Love in film is many things. It can be a mariachi band under a windowsill, a confession of love at New Years, a first kiss that breaks a spell, a boom box overhead, a magic carpet ride, or even a ride on the bow of the Titanic. It can also be tender, raw, and explosive.  Blue Valentine shows that like a firework, a love that burns the brightest may be set to explode in the most dazzling way. Blue Valentine follows the love story of Cindy and Dean as if it were searching for a reason that their relationship went so wrong.  The film alternates between scenes that cover a six-year gap that …

For years an interesting and somewhat perplexing relationship has formed between the two most unlikely of partners, Hollywood and British royalty.  In a market that demands dramatic heroes, flashy special effects, and self-made heroes, where do all these films about characters born into a life of luxury find an audience? Maybe it is the notion that American audiences might find a pleasurable escape into a world that is full of beautiful clothing and a political system we were once a part of.  It could also provide an interesting view into a world where one person’s actions can determine the …

With the recent repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”  it seems that our country is slowly becoming more and more accepting of gays in our everyday lives.  With the passing of this repeal there couldn’t be a better time than this past Christmas to release a film like I Love You Phillip Morris, a film that openly presents and flaunts its gay protagonists. After sitting two years on the shelf, debuting at Sundance in 2009, and with numerous studios debating its release (something that looked like it would never happen), the film has finally been released worldwide. I Love You Phillip Morris tells …

As New Years rapidly approaches it's a common impulse to look back on what the past year had to offer.   It can be hard to sum up a year in anything as the year is ending.  Often one can find oneself caught up in the moment, unaware of what the present may look like through the lens of the future. Many times, one votes or bases his/her opinion on their initial reactions and the spirit of judging in the moment.  Something happening today may hold a stronger meaning in the future, only developing relevance and importance with time. It is with this knowledge that I hesitantly take a look back on…

There are movies that when audiences leave the theater -  they never speak of them again. Not because the film is bad but because it is so utterly forgettable. Then there are films like Black Swan.  Viewing Black Swan is a date with the sublime.  It is a film that invites the viewer to get lost in its world, colors, thrills, and then escape from the theater electrified. Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is an innocent, virginal, ballerina whose figure is as malnourished as her mind.  Her bedroom is like a child's, with pink wallpaper, stuffed animals, and even a jewelry box that plays her to …

"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."-Walt Disney When Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs burst into theaters in 1937 it quickly became the most successful film of all time.  Film as a medium was young and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs offered something no one had seen before.  As the first animated feature film, it offered beautiful images and a riveting musical storyline, based on a famous fairytale by the brothers…

After the tremendous success of Slumdog Millionaire, director Danny Boyle, having won an Oscar for that film, could have tackled any story he could imagine.  Boyle has directed some truly epic films, with 28 Days Later and Sunshine, but is notorious for changing his style with every film he creates. However, instead of widening his scope Danny Boyle has decided to widen the valley of possibilities in modern filmmaking by narrowing his scope to a particular valley in Utah. 127 Hours tells the horrifically claustrophobic, true story of Aron Ralston, an adrenaline junkie who enjoys spending time…

Here is what you've been waiting for, the beginning of the end, the first part of the final story in what is probably the most successful film saga in history.  We've come to expect quality from the Harry Potter film series, with last year's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" nearing perfection.  "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" is a long film, and a long time coming, but is it as full of Potter-goodness as its mouthful-of-a-title might suggest? "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" picks up right after the events of the last film, with Harry and his friends on a …