addendum

Also, I finished "24: Season 8" (the last and final season) a while back.

I'll review that as well.

As a side note--sometimes I feel like they try too hard with the "surprise" factor that I don't know if the writers intentionally planned it from beginning to end to have certain characters be two-faced, even a "triple agent" of sorts. Like in the Jet Li/Jason Statham action flick, "War" (which I was expecting to be more action than acting/storyline, and they tried too hard on the latter that it was a bad movie overall for me--I had such high hopes lol), I felt the writers were like "Oh, here's a good place to turn it all around!" and it disappointed me a LOT.

Not ALL of the Seasons of "24" do this (disappoint me), but I want to say they all have this "surprise/twist" that occurs not once, but multiple times per season. Sometimes it works, and sometimes... it doesn't.

REVIEW TO COME!!

No Strings Attached (2011)

Ok, first off, I actually watched this a WHILE ago (before "Burlesque") and thought I had reviewed it, but I hadn't. I'll come back to it, but from the trailer of up and coming movie "Friends With Benefits" starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake (we'll have to wait till it comes out and I watch it to be sure), THAT is what "No Strings Attached" was trying to do.

After watching it, I felt as if I was watching a repeat of Ashton Kutcher's "A Lot Like Love" starring Amanda Peet in the Natalie Portman role (even though the understanding from the trailer is that they are already friends and decide to throw in sex--NOT the case at all).

[side note--after we watched it, my friends and I thought Amanda Peet and Ashton would make a lovely couple... because they seemed like two sides of the same coin. OH WELL]

That reminds me, I gotta review "How Do You Know" (another one with a surprise to it as well--NOT what you think from the Trailer either).

But I'm going to bed. I've had a long weekend. See you in the morning!

<3

[o yeah... how random is it that Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman are in almost the same movie (well, with a seemingly similar premise), almost competing ... lol "Black Swan" reference/real-life similarity?? (o; ] <- Ok, know that was dumb. WHATCHA GON' DO

Immortal Beloved (1994)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS. READ FORWARD AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

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I wrote this review as part of my Music Appreciation class for the film, "Immortal Beloved," based upon Beethoven (Gary Oldman)'s life and who his "Immortal Beloved" could be.

Note: when you get to the part about the Sonata Pathétique, click the link and if you want to skip the intro (although I'd suggest listening to the whole first movement (o; ), go to 1:49 to hear the "famous portion" (utilized in an AT&T commercial!).

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The film, “Immortal Beloved” is a fictionalized hypothesis on who Ludwig van Beethoven's Unsterbliche Geliebte (“Immortal Beloved”) could have been. The film runs about two hours and hints at three possible women: Johanna van Beethoven, his sister-in-law by marriage to his younger brother, Kaspar van Beethoven; Anna-Marie Erdödy, a Countess separated from her husband, raising three young children when Beethoven comes to live with her before Napoleon's army takes Austria; and Giulietta Guicciardi, a young woman he teaches piano lessons to, as well as proposes to (according to the film), but rejects her because of her father's (and her) inability to accept his deafness (it is not well-known; Ludwig seems to try to keep it hidden). Beethoven is portrayed as volatile but passionate, as well as blunt and seemingly tactless to a fault. If the story is true, then this movie has taught me more about Beethoven than I have ever learned in my music career—via Music History and theory courses.

The movie hints that he was loved greatly by all three women, but that his heart belonged to his brother's wife, Johanna (née Reiss). Historical theorists who speculate on the women in Beethoven's life who could have been his Unsterbliche Geliebte¹ seem to lean heavily on Antonie Brentano as the favorite. Thérèse von Brunswick is also a potential candidate, and she is seen fleetingly in the film, as she is Countess Giulietta Giucciardi's cousin. She is considered a likely candidate due to his dedicating one piece, the Diabelli Variations (Op. 120) to her and his Piano Sonata Op. 109 to her daughter. Critics of this view put forth that Beethoven had told a friend that he had met the love of his life in 1811 (this is likely to be his “Immortal Beloved”). A Beethoven biographer has quoted two sources showing that Antonie Brentano had met Beethoven prior to 1810. SPOILER!! An alternate case is made for Anna-Marie Erdödy², portrayed by Isabella Rossellini in the film. Gail S. Altman, who puts forth this theory, states that it “would have been against Beethoven's deepest precepts to betray a friend by carrying on an affair with his wife” (and this would be Franz and Antonie Brentano). If this is the case, this also refutes the film's claims of Johanna van Beethoven as his “Immortal Beloved.”

Anton Felix Schindler is portrayed as Beethoven's confidante, secretary, and seemingly best friend (assistant/“right-hand man”), but factually he was not this to Beethoven at all. The interpretation of Schindler as Beethoven's admirer and friend is based upon falsifications in his publications on Beethoven's life and his “exaggeration of his period of close association” with him³.

The music used in “Immortal Beloved” are all well-known Beethoven pieces, and “Für Elise” and the “Moonlight Sonata” (Piano Sonata No. 14 in C♯ minor "Quasi una fantasia", Mondscheinsonate in German), of course, make an appearance. The filmmaker made it seem as if Gary Oldman were playing the pieces because the camera shots would not shy from his fingers. I speculated that perhaps he was fingering random notes and a professional played over the scene. Gary Oldman did, in fact, learn how to play the piano for this film in order for those scenes to be authentic, but a few professionals⁴ actually played the pieces—Murray Perahia and Emanuel Ax—for the film.

Excerpts (movements or clips) from Beethoven's Symphonies #5, 3, 6, 8, 7, and 9 (which we have studied in class) are also used. My personal favorite is the “Pathetique” (Piano Sonata No. 8), with parts of the first and second movements. The music was clear and technically sound. However, I feel that vocal interpretations of the music were really up to the delivery of the actors—Beethoven's claiming that Count Wenzel Robert von Gallenberg's interpretation of his piece was staid and lacked any empathy or emotion (too staccato, implying he was only playing the notes, and not understanding the meaning behind the music). However, if we listen to the soundtrack only, then the pieces are all identical in form. Therefore, it is the performance of the players on screen that denote or emote what emotions we should be feeling from the music: Gary Oldman has so much emotion as Beethoven when he plays his pieces. In the scene where Giulietta Giucciardi meets Beethoven, she has just walked out of Count von Gallenberg's performance. Beethoven dedicated the “Moonlight” sonata to the Countess, however, and therein begins the speculation behind the identity of Beethoven's Unsterbliche Geliebte.

Overall, this will forever remain a mystery, unless new information comes to light. The movie was a surprise and delight, because I had been unaware of this film until this class. I enjoy Gary Oldman as an actor (I believe he is underappreciated), and he was brilliant as Ludwig. The other actors in the movie were great as well, but fleshing out the story between Ludwig and his sister-in-law, Johanna (as well as giving an explanation to their bitter relationship) by book-ending the beginning with the mystery and the ending with the unveiling made the film an artful piece of work. This movie did not feel its two hours. After having seen this and “Amadeus,” I may search for other movies based upon the lives of composers.

1Oakley Beahrs, Virginia. “The Immortal Beloved Riddle Reconsidered.” Musical Times, Vol. 129, No. 1740 (Feb., 1988), pp. 64-70

2Altman, Gail S. Beethoven: A Man of His Word - Undisclosed Evidence for his Immortal Beloved, Anubian Press 1996

3Peter Stadlen. “Schindler's Beethoven Forgeries.” The Musical Times, Vol. 118, No. 1613. (July 1977), pp. 549-552.

4“Immortal Beloved Soundtrack.” Amazon.com. 2001. Retrieved 15 Mar 2011. http://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Beloved-Georg-Solti-film/dp/B000002AQD/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1300225501&sr=8-2

Limitless (2011)

"Limitless" was a surprisingly entertaining film. I was already interested in the film from the trailer, but I can say the premise was NOT EVEN close to what I was expecting.

From the trailers, I understood that Robert De Niro was a devil (like) character who offers Bradley Cooper a shot at the world--lifelong success--via a clear pill, but at a price. I thought Bradley Cooper sold his soul or made a deal and the devil came to collect once Cooper reaped the benefits of the pill.

Boy, was I wrong.

Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is a down-on-his-luck writer who happens to run into his ex-brother-in-law (via his marriage with his ex-wife, played by Anna Friel of "Pushing Daisies" fame), who used to be a drug dealer.

Well, in a way, he still was... (this actually reminded me a bit of the indie flick "Twelve" starring Chace Crawford)

He tells Eddie about this clear pill called NZT that is unlike anything that exists. It clears your mind--i.e. all your memories become accessible to you--you utilize 100% of your brain. The general belief is that we only utilize 20% of our brain, which leaves 80% locked (this has since been found out to be untrue). In the movie, Eddie takes NZT and immediately calculates, plans, scenarios... all functions of the brain at full capacity. He is the most productive he's been in a LONG while. When his juice runs out, well... of course he wants more. He's at his best when he's on NZT.

And therein lies the rub.

De Niro plays a fat cat, ahead-of-his-game, head-of-empire Carl Van Loon. He is reminiscent of Michael Douglas in "Wall Street" (1987)--cold, calculated, impersonal, shrewd businessman. He has had a lot of experience and a lot of success throughout the years. He is cautious and makes sure that only experts are trusted when it comes to his investments and time. Eddie's boss (after Eddie starts working for a stock company--I think it may be a brokerage firm) pushes him in to a meeting with Van Loon and from there, this "newb" starts playing with the 'big boys.' Van Loon's right-hand man, Pierce (played by Robert John Burke, of 'Thinner' [movie based upon Stephen King's horror novel of the same name] fame and most recently as Bart Bass on 'Gossip Girl'), scoffs at Morra and doesn't trust him because of his newfound fame and success--he came too quickly on to the scene.

When Morra finishes his first dosage of NZT, he goes back to his ex-brother-in-law, and to make a long story short--he ends up dying, and the movie begins to unravel the truth behind NZT.

A subplot involves a Russian loan shark who is constantly on Morra.

The movie revolves around NZT (for obvious reasons), and I would recommend you watch this film.

Abbie Cornish (who's also in newly released "Sucker Punch", which I sadly wanted to see, along with "Battle: LA", but may not have the $$ to spend--or willing to spend) plays Morra's girlfriend (from the beginning of the film--hearing of his 'ex-brother-in-law' confused me at first).

"Limitless" is based upon a novel by Irish writer Alan Glynn, called The Dark Fields, now being re-released under the Mass Market Paperback movie tie-in edition, Limitless. Hearing the title The Dark Fields makes me think of 'A Scanner Darkly' (and its novel). Ssssh... Not that I'm ruining anything (o; [b/c I'm not]

Get thee to the theatre (or download SSSHH!) now!! Enjoy!

Overall Grade: B+/A-

(maybe more like a B++ lol if that exists)

Burlesque (2010)

You are all probably used to this phrase by now: "It did what it was supposed to do."

However, that doesn't excuse that Christina Aguilera, in trying to break into acting, couldn't steer clear of singing. I believe that there should be a separation between the two when you are trying to succeed with one. If you're going to be a singer, then SING. But if you're going to be in a movie, people will only take you seriously if you are there AS AN ACTOR (see: Justin Timberlake).

I personally hate crossovers like that (see: every Disney child actor star EVER).

The acting seemed amateur and the storyline was most definitely predictable.

Ok.

So WHAT exactly were we expecting to see?

Well, the "Burlesque"-ness of it all! I believe this is what the PCD are all about. Singing, dancing, seduction, all in cute (but seductive) outfits (those of which you could see at any Halloween party or Burning Man).

[Long live )'( ]

I always feel sad when I see such potential in actors to break out of their slump or "B" (even "C" *gasp*) zone (see: James Franco, who's FINALLY DONE IT w/"127 hours" [WATCH!]). Cam Gigandet can really break into mainstream without being taken as a joke; same with Stanley Tucci (which I hear he did in "The Lovely Bones" -- a movie I have yet to see). [I'm in class and apparently I've missed the review for this class. Good thing we have "group tests." I just gotta make sure I show up on time. Ok more on the movie! SORRY FOR THE ASIDE] Burlesque gets a solid C from me.

Predictable.
Amateur acting.
Amateur storyline.

The movie seems to be there to just push forward Ms. Aguilera's ability to sing--which we're already aware of.

Unfortunately this doesn't help her current situation (drunk in public, DUI, AND she's found a new man so soon already after her baby daddy!! tsk tsk).

O, Christina, we already KNEW you could sing. Show us that you're more than your Dirrrty self.