Burlesque

The plot is pretty transparent, the jokes are fairly obvious, and if I said the words "the club is in financial trouble", you can most likely guess the majority of rest of the movie.

Vocally, Christina Aguilera and Cher both have amazing voices. But does every song they sing have to be a power-ballad with all those full-out wails and cadenzas? Enough, already!  I understand she's passionate about what she's singing. That's fine. But don't beat me over the head with it. Those songs and vocal gymnastics lose their dramatic power when they're all we ever get to hear.

Oh, and as for the final number… THAT was the song that took so long for the hero to write??? THAT was the song that was so deeply personal that he couldn't share it with anyone until he felt it was perfect???

If you're going to see this movie, just enjoy it for what it is. Don't expect a piece of masterful cinema, don't take it too seriously. Enjoy the music, enjoy the plot for the fluff it is, and if you're a guy seeing it with your wife/girlfriend, enjoy the scantily-clad women.

Black Swan

With Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler), you know going in that you are going to get something gritty, raw, and real. You know that, even if it's good, it's going to be hard to process. But when he gets a hold of something, really gets a hold of it, you won't be able to look away, no matter how hard it is to watch. 

"Black Swan" is no exception. In many ways this is the most Aronofsky of his films. His style is spot on and works exquisitely with the world he is presenting. It's surprising because he normally shows the dirty, gritty, and ugly places; where as everything in this film is clean and polished. But don't let that fool you; he saved the dirt and grit for the characters.

Natalie Portman as Nina was incredible. Her transformation through the movie is disturbing and very intense, and Portman handles it incredibly well. She plays a very flawed character, making the role even tougher. Nina is not the greatest ballet dancer in the world by any stretch of the imagination. She has all the technique and is in fact a master at it, yet it is her emotion that she has the problem with. Portman almost had to act her character poorly to capture the multiple layers correctly. The unfitting facial expressions and awkward movements are part of the character of Nina, and Portman somehow makes it all work to a great advantage that makes the film even more fascinating.

The rest of the cast is incredible as well. Mila Kunis takes on a much more serious and more complex role than she is used to. Her character has very many layers, and doesn't fit into one specific archetype, mainly for reasons that would spoil the movie. Vincent Cassel is the sleazy and inappropriate director of this ballet production. He is the driving force behind much of the tragedy of the film, and he is a character you love to hate.

Not everyone will love this movie, actually most people will probably dislike it. 

Oscar Nominees

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Black Swan (review tomorrow)

The Fighter

Inception

***The Kids Are All Right

***The Kings Speech

***127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

***True Grit

***Winters Bone

*** Haven't seen yet.

Atlanta Aquarium

We had a blast!

`

Be my...

Happy Valentines Day!

This little lover is watching her favorite - Baby Einsteins. Watch out, she will give you a dirty look if you interrupt.

We're heading to Atlanta and Alabama tomorrow!

8 Months Old

Wow, 8 months already.

Birth – 7lbs 6oz /// 21” June 9th 2010

1 Months – 9lbs 4oz /// 21”

2 Months – 11lbs 12oz /// 23”

***3 Months - 12lbs 8oz /// 24”

4 Months – 16lbs /// 26"

 ***5 Months - 17lbs /// 27"

6 Months - 17lbs 10oz /// 27"

7 Months - 18lbs 10oz /// 27"

8 Months - 20lbs 4oz /// 28"

You're standing more and more on your own and each day you get a little more brave and let go and stand solo. Everything you can use to stand you will use.
Including Paddington.

It'll be only a matter or days before you're running around. I took my first steps when I was 8 months old and we see you following in my footsteps. No pun intended.

We made it back from our trip to the great snowy white north aka Canada. You didn't like having to bundle up every time we went out and not being able to move in your car seat. You loved spending time with you Nan and Granddad though. Our surprise went down flawlessly and Nan only wished her present lasted longer than a week.

You get your second flu shot on Friday.
And there's a possibility we might be in Atlanta next week and visiting your cousins in Alabama next weekend. We see if work actually decide to put me on schedule.

Turning into quite the little traveler because we also have a trip to Orlando booked in March!