spitfire grill

i dont exactly remember what drew me to this film in the first place, but i do love it! the story follows a woman, percy, recently out of prison, as she tries to rebuild her life. she asks to go to a small town and is put in the care of a woman who owns a local restaurant called 'the spitfire grill'. the crusty old woman, played by ellen burstyn, is willing to whip her into shape. as burstyn begins to let down her guard, percy begins to ask her about some strange things that have been taking place. since this is a small town, the locals have taken an interest in percy and her sorted history. you know how it is, the small town ladies will gossip... the town seems to be falling apart because of percy's arrival, and burstyn falls apart as well. percy must take care of the grill on her own and also finds out the truth behind the old woman's secret.

this is a great movie. the whole transition from inmate to grill owner is done with honesty and difficulty. percy's transition and her involvement in the workings of this small town are told with sincerity. this isnt a sappy movie or anything, but i found it to be deeply moving. as percy finds out about the old woman's secret, there is a scene in a field that chilled me with its beauty and truthful spirituality.

cloudy with a chance of meatballs

i watched this one with the kids and thought it was pretty cute. the story is about a man who invents stuff and one of his inventions is designed to make food. well, something goes horribly wrong and it starts making food that is really big. a news weather girl comes around to investigate and the two of them fall in love. its strange and kind of fun. (sorry, i dont remember the movie that well, but i found it rather enjoyable)

mission impossible: 2

after watching the twists and turns of the first one as it slowly builds to an exciting ending, this one was just too much. the second mission impossible movie seems to be trying to do the opposite of the last film. intrigue? nope, instead we get big loud stunts. subtle? nope, just big and loud. twists and turns? yes, but not necessarily in a good way. its a bit over the top with everything and the story line, a rouge agent from the past wants to bring down the whole group, was done in the first one, and better! i will admit one thing though: it looks amazing! this is director john woo at his best. beautiful explosions, dynamic action, and doves everywhere! its a fun crazy ride, but not nearly as good at the first one. but it does get bonus points for tom cruise's amazing hair!

mission: impossible

there's this guy i read online (scott mendelson, you can find him here) who talked about how the mission: impossible movies were a showcase for directors and that they were amazing examples of their work, so i figured i would check them out again to see what he saw.
i wasn't so sure about this myself, i remember when i first saw mission: impossible i kind of thought it sucked, so i guess it was worth revisiting. the story follows ethan hunt, played by tom cruise, as he's on a mission that goes bad. he tries to figure out what went wrong and has to go rouge to figure it out. there are a ton of twists and turns along the way, some of which i think i missed the first time out. to be honest, i'm really glad i gave this one a second chance because it is a really good movie! cruise is perfect as the cocky agent who is unwilling to accept that the perfectly planned mission went so horribly wrong. the technology and disguises are a lot of fun, reflecting back on the super cool tv show. also, the action is pitch perfect- there is a reason why the scene of tom cruise hanging from the ceiling is so iconic: because its so good! the tension and excitement are flawlessly executed making for some great action and fun twists. it was certainly better than i remembered it!

moulin rouge!

the first time i watched this movie i dismissed it because of the chaotic feel of everything that was going on. it gave me a spinning headache, so i tossed it aside as a jumbled mess of a movie. recently my wife convinced me to give it another try. turns out i was wrong- way wrong! the chaos that is going on is intentional and actually improves the whole movie. the story is all about love, the main character, played by ewan mcgregor, accidentally finds himself face to face with nicole kidman- who he instantly falls for. as the two of them fall further and further in love the chaos around them swells with over wrought joy and pandemonium! the songs, mostly taken from modern hits, meshed and changed to fit the story, are soaringly beautiful. even though the two leads do not have the greatest of voices, they more than make up for it with passion! i guess the first time i watched it i didnt see the beauty of the forest because i was too overwhelmed by all those trees! after giving it a second look, i now understand what all the fuss was about- this movie is fantastic! no wonder the movie has an exclamation point in its title...