King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: The Help

genre: drama

release date: August 2011

starring: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, Sissy Spacek

rated: 4 out of 5 stars








Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett
The Help is about African American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s.

Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (Emma Stone) is a young recent college graduate who dreams of being a novelist/journalist. When Skeeter returns to Jackson after finishing school, she realizes that the family maid who helped to raise her, Constantine, is gone.

Her mother insists Constantine left on her own, but Skeeter, who loved her like she was family, knows better.

Skeeter sets out to write a book consisting of letters from the point of views of the maids. She sets out to interview 'the help'. The film is set during the civil rights era, and what Skeeter and the maids are about to do is not only illegal, but dangerous as well. This is a time when racism ran rampant and segregation was legal.






I found The Help to be an eye-opening, emotional film that had me tearing during some parts and laughing out loud during others. I think this film was perfectly cast and that the actors gave great performances.





I've had the book sitting in my TBR for way too long. I always like to read the book before watching the movie, but when a girlfriend of mine asked me to go see the film, I couldn't say no.




Among the maids, I found Aibileen Clark's (Viola Davis) storyline to be among the most emotional and heart wrenching. She had me teary eyed as she spoke about her son.
Aibileen brings to light what it is like to raise white women's children and make them feel important, while her own children are being raised by someone else.

"You is kind, you is smart, you is important."

I thought Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) was a great character. She was strong and funny and pulls one hell of a stunt which she calls the Terrible Awful Secret, that I found to be the ultimate revenge. Way to go Minny.



When Skeeter finally finds out what happened to Constantine, I officially crossed the misty eyed line and went straight into all out waterfall tears.







The storyline mainly centers around Skeeter, Minny and Aibileen, but it also branches out to the other women in town and their maids. Hilly Holbrook's (Bryce Dallas Howard) way of thinking and behavior was really hard to believe. It's sad to think that people can be that ignorant.






I found some of the story to be unbelievable. I never really thought about how maids were treated back then, like they weren't even human beings.
Twice in the film there were references to Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, and how no one ever really thought about whether Mammie really enjoyed her life as a house slave.




The Help is a story about change, courage, hope and friendships and I recommend it to anyone looking to get lost in an emotional story about a period in history that is sometimes too easily forgotten or has been brushed under the carpet.


That being said, I've pushed the book The Help up on my TBR pile. I will get to it very soon.

title: Inception

starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy

genre: science fiction/action/mystery

release date: July 16, 2010


rated: 5 out of 5

In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception.


-quoted from imbd

Inception is one of those films that leaves you wondering and tad bit paranoid once it's finished.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays a man named Dom Cobb who is a thief that can extract secrets from the subconscious during dreams. By a sad twist of fate, Cobb is now a fugitive on the run and wants to find a way to get his record clean so he can get his two young children back. When he is offered one final job and a chance at redemption, Cobb takes it. He assembles a team of others to join him in planning an idea, instead of extracting one, within a chosen targets mind.





As good as he is with dream extraction, Cobb has a deep, dark secret about his deceased wife that interferes when he is inside others dreams. This interference is dangerous to all who are participating in the dream invasion process.






I just want to say, I loved this movie. Finally a movie that I enjoyed from start to finish and didn't get the feeling that it was too long, even though it was over two hours long. The storyline is unique, the special effects were great and the cast was awesome.

Leonardo DiCaprio is like a fine wine, he gets better with age. What an amazing talent, I always enjoy seeing him play such intense roles.

Cobb: You create the world of the dream, you bring the subject into that dream, and they fill it with their subconscious.

Ariadne: How could I ever acquire enough detail to make them think that its reality?

Cobb: Well dreams, they feel real while we're in them, right? It's only when we wake up that we realize how things are actually strange. Let me ask you a question, you, you never really remember the beginning of a dream do you? You always wind up right in the middle of what's going on.

Another thing I'd like to mention I gave a little squeal when I saw British actor/bad boy Tom Hardy in this film. I developed a Hollywood crush on Hardy when I saw him play the role of Heathcliff in the BBC's version of Wuthering Heights.






So, if you're in the mood for something with suspense, mystery and science fiction, you might enjoy Inception.

This is my final Christmas Movies post. Thank you all for taking the time to comment on my posts. I've had fun chatting about holiday movies.




Watching Christmas movies during the holidays isn't complete without a few classic films. Here are a few of my favorite ones.







title: Miracle on 34th Street

plot: When a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing.



Miracle on 34th Street is my favorite classic Christmas film. I watched it for the first time when I was around 10 years old and I never forgot it.

The mom in the story (Maureen O'Hara) has raised her daughter Susan (adorable Natalie Wood) not to believe in any kind of fantasies, like Santa Claus. So when they meet a man whose name is Kris Kringle and claims to be Santa, of course they don't believe in him.

If you're really Santa Claus, you can get it for me. And if you can't, you're only a nice man with a white beard like mother says.

title: White Christmas

plot: A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general.



If you add song and dance to a Christmas movie and throw in some funny lines, it's okay in my book. I like White Christmas and Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye crack me up with their antics. The good thing about these old fashioned films is that the romance is done just right, it's never overly done.














title: It's a Wonderful Life

plot: An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.



I had never seen It's a Wonderful Life until a few years ago after hubby kept insisting I watch it. It's a favorite of his. After watching it, it became a favorite of mine as well.
James Stewart plays a man named George Bailey who is visited by his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody on Christmas Eve. George tells Clarence that he wishes he'd never been born so the angel shows George what life would be like if he hadn't been.


What's not to love about this film? This is a good old fashioned, heartwarming Christmas classic.

Clarence: Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?

That concludes Christmas Movie Week here at my blog. I'm off to watch another Christmas movie and munch on some popcorn.....enjoy your weekend!! I'll be back next week with book reviews :)

Am I boring you yet chatting non-stop about Christmas movies this week? I'm still not done...lol. Thank you all for your comments :)



For today's Christmas Movie post, I'd like to blog about my favorite Animated Christmas Movies.







title: A Charlie Brown Christmas

plot: Charlie Brown tries to find the true meaning of Christmas.



I don't know what it is about this movie. It's probably because I watched it as a child that now it's almost comforting to watch. Know what I mean? And sometimes I can relate to Charlie Brown's attitude about Christmas in the beginning of the story.
You can watch this one online free here.

I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.

title: Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

plot: Sam the Snowman narrates the story of Rudolph, a reindeer who is born with a glowing red nose.




Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer is so cute. I always liked Hermey the elf and the misfit toys and the way Rudolph's nose shines brightly without his being able to control it. The animation is too adorable.

A toy is never truly happy until it is loved by a child.

title: The Nightmare Before Christmas

plot: Jack Skellington is the pumpkin king of Halloween Town and he is bored with Halloween so he tries to bring Christmas to his world.



I love The Nightmare Before Christmas. The animation is great, the storyline is fun and unique, it's a classic. The songs are really nice too. This movie is both fun and slightly creepy. I'd rather live in Halloween Town than in Christmas Town.

I also like how Jack tries to take over Christmas and give 'Sandy Claus' a break, yet as good as his intentions are, he never gets it right.














title: The Polar Express

plot: A young boy boards a magical train on Christmas Eve on the way to the North Pole.




The graphics in The Polar Express both creeped me out and fascinated me. I did however enjoy this film its sweet storyline. I like Tom Hanks as well.

Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see.

title: How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

plot: The bitter grinch tries to steal Christmas from Whoville.



Based on Dr. Suess' story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas has always been a favorite. It's a classic. I think everyone has seen this one.

Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville - did not. The Grinch hated Christmas - the whole Christmas season. Now, please don't ask why; no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or it could be that his head wasn't screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

That wraps up todays post. Tomorrow for my final Christmas Movies post, I'll be blogging about my favorite Christmas Classics.

I'm a sucker for love stories and if Christmas is in the plot, even better.
These are some of my favorite Romantic movies that have Christmas within the story.






title: Love Actually

plot: Set in London, eight different couples deal with their love lives right before Christmas.



First off some of my favorite actors are in this movie. Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley and Hugh Grant. Love is the theme throughout the movie. Unrequited love, heartache, blossoming relationships...etc.
And as an added bonus, Hugh Grant dances in one scene. What more could you want?



This is my favorite scene. I won't spoil it by saying what is happening here, but if you haven't seen this movie I recommend it. This is definitely an 'awwwwwww' moment.











title:The Holiday


plot: Two women with relationship problems swap homes during the holidays.



Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet's characters are both unlucky in love so they decide to swap homes in each others countries via a house exchange website. While they are abroad, each lady meets a local guy and falls in love.

The Holiday is a really cute and funny movie with some sweet romantic scenes. As soon as I watched it on tv, it became an instant favorite. I added it to my DVD collection.

I have found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said, "Journeys end in lovers meeting." What an extraordinary thought.

title: Serendipity

plot: A couple reunite ten years after meeting in New York and never forgetting each other.




Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) meet while glove shopping in New York. They decide to split up and see if fate would bring them back together. Ten years later, it does.

Serendipity is one of my all time favorite movies. I CRIED BUCKETS during the last scene. Plus I'm a big fan of John Cusack. It's just such a cute movie. I love the idea of fate bringing two people together like that.

Sara: I first came in because of the name: Serendipity. It's one of my favorite words.

Jonathan: It is? Why?

Sara: It's such a nice sounding word for what it means: a fortunate accident.

title: The Preacher's Wife

plot: An angel named Dudley comes to the aid of Reverend Henry Biggs whose marriage is ailing and whose church is under threat.



Denzel Washington plays the angel Dudley perfectly. This is also before Whitney Houston became a hot mess.

This is a nice old fashioned Christmas movie. I like that no one really knows Dudley is an angel and I also enjoyed the crush he develops on Whitney Houston's character. I almost wanted him to whisk her away.











That wraps it up for today. Tomorrow I'll be posting a few of my favorite Animated Christmas Movies. If you're also posting about holiday movies, feel free to leave a link here.

Happy Monday everyone. As I mentioned before, this week is Christmas Movie Week at my blog. I'll be posting about some of my favorite Christmas films throughout the week. I invite you all to do the same :)


I'm a sucker for holiday movies this time of year and can't help but watch them when they are playing. I'd like to kick off Christmas Movie Week with some of my favorite funny Christmas films.







title: Jingle All The Way

plot:
Busy father Howard Langston, (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger), promises his son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas. However, Turbo Man is pretty much sold out and Howard winds up on a crazy run around all over town trying to find the action figure all the while getting into some crazy situations.


I think Jingle All The Way is one of those Christmas movies that isn't that well known, but is fantastic.
It's lol funny, sweet and really well cast. Phil Hartman plays the annoying neighbor perfectly. Arnold Schwarzenegger fits the role of the dad nicely too.









title: A Christmas Story

plot: Set during the 1940's, little Ralphie wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. All the adults keep telling him that 'he'll shoot his eye out'.


A Christmas Story is one of those movies I never get tired of. We watch it every Christmas, it's a tradition here. It's hysterical throughout and there's plenty of unforgettable scenes.

Mr. Parker: He looks like a deranged Easter Bunny.

Mother: He does not!

Mr. Parker: He does too, he looks like a pink nightmare!

title: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

plot: Remake of Dr. Suess' classic story.


I LOVE this movie. First off Jim Carrey is fantastic as the grinch. Secondly, how cute is Whoville? So cute!!

The Grinch: That's what it's all about, isn't it? That's what it's always been *about*. Gifts, gifts... gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts. You wanna know what happens to your gifts? They all come to me. In your garbage. You see what I'm saying? In your *garbage*. I could hang myself with all the bad Christmas neckties I found at the dump.

title: Elf

plot: A man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to NYC in search of his true identity.



I was psyched to see Will Ferrell making a Christmas film. And I was even more psyched when I watched it and liked it so much. Will Ferrell is perfect playing Buddy the elf. There's alot of great lines in this one also. My favorite scene is when he gets into the fight with the department store santa.

Buddy: I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel.

title: Scrooged

plot: A selfish TV exec, Frank Cross (Bill Murray), has no Christmas spirit and is a real scrooge with his employees and family. The ghosts of of Christmas past, present and future pay him a special visit and change his mindset.



Scrooged was a favorite movie when I was little. Bill Murray makes this film, he's great in it.

(Frank is confronted by the ghost of his old boss)
Frank Cross: No, you are a hallucination brought on by alcohol... Russian vodka poisoned by Chernobyl!

title: Four Christmases

plot:
Happy couple Brad and Kate have been avoiding Christmas with their families for years, and it works well for them. However when they are stuck going to visit their parents during the holidays and get some trips down memory lane, they realize maybe they aren't as happy as they thought avoiding family all those years.




I like both Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon and enjoyed seeing them pair up for this one. It's a really cute Christmas movie with alot of lol scenes.

Howard: Boys, I don't want to speak ill of your mother on Christmas, but she's nothing but a common street whore.

title: Home Alone

plot: An 8 year old is accidentally left home alone while his family flies to France for Christmas.



My list wouldn't be complete without Home Alone. This is one of those Christmas movies that's a classic. I watched it when I was little and my kids have seen it and enjoyed it as well.




Macaulay Culkin is super cute and funny in it. The plot is ludicrous, but it still makes for a great film.






That concludes Day 1 of Christmas Movie Week. If you're posting about your favorite Christmas movies as well, stop by and leave the link here. Stay tuned, wednesday I'll be posting about my favorite Romantic Christmas Films.