That’s Jentertainment

So Saturday night was the big night. We all hopped over to the Lighthouse cinema to see the shortlisted entries on the big screen. The contenders were:

Heat:

There will be blood:

The Departed:

Pretty woman and of course our Truman. I can’t find the video for Pretty Woman unfortunately. I was impressed with all of the other entries but I especially liked HEAT. The winners were The Departed and There will be Blood.

So that’s it for Truman, we’ll have to try again next year. I’ve learned a lot from looking at the other entries and think we can do a better job next time around. The highlight of the competition for me was seeing Truman on a cinema screen. That was great. All that free Jameson whiskey wasn’t too bad either.

I thought it was a Christmas movie. This is a terrible poster and tag-line for a really sweet movie. Everybody’s Fine is a story about Frank Goode played by Robert De Niro who wants his children to take time from their busy lives and all come together for a visit. His wife has recently died and he lives alone. After all of his children cancel on a visit to see him, he decides to travel to the different states that they live in to reunite his gown-up children: Drew Barrymore and Sam Rockwell playing two of them. What’s great about this movie is Frank. He is such a ‘normal’ character that will really pull your heartstrings as he goes on this journey. As the story unfolds, we discover more about Frank, his past and his children.

Somehow, this movie reminded me a little of ‘Up in the Air’ because of the journey of the two male characters and their ultimate quest for truth but I found this film less drawn out and slow than Up in the Air. Maybe if you loved Up in The Air, you’ll hate this. Either way, It’s interesting seeing a film from a parent’s perspective and I thought the story for Everybody’s Fine was subtly powerful. It might be a bit too sentimental for everybody’s taste and it won’t be going on my favorites list anytime soon but it’s worth a watch if family is important to you.Most importantly though, this is not a Christmas movie. It won’t lift or enhance your Christmas spirit at all so for that reason, it’s going on my worst movie posters list.

Now that summer is here I can’t help but be excited about all the great upcoming movies that are approaching over the next few months. Here are the ones that I am looking forward to most:

Adventureland

Apparently it’s not released here until September- Boo! Even though it got released in the US in April. Get us those prints faster please!
It’s got all the right ingredients. Kristen Stewart (yummy), a geek from Freaks and Geeks Martin Starr and it’s good to see him back on the radar. It’s set in the summer of 1987 and centres around a college graduate whose only job prospects lie in a local amusement park. Carnie! Carnie!

Next is Gigantic, release June 26th (soon!)

Again, out since April in the US and this looks worth the wait as the lovely Zooey Deschanel stars alongside Paul Dano. You’ll probably recognize him from Little Miss Sunshine and The Girl Next Door maybe. This doesn’t look like a typical cheesy romance. It’s about a mattress salesman trying to adopt a Chinese baby and in walks Zooey Deschanel to his life to stir things up.

And what would summer be without a Judd Apatow movie to add to the list?

If you know me, you’ll know Apatow and his gang are my favourite and this time Adam Sandler has joined the ranks in Funny People released here on August 28th. I was skeptical about this first because I didn’t know how well Sandler would fit in with the usual suspects (Seth Rogen in this case) but I have to say I’m really looking forward to this. Adam Sandler plays a comedian who finds himself with a terminal illness and takes an upcoming comedian played by Rogen under his wing as his assistant protégé type and a friendship emerges. Looks nice.

But the movie I’m most excited about is of course the new Harry Potter.

I’ve been waiting for this for so long and I feel like I’m going to burst. I’ve re-read the books recently to refresh my memory and I’d suggest everyone else does the same.

Released this weekend, Watchmen is an extremely anticipated comic book adaptation directed by Zach Snyder. I was blown away with the style of the movie, how well it transferred onto the big screen and I must admit I enjoyed it even more than Iron man.
Obviously if you enjoyed the comic book, you should go see it. You won’t be disappointed. Equally though, if you’ve never even heard of the comic book that might be all the more reason to see it. The storyline is new and fresh to you as are the characters.

I’m not one for delving into plotlines. I feel that they are there to be discovered. As necessary as trailers are, I think they give away the best parts of the movie. Some surprises are better left unwrapped until the main event. I don’t want to be a trailer here. I want to be a push. See this epic movie on a big screen. Don’t wait for the DVD; make the most of the mesmerising effects at their best in the cinema.

Without spoiling the story I’ll tell you what I liked about this movie. For one, the soundtrack was fantastic. Every song that blasted out was a classic. I particularly liked ’99 red balloons’ and if you’re a 30 Rock fan you’ll know why. I don’t think I can even listen to that song with a straight face again thanks to Tina Fey.
Watchmen does not compromise its integrity by making itself PG. I felt this one thing added to the movie more than anything else. All the sex, gore and violence are there without apology. You don’t have to cringe through cheesy superhero moments that you know are just there for the kiddies benefit as most blockbusters seem to be doing these days.

The plot itself is action-packed, engaging and it certainly does justice to all those fans of the comic book out there. The characters are witty, flawed and entertaining. The dialogue is original and the costumes are done extremely well. Even though the duration of the film is quite long at 2 and ¾ hours, it feels like no time at all. You’ll be dying for more.

Based on the novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist has just hit screens here in Ireland even though it’s been out in the States since October. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while and I’m delighted that I finally got the chance to see it. Directed by Peter Sollett and starring Michael Cera as Nick and Kat Dennings as Norah, the casting is perfect. You probably know Michael Cera from Arrested Development, Juno and Superbad and Kat Dennings from Charlie Bartlett and The House Bunny.

Nick and Norah’s infinite playlist was a great showcase of New York nightlife and New York itself. It made the city look so alive with a night full of possibilities that for once, seemed like realistic possibilities. You can relate to the characters, they’re not claiming to be heroes or hysterically funny characters. They’re just people who say and do silly things, get jealous, angry, disappointed and rejected like the rest of us. I found Ari Gaynor’s portrayal of the drunk friend throughout this movie hilarious. She reminded me of a few friends of my own and I think that opinion might apply to a lot of people.

The music plays a huge part in this movie of course- it’s an infinite playlist of its own!  A big favourite of mine- Vampire weekend did an original song for the film which is great to hear. Chris Bell, We Are Scientists, Richard Hawley and Army Navy are some of the other artists involved in the soundtrack of this movie. According the the director Peter Sollett, a lot of the cast were suggesting different music all the way through filming and the soundtrack has a great mix of songs that I’m going to put in my car and sing along to.

Packed full of humour and sweet moments, I’d definitley recommend checking out this movie. It’s one of those few films that leave you feeling genuinely smiley at the end. I didn’t put up the trailer here on purpose. Honestly, if you haven’t already watched the trailer, then avoid it. It spoils some of the best parts. If you must watch it then do what I do, as soon as you like what you’re seeing- close it.