2014: Week 23: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars

Genre: Romantic Drama

Main Players: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Laura Dern

General Gist: A 16 year old with cancer meets a fellow cancer survivor at a support group and a relationship ensues even with an unpredictable future.

Tiff's Take: 
You all know I am a huge fan of the book to movie phenomenon.  I get pretty excited about seeing a movie when I've read the book.  Especially when it's a book I loved.  And I loved this book.  I'm also pretty forgiving when the movie doesn't quite live up to the book.  Which is most of the time but I still enjoy the excitement leading up to going to the movie.

I thought this movie was a really good adaptation of the book.  Of course there were things that were left out but overall it really stuck to the book.  I thought the casting was great too.  Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort were perfect in their roles.  Like the book, it was funny and sad at the same time.  There was lots of crying in the theater.  And a lot of mothers with their tween/teen daughters.  I think the only guys that were there were coerced by their girlfriends to go.

If you liked the book I think you will like the movie too.  If you didn't read the book and think you will like the movie.  Basically, you will like this movie.  I loved it.    

Tiff's Rate: Opening Night


Deb's Take: 
Like Tiff, I enjoy a book to movie film.  I do have my qualms as I have never seen a movie that was better than a book, I mean really, that isn't possible.  That being said, some movies just do it better than others when it comes to depicting the book.  This movie was one of them.  I had just finished this book a couple days before I saw the movie, which always is a little bit of a risk as the details are so fresh in my head and I HATE missing out on details, even though I know a movie can never really get it all, I am still always just a little disappointed.  This book seemed perfect though.  The detail in the book seemed doable for a movie.  There wasn't so much inner character dialogue that got lost, and this movie actually shared some of that dialogue along the way.  Kudos!    I am often disappointed in the choice of actors to play certain parts.  I was not disappointed this time.  The actors did so well.  I felt like Shailene was great,  and Ansel was a charmer.   I didn't feel like the actors overplayed their parts and they all seemed natural, which I too like.

I can't give this movie an Opening Night however, I do feel like there was some lacking of emotion and deep connection that I got between the two main characters in the book, and didn't get in the movie.  Probably not the fault of the movie/directors but rather just a side effect of making a movie from a book.   I will say that this movie was probably one of the best book to film movies I have watched and if you liked the book, you will enjoy the movie as well.

Deb's Rate: Friday Night

Preview:  Pre-Screening of "Jersey Boys"

2014: Week 12: Divergent

Divergent

Genre: Action, Adventure

Main Players: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Miles Teller, Zoe Kravitz, Ansel Elgort

General Gist: A futuristic Chicago is divided up into five factions.  Every 16 year old has to decide what faction they belong in.  One girl realizes she doesn't fit into just one faction and has to figure out what that means.

Tiff's Take:
Such a highly anticipated movie!  I love these kinds.  Reading all three books in the series within about 9 days helps a little with the anticipation.  I felt a little bit like a teenage girl waiting for this one.

Let's start out with, of course the book is better.  That's a given like 99.9% of the time.  But obviously some do it better than others.  This one was on the better side of it.  It wasn't perfect but it was good.  The main reason I thought it was so good was the casting.  Maybe not everyone physically looked exactly how I envisioned the characters in my head but they all played the part so well.  It seemed like the actors really got the characters.  Shailene Woodley and Theo James played the parts of Tris and Four fantastically.  I was worried that Shailene wouldn't seem weak enough to play Tris but she really nailed it.  And Theo James. *swoon*  I felt like there was a lot of hype from the teenage girls about him.  Boy am I on that bandwagon.  Not only is he easy to look at but he really took on the Four persona.      

Was it perfect?  No.  Did it leave you a little disappointed after reading the book?  What movie doesn't.  Am I still thinking about it?  Yes.  Do I want to see it a second time?  Is it wrong if I say I do?  I think not.

Tiff's Rate: Friday Night

Deb's Take:
I didn't read all three books in the series like my dear sister (I did read the first one in a day or two though).  How can you not look forward to a movie that was a book?   It's all about bringing the characters to life.  Movies like this are about the anticipation, the energy in the theatre as everyone waits to SEE what they have only imagined.  The whole experience is just fun.

I will agree with Tiff, the book is always better.  A book allows you to see in the brain of the characters, allows you to know their thoughts,  not really possible in a movie.  So..yes the book was much, much MUCH better.  So, let's take the book out of it.  The movie was good.  I believe the casting of Tris and Four were good.  I didn't like Eric and Christina so well..Peter was right on.  I think where the movie was lacking was the whole romance between Four and Tris.  I just didn't get that "first love" passion.  They had good chemistry, but the movie didn't play on that.  I also was unimpressed with the relationship between Tris and her parents.  I felt it was to surface.   I guess when I think about it, none of the relationships were very impressive, and unfortunately that's what makes a good movie for me. 

I'm a little less forgiving with this one.  I think it could have been better, I think the directors got a little lazy and let the book do the talking.  Can't wait to read the next two books though!


Deb's Rate: Matinee

Preview:  One of us is traveling this week so we might have to go to different movies.  
(or maybe two sisters will become one sister and a brother for a twist.)

Week 49: The Descendants

Boy, Deb's right.  We are behind on our posts.  Here's to knocking two out the same day.  Note that this reveiw has slight spoilers so if you want to see the movie first that might be a good idea. 

We saw The Descendants for week 49 with George Clooney as the main character followed by his daughter played by Shailene Woodley.  As Deb said, this movie was mainly about the relationship between these two characters.  The story is about a guy, George Clooney, who's dealing with the impending loss of his wife who was in a boating accident and also dealing with selling property that's part of this big family trust.  So there's sort of two different stories going on. Oh, and it was set in Hawaii which threw in an interesting perspective.

In the first story with his wife, he's working through this process of saying good bye and trying to manage his two daughters.  In dealing with his oldest daughter's anger towards his wife he finds out that his wife was having an affair and was thinking about leaving him.  A good chunk of the movie is about him dealing with this revelation.

This movie has a heavy feel with serious topics but not a lot of drama.  And there was a lot of comic relief in just the right places.  It reminds me of 50/50 a little bit in the sense that if an "average" person was thrown in this situation this is how they might actually deal with it.  It didn't feel hollywoodized.  (I just made that word up.)  With George Clooney as the main guy you might not think it's possible to imagine an average guy with an average family but there were times where he actually did seem like an average guy.  I mean, it is George Clooney after all so of course you won't forget that but he intentionally wasn't as dashing in this one.     

I did think it was a good movie and one worth seeing but I was surprised in my lack of emotional connection with the characters.  I felt distanced from them when normally I'm sniffling right along with Deb.  I think this is mainly because of my personal hatred and dysfunction when it comes to infidelity and all things cheating.  Or maybe I just wasn't in a sappy mood.  Either way, it didn't touch me as much as some movies do.  But I think it probably would to the average person. 

To Sum it up: Serious topics, perfectly timed humor and good "almost made you forget the actor" acting.

Week 49: The Descendants

Ok, so our posts are running a week behind, but we ARE going to the movie, which is most important in my world.

We got to do a "Two sisters, A Mom and A Movie" this time around! We were hard pressed to find something out there we wanted to see, but after some looking around stumbled across this gem. Yes, it was a gem!

This movie follows two basic story lines, one about a family who's mother/wife is ill and the family is trying to cope with the choices that need to be made to stay afloat emotionally. This is intertwined with a story of the father/husband of this family, trying to make a decision about selling some land that is in his trust.

George Clooney plays the lead role along with Shailene Woodley, who plays one of his daughters. Really, most of the movie centers around these two and their interactions. I am always impressed when I see Good old George on the film. He seems so at ease. In fact, at one point in the movie he was suppose to be kind of "geeky" or maybe more "average" and it seemed out of character, he just is too laid back and in control that to be out of control was sort of off. Not to say he didn't do a good job, but you just know it's not him.

Shailene did an exceptional job as a 17 year old girl. She was pretty darn close to what I think so many 17 year olds probably act like. I know she plays on a TV series, but I read where this was her first role in a movie. Yep, she's good!

I think what I most liked about this movie was that I cried and I laughed. A movie that does that can't be anything but a winner in my emotional book. I like to laugh and cry..tap into both ends of the spectrum and confuse the mind with how it really feels.

Mostly, just a great movie to go to with my mom and sister! Thanks for the great night Tiff and Mom.

See you for week 50! only 2 left..so sad :(