Haywire

Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Rating: B+

Mallory (Carano) is not your average black ops agent. After completing a successful mission in Barcelona to retrieve a kidnapped journalist, Mallory is sent to Dublin where she is supposed to go undercover with an MI6 agent, Paul (Fassbender). However, Paul has different orders and tries to kill Mallory after the job. Mallory has to fight for her survival while any police force is on the lookout for her and find the people responsible for her planned execution.

Haywire is an action thriller that Hollywood has taken a new spin on. This film is not the average action movie where people can fight and escape with minimal cuts and bruises. When Mallory gets hit, she gets hit hard and it shows. When she falls down after climbing down a building, she doesn't get up and run like it didn't affect her. She stumbles and the audience can obviously see that it was not easy to get up and keep moving.

Haywire's plot isn't over-dramatized. There isn't enough time in the film for character build up so it's hard to get the audience to sympathize for Kenneth, Mallory's ex, or Paul, who is just trying to do his job. The film follows Mallory as she tells her story by starting with her getting closer to the people trying to kill her. She explains to an innocent bystander who ended up being carjacked and taken hostage by her how she ended up running from the police as she hunts for her former boss. The suspense keeps building up as Mallory gets closer to her enemy.

Carano is someone audiences should look out for in the future. Haywire is one of the first few films she's appeared in, though it isn't her first action fighting film. In 2009 she was played a part in Blood and Bone, an underground fighting club type of movie. Next year she'll be appearing in the sequel to Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

While Fassbender may have a brief role in Haywire, as an actor he is busy enough. After appearing in four films in 2011, Fassbender has a few projects up his sleeve for the coming year. He's proven to be a versatile actor, from portraying a classic Mr. Rochester in a remake of Jane Eyre, to being "mutant and proud" in X-Men: First Class, and playing a troubled man with an addiction in the film Shame. Fassbender is an actor worth remembering to watch out for.

Back to Haywire, if you're looking for a good action/crime thriller to see, this is worth checking out. Don't be fooled by the "R" rating because there is not enough in this film to be truly "R". Yes of course there is action, but is there an absurd overuse of cursing? No. There is no sex scenes, only a brief kissing scene. Other than that, this movie should really be rated "PG-13". It's short and to the point, so it can't be a complete waste of time.

Beginners

Ewan McGregor, Mélanie Laurent, Christopher Plummer

Directed by Mike Mills

Rating: B-

Oliver Fields (McGregor) grew up with bad examples of what a happy marriage should look like. He tends to be the one to leave a relationship, even if it was not so bad. Then his mother dies and a few months later his father, Hal (Plummer), decides it's time to come out of the closet and experience a lifestyle he's suppressed for so long. Oliver soon loses his father to cancer and is battling his own sadness until he meets Anna (Laurent). She is an actress and leaves Los Angeles some short months in order to work. This is a relationship Oliver wants to work but will he decide to leave her too?

The reason why I wanted to watch Beginners is because I saw this huge movie poster at the movie theater and it looked kind of artsy. Plus it had Ewan McGregor in it, who in my opinion, is a great actor who knows how to not get type-casted into the same role. He has played the singing role (and has a remarkable voice in Moulin Rouge), the gay role (I Love You Phillip Morris), and even a jedi (Star Wars). This man has talent.

In all honesty Beginners is slow enough to put viewers to sleep and has, in the case of watching it with my parents. It's one of those movies viewers need to pummel through but it is worth it. I stuck with it to the end, paying attention, and it was good. The movie is visually appealing; by that I mean it's filmed like an artsy, indie-film. The chemistry between Oliver and Anna is not the typical romance we find in most movies. They are both sad but there is something there between them that makes it work. They make each other happy, though not typically "curing" each other of their sadness. There is still some ground that needs to be covered between the two.

While Beginners may not be the funnest movie to watch, Focus Features (which produced this film) has produced other great movies. When I find out a movie has been made by Focus Features, I get excited because I know that most of the time it will turn out to be a great movie. So if you have the patience to sit through a slow movie (and at least an hour and a half so not too long!), then I definitely recommend renting Beginners. I have a feeling that Beginners is going to be one of those movies you won't want to watch for another year but find yourself in the mood for it six months later.

Moulin Rouge!

Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh

Directed by Baz Luhrmann

Rating: 5 stars

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

Though Moulin Rouge! is a tragic love story between a prostitute and a penniless writer, don't write this story off just yet. When Christian (Ewan McGregor) meets Satine (Nicole Kidman), their love is doomed from the start. By accident, Christian becomes the writer for a play, "Spectacular Spectacular". While Satine plays the lead, she is promised by her boss, Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent), to sleep with the Duke (Richard Roxburgh) on opening night. However, Christian and Satine fall in love and try to keep their relationship a secret. Soon it becomes evident to everyone what's going on but the Duke remains oblivious and in the dark. The couple is forced to end their relationship before the Duke can find out. The Duke plays an important role since he is supplying the money to re-build the Moulin Rouge into a theater. This does not stop them and opening night arrives by the end of the movie, full of surprises.

I would give this movie five out of five stars. Though Moulin Rouge! may seem odd the first time you watch it, watch it enough times and you will love it too. Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman each have amazing voices and sing their songs quite astonishingly well. Who knew they could sing? This just makes you fall head over heels for these characters. It's hard not to fall in love with them, singing along to Ewan McGregor's "Your Song" as well as the duo's "Come What May". Baz Luhrmann did a great job with this film.

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I can watch this movie over and over again. I watch this movie so many times a year; whether I'm feeling sad or happy, this beautiful movie brings the characters to life. The soundtrack is on my iPod, it's a great way to listen to "Elephant Love Medley", as well as the other songs, without having to watch the whole movie all over again. Especially if you're out of the house and have a craving for some Moulin Rouge! You can play the soundtrack and follow the movie in your head with each song.

Give Moulin Rouge! a chance. Personally, I'm not into musicals but Moulin Rouge! is a great exception. The songs they sing are a variety of tracks from Elton John to Madonna to U2 to the Beatles as well as many other famous artists. This is a movie you have to see at least once in your life. One unforgettable quote from this movie I want to leave you with that is so true when it comes to real life, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."