Film Feedback - Wk of 2/14

Northanger Abbey
My favorite Austen film! Probably because it's light-hearted and comic. Tilney is all that a gentleman should be, plus he's amusing and likes to banter. None of that smoldering broodiness that Darcy is so known for. It's also short, which is nice to be able to fit in an evening, unlike the very long Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth. You have to make an appointment with that one. (though it is an oh-so-enjoyable undertaking!)
IMDB

Cities of the Underworld
This History Channel TV show on DVD caught my eye at the library. I've always been fascinated with underground relics and ruins, especially after having toured the Underground Seattle as a teen. I find it almost unbelievable that all that can be underneath the pavement of modern cities. I watched 4 episodes - the first disc - and can't wait to watch the rest. You can watch some online at the History Channel website.
IMDB

Valentine's Day
The star-studded cast was the attraction here, not the least of it being Bradley Cooper. :-) I actually went to the theater this week with my good friend Darlene who is so much fun to watch movies with. The myriad stories were all intriguing and were tied together well by the end. Lots of movie "in-jokes" were sprinkled throughout the screenplay and that was enjoyable. One of the storylines went off-kilter, in my opinion, and left us feeling disappointed, but overall we had a fun time.
OFFICIAL SITE
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Whip It
Previews on other DVD's brought this one to my attention, plus it was filmed in Michigan, I've heard. I think Ellen Page is quite a good actress and I've been interested in Drew Barrymore's work for a while now. This story is one of the "I'm a teen who wants to make my own choices, despite what my fuddy-duddy parents say" sort of plots, but it's unusual in that what she wants is not beauty pageants as her mom has groomed her for, but ROLLER DERBY, which is rather an aggressive violent sport. Who knew? What I loved about it was the strength shown by the family unit, which did include a mom AND a dad, both very realistically portrayed. Juno was better, hands down, but Whip It was a nicely done, enjoyable, solid film.
IMDB


The Time Traveler's Wife
Saw this in the theater when it came out, but it just came out on DVD and I wanted to see it again. Read the book twice - completely fascinating. The movie misses some of the complexity of the relationship between Henry and Clare, but it still is both emotionally draining and satisfying. Warning - it's a tearjerker of a movie!
IMDB