*500 Days of Summer

Hipster boy meets hipster girl. Hipster boy loves hipster girl. Hipster girl DENIES hipster boy. (hipster boy becomes hipster emo boy?) Their relationship is painfully awkward at times and I can't tell if it's Zooey or Summer, her character. Is Zooey a bad actress or is her character supposed to be flat and spacey?

Another question: Why do Tom and Summer always go to the movies? Is it because they want to escape their life together and are yearning for a romance that only happens in the movies like 'Sleepless in Seattle'!?? I have not seen 'The Graduate' so I am missing that reference in the movie.

It took my bf and I a while to figure out in what city this movie was filmed. We thought it was a more urban, older city, like Philadelphia or Chicago, and we were a bit surprised to find out it was LA. This movie doesn't show the typical LA shots - the beaches, plastic girls, the 'Hollywood' sign - and it was completely refreshing to see another side of the city.

My favorite scene was towards the end of the movie and it was the rooftop party scene that compared 'expectation' and 'reality' side by side. You have to see the movie to know what I am talking about.

Wise words from the 12 yr old: Look, I know you think she was the one, but I don't. Now, I think you're just remembering the good stuff. Next time you look back, I, uh, I really think you should look again.

*Dreamgirls

I don't like musical films. I don't understand what significance the songs add to the plot and I don't like that the plot is basically put on hold for 2 minutes while people are singing and dancing. What's wrong with silos? Broadway musicals for the song and dance entertainment and movies for their storyline. Is that too difficult?

Eddie Murphy did a great job playing Jimmy Early. His character is my favorite in this movie because his character was surprisingly dynamic and vulnerable. Fame is not easy nor is it always glamorous and his character experiences the full emotional spectrum. In the last 30 minutes, Jimmy shows his depth and you see that he isn't invincible and my heart broke for his character.

Fav line: Jimmy want a rib! Jimmy want a steak! Jimmy want piece of yo chocolate cake!

*Sleepless in Seattle

Including this movie, Nora Ephron has a great resume (Julie & Julia, When Harry Met Sally, You've Got Mail) for light entertaining, romantic comedies. I love that she has a distinct style that makes it easy to recognize her work. I wonder how much she works with her sister, Delia Ephron (who attended Barnard College!), who is also a writer. Movies must be in their genes - their parents also wrote and directed movies.

This is a movie about the impossible love & the 'love at first sight' type romance that only happens in the movies and true to form, it also happens in this one. The ending is predictable but I think it is entertaining to watch how the story unfolds. I think all the actors in this movie did a fantastic job.

There are some movies I would rewatch because they are plain awesome (The Godfather), and there are some that I would rewatch to catch the cinematography (Citizen Kane). This movie falls into a different category - light easy and a bit mindless.

Cute line: H and G. Hi and Goodbye.