Watch 20 movies in 2009

Accepted, directed by Steve Pink. [I won’t be entering this one on my AllConsuming list, however, since I don’t count things that I re-watch.]

Halfway. Looks like this goal may be unreached again!

We started watching this on the plane back from Japan and we both decided after 20 minutes that we needed to stop watching it because it was clearly too good to be watched partially, on a plane.

I love a good political movie and Langella’s Nixon is a truly incredible performance. My only criticism was that the girlfriend character was is in too many scenes when really I just wanted to see more Nixon.

“That Jack Kennedy, he screwed anything that moved. He had a go at Checkers once, and that poor bitch was never the same after that. “

Really good.

The English Patient, directed by (the late great) Anthony Minghella. [I won’t be entering this one on my AllConsuming list, however, since I don’t count things that I re-watch.]

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, directed by John Phillip Madden. [I won’t be entering this one on my AllConsuming list, however, since I don’t count things that I re-watch.]

Stealing Klimt, directed by Jane Chablani.

The Time Traveler’s Wife (based on the book of the same name by Audrey Niffenegger), directed by Robert Schwentke.

Coraline (3D version), directed by Henry Selick.

Wow, wow, wow!

Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince, directed by David Yates. [I won’t be entering this one on my AllConsuming list, however, since I don’t count things that I re-watch.]

Miyazaki is just so wonderful. I love seeing real animation and I love watching utterly non-Disney kids movies. (Mom gets frustrated and drinks a beer! Mom leaves the 5 year old alone in a world ending storm! People discuss breastfeeding!)

More of a plot than Totoro and just slightly more mature. But it’s really about the visuals for me. The incredible sea creatures and the images of the drowned world will stay with me. Plus Ponyo running on the backs of the fish.

Ponyo is so delightfully innocent and full of love. Really nice. Hopefully we’ll see it again, maybe in a year.

Lisa: So, what’s your Mother like, then?

Ponyo: She’s big, and beautiful! But, she can be very scary.

Sosuke: Just like my Mom.

Well, I’m awfully glad we waited to see this at Mom’s house on the big screen. You know, if all summer blockbuster action extravaganzas were as good as this movie and as Star Trek, there might be some reason for the hype.

An adequate script completely elevated by excellent acting and directing. Robert Downey Jr is so amazing – he’s so honest and fascinating to watch. It takes a lot of skill and charisma to make prolonged scenes of schematics and construction engaging. And Paltrow, who I’m a bit ambivalent about, made that nothing character somehow feel meaningful.

Big thumbs up.
“Please don’t follow me around with it either because I feel like I’m going to catch on fire spontaneously.”