Rating: 8
I know this blog is called “The Movie Was Better,” but Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is one of those literary classics that stands the test of time. And if you rolled your eyes reading that sentence, don’t worry: This adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s 1847 gothic romance was made with you in mind. Director Cary Fukunaga restructures the timeline of the story, turning it into as much of a mystery as a romance. A young girl is seen fleeing from an imposing mansion: This is Jane Eyre (played by Mia Wasikowska from Alice in Wonderland). She is taken in by a parish pastor and his family. Jane gives them a false name and tells them she is seeking employment: What is she running from? In a series of flashbacks, we witness the sadness of her childhood and her eventual employment as a governess at Thornfield. It is there that Jane meets the brooding, sarcastic Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender, recently seen as Magneto in X-Men: First Class), who, of course, has a deep, dark secret that torments him. If you are not familiar with the novel, this twist will certainly surprise you.
With supporting roles played by Judi Dench and Jaime Bell (Billy Elliott!), this is a gorgeous, well-acted adaptation that I recommend. If you are going to be stuck watching a British historical melodrama, you couldn’t do better. If you are a fan of movies like the recent Pride and Prejudice, Bright Star or The Young Victoria, you should really check this one out. Just make sure you lock your attic before you start watching the movie.
Review by: Nicole
Search for this movie @ the library. Read more about this movie on IMDB.
Rating: 10
Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) has always admired the made men in is neighborhood. They have cash, cars and respect and he wants to be one of them. As a teenager he starts working for them parking cars and hangs around them all the time. As he works his way up into the mob hierarchy, he becomes friends with Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) and James Conway (Robert De Niro). When his friends are involved in one of the biggest heists ever, they have to do whatever it takes to avoid being caught. Meanwhile, Henry has problems of his own with his wife, mistress and a drug problem he developed while in prison. As things spiral out of control and bodies turn up just about everywhere, you have to wonder if Henry is next!
This is one of my all-time favorite films. I hadn’t seen this film in more than a decade so when I watched it again recently, I was amazed to see how many actors from this film ended up in The Sopranos. Besides an incredible cast of actors portraying some of the most sinister real-life characters, this film was Directed by Martin Scorsese. If you haven’t seen this film you’re missing out! Come see it on Friday, September 16th at the Main Library. Food arrives at 5:30 and the movie starts at 6:30.
Review by: Jim
Watch it @ the Library: September 16, 2011 (you must register)
Search for this movie @ the library. Read more about this movie on IMDB.
Posted in Crime, Drama, Guys Night Out, Rating 10, Review |
Tagged crime family, dea, drugs, FBI, heist, italian, joe pesci, lorraine bracco, made man, mob, new york, paul sorvino, prison, ray liotta, robert de niro
|
Rating: 7
Sue D’num suggested this movie wasn’t worth watching so I wasn’t expecting much. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to see two actors I’m not very fond of playing their roles fairly well. Dwayne Johnson is an ex-con out for revenge and to avenge the death of his brother. Billy Bob Thornton is a veteran cop with a sordid past who is put on the case when people start turning up dead. Add to the mix a crazy hit man and you’ve set the stage for a high-octane, violent thrill ride that keeps you guessing up to the very end. If you’re in the mood for a violent revenge film, I recommend you check this out.
Review by: Jim
Search for this movie @ the library. Read more about this movie on IMDB.
Posted in Action, Crime, Drama, Rating 7, Review, Suspense |
Tagged 2010, avengement, billie bob thornton, cop, dwayne johnson, hit list, informant, junkie, kill, maggie grace, metal plate, murder, prison, release, retribution, revenge, rob, steal, the rock
|
Thanks to everyone how attended and a special thanks to everyone at Taco Loco for donating quesadillas, taquitos, wings, jalapeno poppers, chips, salsa and guacamole for our July and August Guys Night Out. Jason Statham was amazing in The Transporter and the food was equally amazing! If you’re ever in the mood for Mexican food or perhaps a margarita or three, stop by Taco Loco in Black Rock and tell them the library sent you. Next month’s movie is Goodfellas starring Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Brocco, Paul Sorvino and directed by Martin Scorsese.
Rating: 8
I faintly remember watching this film as a kid. My mother had a huge crush on Robert Redford. She used to drive by his house every once in a while. The only thing I really remember was Butch and Sundance jumping off a huge cliff into a river. Watching the film again 30 years later I got much more from it. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were outlaws back towards the end of the wild, wild west days. After robbing a train one too many times, they find themselves on the run from a posse that will stop at nothing to kill them. They eventually escape the USA to Bolivia and start robbing banks again. Word about them gets out and the posse from the US catches up with them. Once again they are on the run with nothing to lose. Why not watch the film to see if they get away?
Review by: Jim
Search for this movie @ the library. Read more about this movie on IMDB.
Posted in Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Rating 8, Review, Suspense |
Tagged 1969, bank, bolivia, cloris leachman, gang, george furth, gunmen, hole in the wall, horse, katherine ross, kenneth mars, outlaw, paul newman, robbers, robert redford, run, safe, strother martin, train, usa
|
Rating: 6
David Norris (Matt Damon) is an up and coming politician with an eye on the white house. He’s smitten by Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) a ballerina with amazing talent, but strange men insist they must stay apart. Fighting destiny itself, David will stop at nothing to see Elise again even though destiny has other plans for him and Elise. Who are these strange men and why do they risk everything to stop David and Elise from seeing each other again?
While the intrigue of who the strange men are and the promise of true love prevailing kept me watching, the end result was a bit disappointing to me. Since it kept me going until the end I gave it a 6, otherwise I would have rated it lower. I also found out after I watched it that the dancer double for Emily Blunt was the daughter of one of my cousins! Who knows, you might enjoy this movie. Why not check it out from the library for free and post a comment here so we can get another opinion about this interesting film?
Review by: Jim
Search for this movie @ the library. Read more about this movie on IMDB.
Posted in Action, Drama, Fantasy, Rating 6, Review, Romance, Sci-Fi, Suspense |
Tagged 2011, agent, ballerina, dancer, emily blunt, fate, governor, jon stewart, matt damon, politician, senator
|
Rating: 7
When Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) is cut from the baseball team, she is devastated. She’s kind of lost; trying to find a purpose for her life since baseball is all she has ever known. She’s sent on a blind date with George (Paul Rudd) who just found out he’s being indicted by the feds for a crime he committed working for his father’s company. Their date doesn’t go too well and they move on with their lives though George is convinced she’s the one. Meanwhile, Lisa hooks up with a pro ball pitcher, Matty (Owen Wilson), who is more suited to her due to their mutual love of baseball. But when it becomes clear that Matty is a player in more than one way, she has to decide what to do with her life.
I’ve always been a big fan of Reese Witherspoon even though she tends to play similar characters. I was pleasantly surprised to see her in the role of a powerful, driven woman who has to deal with a major life change and reinvent herself without losing sight of who she really is. Owen Wilson was pretty funny as the hapless ladie’s man who just doesn’t get it. And Paul Rudd’s odd humor is inline with my own. Jack Nicholson is always amazing no matter what character he portrays. All in all I’d say this was a decent movie; kind of funny, not too dramatic and just a bit of romance. So, How Do You Know if you like it unless you watch this movie?
Review by: Jim
Search for this movie @ the library. Read more about this movie on IMDB.
Posted in Chick-Flick, Comedy, Drama, Rating 7, Review, Romance |
Tagged 2010, bachelor, baseball, blind date, corporation, cut, dumped, father, indicted, jack nicholson, lawyer, owen wilson, party, paul rudd, pitcher, player, reese witherspoon, son, team
|
In my previous Did You Know? post, I discussed our online Summer Reading programs and all the great prizes people of all ages can win by participating.
Did You know that for the past several years, the Fairfield Public Library has offered a series of lectures and much more related to the pursuit of a new job? With the economic downturn in the US, many people find themselves out of work with no place to turn. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Judy Sparzo, one of our reference librarians, we have dozens of experts come to the library to discuss various aspects of job hunting. From online resume writing resources to HR admininstrators from local companies, a networking group that meets at the main library every Friday at 9:30 a.m., access to a career counselor who will talk to you 1-on-1 for free every Tuesday on a first come, first served basis, dozens of podcasts from past speakers and more, the library has the resources you need to become employed once again. The series resumes in September 2011. Judy even won an award for all her efforts!
Posted in Did You Know, Informational |
Tagged 2008, 2009, 2010, 2010 award, 2011, award, career counselor, excellence, experts, HR, job, job hunting, job search, jobs, networking, online, podcasts, resource, resume, resume help
|
Rating: 8
After exploring a massive cave system for five years, a father and son and their crew have to find an alternate way out when a storm makes any hope of escape through the entrance to the cave impossible. They’ve mapped out miles of cave, some above water, some under water. When the unthinkable happens, they have to rely on their wits and each other to try and make it out alive through parts of the cave they had never seen before. Based on true events, Sanctum is an edge-of-your-seat thriller you won’t soon forget!
Review by: Jim
Search for this movie @ the library. Read more about this movie on IMDB.
Posted in Adventure, Drama, Rating 8, Review, Suspense, Thriller |
Tagged 2011, accident, cave, diving, father, fight, ocean, scuba, son, storm, survival, trapped, under, water
|
Rating: 7
Beastly is a modern adaptation of the Beauty and the Beast. Having never seen any of those movies, I can’t compare this, but as a movie/love story it isn’t too bad. Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) is one of the most popular students at his high school, or so he thinks. He’s a narcissistic jerk who believes he’s God’s gift to the world. He crosses Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen), the school witch who decides to teach him a lesson by making him as ugly on the outside as she believes him to be on the inside. She gives him one year to find true love so he can return to his old looks, but if he doesn’t, he will stay this way forever. After that it’s pretty predictable, but is not quite a wholesome, Disney version of the story. Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens) can see the real Kyle beneath his facade and under extenuating circumstances, they become friends, but she doesn’t realize he’s actually Kyle. Will they fall in love? Can Lindy break Kendra’s spell? You’ll have to watch to find out.
Review by: Jim
Search for this movie @ the library. Read more about this movie on IMDB.
Posted in Chick-Flick, Drama, Fantasy, Rating 7, Review, Romance |
Tagged 2011, alex pettyfer, curse, dakota johnson, High School, mary-kate olsen, neil patrick harris, peter krause, vanessa hudgens, witch
|
