Gamer

I must admit, I was very disappointed in Gamer. I was intrigued by the concept- gamers controlling actual real life people in battles. Gerard Butler is awesome, and the action scenes were pretty much what I expected. I even enjoyed the basic storyline of Kabel being driven to succeed in order to return to his family. The movie definitely made some very good points about our society. It pointed out how sick we really are- and showed how easily we could resort to something like the Romans and their gladiators for entertainment. That much of the movie, I was ok with. The part that I found disturbing, was the other version of the game, in which people payed to control other players in ordinary life. The movie features people at their worst- lazy slobs, living their lives through controlling attractive people in virtual reality. These scenes consisted of mostly sexual images- half naked (or mostly naked) women performing erotic acts for the entertainment of the men controlling their characters. This was disturbing for several reasons- first of all, these were real people being controlled- forced into these acts with no choice in the matter. Second, because it objectified women- I went to see an action movie, and the pornographic element really bothered me. (Especially as a teacher- since one of the main characters was a 14? year old boy, who was viewing a lot of the sexual material.) However, the most repulsive thing about it, I realized, was how true it is of our society. If given the chance, I have no doubt that many people would actually take part in this type of thing. It says a lot about how women are treated and viewed- as sex objects who are there for the entertainment of others.
All that to say, the movie was not what I expected- It was a far darker commentary on society than I had expected, and was far less of a mindless action movie. I'm not sure how many people even realize the depth of the movie, or whether it was even intentional. If any of you have seen it- leave your thoughts in the comments, I'm interested to see how others viewed it.
Bottom line: not a movie I'd recommend, and not one I'd see again. I even contemplated leaving the theater at several points...

Lymelife

I had never heard of Lymelife before, and really had no idea what to expect. Turns out that it reminded me a lot of some of the books I've been reading lately- memoirs by Augusten Burroughs, who had a very dysfunctional family. Lymelife is a coming of age story, and while fairly typical in some ways, it was a bit more serious than most. In some ways it reminded me a bit of Garden State, though the romance in Lymelife was a bit less innocent. I tend to find myself drawn to stories about messed up families, possibly because I identify with them- or because the exaggerated drama in the movies make me feel like my life is slightly more normal. Either way, I thought it was a pretty good movie- worth watching if you like dramatic family stories. However, don't be fooled by the 'comedy' label- If you're looking for a silly, fun comedy, this is probably not your best bet.

The Secret Life of Bees

The Secret Life of Bees is the best movie I've seen in a long time. It deals with some really rough topics- abuse, racism and dysfunctional families. The cast is amazing- I adore Dakota Fanning, and I loved that there were strong female characters. The story was really powerful, and I found myself going from laughing to crying throughout the movie.
Bottom line- go watch it, if you haven't already. For those of you who know me/live nearby- I went out and bought it... so, come watch it with me sometime!

Goodbye Solo

Goodbye Solo is a lesser known film that will be released on DVD on August 25. The movie isn't for everyone- there's very little "action," it's not very funny, and I'll admit- it's pretty slow at times. However, for those of you who like dramas that focus on people and relationships, this movie is a good choice. The story is that of a cab driver from Senegal, who meets a grumpy old man, and how they impact each other's lives. Solo, the cab driver, is a bit hard to understand at first due to his accent. His cheerful disposition and repeated phrases, however, will compel you to smile- within a short period, I already knew I wanted to be his friend.
Another important character is Alex- Solo's wife's daughter. Unlike most children in movies, she is not a little adult, nor is she an obnoxious brat. She is simply an intelligent, inquisitive and caring little girl who brings a lot to the story through her innocence and love.
The movie is centered around relationships, communication, and differences in personalities and experiences. It is a deep, thought provoking story, rather than the mindless entertainment so common in movies these days. It's not a "feel good" film, but it's definitely worth watching if you enjoy stories about relationships.

Sunshine Cleaning

I wasn't really sure what to expect from the movie Sunshine Cleaning, but it turned out to be one of the best movies I've seen in a while. The movie deals with some tough topics, including single motherhood, financial struggles, affairs/unrequited love, and family relationships. Though Rose starts out as a fragile, hurting woman, she recognizes her potential and her desire is to show others what she can do- including standing up to the man who is using her. Her sister, Norah, is my favorite character. She pulls off a tougher appearance than Rose, but is just as fragile in some ways. Despite their struggles, both sisters pull through hard times and show that there is more to women than filling in society's standards of popularity and beauty. There are not enough movies with strong female characters, and Sunshine Cleaning was very refreshing in its portrayal of women.

Emily Blunt, who played Norah, is now one of my favorite actresses- I loved that in this movie she was not the stereotypical "pretty" girl, but had a darker edge to her which made her character that much more appealing. If anyone knows of any other good Emily Blunt movies, please let me know!