The Invention of Lying

"In a world where no one fibs, fiction doesn't exist and people take each other at their literal word, unsuccessful screenwriter Mark (Ricky Gervais) gains fame and fortune -- and maybe the girl of his dreams (Jennifer Garner) -- by saying things that aren't true. Gervais co-writes and co-directs this original comedy that co-stars Rob Lowe. Look for cameos by Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K. and Philip Seymour Hoffman." courtesy of netflix

I wasn't sure I was going to like this movie because sometimes Ricky Gervais movies are a little too dull for me (that english humour i guess) but this was actually pretty hilarious, and the cast is surprinsigly large, the story itself is hilarious. people dont just tell the truth, they are thinking outloud, and the idea that everyone just says what they feel and no one gets mad about it is really refreshing. because then i started thinking the first lie was probaby told to avoid anger or conflict (which is why most people lie in the first place) its a very fun idea - I'm going to add the trailer of the movie because I think it sums up everything I want to say. its just a good laugh movie. definitley worth watching! :)

Shades of Ray

"While waiting for his girlfriend to respond to his marriage proposal, half-white, half-Pakistani actor Ray (Zachary Levi) attempts to reunite his newly separated parents, falls for a girl who shares his same mixed heritage and begins exploring his own identity. Written and directed by Jaffar Mahmood, this romantic comedy about the intersection of race and relationships also stars Sarah Shahi, Bonnie Somerville and Kathy Baker." courtesy of netflix



I loved this movie! I'm doing a project on Pakistan so I wanted to watch a movie about Pakistan (I was trying to find documentaries and more factual movies but netflix instant watch is limited) and although this doesnt really add much to my project in any way since the movie is set in California and Ray is only half Pakistani and clings to his "white" side. It was still really entertaining. Its a pretty funny movie! The dad is a crack-up and some of the characters who respond to Ray's pakistani culture is pretty funny (there is a scene where a girl hits on Ray and she says something about him being Persian and he's like "oh I'm not persian, im half pakistani" and she walks away. and Ray is an actor and everytime he auditions for a role they want him to do "his accent" and one of the guys even said "yeah like the guy on the simpsons, whats his name, yahoo?" so its really interesting to see and know how people react to his ethnicity (sadly enough because most of its true) but its a really well shot movie, the acting of Ray sometimes seems a little -- like acting. But the guy that plays Ray is SOOO cute, he reminds me of Ryan Reynolds, even his voice. But Kathy Baker and Bonnie Sommerville were great and I think you'll even recognize the father as well.

definitley worth watching!

Gigantic

"Unhappy with his life, mattress salesman Brian Weathersby (Paul Dano) pursues his lifelong obsession with adopting an infant from China. But when attractive customer Harriet (Zooey Deschanel) catches his eye, he starts pursuing her instead. Soon, Harriet's overbearing father (John Goodman) and Brian's parents (Ed Asner and Jane Alexander) become involved in their relationship, pushing Brian to take drastic action in this quirky romantic comedy." courtesy of netflix

I watched this movie solely for the fact that Zooey Deschanel was in it, but this is the kind of movie that gives "indie independent" a bad name. Although the characters are mostly unique fun (what i've come to notice as a trademark of Zooey) parts of it just don't make any sense at all. There are things in this movie that don't get explained, they just happen and your sitting there "wait, what? why?" and his character is almost a little too odd, he seems so unhappy, he doesnt smile or laugh during the entire movie -- which just confuses you on why Zooey would be attracted to him; he's not attractive at all. Its just a werid movie and not in a good way, not in a cool way like I missed the meaning, it just has no purpose. although there is a pretty funny scene when Zooey's dad is talking about how he used to have a brain tumor and he got rid of holistically and ended up "moving" the tumor and eventually threw it up. haha. (the dad is played by John Goodman so obviously he's a good actor.)

No Impact Man

"A Fifth Avenue family goes very green when writer Colin Beavan leads his wife, Michelle Conlin, and their baby daughter on a yearlong crusade to make no net impact on the environment in this engaging documentary. Among their activities: eating only locally grown organic food, generating no trash except for compost and using no carbon-fueled transportation. Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein's film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival." courtesy of netfilx

I knew this was going to be a movie that I wanted to blog about, and I was right. I only finished watching the movie a few seconds ago and already e-mailed a teacher about it as a movie to show in a sustainable design class. This movie is inspiring, scary, motivating and...whatever the right word for feeling guility is, but its rightfully so.

They talk about the guility aspect in the movie because there is a point where people apparently start to hate this family (which they dont understand why, and truly I dont either.) but someone is commenting on a theory about how it makes people feel guilty, and people don't like to feel guilty or feel like they are being told what to do or that they arent living their life properly or wrong (or even that this family is better than them which I think is what a lot of people originally perceieved.)

but I mean, I feel guilty when watching the movie, I'm watching this movie as i'm drinking out of a plastic water bottle, in my electricity lit room while I sit with trash cans full of trash - and I think "it needs to change" but deep down I know its not going to change that much. My theory on people being so angry against the family is because I think the family was going to the drastic measures, going vegeterian, making their own shampoo, living without electricity -- there is even a point in the movie where Colin even says "this is stupid, who does this? who lives without electricity?" but as you keep watching and the more he talks, hes doing it at the drastic level to make a statement, to get attention, to bring attention to the issue. He's not expecting anyone to live without electricity but he does want you to test and see how far you can go on nothing. Do you really need everything in your life? thats what its about.

"Is it possible to have a good life without wasting so much?"

definitley watch this movie!

p.s. obvioulsy you can tell my laptop has been fixed and i've been able to watch movies off netflix yet again - I'm back!

I'm Reed Fish

"A big fish in the little pond of Mud Meadows, Reed Fish (Jay Baruchel) has it all: He hosts a radio show with the mayor (Katey Sagal) and is about to wed the town beauty (Alexis Bledel). But when his high school crush (Schuyler Fisk) resurfaces, he makes choices that throw his life into chaos. DJ Qualls and Chris Parnell are among the colorful characters in this quirky comedy about a small-town love triangle, penned by the real Reed Fish." courtesy of netflix

This movie was kind of weird. and not completely in a good way, in the begining of the movie I thought I really liked it but as the story plays out its just odd you start thinking "what is this movie even about?" its pretty obvious whats going to happen in the movie, I will say it has a pretty decent soundtrack but the acting is pretty horrendous even for the some of the actors who are normal good (like Alexis Bledel) Its not a waste of time to watch it, but if its on your movie queue, take it off or move it to the very bottom. There are way better movies out there.

Ira and Abby

"A wry look at the insanity of married life, this offbeat comedy follows the ups and downs of a whirlwind romance between the brilliant yet neurotic Ira Black (Chris Messina) and the free-spirited but flaky Abby Willoughby (Jennifer Westfeldt). Hastily married after knowing each other for only a few short hours, Ira and Abby battle a series of misadventures that forces them to question just how real their love is." courtesy of netflix

I LOVED this movie. WATCH IT. I'm not even sure where to start. Its great acting, the music is good but overall the story itself, is good. its a feel-good movie but its not all fluff there is a lot of reality to the movie, its real, there are sad parts and happy parts and you don't feel like its a fake hollywood movie, its totally real. The characters are great you definitely fall in love with Abby and just like Abby says in the movie Ira has a great face, he's so damn handsome especially in his glasses - jojo you can add him to my husbands list! This is the kind of movie that makes me want to fall in love, but doesnt make me feel depressed for not having that in my life right now. It's really a lot of fun, definitley worth watching.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

"Based on the book of the same name by Peter Elkin, director Alex Gibney's documentary takes a behind-the-scenes look at the powerful energy company whose downfall forever changed the landscape of the business world. With a blend of fascinating footage, fast-paced interviews and a wealth of information, this film is a serious lesson in the potential trappings of dishonesty and unethical behavior dogging corporate America." courtesy of netflix

we watched this movie in my ethics class but it is totally worth watching, it is the most fascinating documentary I think I've ever watched. (okay wait I dont know, thats a hard statement to say, but its definitley up there.) The story of Enron is so complex, to me, a lot of this information was brand new (I was also younger when all this happened so I wasnt reading about it when it was going on.) but the documentary, seems to stay pretty neutral (of course its going to have a bias and a "side" but its nothing like Michael Moore) but the real footage that they use in this movie, and the real interviews with real people - its kind of hard to say that they are being bias because they are pretty good at just showing you the facts and what was going on. its definitley interesting and definitley worth watching. They cover the whole story and they do it in an interesting way, and you're just amazed that they actually could pull this off. they definitley were the smartest guys in the room, but i'm glad that karma eventually found them.

The Ramen Girl

"When her boyfriend leaves her high and dry in Tokyo, spoiled American tourist Abby (Brittany Murphy) finds solace in a neighborhood ramen noodle house run by a cantankerous old chef (Toshiyuki Nishida), who agrees to take her on as an apprentice cook. But will the dirty grunt work and endless criticism drive Abby away before she discovers the serene beauty in the perfect bowl of soup -- and in herself? Robert Allan Ackerman directs this comedy." courtesy of netflix

While I was watching this movie I kept thinking "what is it that is keeping my attention, why am I still watching this?" and I almost turned it off, but I couldn't. and in retrospect I really liked it. The acting is actually pretty off for Brittany Murphy, she is a better actress than some of this portrays but the idea of the movie is actually very cool. It surprsingly gives a lot of insight to the Japanese culture (although the movie makes it mostly seem all about ramen) its still an interesting concept. It does make me want to try real ramen though, since all i've ever eaten is instant ramen - its obviously completely different.

but I do actually recommend it, there is a lot of subtitles because Brittany Murphy never learns Japanese and her teacher never learns English so there are constantly talking to each other and never understanding each other - which is actually pretty hilarious because the teacher is a complete asshole, the teacher is actually pretty hilarious.

I did get on a Brittany Murphy kick after she passed away, I think we all do that a little, but she really was fun to watch she truly was a really pretty girl and she was soo tiny! i'd kill for her legs. I'm always envious of great legs.

Dear John

"While on leave, U.S. soldier John Tyree (Channing Tatum) falls for Southern college student Savannah (Amanda Seyfried), whose ideals and heartfelt principles are at once attractive and unfamiliar. But their love is put on hold when terrorist attacks prompt John to reenlist. Now, handwritten letters hold the lovers together. Lasse Hallstrom directs this modern romance based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks." courtesy of netflix

I didn't even really want to see this movie but my girlfriends did, so i went. its entertaining its not like I felt like I wanted to walk out of the movie. But I hated it, its sappy, its slow, its not even really all that romantic. I wont spoil anything for you i mean you know the movie is about how they spend 2 weeks together, well the 2 weeks they spent together didnt seem like all that big of a deal, in the notebook the time they spent together really seemed like it meant something, this just seemed a little bland. I really dont like the girl shes not really that pretty at all or endearing. I wouldnt watch it theatres, Maybe still rent it, My friend did read the book though and she said they were like completely different. so do keep that in mind if you read the book.

i apologize for being absent on the movie front. our DVD player broke and my laptop has been iffy lately so i havent been watching movies on netflix (we also dont have ondemand) so eventually i'll be back to the normal routine!

My Sisters Keeper

"A former defense attorney (Cameron Diaz) finds herself back in the courtroom when she and her husband (Jason Patric) are sued for medical emancipation by their 11-year-old daughter, Anna (Abigail Breslin), who is expected to donate a kidney to her dying older sister. The subsequent trial tests ethical boundaries and the limits of parental love. Joan Cusack and Alec Baldwin round out the cast in this powerful drama based on Jodi Picoult's novel." courtesy of netflix

This movie is intense. it was a little too close to home for me, especially after watching it right after i got out of the hospital. but when i was first disagnosed with lupus two years ago they originally thought I had leukemia so I had a bone marrow biopsy and i've had blood transfusions and so forth, and my sister originally said she would donate bone marrow (like the sister does in the movie) and the aunt in the movie reminds me of my aunt jojo so it was hard to watch i was bawling through most of it. its definitley a good movie but watching it, knowing its a book, you know they are leaving stuff out (and talking to people who read the book they said they did leave a lot out and its very different.)

its definitley worth watching once, but you definitley dont need to watch twice, its too intense for that. it is really good acting and its an excellent story and you can easily get encompassed in it. if i could really heavy books (i need light reading otherwise i wont continue reading it lol) i would definitley want to read it.

Mister Eleven

"Saz (Michelle Ryan), a numbers freak, prepares to wed Dan (Sean Maguire), her eleventh sexual partner and ideal statistical match. But when she learns on her wedding day Dan's only Mr. Ten on her list, Saz frantically contemplates her past relationships and now uncertain future. This delightful British rom-com about the intersection of love and logic also stars Adam Garcia, Lynda Bellingham and Olivia Colman." courtesty of netflix

I wasnt sure i wanted to watch this movie because it sounded just like "lucky seven" which was an ABC family with Kimberely Williams-Paisley but its actually VERY differently, oddly. its a fun movie, the characters are all gorgeous in a very modest way, like born to good looks they didnt create their good looks lol but her obession with numbers is actually pretty hilarious but i think i have a soft spot for UK movies, I prefer books written by UK authors as well I don't know what it is... I think its the accent. haha. but i recommend this movie, its alot of fun, its feel good, you'll totally enjoy it. its different. its boring to only watch movies that you see previews on that everyone talks about - which is why i watch so many movies off the 'instant queue' on netflix you get good movies that not everyone knows about.

Singles

"Generation X neighbors share their bittersweet, intertwined stories of the single life in director Cameron Crowe's quirky, witty comedy set against the backdrop of Seattle's grunge music scene. The film boasts a killer soundtrack with cuts from Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and more. The cast includes Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Matt Dillon and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder (in a cameo)." courtesy of netflix

i totally only watched this movie because it was shot in Seattle, and I love it for that reason (its in 1992 so things are obviously different) but its very cool because they clearly actually shot the movie IN seattle, a lot of times for some reason they shoot in Vancouver (canada) and call it Seattle, the only thing is that it doesnt portray seattle all that appropriately, they have them walking through pioneer square and then sitting at Gas Works Parks...which is like a 20minute drive IF you go on the freeway and they make it seem like they walked there lol

the other thing is that the age group seems off, they are all like late 20's but they have this grunge rock seattle scene of someone in college maybe but then they all have professional jobs like urban planning (well despite the matt dillon charcter who is a musician bum lol)

it might only interest people from Seattle (so most of my blog friends out there may not like it - but if you're from seattle - you'll love it!)

Spread

"Nikki (Ashton Kutcher) has made a career out of targeting older women and using them for anything and everything … in exchange for a little sex. But the player gets played when he meets Heather (Margarita Levieva), a pretty waitress who knows every trick. Before Heather came along, Nikki had a foolproof arrangement with Samantha (Anne Heche), a successful attorney who was happy being "friends with benefits." But now he might actually be in love." courtesy of netflix

I had heard about this movie but for some reason I thought it was about swimming (probably from the movie poster) like a Michael Phelps movie or something and I just wasn't interested and netflix accidentially sent it to me and at first I was pissed but once I read the synopsis, i realized it wasnt about swimming and its actually a VERY entertaining movie. i dont know how but Ashtons character is likeable because he is SUCH an asshole, but he is. as the movie goes on hes narrating the do's and dont's of playing the field. and he is right about almost everything. at the beginning as he goes to walk up to a girl he narrates "theres only one line and the rest are bullshit" and then he says "hi"....'hi' is his line...and it totally would work when you have so many other guys trying to use actual lines. but i definitley recommend it. Ashton is a brillant actor in it, he has this kind of smug-hot-shot voice that goes with his whole persona down to the way he walks. and he wears these suspenders with EVERYTHING. these little tiny suspenders that he also wears with a belt which cracks me up lol

it is a whole new meaning to "fake it till you make it"

Camille

"Forced to marry Camille (Sienna Miller), the sheriff's niece, parolee Silas (James Franco) takes his bride on a Niagara Falls honeymoon, where he plans to escape to Canada. Certain the trip will rehabilitate Silas, Camille remains enthusiastic -- even after she dies in a crash. Now, Silas must deal with Camille's denial about her death and her slow decomposition. David Carradine co-stars in this quirky romantic comedy." courtesy of netflix

this is the definition of quirky indie comedy. as weird as it sounds, I LOVED it. I definitley only watched it because James Franco and Sienna Miller were in it and they totally make the movie. Franco is amazing at playing the James Dean brudy sexy guy (which is probably why he played James Dean in the movie 'James Dean') and Sienna Miller is beyond fabulous, i can't imagine why she hasnt become the biggest sensation yet, shes a fabulous actress and she's gorgeous. she plays this really annoying (according to francos character) country bumpkin girl and she talks ALOT, she never shuts up but what cracks me up is her and this polarid camera, its a big bulky old one with stickers on it and she takes pictures of EVERYTHING. shes walking down the isle, taking pictures! and she hands the pictures out as shes walking down the isle, its adorable. the whole plot of the movie is hilarious, they end up meeting this cowboy who now does showbusiness with his horses and he painted them all these bright colors "a horse of a different color" its just fun, you laugh even when you're alone. i recommend it, especially when you want a little laugh. just remember, its definitley different and while watching it you might realize why you probably havent heard of it. but i still say its worth it lol

Wedding Daze

"Having lost the girl of his dreams, Anderson (Jason Biggs) accepts a dare to jump back into the dating scene by proposing marriage to the next girl he sees -- a love-starved waitress named Katie (Isla Fisher), who accepts on a whim. But the road to true love might not be as thorny as the couple once thought. Written and directed by Michael Ian Black, this charming romantic comedy also stars Joe Pantoliano, Mark Consuelos and Michael Weston." courtesy of netflix

this movie is actually ridiculous, all these crazy little scenarios and well it is a movie with Jason Biggs which are usually low standards for me even if i enjoy watching most of his movies. I think if it wasnt for Isla Fisher this wouldnt have been quite as enjoyable, shes so cute and spunky you can't help but like her. but the story line in general is pretty fun. a guy in a coffee shop says "will you marry me" as an opening line to hit on you and she says yes! its a fun concept. you're not missing anything by not watching the movie though.

Three to Tango

"When up-and-coming architect Oscar Novak (Matthew Perry) sets out to befriend wealthy business tycoon Charles Newman (Dylan McDermott) in the hopes of landing a high-profile, lucrative contract, he never expects to fall for Newman's mistress, Amy (Neve Campbell) -- complicating the deal. See, Newman isn't gay, as Novak assumed, so real feelings in this love triangle force Novak to decide between his heart and his career. Oliver Platt co-stars." courtesy of netflix

I've been on a bit of a movie frenzy lately and thanks to netflix's "instant watch" I've been able to do this without leaving my apartment.

I really enjoyed this movie, I mean its a brilliant cast; Matthew Perry is funny and endearing his character is pretty similar to Chandler (from Friends of course) and Neve Campbell is just adorably cute and of course Dylan McDermott is gorgeous and his character is so perfect for his looks. its a fun movie, it has a slight predictability to it (i dont want to give anything away) but its one of those movies where your just waiting for the inevitable to happen. but i recommend it, its a lot of fun.

(500) days of summer

"When his girlfriend, Summer (Zooey Deschanel), unceremoniously dumps him, greeting-card copywriter and hopeless romantic Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) begins sifting through the year-plus worth of days they spent together, looking for clues to what went awry. As he recalls the good and bad times he spent with the commitment-phobic girl, his heart reawakens to what it cherishes most. Marc Webb directs this uncommon love story. " courtesy of netflix



I LOVED this movie. LOVE LOVE LOVEDDD it. I kinda figured I would I love zooey and joseph gordon-levitt is soo cute. you just feel soo much from this movie, its happy, its unpredictable (although theres not much to predit because they are going from present time back to when he first met her and all the way in between...) but its just a good story, its a real story, and you just wish you were Summer so that Tom would be that in love with you. One day I hope to find a Tom although I guess I may never know if I have a Tom unless I dumped him haha

DEFINITLEY watch it. especially if you already love Zooey Deschanel and Zooey movies.

Love and Other Disasters

"Director Alek Keshishian unspools a charming tale that finds a young American (Brittany Murphy) attempting to play matchmaker for friends and co-workers -- with mixed results -- while interning at a major British fashion magazine. Problem is, she's so busy hooking up everyone else that she can't see her ideal match right under her nose. The supporting cast of characters includes Matthew Rhys, Santiago Cabrera and Catherine Tate." courtesy of netflix

I LOVED this movie, I watched it on my laptop on the watch instantly feature from netflix (which used to just be bad and old movies but now it has a really good selection) but Brittany Murphy (RIP) was the most endearing character, she was like a mix of Edie Sedgwick and Audrey Hepburn and theres a good chunk of the movie of them watching 'Breakfast at Tiffanys' and relating it to real life. it's just a really fun, feel-good movie they have fun with it too. theres a scene where Jacks (Murphy) says "Well I don't want to pretend that life is a movie and I'm spilling my guts out to a complete stranger while violin music plays" and the whole time violin music is playing until she says "violin music plays" her character was raised in england and in america (the whole movie is shot in london) so her accent goes in and out and its kind of cute. Brittany Murphy did a great job in the movie though, she looked beautiful in it I think it had to have been way before she started any kind of drugs

Last Chance Harvey

"Dustin Hoffman stars in this romantic drama as struggling jingle writer Harvey Shine, an aging father who risks losing his job to attend his daughter's London wedding, only to discover that he's not exactly welcome. While seeking refuge in the airport bar, Harvey meets a lonely statistician named Kate (Emma Thompson) and finds himself thrust into an unexpected romance. Both Hoffman and Thompson earned Golden Globe nods for their roles." courtesy of netflix

this movie was a little disappointing in someway, I think I expected more from it. It's a little predictable and even if something you didnt think was going to happen you find yourself saying "of course" it was VERY "movie" it wasnt a real practical story at all and Dustin Hoffman's character is SO sad, its a sad movie because he is such an unfortunate human being. theres a weird ability to relate to him even though most of the stuff you've never gone through. its good acting though, thats for sure.

I wouldn't say "don't see it" but I wouldnt be dying to see it more than once and I wouldn't tell anyone "you have to see it." its not a waste of time...

It's Complicated

"After 10 years divorced, Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Alec Baldwin) enjoy an amicable friendship. When the two unite for their son's college graduation, however, romance rekindles. But Jake is married, and Jane's architect, Adam (Steve Martin), has a thing for his client. Now cheating on the younger woman for whom he left Jane, Jake wants his ex-wife back. And Jane's having as much fun being the other woman as she is getting to know Adam." courtesy of netflix

I LOVED this movie. Every actor in it was so on point. John Krasinski from the office (aka Jim Halpert, also in 'License to Wed' and 'leatherheads') was GREAT in the movie. I don't want to spoil anything but it was really good, it was one of the movies that the crowd in the audience (at the theatre obviously) is laughing SO loud you can't even hear the next line. It was really brillant, funny, relateable in SO many ways. I think especially if you've been divorced (you could hear certain people in the audience laughing at the "divorce discussions" more than others.