The Fighter (2010, U.S.)

I never really had much interest in seeing this, because I'm just not a big sports movie sort of gal. But after all the Oscar buzz, I decided I better check it out anyway. Besides, I have great respect for the talents of Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, and Amy Adams.

Basically, it's exactly what you'd expect it to be. Poor guy from Lowell, Massachusetts tries to follow in his older brother's athletic footsteps, but not his drug-addicted, law-breaking ones. He wants to maintain his relationship with his brother, who he loves and once respected, even though his brother is dragging him down. He wants to get out of the neighborhood and away from his overbearing mother and gaggle of sisters. He wants to earn enough to support his daughter. He wants to be with the woman he loves even though his family doesn't approve. He struggles, he triumphs, the end.

I hate to oversimplify the plot and make it sound like I'm mocking it, because I'm not. The acting was phenomenal, as you would expect from Bale (a well-earned Oscar), Wahlberg, and Adams especially. The real surprise to me was Melissa Leo (another well-earned Oscar) and the 5? 6? sisters. Between all those women, the two men, and Adams (who played Wahlberg's girlfriend), the dynamic was astounding. The family felt like a big, crazy, female-dominated family, and there was especially no love lost between the sisters and the girlfriend. Realistic stuff, and funny in a sad sort of way. Excellent ensemble.

When it comes down to it, though, it's just another sports movie to me. Exceptionally well acted, and probably interesting to those with an interest in the subject, but all the brilliant acting chops in the world wouldn't make this my favorite movie. It's just not my thing, and I appreciated it for what it was. (Probably a must for sports fans in general, boxing fans in particular, Massachusetts residents, and fans of the lead actors.)

Rating: 3.0

Leap Year (2010, U.S.)

This was one of the best romantic comedies I've seen in a long while, probably because there was more wit... even the slapstick parts were witty.

Basically, Anna (Amy Adams) has a perfect little life. She stages apartments for a living and her boyfriend is a successful cardiologist. However, it seems like they're never going to get married. So she takes the initiative and flies to meet him at a conference in Ireland, the land of her ancestors, where there is a tradition that a woman can propose to her man on one day only—Leap Day. A series of things goes wrong, and somehow she ends up stranded in the middle of nowhere on the coast of Ireland, where she enlists the help of pub owner Declan.

Hilarious antics ensue, and Declan and Anna inevitably fall in love. Duh! I was surprised to find that critics tore this apart, calling its plot recycled and other horrible things. There was great situational comedy, lots of witty jokes, and wow was Matthew Goode fabulous. I've always found Amy Adams hilarious, but Goode stole the show. His performance was so subtle but he had my friend and I giggling out loud the whole time. You have to believe that he's a coastal Irish lad, though he's really from Devon!

Irish scenery speaks for itself. Beautiful.

The only thing I really didn't like about it was how conveniently-ever-after it all ended. Of course, that's not unusual for a romantic comedy, but really. An upscale American girl and a down-on-his-luck Irish guy? We end with them starring dreamily into each other's eyes as the sun sets, but where will they live? How will they make their money? What happens when the credits roll? Anyhow.

Rating: 4.0

Enchanted (2007, U.S.)

I wasn't expecting too much from this one, but I actually ended up liking it. A mixed live action and animated film is always risky, but I think it worked in this case. Amy Adams is a fairytale princess who is sent to New York City in the real world by an evil queen. Princess Giselle begins to change her views on life and love after meeting a handsome lawyer played by Patrick Dempsey.

Patrick Dempsey was just an unfortunate casting choice. The man is not a great actor, or even that attractive. Thankfully, Amy Adams is so vivacious she takes over the screen, and everyone else pales in comparison anyway. (Also, casting Idina Menzel in a minor, non-singing sort of role is really unfortunate.) Anyway, plus Susan Sarandon as the evil witch, and this was pretty engaging for a kids' flick.

As for music, wow. This was Disney at its best, especially Princess Giselle's house cleaning song. I was almost tempted to download the soundtrack!

Rating: 3.5

Julie & Julia (2009, U.S.)

Nora Ephron is the queen of women's interest classy comedy. Truly. Julia Child is a loud, opinionated, unusual American in France who wants to cook. And 50 years later, Julie Powell is a depressed, unfulfilled woman living in New York who decides to cook through Child's cookbook in a year. The only thing that makes this story better is the fact that it's true. Fascinating.

Meryl Streep and Amy Adams both have a comedic gift. Combined, it was almost too much. Hilarious. Their screen spouses also had great chemistry with them.

I also liked the way the two stories were blended together. They paralleled and complemented each other, but they could also stand alone quite easily.

Good comedy plus unique and engaging history is a neat combination. Combined with good acting, good sets, a good score (by Alexandre Desplat, one of my favorites!), and good scripting, it was really worth watching.

One little thing that bothered me was Julie finding out that Julia didn't like her blog. However, she drops that bomb and then it's never mentioned again. I just don't understand it, and it nearly ruined the ending for me. Still, I thought the last shot closed the movie exactly right.

Rating: 3.5

Sunshine Cleaning (2008, U.S.)

I went into this movie thinking it would be more comedy than drama, but let me be the first to tell you that isn't the case.

The best thing about this movie is that the characters were so real. A lot of times, characters are so obviously "characters" rather than "people," but not here. This family consists of a single mom who works as a maid, her young (and very strange) son, her (even stranger) father, and her screw-up sister. Their mother died when they were a child. Other characters include a married cop who the older sister is having an affair with, a group of shallow women she knew in high school, and a one-armed vacuum salesman. Every single one is so believable.

Also, what an usual story. This family is struggling to survive, and the main character hears that cleaning up crime scenes is a lucrative business. She drags her sister, who has just been fired from another job, into the work, and Sunshine Cleaning is born. The older sister sees herself as someone who helps others in a small way when they're going through a tough time. How they both react to the business tells a lot about their personalities—and how their mother's death changed them both and their relationship with each other.

This one is definitely an original, and quite well done.

Rating: 3.5

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008, UK)

My friend Stefanie recommended this film to me, saying it was one of the best situational comedies since the Golden Age of cinema. She was definitely right. In fact, since it was set in the late 1930s, it might as well have been filmed in the late 1930s.

There was plenty of situational comedy, as well as some pretty witty one-liners. Romance, a hard-working main character contrasted with some pretty shallow other characters, set against the backdrop of an emerging war... The only thing I didn't like was the message that finding a man is the only thing that will make your life complete or even worth living.

You can't help but love Amy Adams. She adds a spark to whatever project she's involved with, I think. There's just something about her. And I never knew that Frances McDormand was so amusing.

If you're looking for an enjoyable, relaxing evening with a few good laughs, I'd definitely recommend this one.

Rating: 4.0