Encounters at the End of the World.

My Rating
(out of 5 envelopes):

MPAA Rating: G

Runtime: 101 minutes
Genre: Documentary

Antarctica. When I think about it, I think of it as a cold, desolate land of ice and little life. Encounters at the End of the World brings Antarctica and the people who choose to inhabit it to life.

In this documentary, acclaimed director Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica to explore what exactly goes on down there. He’ll take you from the headquarters of the National Science Foundation to the depths of the sea and even to live volcanoes in order to explore the scientists.

On this journey you get to meet many of the scientists and “professional dreamers” who have an incredible passion for being there. That truly is one of the best parts of the movie. It’s incredible to hear the stories of all of the people who ended up, as they say, at the end of the world together. Their stories are unique and inspiring to watch them tell. It’s one thing to read a story, but to hear the person tell it is totally different.

The footage in this movie is breathtaking. Encounters at the End of the World will take you on a journey to some of the most scenic places in the world. You’ll travel under the sheets of Antarctic ice to see some of the creatures who inhabit the sub-zero waters with untethered divers, you’ll venture to a volcano with bubbling lava, and you’ll even see a bit of the penguins and seals that the inhabitants study.

I know some people think that documentaries equal boredom. This documentary, despite its masterful presentation, also offers humor. Herzog, who also narrates the documentary, seems to say exactly what he’s thinking in the moment which turns out to be humorous, thought-provoking, and insightful.

This quirky documentary about the scientists in Antarctica is a must-see for anyone who enjoys documentaries, wants to know more about what happens in the Antarctica, or someone who enjoys hearing amazing true stories.

Netflix Page for Encounters at the End of the World

Priceless.

My Rating
(out of 5 envelopes):

MPAA Rating: R Runtime: 102 minutes
Genre: Foreign, Romantic Comedy, Comedy

For me, romantic comedies are a love-hate thing. There’s no in between; I either love it or hate it. A romantic comedy that’s not sappy, cheesy, or predictable is hard to find. However, if you’re looking for a good one, look no further.

Irène(Audrey Tautou – who you may know from Amelie, although you’ll hardly recognize her) is a gold digger who lives by taking advantage of rich men with her charm and beauty. When she and her rich boyfriend go on a vacation, she mistakes the bartender Jean(Gad Elmaleh) for a rich man. He becomes smitten with her, and now she must figure out how to get rid of him.

Although, I thought the role didn’t fully allow Audrey Tautou to display her acting ability, she does great with what they give her. Gad Elmaleh was fantastic in the role of Jean, though. I don’t think the movie would be that great if another actor had been chosen for the role.

I thought that Priceless is a great, light-hearted romantic comedy that, despite its predictability, offers witty comedy and a fun storyline. This would make a great date movie.

Netflix Page for Priceless.

Rocket Science.

My Rating

(out of 5 envelopes):

MPAA Rating: R

Runtime: 101 minutes

Genre: Indie, Comedy, Drama

When my friend took me to see this film, I didn’t know anything about this movie. I’m really glad he took me to see this because I left the theater with one of those happy, satisfied feelings that makes it hard to stop smiling.

This film is about Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson), a stuttering outsider, dealing with his life after his parents separate. When Ginny Ryerson (Anna Kendrick), the star of the debate squad, recruits him to the team to be her partner, Hal must overcome his stuttering problem. He also has to deal with falling in love with Ginny. At the same time that Hal is starting his debate career, his mom begins to date a new man and along with this comes his annoying son. On top of this, Hal constantly has to deal with his older brother, Earl (Vincent Piazza), who is a kleptomaniac. With all these troubles, it’s no surprise that Hal would be frustrated.

This film combines the elements of high school to make it an easy to relate to film. Most normal kids have obstacles, whether it be a stutter or something else, to overcome to figure out who they are. I’ve never been a great speaker, so imagine having doing that with a stutter is terrifying.

Some of my favorite scenes in this Rocket Science were when Hal was trying different methods to overcome is stutter. When Hal’s advisor tells him to try using an accent to stop the stutter, the result is awkward and hilarious. But by far my favorite scene in the movie is when Hal tries to stop stutter by singing his case to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. You can’t help but crack a smile and laugh at that original idea.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys indie comedies or anyone who is/was a debater. My sister is in debate and she really enjoyed all the small debate related details put in by the director, who is a former debater. But even if you aren’t a debater, you’ll still enjoy this one.

Netflix Page for Rocket Science.

Coming Soon to DVD: Step Brothers.

My Rating

(out of 5 envelopes):

MPAA Rating: R

Runtime: 95 minutes

Genre: Comedy

DVD Release Date: December 2, 2008

When this movie was first released in theaters, there were a bunch of television commercials that seemed to be played tirelessly on every network I watched. When I saw the first round of commercials, I thought the movie sounded really stupid and there was no way I’d see it. Then I saw the commercial where the homemade bunk beds collapsed.

Step Brothers is the story of two guys who just never grew up and never left home. When their single parents fall for each other and get married, Brennan(Will Ferrell) and his mother move in with Dale(John C. Reilly) and his father. Problem is, Brennan and Dale don’t get along. So will the new family live happily ever after or will the whole marriage crash and burn?

Sure, the plot of this movie is stupid. But they take it and make it into something hilarious. This is one of the movies where most of the best parts are in the trailer; however, the scenes in the actual movie are longer (and funnier) than what’s in the trailer. I still cracked up at the bunk bed scene and the scene where Brennan is burying Dale alive even though I saw then countless times on the commercial. One scene I could not stop cracking up at was when the brother and his family were singing “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” That was amazing.

I really think you can relate to this humor if you have siblings or even…wait for it…step-siblings who you didn’t always get along with! Overall, I thought this movie was really funny. If you don’t immature humor and a little idiocy (or find it hilarious), then you should hit save on this movie.

Netflix Page for Step Brothers.

The Bank Job.

My Rating

(out of 5 envelopes):

MPAA Rating: R

Runtime: 110 minutes

Genre: Crime, Thriller

When it comes to films with Jason Statham as the lead, I think of pure action and very little plot. So when I went to watch this film I though that’s what this film would be like. However, this film succeeds with a clever plot and enough excitement to satisfy.

This film is based on the true story of Baker Street bank robbery that occurred in London in 1971. Other than the basic story line, the rest is fictionalized. Terry Leather(Jason Statham), a common criminal, is recruited by his old friend Martine. Terry recruits some old friends to help and they plan to dig a tunnel into the vault of a bank and rob the safe deposit boxes. Unbeknownst to Terry, Martine has been recruited by the government(who does not want any record of being involved in the robbery) in secret in order to recover some pictures of the royals in compromising positions taken by black power activist Michael X. Can they pull off the robbery without being caught?

I wasn’t sure what to expect since it hadn’t been too hyped. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The plot takes unexpected twists and turns which will keep your attention. Make sure you pay attention the entire time or you’ll miss details that will come up later in the film. There are some scenes that exhibit some extreme um, badassery? I don’t want to give anything away, but in one scene that sticks out in my mind there’s beating that takes place; that was definitely one of my favourite scene. On a different note, the 70s setting seemed really realistic and I have to say, I loved some of the clothing in the film.

One negative about this movie was the amount of characters in the film. In one of the special features, they mentioned there were over 70 speaking roles. It’s easy to forget who the characters are if you aren’t paying attention through the entire film.

I’d say if you want to see a good crime thriller, this movie is a good choice to add to your queue. However, if you’re looking for straight up action through the entire movie, you might want to pass on this one.

Netflix Page for The Bank Job