Saturday, January 23, 2010

Let's start with something current...

Let's start with something current: "Up in the Air"

This movie caused quite a lively discussion in my house the other day. I saw it first with my daughter, who's 20, and then I saw it again with a group of women who are all close to my age. I loved this movie and laughed out loud many times. My daughter, on the other hand, sat very quietly and barely cracked a smile. When I asked her about it she said that it was one of the most depressing movies she's ever seen. She thought it was good but way too cynical. I thought it was very funny, very poignant and had some of the best dialogue I'd heard all year. My second viewing with my lady friends brought a much different experience. We all laughed out loud (it was even funnier the second time for me) and everyone came out smiling and talking and doing what people do when they really enjoy an experience. The relevance of the material (loyalty, job security, marital issues, life choices) is exactly what we all face and the interplay between the 40-something man, 30-something woman and the 20-something young girl straight out of college was priceless. The acting is terrific and it has some subtle gags that are hilarious. So why the disparity in the reactions? Because this film speaks volumes about life and some young adults won't able to or want to hear what it has to say. All of this leads me to several conclusions:

1. This film WORKS. It set out to make a statement and it did, whether you find it poignant and humorous, or cynical and depressing.
2. It deserves a Best Picture nomination, several acting nominations and a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Go see it and judge for yourself and report back! Happy film going!!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Welcome to MotionPictureMama!

Updates soon!