Latest movies

I didn't get to see Crazy Stupid Love this weekend, which I really wanted to, but I saw 3 movies, each very different from the other~

The Eagle (2010) - I really enjoyed the movie Centurion, which is also a fictionalized story around the loss of the Ninth in northern Briton, and I'm a fan of both Channing Tatum and especially Jamie Bell, but ultimately this movie did not live up to its early potential. The actors give strong performances, and there are wonderful secondary characters, who mostly have too little screen time. The cinematography is quite good, and they use the gorgeous locale to excellent effect. But the story is cliché and some of the dialog, especially toward the end, is cringe-worthy. I think these actors and this historical period deserve better. Also, the whole purpose of the story is to promote the idea that family honor is the most important thing, worth endless amount of pointless death, which obviously, I think is a ridiculous and dull message. Finally, I don't mean to insult the actors, or belittle male bonding, but there were several scenes where I thought that Marcus and Esca were going to kiss. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this becomes a cult favorite among gay men. They're welcome to it, as there's not a single female character with any role in this testosterone fest - you'd think women had no effect on history at all.

Mother and Child (2009) - a rather sad, but very lovely story about love and intimacy and forgiveness, with a wonderful cast and thought-provoking themes; I'm glad I took the time to watch it.

Monte Carlo (2011) - Alana and I went to see this tween fest at the discount theater while Caleb went with a friend to see The Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  It was cute and inoffensive, and I enjoyed the performances of all 3 of the female leads - it was nice to see some up and coming young talent.