

7. Les Miserables (2012)

This is another film that I will always sob while watching it. The music and characters are so rich and epic. There were a few changes from the original musical that I didn’t like, but overall it was a spectacular feat.

8. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

I know that this film got a lot of things wrong from the book, but I’ve been watching it since I was very young. I think the relationship between Edmond Dantes and Count Mondego is so interesting.

9. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

If you know me, you know I don’t usually do romantic comedies, but Silver Linings Playbook has a unique element to it that had me hooked. The performances were perfection, and it really showcased different types of human relationships.

10. The Prestige (2006)

This is my favorite Christopher Nolan movie. I love his movies, and how he uses flashbacks to reveal chunks of the story at a time, but never all at once. The story of rivaling magicians shows how far people will go in order to achieve fame and revenge.

11. Mulan (1998)

Mulan is a movie that my brothers and I must have watched at least twice a week when we were kids. It still never gets old to this day. It was refreshing to me to see a female Disney character save the world for once.

12. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Hayao Miyazaki’s mesmerizing storytelling and animation with voice talents from Christian Bale, Billy Crystal, Emily Mortimer, and Josh Hutcherson. Need I say more?

13. Jane Eyre (2011)

It is a rare thing when I read a book for school and actually like it. Jane Eyre was one of them. The dark and eerie mood of the movie was perfect for the book’s tone. Also, Michael Fassbender is fantastic.

14. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Speaking of Mr. Fassbender, I liked his character in this movie too, even though it wasn’t a huge role. The character that I really love is Shosanna. I just think she’s so cool. Overall the movie is very satisfying because it’s the Nazis who are suffering for once.

15. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

The Narnia series were very present in my childhood. The movie had some flaws, but the magic and adventure of the books were captured well on screen. Prince Caspian was good too, but Voyage was a disappointment, and now I’m very nervous that they won’t make the rest of the series because they aren’t successful anymore.

16. Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

This film has all the things that I love: Johnny Depp, dark characters, dark humor, London. If I could ever perform in a musical, I think this would be it. Mrs. Lovett is such a great part.

17. The Duchess (2008)

I’ll never forget the first time I watched this movie with my cousin and we were both in tears by the end. I thought it was going to be a movie about a scandalous affair in the 18th century, but it really has much more depth than that. It deals with so many complex relationships and shows the hardships that women endured during that time.

18. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Tim Burton at his finest. It’s a film that sounds bizarre by it’s description, but it’s actually one of the sweetest movies I’ve ever seen. The love that Edward has for Kim is just so pure.

19. Sherlock Holmes (2008)

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law have one of the best bromances, even though they bicker like a married couple throughout the movie. The style of the film is amazing, and even though I like the show Sherlock better, it’s still a wildly entertaining movie.

20. V for Vendetta (2005)

This is another movie that is timeless because it should always remind us of what our government should never become. Natalie Portman’s acting is wonderful, especially because her character undergoes such a transformation from the beginning to the end of the film, and I’m not just talking about having her head shaved.

There are so many more movies I could write about, but I thought 20 was a long enough list. It shows how much variety there is in the movies I like. For the rest of the blog I will be giving reviews about movies I have seen, whether they are new or old. I have a lot of classics to watch yet, and many more that I am anxiously awaiting to hit theaters.