I’ve been on a Zoey Deutch kick lately (she is just the cutest) and ran across a 2017 movie she was in called The Year of Spectacular Men. I was charmed. After looking into the movie and cast a little further after watching it, I learned that Zoey’s mom is Lea Thompson, who acted as her mom in the movie as well as directed it. The lead was Madelyn Deutch, Lea’s daughter and Zoey’s sister! A family affair. I thought they looked alike! Anyway, the movie is about Madelyn (Izzy) who is kind of a train wreck. She’s just trying to find her way, figuring things out through a series of mostly failures. Especially with men. Your heart really starts to go out to her because she has such a good heart and intentions. Her mother and sister play a big part in helping her navigate her troubles, providing a really strong base of love and support. Their side stories also add some humor to the movie. It’s a very relatable movie. All of us have felt “lost” at one point or another in our lives, and although it’s difficult in the moment, we start to find our stride. It takes a little longer for some more than others to find that stride, but they get there. I know most of the best personal growth I’ve experienced came from long stretches of really ugly, confusing, wild times in my life. Everyone finds their peace in their own way. The ending was really thoughtful and one of my favorite parts. I watched this movie and the movie suggested below on Netflix! Hope you enjoy. If you end up really liking Zoey, another movie that I watched and loved is Flower.
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I. Love. This. Movie. It is absolute perfection and no one can convince me otherwise! There is a reason why it was so popular and won Best Picture at the Oscars. Here's how I described this movie to my friends: "It is a beautiful love story between a woman and a fish man." There's not much more to it than that! It is certainly an unconventional love story, but one that completely captured my heart. I adored the touches of French music and cinematography (even though it takes place in Baltimore, Maryland). The movie set and wardrobe are in shades of green up until a certain point when it changes to symbolize a shift within the main character, Elisa, which I thought was really interesting and added a special touch. I was in tears by the end, overcome by the wonderful story line and joy for the characters. This is a must watch in my opinion. I hope you like it as much as my husband and I did! If you're looking for a movie that lifts you up, I've got just the one for you: The Greatest Showman. I walked out of the theatre feeling so empowered I felt unstoppable. I have never felt that way after any movie before. A couple of disclaimers: This movie is a musical, so if you're not into that, you won't like it. Also, this movie is a non-traditional musical, so if you're expecting classic/typical musical music, you'll walk out disappointed. The music is pop - similar to what you'd hear on a top hits radio station. I wasn't expecting this, and didn't like it at first, but the messages overpowered any immediate reservations I had. The movie follows the true story of the rise and fall and rise of P.T. Barnum of the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Hugh Jackman plays Barnum and he is a badass. He is surrounded by an amazing cast who are equally badass. The voices, the dancing, the era, the effects - all so good. But like I said before - it's the messages throughout the movie that put this one over the top for me. Encouraging viewers to dream, to be themselves, to follow their hearts. My soul felt so full afterwards. We downloaded the soundtrack immediately. I can't listen to some of the songs without crying. It was, and still is, so moving. Five stars. Two thumbs up. All the good reviews from me. I urge you to go watch it especially if you're looking for something to light you up inside. If you go see it - let me know what you thought! I've been intrigued by Jim Carrey as of late. He has received mixed reviews (and left some wondering about his mental stability) following recent interviews. His answers to basic questions are "out of the norm" and most would think he's acting a little kooky - even for Jim Carrey. He has a background in Transcendental Meditation and I really feel like his answers are reflective of this practice. Thinking beyond the here and now. To me, he appears to be on his way to enlightenment, but that's because I understand the many stages of meditation and the places it can take you. So to me, he doesn't seem kooky - he seems to "get it." My feelings towards him only became more positive after watching the documentary "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond." The documentary follows Carrey has he portrays Andy Kaufman in the movie "Man on the Moon." He dives so deeply into the character of Andy that Carrey himself disappears completely.
Throughout the movie, there are interview clips with Carrey that were filmed recently. The thoughts he shared were inspiring and reflect many of my thoughts about the human experience. He also opened my mind to several things I hadn't thought about. I didn't watch this because of the Andy Kaufman content as much as I watched it for the Carrey content. It's a wonderful reflection of his psyche. Very honest. No concern for what others will think. Extremely thought provoking. I hope many walked away having their minds blown in a good way that will stick with them, but I assume more people walked away thinking this guy has completely lost his grip on reality. There's something really genius in his "madness" that spoke to me. I'll probably watch it again just for the Carrey interviews. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who is into spirituality, meditation, what exists beyond us, and/or has concerns with conforming to social norms. Or of course, if you are a fan of Andy Kaufman! “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.” - Aristotle Let me start this post by saying I am NOT a sci-fi person. At all. Hate alien movies, like Star Wars OK, not a superhero fanatic. Guardians of the Galaxy is my only exception to the rule. I love these movies so much! Joel and I went to see Vol. 2 over the weekend. We both read questionable reviews about it beforehand, but were pleasantly surprised to learn that we enjoyed the second installment of this movie as much as the first! Funny. Charming. Action packed. Amazing soundtrack (again). I'm really emotionally invested in the characters, so I rode a roller coaster of emotions throughout. But don't worry, there's a happy ending! I've been searching for inspiration (and a little guidance) in order to take my minimalist actions to the next level. I found what I needed in the documentary linked below. It is currently available on Netflix. If you are into the notion of letting go of material possessions in order to better appreciate the moments and items around you that bring true value to your life - I encourage you to watch this. Minimalism is not entirely about getting rid of "stuff" (although that's a big part of it). It's about getting rid of anything that doesn't bring value to your life. It's about taking a break from the rat race and realizing that less can be more. You can find background information about this documentary here. They also have a book that I plan to order very soon that you can find here. I am so passionate about the movement they promote and can't wait to take more steps toward becoming a true minimalist! By now I'm sure you've heard the buzz around the movie "La La Land." Well, I'm here to tell you that this movie deserves all of the hype it's generating. Joel and I made a special trip to Cedar Rapids to check this movie out since it is not playing in any of our more local theaters. (Which is a shame!) I won't say too much about the plot because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so don't feel the need to avert your eyes from the next couple of paragraphs! What I will say is this movie is dreamy. It is extremely real and complete fantasy all at the same time. The two words that came to my mind afterwards were: soul crushing. In the best possible way. The music and dancing mixed with real life (and not so real life) scenarios sucked me in immediately and kept me hooked. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone together was such a perfect match. They made you want to laugh and cry and dance and dream. The heaviest piece of the movie that stuck with me after leaving was the concept of "What If." What if you make this choice? What if you make that choice? How did the way you handled what you thought to be an insignificant moment change your life forever, for better or worse? It's heavy, people. And made me a little blue, but then I started humming a tune from the movie and smiled. Because ultimately, the choices we make are the choices we make. It's up to us to smile back on the memories and find contentment in what has become ours. Happy watching - I hope you enjoy it! |
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