Be Kind Rewind

In Bruges
$14.98
I've watched this movie several times and tonight once again. Heck, I even visited Bruges recently partly because of this film. It's amazingly good. I appreciate movies that work on all levels...clever script, beautiful filming, amazing performances, great soundtrack. Throw in a message or two and you've got a movie that easily passes my "do I want to watch it again and again?" test. The atmosphere of Bruges itself is as vital an element as anything. Five stars.

Jumper
$19.98
I rented and watched this movie off of Netflix recently, when I have asked people I know if they liked it most people either hadn't seen it or said it was just okay so I wasn't expecting much out of this. However I did actually enjoy this movie. It gets going pretty fast and keeps this pace through out the whole movie and at 88 minutes long its just the right length as to not get stale. Hayden Christensen plays David Rice who has the ability to Jump, Jumping in this movie is an ability some have that allows them to teleport to anywhere they have been before instantly. After learning of this ability David runs away from home and his alcoholic father to New York, where he robs a bank. David is living a wonderful life and all seems well until Samuel L. Jackson's character Roland Cox who is a member of a secret organization that hunts down and kills Jumpers known as The Paladins catches up with him. The rest of the movie is a globe trotting action extravagnaza as David must protect his childhood sweet heart from this vicious hunter, and teams up with an unstable Jumper Griffin played by jamie Bell.

So all in all this movie was worth the rental, and I would encourage anyone who has not seen it to check it out. Christensen does a much better job in this movie than his boring performance in StarWars(although his evil scenes in StarWars were good), and the special effects, locations, and action sequences were pretty cool as well. I give this movie a 3 out of 5.

Be Kind Rewind [Blu-ray]
$35.99
This movie is fun and inspiring and one I've watched several times. Watching the 'sweded' movies within the movie is the real treat in repeat viewings and makes you think every Hollywood movie should be sweded rather than made on big budgets. If you liked Science of Sleep than this is another inventive Gondry film.

Lars and the Real Girl
$14.98
"Lars and the Real Girl" is one of the more original movies I've seen in quite some time. It is easy to see how this incredibly inqenious screenplay could have devolved into a farcical, over-the-top picture. A film about a mentally ill, early 30s Midwestern guy who buys a sex doll to keep him company easily could have been a train wreck. Fortunately, it is a gem of film showcasing the talents of Ryan Gosling along with a stellar supporting performances, most notably Patricia Clarkson as Lars doctor.

Lars (Gosling) sister-in-law's pregnancy resurfaces painful childhood memories and brings Lars' mental illness to the forefront. Lars is unable to connect physically and emotionally with another person. The only thing able to bring Lars out of his "shell" and connect is Bianca. The only catch: Bianca is a sex doll Lars created and bought on the internet. The initial shock and amusement of the tight knit community turns to acceptance as they begin to go along with the whole thing. Part of the reason is because everyone adores Lars and his sweet innocence and decency. If it all sounds crazy and absurd, it is, but the movie never succumbs to the temptation to either get too sentimental or slapstick. There are scenes that will cause you to burst into laughter, but instantly bring you back to tender consideration for Lars and his situation.

"Lars and Real Girl" works because it is about people caring and connecting with each other, taking the time to understand who they are and why they are that way, and a community rallying together to help someone they love, in spite of their problems. This is a tender, funny and sentimental (in a really good way) movie that will surprise you, make you think and most of all, warm your heart.