16 Days

And to think I started my countdown at 90. It's taken a long time to get to 16 days, but it makes the wait seem more worth it.

I've watched a lot of movies throughout my break and I must say, the more I see, the more I have grown to love movies. They can give you a small picture of a life you might not experience otherwise. It can show the director's unique style or the cinematographer's artistic skill and mastery. But above all, it can cause you to learn more about yourself. I'm not saying watch movies 24/7, that's not healthy, but by watching movies you become more knowledgeable with life's situations and you learn a little bit more about yourself as you see various characters on screen that remind you of you. It's an interesting position, but take advantage of a movie and what it has to offer, even if it might not be much.

Some of the most interesting films/TV shows I've seen in the past few weeks:
The Blind Side
At first, I was skeptical going into this movie because I'd heard so many good things from a variety of people. You'd think I would the more good things I hear, the higher expectations I would have for it, but that's not the case. Usually when I hear a lot of people like a movie, I ask why and they might say the story, or the actors, or the action, or just one dimension of a film. What makes a good movie, is all of those put together. A movie cannot rely on just the action or just the actors or else it lacks and is not a complete story or adventure. I had only heard it was a moving story, so I wanted to see what else The Blind Side had to offer. I was surprised as I sat and watched the film and became immersed into the plot and the emotion involved. At the end I sat there for a second thinking about the movie and finally said, "that was a good movie." But then I started to think about why I thought it was good. The movie tapped into your emotion and gradually began pulling it along for the ride, which surprised me. I was continually touched by Sandra Bullock's character and the love she showed Michael. I wasn't expecting the family to be so accepting nor so loyal through the trials they faced. Bullock did an excellent job of acting and being her character, which is partly why the movie was as good as it was. The screenplay and plot were built with thought and care, which is reflected in the final product. Overall, it was a surprising movie filled with funny moments, good characters, and great story.

Julie & Julia
I loved this movie. A lot it had to do with how fantastic of a job Meryl Streep did as Julia Child. Her performances continue to astound me. She deserves an oscar for her performance. If she doesn't get it, I won't be happy. I read somewhere that she should just be guaranteed to get one and then pick another actress as well. I completely agree with that statement. Meryl Streep perfected Julia Child's mannerisms and the plenty other quirks she had. It was a joy to watch her on screen and to see Julia Child's journey. Amy Adams played Julie Powell quite well and was able to convincingly play a housewife going through Julia Child's cookbook. The only part I didn't care for was how they wrapped up the movie. I felt they could have done a much better job with more of a distinct ending. Other than that, I felt it was done well, especially with Meryl Streep. I would definitely recommend it to anyone, but especially anyone who loves Meryl Streep.

August Rush
It's a few years old, but August Rush is one of my favorites and I hadn't seen it in a long time. I absolutely love the music. It's one of my favorite soundtracks. It's creative and upbeat. I love the story of this movie. It's so beautiful to have a boy do what he loves in order to find his parents, which is what brought his parents together in the first place. My only gripe about the movie is at the end when everything is building up, it's a little anti-climatic when that moment finally arrives. It's still beautiful, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting a little more. I tried not to give too much information if you haven't seen it. The story and the music together definitely make the movie and a good any time movie.

I just thought I'd mention a couple highlights of things I've seen. Next post I'll talk mention a few of the movies I know I will be seeing. I'm getting pretty excited for it!