Morning Glory (2010, U.S.)

I had absolutely no idea what this movie was going to be about, but I saw it just because I adore Rachel McAdams. It was really a unique film. A young television producer gets a new position and must revive a struggling morning show program that consistently falls behind Good Morning America and its ilk. She fires the sleazy male cohost and lands a star news reporter (through a loop in his contract) who hates morning shows and constantly fights with the producer, his cohost, and everyone else.

Basically, this was a great ensemble drama with a slight twist of witty comedy. Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Patrick Wilson, and Jeff Goldblum wove their parts together in seamless harmony. It was very cleverly written and a lot of fun. On the other hand, the drama side really makes you root for the show and hope it gets better ratings, even if you (like me) aren't the kind of person that cares about morning shows at all.

I liked this one quite a bit, but I especially bumped it up from 3.5 to 4.0 just for Rachel McAdams. She's just so cute, savvy, sexy, and spunky. I love her. Did I mention that?

Rating: 4.0

Zoolander (2001, U.S.)

Ten points for guessing why I decided to watch this one, which is way outside of my normal taste. Yes, a certain Swede, who is in the movie for all of two minutes. But what a good two minutes it was... "orange mocha frappuccino!"

I was shocked at how good this movie actually was. Yes, it was ridiculously silly, but it wasn't the dirty humor you'd expect. Instead it was quite witty and satirical about the fashion industry. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson make a great comedic duo, and the entire ensemble as a whole worked very well together.

There are many, many laugh-out-loud moments, both for a more intelligent viewer and the average dumb comedy viewer. I would watch it again, and that's pretty high praise for me when it comes to comedy!

Rating: 3.5

How To Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008, UK)

I'm not sure why I wanted to watch this movie. I think it's because every time I see a movie with Simon Pegg, I assume it will be the type of movie I hate, and yet I always like it. He is just someone who can pull off the kind of comedy that doesn't appeal to me and make it truly funny. And he can do the good, witty kind too. I like that.

Basically, this is about an irritating English journalist who crashes parties and irritates celebrities. When he crashes the big Sharp's magazine party, he thinks he's going to get it from Clayton Sharp. Instead, he gets a job there. Even though he irritates people, he has a remarkable sense of journalistic integrity. It's only when he gives up that integrity that he can succeed in his career, however.

I liked this movie. It was funny, it cast attention-seeking type celebrities in a negative light, it highlighted the things that really matter in life. Not what I was expecting, but a nice surprise. I'd definitely recommend it.

Oh, and Kirsten Dunst might finally be growing on me.

Rating: 3.5

Quantum of Solace (2008, UK)

I. Love. Daniel. Craig. There is no other Bond for me. To be fair, I've only ever seen the Brosnan and Craig films. And Casino Royale was my first Bond, and I already had a soft spot for it because I'd seen them filming it. But still.

The plot of Quantum of Solace was very typically Bond, probably more so than Casino Royale. Bad guys doing something extremely technologically complicated, creative, and deviously evil. (And as far as evil plots go, this one really takes the cake—but I don't want to give it away.) Sexy women getting in the way, sleeping with Bond, getting killed off. Car chases, shootouts, and explosions. Only this time, Bond had more than duty motivating him—he had revenge. And he very subtly reaches toward revenging Vesper's death. It's not an obvious plot point, but it nicely ties QofS with CR. I love continuity.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with the beginning. I did not like the opening credits, nor the new theme song performed by Jack White and Alicia Keyes. (Surprising, because I do love Jack White.) I just don't think anything could touch "You Know My Name" and the clever gambling theme of the CR credits. I liked the "cut out" looking men more than the CGI women, even if it was less "Bond."

The opening scene of QofS is a car chase. I'm back and forth on car chases overall; they have to be really well done to get my attention. And while this one was pretty cool, the jerky camera movements were just a bit too much. It's hard to appreciate a scene when your eyes can't focus on it! It also took me awhile to figure out what was happening. Apparently the beginning of this film takes place directly after the end of the last film. Again, love the continuity—don't love that Bond was wearing a different suit. Confusing!

After that, it was all great. I'm still a bit confused on some of the plot points, but as far as I can tell, every Bond film takes at least two viewings to work out the kinks of who did what and why. The casting was fabulous. Of course I love Craig and Dench, so no surprises there. The actors who portrayed the main Bond girl and the main villian were both amazing. Olga Kurylenko was both fragile and tough, and she definitely held her own. Mathieu Amalric can only be described as "slimy." They were perfect.

The cinematography was well done (from gritty to stunning, depending on the . The score was understated and effective (though again, it didn't touch CR either). The choreography (I'm talking fight scenes here) was realistic and yet very dance-like (if that makes sense).

I'm pretty much dying to see it again.

Rating: 4.5