Synopsis: A romantic drama about a soldier who falls for a conservative college student while he’s home on leave. (imdb.com).

I haven’t read the book and usually I prefer to do so before watching a film adaptation. But a long time ago I’d sworn off Nicholas Sparks books after I read his first four and realized the blatant formula behind them (I may give him another shot though). So I couldn’t compare the two versions. But I figured, Amanda Seyfried is a pretty good actress and Channing Tatum is just pretty, so why not?

Here’s what I thought:

• I’ll admit it – Channing Tatum surprised me in this movie. Whenever I’d catch clips of his “emotional” scenes during commercials and trailers, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. But within the context of the film, he was.. dare I say? Decent. There was one scene in particular with his father that I found very moving.
• Amanda Seyfried was good as expected and I really liked her character (despite some, well one, baffling choice).
• As a couple, I found their chemistry to be very realistic and natural. I’ve heard a lot of people compare them to The Notebook’s Allie & Noah and thus found them lacking, but I disagree. Their chemistry was just as palpable but in a different (quiet?) way.

Overall: Not a groundbreaking romantic drama but enjoyable all the same. I liked the hopeful note that it ended on.

Synopsis: Based on the best-selling book about a love that transcends time. Clare has been in love with Henry her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler — cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control. (rottentomatoes.com).

I should probably preface this by saying that I am a huge fan of the book (FYI: written by Audrey Niffenegger). In fact, it’s one of my favorite books and I waited very eagerly (and of course worriedly) about the release of this movie. It’s such a unique story but very complex so I wasn’t sure how that would translate to film.

Here’s what I thought:

• The casting turned out a lot better than I expected. While I had no doubts about Rachel McAdams’ ability to play Claire (so perfect!), I wasn’t too sure about Eric Bana as Henry. But he grew on me as the movie went on.
• I was disappointed by how much they left out from the book. It would’ve been impossible to include everything but I expected more. So many missing scenes came to mind as I watched and I felt should’ve been seen.
• The movie is about time travel so you can’t expect a clear, linear storyline. But because they left out so much, the time changes seemed even more abrupt? They kind of just jumped right in, with little explanation.
• Despite all that, there were some really touching scenes between the main characters and their chemistry definitely shone through.
• Biggest gripe: They changed the ending! Biggest surprise: The actress cast as their daughter was really, really great.

Overall: If you’re a fan of the book, be prepared to be mostly disappointed. If you’re not, then you might still be entertained. But – definitely read the book!

My two nephews, BoJacob and Benaiah with baby Mariel.

I dare you to not find this absolutely adorable.

Synopsis: In Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock loving misfit finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin. (imdb.com).

Here’s what I thought:

• I’m on the fence with Ellen Page as an actress. She was good and cute in this role, for sure. But I felt like I had seen this before. She was a lot like her character in “Juno” except instead of being a pregnant smart-ass outcast, she’s a roller derby playing smart-ass outcast.
• The best part was watching the roller derby bouts. It just seemed like so much fun. Makes you wanna throw on a pair of roller skates afterwards.
• The supporting cast really helped to make the movie work. The best friend, her teammates (Kristin Wigg was awesome!), her new guy (who turned out to be an ass & played by singer Landon Pigg) and her crazy parents (the dad is one of the burglars from “Home Alone”!).
• Another thing I realized – I am just not a fan of Drew Barrymore.

Overall: A fun movie to rent that has both entertaining and some touching moments. Plus, great music.

Synopsis: Academy Award-winner George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a businessman on the verge of reaching five million frequent flyer miles when his company decides to cut back on travel. But his goal isn’t the only thing just out of reach: he now won’t be able to see a fellow frequent traveler who has caught his eye. (rottentomatoes.com)

Here’s what I thought:

• I’ve never been much of a George Clooney fan or interested in any of his movies (unless he was acting alongside Brad Pitt), so even I was a little surprised that I wanted to see “Up in the Air”. And it was so worth checking out! This role was perfect for him.
• The other two female leads were perfect as well. But I was particularly impressed by Anna Kendrick. Prior to this I had only seen her in the Twilight series so.. you can just imagine what I thought of her acting skills. But I was so wrong. She’s actually extremely talented!
• The movie was the right mix of drama and comedy. You really feel for what happens to these characters and then a few seconds later will be laughing out loud.
• Also, these characters just might have one of the most depressing jobs ever.

Overall: Lives up to the hype surrounding it; it’s a really enjoyable movie that I’d recommend watching.