I spent all day in the house today. I spent all night cleaning up and I didn't get up till about 2pm. I went to the gym, that was nice, there's a cute guy I see there often, we have good convo. I anticipate us getting to know each other outside of the gym, maybe.

I mentioned all that above because I didn't like Benjamin Button film. It was waaayyyy too long. I don't mind long movies as long as its understandable and needed to give the plot structure. But this was obscene. It reminded me a lot of stories I'd write that were based around this one great character or one great idea, but aside from the idea, it's just a story, I mean, even F. Scott Fitzgerald left it as a loose short story.

This was like Forrest Gump and... hmmm.. something else I can't think of. I did love the cinematography and of course, the CGI and makeup was excellent, I'm sure I may be nominated for an Oscar but, the movie was just long-winded and sad. I was already sad and lonely and seeing this film alone magnified that feeling inside me. How sad is it to be moving in an opposite direction of everyone, of the ones you love, of life? Everything moves forward and gets old and dies, in that order and to be out of that must make one hopeless. Which is why this cannot be, thank God.

My favorite montage was when Benjamin and Daisy went to dinner. The shots showed the course of their night, the trip to the restaurant, them being seated, their meals, conversation all while Daisy is speaking over the whole set. It was very nice and I don't think that I've seen a montage shot like that. It summed up their date and showed their affection for one another. Very nice, I'll remember that. I hated the way the movie ended. I hate movies that show the characters in the sense that the main character knew them, it's like some play or something.

Cate Blanchett accent was very present. I know she was supposed to a New Orlean (what are they called?) but I heard that english accent sneaking in , especially when she started to shout.
Brad Pitt is so tasty. I always find his portrayals very aqueous. He sinks into the character and you don't even notice how beautiful he is. His eyes is the main thing that I notice. They show the character not someone playing Benjamin. That's great.

Taraji did good, but how hard is it to play a mammy? I know it's needed but geez... You dont have any white mammies. They even made her butt abnormally large and she dressed in frumpy dresses. They did show her sexual side, but only because she wanted a child, I guess to continue the mammy-dom.

I don't wanna see this movie again. I actually wanted to get up and leave, but I've never walked out on a film before and it really wasn't that bad, just long. I don't recommend it, but I don't not reccommend it either. If you wanna go see it, go see it. If you don't, you're not missing anything.

Labels: Cam Goes to The Movies, thoughts

My dad gave me two movie theater gift cards, luckily Tara Cinemas on Cheshire Bridge is part of the Regal group. I checked out Doubt tonight and I must say I was like... eh. Hmm...

Doubt is set in 1964 and deals with those flashbacks many middle aged men started getting a few years back. There is a young black boy that becomes the first of his kind at a Italian and Irish Catholic school in the Bronx, the pastor there, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) takes a liking to him and cares for him in the awkward atmosphere that follows you when you're breaking barriers.

Sister Aluyisious (How the hell do you spell that? anways, Meryl Streep) takes much concern to this relationship as it seems very out of ordinary. It's never revealed if she actually cares about the child or if she mostly concerned with salacious-ness and excitement of uncovering such scandalous things.

The movie presents a lot of questions and doesn't out right answer any of them. It leaves the truth to be found through mise-en-scene and underlying thoughts. I like that to a certain degree but this movie hung to this too closely for my liking. I wanted and needed them to come out and tell me what was going on, that's why I wanted to see the movie, so, I'm just aggravated and I won't tell the ending or other key situations or circumstances. Go see it for yourself.

The cast was great and I think Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman (gotta love the succint-ness of his three names, they can never be interchanged, Philip S. Hoffman, P. S. Hoffman, you never see that. If I met him I'd probably call him Philip Seymour Hoffman, lol) did an excellent, excellent job. They made Meryl look as a ugly and plain and shrewd as possible and her delivery of the lines was just right. She's one of those nuns that uses religion and chastity as a reason to control and restrain people. I hated her character but I thnk we all know someone like her and that's why it worked so well. She will definitely be nominated for supporting actress, and I hope she wins, but I don't know her competition and I haven't seen Revolutionary Road yet.

P. S. Hoffman did a good job as well. His character was likeable yet distrustful at the same time. He was fun and easy going but you could see some form of sneaky-ness, not a harmful kind, per se, but one that was definitely not Christ-like or papal. Once Sis. Alouyisious (I should really look that up, I didn't even know that was a feminine name)

I'm not leaving out the other actress, I just can't recall her name or character's name, her character of a mousy young bright eyed chaste nun was too quiet, it was a good job, but like they say "Quiet Woman Rarely Make History." Also, Viola Davis played Donald Miller's mother, she only had one scene but it was intense, I couldn't watch the acting too closely, I was too busy watching the snot running out her nose and thinking "Geez! Wipe it off, already!!" or atleast give your upper lip the lick off like I used to do as a kid (don't act like you didn't do it, lol)

The film was based on a Pulitzer winning play and even though it was rewritten for film, I think it stayed true to that "play" feel. There was only about two settings. We didn't follow characters home and most instances of descriptive imagery lie within dialogue.

Cinematography was delicious. Opening shots comprised mostly of repetitive lines, all over, I'm trying to find the symbolism behind it. Maybe order? Uniformity? Maybe that means that this story repeats itself in parishes all over? I thnk that would be right (A+ for Cam, :-) Black, Red, White were constant, I'm guessing for the Church. Sis. Aluyi (Meryl Streep's character, I won't butcher it anymore) office was strangely my favorite color green, the color of an old school chalkboard after you wash it off and the water has yet to dry. The whole school was all white walled except for that room, I wonder why?
Also shot composition was very nice. There were a lot of shots where the camera peeked from around a corner on a conversation or peeked down a staircase, which is very fitting for the subject matter.

It was very entertaining, but, as I said before I didn't like the openness of the subject matter. Molestation is something to leave suggested. Either it happened or it didn't, don't make me guess. Don't leave me with doubt.

Labels: Cam Goes to The Movies

I met Danny Boyle a few years back, when he came to screen "Millions" in Atlanta. I was nervous to meet him. I've met a few directors and it's just so strange how ordinary they are. If you watch their films and then meet them, it's hard to believe that they are the vessels of such great work. He was eerily humble and he was even shocked when this guy asked him to sign his Trainspotting dvd.

Slumdog Millionaire is such an amazing story. I know it's based on a book, but, WoW! what a story. It follows these young street orphan brothers through life and shows all the downsides of being muslim homeless orphans growing up in the slums of Mumbai.
Jamal somehow ends up on "Who wants to be a Millionaire" and has actually made it all the way to the end to the very last question. The fact that he knows all the answers doesn't astonish people, but offends them. They automatically assume that a kid from gully can't possible know anything. so he's interrogated instead of celebrated. The movies follows his life story framed around each question that he correctly answered. The set up itself is just great, who could ever think of that?

It asks the audience, how do you think he knew the answers?

• A. He Cheated.
  
• B. He's Lucky
  
• C. He's a Genious
• D. It is written.

You have to see it to find out.

I always see movies and rant and rave about them and then later i'll read reviews and they usually get ok or bad reviews (i.e. Australia and Miracle at Saint Anna) and then after reading what they say i think to myself, "hey, that's true" but this movie is great and was reviewed great. I can safely say that it is my absolute favorite movie.

Cinematically, this was definitely a Danny Boyle movie. There was the backward shot, the enormous zoom out to aerial shot, the impoverished or challenged characters. These aesthetics create a great film visually. Everything was so poor, yet colors were so rich. Danny Boyle has a working class background and he tends to stay true to that and because of that he's able to capture their life without coming off as preachy or as unrealistic due to not knowing. Acting was great, Jamal's love interest was hispanic, but that's cool, she looked beautifully Indian.

I just loved this movie.... please go see it. I know Atlanta represented for this Indie. There was such a long line at Tara Cinema. It was so nice being in a huge auditorium watching a quality film and not some dribble. The indian kids all came out, there were a lot of old white people there, and me. lol.... M.I.A. provided some songs to soundtrack. I'm just blown away.

Labels: Cam Goes to The Movies, interesting people, my favorite things

Just got back in from a special screening of Chop Shop. There was a Q&A afterwards with the director, Ramih Barahni. The film was a neo-realistic look at the life of a gully kid and his sister, not trying to grow up, not trying to get somewhere, just trying to survive. It was super raw, you could all the poverty and hopelessness and even the happiest or funniest parts had underlying somber tones. I don't know why people who don't have a love for film attend film screenings. If you want to see Snakes on a Plane or Eagle Eye or some huge Hollywood stinker, then Indie film and it's aesthetics are not for you. I don't mean to be an elitist but why waste your time and my ear space with your failure to appreciate or understand.

Labels: Cam Goes to The Movies, improvement, self image, thoughts, work

Saw Cadillac Records tonight. I love the blues, my grandfather played blues guitar, blues is what made me start my record collection. When I heard this movie was gonna be based on Chess Records, I was excited! I'm always skeptical of historic re-enactments cuz writers always hand pick events that they find "filmic." It's been a long time since I've seen a popular movie that was in a huge stadium (maybe it was the last Lord of the Rings) but it was fun, even the idiot behind me made it fun.

Jeffrey Wright did a good job as Muddy Waters, whom is a dear fav of mine. It was nice to see behind the music and see what kind of people they were, but at the end of the day, all I care about is the track I listen to on my record player. Adrien Brody did okay, he had a generic "i'm upset" acting tantrum (i hate those) but it was good. Beyonce, whom everyone was looking out for, did okay. Not to be a hater, but the easiest role for "us" to play is a sassy black woman, cuz that's what we are. She did favor Etta and her renditions of Etta's best songs were just that, renditions. In a biopic, I'd like her to act and sound like Etta, not Beyonce. But the songs were a dream.

I'm glad they make these films, school the children on our history. I searched for these things, but I'm glad they've pushed it into mainstream. People need to know where they come from. Most musicians that make our music that we listen to already know this music. Hopefully someone will go out and you tube their music.

Muddy Waters, "Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had" (ain't it the truth?)

Labels: Cam Goes to The Movies, interesting people, my favorite things

Damn, Hugh Jackman. So, tonight, I got an extra helping of man-meat and went to go see Australia with Blake. I was just telling my mother the other day, I've never seen a movie in a theater that I didn't like, because I know myself as a critic and viewer and I know how to read into previews and tell if it's something that I want to see. Everyone that knows me, knows that I am a Movie (or Film) elitist, I'm not that way on purpose, I'm physically unable to sit through crappy movies. After about 30 minutes, I thought that Australia might be my first mistake.

The opening developing parts were very campy and broad, the cinematography was jumpy and Nicole Kidman's character was too over-the-top girly and the scenery was sooo studio and fake. It just really looked like it was turning into an awful mix of African Queen, some western musical and God knows what else. I looked over at an exasperated Blake and told him: "let's give it an hour, Oprah said it's a good movie," and he said ok. Why does Oprah have that control over people? Anyways...

I'm glad I did. The movie turned out very well, everything got better. The acting, the mise-en-scene, the storyline atmosphere, everything. I cried for the first time in years in a movie. I think this a strong Oscar contender:

Best Director
Best Movie
Best Cinematography
Best Leading Actress
Best Supporting Actor (for Nullah)

Those are my bets for this film's nominations. I would like to look more in Baz Luhrmann's credits, I didn't know of him before this film.

Also, I'm glad that this film showed some form of Aboriginal Reparations. It didn't white-wash the topic of treatment toward mixed breed children nor did it try to cancel it out the history or gloss it over. For that I applaud the Director. We are truly in a new age.

Labels: Cam Goes to The Movies

In new relationships, I'm very wary of my man's platonic girl friends. Partly, because I know that every guy i have as a friend became my friends because we didn't work out romantically, with that said, i just don't like the idea of them being around. Since, they were around before me, I don't try to end the friendship but I do assert myself in making my position clear. This movie showed 2 platonic friends who've never slept with each other and never got the idea, until they were dirt poor, and even then they wanted to make sure they weren't going to ruin their friendship. Now, I've been blessed by never been in that position to be that broke, but i have
slept with a friend before and it not get wierd.

My particular friend was just such a sweet guy, he was always there for me whenever i needed (i returned the same favor) and he is very ambitious. I don't know why i'm speaking of him in past tense, we're still friends, lol. Anyway, the night I spent the night with him was a beautiful loving night, he made love to me like a husband on a honeymoon or anniversary. We held hands and it was very tender, the next morning, i got in my car and I was gone and we were back to our regular friendship, never to overstep that boundary again.

Zack and Miri

Filmically, it was ok. In the eyes of movie watcher, it was great! Hilarious and sweet. It was nice to see Kevin Smith back into his realm as a director, I thought I had lost him with Jersey Girl. If there was ever a story built around a porno, it could never beat this one. It handled the subject matter beautifully (if that's possible, haha). The characters were understandable and wasn't over reaching. I will say the ending was awful and openended. I always stick around to see the credits, but i did notice everyone else sticking around because, like me, they too thought there was going to be more. But, as a writer, I know how it can be difficult to end things, even when it seems to write itself.

The cast was just great and they all had their own niche in the film. Jason Mewes (Jay from Jay and Silent Bob) was back and looking kinda hot as an older man. Craig Robinson is growing on me, I believe I will have a crush soon. Funny guys kill me! Seth Rogan fits in the bucket too. He's so funny and reminds me of guys i went to high school with. I don't check for women too much and i don't know what she's been in before, but Elizabeth Banks is cute without being too beautiful or too plain.

The porn scenes were exactly like my parent's porn that I used to sneak and watch. If you're seasoned porn watcher (i'm not but i've seen my share) then you'll laugh to yourself at the little porn-isms included throughout the pic (even the font it's written in, hilarious!).

If you like these kind of movies, you should check it out. For it's genre, I'd give it a "B"

Labels: Cam Goes to The Movies, interesting people, love, my favorite things