277 of 1001 Movies: Kill Bill Vol.1 (2003)

Though I haven't been amazing at keeping up posts I keep trying to get back into it. Along with that might come some revamping soon. Anyways, for now here is a review of a movie I recently watched and enjoyed, Kill Bill Vol. 1. I have to say I was a bit skeptical going into it. I've loved all the Tarantino movies I've seen so far, but I felt like this one might throw me off with the martial art aspects of it, especially since my husband doesn't like the movie. I came out really enjoying it though, and I found the movie intensely fun to watch.

Summary: A woman only known as the Bride, wakes up from a coma to find herself living a nightmare to know that her wedding didn't happen, and the baby she was pregnant with died. Now she is out to seek revenge on those that destroyed her life, but these people she at one time thought she could trust. There also just as skilled and trained in fighting as she is, but her vengeance is a strong force, and her targets will hopefully lead to her main one, Bill.

Acting: The lead is the well cast, Uma Thurman, as The Bride. I haven't seen Thurman in much, but there is something about her in this movie that radiates the best amount of silence and kick butt with a lot of emotions going on to make the portrayal more realistic. My favorite other thing about Tarantino movies is how random the cast can get. From television actors to big Hollywood actors you never know who will pop up. Daryl Hannah appears as one of the assassins who gives off only bad, and then there are ones like Vivica A. Fox's character who we know is bad yet somehow Tarantino gets us to feel a little for her. One of the more stand out performances outside of Thurman's though is really Lucy Liu as O-Ren Ishii. She is one of the final targets of The Bride's in this movie, and it leads to one of the best final epic scenes to a movie I've watched. The battle is intense and keeps you compelled for all the minutes it runs between them. David Carradine is Bill though, and the hopes of more from him are yet to come.

Filming: I have to come to know that I love the bold colors that Tarantino utilizes in his movies. You can always expect gore and revenge with Tarantino, and if that isn't your thing then you might want to pass on his movies. It would be interesting to know why that does drive many of his plots though. Somehow he makes it where it isn't the gore that stands out to you, and he does let the characters shine for more so there endeavors in revenge that comes off as selfless.

Writing: There aren't many current movies I watch in this genre that enthrall me. It utilizes some vibe about old school horror and action that I really enjoy. The final scenes are barely any talking yet the feelings of betrayal and revenge are oozing off the screen, and even though it's obvious who comes out on top during these scenes, that is if you're aware this series is getting a third movie soon, then you might expect you don't feel as much anticipation on what will happen, but I felt the same suspense I would not knowing the outcome.

Kill Bill Vol. 1 is allowing Tarantino to explore a bit more of his love for kick butt women in this movie. Where they might take second screen in movies like Inglorious Basterds, they instead take the forefront of this movie. He proves that women can be just as entertaining and fitting for these parts as male can for these movies.

Bookshelf: Dennis and Barbara Rainey's Two Hearts Praying as One

I got this book as a gift at my wedding shower, and instead of waiting to read it, I figured the best time to tread would be before I got married next week. Since me and my fiance share the same belief we are focused on making this a practice in our relationship, and I believe that this book covers the topic very well. I feel it's very brief, but I also don't know what they could have done to expand on it as well. They get straight to the point and personal enough that this book feels like a one on one talk.

Summary: Dennis and Barbara are founders of FamilyLife, a Christian radio talk show. In this book they try to help married couples establish the daily prayer routine to strengthen their faith and their marriage. With each chapter a new little prayer challenge is given for the day for the husband and wife to do. In the hopes of establishing a regular prayer life, the author's believe all it takes is 30 days to make something new apart of your life, so with 30 days of something in your prayer life to try they make a small book to get the reader in the habit.

Wednesday Movie Night: Assisted Living (2003)

So I don't know whether I'm still okay with the fact that I watched this. There is a difference between being indie and just low quality. I think the story is nice, but by the end you're lacking of what was really intended by watching the movie. Many have said that the movie even got them to dreading getting older. The movie is also labeled as comedy despite the lack of laughs I felt after watching. Instead I just felt a bit sad.

Summary: Todd is a janitor at an assisted living facility. He doesn't seem to aspire to much, and he is already struggling to keep his job there. He meets an elderly patient, Ms. Pearlman, who begins mistaking him for her son who has abandon her at the assisted living residence. She has hopes of going to Australia, which must be where her son lives. In order to comfort her, Todd pretends to be her son, but this leads to her confusion that he actually is. Todd though may learn something from Ms. Pearlman for the hope he has given her.

431 of 1001 Albums: Dizzie Rascal's Boy In Da Corner

Grime music isn't one I'm familiar with, and this might the first I've ever heard of it.  Dizzie Rascal though is a lot different than other hip hop that I've heard. His beats are a bit different and the sound arrangements are quite unique. The album though does have some groundbreaking sounds, and some songs that sound really good, but there were some songs I struggled through.

History: Dizzie Rascal was only seventeen when this album was released, and it does sound beyond his time. The album was a critical hit as well. It even ranks in the top 100 of MetaCritic's top rated albums. The album was looked up to by many critics, and also would be a hit with audiences that discovered the album as well. The album also achieved awards, but seemed to be overlooked by the Grammy's.

Wednesday Movie Night: Love Actually (2003)

So I figured before the holidays took me away that I would watch one last Christmas movie I could fit in. I've heard a lot about Love Actually, so I was very excited to watch it, and by the end a bit disappointed. I loved some stories, and found that others left me feeling a bit lackluster. I suppose people like this movie because it tries to be a more realistic romantic comedy though? Some relationships work out, some don't, and some are left unanswered?  I would have preferred just to watch two hours and 14 minutes of just Martin Freeman falling in love in the porn industry though.

Summary: Eight couples are nearing Christmas in London, and some are falling in love, and others are falling out of it. Billy Mack is trying to revive his career with a Christmas album. Jamie is a lonely writer, who begins to fall for the housekeeper during a getaway to France. Daniel is a recently widowed, and raising his son on his own. Karen discovers her husband maybe having an affair. Juliet discovers her new husband's friend has feelings for her, and the prime minister begins falling for a woman who works on his staff. All these stores have loose connections tying up to show the workings of love.

Bookshelf: Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner

My sister read this book a couple of years ago, and considering her high recommendations of a book that isn't her usual reading genre, I had to check it out. This book instantly pulls you into the characters, and makes you wonder how in the world you're going to be able to like the lead character, Amir. Hosseini has the talent of doing great enough character development to leave that question in the dust as develop with Amir. Not only that but for those not too familiar with the backdrop of what is happening in Afghanistan beyond America's involvement it's quite educational.

Summary: Amir is best friends with Hassan. Hassan's father is the servant of Amir's father, Baba. At first their friendship is simple. The two live in the same place, and their father's ability to seem on the same level when around other doesn't make them aware of their caste differences. As Amir grows older the bullying regarding their friendship becomes more prominent, Hassan's despised Hazara heritage is beginning to cause a cultural strife in the area. Amir also begins to long more for his father's affection, and it seems that making a sacrifice of his friendship is the only way to get it. What he does causes him regret that lasts him into his adulthood leaving him needing some sort of redemption.

Wednesday Movie Night: The Rundown (2003)

Action comedies seem to be in scarce demand in the past few years. I don't know maybe I'm just not thinking or looking hard enough to recall the ones out there. In 2003 though, Peter Berg released The Rundown. It features some laughs, a good cast, and a lot of action that works. It's a movie that you can sit back and enjoy throughout without having to also invest too much into it.

Summary: Beck is an aspiring restaurant owner who currently helps a mob boss track down those who owe him. Beck is wanting to move out of the mob business though and get into the food one. He agrees to do one last rundown for his boss, Walker, if he let him go and finally pay him enough to start his restaurant.  The last run will send him to Brazil to seek out the boss's son. Once there though a lot more is going on that his son, Travis, is already wrapped up in. The town operator, Hatcher, has basically made slaves of the inhabitants, and is in search of a rare treasure that Travis is aware of, and has found the location of. So no only does Beck have to retrieve him alive to go home, but also keep Hatcher from hunting him down.

Saturday Movies: Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

You probably wouldn't associate The Coen Brothers with a romantic comedy, but it's true. They did in Coen Brother style though. The tone of the movie is fun and humor filled, while the characters aim to be unlikable, but somehow charming. George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones star in this movie that gives the duo a lot of chemistry as they form a romantic connection.

Summary: Marilyn has a way of making a living that suits her, and she plans on gaining the ultimate pay off to live an independent lifestyle from her divorces. After one lawyer though almost jeopardizes her plan she ends up becoming more focused on revenge than anything. Miles is a really great divorce lawyer. He even has his own annulment made out for marrying couples to sign that he guarantees will protect anyone that is the richer of the two. Miles though has fell for one of his clients now ex wife, Marilyn. The two though go head to head in a battle of independence verse love in this movie where the two have to sort of let go of long held beliefs about how they want to live.

Wednesday Movie Night: Big Fish (2003)

Big Fish is probably one of Tim Burton's most fairy tales of tales he has brought to life to the screen. There seemed to be something in this movie that a lot of his films have lacked since Edward Scissorhands, and that is heart. Ewan McGregor makes the role work, though he could have been better cast, as a southern boy. The movie did take some time to grow on me though. It wasn't love straight out of the gate with this one. It felt almost like a television movie at first until the guy finally sets out on his adventure.

Summary: Will Bloom has always believed that his father was lying growing up when he told him tales of his childhood and how he met his mother. Ed Bloom though isn't letting go of his stories even as death nears him in old age. Will's wife, Josephine, tries to bring her husband closer to his father though by helping him understand his father's need for the stories, and telling them to him. As he tries to understand who his father really his under the stories he also begins to relive them and bring the stories the to life.

129 of 1001 Movies: Lost In Translation (2003)

Sophia Coppola directs this 2003 drama that is perfectly cast and set in the country of Japan. Without the correct casting and atmosphere for such a movie it would be a miss, but Lost in Translation has great selection. The movie runs a little slow at times, but even then Coppola weaves in interesting shots to appease the viewer. It seems to have all the workings of a movie I would like with it's artsy style, and the sort of sad but hopeful characters.

Bob Harris is a fading movie star who is just taking what he can to earn some bucks, and this leads him to Japan where he is starring in a string of advertisements. Charlotte is in Japan with her photographer husband, but he is mostly away on business, and she rarely sees him. So the two are alone in Japan, and seem to both need company. When they bump into each other they click, and end up finding their own fun in Japan until they realize the eventual happening of parting ways.

89 of 1001 Movies: The Best of Youth (2003)

The Best of Youth is one of the most powerful, and beautiful movies there is. After watching it I instantly wanted to replay the movie again, and that has never happened before. What makes it so amazing is that the characters are so real and complex. While it has it's share of sorrow and happiness it just feels alive. Marco Tullio Giordana brings together a movie that is worth amount of time you'll spend watching it. The plot evolves with time, and ultimately feels a lot like life.

Matteo and Nicola are two brothers who are leaving school, and have plans to set out on a journey together. Matteo has been meeting with a woman in an asylum, Giorgia, and also decides to help her try to live a life outside of it's wall. When this journey falls apart it drastically changes the course of their lives. Matteo joins the army, and Nicola ends up going into psychiatry to correct the abuse happening against the mentally ill. This puts them on different sides of the spectrum in their approach to life, but both still feel passionate about their cause. By the end you've traveled from Italy 1960 to the 2000s, and watched the journey of both make a circle showing their fate.