Eye Candy - The Lincoln Laywer

I mentioned to my co-workers that I went to see The Lincoln Lawyer, starring Matthew McConaughey, the other day.  One of the co-workers asked, "Who's he"? The rest of us were stunned.  How could she not know?

We tried to explain to her who he is, but none of us could remember any of the movies he's starred in.   Wow, that's when I realized, "He's such eye-candy that he's good looks over-shadows any movie content".  I had to dig real deep to remember any movies he's starred in. 

In The Lincoln Laywer, Matthew McConaughey stars as Michael ‘Mick’ Haller, a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer. Mick has spent most of his career defending " drug dealers and gangsters".  Mick lands the case of a life time defending a rich Beverly Hills playboy (Ryan Phillipe) who's accused of attempted murder.  At first, the case seems straightforward but turns out to be a deadly game where Mick is one of the key players.

I really enjoyed this movie but to be honest, I don't know if I'll remember the story line past next month.  I read somewhere that the movie is like a good episode of Law & Order; that pretty much sums it up.  But, the eye-candy, now, that is unforgettable.

Hall Pass

Went to see a movie with hubby and daughters.  I'm the comedy fan, so I picked the movie Hall Pass  http://hallpassmovie.warnerbroscanada.com/with Owen Wilson and Christina Applegate.

The movie is about two married men who receive a "hall pass" that gives them an opportunity to have "one week of freedom to do whatever they want".. 

I read some online reviews and they vary, but I don't think the four of us have laughed so much in a long time;  we even continued laughing in the car..

Laughter is a simple pleasure indeed..

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

This is probably a movie that does not need an introduction. I took my two teenage daughters to watch New Moon tonight. Like most teenagers around the world, my daughters are also addicted to the Twilight Saga between Bella and Edward. Kristen Stewart plays the role of Bella, a mortal who is madly in love with Edward, played by Robert Pattison. I can see how this vampire love affair catches the attention of every girl or woman who longs for true love.

I have not read any of the books, but my girls assure me that the books are "even better than the movie version". My first impression is that this "saga" is geared towards teens, and though it is extremely popular amongst them, it is also a hit with the "more mature" female reader/viewer. My cousin, who is in her early 30's, is a huge fan. Another friend of mine, a bit older than 30, cannot get enough of this love affair.
Don't get me wrong, I thought New Moon, along with Twilight, was pretty good. Did I get swept off my feet? "No". Did I long to be Bella? "No". But, I do remember being young, and for a moment I let myself be 15 again and boy, does the gaze of Edward hold one captive.
Perhaps, I'll read the books before the next movie.....

Law Abiding Cititzen

When my girlfriend asked me to the movies yesterday, I answered, "sure", without even questioning what we'd be watching. On the drive over to the theater, I discovered we were seeing Law Abiding Citizen.  As I've been busy with painting and redecorating lately, I have not been reading the entertainment section and had no clue as to the storyline or any actors in the movie. The movie falls under Crime, Drama, Thriller and as I prefer the Romantic Comedy genre,  I probably would have by-passed Law Abiding Citizen. The plot is about a man (Gerard Butler) who takes justice into his own hands, after his wife and child have been brutally murdered and a plea-bargain sets one of the killers free. Not only does he go after the killers but also anyone who was involved in the case, including the district attorney (Jamie Foxx).

I must admit that I was glued to my seat for the duration of the movie.  It has you wondering what's going to happen next, and I love a movie that leaves me in suspense.... It did have some extremely violent scenes that I shut my eyes to but overall I thought it was an excellent fast paced and intriguing movie. Jamie Foxx stars as the district attorney, and though he is a highly talented actor, he is overshadowed by the character played by Gerard Butler.  He'll probably end up getting nominated for this one.

This movie hasn't fared so well by the "official" movie critics, but I thought it was one of the better movies I've seen this year.

MOVIE - LOVE HAPPENS

Friday night and I thought I'd treat my two girls to a movie. They really wanted to see the Time Traveler's Wife but unfortunately it's no longer playing in our town. Mind you, 3 to 4 weeks and movies are considered "old". I suggested "Love Happens" with Jennifer Aniston, and thank god we were all in agreement. "Love Happens" is labeled a romantic comedy about a widower (Aaron Eckhart) who makes a living holding seminars in self-help and grievance. During one of his seminars in Seattle, he meets and fall in love with a women (Jennifer Aniston), who helps him confront his own feelings and grief from losing his wife.

“Love Happens” did not do it for me. It's a cute movie, but I'm sure I won't remember it in a few weeks. It is really forgettable. The chemistry between Ms. Aniston & Eckhart seems to be lacking, and leaves you wondering when "Love Happens”? If it wasn't for Aniston's name drawing people into the theatre, such as me, it probably would have been a disaster from day one. There was one scene that was very touching in the movie though, and while I had tears falling down my cheeks, my two girls didn't seem as affected. Sure, they felt sad but couldn't understand why I got so emotional. Perhaps, it had to do with the storyline of a parent losing his child and a spouse losing his wife. Would I recommend this move? I think NOT. This movie is advertised as a romantic comedy but there was nothing funny about it...hold out for the DVD if you really want to see it.

Smörgåsbord of Simple Pleasures

Today was a great day.  I spent part of the day with my 12 year old son, so this is certainly a day to treasure.  He's at the age where friends are preferred over me, so I'm holding on for dear life.  We loaded our folding bikes into the car and drove to Ajax waterfront.  We have a beautiful water frontage that stretches across Ajax www.townofajax.com/page2042.aspx, with a winding Waterfront Trail hugging Lake Ontario's shore line.  We biked west into Pickering and ended up at the Millennium Square, which is at the bottom of Liverpool. www.cityofpickering.com/standard/lifestyle/waterfront/main.html. 

Pickering has revamped their water frontage over the past few years, and here you'll find a marina, restaurants, ice-cream shop, tea-house, playground and lots of people out taking advantage of  a beautiful summer day.  We enjoyed a "simple pleasure" of ice-cream before we headed back through the Alex Robertson Park where beautiful Wooden Sculptures by artist Dorsey James are scattered throughout the park.

 Later on in the day, I met up with some girlfriends for dinner  a movie. We watched Julie & Julia www.julieandjulia.com/ starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child.  I must admit that I had not heard of the movie, nor Julia Child.  Must have been before my time in Canada.   So I can only take the word of my girlfriends that Meryl Streep's rendition of Mrs. Child was to a "T"...  But of course, I would not have expected anything else from such a truly gifted actress.  This movie was definitely a feel-good, chick-flick movie, which left me with the urge of wanting to cook Boeuf Bourguignon.

 

Today was truly a Smörgåsbord of Simple Pleasures.  Wonder if one can O.D. on that??