The Damned United

I just saw the Damned United, and really liked it. Michael Sheen must be a really good actor to work with. I feel like every single film that he does now has either the same writer or director of at least four other films that he has done in the past. The Damned United was directed by Tom Hooper and written by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen, and the Deal). It was based on the novel by David Peace.

The film goes back and forth in time, but focuses on the 44 days in which Brian Clough was the manager of Leeds United. There was a lot of friction due to the dirty tactics of some of the players, his dislike for Don Revie (the previous coach) and the sudden disappearance of his right-hand-man, Peter Taylor.  I know very little about the history of English Football, but found this film to be really interesting. There was just enough back-story to give the necessary information without overwhelming me.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Alice in Wonderland

I went to see Alice in Wonderland with my roommates yesterday and LOVED it! By the time it actually came out, I wasn't very excited about it. I felt like there was a little too much hype. I personally have never read the book, and was never a huge fan of the film when I was little. It was never one of my favorite Disney movies. That said, I really liked the story. I really liked that Linda Woolverton was able to take the familiar tale and create something new.

For the most part, the cast was excellent. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter completely stole the film. Johnny Depp was especially amazing. He brought multiple dimensions to the Mad Hatter that I had never considered before. He created much more of a three-dimensional character than I think anyone else could have. Carter was adorable. When compared to Anne Hathaway's portrayal of the White Queen, I actually found myself rooting for the Red Queen instead. Matt Lucas was also really good. I have enjoyed just about everything that I have ever seen him in, and am really happy that he is becoming better-known.

The rest of the characters were all cast really well. Even though I looked up the cast list prior to seeing the film, I found myself getting lost while watching it. Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Michael Sheen, and Stephen Fry were all especially good. Aside from Anne Hathaway, the only character that I wasn't really impressed with was Alice. I haven't seen Mia Wasikowska in anything else, and she was okay, but I did not find myself really identifying with her or really rooting for her during the film. I feel like that is kind of necessary, especially for a character like Alice.

Despite any problems that I may have had with certain actors or characters, I would definitely recommend this film. It is definitely a must-see!

Frost/Nixon

I just saw Frost/Nixon, and I must say that I really enjoyed it. I think that the Oscars are going to be really interesting this year, because so far I have yet to really dislike a film. In fact, I have very much enjoyed all of the films that I have seen recently.

Frost/Nixon was especially enjoyable. I must say that I really like films like this that are based on true stories. They prove to be much more interesting. The recent film, Milk is another very good film that is based on a true story. Although the actual events of the film took place years ago, they do not loose any of their resonance with events of today. Although I already knew the outcome, I found myself mesmerized by the end of the film. I actually cried, "Yes!" aloud when Frost (played by Michael Sheen) brought out his ace at the end of the final interview.

The cast was absolutely phenomenal. Frank Langella (Nixon) completely and utterly transformed himself. The cast was wonderful and worked really well as an ensemble, but feel that I must specifically talk about Michael Sheen. I find myself completely intrigued by him as an actor. Lately I have been looking at the many different roles that he has taken upon himself. He is so extremely versatile. After IMDB-ing him I found that I had actually seen many of his films without really associating him with them. Each role seems to take on a complete life of its own, while leaving all previous roles behind.

So, I would definitely recommend this film to anyone. When I first saw a short trailer for the film, I was not very interested, but I am very glad that I changed my mind.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

I just saw Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and loved it! It seemed a little slow at times. It is a prequel, and there it does not bring a huge amount to the story that was not already known. I still really enjoyed it. If possible, I think that it even made Underworld: Evolution, the second film in the trilogy more enjoyable. Now I want to go back and watch it again with that new knowledge that I have gained from this film. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone, but especially to Underworld fans.

I especially liked Michael Sheen. I thought that he did a really good job as Lucian, and although Kate Beckinsale was obviously not in it, I thought that it was really cool that she did some of the narration.

Currently Reading for Class:

The Professor's House by Willa Cather
and
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Currently Watching:
The Tudors Season Two

Currently Listening to:
The Ting Tings