Guess Who - 2005

Category: Movie

Genre: Comedy / Romance

Director: Kevin Rodney Sullivan

Writer: William Rose, David Ronn

Producer: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Regency Enterprises, 3 Art Entertainment

Cast:  Ashton Kutcher, Bernie Mac, Zoe Saldana, Judith Scott, Hal Williams, Kellee Stewart and more

Tagline: His daughter's Mr. Right just turned out to be... Mr. White.

Theresa(Zoe Saldana) brings home her boyfriend Simon (Ashton Kutcher), to meet her parents who will be renewing their vows for their anniversary. And both Theresa and Simon planned to announce their engagement over the weekend. There's one thing, the Jones' family is black and Theresa neglects to tell them Simon is White. Percy, Theresa's father has a general mistrust of any boyfriend for Theresa and let alone... Simon being white.


It is a very funny, light and family oriented film.  My Beloved Boo made me watch this and I always admire how he chooses his films. It's always light and fun. And very family oriented. You are the best sweetheart! It's a simple film about "meeting the parents" of your wife-to-be and how to get along with the "parents".

Best take from the movie, was this line.....

"Pride aint nothing when it comes to the matters of the heart".

People Like Us - 2012

Category: Movie

Genre: Drama / Family

Director: Alex Kurtzman

Writer: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci

Producer: Dreamworks SKG, Kurtzman Orci Paper Products, Reliance Entertainment

Cast: Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Hall D'Addario, Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass, Sara Mornell, Philip Baker Hall and more

Tagline: Find your family.

Sam, a smooth talking salesman thought his father who died left him any money so he can get out of the jam he got himself into but discovered something else. He then later found out that he has sister named Frankie.

I wasn't really expecting what I would see and I never knew the plot and most of us were like guessing what would be next or why this and why that. We had a ball watching it though. It has a good enough character development which actually added mystery to the whole film.

This film has a mature take on supposedly "dysfunctional" families. Or skeletons in a family's closet. Where you can really work things out. That sometimes you really have to go out of the way to understand your family. It is artistic, and all actors really did well in pulling this film off.

Another unique storyline, written wonderfully.... about family, brotherhood and sisterhood. Seems like films nowadays has just gotten better or my sister is just good at spotting or hearing about good films. :) Good musical score as well.

It has a heartwarming ending...one that can make you go "awwwww".


Quotes from Film:

Six Rules: 1. If you like something because you think other people are gonna like it, it's a sure bet no one will. 2. Most doors in the world are closed, so if you find one you want to get into: you damn well better have an interesting knock. 3. Everything you think is important, isn't. And everything you think is unimportant, is. 4. Don't shit where you eat. 5. Lean into it: the outcome doesn't matter. What matters is that you're there for it. 6. Never sleep with someone who has more problems than you do. 

Photo Source: Glow Gaze

So Undercover - 2012

Category: Movie

Genre: Chick Flick / Action / Comedy

Director: Tom Vaughan

Writer: Allan Loeb, Steven Pearl

Producer:  

Cast: Miley Cyrus, Jeremy Piven, Mike O'Mailey, Joshua Bowman, Lauren McKnight, Kelly Osbourne, Eloise Mumford, Megan Park, Morgan Calhoun, Alexis Knapp, Matthew Settle, Autumn Reeser and more

Tagline:  COLLEGE... It's the most dangerous assignment of all

Molly(Miley Cyrus), was hired by an FBI agent to go undercover in a college sorority. She was qualified since she's a tough, street-smart gal whose dad was ex-cop turned into a private investigator. 

Uhmmm too chick flicky-ish. Haha. Predictable. Not exactly that good. Maybe when I was back in my teenage years I would have enjoyed it because anything "spy" would knock me over with delight! And it has similar scenes with Miss Congeniality.

All in all? I wouldn't watch it for the second time. 

Photo Source: Filmofilia

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - 2010

Category: Movie

Genre: Horror / Thriller

Director: Troy Nixey

Writer: Guillermo del Torro, Matthew Robbins

Producer:

Cast: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, Jack Thompson, Garry Mcdonald, Alan Dale, Julie Blake and more

Tagline: Come and Play

A young girl named Sally is sent to live with her father and his girlfriend at their new home. However, the new home hides many secrets specially the basement. It has been said that the previous owner of the home was a famous painter who mysteriously disappeared.


Though some parts were predictable it managed to still surprise me in the end. It's scary but not that much, which makes it an a-okay film for me. I saw that this is a remake of an age-old classic film, which was even dubbed as one of the scariest film ever. Well, I haven't seen that one and can't say which is scarier or not.

But, this one can sure as hell scare a kid... and well, me... in most parts... :)

Photo Source: Teaser-Trailer

Chalet Girl - 2011

Category: Movie

Genre: Chick Flick

Director: Phil Traill

Writer: Tom Williams

Producer: UK Film Council, Aegis Film Fund, Prescience

Cast: Felicity Jones, Ed Westwick, Bill Nighy, Brooke Shields, Tamsin Egerton, Bill Bailey,  Sophia Bush,

Kim Matthews (Felicity Jones) who is 19, used to be a champion skateboarder. She was traumatized by her mom's death causing her to stop her love for skateboarding. Now, she is stuck in a small time job trying to support her Dad. But, then opportunity came knocking on her door and swept her off to an exclusive chalet in the Alps. And there she would meet her handsome, rich, engaged boss, named Jonny (Ed Westwick).

It looks like a drab movie at the opening credits.... and I was thinking whether to push thru with the movie or not. However it has a tinge touch of humor thrown here and there specially by the lead female which actually made me stick. By the middle, I was getting in touch with the story.

I like Tamsin Egerton here she looks like one of my friends Czar. The way she moves and speaks.. haha. :) cute. Entertaining albeit predictable.

Summer's Child - Luanne Rice

Category: Book

Genre: Romance

Author: Luanne Rice



It has been nine years since "sunny" Mara Jameson disappeared from her seaside Connecticut hometown. Every year their town newspaper would headline the day she disappeared. Eventhough the husband was questioned, foul play was never charged and her disappearance remained a mystery. For nine years, two individuals are still affected by Mara's disappearance - her grandmother named Maeve, and Patrick Murphy, a retired police detective whose obsessive search for Mara's case destroyed his marriage


It's a book about reunion, unconditional love and of miracles, which is often the case for Luanne Rice's books. It's a murder mystery with family values, about mothers and daughters supporting each other... and protecting each other... of course with a dash of romance and commitment to love.

The Last Song - 2010

Category: Movie

Genre: Drama

Director: Julie Ann Robinson

Writer: Nicholas Sparks, Jeff Van Wie


Producer: Touchstone Pictures, Offspring Entertainment,

Cast: Miley Cyrus, Liam Hensworth, Greg Kinnear, Bobby Coleman, Hallock Beals, Kelly Preston, Nick Lashaway, Carly Chaikin, Kate Vernon and more

Tagline: Do you ever really forget your first heartbreak?



The parents of Ronnie (Miley Cyrus) and her younger brother, Jonah were divorced. Ronnie and Jonah(Bobby Coleman) lives with their mom ever since but until this summer they were sent to live with their father (Greg Kinnear) in a small town on the beach. Ronnie has become rebellious since then. But, things begin to change on that fateful summer as their mutual love for music reconnects Ronnie and her father.

Another Nicholas Sparks novel turned into movie, huh? :) At first I was thinking it was Disney but when i saw the credits it was a Nicholas Sparks movie. That's why it's quite loaded with drama involving heartaches and reconnection...

I actually did not get to read the book .... but I'm sure its not somewhere close to the book.. as always the case. One thing, I like about the film was the acting of Bobby Coleman playing Jonah and Greg Kinnear. There were predictable moments.... I did cry in some of the moments. :) But, according to most reviews the book is way better... but like a new saying goes: "Don't judge a book by it's movie."

But, it could have been given more depth... 


FUNNY LINES

Jonah Miller: Mom says its because she has PMS.
Steve Miller: Do you even know what PMS is, Jonah ?
Jonah Miller: Of course I do dad, I'm not a little kid anymore. It's the Pissed At Men Syndrome.

Tangled - 2010

Category: Animation

Genre: Comedy / Family

Director: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard

Writer: Jacob Grimm, Wilhem Grimm

Producer: Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

Cast: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Periman, M.C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett, Paul Tompkins, Richard Kiel and more

Tagline: They're taking adventure to new lengths.

The beautiful magically 70 feet long haired "Princess" Rapunzel spent her whole life in a tower and she is very curious of the outside world. specially aout the floating lights which happens once a year during her birthday. She feels the connection and dreams to see it up close and personal one day. She was taken captive by Gothel whom she thinks of as her mother and she loves her dearly and innocently and she believes that Gothel is only after her best interest. One day she decided to go out and explore while Gothel was away and stumbled upon a runaway thief and off to set in a world filled with places waiting to be discovered...

A remake of the famous Rapunzel.  I like the lanterns, floating lights. It's a fantabulous thing. I enjoyed the whole film. Specially the musical scores. There are lots of fun, silly moments with Rapunzel as she discovers things that are new for her. Its a wonderful film for the family and a great mix for both boys and girls to enjoy. :)

 FUnny Quotes:

Rapunzel: So mother, earlier I was saying tomorrow is a really big day, and you didn't really respond, so I'm just gonna tell you: IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! Tada!
Mother Gothel: No no no, can't be. I distinctly remember, your birthday was last year.
Rapunzel: That's the funny thing about birthdays, they're kind of an annual thing.

Rapunzel: [Sung] I could go running/ and racing/ and dancing/ and chasing/ and leaping/ and bounding/ hair flying/ heart pounding/ and splashing/ and reeling/ and finally feeling/ now's when my life begins!


Quotes I Like:

Rapunzel: I've been looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?
Flynn Rider: It will be.
Rapunzel: And what if it is? What do I do then?
Flynn Rider: Well,that's the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream.

 Rapunzel: [singing] Flower gleam and glow. Let your powers shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt. Change the fates' design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine, What once was mine...

 

Taken - 2008

Category: Movie

Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller

Director: Pierce Morrel

Writer: Luke Breson, Robert Mark Kamen

Producer: Europa Corp., M6 Films, Grive Productions.

Tagline: Time is running out.

Cast: Liam Nesson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, John Gries, David Warshofsky, Holly Valance, Katie Cassidy, Xander Berkeley and more.

Kim managed to convince her father, Bryan Mills (Liam Nesson) to travel to Paris with her friend Amanda. What seemed to be an innocent Parisian travel turned out to be a traumatic disaster! As Bryan Mills, relies with his age old spy skills to save his daughter, who has been forced into the slave trade with an Albanian gang.

It's a great fast paced action-packed movie. Not a huge conspiracy thing but something involving something personal. International human trafficking is largely the issue in the movie. Great direction and great acting by Neeson! :)

Worth watching. :)