The Other Boleyn Girl

Alright, I forgot to write this after I saw it Saturday and have been busy with school since then so this review might not be as long or detailed as I'd like, but I hope it gets the point across.The point? The movie is fantastic!

Based on the bestselling book by Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl tells the story of the Boleyn sisters who fight for the heart of a king in hopes to please their father and raise the family's status in society.

This may sound like your typical chick-flick and, sure, you could see it that way, but the reality is that anyone can enjoy this film. To watch how everyone is manipulated for the betterment of another, then having every single plot slowly fall apart is something no one gets tired of.
It's a powerful story.

The entire cast was perfect in their performance. Not a single weak link in the bunch.

The role of the younger sister, Mary Boleyn, was played by Scarlett Johansson-- who you all might recognize from The Black Dahlia or The Prestige-- and the eldest son, George Boleyn, was played by Jim Sturgess-- 21 and Across the Universe.

Both were flawless in their performance. Every line, every expression, every emotion-- give them anything and they can do it, all the while tugging at your heart.

Awesome.

However, the actress who impressed me most was Natalie Portman, hands down. She played the role of the eldest daughter, Anne Boleyn, who fought to find her own way to make her name in society.

WOW!

That's all I can say for her performance: WOW!

This film revealed to me that Natalie Potman doesn't get anywhere near the amount of credit and respect as she should for her talent. My jaw dropped as I saw her on that screen. Every emotion was so raw, and her face showed such a wild variety of emotion with the slightest of change-- a talent I have only seen matched by Cillian Murphy.

And if you've seen Murphy in action before, and know what I'm talking about, then you know what I mean when I say she's phenominal.

She's the real deal, folks. We are definitely going to see a lot more from her, and I bet all my money she will never dissapoint.

I can not wait to see her in another film soon. She is now my favorite actress, no contest.

I strongly suggest you catch this flick in the theaters, it's well worth the money for food and tickets.

The Boondock Saints

Although I've been told of the film, The Boondock Saints, it wasn't until recently that I had the chance to watch it. I have to say, I'm really glad I did.

Boondock Saints tells the story of two brothers who, after defending each other in a fight, decide to rid the world of all crime-- By killing all who they deem evil.

The story was fantastic. Kudos to Troy Duffy on an amazing script.
With every line and every event you see just how strong the bond is between the brothers Murphy and Connor MacManus. Watching them fight together, and defend each other, was really amazing.
Not only that, but the "mission" they go on is one that doesn't leave your mind. The subject Duffy portrays for us on-screen is an extreemely controversial one: Crimelords, murderers, rapists-- they all get walk out of court, grinning from behind their untouchable shields. If someone decided to take them off the streets, permanently, do we praise them for it? Or do we treat them no different than the ones they hunt?
This isn't just an action movie, it is a film worthy of thought and consideration.
Terrific job, Troy Duffy. Thumbs up!

The two brothers, "Murphy and Connor", were portrayed beautifully.
They were played by Sean Patrick Flanery ("Connor") and Norman Reedus ("Murphy").

Sean Patrick Flanery has played a lot of roles when you list them, however the only other film I've seen him in is Powder; which was tricky character to pull.
Norman Reedus has also had various roles but I have only seen him in Blade II in which he played the role of "Scud."
I was blown away by both actors in their performance in Boondock. There were many scenes that called for some intense emotions and, trust me, when these men screamed-- you feel the pain in their voice.

One performance that I must point out is Willem Dafoe's role of Officer Paul Smecker. Most would know Dafoe from his role in Spider-man as both the "Green Goblin" and "Norman Osborn," but I find his role in Boondock much more memorable.
The role of Paul Smecker could not have been easy to portray, he is one of the most complex and eccentric characters I have ever come across. I was really impressed with Dafoe's performance in this film, it takes a really gifted actor to pull off a character like this.
Congrats Willem Dafoe, you just earned a lot of respect in my book.

The movie is enjoyable from start to finish; wether it be for the performances, the script, the subject, or the witty humor throughout, The Boondock Saints is a film I highly recommend to anyone.

My Sister's Keeper

Today I just finished a book titled My Sister's Keeper by the authoress Jodi Picoult. I have never read anything by Picoult, but have heard many good things of her work from the guests at work. So one day when I was passing through Wallmart I spotted the book section and found her name. I read the description on the back and was reeled in.

And I'm glad I was. The book was fantastic.

It tells the story of the Fitzgerald family, whose eldest daughter, Kate, suffers with leukemia since age two. When her parents, Sara and Brian, find that their son Jesse is not a genetic match for blood transplants and other treatments, they make the unique decision to turn to Stem-cell research to create the perfect match for Kate-- to save her.
Anna always knew her role in the family was defined by Kate's condition, and continued to save Kate time and time again. But when it is decided for her to perform yet another, more invasive procedure for the sake of her sister, Anna makes a choice that will not only shock her family...but might also break it.

Jodi Picoult has a reputation of writing with controversial issues-- in this case, stem-cell research.
This causes the reader to not only enjoy the story, but to also consider what he or she might do or feel in a similar situation. This allows for a deeper level of appreciation that is growing hard to find in most stories today.
Well done, Picoult, I respect and admire your talent as a writer.

The story is told from each character's point of view, switching at each "chapter."
This is a hard style to pull off due to the fact that not everyone can write in different personalities, and still hold the reader's attention.
It is far to easy to down-play one character by not making them three-dimentional, and too easy to make another character seem flawless in their mind, they also have to give each character equal attention throughout the book.
It is an extreemely difficult thing to convince a reader that they are reading from a completely different mind-set, especially if you are writing out the mind of the opposite sex.

Jodi Picoult is able to do this flawlessly.

I was blown away by how complex every character was. Everyone had their secrets, their regrets, their fears, their joys... None of the "main cast" was two dimentional, they all had a story, and Jodi made you know them.

And even more amazing than that,

she makes you care.

The story is one of many twists and turns, each more surprising than the last.
I was completely sucked in to the point where my eyes even widened and I stared at the page in shock.

Now THAT is good writin'!!

The ending is one I never expected, and still surprises me.
That is another amazing thing about this book; it keeps you hooked even when it's over.

My Sister's Keeper is definitely a fantastic read. Highly recomended to anyone.