Tid Bit

Alright so this isn't a review or a story idea, just a little mini update. Or just a mini post really.

So there is a new look to the place, AGAIN. I kept getting frustrated with all the templates before this one because I couldn't change anything about them except the link color. I finally picked this template and was happy to see that I have much more control over the look in this case.

So, yes, this look is staying.

I've been currently reading Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult. Since I heard so many good things about her, I bought My Sister's Keeper and Perfect Match to see if this was an author to add to my list.

As I reviewed earlier, I LOVED My Sister's Keeper and so I looked forward to reading the second book since I was starting to get excited for Picoult's work.

However, this book is written in a different style and while it's a strong story-- it hasn't really grabbed me yet. Which really sucks since I was hoping all her books would be as great as the that first that I read. I guess it's hit-and-miss when you come to her.

Then again I have not FINISHED this book yet so my opinions aren't final yet. Once I finish I'll post a review of it here to let anyone who's actually reading this know how it was.

I still have a lot of character ideas but I'm still in a writer's funk. -_- I'm still worried about whether I'm cut out for this...

Catch you next review.

21 and Vantage Point

I went to the theaters last night and caught the flick, 21, which I'm ready to review; but as I was preparing to do so I remembered that I had never reviewed the film Vantage Point which I saw a while ago. So, while it will not be the usual detailed review, I shall review it in this post as well. It's a two-fer, folks!! Enjoy!!

21

Based on a true story, 21 tells the story of six MIT students who are trained to be expert card counters and take Vegas casinos for millions.

Overall, I thought the movie was...."Alright." Worth watching at least once but maybe not for the 8 buck ticket price.

However, the movie was fantastically made, the characters were all different and equally enjoyable, and the story is one that surprises and entertains you-- while at the same time never jumping the shark.

The reason why I didn't enjoy it as much as the next guy is because it just isn't my style of film. As the plotline obviously shows, the movie is heavy on the math side. I was completely lost through the whole "counting cards" explanations and training. I just don't understand what it means for a deck to be "+16". However, if you enjoy mathematics, or you don't mind a more intellectual film, then you'll probably enjoy this film more than I did.

My puny mind just couldn't get past the fact that all the fuss was being made around a deck of cards, hahha.

The movie had this very interesting style to it. I can't quiet explain it, there was something with how all the scenes were handled, how the flashbacks where done, how the settings and colors were used. It was a very "attractive" film in the sense that I really enjoyed watching the screen.
All credit of that goes to the director, Robert Luketic. Thumbs up, Luketic.

The casting was fantastic. While I felt there were no "WOW" performances, I did enjoy watching all of them.

I am happy to say Jim Sturgess, who played the lead role of Ben Campbell, did just as well in this film as he did in The Other Boleyn Girl. He had to play a COMPLETELY different character and pulled it off just as easily. While I enjoyed his performance in Boleyn more than his performance in 21, he still did fantastic.

A familiar face that Superman Returns fans might recognize is the face of Kate Bosworth, a.k.a. Lois Lane. In this film, she played the role of Jill Taylor; a fellow card-couting team member and Jim's love interest. Bosworth is clearly in command of every emotion, and holds the ability to express any which one at the drop of a hat. Very impressive.

And guess what, Superman fans? There's yet another familiar, but not at all friendly, face you'll see in this film. Kevin Spacey, who will be most often recognized as the man who played Lex Luthor, also stars in this film playing the role of the self-appointed leader of the card-counting students, Micky Rosa. His performance was especially enjoyable to watch due to the many faces the character displays. Never a dull moment with Rosa.

Overall the movie was fantastic... It's just not my cup of tea. Although, I'd have to admit, I would love to have that movie poster. Just look at it! That is one spankin' image to have on your wall ;)

VANTAGE POINT

Vantage Point tells the story of an attempted assasination of the US President told from eight different perspectives.

This film blew me away. The only reason I had not reviewed on this sooner is due to heavy schoolwork at the time.

The director, Pete Travis, is a genius. No way could this film be done any better. Every time they switched to a new point of view, they gave you a huge cliffhanger to stress about.

I was at the edge of my seat throughout the whole film. It was amazing.

Fantastic job, Travis, amazing.

One actor I have to mention is Dennis Quaid. In this film he played the role of Thomas Barnes, the man trying to piece all the witnesses' stories together to find the man behind the shooting.

His performance was spectacular!! That role was not and easy role to do by a long shot. The fact that he was able to pull this role off so perfectly has really installed new respect from me.
Fantastic actor, I'll have to see more of his stuff soon.

'Powers' Series - Genn

Genn carefully placed the last flower in her hair, pinning it down gently with the hair clip. A smile lit her face as she placed her hand on her stomach, butterflies. It was the night of the big recital, the one she had been preparing for all year. She took a breath, taking in every detail of the moment.

Her wavy blond hair was up in a tight bun, with a few loose curls framing her cheeks, flowers and glitter adorned her hair, her hazel-green eyes were shining. She was dressed and ready for her solo, her small pink tutu flowing around her waist. Her piece was not for another ten minutes, but her excitement had gotten the better of her.

A solo.

Since she was seven, Genn had dreamed of nothing but becoming a ballerina. For years she studied under Madame Miel's care, giving it her all in hopes of earning the solo-role in Madame's annual ballet recital.

Now, finally, she had grown enough in strength, body, and skill to earn the role. This was her night.

As the sound of an audience applauding reached her ears, she knew the previous dancers had finished their piece. The curtain would fall, there would be a few quick changes in scenery and props, and then it would be her turn.

Genn takes another breath, her smile growing, before turning to face where she would make her entrance from Stage Left.

Madame was standing by the curtain, out of sight of the audience, waving her over.
Wings fluttered in her stomach as Genn walked over, her steps not making a sound on the floor. Madame Miel rests a hand on Genn's shoulder, and plants a soft kiss on her cheek-- her traditional way of wishing each performer good luck.

Genn walks to Center Stage and takes her stance. The curtain rises and the music is cued.
Moving with a grace surely no one suspected she had, Genn went through the movements with the ease she would have writing her name. She knew every beat, every note, every pose, and every jump. She had prepared for this moment her whole life.

When she heard a gasp from the audience she believed it was from the precision of her landing, the movement of her arms; she continued to dance.

But there were more, and voices dripping with concern were growing out from the darkness of the aundience. She heard Madame call her name, there was fear in her voice.

The music stopped, and so did Genn. The lights were flipped on, revealing close to 400 people staring at her, terrified.

What was wrong? She had done everything as taught. She turns to see Madame walking toward her cautiously.
"Genn?...Genn?"
"What is it?" She asked. "What did I do wr--" but she could not finish her sentence. She had looked passed Madame to the mirror that was resting against the wall Backstage.
A gasp escapes Genn's lips as she tried hard not to faint.

Inside that mirror: she saw her beautiful tutu, the shining white flowers, and her pink slippers...
but Genn, herself, was not in the reflection.



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This is another character I'm working on. She will be a part of a fantasy story I am trying to develop where teenagers discover themselves to have unusual powers with no apparent cause. This is my idea so far as to how Genn discovers her power-- invisibility.
While I would like feedback on this I have to explain that this excerpt does need some work. I am not familiar with ballet and so do not know the appropriate terms. I plan to research this and learn more-- so as to properly write this character and this scene-- during the summer when I have more time.

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.

(untitled)

She stared at the foam cup in her hands, the milkshake had long since melted, the whipped cream sinking into the mix. She had been sitting there for about an hour, her eyes unfocused.
She had ran what she was going to say over and over in her mind all last night, but now could not remember a word of it.
She had felt scared, nervous, and restless all last night, but now felt nothing.
The waiter had asked her earlier if anything was wrong with her order, as she had sat for so long without touching it, but now left her to her thoughts as the day was slow and so there was no real need for the table.
Her eyes finally left the melted beverage and landed on her wrist.
Ten minutes until he would arrive.
She looked through the window towards the light traffic.
It had been ten years since she had seen him last.
Would he really have changed during that time?

He was violent, posessive, and quick-tempered. Nothing her mother ever did would satisfy him.
He drank.
Yes, he drank too much. And every night he came home with that look in his eyes she was struck with the fear of whether that night was her mother's last.

They had escaped from his hold.
Had left and started new lives.
But the damage to her mother was done.
She had suffered too many wounds, too many scars, that her body physically and mentally shut down.
No doctor, no therapist, could save her.
That was three years ago.

And now he had found her again.
A changed man, so he said.
He had his share of rough times when she and her mother left.
But he fixed himself up.
Made a good man out of himself.
A man worthy to be her father, so he said.

She somehow agreed to meet him.
Meet him at this dinner, on this day, in just a few minutes.

She didn't know what to hope for, if she should hope for anything.
She closed her eyes and bowed her head, breathing deeply.

A small bell rang through the silence as the door of the dinner opened.
As footsteps approached, she opened her eyes.

Right on time.



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