Reviews

I finally finished A Thousand Splendid Suns. I became sleep-deprived over it. I devoured it. I don't know what took me so long. It is incredible, heartbreaking and beautiful. Highly recommend it. I also finished The Alchemist last night and honestly, I thought it was just OK. Not bad by any means, but not even close to the same level as A Thousand Splendid Suns.

I've also been watching movies lately, so I thought I'd give my recommendations of some of the memorable ones too. So, here's a sample of my Netflix queue and some theater visits over the past few months:

Slumdog Millionaire. The story of a how a boy in India knows answers on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Incredible. Again, heartbreaking and beautiful. I hope this wins the Oscar. Not that I've seen all of them...but it's amazing. And I enjoyed it much more than last year's winner - No Country for Old Men. That movie was good, but this was better, IMHO.

The Bucket List. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman are dying, so they make a list of things to do before they kick the bucket. I happened to catch this movie on HBO. Bert DVR'd it, or I never would've watched it. The commercial looked so cliche'. And it is. But it's still really good. A perfect Saturday afternoon movie.

The Duchess. Keira is married to a real jerk. The story of love and longing. I used to hate period pieces, but have gotten more into them. This is not all about high tea...it's real drama and fantastic acting. Again, heartbreaking and beautiful. Hmmm...I think I have discovered the key to success in books and movies!

Music and Lyrics. Hugh Grant is a washed-up '80s singer (think Wham!) and needs to write a new song for a pop tart (think Britney Spears) who wants him to pen her next hit. I swore I wouldn't see it because the commercial for it was so awful, but my sister said it was so amazing that I needed to go home, rent it and watch it immediately. Since that conversation took place at 10pm and I was an hour from home, I passed. However, I put it in my Netflix queue. Cutesy and fun. If you liked 27 Dresses, The Holiday, etc., this will be another fun one.

The Great Debaters. The true story of a black college's debate team in the 1930s. Denzel stars and directs. Oprah produced. You can basically guess how it goes, but it's still very moving. Worth seeing.

Tropic Thunder. Run - not to the video store, but away. This movie is HORRIBLE. AWFUL. Ugh.

Burn After Reading. Get in a weird mood, Coen brothers style. Do not expect these characters to be normal. Expect them to be over-the-top and quirky. The movie is one big fat mess. It's fabulous.

Changeling. The true story of a woman whose son goes missing - and the police return a boy who isn't hers. Angelina was stellar - and I can't stand her, but I can still say this. Great movie. I hated the guy in the USA Burn Notice commercials because he's such an a** in this movie, but now I think he's attractive again. ANYWAY, this is a very powerful film. Kudos to Clint Eastwood for his superb directing.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Brad Pitt ages in reverse. Beautiful cinematography and special effects. Powerful film; stayed with me a few days. As a 20 and 30 something, Brad Pitt is gorgeous. That alone is worth going to see the movie!

Hope you enjoy...well, except for Tropic Thunder. Ugh.