Red lights

I am falling in love with Cillian Murphy.

I suppose it was bound to happen, a skinny dark hair guy with beautiful cheekbones and eyes, not to mention phenomenal performances. After I had finished In Time I really wanted to see more of him because that role really brought the attention to him for me. Obviously I've seen his work before but I was paying attention to him per se. I find it's always nice when I go back to view an actor's work after I've fallen in love, and Red Lights gave the opportunity for more than just Cillian Murphy.

Burn Gorman and Craig Roberts from Torchwood and Being Human respectfully made for a great showing of British television and Toby Jones rounded out the British cast. Strange perhaps for a Spanish directed film but it made a joy to watch. Gorman especially because he played an American and it took me a while to recognize him. When they make you work for it like that it brings so much more of a reward once you recognize them - or at least it does for me. Roberts, likewise did an excellent job and was able to seem older in his role than he looks. Rounding out the cast are American powerhouses Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro. Now I'm not a huge fan of either of them, I like them alright but their not the draw for me, espeically De Niro however in this film De Niro was amazing. The skill he has on giving the performance he did without the use of his eyes as they were covered up with dark glasses made me speechless. In particular once scene when he's meeting Murphy's character during the scientific testing. He's all smiles when he's meeting Murphy but with Murphy's cold demeanor his face falls flat. It's a brilliant moment. Just by watching his mouth you can feel all of his emotions. Finally you have Elizabeth Olsen who I think did a good job more so towards the end when she's looking at the tape because she's directly in the action. I feel like they could have done more with her character, given her more because I feel she could have handle it.

The story itself is interesting with scientist debunking psychics only to come up against the most celebrated psychic of them all. The film starts out slow and some of the scenes are a bit awkward but even in their awkwardness they still work. I'm talking specifically about the scenes where Murphy asks Weaver about Olsen and then Weaver asks Olsen about Murphy. It's a fun way to set up their relationship even if it never gets fully developed. They could have done more with that but then again it would have taken away from the hunt for silver.

The film is all about finding paranormal happenings out as frauds and we see several cases of Weaver and Murphy going around investigating before we're brought into their classroom. It's interesting that the debunkers get less funding then the paranormal seekers. Again here is another one of my favorite scenes, maybe because Murphy is so effortless at it or because the focus is on his hands which are so graceful but while Weaver is talking about the ways in which the frauds work Murphy demonstrates. You get a little bit of flirting between Murphy and Olsen. The film moves on with competition from Toby Jones' paranormal department at the university and Simon Silver (De Niro) coming out of retirement and Murphy's one track mind to debunk him. I won't ruin the ending here because it is just so great that if you haven't seen it I want you to get the full effect of it.

This film has kept me thinking since I finished it. It may be slow at times but it keeps you engaged throughout the film - even through it's awkward bits. Cillian Murphy is amazing as is the rest of the cast. Red Lights is definitely worth the look.

In Time

The concept behind In Time I think really works well in the world we live in today. Time is money. I thought the premise was original and was explained well in the beginning of the film without being to talkative. The back story was conveyed through the story itself. It might have been a little talkative in the beginning of how the world worked but they pulled back from that as the film progressed and just let the action and story speak for itself.

I enjoyed Justin Timberlake and I'm a fan of his acting even thought I was squarely on the Backstreet Boys side of boy bands. In this film Timberlake was perhaps a little too ghetto. He made you aware of his acting. It didn't come natural and was a bit stilted. Amanda Seyfried was an interesting choice for the role and she seemed way too young. I don't know if was the baby doll dresses and hair but she looked like a teenager and I didn't see any real chemistry between her and Timberlake. It was a bit disappointing. Olivia Wilde did a great job for the small amount of time she was in the film. Her death was so sad (even though I kept thinking of Doctor Who when The Doctor sees Rose in the fourth series). Wilde brought true emotion to the role. She seemed to have more chemistry with Timberlake though so it was weird when he referred to her as his mom but it was believable when she said it was her 50th birthday.

Timberlake's best scene was when he's arm wrestling with the goon, something which you knew was going to happen after he explained it to Seyfried earlier in the film. It wasn't so much the arm wrestle going down the exact way he said it would but him taking the fun and shooting the others. It was a nice pop of excitement on a predictable scene. 

The standout performance for me is that of Cillian Murphy as the timekeeper. I just wanted to watch him and I'm not really a huge fan of his but this was the best role I've seen him in and he looked the most masculine. I could have watched him run in that black coat for 2 hours. I wanted him to be redeemed so bad, especially after Timberlake gave him some time and I think he was redeemed a little bit at the end. The revelation about his character coming from Dayton made sense and made you want him to succeed even more. If he wouldn't just taken the time from the car he would have been okay but no, he has to run out of time. The most anticlimactic moment of the film.

The ending of the film mirror the beginning scene between Timberlake and Wilde and even though I didn't feel the chemistry between Timberlake and Seyfried I was still on the edge of my seat wondering if he could save her when he couldn't save his mother. It almost makes up from Murphy's death, almost.

Hart of Dixie

Hart of Dixie was a show I was aware of because I love the CW network so I had seen commercials for it and I loved Rachel Bilson in The O.C. but I hadn't gotten around to watching it. Until I started talking to one of my co-workers about guilty pleasures and this show was hers. Luckily the first season was on netflix and I blew through it. I loved the concept, loved the characters and loved the setting.

The CW seems to like shows set in the south (Hellcats was in Memphis, Vampire Diaries is in Virginia, The Originals is in New Orleans and Hart of Dixie is in Alabama). There's more you can do with the history of the town and the rituals of the south, not to say that they don't have them elsewhere but I don't see founder's day in Portland. Really its about community which is understandable given the network - formerly WB and UPN.

The cast was great with a majority of unknowns, another common occurrence on the CW, but it was nice to see Tim Matheson in another role (I know him from The West Wing). As an audience you really get to know and love these characters and I think that's what makes the show so enjoyable. The show is really an ensemble and all the major characters work well together.

The major premise behind the show is the love triangle of first Zoe - George - Lemon which quickly dissolves into George - Zoe - Wade and I have to say I much prefer Wade over George. George is just so boring! I was really glad to see Zoe and Wade make a go of it. Wade's one of those characters who puts on an air of "I-don't-care" but he really does and although he makes mistakes he can be really sensitive. The last episode of the first season had so much drama with Zoe ending up with Wade and George breaking things off with Lemon to be with Zoe.

In the second season Zoe and Wade progressed their relationship but of course no one can be happy on television and Wade does something stupid. The show lost me a bit at the end because they repeated what had happened in the first season. Wade and Zoe break up, she goes after George who is in a relationship, who then breaks up with his girlfriend and goes to Zoe only to find her in bed with Wade. It was like they couldn't figure out what they wanted to do so just recycled an old storyline. It made it a but soap opera-y.

Having said that I am looking forward to the third season. I really think Zoe and Wade having something going even though he cheated on her and denied it. I loved his romantic gesture at the end of the last episode. Thankfully they have brought in someone new, Jonah the doctor to tempt Zoe while she's in New York. Now I say thankfully only because they needed new blood because the George-Zoe-Wade triangle has gotten old and frankly I'm not a huge fan of George.

The other stand out character for me is Annabeth who I adore (although Bert Reynolds is pretty good). She's so cute and peppy but still a little sassy. She gets a little crazy when she's with Lemon but I was happy things worked out between her and the mayor even though it would have been nice to see the mayor with Lemon. It'll be interesting next season to see what happens with Lemon who is now a co-owner of the Rammer Jammer with Wade. Will there be romantic feelings there? I really hope not but it is a possibility.

I think the CW hit on a good show with this one that really makes you enjoy your 45 minutes with them. It feels like family.

Primeval: New World (An Update)

 
I have finally come to the end of Primeval: New World and I'm sad its the end end since the show was cancelled. I feel the show struggled to find a voice of its own apart from the UK version but some of that could have been me longing for the UK version. The last few episodes though really helped the show start to emerge on its own, I guess it was just a little too late.

The show had some problems from the beginning because it try to be from the same universe at the UK one but with everything that happened on the season finale of the UK one its hard to imagine the Canadians are just finding out about it now. I liked the team, especially as the series progressed but there still wasn't a lot holding Evan and Dylan together and I feel like they could have pushed that relationship. I got really tired of Angelika especially when she started working for the bad guys. The show tried to have that romantic relationship for Evan but it just didn't work.

In the last few episodes there were two guest stars that I just loved. One was Colin Ferguson from Eureka and the other was Andrew Lee-Potts reprising his role as Connor Temple from the UK show. It was nice to see Ferguson and Matter back together and Ferguson was great as a crazy scientist plus it was nice to see him playing someone smart for a change.

The show ended with a two part episode which involved Connor Temple meeting up with Dylan and Evan in the distant past. The quip Connor makes about being stuck in the Cretaceous period for a year was a good inside joke. It was really too bad that it took 12/13 episodes to get this far in the series because it really began to pick up. The mystery around Mac finally surfaced and the consequences of messing with space and time rears its ugly head.

Talk about a way to end the series, running for an anomaly - did they make it? I guess we'll never know but it sure would have been nice had they renewed the show for a second season. I think with a second series it would have really taken off.

Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic

Another Saif Ali Khan (don't worry I'm running out of his films) and Rani Mukerji film! Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic is a play on The Sound of Music/Marry Poppins/Nanny McPhee but brings enough to the table to make it its own. The concept of the plot is a strange but they make it work. Ranbeer gets in a car accident killing a husband and wife and then is sentenced to provide for the four children they left behind. Not the best judgement considering you're asking four children to go and live with the person who killed your parents and the judge stipulated that they couldn't be sent to boarding school and they had to travel with him. The children at first want to do everything possible to make Ranbeer's life a living hell so in order to save the situation after all involved cry out to God we see God himself in the form of Rishi Kapoor and his naughty angel Geeta. The song we're treated to is fun to the point that you don't even mind the bad graphics.

Of course the whole point of the film is to have them all, the children, Ranbeer and Geeta become a family which is what happens by the end. Ranbeer is able to get to each of the kids in small ways and only has the eldest to contend with. I loved the scene where Ranbeer is complaining about his girlfriend and asks one of the children if she would be his girlfriend. It was cute. Once the girlfriend is gone through a whole lot of manipulation and naughty children Ranbeer is of course free to find love with Geeta. The only problem is that Geeta is an angel without feelings or at least being able to show those feelings. Ranbeer and the kid's love for Geeta persuades God to make her human.

I enjoyed the film a lot. It was fun and although a bit of a rehash of other films it managed to stand alone.

Tashan

Tashan, another Hindi action film. It wasn't that great and it didn't help that it has my least favorite Bollywood actress, Kareena Kapoor in it. It did have a few things going for it, Saif Ali Khan to begin with but also it had Akshay Kumar in a comedic Hindustani role he's so good at. Anil Kapoor was the same as ever but still someone more enjoyable than Kareena. I find Kareena's characters weak and except for one scene Tashan was no exception.

But I suppose it's best to start at the beginning which brings me back to Saif Ali Khan's character Jimmy who narrates the film while underwater after the car he's in drives off the cliff. I admit it was a pretty cool way to open a film, it had a good hook. Jimmy isn't one to really like at the beginning but as the film goes on you begin to like him. The first half of the film is all about Jimmy falling for Kareena's character Pooja but then a shocking twist! She's totally just playing him in order to steal money from Anil Kapoor. In comes Akshay Kumar who is always a joy to see in this type of role but I was kind of wishing Katrina Kaif had been cast in this role instead of Kareena because that pairing is so good.

We return to the beginning of the film and see the car once again sail over the edge only now we know why the music kept changing. This takes up into the interval which then flips the film. Now Jimmy and Pooja are in cahoots and the audience suffers an awkward scene where Jimmy 'rapes' Pooja. Sometimes it seems like Bollywood is too loose with the issue of rape or being gay making it hard to watch, not that American films are any better.

After some pretty bad English lessons from Jimmy it turns out Akshay and Pooja fall in love for real having already known each other and Pooja's true past comes to light. Everything leads up to the show down between our heroes and Anil and his goons. It was a bit lengthy but had a good end with Pooja stabbing Anil in the chest with a large sword and moving it around. It made her character seem strong for one of the only points in the film.

The film ends with everyone happy, well except Anil. The lengthy fight scenes and Kareen ruined the film for me plus the really bad English. 

Warm Bodies

Ever since I saw Nicholas Hoult in skins I have been intrigued so I was really happy when he started making it in Hollywood and when I saw the trailer for Warm Bodies I knew I had to see it. Unfortunately I missed its theater run but was able to pick it up on DVD.

It was perhaps a bit slow but I liked it. Hoult is just so amazing I can't think of a word to properly describe him. His grunts and gait made his character seem believable. The decision to have voice over as to what R was thinking was smart because it really held the film together. The funny moments like 'don't be creepy, don't be creepy' or 'say something human...nailed it' where some of the best moments because it was down played a bit. This somewhat disembodied voice allowed the comedy to shine through without taking away from what you were seeing on screen.

On a deeper level the film has something to say about what it means to be human and what we are really doing with our lives - the scene that stands out is when R is talking about wanting to connect and how good it must have been before everyone was dead, onscreen we see everyone on cell phones and ipods in a flashback. Something that could be looked into in a lengthier review.

The concept, taken a little from Romeo and Juliet albeit without the tragic ending, something I was beginning to worry about towards the end, but I still think it's original. A cure for zombies, why not? In recent years we've seen cures for vampires and werewolves so why not zombies. The plot was good, it made sense. I could have gotten more from Teresa Palmer because the whole time she reminded me of Kristen Stewart. Hoult was the one who really pulled this film through to the end, with a little bit of help from his friends (Rob Corddry. For Nicholas Hoult, I'm hoping this is just the first of many great films to come. He's one that I'll be watching out for.

Race and Race 2

 Race and Race 2 two more Saif Ali Khan films in my epic marathon. I had seen Race before but wanted to refresh my memory before watching this years Race 2. The main problem with both films is that there are too many twists and turns in the plot that anything could happen next. Logic is almost thrown out of the window. The big theme of the series is BETRAYAL!

In Race, Saif Ali Khan plays Ranvir Singh the elder step-brother to Rajeev Signh. The younger brother plots out to kill the elder brother by using everyone around him but he's no match for Ranvir. RD the police investigator was strange but then again Anil Kapoor pulls off strange very well. Rajeev is killed off pretty early on in the film and the audience is left wondering what the rest of the film is going to be and missing Rajeev. Everything is explained by the end in a way reminiscent of the Oceans' films and you leave happy knowing the 'good guys' get to ride off into the sunset.

In Race 2, the story line becomes even more convoluted. You're never quite sure what is happening and who knows what. It was nice to see John Abraham as a villain again but the women in this film were lacking. I'm not a huge fan of Bipasha Basu but the film suffered without her. It didn't really know why Ranvir was going after Armaan until the very end and even then it wasn't clear as to Armaan's motives. The fact that something so tragic had to happen in order to get this movie made made it a bit less enjoyable. I kept thinking Sonia was going to pop up at any moment. The tie between everything was weak at best. They were smart by only killing of Ranvir for a shorter time this time around. You expected him to come back and he didn't delay, always coming at the right moment to save his girl. Their final fight when Ranvir was wearing a three piece suit was pretty funny. The sexual jokes between Anil Kapoor and his new assistant where too much in my way of thinking for a Bollywood film.

John Abraham looked for any and all opportunities to take off his shirt and showcase his body. I'm not complaining I just found it a little too obvious. Saif Ali Khan has definitely bulked up in the past few years and the facial hair really does something for him. His style in both these films really works. 

The song and dance numbers where amazing! I loved every one, from both films. However, the singer for Saif Ali Khan's parts in Race 2 was a horrible match and I almost had to turn it off if I didn't like his dancing so much. The songs and dance numbers themselves were highly stylized with lots of glitz and glam and water...it really worked to add the Bollywood essence into the thriller genre the film was going for.

Ek Tha Tiger

I have a bit of a personal history with this film. I just happened to be at Trinity College in Dublin to see the sights when I saw a film crew in the area surrounding by Indian fans so obviously I was interested and when got up close enough I was able to see Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif! I was pretty excited and stayed to watch longer than I had intended not bothered by the fact that I was limiting my time in Dublin I was seeing a Bollywood film being made. What were the chances?

Two years later I finally got around to seeing the film which was an action film a recent trend in Bollywood ti seems. Salman Khan plays a secret agent of sorts of the Indian government while Katrina Kaif is one for the Pakistani government. It's a bit of a Mr. and Mrs. Smith remake but the cultural significance of the history between the two countries adds something to the film.

The fight scenes are pretty hilarious because most of what you see on screen is impossible to do in real life. It treads on the heels of Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger. There are lots of explosions and world travel - none of which really makes sense. There really isn't a reason for the film to take place in Dublin. To add onto the ridiculous fight scenes were the dance numbers. Even with all the explosions, chases and gun fights Salman Khan always found the time to dance.

Hum Tum

There was lip locking in this film! Shocking I tell you. Kissing in a Bollywood film! Not to mention the obvious sex before marriage. I was not exactly prepared for all this in a Bollywood film but once I got over my shock I found the film enjoyable. It took me until the very end of the film to realize it was a remake of sorts of When Harry Met Sally but I think it was different enough to stand alone unlike other Bollywood remakes.

Saif Ali Khan needed some help in the fashion department for this film because both his many hair styles and horrible pants from the opening number left the audience cringing. The song and dance numbers weren't amazing but the story was good. I really liked the inserts of Karan's comics. They added something to the film which helped time pass in Karan and Rhea's relationship. The freak out Karan had after they slept together was predictable but his eventual confession of love was worth the wait. It's definitely a movie for waiting.

The supporting cast was phenomenal but when you have Rishi Kapoor and Kirron Kher and the small cameo of Abhishek Bachchan you can't really go wrong. They acted as good companions to the two main characters and grounded them for the audience. Voice of reason. I loved it when Abhishek's character tells Karan that he better not realize he's in love with Rhea now that she's getting married which is the plot line of a lot of other Bollywood films.

Thinking more about the pairing of Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji I think why it seems to strange to me is that is seems so natural which you would think would be perfect but it stands out. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I took notice of it and it hindered my enjoyment of their pairing.

Ta Ra Rum Pum

Ta Ra Rum Pum was an interesting Bollywood film because it didn't have that Bollywood feel to it. It felt strangely out of place. It was still enjoyable but perhaps a little too serious especially with the children. Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji make an interesting couple. It's definitely not my favorite paring but given the run of movies they've had together that I've recently watched I'm getting use to them.

I loved the beginning of the film which fit the Bollywood format with the two main people falling in love through a serious of hilarious and sometimes awkward events but after RV has his accident and the family is forced out of their beautiful house at the interval the film takes a turn for the serious. Here the song and dance numbers, something I look forward to in a Bollywood film largely disappear and try as they might the cheery atmosphere is gone. There are touching moments with the kids once they realize the true extent of their problems and they start saving their lunch money. The struggle between Shona and RV I think was just a little too real for me and not something I was expecting, not that Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji don't do their characters justice because they do it just wasn't something I was expecting. Both actors showed their struggles really well. One of the best scenes is when RV is asked to get a woman to the airport in an impossible amount of time given NY traffic. At first he's all for it knowing he needs the money for his children's school fees but once he gets up to speed he has flashbacks to the accident and loses the money. This is the same thing that happens to him when he first got back into racing. The most gut wrenching scene of the film is when his kids asked him how is race went. His look of desperation and Shona's immediate change of the subject was so natural. It really sold the moment.

I wasn't overly impressed with this film.

Bad Teacher

The comedy was definitely raunchy and at times a bit awkward, although I did watch the unrated version. Cameron Diaz had no problem fitting into her role. Justin Timberlake was a strange fit for me. It was so off the mark of his usual fare that it seemed strained. It was almost like he was on SNL during the whole film. I felt Jason Segal underplayed his role which some of that had to do with the writing. He left me wanting more which is always a good thing and he seemed the most real of all the characters.

Even if I wasn't a teacher I would have watched this film. It was crazy, funny and everything you wish you could do in class. I loved the comments she wrote on the papers because sometimes you really wish you could write those same things! Running away from children who are crying and crazy co-workers who belong in an elementary school (I teach middle/high school) with their enthusiasm. I personally loved the dodge ball quiz. Of course these are all the reasons why I like it coming from the teacher perspective.

Looking at the film on a film studies level there's something interesting going on with the characters. Elizabeth is not a character that you should like. She's shallow, manipulative and self-centered. The worse main protagonist ever but because she says what's on her mind you can't help but like her in some weird way. And its not like she starts out shallow and ends up redeemed. Yes she ends up with the gym teacher, which the audience sees as the clear choice, but she doesn't change her attitude towards life or her job. She may get her 'happy ending' but as audience member you feel bad about yourself for liking what happened. In any other film she would have been killed or put in jail or some other horrible end. Instead she is given a relationship with a proper match and retains her job.After finishing the film I didn't feel all that great about myself. 

Doctor Who Series 7 Part 2

For me it has been Moffat who has ruined Doctor Who. The only thing that is keeping me interested is to see what they do with the 50th and the return of David Tennant and Billie Piper. I miss the good old days with interesting characters, good story lines and the anticipation for the next episode. I knew it was going to hard for Moffat to move on from Amy Pond and Rory. Moffat hit something with that trio that was hard to get away from in fact he almost created a whole new show apart from Doctor Who with that trio. He's not one for goodbyes and it shows in his work. New Tardis, new opening titles, and new companion.

This has been the worse companion transition since the show was rebooted by RTD. I loved the idea behind Clara's character, especially with her being introduced in the beginning of series 7, but I felt like Moffat let not only the character but the actor, Jenna Louise-Coleman, down. After Clara died twice saving The Doctor, he meets up with her again this time for an extended time period to take us through series 7. The problem is I don't see any chemistry between Clara and The Doctor. I don't understand why she continues to travel with him. In fact in the very beginning she refuses to travel with him and who does this remind you of? That's right, Donna Noble who had a much better story line once she did want to travel with The Doctor and was also just as important. The more I think about it the more I see Clara a rehashing of Donna. Moffat continues what he had started with Amy and Rory by having Clara remain living at home and only going on certain outings with The Doctor. Unfortuntely I don't think this works for the show. With Amy and Rory we had them living and traveling with The Doctor before they stayed home which made the transition of companions at home more palatable. 

Maybe because of the last two series we were beat over the head with the overarching storyline this season felt like it was lacking in anything holding the episodes together besides the mystery of who Clara was. A lot of the stories were also focused on sacrifice which when you see it over and over gets a bit dull. For me, there was a loss of excitement.

And as the season progressed I got further and further behind because the story lines were so lackluster. I wasn't compelled to watch the next weeks episode. I didn't enjoy it. The Crimson Horror was the turning point for me (although Hide did show some potential). I love Madam Vastra, Jenny and Strax together so I think that helped but it was just too little to late. A Nightmare in Silver written by Neil Gainmen was my favorite episode of the season and I think this episode tops Gainmans last episode The Doctor's Wife. The Name of the Doctor was okay but I was just not as invested this series as I have been in the past. 

It's almost like Moffat is more interested in publicity than creating a good show and now with Matt Smith leaving who knows where the show will end up.

Smash Season 2

 
Most of the time, NBC, as well as other networks, cut shows off in their prime not allowing them the time to develop their characters and plot lines. In the case of Smash, NBC's breakout hit from last season, the opposite happened. The show fell flat coming off of its awesome freshman season. The first season was one of those perfect seasons where everything was resolved and although I would love them to keep going they could in fact end; such as previous one seasoners: Moonlight and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

From the very beginning I had a bad feeling. They changed the best simpliest opening titles for a big extravaganza which did little to promote the show. That one changed bugged me the entire season! I felt like there was less music and it just lost its fun factor.
 

Smash's second season broke up the cast of Bombshell and added new characters none of which helped. In fact it made the season drag and feel disorienting. You could tell the show had run out of things to say and they undid everything they set out to do in the previous season with Karen dropping out at Marylin and Ivy getting the part. This season made me hate Tom, feel indifferent towards Julia but still love Derek.

Derek got the short end of the stick in this season and I love Jack Davenport. Last season he was fun to hate because although he was a player and did annoying things you could never really truly hate him. This season they tried to take that away from him with all the sex scandals but allowed him to redeem himself in the end. He wasn't a proper villain like Ellis had been in season one and I think not having an Ellis like character hurt the show because you didn't have anyone to blame. Derek's relationship with Karen never really came to fruition and the whole pregnant storyline with Ivy was just too much. I think they really missed an opportunity with Derek. When he walked out on Bombshell I was ready to walk out on Smash.

The momentum of the show was leading up to the Tonys which for most people isn't a big draw unlike the Oscars or Emmys because not everyone can go and see a Broadway show. Making the Tonys such a big deal disconnected the show from its audience.

Of the new characters I loved Kyle Bishop the most and was sad to see him go. The one new character who was interesting they had to kill. I understand why, to set up the rest of the season and Jimmy's downfall and redemption but by that point I was beyond caring. The show had jumped the shark and I was just waiting for Jaws to finish the job.

Miss Potter

It has been a while since a film has moved me to tears let alone inspire me to write but Miss Potter starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor accomplished both. I didn't quite know what to expected when I put the DVD in but what I got was a sweet film about a woman making her way in the world whether society liked it or not. The overall story was simple and delicate. I'm sure some people found it slow and uneventful but there was a certain magic to it. I liked the subtlety it had.

The pairing of McGregor and Zellweger was good although not as good as their previous Down with Love. Although their roles were so different I found myself forgetting they had been in Down with Love together and caught myself thinking why haven't they been in a movie together? That's when I remembered Down with Love and now that I think about it they played similar roles in Down with Love - how utterly bizarre. I like them together but I think McGregor's character held him back a bit. He seemed very constrained which worked well to portray his character but hampered the on screen chemistry. Their last meeting at the train station shows their passionate love but because it had been downplayed I quite shocked myself with needed to grab a box of Kleenex when he died. I was a right mess and I think it was the subtlety of the film that got to me.

Of course after that it was strange how they continued the film. I felt a bit of a disconnect from the first half and into the second half maybe because what was driving the film forward was Miss Potter's stand up against society than her actual work. The plot doesn't hold up well against close scrutiny but that doesn't taint my enjoyment any. The special effects which seems a little odd for a period drama worked well. Potter's pictures coming alive reminded me of my childhood and I have the image of straining tea from The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends that my grandma taped for me. The filmed recalled some nostalgia for me of not only my childhood but of my time in England. Seeing the beautiful Lake District landscapes makes me want to go back.

I main problem I have with the film is the way they portrayed Potter when she was writing. Going off of this film I would of thought Potter was a complete nutter! Seeing her pictures move and talking to them. It certainty wasn't helping her case in not wanting to get married in a time when it was expected. Other than that I think the film was subtle and sweet and perhaps a bit predictable but enjoyable all the same.