I'm a movie lover. I've had a movie by mail delivery service since Blockbuster's heyday back in 2004. I loved them until they made me mad and I had to quit them for Netflix. Then they went out of business and I like to think I had something to do with it. Independent films are hit and miss. Some are just really really bad. Some did everything right but something about it didn't quite come together. Some are so good it's a shame they didn't get more attention and those are the ones I love to find. Between being off work for three weeks and MJ being gone I had the opportunity to do a lot of movie watching. Here are some Netflix diamonds in the rough that I found recently. These are all movies that you may have never heard of and are available in the streaming section of Netflix. Grab a bowl of popcorn and enjoy!!
I was initially attracted to this because Juno Temple is in it. I really liked her in Killer Joe (another must see). She's a really good actress who plays a lot of really interesting characters. She doesn't seem to go for the blockbuster movies and I really like that. Once it started I realized that Milla Jovovich was in it and I love her so it was win win after that. The movie is filled with awesome hits from the 80's so if you love 80's music that alone will pull you in. The two lead characters are really deep and layered. They are thrown together and it was really interesting to watch their relationship evolve. I watched this one night in bed on my ipad. I was already crying and then when Don't Cry Out Loud came on I pretty much lost it. I was just crying alone in my bed like some crazy woman. If you watch nothing else on my list watch this one!!I've loved Jennifer Connelly since Labryinth. It also has Lily Collins, Greg Kinnear and Kristen Bell. It has a coming of age story kind of feel spread across three totally different age brackets. If you enjoy writing or want to be a writer this might inspire you a little bit. My favorite quote is when Bill Borgens (played by Greg Kinnear) says: A writer is the sum of their experiences. Get some. I think all of us as bloggers can relate to that one.
This movie was okay. I guess I just expected it to be better. I wasn't the biggest fan of Kirsten Dunst's character. She was just too, TOO if that makes any sense. I found myself getting really tired of hearing her speak towards the end and I ended up kind of despising the other three girls too. They were all just so selfish. Rebel Wilson was the nice girl in the movie. She's normally typecast to be really rough around the edges so it was nice to see her play a different character even though she swung the other way and was way too nice that it was annoying.
This one had a really dark ending. The lead character played by Orlando Bloom was obviously very messed up in the head as you find out as the movie goes on. He was a good doctor but he does something that totally violates that hippocratic oath that all doctors are sworn to.
This movie was quirky, cooky and very good. Jeff (Tobey Maguire) makes one mistake after another as his life spins out of control and it's like watching a train wreck by the end of it. It was over the top but just enough so that it made the movie stand out as something different and not something totally stupid. I really like Elizabeth Banks, Tobey Maguire and Ray Liotta.
It's very character driven as opposed to story line driven and that can make a movie kind of slow at times. I like Kate Bosworth so decided to give it a chance and see it through to the end anyway.
I love Robin Wright Penn and Naomi Watts. These ladies are in their mid-late 40's and they still have amazing bikini bodies. It was perfectly cast as it was realistic to think that both of them could hook the interest of younger men in such a bizarre love square. Yes, love square. It's not exactly a triangle.
The story line started out one way and then half way through totally changed focus. I liked seeing Eva Mendes play such a complex interesting character. Most people like Ryan Gosling but I like Bradley Cooper more and they are both in it. MJ is a very tough movie critic and even he liked this one. It's the only one on the list that I did not watch alone.
This movie was very real. I totally related to Bill as he struggled to figure out how he fit into his own life. His character was grounded in reality so even though he was a 40 something male I found that I could still relate to him. My favorite quote from the whole movie is when Bill says, Working sucks. No matter what you do you make sure you make a lot of money doing it. Because it all sucks. Elizabeth Banks again! Love her. (I don't know if this is in Netflix anymore. I couldn't find it listed.)
How I live Now
I've liked Saoirse Ronan since I first saw her in Atonement. This movie definitely had an odd sort of indy feel to it. There were parts that I wasn't really sure what to make of but the acting was really good. The storyline was typical in that it was the whole end of the world thing but it had a different vibe that set it apart from others like it.
This movie was gross because of what happens to the lead character. She contracts some horrible disease and the changes that she goes through are disgusting. Some of the acting wasn't the greatest but it had me really intrigued and wanting to know more all the way up until the end when they did something I hate in a movie. I was really mad but at the same time I still felt it was a unique enough movie to add to the list.
I consider myself a hardcore horror movie lover and if that is not your thing then this movie might be a little much for you. There is cannibalism involved. I really liked it but this kind of movie is not for everyone so proceed with caution. I would also put Chained in this category. Deeply disturbing and definitely not for everyone.
It's basically a prank call gone way too far that ultimately results in a criminal arrest. As I was watching the movie I couldn't believe what these people were doing just because someone on the phone told them to. It seems like something that could never happen but apparently it's loosely based on a true story. It's pretty disturbing to think of the power that an authority figure can have over people pushing them to do things that they know is wrong. I have never heard of any of the actors in this movie.
This one had a really shocking ending and left me wondering WHY but it was a really good movie. If you liked Frieda Pinto from Slumdog Millionaire she's the female lead in this one. If you haven't seen that movie I don't know where you've been! It was great. Trishna follows the story of a girl growing up poor in rural India and follows her journey as she works to help support her family and falls in love with a rich boy from the upper class.
The Truth about emanuel
This one was pretty good too. Jessica Biel plays one of the lead characters. It's about a girl dealing with the death of her mother who meets someone who is also dealing with a death. They have a connection and help each other in a way they probably never expected.
NOW IS GOOD
I've been a Dakota Fanning fan since she stole the show with Sean Penn in I Am Sam. She was amazing as a little girl and still is. Her sister Elle Fanning is the same. I guess they were born for it. This is your typical girl dying of a terminal disease falls in love with boy story. I've seen it a million times and there is another one that just came out called Fault in Our Stars. Such a sad, sad storyline but people like it so they keep making them. Dakota works an English accent in this one and had me in tears at the end. If a movie like this doesn't make you cry they did it wrong.
Don't waste your time on Slightly Single in LA. It's just off. Lacy Chabert of Party of Five fame must be getting hard up for roles. Drinking Buddies was not so great either. It was just so dry. Olivia Wilde what were you thinking? Anna Kendrick you can do better. I'm thinking these are both movies that could have and should have been better but something about them fell flat. It happens.
Other DVD's that I've watched recently (not available on Netflix streaming):
The Book Thief is a very special movie and is definitely a must see. The story, the acting, the emotion. It was all good. I cried and cried at the end. A super scary one is Evil Dead. If you have a taste for chilling horror flicks this is a good one. It even had me covering my eyes. I also liked People Like Us (more Elizabeth Banks).
Yes. I watch A LOT of movies! If you have already seen these or end up watching any of them I'd love to know what you think.
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