Monday, January 7, 2008

Move Over Ebert & Roeper

I have seen some great movies in the theater recently and wanted to share with you guys why I loved them. These are definitely two must sees. 4 stars all around.

P.S. I Love You - First of all, bring tissues! Seriously. I cried at different points throughout the movie. I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. The main character, Holly, loses the love of her life to brain cancer after nine years of marriage. Her husband wrote letters while he was alive to be delivered to her after he's gone, the first one came on her 30th birthday. Each letter gives her encouragement to keep going, to move on with her life. And every one closes with "p.s. I love you". The reason I loved this movie so much was because it really showed the true grief you feel when you lose someone you love. Like Holly's mother said in the movie - whether by their choice or not it still hurts like hell. I could relate to Holly's character at each stage of her journey. In the beginning not wanting to leave the house. The memories. Not being able to get them out of your mind. Popping in a movie or CD and singing along. Then relying on your friends. Needing a shoulder to cry on. Going out, talking to men, but still not being interested. Knowing nothing could compare to what you just lost. At the end of the movie a year had passed since Gerry's death. Holly had found herself, found her career and all around became a stronger person. Not yet ready to find love again, but knowing in time she will. Holly, I only hope that I can find the love you shared with Gerry once in my lifetime. Because if and when I do, I will never let it go.

The movie also increased my desire to visit Ireland 100 fold. What a beautiful, beautiful place. I cannot wait until I can afford to go! If you're still not convinced you should see this movie take one look at Gerry in the movie poster (played by Gerard Butler) and the character of William (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Gorgeous men with accents to boot! Are you drooling yet? For the Grey's Anatomy fans reading, yes that is the same guy who played Denny!

Favorite quote: "I bet you've had a hard time walking into a room full of people on your own, right? Yeah. I know that. I know what it is not to feel like you're in the room until he looks at you or touches your hand or even makes a joke at your expense, just to let everyone know... you're with him. You're his."


Juno - Hilarious movie. You will not stop laughing. Ellen Page, who plays Juno, pulls off the quick wit of her character quite brilliantly. She gets pregnant at 16, plans on having an abortion but can't go through with it. Decides to have the baby and then give the child up for adoption to a deserving couple. The relationship she builds with Jason Bateman's character (the soon-to-be adoptive father) is rather bizarre and the only part of the movie I didn't like. I found their closeness a little unnecessary for the development of the plot. They could have successfully shown the instability of the couple's marriage in other ways besides his growing fondness for a 16-year-old girl. The great thing about this movie for sure are the memorable quotes: "As far as boyfriends go, Paulie Bleeker is totally boss. He is the cheese to my macaroni" and "I'm pregnant. What? Honest to blog?" Classic.

My personal favorite quote was part of the lyrics to the song Paulie and Juno sing to each other at the end of the film. That scene was adorable and really brought to life the love they had for each other, even at 16. "You're a part time lover and a full time friend. The monkey on your back is the latest trend. I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else. But you."



If you've seen either of these movies tell me your thoughts. Do you agree or disagree? Any other movie recommendations?

68 comments:

*kb* said...

I LOVED Juno and have been recommending it to lots of peeps! She was hysterical and I just loved all of her lines!

Haven't seen P.S. I Love You, but have heard mixed things, so may just wait until it's out on DVD! :-)

recovering overachiever said...

I've been dying to see Juno. It looks so good!

The last movie I saw in the theater was No Country for Old Men. It was really good, but SO disturbing.

The other movie on my list (also a downer) is There Will Be Blood with Daniel Day Lewis!

Clink said...

I love, love, loved Juno. I thought it was absolutely wonderful.

Jamie Lovely said...

The first thing I said to my boyfriend after Juno ended was, I need the soundtrack!

LOVED IT.

A Lil' Irish Lass said...

Wow, the last movie I saw in the theaters was Knocked Up. I'm a loser. lol.

marisa rose said...

I'm pretty alone in this but I was kinda "meh" towards Juno. Michael Cera was pitch perfect and yes, Ellen Page is an engaging actress, but I kinda thought the whole movie tried too hard. But that's just me. If you liked the music, most of it is by Kimya Dawson from the Moldy Peaches.

Le Petit Chic said...

I've been dying to see Juno but no one wants to go with me! I think I'll have to just go by myself.

Anonymous said...

I saw P.S. I Love You with my mom and sister when I was home over Christmas and I LOVED it. You're right though - bring the kleenex! I cried for the first time only, like. 10 minutes into the movie (at the voicemail part). Gah. It's wonderful though.

Also, I have crushes on Gerry and William. :)

Anonymous said...

I've been dying to see both of these - thanks for the great reviews!

xox

Ashley said...

I can't wait to see both those movies! Thanks for your reviews :) Knowing me with movies like P.S. I love You, I will be bawling the entire movie.

Oh and you totally need to go to ireland. And I will go with you. I have been twice and i LOVE IT. Its so gorgeous and so pretty and everyones so friendly. Plus, you can go to pubs at 12 and start drinking and no one will look at you strangely :) hehe

Nilsa S. said...

I saw Juno and thought it was cute, adorable and very laughable. It was cast well. And written well. But, I don't necessarily think all those things translate into an award-winning movie. Nevertheless, I'd recommend seeing it!

Jess said...

I haven't seen either of them yet but EVERYONE says they're great and now I'm dying to see them both.

megabrooke said...

I have been wanting to see both, and now even more so!

graffiti.girl.designs said...

can't wait to see PS: I Love You - though I was sad just reading your review.

The Ex said...

I want the Juno soundtrack SO BAD! I think it should win Best Picture :)

Anonymous said...

P.S. I Love You was so good I saw it twice! It just made me realize even more that my husband is so much a part of my life...in ways I probably don't even know. I cried and at one point thought, how am I gonna get through the rest of this movie??? :)

Anonymous said...

I am seriously behind on movie going. Gah!

PrincessPolly said...

I've read the book of "PS I Love You" but have yet to see the film. The book was great though and I'm not always a big fan of movie adaptations of books; they generally let me down - with possibly the exception of "Bridget Jones". But I might give this a try. I haven't really heard anything about "Juno" at all, but it sounds like an interesting watch.

Yoda said...

Chick flick alert!!!

Charm City Kim said...

I loved Juno! You should check out the soundtrack - its very good.

k said...

i want to see both!!

i'm hitting up the movies tonight, but i think we are seeing into the wild. yeah, i know - i am really behind on my movies...

Unknown said...

I loved both of these movies. And yes, cried my eyes out at PS I Love You.

Did you not just LOVE her apartment?

Unknown said...

i went to p.s. i love you (by myself! for the first time!) on friday and i pretty much had tears in my eyes the whole time. it was such a great movie. it actually made me realize how much it would hurt if the Ex left my life. I seriously think I would go through the same thing Holly did--where she talked to him and wore his clothes and didn't shower. yeah, that would be me.

Alejandra Ramos said...

I've been dying to check these two out and definitely will now...

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed Juno but felt the same way as you did about the storyline with Jason Bateman's character. Just unnecessary and totally creepy.

I don't think I'll see P.S. I Love You--I loved the book, but I'm just not a Hillary Swank fan and I don't want to have to picture her as the main character! And oh yes, Ireland is just... breathtaking. I spent 6 weeks there for school years ago, and it changed my life. Go as soon as you can!

Lisa said...

I adored Juno. I thought the relationship between Juno and Mark was perfect- it was the trigger than turned Juno from a teen who thought she knew more than adults, to an adult who realized she doesn't know it all. In the end I think it wasn't about the pregnancy at all, you know? The character development was just just just amazing.

My heart MELTED at "You're so cool without even trying" "I do try actually, I try really hard".

I love the Moldy Peaches and Kimya Dawson (email me if you want me to send some sample tunes your way), and when I first saw the trailer back in Sept (I know it was Sept because I blogged about it, haha) I knew I'd like it just for the musical selection. My favourite line from that song is "Here is the church and here is the steeple, we sure are cute for two ugly people". But I think Loose Lips is my favourite Kimya Dawson song. You seriously need to check her out.

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen either one of these but I want to - especially now - I am always waiting til movies come out on video...

Lisa said...

Ooh I saw Sweeny Todd last weekend.

GOOD LORD. I accumulated about 10 minutes hiding under my shirt. It's a really cool play though- I've had the soundtrack for a while, but have never seen it in production. There's a lot of juxtaposition in the whole thing... if you're into trying to analyze movies it might be your thing. Or if you have a particular affinity towards theatrical gore. Otherwise, I suggest you see something else.

Anonymous said...

i loved juno as well. hilarrrious. though i was saddened to see my fave michael i mean jason bateman from arrested development turn out to be a skeeve. ah well. we'll always have paulie bleeker.

thanks for the ps i love you rec... i love a good crying movie. seriously.

nicole antoinette said...

Juno was fabulous, agreed. And while I haven't seen PS I love you, I did see Hilary Swank at City Bakery a few weeks ago and she is even more gorgeous in person than on any screen.

Scotty said...

I saw the first movie this weekend, was great. I even got a little teary a few times, but I didnt tell you that.

And, you need to go to Ireland. Its a wonderful place!

Anonymous said...

I saw Juno and totally loved it. The song at the end was awesome.

I haven't seen P.S I love you but I did read the book it was based on a couple years back and I loved it. The book takes place in Ireland and it made me want to go there even more.

L Sass said...

I am dying to see both--I've heard such good things. I need to round up a posse of girlfriends to see some non-boyish movies!

Anonymous said...

Ahh! I need to see Juno!

Samantha said...

Dying to see Juno and will probably see it this weekend. I also can't wait for 27 Dresses to come out. :)

Samantha said...

Dying to see Juno and will probably see it this weekend. I also can't wait for 27 Dresses to come out. :)

The Author Of This said...

They really do sound like "chick flicks" though...or is it just me?

I had a "me" weekend & watched Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2 and Snatch. Rather different films to the ones you posted!

There is a film I'd seriously recommend though. It's quite old and called Powder. HUGE box of tissues at the ready for this one. But it's also got a great message about the failings of society. Let me know if you ever see it.

Oh, and sorry I've been "away" for so long.

Katelin said...

I loved loved loved both of these movies. I just saw PS. I Love You and thought it was so sweet. Yes I agree, the men are hotties and the story is sweet. And definitely shows an emotional loss, I was definitely teary.

And Juno. LOVED IT. Haha. I thought it was so funny and witty and Ellen Page was hilarious. And I totally agree that Juno and Jason's relationship was a little unnecessary to the plot but other than that everything else was so funny and quirky.

Glad you liked them too and I love your reviews!

j said...

looooved juno

and i like your blog. i'm new to blogspot, hello :) i'll be returning to read more, michelle!

x

Anonymous said...

You're a GREAT movie critic! I loved these reviews! I wanted to see these movies before, but I extra want to see them now!

longredcape said...

I haven't seen P.S. I Love You, but my mom and aunt did. My mom embarrassed the crap out of my aunt by saying "Good God-a-mighty!" kinda loudly when they showed the guy's ass (totally out of character for her, she didn't mean to say it out loud!) They said everyone in the theater burst out laughing.

As for Juno, yeah I thought their relationship was kinda creepy. I really like Jason Bateman, and that sucks. My favorite quote is, "he's really good in, in ... chair." :)

Lacey Bean said...

LOVED Juno. Can't wait to get it on DVD.

"One day, I'm going to get Weimerieners" "WHOA Dream Big!"

P.S. I Love You was good too, but the book was soooo much better. Definitely read it if you haven't.

I really want to see 28 dresses (27?) and like a whole bunch of other movies that are out right now ,but I cant remember. Sadness.

ANA said...

I'm desperately trying to empty a time slot go and watch both these movies...weather permitting of course...and thanks for the review I will remember to carry tissues, I can be a big sook...

Melody said...

So I tried to do the scholarly thing and read the book "P.S. I Love You" first - the book is poorly written but I am so intrigued by the story. I now think I am going to put down the book, loose the bookmark and check out the movie.

Chelsea Talks Smack said...

oooo ooo! I loved both of those movies, cried a good 8 times during p.s. I love you, and decided i'm fleeing to a foreign country because accents....SEXUAL. Love them, especially irish. And any guy that lives amongst rolling hills and good pubs...I would indeed LOVE.

Juno was amazing. Great actors, great writing. GREAT GREAT.

Maria said...

I REFUSE to see "PS I Love You," because all of the trailers just turned me off. It looks waaaaaay too schmaltzy and like it tries too hard.

I'm stoked for Juno, though. I've been excited for it for months.

PS- I love the Moldy Peaches. "Anyone Else but You" is one of my favorite songs. Of all time.

Anonymous said...

LOVED Juno...excellent movie. I laughed the whole time and never got bored...way to go hour and a half movies!! No need to worry about A.D.D!!

Virginia said...

I LOVED Juno so much! I love movies where the whole audience laughs out loud. And I really want to go see PS I Love You, I have heard such good things!

K. said...

I really want to see those 2 movies but hadn't had the time.
Maybe I'll get boytoy to take me but I'm highly doubting I can drag him in there.

tshirtandjeans said...

totally have a major crush on ellen page. [sheepish grin].

k said...

wait... i lied. we are going to see juno tonight. yay!

Julie Q said...

ooo i definitely want to see both of those while their still in theatres! & now i want to see them even more

minijonb said...

I just saw Juno this weekend and I loved it! I'm an orange tic-tac freak so that made me laugh. Atonement was also pretty damn good... maybe not as good as No Country For Old Men, but pretty good.

Maxie said...

I was really into Juno, but didn't care too much for P.S. i love you. Just kind of bleh for me.

Stephanie said...

I've been wanting to see Juno but that is not a movie I could drag my boyfriend too. I'll have to find some girls to see it with me or wait till video.

Sweeney Todd on the other hand was AWESOME. Very bloody and gorey, but SO good!

Tara said...

I can't wait to see Juno.

I've heard mixed reviews on P.S. I Love You. I think I'll wait until the DVD.

The last movie I saw was The Bourne Ultimatum. Yeah...I'm a loser.

Anonymous said...

i've heard about both, seen neither - but i will have to checka checka now for sure!

Anonymous said...

P.S. I love you had me crying the entire time. I really loved it. I really didn't expect to like Hilary Swank but I did. And how cute was William...oh that smile, yum.

DG said...

Loved Juno, and I'm reading P.S. I love you... I'm happy you liked the movie cause I heard that it wasn't great from some people...

Kate said...

Have been looking forward to Juno for awhile, and have now added PS I Love You to the list- looks fantastic!

Unknown said...

I want to see both movies and your review only proves that more and more!!

Thanks for your thoughts!

Anonymous said...

I LOVED Juno. I was skeeved out by the relationship between Juno and Jason Bateman's character too. I also cried at the end when Jennifer Garners character held the baby for the first time. Such a good movie...

k said...

i looooooved ps i love you. i wanna see it again soon. i thought juno had some sweet stuff- jennifer garner made me cry, jk simmons was great, and jason bateman was wonderful as always, but it was just trying too hard, too consciously cool for me. i really liked margot at the wedding, before the devil knows you're dead, and i don't know if it's still playing- but it's worth searching out- dan in real life.

Princess Pointful said...

I adored Juno.
I want to be 16 again and date Bleeker!

(can you tell I'm playing bloggie catch-up-- I've been busy and sooo behind!)

sweetanemone said...

i want to see ps. i love you but am a tad worried i am going to spend the whole thing blubbering. maybe i will wait for dvd! :)

Anonymous said...

I love love loved both of these movies. My only problem with PS was that a few of the scenes seemed irrelevant. All of that stuff about her mom and her father annoyed me a bit- I wish they had just stuck to her story. And I got incredibly emotional in the beginning, but I felt emotionally exhausted by the time the movie was over.

rachel said...

Ah you have great taste!! I saw those movies and I am even going to go see Juno again, I loved it so much. I downloaded the song at the end on iTunes even before I read your blog. Definitely an amazing movie and I secretly hope it steals an Oscar.

I cried the ENTIRE time of p.s. I love you. I was sort of embarrased to leave the theater. And I'm so glad she didn't end up with Harry Connick Jr., because even though he is great I just didn't feel it with them.

p.s. Great hair!!

Kristie said...

I'm so out of the movie loop. I must see both of these movies!