Hanks & Bullock

I read the news yesterday. Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks, two of my favorites, are going to work together. Finally!. It's a movie called "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close". It focuses on a 9-year-old boy who finds a key in a vase that belonged to his father, who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and searches to find the lock that goes with it. It's based on a book by Jonathan Safran Foer and was released in 2003. Academy Award winners Hanks and Bullock will play the boy's parents.
I'm super excited, because people say that the book is complicated which makes it even harder to turn into a film. And two of my favorites will finally work together! I think they are actors that will have perfect chemistry on screen.

Movie Bitches

We always root for the character we sympathize the most, but the bitches are the ones who steal all the attention. Everyone hates them and we sure as hell don't want to be like them, but you'll have to agree that they are quite enjoyable on screen. Here are the best movies bitches, in random order.

Heather Chandler (Kim Walker in "Heathers")
Leader of the most popular clique at Westerberg High. Everybody hates her but also everyone wants to be in her group.
Best quote: "Grow up Heather, bulimia's so '87"

Cruella DeVil (Glenn Close in "101 Dalmatians")
A fashion icon, but any animallovers nightmare. She wants spotted puppy's for her new fur coat, nasty woman!
Best quote: "Oh, yes! I love the smell of near-extinction!"

Miranda Priestley (Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada")
Also a big name in the fashion business. She runs a popular fashion magazine and everyone is affraid of her. She gives you the most impossible tasks and when you actually manage to succeed, you don't get much credit for it.
Best quote: "Is there some reason that my coffee isn't here? Has she died or something?" + "Details of your incompetence do not interest me."

O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu in "Kill Bill Volume 1")
Don't mess with her. This is one of those women you can better befriend then have as an enemy. If you say something she doesn't like, she'll chop of your head.
Best quote: "You might not be able to fight like a samurai, but you can at least die like a samurai."

Regina George (Rachel McAdams in "Mean Girls")
A little bit like Heather Chandler, no one likes her but they all want to be her. She is truly mean. So mean! She'' do anything to make your life a living nightmare.
Best quote: "Boo, you whore."

Agatha Trunchbull (Pam Ferris in "Matilda")
As a teacher, I wouldn't want her as my boss. She's awefull and she hates kids. Then why the hell does she work at a school?!? Beats me, she's a terrible woman.
Best quote: I have never been able to understand why small children are so disgusting. "They're the bane of my life. They're like insects: they should be got rid of as early as possible."

Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar in “Cruel Intentions”)
She's an uber-bitch. She can crush you with one look and she's a master in blackmailing. She eventually gets what she deserves and weird enough that doesn't bother me. How come...
Best quote: "Everybody loves me, and I intend to keep it that way."

Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest")
She's a cold hearted and manipulative bitch. I think she is the queen of all movie bitches.
Best quote: "If Mr. McMurphy doesn't want to take his medication orally, I'm sure we can arrange that he can have it some other way. But I don't think that he would like it."

Best of... Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins is one of my top 5 favorite actors, number 4 to be exact. I can't really explain why this man is so good, he just kinda has it. And thinking about it he made a lot of great movies. Here are my favorite Tim Robbins films.

"Jacob's Ladder"
One of the most disturbing movies I ever saw. The spinning heads and that crazy party scene. It kept me awake for days. But it's so damn good and Tim is awesome in it.

"The Player"
This is one of those underappreciated movies. Most people like it, but it never got the attention that it deserved. I remember buying this movie on VHS, not knowing what to expect. And when I watched I wasn't blown away by it, but I enjoyed it and I watch it severel times after that first time. Lots of famous faces in it but Robbins being the big star. It deserves a place in my list.

"Bull Durham"
Just one of those fun baseball movies, which also has Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon in it as the leading characters. I just like it, just because...

"The Shawshank Redemption"
Only the best movie ever, in my opinion. And we've got Tim Robbins to thank for that (him and of course Morgan Freeman). I don't know where to start to tell you how great this film is. There are still people that have never seen it! Shame on you, watch it.

"Arlington Road"
Edge on you seat exciting! I rented this movie when it first came out. Robbins plays this creepy terrorist neighbour, he steals ever scene he's in. And the ending is awesome, the bad guy wins.

"High Fidelity"
Just like "The Shawshank Redemption", this one is in my top 10 of favorite movies (number 3) of all time. The top fives Rob Gordon makes for everything and how he looks back on his life. Tim as the weird, excentric Ian, is great. I love the scene were Rob and Ian meet each other in the record store and Rob thinks of ways to get him. Very funny.

"Antitrust"
Not a very well known movie, but it's actually very good. Tim Robbins plays this evil boss who owns a computer company or something like that. Very exciting film.

"War of the Worlds"
He's only in a couple of scenes, but he does it like he did before in "Arlington Road". He's a scene stealer. The ending of this film is a bit disappointing, but then again, Tim Robbins isn't there anymore for that part of the movie.

"Mystic River"
Again a wonderfull movie with Robbins having the best part. He won a Academy Award for his role as Dave Boyle and he really deserved it. This movie has a sad ending for him, but wasn't this whole character just very sad?

Now, after making the list, I know why Tim Robbins is so great: he's a scene stealer. He always gets all the attention, when sometimes he doesn't even have the leading role.

Pic Spam: Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling is one of those guys that doesn't go for the blockbuster movies. He chooses his movie very carefully and he has succeeded at that. He got an Oscar nomination for "Half Nelson" and he starred in some great films. "The Notebook", "Stay", "Lars and the Real Girl" and "Fracture". Here are some of his best pictures.

Best of... Rachel McAdams

She was recently the subject of my pic spam and I reviewed one of her films a couple of days ago. So I thought it was about time to make a 'best of-list'. She hasn't been in a lot of movies, but she starred in a couple of good ones. Here they are.

"The Notebook"
I think this is one of my favorite lovestories ever. I read the book before I saw the movie and they are not very different from each other. Rachel as Allie is great and together with Ryan Gosling she formes a very nice couple. And the kiss is the most memorable, one of the best movie kisses ever.

"Wedding Crashers"
It's mostly because of Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, but Rachel McAdams has a good supporting role. And again, she is great in combination with her co-star, this time Wilson. It's one of the funniest movies.

"Red Eye"
This one is super exciting. The idea of being in a plane at night and the guy next to you treathens you. Scary. I love this movie. And she deserves all the credit.

"State of Play"
I only saw it once, but I really liked the film. Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck and Helen Mirren are alos in it. Good story, solid performance.

"The Time Traveler's Wife"
I reviewed it very recently, but I can't say enough good things about this one. It's also a lovestory and Rachel is the big star. She steals every scene that she's in. Two thumbs up!!

"Sherlock Holmes"
It's not just Rachel here. I wanted to see this movie when I saw the trailer because a. I love Robert Downey Jr. b. I love Sherlock Holmes and c. I adore Rachel McAdams. So three things! One of the best movies of the year.

I really want to see "The Lucky Ones" because that sounds great too and it also has Tim Robbins in it. He's also one of my favorites. And I just read that Rachel is going to be in the Sherlock sequel. First I didn't think she was going to be a part of that project. I'm glad she is. I also watched a trailer from her upcoming movie "Morning Glory" with Harisson Ford. Looks fun. I read on imdb.com that she's doing a movie with Owen Wilson again and Marion Cotillard and Adrien Brody are also in that one. It's called "Midnight in Paris" and she is going to film a movie with Christian Bale and Javier Bardem. That one still doesn't have a title. Lots of McAdams to look forward to.

Pic Spam: Ellen Page

Ellen Page is one of those actresses that isn't a girly-girly. Kinda like me I guess. She doesn't dress up, she wears sneakers, jeans, a t-shirt and on occasion a skirt or dress. But she looks great and I just love her as an actress. Wasn't she amazing in "Juno" and I also thought she was great in "Inception". She formed a great couple with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I love this woman; Ellen Page.

Movie Tip #42 - Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Tom Berenger, Pete Postlewaite

Description: Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming

Review: I saw this movie yesterday, but I wanted to see "Inception" from the first time I saw its trailer. It drew my attention. And after seeing it, it blew me away! Christopher Nolan created a very complicated story, but if you just pay attention, it isn't that hard to follow. At least not for me. It's an excellent and breathtaking movie. Exciting, mysterious, genious and intriguing. The story is brilliant and the way Nolan brought it to life is even more genious! Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb, amazing. He puts his emotions out there, strong performance. The team around him, the same. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy and Dileep Rao, great esemble. Marion Cotillard is also very believable as Cobb's late wife Mal. I loved everything about this movie, probably the best film I saw this year. I wouldn't recommened this movie to everyone, because it's not just a no-brainer. But if you're a movie lover it's a GO SEE!

Movie Tip #41: The Time Traveler's Wife

Director: Robert Schwentke

Starring: Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams

Description: When Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana) meets Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams) in a Chicago library they both understand that he is a time traveler, but she knows much more than this about him as he has not yet been to the times and places where they have met before. He falls in love with her, as she has already with him, but his continuing unavoidable absences time travelling - and then returning with increasing knowledge of their future - makes things ever more difficult for Clare.

Review: Something that sometimes bothers me in 'time travel fiction' is that there is usually a large chunk of the storytelling dedicated to the tedium of explaining 'how' time travel works. "The Time Traveler's Wife" is one of those films that pays more attention to the characters than to all the technicalities. That's what I liked the most about this movie. We really get to know Henry and Clare, who you both gain a lot of sympathy for. And you feel their feelings. Especially Clare's feelings, because she loves Henry so much and she gives up a lot of herself to be with him. This is a true love story, that really gets to you. And it's easy to follow although the story is pretty complex and not completely chronilogical. Rachel McAdams plays Clare, and I already said many times that she's one of my favorites. She proves again why. She's stunning as Clare and very believable and heartfelt. She had some really intense scenes and they stole my heart. I never was a fan of Eric Bana, who portayed Henry, but he's very good in this movie. But less than his leading lady. They make a great combination, they have chemistry. Even if you think the story sounds kinda weird, give it a shot. It won't disappoint you. The movie is based on a bestselling book by author Audrey Niffenegger.

Strong Female Movie Characters

When you think of it, men get the better movie roles. There are more leading men than leading ladies. I concentrated on the girls and I thought of the best female roles. Strong, independent women with a good personality and a strong will. Here are my 17 favorite strong female movie character.


# 17: Selene (Kate Beckinsale in "Underworld")
# 16: Erica Bain (Jodie Foster in "The Brave One")
# 15: Clarice Starling (Jodie Foste in "The Silence of the Lambs")
# 14: Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank in "Million Dollar Baby")
# 13: Juno McGuff (Ellen Page in "Juno")
# 12: Marge Gunderson (Francis McDormand in "Fargo")
# 11: Alicia Nash (Jennifer Connelly in "A Beautiful Mind")
# 10: Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams in "Red Eye")
# 9: Evey (Natalie Portman in "V For Vendetta")
# 8: Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron in "North & Country")
# 7: Kate McTiernan (Ashley Judd in "Kiss the Girls")
# 6: Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton in "Terminator 2: Judgement Day")
# 5: Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver in "Alien")
# 4: Dian Fossey (Sigourney Weaver in "Gorilla's in the Mist")
# 3: Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts in "King Kong")
# 2: Elizabeth Bennett (Keira Knightley in "{Pride & Prejudice")
# 1: The Bride (Uma Thurman in "Kill Bill")

You must miss some women, like for instance Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts), Leticia Musgrove (Halle Berry in "Monster's Ball) or June Carter (Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line"). Strong female characters too, but just not my favorites. Let me know what you think and maybe you can share your favorites with me.