Black Swan

Whoa! This movie was intense. It's one of the best I've seen in a really long time and it's a movie I never ever want to see again. Natalie Portman is just amazing in this one. I worried about her after her lackluster performance in the prequels of Star Wars...(OK, I can't really blame just her...). She wholeheartedly deserves her Oscar nomination. I have plans on seeing the other nominees soon so I can't quite judge the other ladies. It's just an amazing movie. This movie is movie art. This is part of what movie making is all about. Pure awesomeness.

image source: OnlineMovieHut.com

Monday Movie Meme- Should Be Sequels

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Hosted by Molly at The Bumbles Blog. Above picture also taken from The Bumbles Blog.

This week is all about movies that should have sequels but don't. We want to know who and what and where and why and they, Hollywood, has just not given that to us yet...

1. Pirates of the Caribbean 3 2007...yes, the 4th one is out this May but we don't have any of our faves in it besides Captain Jack...no Will Turner as Davy Jones or Elizabeth Swan...I didn't like the ending of the third and I want a new sequel!!!

2. X-Men 3 2006- I want more of all of them. I love Wolverine but I just want more of the whole gang. Bring back Cyclops as some sort of energy being...something!

3. Independence Day 2006- I'd love to see if they achieved world peace or if the aliens came back for more. It would've been a cheesy sequel! But I'm a sucker for those!

4. Star Wars Prequels 1999-2005- Yes, they've been done but can we just forget those were made and do them again?T This time without Jar-Jar and Hayden Christensen.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Genre: Young adult, dystopia, sci-fi
FTC Disclosure: borrowed from local library
Published: 2011
Pages: 398
Content: Adult situations, nothing really offensive.

Description from Goodreads.com:

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

This looked like a fantastic read, a sci-fi/dystopia, and a beautiful cover!!! I knew it was going to be great....OK, not so much.

Good Things: The story is interesting. I liked the plot of a teen getting unfrozen before her time and coming to grips with a new life and a crazy dystopian regime on a spaceship. Revis could have gone a lot of place with this one.

Bad Things: The sad thing is the story could have been so much better, everything could have been so much better. The main characters Amy and Elder were pretty one-dimensional and I didn't really care much about them. Another thing, Revis kept bringing religion and non-religion into her storyline...like since this is a totalitarian regime they must not believe in God anymore because only nonbelievers are cruel and eat babies or something and think Hitler was the best leader in the world and would white wash world Earth history....sigh. I also didn't like her views on sex and love...Amy kept being ashamed of herself and feeling guilty about stuff. This book really felt like a really weird Sunday school parable lesson.

The story could have been great but the delivery was poor. I'm not planning on picking up the next ones...maybe I'll just cheat and read the last chapters.


Rating: 2/5 stars

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Genre: contemporary fiction, social commentary
FTC Disclosure: bought from Target
Published: 2008
Pages: 266
Content: There is some language, violence, and sexual situations.

In a Line: I liked it! I really liked it!

I just really enjoyed how Cleave was able to tell the story by using two completely different women. I loved each woman's perspective. They each had something to learn and something to share.

Little Bee is a refugee from Nigeria fleeing for her life. Sarah is a magazine editor who has just lost her husband. Little Bee seeks out Sarah since she is the only person she knows in England after she leaves the refugee center. Sarah struggles with mourning her husband, raising her son Charlie, and figuring out how to deal with the skeletons in her closet. Little Bee has secrets too...But they both learn how to forgive, to move on, and to love.

Sarah isn't perfect, far from it...but it made her more real, a deeply flawed and human character but one that can rise above it all and live. Little Bee is young and yet so wise beyond her years. She is able to sense what is needed and provide it. The bond that forms is truly remarkable.

The story is horrific and beautiful and I really enjoyed being along for the ride. This is an important story to be told on immigration and refugee centers as well as commentary on how Africa continues to be forgotten. It's a beautiful wake-up and I recommend it for everyone.

Quote: I felt my heart take off lightly like a butterfly and I though, yes, this is it, something has survived in me, something that does not need to run anymore, because it is worth more than all the money in the world and its currency, its true home, is the living. And not just the living in this particular country or in that particular country, but the secret, irresistible heart of the living. I smiled back at Charlie and I knew that the hopes of this whole human world could fit inside one soul.

New Jane Eyre Movie

It looks like we are to have another movie adaptation of Jane Eyre! I must admit I'm pretty excited. Each adaptation has its own unique take on my favorite classic novel. Well, I haven't seen every single adaptation there is...that would take awhile. Just look on IMDB and you'll see what I mean. But of the ones I have seen, the only one that I didn't like was the 1970 TV version with George C. Scott. I just couldn't buy George as my Mr. Rochester...ick.

The latest film opens March 11! First, here is the movie poster...

What do you think? I like it....though, the only thing I'd say against it is the shadow of Rochester is kind of weird...but overall, I think it establishes the mood of the story.

Now the trailer....



How about the trailer? It makes me really excited to see the film!!!  I can't wait. It looks dark and mysterious...granted they probably threw in all the Gothic elements to sell the movie in the trailer... I say that because one of the big points of the book was the triumph of love. Also, Dame Judi Dench is in there! I love her. Focus Pictures also did the last Pride and Prejudice adaptation which is my favorite! So it has all the elements to be an amazing movie and adaptation! Here's to hoping!

Mia Wasikowska as Jane

Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester

TV Friday--Bones

I've been a huge fan of the TV show Bones since it premiered back in 2005 of Fox. It's been an amazing run over the last five seasons. Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan and FBI agent Seeley Booth have had an awesome relationship. All the supporting cast like quirky and fun and free-wheeling Angela and conspiracy theorist and genius Jack Hodgins. All of this has made the show one of the best on TV with character development and great acting and stories.

Except what has happened with season six???? It's been tragic to watch the writing go completely down hill this last season. It's almost as if the actors don't care anymore...their acting has been pretty subpar and the writing? Well, they've made Dr. Brennan a laughing stock now. She's been so socially inept for the first few seasons but she was starting to come into her own until this season... She's saying really awkward things that she just wouldn't say and do. I don't know. This rant will only make sense for those who have watched the show faithfully but I just needed to say my piece. I'm really hoping they get things turned around soon. I miss my favorite show.

And for those who are fans...am I just losing my mind? Or do you feel the least bit disappointed in this season like I do?

Anyone have any shows they love/have loved that started or are starting to go downhill? Would love to hear about them.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jaqueline Kelly

Genre: young adult, historical
FTC Disclosure: borrowed from library
Published: 2009
Pages: 340
Content: G, nothing offensive.

Thoughts in a line: Calpurnia learns about who she is and what she wants and how to deal with life with the help of her scientist grandfather.

Almost twelve Calpurnia, being the only girl out of seven, and living in 1899 in Texas, learns a lot about what is expected of her as a girl and as a girl who carries the name of Tate. Her mother wants her to be a socialite and learn to cook and sew and swoon so she can catch a good husband. But all Calpurnia wants to do is learn and be who she wants to be.

The summer of 1899 Calpurnia finds to courage to go talk to her "scary" grandfather who spends all of his time doing experiments in the shed out back. Her grandfather is so excited to share what he knows with her and to have someone actually in the family care about what he is doing, he takes Calpurnia under his wing and begins to teach about science and how to apply it in her everyday life.

Nothing huge happens in this story. It takes place over about six months. It is just the telling of how a little girl begins to dream and begins to see how she can realize her dreams. She can do and be what she wants; it's her decision. Her mind opens up and expands to take in the whole world. This is such a beautiful novel. Every young girl should read it.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars