I am a Movie Fanatic

This is the time of year when I see more movies than usual. And believe me, that's saying a lot- because I always see a lot of movies. Yes, I pay the ridiculous prices and see them when they are released. I don't go to Blockbuster and I don't belong to Netflix because it's difficult to find a movie I haven't already seen. There's just nothing like seeing a movie on the big screen.

Here's a sampling of movies I've seen over the past couple weeks, with a cliff notes version of a movie review:

Charlie Wilson's War : Entertaining, good performances. It's not a war movie or a political movie, and it's not really a romance between Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts either. So unfortunately, I didn't get that involved with any of the story lines. Grade: B

P.S. I Love You : Too sad to be considered a romantic comedy. Hit a little too close to home for me, I bawled through the entire movie. But it was cute. Grade: B-

Water Horse : Brought my nephews (ages 8 and 10) and they really enjoyed it. Cute movie, cute story. Probably best for ages 7-11. Kids older or younger than that may be bored. Grade: B-

Alvin and the Chipmunks : This was our Christmas movie. We had 6 kids with us, ages 3 - 10. I only went to have fun with the kids, and I was concerned that I would want to poke my eyes out during this movie. I mean, really, those chipmunk voices? Argh! Turns out I LOVED IT. It was very well done, very cute how they made the story "modern", it was funny and entertaining. If you have kids, you have to go. If you don't have kids, rent it! Grade: A+

Atonement : If you liked the love story in Titanic, then yes, you will probably enjoy this. I found the love story frustrating. It's a visually appealing movie, and probably more of a chick flick. Grade: B-

No Country for Old Men : Probably worth seeing for the performance of Javier Bardem. Shocking, amazing, horrifying and funny. But be prepared to be dissatisfied with the ending. Grade: B+

Juno : I've seen conflicting reports of Ellen Page's performance. I LOVED her. Very funny- great comedic timing. Some thought she was too mature, I actually thought she seemed like a mature 14 year old, instead of a 16 year old. But this movie is MUCH better than Knocked Up. Very well written, fantastic cast. In spite of appearances, this is not a chick flick! Grade: A

The Great Debaters : The young performers in this film were great. It was a good, feel good movie, with some tears and some laughs. The scenes between Denzel and Forrest were electric- I wish they had been in more scenes together! Grade: A-

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly : This is a French film with English subtitles. Difficult to watch at first, the story is amazing. And the way the story is told is very well done. It'll make you think about getting a living will, and it will make you realize just how fortunate you are. Grade: A+

Happy movie-going! Let me know your thoughts on the movies listed above!