Tonight I saw Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman.
John McClane (Willis) is a New York City police officer who travels to Los Angeles to see his family for Christmas. His wife has taken an important job there, and things aren't so great between the couple.
McClane arrives the evening of his wife's company Christmas party and is away from the crowd when a German terrorist group, led by Hans Gruber (Rickman), begins to wreak havoc on the guests. Thus starts a cat-and-mouse game where McClane must save the day because the fumbling law enforcement that's collected outside makes a wrong step at every turn.
This Christmas classic never gets old.
It was thrilling to be able to see it on the big screen at a local indie theater because the crowd was just as into it tonight as they were in 1988. From the quotable one-liners that McClane delivers to the ever-evil posturing of the late Alan Rickman, it was nothing short of a pleasure to re-live. And boy, how it made me miss Rickman.
Until next year ...
~~~
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Friday, December 06, 2019
Elf
Tonight I saw Elf, starring Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel.
The modern holiday classic is always a joy to watch, but I had never seen it on the big screen until tonight. Thank you, Edmonds Theater!
Buddy (Ferrell) is adopted at the North Pole and raised as an elf in Santa's workshop, though his human qualities don't always fit in with his peers. He begins a quest to develop a relationship with his father, Walter (James Caan), and heads to New York City to do so.
There, Buddy is basically a bull in a China shop. He dresses as an elf and disrupts every environment he enters with his childlike behavior and naiveté. Though his father thinks of him as a burden, his stepmother Emily (Mary Steenburgen) and his colleague Jovie (Deschanel) see past his oddball tendencies and realize the sweet spirit that lies beneath.
It's a hilarious character that could only be executed by Ferrell in this way; for underneath the slapstick is a whole lot of heart. That, coupled with his chemistry with Deschanel (who, thankfully for us, gets to share her beautiful voice for a bit in this film) makes for a surprisingly sentimental holiday comedy.
I won't ever tire of this Christmas treat.
~~~
The modern holiday classic is always a joy to watch, but I had never seen it on the big screen until tonight. Thank you, Edmonds Theater!
Buddy (Ferrell) is adopted at the North Pole and raised as an elf in Santa's workshop, though his human qualities don't always fit in with his peers. He begins a quest to develop a relationship with his father, Walter (James Caan), and heads to New York City to do so.
There, Buddy is basically a bull in a China shop. He dresses as an elf and disrupts every environment he enters with his childlike behavior and naiveté. Though his father thinks of him as a burden, his stepmother Emily (Mary Steenburgen) and his colleague Jovie (Deschanel) see past his oddball tendencies and realize the sweet spirit that lies beneath.
It's a hilarious character that could only be executed by Ferrell in this way; for underneath the slapstick is a whole lot of heart. That, coupled with his chemistry with Deschanel (who, thankfully for us, gets to share her beautiful voice for a bit in this film) makes for a surprisingly sentimental holiday comedy.
I won't ever tire of this Christmas treat.
~~~
Monday, November 20, 2017
The Man Who Invented Christmas
On Wednesday, I saw The Man Who Invented Christmas, starring Dan Stevens and Christopher Plummer.
Based on a script that was based on a non-fiction work, this film tells a dramatized version of the weeks leading up to the publication of Charles Dickens' masterpiece, A Christmas Carol. As a Dickens freak myself (first stop on my first trip to London was a visit to his historical house), I couldn't have been more excited when I heard this was coming out, with Downton Abbey's Stevens in the lead role. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the outcome.
The film attempts to tell, in an overtly manic way, how chaotic Dickens' life was when he was dreaming up this story. People constantly coming in and out of the house, more children than they knew what to do with and a father that just kept "taking" from his famous son. It can't have been easy to concentrate on writing, and if that was the goal of the movie, then it was well achieved.
The problem is, it's rather annoying. Most importantly, the narrative is devoid of the magic expected in a presentation about a work of literature that changed the way the British (and later the world, it could be argued) celebrated Christmas.
Christopher Plummer isn't in it enough as Scrooge, and the minor characters are perhaps too minor to care out.
A shame, because the topic is such a rich one.
~~~
Based on a script that was based on a non-fiction work, this film tells a dramatized version of the weeks leading up to the publication of Charles Dickens' masterpiece, A Christmas Carol. As a Dickens freak myself (first stop on my first trip to London was a visit to his historical house), I couldn't have been more excited when I heard this was coming out, with Downton Abbey's Stevens in the lead role. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the outcome.
The film attempts to tell, in an overtly manic way, how chaotic Dickens' life was when he was dreaming up this story. People constantly coming in and out of the house, more children than they knew what to do with and a father that just kept "taking" from his famous son. It can't have been easy to concentrate on writing, and if that was the goal of the movie, then it was well achieved.
The problem is, it's rather annoying. Most importantly, the narrative is devoid of the magic expected in a presentation about a work of literature that changed the way the British (and later the world, it could be argued) celebrated Christmas.
Christopher Plummer isn't in it enough as Scrooge, and the minor characters are perhaps too minor to care out.
A shame, because the topic is such a rich one.
~~~
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
The Fitzgerald Family Christmas
Tonight I saw The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, starring Edward Burns and Anita Gillette.
Jerry (Burns) wants his siblings to gather and celebrate his mother's birthday a few days before Christmas but they all have other commitments, so plan B is to reunite the whole family—including their estranged patriarch—for Christmas dinner.
The youngest of the bunch want nothing to do with their father, still holding onto anger from his abandonment years ago; the older children are more sympathetic, but vow to leave the final decision up to their mother (Gillette).
In the midst of all of the shuffling, one sister is dealing with an abusive husband, while another brother is hoping to propose marriage to the younger girlfriend he "likes a lot." Oh, and Dad announces that he has cancer.
What I love about Edward Burns' films (he wrote and directed this one as well) is that there are always a lot of moving parts, and plenty of characters who we may or may not really get to know. Why do I love this? Because it's just like life.
Every breathing soul in our world is not necessarily someone we know, but somehow in some way, they may have a lot to do with our life. And who lives a life free of drama? None of us. So it's nice to see that dysfunctional existence brought to the surface on screen.
Everyone here feels as if they have an actual beating heart, and everyone here is someone we may like. Or not. None of the members of this family are perfect (though Jerry probably comes the closest), but all of them have redeeming qualities. The beauty is that though conceptually the family is very stereotypical (Irish, Catholic, etc.), the characters are so well fleshed-out, they're anything but one-dimensional.
Location is less of a character compared to past films such as Sidewalks of New York and Purple Violets, but the cozy interiors tell enough of a story to satisfy a sense of place.
My only real criticism of this story would lie in the underuse of Connie Britton who plays nurse Nora. She's an endearing break from the core family drama, and sparks impressive chemistry with Burns. I wish she'd had more of a prominent spot later in the film, but perhaps she's being saved for the sequel?
I suppose time will tell, but until then, I'll wonder about who will be seated at next year's Fitzgerald Christmas dinner.
~~~
Jerry (Burns) wants his siblings to gather and celebrate his mother's birthday a few days before Christmas but they all have other commitments, so plan B is to reunite the whole family—including their estranged patriarch—for Christmas dinner.
The youngest of the bunch want nothing to do with their father, still holding onto anger from his abandonment years ago; the older children are more sympathetic, but vow to leave the final decision up to their mother (Gillette).
In the midst of all of the shuffling, one sister is dealing with an abusive husband, while another brother is hoping to propose marriage to the younger girlfriend he "likes a lot." Oh, and Dad announces that he has cancer.
What I love about Edward Burns' films (he wrote and directed this one as well) is that there are always a lot of moving parts, and plenty of characters who we may or may not really get to know. Why do I love this? Because it's just like life.
Every breathing soul in our world is not necessarily someone we know, but somehow in some way, they may have a lot to do with our life. And who lives a life free of drama? None of us. So it's nice to see that dysfunctional existence brought to the surface on screen.
Everyone here feels as if they have an actual beating heart, and everyone here is someone we may like. Or not. None of the members of this family are perfect (though Jerry probably comes the closest), but all of them have redeeming qualities. The beauty is that though conceptually the family is very stereotypical (Irish, Catholic, etc.), the characters are so well fleshed-out, they're anything but one-dimensional.
Location is less of a character compared to past films such as Sidewalks of New York and Purple Violets, but the cozy interiors tell enough of a story to satisfy a sense of place.
My only real criticism of this story would lie in the underuse of Connie Britton who plays nurse Nora. She's an endearing break from the core family drama, and sparks impressive chemistry with Burns. I wish she'd had more of a prominent spot later in the film, but perhaps she's being saved for the sequel?
I suppose time will tell, but until then, I'll wonder about who will be seated at next year's Fitzgerald Christmas dinner.
~~~
Friday, November 25, 2011
Arthur Christmas
Tonight I saw the animated holiday film Arthur Christmas.
Arthur (James McAvoy) is the youngest of Santa's children. He wears Christmas sweaters we'd only wear as a joke and painstakingly answers Santa's miles and piles of mail.
Steve (Hugh Laurie) is Arthur's older brother, trusted with the operation of getting gifts to kids successfully across the world on the big day.
Santa (Jim Broadbent) is getting old; Grandsanta (Bill Nighy) is already 139. They're both not up to what they used to be.
When it is discovered on Christmas Eve that little Gwen (Ramona Marquez) of Cornwall, England, has accidentally been skipped, Arthur and Grandsanta set out to deliver her pink sparkly bike themselves.
It's a very classic story about doing the right thing that's infused with modern-day humor (there is more than one laugh at the expense of lead toys; they use a GPS to try to locate Gwen's home).
But what's so refreshing about the movie is the lack of 'potty' jokes that seem to permeate 99% of the kids' flicks made today. I was so glad to have chosen to see one that is in the 1%.
The voices are all famous Brits (save for a few of the supporting characters, who are American) and their presence only makes the characters more endearing. Arthur is an inherently sweet soul; Mrs. Santa (Imelda Staunton) is a classic, comforting mum; Bryony (Ashley Jensen) is an elf charmingly obsessed with package bows.
This is one for the whole family—there are enough clever adult references to keep the grown-ups smiling and plenty of holiday action to delight the children.
Seeing this is a great way to kick off the 2011 holiday season.
~~~
Arthur (James McAvoy) is the youngest of Santa's children. He wears Christmas sweaters we'd only wear as a joke and painstakingly answers Santa's miles and piles of mail.
Steve (Hugh Laurie) is Arthur's older brother, trusted with the operation of getting gifts to kids successfully across the world on the big day.
Santa (Jim Broadbent) is getting old; Grandsanta (Bill Nighy) is already 139. They're both not up to what they used to be.
When it is discovered on Christmas Eve that little Gwen (Ramona Marquez) of Cornwall, England, has accidentally been skipped, Arthur and Grandsanta set out to deliver her pink sparkly bike themselves.
It's a very classic story about doing the right thing that's infused with modern-day humor (there is more than one laugh at the expense of lead toys; they use a GPS to try to locate Gwen's home).
But what's so refreshing about the movie is the lack of 'potty' jokes that seem to permeate 99% of the kids' flicks made today. I was so glad to have chosen to see one that is in the 1%.
The voices are all famous Brits (save for a few of the supporting characters, who are American) and their presence only makes the characters more endearing. Arthur is an inherently sweet soul; Mrs. Santa (Imelda Staunton) is a classic, comforting mum; Bryony (Ashley Jensen) is an elf charmingly obsessed with package bows.
This is one for the whole family—there are enough clever adult references to keep the grown-ups smiling and plenty of holiday action to delight the children.
Seeing this is a great way to kick off the 2011 holiday season.
~~~
Thursday, November 30, 2006
The Holiday
Last night I braved the Seattle snow storm to see a screening of The Holiday starring Kate Winslet and Jude Law.
Is it predictable? Yes. Formulaic? Of course. Charming? Yeah—that too. And that's why I forgive its cookie-cutter-composition. Because it made me feel good.
All of the Bridget Jones comparisons will be fair—right down to the details (Winslet's 'Iris' is even a writer), but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable to watch.
We have two couples that have suffered cheating (anchored by Jack Black and Cameron Diaz), one office romance gone-wrong (the source of Winslet's distress) and one dashing Brit with a secret (Law). And to top it off, all of our players are wealthy or at least upper-middle class. The story couldn't be easier to compose, but we still find ourselves rooting for certain characters and booing at the rest.
Go into this film with high expectations and you may get irritated with its simplicity, but if you go in ready to have a good time you'll come away with a smile on your face.
And really—who can say that Jack Black and Kate Winslet don't make the most adorable couple ever?
Is it predictable? Yes. Formulaic? Of course. Charming? Yeah—that too. And that's why I forgive its cookie-cutter-composition. Because it made me feel good.
All of the Bridget Jones comparisons will be fair—right down to the details (Winslet's 'Iris' is even a writer), but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable to watch.
We have two couples that have suffered cheating (anchored by Jack Black and Cameron Diaz), one office romance gone-wrong (the source of Winslet's distress) and one dashing Brit with a secret (Law). And to top it off, all of our players are wealthy or at least upper-middle class. The story couldn't be easier to compose, but we still find ourselves rooting for certain characters and booing at the rest.
Go into this film with high expectations and you may get irritated with its simplicity, but if you go in ready to have a good time you'll come away with a smile on your face.
And really—who can say that Jack Black and Kate Winslet don't make the most adorable couple ever?
Monday, November 20, 2006
The Nativity Story
Tonight I saw The Nativity Story starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac.
Perfectly timed to coincide with the holiday season, this film begins at the time of the Virgin Mary's "miracle" and concludes following the birth of Jesus Christ.
Castle-Hughes does a fine job of portraying the naive young Mary, and Isaac is equally convincing as the understanding Joseph. The supporting characters were also very true to their Biblical descriptions with the exception of the Three Wisemen who were a bit too comical for my liking.
The cinematography is striking—you do feel as if you are roaming about ancient Nazareth, however the element that is missing is the intangible magic that a story so sacred deserves. I felt guilty for not weeping when the Star of Bethlehem lit up the sky, or when they showed crucified men lined up in the village for show.
Perhaps its me that needs the spark of divinity, or maybe it was just the film.
Perfectly timed to coincide with the holiday season, this film begins at the time of the Virgin Mary's "miracle" and concludes following the birth of Jesus Christ.
Castle-Hughes does a fine job of portraying the naive young Mary, and Isaac is equally convincing as the understanding Joseph. The supporting characters were also very true to their Biblical descriptions with the exception of the Three Wisemen who were a bit too comical for my liking.
The cinematography is striking—you do feel as if you are roaming about ancient Nazareth, however the element that is missing is the intangible magic that a story so sacred deserves. I felt guilty for not weeping when the Star of Bethlehem lit up the sky, or when they showed crucified men lined up in the village for show.
Perhaps its me that needs the spark of divinity, or maybe it was just the film.
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