A Christmas Story (1983)

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

- A Christmas Story

It's that time of the year again, Christmas - one of my favorite times of the year. And, in celebration I want to share with you one of my all time favorite Christmas movies - "A Christmas Story."



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Ever since I was a little kid, I've always enjoyed this movie. In fact, I watch it every year during Christmas. I guess, it's kind of an annual movie tradition!

Every year when I watch this film, it really brings back the "kid" in me. In a way, I feel this movie is geared towards reminding people of what it's like growing up as a kid during the Christmas season.

With each scene, it really reminds me of the Christmas traditions I went through every year growing up. In the movie, we see the family outing to choose a Christmas tree, the annual Christmas parade, and of course - the anticipated wait and visit to see Santa Claus.

Santa Claus Scene



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Now, the main theme of the movie centers around the age old question - "What do you want for Christmas?" And, we see this theme consistently portrayed throughout the whole film.

For each of the main characters, what they want for Christmas is different. For Ralphie (played by Peter Billingsley), what he wants for Christmas is what most kids want for Christmas - that special toy we've all had our eyes on.

Here's that special toy for Ralphie:



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To me, this movie is really about hope and our anticipation for that special day we all call "Christmas." There are times when things don't go exactly as planned. And, we just have to learn how to cope.

As in this scene here, the family ended up having Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant:



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Though Christmas did not exactly turn out the way it was planned, it's these experiences that make for the most memorable moments. Though, in the end it just goes to show - sometimes your wishes do come true. And, that is the magic of Christmas.

If you're in the mood for a Christmas type movie this holiday season, I highly recommend this film.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: PASS

(Note: For those who are fans of the movie, check out this special reunion video with the cast from the movie).

Happy Holidays!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!

More Holiday Reviews:

If you enjoyed my review of my favorite Christmas holiday movie, check out my fellow Filmgirl Force friends' reviews of their favorite holiday films!

Action Flick Chick: Ernest Saves Christmas
Just Chick Flicks: It's A Wonderful Life

Black Swan (2010)

When I first saw the trailer for this film, it looked like a very interesting yet typical drama type of movie. Though, after seeing the film - there was nothing typical about it at all.

Going into the movie, I tried very hard not to read the reviews. Though I do try to read reviews for the majority of films I plan on seeing, there are some that I prefer to go in "cold turkey" - this was one of them.

(Note: I really enjoy the element of "surprise" for films that really interest me. For me personally, I guess I enjoy this part of the movie going experience).

At first, I thought I had this movie all figured out. From the trailer, I thought I knew what the story was going to be all about. I was wrong. It wasn't what I expected at all. But, in a good way.

Natalie Portman plays the main character, Nina Sayers, an aspiring dancer and ballerina. She is filled with hopes and dreams of someday becoming a famous and great ballerina dancer. And, she worked hard at her craft.

Now, I'm going to be honest here. This is a movie where it's really important to pay attention. It's one of those films where if you miss certain details - they can be vital to the story. It's one of those kinds of movies.

In the beginning, I will admit - it was a bit slow. But, this was important to the story helping to set the tone for the movie. The characters were introduced, the story was set.

As the audience, I felt that I knew what kind of film this was going to be. There were a lot of anticipated moments yet to my surprise - the movie took a dramatic turn.

It was not the movie that I had expected. The characters in the film seemed so predictable. As it turns out, they were not what I had expected at all.

(Note: For those who have seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about. I'm trying not to reveal too much because I just don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen the movie yet).

This is really a film about perspective. And, the way we perceive things. Sometimes we may not see things the way others see them. Sometimes we see what we believe. Though, it may not be what others see at all.

As the audience, I felt there were certain parts (as well as characters) in the movie that I had figured out and believed to be true. This is what I saw. As the film progressed, I soon realized this was not the case at all.

This is really a different kind of movie, a unique kind of movie. And, I can honestly say - it wasn't what I expected at all. From the trailer, I was really prepared for a typical, drama type of movie. After seeing the film, it wasn't predictable - it really threw me for a loop.

So many times, I thought I had the film figured out - it really had a lot of twists and turns. There were times where I thought I knew the characters and the storyline only to be surprised by the turn in events.

For me personally, it truly was a very entertaining and unpredictable movie. I enjoyed it very much. It is definitely a movie that I will be watching again.

If you've seen the trailer for this film and it looks even a bit interesting to you, I highly recommend seeing this movie without reading too many reviews.

(Note: There are some reviews that may reveal some details in the film which may reveal too much and may spoil the movie for you).

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: PASS

Happy movie watching!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



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Murder By Numbers (2002)

"Let the mind games begin."

- Murder By Numbers

Recently, I re-visited this movie. Since I was in a crime movie kind of mood, I decided to check it out again.

Here Sandra Bullock plays a detective type of role. And, I must say - I do enjoy seeing her play these "tough" girl type of roles (such as in this movie).

This film is great in the way of it's execution and portrayal of an idea to perform and get away with the perfect murder. The way the clues and the evidence presented seemed to lead the detectives on the case in a certain direction - an obvious direction. Though, the real story of the crime was slowly and brilliantly revealed as the film progressed.

What I enjoyed about this film was the way it was presented. In parts it was subtle. And, in others - it was captivating. It had my attention throughout.

I especially enjoyed the exploration of the characters in the story. This was not a one sided movie - it had several sides to it. And, it revealed the complexities of human nature by the portrayal of the characters involved.

The movie was not predictable at all. While watching the film, I thought I had it figured out (just like Sandra Bullock's character). But, I was definitely surprised at the turn in events as the film progressed. There were many twists and turns - the suspense definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.

(Note: For those who have seen the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about).

I guess one thing I did learn from the movie was that anything can happen. We always think crimes happen from those who are unknown to us, people we do not know. But, in reality - crimes can happen closer to home.

As for the end, I think it was brilliant in its execution. There was a part where I thought the movie had ended, where I thought the crime was solved. But, there was a twist - a small piece of evidence that revealed the truth about the crime.

It showed what had really happened from a different perspective, not the perspective we had been exposed to as the audience. And, it was interesting to see how the bits and pieces came together. It definitely threw me for a loop and made for a good ending.

If you're in the mood for a crime and thriller type of film, I do recommend this one.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: PASS

Happy movie watching!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



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Jonah Hex (2010)

"Revenge gets ugly."

- Jonah Hex

When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I thought it looked pretty interesting. Actually, I thought it was going to be one of those unique kind of films. And, I was right.

Going into the movie, it started out with a bang - lots of action, lots of violence. Being a creation of DC Comics, there was a certain "comic book" feel and style to the film as well. To be honest, it had it's own unique style.

(Note: For all the comic book fans out there, you'll notice a few similarities with the storyline of this film compared to this movie. The topic of vengeance seems to be a running theme throughout the film).

As for the storyline, I felt the story itself had potential. Though, there were many parts that were hard to identify with. Maybe if I had been a fan of the comic than maybe it would be easier for me to understand. But, I had not read the comic going into the movie.

Since the movie is more of a western type movie, I think those who have an appreciation for these types of films as well as comics may better receive this one than others.

To be honest, I think this film was written more for the fans and those who understand the comic over the mass public. As someone who is unfamiliar with the comic book story, It was just a bit difficult to understand the film in certain parts.

Though, I do have to give this movie credit for its uniqueness. I think there were some very unique moments in the movie as far as character development. I especially enjoyed Jonah Hex' special powers.

(Note: For those who have seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about. I don't want to ruin the movie for those who have not seen it. But, let's just say the special powers Jonah Hex possessed were very cool and unique to his character).

Overall, I think the movie was more geared towards fans of the comic than anything else. For me personally, it was a bit hard to understand at parts. And, there were certain characters that were introduced that didn't quite resonate with me being unfamiliar with the comic.

To be honest, it was a bit theatrical - almost too over the top. Sure, it did have lots of action (in true western style). And, it even had it's own unique comic book style. But, I still left feeling there were some gaps in the movie and parts left unanswered.

As for the end, it just didn't leave me satisfied. I felt like I had watched a film that I had not quite understood. Maybe it was me, maybe it was not written for those who were unfamiliar with the comic. But, it just didn't do it for me.

If you really want to see this film and are a fan of the comic, I'd say it may be worth it for you. If not, you may have the same experience as me - you may want to skip this one all together.

Film Gurl's 15 Minute Rule: FAIL

(Note: For those who enjoyed the film, these are just my thoughts - it just didn't do it for me).

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



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