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lwaldo25
Reviews
Pregnancy Pact (2010)
Like a train wreck
*******CONTAINS SPOILERS******** Out of morbid curiosity I watched this movie knowing about the back story of Gloucester High School when CNN was reporting this story about the surge in teen pregnancies in the small town more than a year ago. I can and can't believe Lifetime would go to the trouble of making this into a movie, but then again Hollywood will buy anyone's story and make a movie out of it... "Octo Mom" coming soon!
Other than the stereotypes portrayed (the religious right wing mom, the concerned liberal school nurse, the rebellious/clueless teens) really the only character I could get into was the blogger/reporter played by Thora Birch who infiltrates the group of pregnant teen girls to try to find out WTF is really going on. As her character transitions from being judgmental to becoming more empathetic, the message in the end is clear. If you are a pregnant young teen, regardless if you choose adoption, abortion or keep the baby to raise yourself, there are no easy solutions.
If this movie in any way helps communities have more open discussions about all forms of teen pregnancy prevention, whether it be about abstaining or using birth control perhaps we will see a decrease in these teen pregnancy numbers once again. This movie, even though it was like slowing down in traffic to watch a car accident, definitely did not glamorize the realities of having a baby and if it helps to drive home the point in future sex-ed classes around the country, then maybe some good will come from its existence.
Farrah's Story (2009)
One Tough Cookie
I think that those who watch this, if you have never had the unfortunate experience of watching a loved one suffer through treatments for cancer, this will paint a very jarring picture. Seeing Farrah without her trademark locks reminded me of my Aunt who ended up shaving her head as well when it starting falling out from chemo. Farrah in all her fragility is a fighter. And to see her lifelong partner Ryan O'Neal - this is clearly a man who is trying to put on a brave front and is scared as hell to live one day without her. To put your body through so many different types of treatments leaving you sick and in pain and yet still having the will to keep moving forward is something to be admired. Not only that, but to document the process is equally brave. I'm not sure I would want cameras rolling with a puke bucket in front of me. Hopefully this documentary will serve to continue to raise awareness for all types of cancer. My aunt passed away after a 10 1/2 year battle with breast cancer this past Christmas. I only hope Farrah's family and friends take up the cause and continue to fight the good fight.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Egads! Not for the faint of heart!
I just finished watching this movie for the first time. Lemme tell ya, what a bloody mess! I too was hoping to see more story about the man and more about the human side, but was completely grossed out by the bloody horror. Had to walk away from the TV several times. I think Mel Gibson missed an opportunity here to tell a really good story. Instead, we are treated to torture and violence for the entire film. Yes, I understand that that too is also an important aspect in Jesus' life and death, but COME ON! YUCK! Visually, the movie is powerful in terms of its technical achievements. However, there was no character development and unless you are an avid reader of the bible then you don't know how Jesus got to this point in the first place. This film has Hollywood sensationalism written all over it and we, the viewing public bought into it.
The Girl Next Door (2004)
pleasantly surprised
As a huge fan of all that is John Hughes, it was no surprise to discover certain homages paid to its teen movie predecessors. Even in the score of the film there was the underlying beat of that Risky Business mood music (or something closely resembling it) in key scenes with Emile.
In a film that could have easily turned to garbage with boobs and butts galore, the filmmakers never forgot that what we were dealing with here, is simply two kids trying to be comfortable in their own skin. They discover a balance in each other and fall head over heels. And why wouldn't they? I can't remember the last time in any recent release where two characters were able to communiccate so much through their facial expressions and eyes.
So what if the premise is far-fetched. We could all pick apart the logistics of such a scenario with its ridiculous improbabilities. However, the reason we all fork over our hard earned money at the box office or in rentals or in cable subscriptions is that we want to be entertained. This movie does just that and was in no way the predictable teen farce that Hollywood usually cranks out.
7/10
Twisted (2004)
awful, awful, awful
Please save your hard earned money and wait for this disaster to go to cable. It's hard to believe that anyone who has seen this movie has come away actually liking it. Furthermore, I can't believe it's getting an average rating of 5 for IMDB. Maybe because there have been so many schlocky films released this year our viewing standards have been lowered.After the first five minutes, I knew this was going to be horrible. Between the overacting and even worse dialogue, Ashley Judd, Samuel L. Jackson and Andy Garcia had no hope in saving this flick. By the time the credits were rolling the audience I was with was laughing so hard, half of us were in tears leaving the theater. I feel sorry for the editors who had to go through the hours of footage for us to slap together the very poor end result. For those of you who do insist on seeing it, you'd be better off flushing your money down the toilet.
The Hours (2002)
A beautiful movie...how refreshing
It's nice to know that the Hollywood machine isn't completely oblivious to those of us who appreciate a great story and even greater acting.For those who do not get this movie and do not understand the plight of the three women involved, no this movie is not for you. Perhaps you'd rather have gone to the latest Ben Affleck disaster-of-a-film instead. The key issue in these women's lives are their own control over their emotions and their destiny. One woman decides to leave her life by death. One woman decides to leave her life by deserting her family. One woman decides to leave her life in the past and embrace the future ahead of her. This movie is about choices and consequences and the relationship one has with oneself. It's about self preservation and identity. How a woman forms her identity and what she does to change it with the cards she is dealt - this is what gives this movie its backbone. These characters are real. Their emotions and strain were almost unbearable to watch because they were so believable.
There were many moments I found myself holding my breath because of what they were allowing us to experience. Keep in mind that most of this film takes place in a pre-Prozac existence when Sigmund Freud was all the rage and modern psychiatry was decades away. Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep are amazing. With so many duds being released and labeled "motion pictures" it's refreshing to sit down to a movie that actually makes you earn the reward of the ending. This is a thinking woman's movie - all others need not apply.