Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler

Directed by Peter Jackson

Rating: A-

Frodo Baggins (Wood) is entrusted with an ancient ring, he soon finds that it takes him on a journey beyond what he could possibly dream of. The ancient ring turns out to be the ring of the dark lord Sauron, and it is agreed that the ring should be destroyed. Frodo volunteers for this dangerous journey and is joined by his three hobbit friends, Gandalf (McKellan), Legolas (Bloom), Aragorn (Mortensen), Gimli ( John Rhys-Davies), and Boromir (Sean Bean). They know it's not an easy path they take and they face many hardships along the way.

In this first installment of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, director Peter Jackson does a brilliant job bringing the story to life. This movie is perfection (though I have not read the books and don't know how readers of the series feel). So why is it perfection? The cinematography looks amazing. From the New Zealand landscapes to Mordor, it creates a believable setting for the movie to take place. The cast fit their roles and do justice to portraying their characters. You can see the fear in their eyes and the toll their burden takes on them.

While the movie is a bit lengthy, it makes for a great movie night. It's also fun to commentate on because of the faces Frodo makes and some of the lines are fun to quote. Or that could be just me who likes to do that. I definitely recommend watching this movie. It's one of those movies you have to watch before you die, even if magical action movies don't interest you. Even if you end up disliking it (not possible!) at least you can say you saw it without people scoffing at how ridiculous you are for not watching it.

Anton Chekhov's The Duel

Andrew Scott, Fiona Glascott, Tobias Menzies

Directed by Dover Koshashvili

Rating: C

Two young people have fallen out of love. After living together for two years the excitement and novelty has worn off. When Laevsky (Scott) receives a letter saying that his mistress', Nadia (Glascott), husband has died, he feels she will expect them to marry at once. So, he hides the letter until he can leave her. Nadia has been a busy lady in their new town, flirting with men and playing games. Von Koren (Menzies) can't stand to be in Laevsky's company, detesting the man for his laziness and gambling. It finally comes down to having a duel between the two, but neither want to participate.

"The Duel" was fairly good. For a majority of the movie there is no action and the plot is weak. It revolves around the relationship between Laevsky and Nadia. He obviously doesn't like to be around her but in certain moments tries to overpower her. He spends his time planning an escape, where he can be free and leave Nadia alone and penniless. Von Koren seems to be the only person to have a problem with Laevsky, despite his abrupt mood-changing ways.

"The Duel" probably reads as a good book but the adaptation doesn't do it justice. I haven't read the book myself so I don't know how true to the book the movie is. While the movie lacks in action, at least it's not boring to look at. The characters have a chance to develop and you're not sure whether to like or hate Laevsky or Nadia.

A plus side is that this movie isn't long; about 90 minutes. So if you're looking for something random to watch and don't necessarily care if there's lots of action going on, I would recommend this movie. It's on instant watch on Netflix. Also, Andrew Scott does a great job at playing an insecure, moody character. He's a pretty good actor, and if you like him then you'll enjoy watching him in "The Duel".

Dead Bodies

Andrew Scott, Kelly Reilly, Darren Healy. Katy Davis

Directed by Robert Quinn

Rating: D-

Tommy (Scott) is going nowhere in life. He lives in an abandoned house, can't hold a job down, and just as things couldn't get worse, his ex-girlfriend moves in. Jean (Davis) wants to give the relationship another try but  Scott doesn't. When Scott's annoyance with Jean escalates they argue and Jean falls back, hitting her head on the coffee table. Scott doesn't know what to do so he buries her but when the police are informed about a dead body in the park, they start digging. Not only do they find Jean's body but another one, long decayed since. Tommy is under suspicion but he claims he's innocent.

"Dead Bodies" does not give a very promising start. It tries to hard in the beginning to be a suspenseful thriller but in reality the first forty-five minutes are boring. It's very tempting to stop watching then and there but the end makes up for it. It doesn't mean it's a great movie all of a sudden but at least it gives you some suspense. The plot is very weak and Tommy's boring life bores the viewer.

The movie takes a new direction when Tommy becomes the suspect for the second found buried body. A woman missing eight years ago turns up in the same grave as Jean's and the original suspect, her husband, turns on Tommy. Tommy and his friend Noel decide to take care of this problem which results in a suspenseful and unexpected ending.

The only reason I spent eighty-five minutes watching this movie was for Andrew Scott, who plays the criminal mastermind "Moriarty" in BBC America's "Sherlock". Scott plays a lethargic role and it's a little hard to feel sympathetic for his character. He keeps digging himself in a hole and by the end of the movie there is no way out. "Dead Bodies" is definitely worth watching once, if you really like Andrew Scott as I do, but only once. I doubt I will be watching this again because there are better movies out there.

Love Actually

Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Martin Freeman, Keira Knightley

Directed by Richard Curtis

Rating: A

An ensemble movie with a huge cast, "Love Actually" tells the stories of different people's love stories during the Christmas holidays. Jamie Bennett (Firth) finds out the hard way that his girlfriend is cheating on him -with his brother- and he takes to France during the winter holidays to write. Daniel (Neeson) just lost his wife and has a young stepson who locks himself in his room all day. Daniel tries to connect with him, since they both lost someone very important in their lives. Hugh Grant plays the British Prime Minister (he doesn't have a proper name in this movie) and is distracted from his job by the one of the household staff, Natalie (Martine McCutcheon).

"Love Actually" is a great movie to watch for any occasion. It's a great Christmas movie to watch, perfect for Valentines Day, and to watch during the summer when you're craving a good British film. "Love Actually" isn't the average cheesy romance that we tend to see in the U.S. It has substance, humor, a great cast, and yes, romance. It's not just a "chick flick" because there are actually a good handful of guys who appreciate this movie too. So there! It's great for all audiences but it does have some rated "R" moments so anyone under sixteen might have to wait.

"Love Actually" doesn't bore you with one straight plot line. Instead you follow different characters (and it's not too confusing to remember who's who but you might have to watch it a second time). This is one of my favorite movies of all time (number two!) and you can never go wrong gathering some friends and watching this for a fun movie night.

The Grey

Liam Neeson

Directed by Joe Carnahan

Rating: B-

Ottway (Neeson) is a wolf hunter up in Alaska. On his way home, his plane goes down and only eight survive the crash. Ottway in the others make camp in the freezing cold of Alaska, trying to keep it together. Surviving the crash is one thing, but surviving the wolves that keep hunting them down is a complicated task when they have nothing to do protect themselves with.

"The Grey" is a simple movie to describe. At the heart of it, it's a survival movie and pretty predictable. Liam Neeson is the leader of the group (why wouldn't he be when he is a wolf hunter and knows how they prey?). Liam's character and the group decide staying by the plane might be a poor decision since the wolves keep coming back so they trek to the woods in hopes of finding shelter.

This film is a pretty intense movie and by the end of it, you don't know how to feel about it. The ending is what you gets you. "The Grey" could have easily moved from a "B-" to a "B" or "B+" if the director had expanded the last scene instead of cutting it short. Or perhaps made an alternate ending. While it's been a while since a fight for survival has been in theaters (unlike "Haywire" but more fighting against nature) it's a nice change from the action movies.

"The Grey" was more of a movie you would watch at home and definitely better to rent than buy (unless you're a sucker for Liam Neeson films and survival genres). Personally, I thought it was a good movie. Maybe not the best one made but it was different and Liam Neeson wasn't too disappointing.

Immortals

Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans

Directed by Tarsem Singh

Rating: C+

King Hyperion (Rourke) is raising hell throughout Greece, on a mission to seek the legendary Epirus bow. If placed in the wrong hands, the Epirus bow is one of the most powerful tools to win a battle. Theseus (Cavill) is just a poor young man and when he loses his mother at the hand of King Hyperion, he is determined to get back. With the help of the Oracle (Pinto), Theseus steps up to fulfill his role that Zeus (Evans) hoped he would to fight Hyperion's army.

"300", "Clash of the Titans" and "Immortals". While the latter two have more in common, those three are all similar in nature. They all have a big fight against an enemy with a bigger advantage: whether it's a bigger army or a fight against the titans. "Immortals" was a decent movie but was an average fit in the old Greek myth category.

"Immortals" did capture viewers attention at least and was not boring. However the main thing that saved this movie from being called a bad movie was the choice of actors. For women at least, Henry Cavill was the best part of this movie. Cavill is the reason why I would even call "Immortals" better than "Clash of the Titans". Even the Greek gods Zeus, and some of his sons, weren't all that bad looking.

The plot could have been more interesting. Zeus was a pretty angry character, who refused to help the mortals and it was a fatal mistake if any of his children went to their aid. After watching "Immortals" I couldn't look at Joseph Morgan the same way again when watching the CW show "The Vampire Diaries". Morgan's character, Lysander, was weak and a traitor. Not very flattering when he plays bad boy Klaus on the CW show.

I would definitely recommend renting this movie to watch with the girls, if they don't mind some gory scenes. The male leads are definitely worth watching this for. As for guys, I think they should give it a shot but watch with no expectations of it being amazing.

Midnight In Paris

Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cottilard, Michael Sheen, Tom Hiddleston

Directed by Woody Allen

Rating: A-

Gil (Wilson) just wants to enjoy Paris without having his soon-to-be-wife Inez (McAdams) flirting with her old professor, Paul (Sheen), the whole time. While Inez spends her days and evenings with Paul and his girlfriend, Carol, Gil takes to roaming the Parisian streets at midnight. Little did he realize it would take him back to the time he wished he could have been a part of -the 20s- where he meets F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway, and a young French woman whom he falls for.

"Midnight In Paris" is an enchanting movie that captures Paris in a beautiful way. Watching this movie, you can't help but fall in love with the city as Gil does. Woody Allen did an amazing job with this film. Gil is a character most people can relate to, or at least those that wish they had lived in a different time period. When Gil discovers he can go back to the French 1920s at midnight, at first you question whether he's just dreaming or maybe it won't happen one night. Each night he is transported into the time where he meets up with F. Scott Fitzgerald and Adriana, who tends to date the artists like Picasso and Hemmingway.

I was really pleased with how "Midnight In Paris" turned out. While it had its slow moments, it's definitely a movie I'd like to buy someday. This movie may not fit everyone's tastes but I would definitely recommend it if you are in love with life other than your own culture and exploring the past. If you're looking for a fast-paced action movie, this is not the movie for you. If you're looking for romance, wonder, and losing yourself in the moment of the film, this is the movie for you.

The Woman In Black

Daniel Radcliffe, Roger Allam

Directed by James Watkins

Rating: B-

Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) is a single father trying to keep providing for his young son. Arthur is a lawyer and has to travel to a secluded village to finish up surveying an empty house after the tenants had died. His son is due to arrive in the village a few days later, accompanied by the nanny. The villagers are upset with Arthur disturbing the peace, as they believe that the house Arthur is to inspect is haunted. Whoever sees the "woman in black" brings danger to the villagers, as she causes the children of the area to die. After staying in the home to finish up work, Arthur begins to notice the woman in black and tries to find a way to help her move on before she decides to take his own son.

A fun scare, "The Woman In Black" is not a very serious horror movie. While it does give in to suspense and scenes that make you jump in your seat from fear, the movie itself is not that scary. The plot is kind of simple: villagers hate Arthur, Arthur sees the woman in black, Arthur tries to figure out why she is haunting the place. "The Woman In Black" does a good job with setting up the scenes but it lacks the necessary scare factor to make it really feel like it deserves to be called a horror film. For example, more scare scenes would have made this movie better like seeing the dead children or the woman in black more. Having toys wind up on their own and the rocking chair make noise is a good start for a creepy scene.

Radcliffe is the main star of the film. He definitely knows how to break out of the mold and shake off being forever labeled as "the guy that played Harry Potter". His portrayal of the widowed father showed how versatile he can be. I think I would go so far as to say that Radcliffe is one of the main reasons I liked the film. He's probably also the main reason many people went to go see it. "The Woman In Black" didn't earn much in the box office, so hopefully Radcliffe will move on to other projects. As it is, he is currently filming another period-piece due to premier in 2013. Let's just cross our fingers that period-pieces will not be all he will work on. (Though personally I love period-pieces, I'd like to see him try a comedy or drama, let him break out of the "Harry Potter" mold.)

I believe "The Woman In Black" is worth seeing if you're brave enough. I think it would be a fun movie to get friends together and watch in a dark room at night. This movie is not one to take seriously so if you enjoy suspenseful movies, add this to your movie list!