watch 50 movies in 2009

Plot:
Seventeen-year-old Isabella “Bella” Swan moves to Forks, a small town near Washington state’s rugged coast, to live with her father, Charlie, after her mother remarries to a minor league baseball player. She is quickly befriended by many students at her new high school, but she is intrigued by the mysterious and aloof Cullen siblings. Bella sits next to Edward Cullen in biology class on her first day of school; he appears to be disgusted by her, much to Bella’s confusion. A few days later, Bella is nearly struck by a van in the school parking lot. Edward inexplicably moves from some feet away and stops the vehicle with his hand. He later refuses to explain this act to Bella and warns her against befriending him.

After much research, Bella eventually discovers that Edward is a vampire, though he only consumes animal blood. The pair fall in love and Edward introduces Bella to his vampire family, Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie. Soon after, three nomadic vampires—James, Victoria, and Laurent—arrive. James, a tracker vampire, is intrigued by Edward’s protectiveness over a human and wants to hunt Bella for sport. Edward and his family risk their lives to protect her, but James tracks Bella to Phoenix where she is hiding and lures her into a trap by claiming he is holding her mother hostage. James attacks Bella and bites her wrist, but Edward, along with the other Cullen family members, arrives before he can kill her. James is destroyed, and Edward sucks James’s venom from Bella’s wrist, preventing her from becoming a vampire. A severely injured Bella is taken to a hospital. Upon returning to Forks, Bella and Edward attend their school prom. While there, Bella expresses her desire to become a vampire, which Edward refuses. The film ends with Victoria secretly watching the pair dancing, plotting revenge for her lover James’ murder.

My opnion:
My best friend told me about the books and that I have to read it. But today I saw the movie and I’m not sure if I will read the book now. The movie was told a bit fast, I guess. Because I couldn’t follow the lovestory between Bella and Edward, because everything happens so fast. Perhaps this is a reason to read the books, to get deeper into the real lovestory of these creatures… I’m not sure yet…

Plot:
The movie opens five years earlier than the present, showing the Fourth of July celebration at the American consulate in Dubai, where Ray Koval (Clive Owen), an MI6 agent, appears to seduce Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts), unknowingly to him a CIA agent. Claire manages to drug Ray and steals classified documents from him.

The scene cuts to Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson), the CEO of Burkett & Randle, and Dick Garsik (Paul Giamatti), the CEO of Equikrom, illustrating the rivalry between the two consumer product corporations when they get into a brawl upon encountering each other on the tarmac.

In the present day, Ray is a corporate spy in New York City who goes to work for Equikrom; at a meet, he spots Claire, thinking the mission is blown. When Ray follows her and confronts her finally for the incident in Dubai, Claire persistently puts up an innocent act, pretending she has never met Ray, until they both realize they were supposed to meet. Claire has been undercover as a counter-intelligence officer at Burkett & Randle for the past 14 months, and Ray is to become her new handler.

At Burkett & Randle, a major development is underfoot, and Tully makes a speech that paints them as innovators defending themselves from duplicity and theft. At Equikrom, who manage to get a copy of the speech through Claire, Dick Garsik scoffs at the company that purchased a dump to go through their garbage, and plots to steal whatever Burkett & Randle have developed.

The scene cuts to two years earlier in Rome, where we see Ray and Claire actually meeting for the first time since Dubai as well as Claire’s exact same innocent act as before. It is revealed Ray and Claire did not meet at Equikrom by chance; they plan to wait for the perfect opportunity to cheat both companies and sell a corporate secret to the highest bidder for themselves. It’s clear, however, neither still completely trusts the other, and suspicion abounds as to who is playing whom.

The team at Equikrom believes Ronny Partiz (Christopher Denham), a child prodigy turned genius, might be responsible for Burkett & Randle’s new product. Ray and Boris Fetyov (Oleg Stefan) stake out Partiz at a casino in the Bahamas, when Claire and Jeff Bauer (Thomas McCarthy) from Burkett & Randle foil their plans by planting evidence of them cheating the casino.

In return, Howard Tully at Burkett & Randle thanks Claire for successfully defending the company’s new product, revealing it to be the cure for baldness. When Jeff Bauer is later caught attempting to steal the formula and she is left guarding him and the formula alone, Claire manages to use one of the rigged photocopiers at Burkett & Randle to transfer it to Equikrom.

Back at Equikrom, Claire accuses Ray of stealing the formula for himself, and he is searched and exposed when it is found. Ray, believing Claire betrayed him, later finds Claire at the Zürich airport in Switzerland. Claire confesses she loves him and that’s why she’s still at the airport; Ray reciprocates the feelings and reveals he had another copy of the formula.

Ray and Claire attempt to sell the formula to a Swiss company for $35 million; meanwhile Dick Garsik is revealing to his shareholders that they are in the final stages of testing for a product that cures baldness. The Swiss, however, reveal the formula is a fraud. The scene cuts to ten days earlier, where we see Pam Frailes (Kathleen Chalfant) at Equikrom was really working for Burkett & Randle all along, Ronny Partiz was simply used as the bait, and Jeff Bauer staged stealing the formula. The movie ends with Ray and Claire, as well as Garsik at the end of his shareholders’ meeting, realizing they have all been played by Howard Tully.

My opinion:
Very confusing and although I like Julia Roberts very much, it was a bit boring to watch her acting in this movie. ;-(

Plot:
In a prologue, the audience is introduced to young Max Skinner, who spends his summer holidays learning to appreciate the finer things in life from his Uncle Henry at his vineyard estate in Provence in southeastern France. As an adult, Max is an aggressive, hard-working London-based trader whose schemes to make money come dangerously close to criminal activity. Upon word of his uncle’s death, he learns he is the sole beneficiary of the property and travels to Provence to prepare it for a quick sale. Shortly after his arrival, he discovers that his latest financial stunt has landed him in hot water with the government and with his firm’s management, necessitating his return to London later in the day. Before heading back to the airport, in order to assist his realtor with the sale, he hurriedly snaps photos of the estate, and in doing so, falls into an empty swimming pool. (He is unable to escape until Fanny Chenal, whose bicycle he ran off the road with his careless driving, turns on the water supply in retaliation.) The resulting delay causes him to miss his flight, and because he fails to report in person to management, he is suspended from work and trading activities for one week.

The week affords Max the time to ready the property for sale. But he must deal with the gruff yet dedicated winemaker, Francis Duflot, who fears that the sale of the estate will separate him from his precious vines. Duflot pays the vineyard inspector to tell Max that the soil is bad and the vines are worthless. They are surprised by the unexpected arrival of young Napa Valley oenophile Christie Roberts, who is backpacking through Europe and presents herself as Henry’s previously unknown illegitimate daughter looking for her long-lost father. Max fears that she might also lay claim to the estate and tries to keep her happy until she decides to leave. Worried about being usurped by his second-in-command in London (through whom Max continues to direct trades but who takes all the credit) Max intentionally gives the ambitious trader bad advice which gets him fired. Max is also enamored with the very beautiful yet entirely feisty local café owner Fanny Chenal, who is rumored to have sworn off men. He successfully woos Fanny, who leaves Max the next morning expecting Max to return to his life in London; Christie, having learned that Max intends to betray Henry’s passion, leaves Provence, and Max sells the estate and returns to his life in London.

Back in London, management offers Max a choice: “money or your life” — either a discharge settlement which includes “lots of zeros” or partnership in the trading firm in which he would be “made for life”. Max chooses the money and cleverly negates the sale of the estate by orchestrating through a forged letter from Henry that Christie has a valid claim on the property. He puts up his London residence for sale and return

My opinion:
A nice movie which shows what is really important in life. And guess what? It’s not money!
Great pictures from beautiful Provence, good music, beautiful Marion Cottiliard!

Plot:
A childhood memory begins the film, as Rebecca’s mother buys her brown shoes that will last forever but aren’t fashionable, while other girls get cute fashionable shoes. They laugh at her mundane shoes, and Rebecca feels unworthy. She sees a lady using a credit card and is fascinated by them, coveting one.

Now, Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher), living with her best friend Suze Cleath-Stuart (Krysten Ritter), has moved to Manhattan to get involved in the New York City magazine world. She has several credit cards, and a shopping addiction. She’s a journalist for a gardening magazine but her dream is to join the fashion magazine “Alette”. Unfortunately, when Rebecca gets to her “Alette” interview the male receptionist informs her that the job has been filled by Alicia Billington. He advises her to join another of several other magazines owned by the corporation, Dantay West and make her way up to “Alette” since the company likes to promote from within. He tells her there are interviews being held at Successful Savings.

On the way to her second interview, she is distracted by a Denny & George sale, eventually buying a green scarf. Her credit card is declined and sale items cannot be held so Rebecca races to the nearest hot dog stand offering to buy all the hot dogs if the seller gives her back change in cash. Rebecca lies, saying its a gift for her sick Aunt Ermintrude. Finally a man offers her $20. When she interviews with Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy), the editor of Successful Saving, she realises he is the man from who loaned her $20. Whilst he talks on the phone, she hides her scarf in a cubicle outside his office. The interview doesn’t go well, when he asks her why she chose to learn Finnish fluently and about the current fiscal crisis. She tries to distract him without any success. Luke’s assistant Hayley comes into the room and tells Rebecca that she dropped her scarf. Rebecca knows her game is up and leaves the interview.

Frustrated by her lack of success, she and Suze write drunken letters to Alette and Successful Saving, but she posts each to the wrong magazine. Nevertheless, Luke Brandon hires her. Then, rather than completing a work assignment, she goes to a clothing sale. When examining an expensive cashmere coat, it gives her inspiration for her column, calling herself “the Girl in the Green Scarf”. Impressed Luke invites her to a conference in Miami and an important ball. At a restaurant Alicia (Leslie Bibb), asks Luke to the ball, leaving Rebecca feeling dejected.

Rebecca returns home to confrontations with a bill collector so Suze makes her join Shopaholics Anonymous. The class leader, Miss Korch (Wendie Malick), forces her to sell all the clothes she just bought, including her maid of honor dress for Suze’s wedding. She is later publicly accused of not paying her debts live on a TV show and consequently loses her job. Suze is angry when she finds out that Rebecca sold her maid of honor dress, and forces her to move out.

Rebecca sells all her clothes in a sale, but hesitates over the green scarf. A blond woman and a telephone bidder begin a bidding war over the scarf. The sale is a success, making it possible for her to repay her debts. Rebecca attends Suze’s wedding, where Suze forgives her and lets her be the maid of honor. Rebecca and Luke meet, and Luke returns the green scarf, revealing that he was the person behind both bidders. Rebecca ends up working for Luke’s new magazine, writing articles such as “Confessions of a Shopaholic”.

My opinion:
I loved the books by Sophie Kinsella and I also enjoyed this movie, although it was a mix of the first two novels and the character of Becky Bloomwood was not even as funny as it is in the books. Was a nice movie for a girl’s night.

I saw this film, which is produced by a friend of my best girlfriend, at the filmfest in Hamburg yesterday. It’s a german-lithuanian co-production and kind of an art house film.
I liked it very much and hope for many viewers when it starts in german cinemas in November.
http://www.lowlights-derfilm.de/

Revolutionary Road is a 2008 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The screenplay by Justin Haythe is based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Richard Yates. The film opened in limited release on December 26, 2008, and expanded wide on January 23, 2009. This is the first film in which DiCaprio and Winslet have co-starred since the 1997 Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox film, Titanic.

It’s 1955. Frank and April Wheeler, in the seventh year of their marriage, have fallen into a life that appears to most as being perfect. They live in the Connecticut suburbs with two young children. Frank commutes to New York City where he works in an office job while April stays at home as a housewife. But they’re not happy. April has forgone her dream of becoming an actress, and Frank hates his job – one where he places little effort – although he has never figured out what his passion in life is. One day, April suggests that they move to Paris – a city where Frank visited during the war and loved, but where April has never been – as a means to rejuvenate their life. April’s plan: she would be the breadwinner, getting a lucrative secretarial job for one of the major international organizations, while Frank would have free time to find himself and whatever his passion. Initially skeptical, Frank ultimately agrees to April’s plan. When circumstances change around the Wheelers, April decides she will do whatever she has to to get herself out of her unhappy existence.

My opinion:
What great stuff! An extraordinary Kate Winslet, who deserves winning the Oscar for this, and what a story! Actual as ever when you find out that your life is what happens right now, but not the way you dreamed of it. In some ways depressing when you reflect your own life and find so many similarities, but also awakening! GREAT!

After their wedding, newspaper writers John and Jennifer Grogan move to Florida. In an attempt to stall Jennifer’s “biological clock”, John gives her a puppy. While the puppy Marley grows into a 100 pound dog, he loses none of his puppy energy or rambunctiousness. Meanwhile, Marley gains no self-discipline. Marley’s antics give John rich material for his newspaper column. As the Grogans mature and have children of their own, Marley continues to test everyone’s patience by acting like the world’s most impulsive dog. Written by Ken Miller {wkmiller704@yahoo.com}

My opinion:
My first thought was: not again such a hilarious comedy about a dog and such a stupid role for Jennifer Aniston, but at the end the movie got me totally. I cried so much and fell in love with Marley and his whole family. A wonderful heartwarming movie for a tired evening! Great!

Wikipedia:
Freedomland is a 2006 film starring Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore. Richard Price adapted his own novel, which touches on themes of covert racism. Joe Roth directs the film.
Plot:
When her son disappears and is believed to be dead, a single mother blames an African-American man from the projects for the kidnapping, creating a racial controversy. An African-American detective and a white missing child researcher team up to investigate the case, which they discover may be more complicated than they expected. Written by ljl5@aol.com

My opinion:
Great appearance by Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore, but the movie started better as it ended and I think it’s a bit confusing and not very realistic.

Wikipedia:
After successful television executive Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman) is attacked and nearly killed by a disgruntled reality television show contestant, she’s immediately fired and experiences a nervous breakdown. With her loving husband and work colleague Walter (Matthew Broderick) and their two children, they move from Manhattan to Stepford, a quiet Connecticut suburb for a change of scenery. Eberhart becomes friends with Bobbie Markowitz (Bette Midler), a writer and recovering alcoholic, and Roger Bannister (Roger Bart), who is homosexual and has moved to town with his longtime partner. The three of them are suspicious of the other women in the town, who are all placid and blissful and spend their days exclusively on domestic tasks. After witnessing a quickly covered-up incident in which one of the Stepford wives, Sarah Sunderson (Faith Hill), violently malfunctions, and later, the increasingly bizarre behavior of their own spouses, Joanna, Bobbie, and Roger are moved to investigate the strange going-ons in Stepford. In the process, Roger and Bobbie are transformed into bland, unnatural, domestic versions of themselves. The inhuman nature of these new Stepford spouses is revealed to Joanna when she attempts to confront the newly-transformed Bobbie, who unknowingly places her hand on a lit stove, but does not react to the flame. Joanna attempts to flee, only to discover that her children have been taken hostage by the men of Stepford. She storms the Stepford Men’s Club, angrily demanding her children to be returned, and is entrapped by the men who have been lying in wait for her. She is forced into the transformation room with her husband.

Next, we see her calmly purchasing groceries alongside the rest of the Stepford wives, having apparently become one of them.

Soon after, Stepford hosts a formal ball to celebrate the full assimilation of the town, with Eberhart and her husband Walter as guests of honor. During the festivities, Joanna distracts Mike Wellington (Christopher Walken), the apparent leader of Stepford, and entices him into the garden while Walter slips away. Walter returns to the transformation room where it is revealed that the Stepford Wives are not robots after all, but cyborgs: the original human beings remained, but were put under the control of brain-implanted microchips. Walter destroys the software that controls the microchips, whereupon all the Stepford Wives revert to their original personalities. When Walter returns to the ball, a crisis has broken out between the baffled husbands and their vengeful wives.

Joanna and Walter reveal that Joanna had never been transformed but had instead pretended to be in order to assist in the destruction of Stepford. Mike threatens Walter, but before he can attack him, Joanna strikes him with a candlestick, decapitating him, and revealing that he is indeed the only real and complete robot. Distraught over the loss of her Stepford husband, Mike’s wife, Claire Wellington (Glenn Close), reveals that she was the one who had created Stepford as a refuge from the evils of the world in a fit of despair after discovering the real Mike had been having an affair. Claire accidentally electrocutes herself using the remains of her Stepford husband, and the irate wives take over Stepford and force their husbands to atone for their crimes by becoming completely subject to the women’s wills, placing them under house arrest, and making them complete many of the same banal domestic tasks they had forced the women to do previously.

My opinion:
What a wonderful persiflage of our social environment, in which some women still act like robots when their men shout and men think they can order what their women have to do.
Great Nicole Kidman as always!

Wikipedia:
Angels & Demons is a 2009 American film adaptation of Dan Brown’s novel by the same name. It is the sequel to The Da Vinci Code, another Brown film adaptation, even though the novel Angels & Demons was published first and takes place before the novel The Da Vinci Code.
Despite his notorious relationship with the Church, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is once again called upon to decipher the clues to a catastrophic conspiracy. The Pope has died, and before conclave can begin to determine his successor, the four preferitti (primary hopefuls for the papacy) are kidnapped. An ominous threat of their hourly demise, along with the complete annihilation of Vatican City, is issued as an elaborate revenge scheme for a persecuted group known as the Illuminati. With their meager time limit steadily counting down, Langdon, accompanied by beautiful physicist Vittoria Vetra, must travel throughout Rome to unravel the carefully hidden signs that will lead them to a terrifying adversary, a harrowing discovery, and the shocking truth. Written by The Massie Twins

My opinion:
I loved the book and so I was curious if it would be possible to transfer the excitement to a movie. And I was a bit dissappointed. Of course, the movie was exciting, great pictures and a genius actor Tom Hanks, but the book was much more thrilling than the movie can transport it. But it’s definetly woth the money for some good amusement at the theaters.