Tuesday, August 11, 2009

#94 - Back to the Future (1985), 117 mins.

Alf: This is one of those movies that I think everyone in the world has seen at one point or another. The great thing about it is, that I think you notice something new every time that you watch it. Growing up, I had liked Back to the Future 2 the best. At some point, I guess that I finally thought it was too much of a copy of the first one, and then started liking the first one the best.

In case that there is anyone in the world that hasn't already seen this movie...the movie is about a teenager accidentally traveling back in time using Doc Brown's time machine that he invented. Coincidentally, he travels back in time to when his parents were teenagers and ruins his family's time continuum by interrupting the moment at which his parents originally met. The rest of the movie is about him (Marty) trying to get his parents back together, and also trying to get back home, in the future.

Beth: I never get tired of this movie. Growing up I always liked Back to the Future 2 better because it had all the futuristic stuff but this one is definitely classic. Anyway, it was cool to see new stuff that I never noticed before. Dude, I totally just wrote that without reading Alf's review. Freaky. This may be the only movie we ever really agree on from the 517 Hour Project.

Back to the Future is a great movie that shows that the bonds of friendship transcend time, overcoming personal hurdles - both external and emotional and the dangers of drinking and leaving children unattended in playpens for long periods of time. Not to mention the dangers of pent-up sexual tension that can lead to marriages based on sexual attraction rather than common interests and compatibility (I had to make up for Alf and me saying the same thing).

Watched on 08/09/09

Monday, August 3, 2009

#82 -The Prestige (2006), 130 mins.

Alf: I think The Prestige is yet another great movie directed by Chris Nolan. He has a great storytelling ability. The movie is about two dueling up-and-coming magician/illusionists, who become obsessed with both revenge, and trying to one-up each other. What should have been a simple story, get a little more complicated with some science fiction aspects. Overall, I still enjoyed this movie, and would recommend it...afterall, I've seen it twice!

Beth: Definitely better and more memorable than the Illusionist. It had a nice twist to it that I didn't see coming but it also raises some ethical questions about the length someone will go to get revenge. I was a little confused by the ending. As Alf says, the whole movie seems to focus on this obsession with revenge but at the very end Hugh Jackman makes a claim that I think is a poor attempt by Chris Nolan to give depth to a shallow character. Seemed to over-reach the limits of an entertaining movie. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale were nice to look at, too.

Watched on 8/2/2009

Sunday, August 2, 2009

#45 - Amelie (2001), 122 minutes

Beth: Amelie is cute movie. Full of quirky and fun information about 2D characters. Amelie decides to help others in small ways and finds true love along the way. Slow in parts, made slower by subtitles but fun overall.

Alf: Amelie makes a great date movie. I don't think that anyone could have played the character of Amelie any better than Audrey Tautou. The movie is about a girl that that decides to do good for the people around her, and in her life, but forgets about fixing her own. It turns out that she's a fan of karma, and karma's a fan of her...

Watched on 8/2/2009