Wednesday, November 26, 2008

a movie week


So I am back in town for Thanksgiving Break and I was thinking to myself, "I haven't seen any movies besides HSM 3 and Eagle Eye in a long time!" Mainly because I go to school in Iowa City, a place where you can either find big budget (HSM 3, Eagle Eye, etc.) or some strange art house film released in a different language that is only 52 minutes long.
Anyway, I got together with Claire tonight and expressed how much I wanted to revisit this blog. I know it sounds super lame and all because it was for a high school class, but I've always enjoyed blogging or writing. ANYWAY, these are the movies I saw this week:
1.) Slumdog Millionaire
2.) Leatherheads
3.) My Sassy Girl
4.) Rachel Getting Married
Today I am going to blog about Rachel Getting Married because I just saw it like six hours ago. It tells the story of a young woman named Kim who is released from rehab to go to her sister's wedding. Her sister is Rachel and she and her husband are throwing a casual, Indian-inspired wedding. Trouble enters quickly when Kim realizes that Rachel has chosen her best friend to be the maid of honor in her wedding. Infuriated, Kim claims that it is a "sisterly duty" for her to be Rachel's maid of honor, thus Emma, Rachel's BFF, steps down (unwillingly). Throughout the movie the audience is taken in by frequent handheld camera work that actually works out perfectly; it gives the feeling as if we are members of the wedding party. The script is phenomenal; screenwriter Jenny Lumet turns everyday events, such as a father-in-law/son-in-law dish washing contest into a heartbreaking moment that involves the painful memory of the Kim and Rachel's younger brother's death. It uncovers the true meaning of "dysfunctional family" while relating it to an "ordinary family". The acting is amazing as well, with Anne Hathaway giving a performance that moved me to tears. Rosemary Dewitt holds her own as Rachel, conflicted between Kim's past betrayals and the fact that Kim is her sister. I also enjoyed Bill Irwin as Paul, the father. He is every bit of the overprotective father that comes to the defense of Kim whenever she does something that upsets the whole family and wedding party.
I would definitely recommend seeing Rachel Getting Married because of the strong and moving script as well as the life-changing performances by the top three actors. Also, the cast is very multi-cultural which I liked. Expect Oscar nods for Best Picture, Best Actress and maybe even Best Supporting Actor and Actress.