Movies: American Gangster, Assassination of Jesse James, Juno

Crazy movie weekend...1 Friday night at home, 1 Saturday night at home, and 1 Sunday at the actual movie theater! You can tell we are the parents of young children with virtually no social life. I was actually looking forward to movies this weekend - from Netflix, we had American Gangster, Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and Michael Clayton. Two out of three of those movies were 2 hours 40 mins long and the 3rd was 2 hours long. Usually, I'm out cold by 10ish, but for some reason I haven't been able to fall asleep lately. I still nod off during a TV show or a movie, but then I lay in bed and don't sleep. Miraculously, I made it through both.


American Gangster
This was a solid movie. You were drawn to both Denzel and Russell Crowe equally...good/bad guy distinction didn't matter. A couple of catch-you-off-guard blood scenes. A bit too long, but good all around.


Assassination of Jesse James
This movie was way too long, but it had it's good points. Casey Affleck redefined "uncomfortable". I was wiggling around in my seat just watching him. He played an awkward, unsure guy and although I don't think he should have won (and he didn't), I was glad to see him nomimated for an Oscar. Brad Pitt is a really great actor too...I don't think this particular character was as meaty as some others he's played, but he's still fun to watch!


Today, my mother in law came down to have breakfast with us and then stayed to watch the kids so we could go to the movies and Home Depot (window blinds shopping). I also squeezed in a quick trip to Target to get a few things for the kids Easter baskets. Yes, I am a Jew shopping for Easter basket stuff and LOVING IT! Joe was with me or else I would have bought my own separate bag of Peanut butter cups and a plethora of Creme Eggs. I restrained myself purely out of embarrassment.


Juno
I loved this movie and was so glad to have finally seen it. It was perfectly cast...Ellen Page, Michael Cera, LOVED the Rainn Wilson cameo - he is so snarky, her parents, the couple, her best friend, everyone. The cartoony intro totally made me think of the part in Reality Bites when Ben Stiller has sold out and MTV'd Winona Ryders film and put her friends pictures on a revolving pizza pie. Cracks me up. There were 2 things that bothered me about the movie that I feel I have to mention.

1. Juno was just too precocious. I love the witty writing, but it's really becoming hip to make the teenaged character smarter than anyone you know. Who talks like that?
2. The tangent with Juno and Mark where he is set to leave his wife and hints at Juno being part of the reason or that she might be interested in his doing that really skeeved me out. I liked watching the 2 characters find common ground and even inspire each other, but it never felt sexual to me and I don't think the inappropriateness of this worked on any level. They still could have had Juno represent what he didn't have and wanted in his marriage without it crossing the line and it would have worked just as well.

I swear I'm working on getting a life! We have a babysitter one night this week to go out to dinner with friends.