Movie Tuesday

Surf's Up

Synopsis (from netflix.com): In this animated mockumentary, film crews go behind the scenes at the Penguin World Surfing Championship to provide a close-up look at the inventors of surfing. Yes, penguins were the first species to hang 10 -- or at least that's what this Oscar-nominated film purports. Animators Ash Brannon and Chris Buck co-direct the spoof, and Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel, Brian Benben, Jane Krakowski, Michael McKean and James Woods, among others, lend their voices.

My take: Loved it. Dh thought it would be the dumbest movie ever, and sat at the table while I started the movie. By 20 minutes into it, statistics was forgotten and he was cracking up beside me. He loved the little surfer nuances that were put into it, and thought it was pretty true to life. I think we might buy it eventually. I'd at least consider it.

Ratatouille

Synopsis (from netflix.com): Brad Bird (The Incredibles) co-directs this Oscar-winning Pixar offering, following the antics of a passionate rat named Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) who yearns for a sip of the good life. Growing up beneath a five-star Parisian restaurant owned by a famous chef (Brad Garrett), Remy inherits a taste for fine food. But his culinary ambitions only anger his practical father, who wishes his son could just eat garbage like everyone else.

My take: After hearing my preschool kids talk endless about "Ratatootie" I decided I should see the movie. I thought it was pretty good. Not Jungle Book good, but good.

Once

Synopsis (from netflix.com): In this charming contemporary musical helmed by John Carney, a street musician (Glen Hansard) in Dublin, Ireland, strikes up a friendship with a migrant street hawker (Markéta Irglová). Over the course of a busy week, they compose, rehearse and record a series of songs that mirror the duo's burgeoning romance -- and help the young busker release his musical passions. The actors wrote the tunes they perform, and won an Oscar for their efforts.

My take: I LOVED it. LOVE LOVE LOVE. So cute! It's a musical without breaking into song and dance in the grocery store about the price and selection of artichokes. Rich, you could see this one. Oh, you do have to know that they scream the f-bomb for about the first two minutes, but it's still worth watching. Especially to hear him sing "boat" with an Irish accent.

Cocaine Cowboys

Synopsis (from netflix.com): This penetrating and sometimes harrowing documentary from director Billy Corben pulls out all the stops to explore the many dimensions of Miami's cocaine-trafficking boom of the 1980s, from how the drug was moved and the financial impact on the city to the havoc and violence that followed in its wake. Told by the smugglers, cops and average citizens who were there, this film is an unflinching study of Miami's most notorious and lethal vice.

My take: Very interesting. DH chose it. I like documentaries, and this one was very interesting. It was a bit violent for my taste, but dh told me when to look away. It was scary though to think about all that happened, and probably is still happening. Drugs are bad.

American Gangster

Synopsis (from netflix.com): From director Ridley Scott comes this tense crime thriller starring Denzel Washington as true-life Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas. Russell Crowe co-stars as the dogged outcast NYPD cop charged with bringing Lucas down.

My take: DH rented it. I didn't watch it. He liked it. Too violent for me.