What Else Should I Be Doing on a Saturday Night?

Well, it's Saturday night, I'm single, ready for action, and what do you think I did tonight? I slept really late, and went to Starbucks where I read the Onion and cursed the dating scene in New York City. Duh.
But enough of that. You're not here to hear about my boring love life. You want to know about the great movies that I've seen! Well, wait no more. Here's a new post.

Last week, I saw "Atonement" staring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. Directed by the same man who did "Sense and Sensibility," Joe Wright, I mostly saw this movie because "I Am Legend" was sold out. But, luckily for me, and considering it was a Saturday night were I would've been subjected to couples everywhere and guys shouting at the screen, not to mention people loudly playing with crinkly candy wrappers, I saw "Atonement" instead.
This is one of the very, very few times where I actually did not know what the movie was about. I usually am pretty aware of the plot of any movie I see beforehand, whether because I've read about it in a magazine, or seen the preview, or whatever, but I didn't know what this one was about.
I should preface this by saying I'm a bit of an Anglophile. Keira Knightley is British, and James McAvoy is Scottish, and if I could have her cheekbones and marry him, I'd be the happiest person on earth. Anyways, back to the movie.
I think the editor of this film should get a bit of credit, so here is his name: Paul Tothill. This movie, thought it starts a bit slowly, is intriguing enough so that even though you might be a bit confused, you're still fascinated to figure out slowly what is going on and what is going to happen next. Joe Wright and screenwriter Christopher Hampton, based on the novel by Ian McEwan, let you in on just enough of the mystery to keep you guessing.
"Atonement" starts out at a beautiful British country manor in the late 1930s. Knightley plays the privileged daughter who enjoys taunting and tantalizing McAvoy, the house boy whose college education was paid for by her family. Knightely has a young sister named Briony, played by young Saoirse Ronan (pronounced Seer-sha), a budding writer who plays tight lipped and observant. This ends up proving to be the key to the second half of the film, when Briony decides to open up her mouth and reveal what she believes she knows to be true when a crime has been committed during a long weekend with many guests staying at the manor (sort of like "Gosford Park", another favorite of mine).
Mostly though, "Atonement" is about the strength of love, the effects of war, and the repercussions of telling a lie.
There was a bit in the second half of the film where I was confused about the timeline when McAvoy's character Robbie is a soldier, but in the end this probably works for the film. It could have been a bit shorter, but the end is solid enough that you won't mind.
After I saw the movie, I thought that Knightley, McAvoy, and Ronan should all be given nominations for acting, which they have been, by the Golden Globes, as was the film, the director, and the screenplay, among others.
Anyways, I think you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to see this movie. It's beautiful and sad, shocking and tender. Here's to more collaborations from Knightley and Wright.

I'll take bloody movies for $1000, Alex

I saw "Sweeney Todd" today at the movie theater on 42nd St. in Times Square at 5:15 pm. On the way over, I'm pretty sure I knocked down some kids. But that's nothing compared to what Sweeney Todd does when he's on the move.
First off, if you've read my profile, you know one of my favorite movies is "Sleepy Hollow," which is a collaboration between the director Tim Burton and the actor Johnny Depp. They've also done "Edward Scissorhands" and "Ed Wood" together. I think both movies are pretty great. They're offbeat, and Johnny always comes up with a new hybrid character to enlighten us with. I'm not sure if he thought of any particular one for "Sweeney Todd," but it doesn't matter. "Sweeney" is pretty awesome. I have never seen the musical, which was created by Steven Sondheim, but I knew if Johnny and Tim were in it together, I wouldn't be wasting my money. I didn't. I'd even dare to say I would pay to see it again in the theater. Definitely see it on a big screen. If you aren't aware, the story, which is subtitled "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is about Todd, who after being sent to prison for a number of years for an unnamed crime, is set free, only to try and exact revenge on the man who sent him there in the first place. And exact revenge he does. With the help of mad, pie-making Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), Todd churns out an assembly line of bloody remains and "bloody-good" fun (pun intended).
Again, if you've read my profile, you'll see that The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books. Both stories have a similar plot. Both main characters return from long absences, most often unrecognizable by former acquaintances, and both less wide-eyed and chipper than when they left (that is a large understatement).
"Sweeney" is fun to watch, and even though I knew but one song ("Not While I'm Around"), I found myself tapping along with the macabre tunes, largely sung by Depp and his co-stars. I read in Entertainment Weekly that Depp did not prepare for singing with the traditional voice coach, but rather rehearsed in a studio with a friend doing the mixing and recording, and just listened to himself over and over until he got it right. Luckily for us, he does.
Oh, and for all you Borat fans, Sacha Baron Cohen has a small but pivotal role as a rival barber. It just goes to show that he, too, has range beyond naked wrestling.

Welcome to my mind

Welcome! I feel like I've had a lot of thoughts and opinions I need to share lately. And often enough, I feel they're actually pretty good. Worthwhile. And sometimes funny. Also, I decided I needed a new hobby. I've been playing too much Free Cell lately. I happen to watch a lot of movies. I created this blog so I could tell other people what movies to go see. Especially since the Oscars are (supposedly) two months away (Feb. 24th, 2008). So go on and enlighten yourself with some good flicks. Besides, the writer's strike may last for some time.