Red Riding Hood

Fantasy & Supernatural Thriller/Horror

Starring: Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia), Gary Oldman (Harry Potter)

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight)

Release Date: 03/11/11

Cry Factor: Nope, no crying

Laugh Factor: At the stupid times, yes

WTF Factor: Pretty much the whole film

Severely disappointed by this movie; severely. It's set in a medieval village that is terrorized by a werewolf. Red Riding Hood, Seyfried, whose name is Valerie (what kind of a medieval name is that?), is arranged to marry a wealthy blacksmith, yet is in love with a simple woodcutter, a friend from childhood. After Seyfried's older sister is killed by the wolf, a crazy religious radical and apparent werewolf expert strides into town, called by the local religious leader. The 'search' begins and many innocent die, as with the radical-est of the radical, as Gary Oldman's character proves. The wolf is eventually found after her broken engagement and is killed, by Seyfried, but not before it bites her true love and he is turned into a werewolf. She says she'll wait for him, blah blah blah.

The two things I hated about the movie:

#1 The reveal of who the wolf was took SO LONG. Seyfried could talk telepathically to the wolf (which led to some witch accusations) and saw that he had brown eyes. So she suspected EVERYONE in the village of being the wolf. It was like every scene for twenty minutes was just shots of dilated frightened brown eyes. A lot of blond hair in the village, and not a soul had blue eyes? Kind of didn't match up. All brown. It literally took so long. A long reveal with pretty crappy acting. And when it finally did happen, they cheated the audience out of the story.

#2 Why do I say they cheated the audience out of the story? Because they TOLD us instead of SHOWING us at the end. I hate when writers go that way. Why? Because it shows that they're lazy and it's the easiest way. The wolf told her the whole story. They couldn't just show us during the movie what was happening with the wolf. Must have been too much work! Annoying and a cheat!

I was very disappointed in Red Riding Hood. I was thinking it was going to be awesome. But no. Such an old (700 years) and great story to go off of and a major flop. Boo. Don't waste your time on Red Riding Hood.

1/2 star (doesn't even get a whole '1' because the writer was lazy. #Sorryboutya)

Don't You Forget About Me

Documentary

Starring: a bunch of Canadians

Written and Directed by: Matt Austin

Release Date: 07/13/10 (filmed in 2008 though)

Cry Factor: Nope, no crying

Laugh Factor: At times, yes

WTF Factor: Only once

If you're a John Hughes fan, this is a must-see documentary. A group of 20something filmmakers from Toronto, fresh out of film school it seems, roadtrip it down to Chicago to find John Hughes, essentially asking him to come back and make another film that could so brilliantly "get" the modern teenager so well. Seems like a pretty daunting task, right? Finding an assumingly wealthy ex-great filmmaker in a city of how many million? Which suburb to even start in?! Since Shermer, IL is a fictional place, if you didn't know. :]

The commentary the group of young filmmakers gets from the random people on the streets is fantastic. Everyone begs John Hughes to come back, no matter what age, no matter what creed. I loved how they even got the old greats, like Bender from The Breakfast Club and Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off to beg John to come back for a last hoorah.

3 stars.

Hereafter

Starring: Matt Damon

Directed and Produced by: Clint Eastwood

Release Date: 10/22/10

Cry Factor: Definitely cried during this one

Laugh Factor: Near the end, yes

WTF Factor: At times, yes, but it comes together in the end

Never has there been a movie I've had so many mixed feelings about. The character development in this film was intense and very well done, but the ending left something to desired.

Yet another European-esque film from Damon (Bourne trilogy, anyone?), when he touches people, he can read them and see things in them. Past things, dark things, passed people who want to communicate with them, you name it. A psychic, basically. Three stories are told in the film though: one of a TV celebrity in France who has a brush with death in a massive tsunami, a pair of twin boys in London who experience a tragic accident, and Damon's psychic abilities. Damon's story isn't the first you see, either, which felt strange. It was like if you don't see the host of SNL in their first sketch. You have to work throughout the film to see how these three stories are connected, or just accept the fact that you'll have to wait to find out. But the ending brings the three together nicely.

The emotions this movie has the power to evoke are extremely strong ones, especially empathy for Damon, who leads a lonely life, eating dinner by himself many a night because of his gift/curse that essentially prohibits him from leading a normal life, one would expect with relationships like a wife or girlfriend and/or children. Emotions ran extremely high and strong when I was watching the twin boys in London story. I'd have to say their part of the film was where I cried the most. The tsunami in the beginning of the film was crazily realistic, even though it was clearly CGIed. And the visions of the afterlife portrayed in the film are what I think we all envision: blurry, yet clear and insanely vivid.

I was thoroughly surprised to see that Clint Eastwood directed and produced this film. I suppose I haven't seen too many Eastwood films to compare, but when I think Clint Eastwood, I just think of westerns and Gran Torino (a film I'd be remiss if I didn't recommend right now; SEE IT).

As for the ending, you're left feeling happy, but in a kind of WTF way. For a movie that had such an exceedingly complex foundation and base, the ending was surprisingly simple. It is what left me with such mixed feelings. I was glad Damon could finally find happiness (I'm not telling you how :]), it just seemed achingly simple. I would still have to say that I liked the film, though.

If you're one for thinking movies, give this one a try.

3 stars.