Movies, Movies, Movies, Movies…

September 4, 2005

Movies!

My favorite form of escapism.

Here are some ones I’m interested in seeing this fall. Seems that there is a pattern of *book adaptations this year…

In 1929 an impoverished nine-year-old named Chiyo from a fishing village is sold to a geisha house in Kyoto’s Gion district and subjected to cruel treatment from the owners and the head geisha Hatsumomo. Her stunning beauty attracts the vindictive jealousy of Hatsumomo, until she is rescued by and taken under the wing of Hatsumomo’s bitter rival, Mameha. Under Mameha’s mentorship, Chiyo becomes the geisha named Sayuri, trained in all the artistic and social skills a geisha must master in order to survive in her society. As a renowned geisha she enters a society of wealth, privilege, and political intrigue. As World War II looms Japan and the geisha’s world are forever changed by the onslaught of history.

I read this book when I was about fourteen and it was my favorite for a long time. I’m glad to see that it’ll finally be made into a movie, I remember thinking that it would be a good one while I was reading it.

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe* December 9

Based on the classic novel by CS Lewis. Four London children are sent to a professors country home in order for protection during World War II. There they find a magic wardrobe which leads to a mystical land called Narnia, which is being ruled by an evil witch. To defeat the Witch, they must join forces with Aslan, the lion God of Narnia, and the great battle between good and evil.

I never read the books, but I do remember the cartoon movie. LWW is the first of a series of Narnia produced by Disney. I hope it’ll sate my yearly Lord of the Rings yearning…you know how people used to look forward to a new movie coming out every year around Christmastime…

Rent November 11

Based on Pucinni’s La Boheme, tells the story of one year in the life of friends living the Bohemian life in modern day East Village New York. Among the group are our narrator nerdy love struck filmmaker Mark; the object of his affection his former lover, Maureen; Maureen’s Harvard educated public interest lawyer lesbian lover Joanne; Mark’s roommate HIV+ former junkie, Roger; Roger’s lover the HIV+ drug addicted S&M dancer, Mimi; their former roommate HIV+ computer genius Tom Collins; Collins’ HIV+ drag queen street musician lover Angel; and Benjamin Coffin III a former member of the group who married money and has since become their landlord and the opposite of everything they stand for. Shows how much changes or doesn’t change in the 525,600 minutes that make up a year.

I plugged this a while back…

The Constant Gardner out now

Based on the best-selling John le Carré novel and from the Academy Award-nominated director of “City of God.” In a remote area of Northern Kenya, activist Tessa Quayle (Rachel Weisz) is found brutally murdered. Tessa’s companion, a doctor, appears to have fled the scene, and the evidence points to a crime of passion. Members of the British High Commission in Nairobi assume that Tessa’s widower, their mild-mannered and unambitious colleague Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes), will leave the matter to them. They could not be more wrong. Haunted by remorse and jarred by rumors of his late wife’s infidelities, Quayle surprises everyone by embarking on a personal odyssey that will take him across three continents. Using his privileged access to diplomatic secrets, he will risk his own life, stopping at nothing to uncover and expose the truth – a conspiracy more far-reaching and deadly than Quayle could ever have imagined.

Huge fan of City of God. Huge fan of movies depicting the gritter side of life. Hopefully, I’ll be a huge fan of this movie as well.

Elizabethtown October 14

After causing the Oregon shoe company he works for to lose hundreds of millions of dollars, Drew Baylor is fired for his mistake, and promptly also dumped by his girlfriend, Ellen. On the verge of suicide, Drew is oddly given a new purpose in life when he is brought back to his family’s small Kentucky hometown of Elizabethtown following the death of his father, Mitch, as it falls to him to make sure that his dying wishes are fulfilled. On the way home, Drew meets a flight attendant, Claire Colburn(Dunst), with whom he falls in love, in a romance that helps his life get back on track…

What can I say? Orlando Bloom was husband #2 for a looong long time (offshoot of Legolas’s coolness? We will never know). There are still remnants of affection for the pretty boy…

Shopgirl* October 21

The story follows Mirabelle, a disenchanted salesgirl and aspiring artist who sells gloves and accessories at a department store. She has two men in her life: wealthy divorcee Ray Porter (Steve Martin) and struggling musician Jeremy. Mirabelle falls in love with the glamorous Ray, and her life takes a magical turn, but eventually she realizes that she must empower herself and make a choice between them.

Remember that book I read a while back by the same title? It’s a movie now! Here’s a reminder of what I thought about the book.

Saw II October 28

Jigsaw continues his next game on a group of unlucky victims, who are locked away and forced to kill each other, while a Detective Eric Mason tries to track him down – unknowingly that the game is going on right in front of him…

Saw I, (hardy har har). It was kind of lame, but I guess I can’t see the first without seeing the sequels after it. I still maintain that if I have to choose between killing myself or killing someone else, other person is going down…but only if the other person is older…LOL j/k…maybe

Pride and Prejudice* 11/18

Based on Jane Austen’s beloved novel, the classic tale of love and values unfolds in the class-conscious England of the late 18th century. The five Bennet sisters – including strong-willed Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) and young Lydia (Jena Malone) – have all been raised by their mother (Brenda Blethyn) with one purpose in life: finding a husband. When a wealthy bachelor takes up residence in a nearby mansion, the Bennets are abuzz. Amongst the man’s sophisticated circle of friends, surely there will be no shortage of suitors for the Bennet sisters. But when Elizabeth meets up with the handsome and – it would seem – snobbish Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), the battle of the sexes is joined.

Why they’re doing this again I do not know,
but I love Jane Austin and will let it show.

Yes so about 50 dollars set aside for movie purposes…now to procure a car to go see them…