Lauren's bite-sized movie blurbs.

As it is Oscar season (Hurrah! Yipee!), Tane and I have been going nuts with movie watching. We have seen five in the last 10 days, and I am starting to feel that Reading Cinemas in Wellington is my second home. I became aware of just how extreme our movie watching has been recently when I went to buy my pre- movie sorbet (my current food rut, or "frut") this evening and realised that I have eaten all of the flavours within the last week. Hmmmm.

Anyway, I wanted to write my very own movie blurb. I am sorry these aren't as long or as good as Tane's, but quite frankly, I am too lazy. I am too lazy even to think up an excuse to hide my laziness. So, here you go, my bite sized reviews:

The Prestige

I’m not going to say much about this film because I don’t want to spoil the plot in any way. But - I loved The Prestige because of its moral ambiguity, the twisty plot, and the fact that I have never seen a movie quite like it before. I saw it days ago and am still pestering Tane with my theories about why certain things happened. I haven’t had a movie get that much under my skin for a long time.

8/10

Happy Feet

Happy Feet was great. It had it all – singing, Robin Williams, great gags, and dancing penguins. Happy Feet is one of those movies that you will leave with a smile. Unless, of course, unless you are the Grinch who stole movie joy.

As the credits rolled, I noticed a little girl sitting along from me squirming in her seat. She was beaming, and soon got up to dance in the aisle. By the end of the credits, her and two other little kids were dancing up in front of the screen. I think that says it all about Happy Feet and how infectious it was.

8/10

Apocalypto

I know that some of you will want to instantly dismiss this movie as being both historically inaccurate and part of a great right-wing conspiracy lead by Mel Gibson. I, however, enjoyed this movie. It was a feast for the senses, with fantastic costumes, music (a very Braveheart-esque soundtrack by James Horner), and scenery. It was great to hear Mayan spoken throughout the movie, and after seeing Apocalypto I have started to fantasise about backpacking around the Mayan ruins in Central America. I have been reading about Mayan culture since seeing the movie, and while the movie was historically inaccurate it has made me more interested in a part of the world that I hadn’t given too much thought before.

My only criticism of Apocalypto was that it was way too violent. It was so violent at one point I seriously considered hiding under my coat. My sister Ngaire summed up the violence really well when we were discussing the Snifters (her movie "frut") that she had bought to eat during the movie. "You know" she said. "I really didn't eat as many Snifters during the movie as I usually do".

7/10

Casino Royale

I liked this movie, but didn’t love it. The portrayal of Bond intrigued me, and I loved the action scenes. I couldn’t shake the feeling though that I don’t have enough testosterone to see the full appeal of this film. Although, I did have enough oestrogen to fully appreciate the little blue shorts.

7/10

The Queen

This movie was really good, and I was impressed with how it managed to be simultaneously sympathetic to both the Queen and Tony Blair. Helen Mirren was spectacular as Queen Elizabeth, and if she does not get the Oscar for Best Actress I will be very disappointed in the Academy. They, after all, owe it to the world to show some common sense after the Best Picture debacle of 2006.

7.5/10

Babel

Babel was a great movie. Well made with excellent scenery and an intricate plot, Babel is a must-see. If Babel gets Best Picture, which it may well do, I will nod with approval rather than want to throw things at the TV.

8/10