Movie Updates

Two days of Dream Along With Mickey and my feet are starting to burn. I can’t tell if it’s the heat or just the friction between the thin soles of my jazz shoes and the stage. I guess it’s time to build up those dancer calluses!

So, I’ve seen a few movies the past couple of weeks that I haven’t shared. First it was ...

The Orphanage :-) :-) :-) 1/2
I was so excited to see this movie because not only had it gotten great reviews, but I thought it was directed by the brilliant Guillermo del Toro of Pan’s Labyrinth (which BTW, I highly highly recommend!). However, I discovered after the movie finished, The Orphanage is only produced by Guillermo del Toro and not directed. Bummer.

Whatever. It had his style. Unfortunately, the movie fell flat for me. On the positive side, the journey was constantly surprising, the ending had a tragic twist, and several plot points were subject to discussion. However, I think it was a victim of inflated expectations.

Sweeney Todd :-) :-) 1/2
Saw this with my good friend, Brian Sumby, and this is what I’m going to say ... too much CGI. I know it’s Tim Burton’s trademark, but it was too distracting. The opening credits were cartoonish, the gushing blood was laughable, and Helena Bonham Carter just didn’t have enough of a voice for Mrs. Lovett. Her character was spot on, but I couldn’t get past her singing voice. I liked everyone else though including Johnny Depp (although the Antony was an interesting choice). I thought this adaptation was better than Rent or Phantom, but not as good as Dreamgirls. It was just ... okay.

Into the Wild :-) :-) :-) :-) 1/2
Saw this the other night with my sister, Kelly. Excellent movie. Sean Penn, whether you agree with his politics or not, is truly an artist. The cinematography alone is absolutely sumptuous. And the lead actor, Emile Hirsch ... stunning. He single-handedly carries this movie with his mostly silent outdoor activities.

Based on a true story that was made into a book, Into the Wild was developed though journal entries, interviews, supposition, and conjecture to piece together the last year or so of a young man who abandons his family and ultimately travels to Alaska in order to live off the land. (how's THAT for a sentence of explanation?!)

For the majority of the movie, all I could think of was how selfish and possibly mentally disturbed he was. However, the end of the movie made it for me. Excellent and heart wrenching. The final fifteen minutes are so frustrating, I can’t imagine what his family must have thought or felt once all the pieces of the puzzle had been gathered.

Into the Wild also contained my new life theme:

True happiness is shared.

I love that.

True happiness is shared.

Perhaps one man’s death, will awaken another man’s soul ...