Everyone’s Talkin’ Bout Movies! Why Can’t I? I Can. Let’s Do This.
By Lesley Arfin
Please Give
This was my favorite movie this year. I always have loved Nicole Holofcener movies but I didn’t realize they were Nicole Holofcener until my very smart and pretty roommate schooled me, because she’s a major fan. I watched this movie twice in a row actually. Like all the others, this one stars Catherine Keener, who is every indie boys older lady boner inducer. Oliver Platt, while isn’t an ideal husband always, is very loveable and funny and real. Nicole knows how to make her characters talk that is always so honest, funny, and sad. Her movies are so down played and never really peak in the way that most Hollywood movies do, so it sometimes feels like you’re just watching someone else’s life (but with much funnier dialogue).
Tiny Furniture
I also really enjoyed this movie and it’s pretty cool that the writer/director Lena Dunham is so young. This movie is getting a lot of hype. When I was her age I was not thinking about making movies, I was thinking about how to get free drinks and convince dudes to date me. I had it all wrong. It seems like Lena Dunham actually watched a lot of Nicole Holofcener movies (another observation from my intelligent roomie) and then made a movie. So again, that’s how amazing Nicole Holofcener is. I had some good laughs during this movie and I enjoyed watching Lena as a real girl with a real body look so confident. Refreshing!
Blue Valentine
I saw this other day. I loved Ryan Gosling in it. He was so funny and handsome. I would not break up with him EVER. While I didn’t like this movie as much as I thought I would, I did like it and I do appreciate how realistic it was in the sense that sometimes love isn’t all we need and sometimes it does not in fact make the world go ‘round. Sometimes we can love so great, at first sight, and everything every love song that has ever been written we feel it to the bone. It just doesn’t mean we feel it forever. I can relate to that and I’m glad someone made a movie about it. The weird thing about Blue Valentine is that I laughed more than I cried (I didn’t cry at all).
Somewhere
Pretty and boring. I don’t like precocious children. How did that kid know how to make mac and cheese better than me? Like come on. You’re nine. Use Kraft.
Black Swan
This movie was like a great big doody ball covered in beautiful Rodarte feathers and sequins. I really love Darren Aronofsky movies but this one really fell short. People say it was scary but I felt no fear. I was waiting for the fear to be brought and it never happened. Also, it was so corny. I mean, underneath it all, SHE WAS THE BLACK SWAN. OOOOOH (snooze). The best part was every scene with Mila Kunis.
The Social Network
Also known as, “Facebook: The Movie.” I saw it twice. I love seeing smart kids getting their smart on. And can we talk Winklevii? I mean… WHAT CAN’T THEY DO? I guess invent Facebook. But they can do everything else! The only hole in the plot was how come Zuckerberg couldn’t figure out the algorithm on his own? Not so smart after all!
True Grit
Still haven’t seen it. Worried about boredom factor. I like the Cohen Brothers best when they’re raising Arizona.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uco41pOKeJg
The Fighter
Still haven’t seen, but am looking forward to.
Catfish
The poor man’s The Social Network. The best part was the end. I could have lived without watching 45 minutes of “Rel.” Also, scarier than Black Swan.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1
This was fucking amazing. The costumes alone killed me. Luna Lovegood’s dad’s amazing hippie sweater?!?! (Talk about it amongst yourselves). I saw this movie late at night with 2 of my bff’s. The theatre was empty and the p-corn was buttered. Laughs and chills runneth over. Can’t wait for part 2.
Inception
I loved this dreamscape movie! What’s real? What’s not? Who cares? The only thing I didn’t like was that there was a lot of gun shooting and that gets boring after a while. Everything else about it ruled and Leo Dicaps makes me swoon something awful.
Winter’s Bone
I did really like this movie. It was like the really depressing, unfunny version of “Roseanne.” The best thing about this movie really was the acting. I know dick about acting but at times I almost felt like this was a documentary. Especially those tough girls. Also, I’m obsessed with the actor John Hawkes who plays “Teardrop,” and weirdly reminds me of “Kyle” from the movie Road Trip.
The Kids Are Alright
One favorite topic during family dinners is talking about how much my mom did not like this movie. She loves telling people how much she hated it because everyone loved it and being contrary might make a person seem smarter or whatever. Anyway, I did like this movie, but I didn’t love it. Annette Benning passed as a butchie but Julianne Moore not so much as a Femmie. Really the movie was just pretty unrealistic as the drama was resolved too easily and the processing of what went down was skimmed over and drama and processing feelings are two things that lesbian couples do a lot of.
Greenberg
I loved this movie. Everyone knows a guy like Greenberg. I can only hope to write a character so succinctly myself one day. I saw it on the plane.
MacGruber
Slept on much? This was the only funny movie I saw this year. Why are people not quoting this movie left and right? It’s the new Wayne’s World. I loved it.