2011 Review – Movies Part 1

Like last year, I’m going to take a look back at the movies I saw during the previous year.  When not working, watching too much TV, going to baseball games, or reading, I managed to watch 131 new movies last year.

Natalie Portman starred in 4 films I saw for the yearly lead, with Leonardo DiCaprio coming in second with 3.

For fun, here’s a quick review of the first 50 films I saw last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them.  They are listed in the order I saw them.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
2 vacationing American girls fall in love with the same Spanish painter.

 
Night At the Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian (2009)
I never saw the first one, but Amy Adams was enough of a draw to give this one a chance.

 

Splice (2010)
An entertaining look at what happens when scientists worry more about what they can do instead of what they should do.
 
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
The children of two lesbians go searching for their father.  My first exposure to Mia Wasikowska, who I think has a chance to be really good.

 

Bandslam (2009)
A kid obsessed with music lies about his father in order to fit in. 

 

All Good Things (2010)
Ryan Gosling kills Kirsten Dunst, and then dresses up in womens clothing. 

 

Frozen (2010)
A very engaging tale of three friends stuck on a ski lift for a week.

 

Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Tom Hanks goes looking for Leonardo DiCaprio. 

 

Inception (2010)
Leonardo DiCaprio (him again?) looks for secrets in other people’s dreams while avoiding his own.

Continue reading →

Book 10 (of 52) – The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson

In the final chapter of the Millennium trilogy, Larsson picks up the story immediatelty following the events of The Girl Who Plays With Fire, but slows down the action, replacing it with the intrigue of the unraveling plot behind what has become known as the Zalachenko Affair.  As Mikeal Blomkvist works to uncover the true players responsible for Lisbeth’s fate, Salander recovers from her injuries and prepares to fight for the rights, and life, that have been unlawfully taken from her.

Larsson’s final work is much slower than his previous novels, but the story doesn’t suffer from it.  In fact, the slow build that culminates with the cross examination of the prosecution’s main witness against Salander works to its advantage, as you really feel the sledgehammer that comes down on “that bastard” as his testimony is ripped to shreds.  A fitting end to a gripping trilogy that seems to have taken the world by storm.

Book 4 (of 52) – The Girl Who Played With Fire

The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson

The second book of the Millennium trilogy focuses on Lisbeth Salander, now estranged from Mikael Blomkvist and wanted for three murders.  The “friends” that she left behind two years ago try to piece together the truth while the police track her down.

While not as good as its predecessor, this was a fine follow up and provided a deeper look into what makes up Lisbeth Salander, one of the best literary characters of the past decade.  The ending also provides a good starting point for the next book, the final of the series.