Genre: Musical/Drama

Director: Julie Taymor

Screenplay: Dick Clemet and Ian La Frenais

Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, and Joe Anderson

This is the story of Jude, a young Englishman, who is finally able to go to America to search for the father he has never met. The New World, broken by war, opens up opportunities of friendship and love. Using the music of The Beatles to propel the story, Jude finds a inspiration and himself.

This is an artistic film. It has a strong story line as it follows the lead character, Jude, and his friends, but the film reflects a painting with colorful and imaginative scenes that interpret the music it follows. This film would probably be more enjoyable if you are indeed a Beatles and art film fan. It is possible that you could still appreciate the beautiful cinematography and story without knowing of or liking The Beatles music, but it is the main draw to this film. It also follows the main elements of a musical with singing and dancing, which I felt were stunningly choreographed. The actors even provided their own vocals, which I feel is always a plus and adds another layer of respect to the actor. The main feature is still the art of the film, not the story. This is what the film was intended to be seen for, and that may not be of interest for some. As an art and Beatles lover, myself, I really enjoyed this movie.

The actors are not exactly well known just yet, the most famous probably being Evan Rachel Wood. Best known for her role in Thirteen, she seems to be selective about her roles, sticking mostly to independent films. She is a growing talent who has the potential of being a great and respective actress of her generation. Her work in this film does not disappoint either. Most of the characters she has played have always seem to be driven by some kind of edge or hardship. Though her character, Lucy, has some hardship, this does not propel her character. The hardship in this film was simply the way of life for most Americans during this time. In fact, this is probably one of the more normal roles she’s played so far with the added touch of a very sweet and pleasant voice.

Both Jim Sturgess and Joe Anderson, being British, have had sporadic roles here and there. This is probably their most distinguished film. The both carried their large roles well. I had hoped that we may have seen more of both of them as a result from this film, but their roles still seem to be varied as of late.

I give this film 3 Buttery Kernels.

Coming Soon: Adventures In Babysitting

It has been about nine months since we all lost Mary Lou, and yet I guess I haven’t fully dealt with her passing. I have always been the one to take the tough route focusing on my own needs last. During that tough time of her passing, I felt responsible to help keep the office together as well as my friends. Whether my presence was needed for this or not, this is what I’m compelled to do in a time of need. I tend to be a private emotion girl when crying is concerned, so during that entire time up until her funeral, I would lie in bed every night and cry. It can seem a bit pathetic; because why couldn’t I let my friends help me through this as I was helping them? It is a question I ask myself all the time, but something I don’t see changing for awhile. Why this sudden sad trip down memory lane? Well last night as lay in bed, I randomly began to think about that fiery woman and with that came the tears. I am definitely not dealing with it as I should, so today I thought I would put it in writing, deal with it my way.

Thinking back on it now, Mary Lou was probably the closest thing I could associate with a grandmother. My mom’s mother had passed away before I was born, and I was lucky enough to get some time with my dad’s mother and step-mother before they passed. My Grandma Knight is probably the one that I remember most clearly as she was extremely crafty and artistic. Her little apartment always had fabric, lace, and ribbon strewn about. I still covet many of dolls and animals that she made for me, but sadly our time was short.

Most of my memories of my Grandma Myers come from her nursing home. The few Christmases and summer vacations don’t leave to many memories, which are odd, because I have an abnormally good memory. She did venture up to see me one time for a Grandparents Day event for my school, which I believe was when I was in first or second grade. I can’t even remember the when of something that I was really important to me at the time. How sad is that? I was excited to finally have a grandparent present for the event, but I can’t remember any of the activities we did or her sitting with me at my desk. I remember her staying with us and the smell and the feel of her make-up case as I dragged my finger along the lid. That’s all I remember. Grandparents Day was always a day of discontent for me as I grew up and saw other children with their grandparents. I understood then as I do now, but you can’t help what ache you feel in your heart as you sit making macaroni necklaces and have no one to give it to. It was probably a couple of years after that she was place in the nursing home after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. My mother wondered if I ever knew my real grandmother, because of the disease. I guess the sadder news is from the stories I’m told of her. I probably would have really gotten along with her. She had a heck of a humorous side and a voracious need to read, not unlike myself. I was still young when she passed, somewhere around the beginning of Junior High.

When I met Mary Lou, she was part of an overstuffed office that she shared with two other people, one of them being my boss at the time. Because I didn’t directly work with her, I just always thought she was a sweet dear. That was until she was quoted by fellow worker and friend. Let’s just say it was shocking…. funny, but shocking. For someone I didn’t know very well, I gained a large of amount of respect and admiration with one little line. When she was moved up to work with us in our sacred little island, we were in for the time of our life. I got to know the fearless, feisty, and ornery woman that was hidden by this dear sweet face of lady in her early seventies. I don’t think there was a person that came through our office that didn’t know Mary Lou. They would stop and talk with her at every moment.

She didn’t even lose her fire when she was faced with yet another battle with cancer. She would still throw her personality around. Probably one of our favorite memories of her is when she would get annoyed by an arrogant drug rep. I don’t think there’s one of us that worked with her that will forget her slamming her pen down on her desk and then shoving herself back in her chair to angrily look at us with exasperation and disbelief. The woman loved her American Idol and was determined to set me up Danny Gokey by either calling him or writing him a strong letter. This is making me laugh right now as I type this. For her birthday I decided to recycle a high school graduation gift one of my sisters gave me for Mary Lou. We were constantly aware of how much she liked the male form, so I thought I should give her a man for her birthday. It was a cardboard constructed man that I had been given and thought it should be passed on. She thought it was a riot!

The day I found out she was a huge Elvis fan, I couldn’t love her more. I let her borrow a horror comedy called Bubba Ho-Tep that was about Elvis in a nursing home fighting a mummy. Normally, this would not be the typical item to give a lady at her age, but she loved it as I knew she would. The time came when she was planning a trip with her family to Graceland. She was very excited about this, because she had never been. We were all for encouraging her Elvis love and even taped up a life size Elvis for her right before she left. When I found out the story of her personal Elvis collection or rather the destruction of it, I quickly ran out and bought her a hits album, because all she had was a gospel collection. I told her that the gospel collection was beautiful and should go along for the ride, but she couldn’t go to Graceland without Jailhouse Rock.

Somewhere during this time I began to wonder if this was what having a grandmother was like. I’m not going to say that she was the grandmother I never knew and always wanted, but she was the closest thing I had to one during the time I was blessed enough to know her. The day her impending loss to cancer was confirmed will never leave my mind. We were all aware that she was losing more causalities on her side of her battle than the cancer was. I’m not going to go into any more detail than that out of respect, because she was a very proud woman and did not want anyone to know more of her troubles than was necessary. But the day she found out she was going to lose…….. I was holding the fort that day, and she asked me if she could go home early. We were the ones that always talked her into to going home, because she feared she would leave us stranded. When she asked, it was serious, but the look in her eye is something I’ll never forget. I didn’t know at the time, but that was the last time I would see her. About a week afterwards, Mary Lou passed. I still try to beat myself up for chickening out and not visiting her. A part of me knows she’s not upset, because she did not want to be remembered that way. I just haven’t gotten over my personal guilt.

I handled her viewing well. I fought back a few tears throughout it. We shared our memories with other friends and family and watched slideshow of her life. Miss Mary Lou was a little Audrey Hepburn in her day. There were pictures from her trip to Graceland that I had yet to see, but one stuck out. It was her signing the wall of Graceland along with others that made me smile, only to find out that the message she left for the King was “See you soon.” The funeral was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done in a long time. This was also the first funeral I have been to since I was a kid. I’m here to tell you that I miss the naivety of being a child during one. I was somewhat composed until her son started to sing for her, then most of what I tried to keep pent up broke through. The trip to the cemetery was much more of a blur than I realized at the time. We ended out night with a much needed gathering of just us girls, with a bit of alcohol mixed in. It had been a long rough day for everyone, and we just needed some comfort and each other. We weren’t as prepared as we thought for the next day at work, seeing her empty desk and knowing she wasn’t coming back.

Not long before I left Indiana, I decided that I wanted to visit her grave and say goodbye. I bought some roses I thought she might have liked and went to the cemetery. After two frustrating hours of my mother and I scouring the head stones, I was unable to find her. Regardless of what I thought I remembered of the funeral, I guess I was physically there, but my heart decided to carry the burden of both it and my mind. When I got home, I lay the flowers at the base of my crabapple tree and said my goodbyes and apologized that I couldn’t find her, but I would the next time I came back to Indiana.

I apologize for my somber mood throughout this, but I feel better having written it. I’m sure a thought or two about Mary Lou will still hit me just right, and I’ll probably tear up again, but maybe it will be less next time. She was a wonderful woman and now a memory I’ll keep close to my heart. For the girls back home at AHN that still get questions about where she is, just tell them she’s dancing with Elvis.

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Director: Griffin Dunne

Screenplay: Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor, Bonnie Sikowitz

Starring: Uma Thurman, Colin Firth, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Dr. Emma Lloyd is a popular and well-respected love guru with her own radio talk show. For Patrick Sullivan, she is the woman that ruined his life after she gave advice to his fiancé to call off the wedding. Knowing that the good doctor herself will be getting hitched soon, Patrick decides to get a little payback by hacking into state records and making her married to him. The comedy proceeds as Emma tries to sort out the mistake and still keep her wedding together. The marriage mistake seems to take a backseat to her new problem, her growing attraction to Patrick. Who will she choose?

I personally purchased this, because I had yet to see it and enjoy Colin Firth. Now I wish my logic of not buying it at full price won out my carefree whim. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible. This is a standard chick flick. It’s so standard that I’m a little surprised that it was not an original Lifetime movie, yet I still would have seen it, if it was. The story follows the basic which guy does the girl choose plot line, and it remains pretty basic. If your significant other is usually opposed to these films, be kind and do not force him to watch this. There are plenty of other rom coms out there that will make everyone laugh even without admitting it. This is not one. Watch it yourself or with a few friends who enjoy the same type of movie.

I can only sum up this movie as cute and entertaining. If you’re bored, go ahead. If you like the actors, okay, try it. I warn you, though each of these actors has shown great talent in other films, this is not one, and I don’t entirely blame the actors for that. I felt the writing was not compelling enough to offer them a chance to expand the characters any more than they did in the film. I also certainly do not recommend purchasing this film like I did, unless you find it on a bargain rack. Do not dive off the regular price cliff that I found myself doing.

I give this film 2 ½ Buttery Kernels.

Coming Soon: Across the Universe

Genre: Drama/Biography

Director: Floria Sigismondi

Screenplay: Floria Sigismondi (Based on the memoir by Cherie Currie)

Starring: Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning

Adapted from Cherie Currie’s memoir, this is the story of the mid 70’s all girl rock band, The Runaways. Being the first of its kind, the idea of an all female group was offensive and laughed off, if not dismissed by their rock peers. What made the band even more radical was the fact that they were all barely adults.

Guitar player, Joan Jett, approaches record producer, Kim Fowley, with her plan of starting an all girl rock band. He helps her find a few more girls that can play instruments and thus group is created. There just seems to be one more thing missing for Fowley. The girls need something to give them that edge. Enter Cherie Currie. With her vocals and rocker glam look, The Runaways become a force and create enough of a following to get a record deal, jumping into the world of fame.

Life for a teenager in the mid 70’s had its challenges, whether it was with easily obtainable alcohol and drugs or sexual experimentation. For the The Runaways, these temptations were only magnified with their new found celebrity status, forcing crumbling holes within the band and especially in the young Cherie Currie.

This is a bio-pic, so there isn’t a deep and mysterious storyline. Not everyone may have known the story of The Runaways and their trials as a band, but because at least one person does, the substance that will make this kind of film a success falls directly in the hands of the actors. Their challenge to create something that was real into something believable for the audience cannot be done by just any actor. Bad acting in a film like this will kill it instantly. There is no contest with this picture that the actors, Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart, not only held their own, but were Joan Jett and Cherie Currie.

Dakota Fanning was recognized for her acting skills as a young child, a talent that she has been cultivating with every picture. Her portrayal as Cherie Currie is so convincing that at times, I would forget it was her. What was even more shocking for me was when I did realize it was her, and my internal morals would flare up. I would judge her for playing such a shocking part at her age. I quickly remembered that Cherie Currie was the same age, and this was actually her life. I do not believe that there are any reward nominations hinted at or confirmed for her role in this film, but I would not be surprised if she is honored with a few.

I can only hope that after seeing Kristen Stewart play Joan Jett some of her integrity as an actor will return. She has been criticized for her performances in the Twilight series, and I, myself, have been one of them. The difference between most of her critics and I is that I know she is a very capable actress and will most likely become an outstanding actress of our generation. This is bold, but she has the films to prove her presence. They have just been shadowed by the hype of the Twilight series. Is she deserving of any kind of award nomination for this part? Yes, but I feel as only a supporting part. It would not surprise me if she does or does not get nominated, because even though Joan Jett was showcased in this film, Cherie Currie was the main focus.

It really is an wonderful film that I feel will not disappoint. The film stands out as much as the band it portrays. The acting is moving, if not compelling. Being that it is based on a rock band, the soundtrack does not disappoint, either, using influential music from the era, the band, and Joan Jett’s. A nice little twist to the soundtrack and one that adds to their acting chops is that Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart provide their own vocals, making the film feel more authentic. I feel bold enough to say that even if The Runaways music is not your cup of tea, you will still enjoy the journey that created the rock band.

I give this film 4 Buttery Kernels.

Coming Soon: Accidental Husband

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Director: Niels Arden Oplev

Screenplay: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg

Starring: Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace

After being set up, Mikael is facing ruin and a prison sentence for writing a supposed fraudulent story exposing the seedier side of an elite Swedish business man. Before he has to serve his time, he is contacted by a retired business man asking for Mikael’s help in solving the murder of the business man’s long lost niece, Harriet. He meets Lisbeth, the girl who had been hired to investigate his integrity and has continued to keep tabs on him, after she discovers a clue that had yet to be figured out by anyone over the years. Her rough looks and attitude are abrasive at first, but together Mikael and Lisbeth form a bond and work to solve the mystery before it gets them killed.

This film is based on the Stieg Larsson novel of the same title. Due to the novel’s popularity around the world, this Swedish import found its way to America. I will admit that I am pretty biased about this film based on the fact that it is Swedish. Being that I’m half Swedish, this is where I get my blonde attributes. That’s pretty much all I can claim. I am not exactly what they call proficient when it comes to the language. I would like to be, but that’s about as progressive as I’ve become with that dream. As interesting as that has probably been for you all, I should get back to the film.

Since this was a foreign film, I personally prefer to watch them with subtitles as opposed to a dubbed option. I find dubbing a little distracting and sometimes inadequate. With subtitles, you can still judge the actor’s themselves as opposed just their actions and some other actor trying to portray the character vocally. It is rare when you find the harmony between the two with a dubbed film.

The story line was very compelling in this film as it followed both Mikael and Lisbeth. The main mystery was the murder of Harriet, but the main characters had their own personal mysteries. Mikael had just come from a scandal that put his integrity into question. The details of the story are revealed gradually throughout the movie leaving the audience to question his “white hat.” We find out that Lisbeth is on probation and that her stability is problematic at best. Little is revealed about the reason she is in this situation. Knowing that this is the first of a three part series, some of the mystery about Lisbeth is not completely revealed, which cultivates interest for the sequel, The Girl Who Played With Fire. The mixture of the three keeps the audience captivated right until the very thrilling end.

I would normally comment about the actors’ performances, but being that this is a foreign film, I am not familiar with these actors. I can only judge them based on this film. Each actor was believable without flaw with their respective characters. They both came off as seasoned. Even without familiarity, it is easy to tell new actors or bad actors. This was never a problem with this film. Though this is a story driven movie and it is strong, the story could not be executed smoothly without the performance of the actors.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is definitely worth checking out, whether or not you’ve read the novel. The success of both the novel and film versions has inspired an upcoming English remake starring Daniel Craig as Mikael. Saying that this is popular seems to be an understatement, but it is not fueled by hype. The film will entertain you, make you think, and leave you guessing.

I give this film 3 Buttery Kernels.

Coming Soon: The Runaways

Genre: Comedy

Director: Steve Pink

Screenplay: Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, and Mark Perez

Starring: Justin Long, Jonah Hill, Blake Lively, and Lewis Black

Slacker, Bartleby, discovers that he has not been accepted to any of the colleges or universities that he has applied for. Because his parents place such a high credence in a college, he turns to his talents in fraud and scamming for a solution and creates his own college. His scam quickly becomes more than he bargained for as other students get accepted to his fake college and show up for their first semester. Hilarity ensues as he tries to worm his way out of the mess he created.

For a comedy that relies on its quick dialogue and story, it makes for a very entertaining film. It is the perfect film if you want to watch something that will make you laugh and not force you to concentrate too much, just the right way to relax after a long day. The ending is even surprisingly significant and rounds out the story, leaving you somewhat educated about humanity and people.

Justin Long plays the lovable smart-ass, Bartleby. This wasn’t stretch for him. Though, he has been known to play emotional characters, there is yet to be many examples of this. This particular type-casting has been working for him, and I will admit that it is usually why I’m drawn to his films. As much as I do enjoy these films, I do look forward to him venturing into more challenging roles.

This being Jonah Hill’s first major role in a major motion picture, we see him take the traditional role of the funny and fat friend to a different level. Normally, this role is created solely for us to laugh at, while the character sticks to the usual “fart” jokes or hilarious clumsiness. In this film, Jonah Hill’s character uses sarcasm to not only make fun of himself, but also as a defense from the other characters that try to belittle him. He has since made a career of playing this role, and has only recently started to dabble with a more challenging character in film. I honestly do not know what to expect after seeing him in these specific roles for so long, but I feel that it will definitely be interesting.

This is a film from my own personal collection. I do not necessarily advocate buying this movie, because I, myself, own it. If you feel it’s entertaining enough to watch it again, then feel free to. I ended up purchasing it, because it was part of a bargain sale, a reason I have most of my movies. I definitely feel that the film should be given a chance, whether as a rental or finding it on TV.

I give this film 3 Buttery Kernels.

Coming Soon: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Not only am I acclimating to my new heated environment, I’m getting used to Vegas life. I’ve basically lived outside of a small town for most of my life only visiting the “city” outside of it, Kokomo. It would mostly be considered a town compared to where I live now, but it is where most of my knowledge of city life comes from. I visited the capital of Indiana several times over the years, so I knew the basics about city living from that. I just never lived there. The closet thing I’ve come to living in a somewhat large city was in Muncie where I went to college for four years. Those who lived there know while it is somewhat large and populated, it is mostly due to the university population that migrates into the city during the fall and spring semesters. Also visiting the fair city of Las Vegas on several occasions has given me a good idea of what to expect. There is more than the Las Vegas Strip.

Amazingly, my time in Kokomo and Muncie has prepared me inexplicably when it comes to dealing with crazies and rednecks. There are a multitude of people living here in the dessert, but alas, there are plenty of crazies. First example: Driving. My brother and sister-in-law have told me about the driving situation here in Vegas, and I’ve even witnessed it as a passenger during visits. Kokomo’s traffic was left to be desired, mostly due to the fact that my car somehow had an amazing ability to become invisible until the last moment, encouraging most of motorized population to attempt to hit my vehicle. As you can see, I became a little bitter towards the licensed and not so licensed drivers of Kokomo. Muncie was actually worse. For a town that always seemed to have the traffic lights go out at least once a week somewhere along Mcgalliard or Tilottson, two of the busiest streets in Muncie, no one remembers that no light means 4-way. I feared for my life on a daily basis. I actually had a situation where a woman pulled up behind me as she was racing to get her frosty, the only thing that seemed logical at the time for her to be racing for. I was not moving fast enough nor did she seem to really care. This was definitely not one of the situations I was prepared for. If you have ever wondered about my strange driving behavior while in Kokomo, Muncie was probably the reason.

Las Vegas is pretty much the same except there are about 4x as many people and everyone is extremely impatient, emphasis on extremely. They always assume that little tiny area that you are keeping in front of you, so that you don’t suddenly end up in the ass of the car ahead of you, was left just for them. Most of the time, the drivers here just assume you see them and will stop, because who needs to get into an accident. My sister-in-law just told me the other day that I should never be the first one to go at a green light. There is another factor that adds to the mess that is Las Vegas traffic. There is a big dynamic in the traveling population. The visiting California drivers are always in a hurry and are extremely aggressive. This is most likely due to being used to driving in L.A. Another large part of our traffic is from the retirement community. In my experience, older people tend to drive slower than the majority of drivers. You put these two parts together on I-95, and you now have a description of the traffic flow: slow down, speed up. This makes it very dangerous. I recommend avoiding driving through Las Vegas if you’re not actually planning on stopping. There is no sense in putting yourself through that if not.

I was also informed to keep my eye out for cops, the ones that aren’t marked. They take undercover very seriously here. I knew that they had a variety of unmarked vehicles to travel in from expensive sports cars to minivans, but I hadn’t actually seen one yet, until today. I was venturing out on an errand and decided to stop for a shake when I saw that two unmarked cop vehicles had blocked in a car that had been parked. What I assumed to be a kid leaning over the Grand Prix cop car with his cargo shorts, popped collar polo, and backwards baseball cap tipped to the side, I soon realized was actually the cop. They apparently take their jobs seriously here and do intend to blend even, when that means dressing up like a tool. I know that I probably shouldn’t have, but I started cracking up. I was just glad I did this as I was turning away from the officer.

I’m still looking for jobs and waiting on a call back from one of the interviews I had. I am starting to be concerned about money. Not that I’m going to be broke tomorrow, just figuring in my comfy cushion. My sister-in-law suggested that I offer babysitting services, and I’m starting to seriously consider it. I’d just feel better if I got a job.

Until next time….

Genre: Drama/Comedy

Directed: Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz

Screenplay: Peter Hedges, Chris Weitz, and Paul Weitz

Starring: Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, Nicholas Hoult, and Rachel Weisz

Since this film is based on the novel by Nick Hornby, I would like to explain my feelings concerning film adaptations of novels. I personally like to watch the film version first before I read the novel if I can help it. I am not usually disappointed with either version in this order. Some people prefer the opposite way, but when I read the novel first, I end up becoming highly more critical of the film. I try to keep this my policy, but I am human. If I get involved with a series I really like, I tend not to have the patience to wait. Lol!

My first attraction to this film was the fact that it was British made and starred Hugh Grant, and this is also the very reason I purchased it. I tend to gravitate toward the British shows, because I enjoy the dry humor so much. Hugh Grant never disappoints in this area. What I originally thought was going to be funny narrative of Hugh Grant’s character during bachelorhood, turned out having an endearing story filled with just as charming, if not eccentric, characters as well.

The story follows Will and Marcus as they both go through the trials of growing up. Will is a self-proclaimed bachelor living off the royalties of his deceased one-hit wonder father and happy to do so. He spends his days watching game shows, spending money, and plotting his next female conquest. His newest plan finds him impersonating a single parent, believing that he can find plenty of women looking for fun and not attachment. It is through one of these exploits that he finds himself suddenly involved in Marcus’s life and not by choice either.

Marcus’s dramatic and eccentric mother’s usual antics are enough to embarrass him as he tries to survive school and the trials of being a normal teenager, but her latest self-absorbed stunt threatens to rip his world apart completely. Fearing for his mother’s sanity and the remnants of his happiness, Marcus comes up with a plan to find his mother a boyfriend. Since he hasn’t really met an adult male besides his own father and Will, he places his hopes on Will and forces him with a little blackmail to date his mother.

What actually develops between Marcus and Will is a relationship that pushes the other to accept themselves as they are and move on with life. In Will’s case, this means becoming the matured man, willing to let others in, whom he should have become at least ten years earlier. For Marcus, he finally becomes one with his awkwardness and learns how to have fun. At the beginning, Marcus is the mature adult, putting his mother’s happiness before his own, and Will’s the child, not being able to see beyond his own indulgence. This story is their journey of finding their rightful roles in life and creating a bond with the other that was unlikely in the beginning, but turned out to be exactly what each of them needed.

Being that the novel is fantastic, the only way that they could have hoped to recreate the charm into film is with the cast that they chose. This is a story driven film, and in order to achieve this in film the actors chosen become the tools in which to propel it forward. Bad acting can easily put a story driven film through cardiac arrest before it has even seen the silver screen leading it straight to the dreaded video store path.

Hugh Grant was perfect for the role as Will. His acting is usually limited to comedy, but it is an area in which he shines. Normally, his serious moments are always overlapped by immediate comedic relief. But Hugh Grant can do drama and has the resume to prove it, which gave him the perfect chops to present Will’s character perfectly.

Nicholas Hoult handled the mantle of his first major film part quite well, delivering an engaging and believable performance. I have seen him gradually take on more and more film roles since About A Boy, and he has gotten stronger. It is clear from this film that he would have such a career ahead of him.

The last actor to pull you into this film is none other than the famed chameleon actor, Toni Collette, which she proves undoubtedly on her recent television series, The United States of Tara, as a women with a multiple personality disorder. Toni Collette has played many varied characters that spread across a spectrum that at times you do not realize the actor you are watching is her right away. This is just raw talent that few actors have. This film is no different. She once again throws herself into the character of Fiona, Marcus’s mother. Her characters neurotic tendencies allowed Toni Collette to portray a woman that allowed you to sympathize, empathize, laugh with, and laugh at without one awkward turn.

Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot to add about Rachel Weisz. She was not terrible in this film, just that her character did not offer her much to work with beyond delivering the lines. Her character was important, but only as a device for Will’s character.

Over all, this is a wonderful movie that not only will make you laugh, but make you feel good. I would also like to make a tiny notice to the soundtrack that was written and performed by Badly Drawn Boy. It adds its own character, and I highly recommend to those who find this type of music appealing. Just be warned that it is score as well as music.

I give this film 4 Buttery Kernels.

Coming Soon: Accepted

Just to keep this site moving, I am going to start reviewing my film collection. My collection is getting close to 500, and it is still growing. Yes, I do realize that I have a problem. Lol! Also, I should mention that I do have some anal-retentive issues when it comes to my movies. I keep them if alphabetical order. This will be very apparent, as I go through my reviews. Don’t be afraid to laugh about that. It is okay to make fun of me. For the reviews of the films in my personal collection, I thought that I will also add why I own them. This is an important reason to me, because not all movies should be purchased. There are even some movies that will take 2 hours of your life that you will never get back. Keeping with this spirit, I will also let you know where a new film measures up in this way. I'll let you know whether you should stay away, go see immediately, buy, or just rent.

I will be leaving this site open for anyone to leave a comment if they like, regardless if they are affiliated with Blogger. I will rate my films through Buttery Kernels. Yes, it is rather cheesy, but since I wanted to be different from the regular Stars rating system, this is was the only representation I could find that was not currently being used. It will be used like the standard system: 1 to 5 Buttery Kernels, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. I hoping that you will have as much as I and thanks for visiting Blondie’s Flick Find.

Coming Soon: About A Boy