Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Director:

David O. Russell

Starring:

Bradley Cooper

Jennifer Lawrence

Robert De Niro

Plot:

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

Review:

So this was one of the top movies Netflix had recommended for romance and I haven’t seen it, so I figured why not.

Not a very romantic opening. Bradley Cooper’s character is bipolar and doesn’t want to take his meds. He’s a bit crazy with moments of way too crazy. Tiffany, Jennifer Lawrence, is also messed up. Her cop husband has died and she has fallen back into bad habits. Slutty habits. She really just needs someone to love her for her and not for her wild sexy behavior.

After it’s clearly explained that they’re both fucked up, Tiffany says she’ll only give his ex-wife a letter if he dances with her. Naturally.

When they finally dance I had my fingers in my ears and I was humming because it was just too much tension for me. In the end their crazies meld and everyone was happy.

This was not the type of romance I was looking for, and the beginning was a bit rough for me to get through, but I liked the ending. I guess I’m just not cultured enough to like Oscar winners.

3/5

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Jupiter Ascending

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Director:

Andy Wachowskis & Lana Wachowskis

Starring:

Channing Tatum

Mila Kunis

Eddie Redmayne

Plot:

In a bright and colorful future, a young destitute caretaker gets targeted by the ruthless son of a powerful family who lives on a planet in need of a new heir, so she travels with a genetically engineered warrior to the planet in order to stop his tyrant reign.

Review:

First off, I thought the score was amazing. More movies need full scores.

Now onto the rest.

I was really looking forward to this movie because I love the Wachowskis. The last time I doubted them, they brought me Cloud Atlas, and that is one of my top ten movies. So I tried to ignore all the negative reviews I was seeing for Jupiter.

Honestly, I didn’t hate the movie, but it is not one of my favorite. I thought it was merely ok.

The first fight scene was fine, though I thought they cut too often to people’s faces and didn’t show the action as well as I would like. It wasn’t shaky cam it was editing. My husband says they wanted to highlight the fact that the actors did their own stuff, to which I say, I don’t care, I want to see action, not close ups.

There were several jumps in the story, where I guess they ran out of time and assumed the viewer could figure it out. When they did this it took me out of the movie while I figured out an explanation for what was going on. I found that to be incredibly frustrating.

I hated the romance between Kane, Tatum, and Jupiter, Kunis. I thought it was completely unnecessary and they could have easily cut it and filled out all the places that they jumped over.

I didn’t mind the casting, though, Tatum was not my favorite. I thought Kunis was able to pull off regal well, but I disliked the fact that Kane was always saving her. That being said I thought she handled the last fight well enough. Balem, Eddie Redmayne, the main bad dude, wasn’t someone I enjoyed either. His low voice at times was hard to hear. I understand that him yelling was supposed to show his uncontrollable temper, but I thought he could still do that without talking so low all the time.

I did not like the ending. The movie was on such a grand scale. Universes and planets and corporations that last a millennium. All that, and the ending is her on those stupid gravity boots flying through the Chicago skyline with her new boyfriend. Talk about anticlimactic.

Not my favorite movie and I thought there was a lot wrong, however, the world that was created was incredibly interesting and I would love to know more. Also, and it bears repeating, amazing score.

2.75/5

I Only Have Eyes For You (The Sullivans #4) By: Bella Andre

I Only Have Eyes For You

I Only Have Eyes For You (The Sullivans #4) By: Bella Andre

Plot:

In I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU, Sophie Sullivan, a librarian in San Francisco, was five years old when she fell head over heels in love with Jake McCann. Twenty years later, she’s convinced the notorious bad boy still sees her as the “nice” Sullivan twin. That is, when he bothers to look at her at all. But when they both get caught up in the magic of the first Sullivan wedding, she knows it’s long past time to do whatever it takes to make him see her for who she truly is…the woman who will love him forever. Jake has always been a magnet for women, especially since his Irish pubs made him extremely wealthy. But the only woman he really wants is the one he can never have. Not only is Sophie his best friend’s off-limits younger sister…he can’t risk letting her get close enough to discover his deeply hidden secret. Only, when Sophie appears on his doorstep as Jake’s every fantasy come to life–smart, beautiful, and shockingly sexy–he doesn’t have a prayer of taking his eyes, or his hands, off her. And he can’t stop craving more of her sweet smiles and sinful kisses. Because even though Jake knows loving Sophie isn’t the right thing to do…how can he possibly resist? (love story, contemporary romance, alpha heroes, beach reads, sexy romance, bad boys, falling in love)

Review:

I like when the bad boy gets love. Andre kept on calling Jake a bad boy and the Sullivans certainly thought he was incapable of love. Which was weird actually. One of them knew his life story but he too thought Jake couldn’t love. Jake had an abusive dad and sometimes growing up had to resort to violence to protect himself. That by no means, means that you can’t love. You need love more than anyone.

Oh well. Sophie and her mom knew Jake was worth it.

I wasn’t too fond of the one week to prove that she should marry him, but it could have been worse. Whatever you do don’t read a book titled One night, Two babies. It’s horrible. These two books have similarities in plot, but Andre’s is worlds better.

3.5/5

Re-Watch: You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Youve Got Mail

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Director:

Nora Ephron

Starring:

Tom Hanks

Meg Ryan

Greg Kinnear

Plot:

Two business rivals hate each other at the office but fall in love over the internet.

Review:

The intro is so great, the sound of the internet connecting. So many memories… Obviously the technology doesn’t hold up.

I like the modern interpretation of The Shop Around the Corner. Unlike In the Good Old Summertime, this isn’t just adding music or a modern setting. The story takes several new changes. Kathleen Kelly, Meg Ryan, isn’t working beneath Joe Fox, Tom Hanks, she owns her own business and they are rivals. She isn’t as mean as the other women either. She has her moment, but it’s a fluke and not something she’s normally able to do. When she is mean what she says is, basically, what the women said in the previous movies.

Tom Hanks is probably just as awesome as Jimmy Stewart, love him.

Like the soundtrack in this movie too.

Honestly, this is one of my favorite romance movies, it’s been a while since I’ve watched it so I’m glad I had an excuse.

5/5

Can’t Help Falling in Love (The Sullivans #3) By: Bella Andre

Can't Help Falling in Love

Can’t Help Falling in Love (The Sullivans #3) By: Bella Andre

Plot:

Get ready for another Sullivan bad boy to fall in love in the third book of Bella Andre’s bestselling contemporary romance series! Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco. But after learning a brutal lesson about professional boundaries, he knows better than to risk his heart to his fire victims ever again. Especially the brave mother and daughter he saved from a deadly apartment fire…and can’t stop thinking about. Megan Harris knows she owes the heroic firefighter everything for running into a burning building to save her and her seven-year-old daughter. Everything except her heart. Because after losing her navy pilot husband five years ago, she has vowed to never suffer through loving – and losing – a man with a dangerous job again. Only, when Gabe and Megan meet again and uncontrollable flames of desire ignite between them, how can he possibly ignore her courage, determination, and beauty? And how can she deny not only his strong bond with her daughter, but the way his sweetly sensual kisses are challenging her to risk everything she’s been guarding for so long? This winter, if one – or both – of them aren’t careful, they just might end up falling in love.

Review:

I didn’t like this one as much as the previous two. I’m not sure why though. Maybe it was because I read it back to back with the previous one and I really liked the previous two? I don’t know.

Gabe and Megan were an alright couple. Megan’s daughter Summer was fine too. I just didn’t get into them as much. Maybe it was Megan’s fears? Some were completely justified others I just thought she should be able to see through.

Like I said, I’m not sure why I didn’t like this one as much. Oh well on to the next!

3/5