Movies 2012: Weeks 37-40

A rather disappointing set of films these few weeks. Thankfully it gets better! And this was when new tv was in full swing and my DVR was bursting with new adventures!

Week 37: September 9-15, 2012
120) The Siege. Denzel Washington and Annette Benning star in this film about martial law imposed on New York (with Bruce Willis as a general at the helm) after a series of terror attacks. High drama... but rather preachy and pedantic. 2.9 stars
121) What to Expect When You're Expecting. Romantic comedy about couples dealing with various issues around starting a family. I didn't expect to like it but I did! It was cute. 3.5 stars

Week 38: September 16-22, 2012
122) Hysteria. A period piece set in England starring Maggie Gyllenhall about the treatment for hysteria in the 1800s. Very amusing. A fun and easy watch. I realized I really like Maggie Gyllenhall. 3.8 stars
123) Detachment. Adrien Brody plays an inner city substitute teacher who becomes involved in the lives of his students and colleagues as he houses a young prostitute. What? Throughout the movie I wondered when it would end and why I was watching it. But Rashan absolutely hated it. 2 stars

Week 39: September 23-29, 2012
123) Damsels in Distress. College girls undertake a moralistic role of solving the ills of their school via dance. Amusing-ish. Of course their lives begin to unravel in assorted ways but the "unraveling" is so tame it's rather boring. I wasn't ever invested in the characters enough to care about their issues. 3 stars
124) Objectified. A documentary about objects in our lives, their manufacture and the thought processes behind them via their designers. Thought-provoking but with a lot of lulls. Rather boring at times. If you're at all leaning toward the idea that we have too much stuff and waste, this film will probably push you over the edge. 2.9 stars
125) My Afternoons with Margueritte. French film starring Gerard Depardieu as a man who gets caught up in the books of a lonely elderly woman. As the film unfolds, we learn more about life experiences that led both of them to connect with a stranger. Quiet and sweet but quite funny at times, too. 3.9 stars

Week 40: September 30- October 6, 2012
126) Prodigal Sons. This documentary follows two estranged brothers, one with a severe brain disorder and the other who is now a woman, who come back to their Montana town for a high school reunion and find their lives more intertwined than they expected. Mildly interesting at times with some unnecessary detours into the adopted brother's lineage. 3 stars
127) Peace, Love & Misunderstanding. A conservative lawyer (Catherine Keener) in the midst of a divorce visits her estranged mother (Jane Fonda). They navigate their relationships with each other and the two teenaged children who are just getting to know their free-spirited grandmother. Fonda was radiant and awesome. Keener's character was just a little too stuck up for any rapid loosening to seem real. Enjoyable film. 3.5 stars
128) The Five-Year Engagement. Jason Segel and Emily Blunt star in a rom com about a young couple who finds their relationship changing in challenging ways the longer they're engaged. Some absolutely baffling turns of plot (in that they made no sense) coupled with an unnecessarily long 2-hour run time and a few unnecessary scenes (of course sense it was too long) dragged this movie down. 3.4 stars