I’ll say it, I’m not a huge Coen brothers fan, which includes…The Big Lebowski. Oh that’s right, I said it. The only Coen brothers movie I actually thought was okay was Intolerable Cruelty with George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones. And I’m not a huge Western kind of girl too, more of a Victorian movie girl myself. So why the h*ll did I see this? Well, it’s on the Oscar list from Entertainment Weekly so I took myself out to the theaters. Let’s take a closer look.

Movie: True Grit

Rating: PG-13

Release date: December 22, 2010

Everyday Adventures’ grade: B+

Summary: Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) has a bee in her bonnet and a score to settle with a fugitive (Josh Brolin) that killed her father. Sounds fair enough. But to bring justice, she needs the help of a cranky lawman (Jeff Bridges) and Texas Ranger (Matt Damon).

My thoughts: I can say it, I liked this movie more than I thought I would, but there are points where it drags. I was also shocked that this was rated PG-13 given the Coen brothers previous movies, but don’t worry, there is still violence. It just not as…graphic. Well that’s a lie, there are some parts with some exaggerated violence but it’s not too bad.

The real star in this movie is Hailee Steinfeld. That girl is amazing in this movie, especially going up against Matt Damon (who is still cute with a mustache) and Jeff Bridges. She is charismatic and a real scene stealer in this as the tough Mattie who needs vengeance but gets in over her head. Bridges and Damon have great chemistry and banter too, but there is one part with Matt Damon’s tongue that made me cower up in a ball like a small child. Shudder.

The scenery and staging was also well done but there was some visibly green-screened scenes that turned me off a little bit.

If you’re a Coen brothers fan, you’ll know that there is A LOT of talking in this movie but the banter is still witty and doesn’t weigh this down too heavily. But for a near two hour movie, you can definitely feel that time creeping by in parts. I think it could have been paired down and still been enjoyable. But I was pleasantly surprised by this storytelling and how much heart it ended up having.

Verdict: Worthwhile to see in theaters or Netflix

What about you? Are you a Coen brothers fan?

I do not have a strong stomach in movies. Sure, I can handle gore and fighting but sometimes, my stomach just turns. And after hearing stories from other critics about crucial scenes in this movie, I was nervous. But me and my stomach survived so let’s take a closer look.

Movie: 127 Hours

Rating: R

Release date: November 5, 2010

Everyday Adventures’ grade: A-

Summary: Several years ago, adventurer Aron Ralston took off for a weekend hike and ran into a little…medical emergency. Days later, he escaped from the crevice he was stuck in (sans one arm.) This chronicles his journey during those days stuck, thanks to a boulder, and show how he barely survived.

My thoughts: I’ll be honest, I don’t remember hearing about Aron Ralston about six or seven years ago when this incident took place. It’s sad to say, but these stories all blend together because the TODAY Show covers everything and I can’t always tell them apart. I’m not even a huge James Franco fan, even though I loved his work in Milk but didn’t in Pineapple Express. So this movie had a few things working against it when I went in, but there was one big pro: Danny Boyle.

I LOVE Danny Boyle’s visual storytelling. Slumdog Millionaire was a beautifully told, visual story, with bold use of color and flashback images to tell a story. And he does a great job again here because it fits so well with the story of Aron’s slow descent into paranoia and starvation and dehydration. And Franco does a really great job in here because he is really the main character and actor in the film and he just knocks it out of the park.

So yeah let’s talk quickly about the whole “cutting off the arm thing” because yes, it a key part of the story. No, it’s not grotesque or gorey like veins and blood all over but yeah there are parts that are difficult to watch. But the only part that is really making it feel more gorey than it is, is thanks to music. Much like in Jaws, the music makes scenes harder to watch than they actually are. But I did learn a valuable tip on how to make the whole arm cutting off thing easier if I ever need to: break the arm. Genius. Also, I found the “story” of how Aron came to that realization that cutting off his arm was necessary really interesting, it wasn’t what I expected. But James Franco could be slowly becoming one of my favorite actors because he was really solid here.

Verdict: See it, but don’t be afraid to cover your eyes in this one too. There are parts where you need to look away.

I have a HUGE crush on Colin Firth. And no, it’s not because of the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. I actually wasn’t a huge fan of it. It was FOUR HOURS. I’ll take the Kiera Knightly streamlined version any day.

But since Bridget Jones Diary, I’ve had a massive crush on Colin Firth and see just about any movie he’s in, including his recent and most buzzed about one, The King’s Speech.

Movie: The King’s Speech

Rating: R

Release date: December 17, 2010

Everyday Adventures’ grade: A

Summary: Prince Albert aka Bertie (Colin Firth) has daddy and brother (Guy Pearce) issues and a speech impediment that leaves him with an awful stammer. Goodness. With his father’s health failing, his brother in a scandalous relationship and Hilter’s power rising in Europe, Bertie seeks the help of an odd speech therapist to help him deal with his speech issues.

My thoughts: Overall, I really liked this movie. Sometimes, with British movies, I don’t really get the humor or understand all the comments, jokes, etc. because, well I don’t live in Britain, but I did my pre-movie reading on Wikipedia and felt really comfortable going in. And to no surprise, Colin Firth did an amazing job, just like he does in every other movie he’s in (minus What A Girl Wants…I don’t judge on that.)

Firth is really compelling to watch, especially his frustration with this stammer and the agony, embarrassment he feels when it inevitably takes over during public speaking. Helena Bonham Carter is also amazing as his wife, who loves her husband so much and tries to comfort, support and look out for him, knowing that his public speaking role will only increase and therefore his stammer will too without help. That’s where Geoffrey Rush comes in as Lionel and the scenes with him and Firth are really strong because of the juxtaposition of their social rank. They could not be more different, yet there are things that bind them together.

The final scenes in the movie were very emotional and empowering given Europe’s then descent into World War II and both Rush and Firth really shine there. Made me even tear up a bit.

Verdict: Go see it but if you’re on the fence, see it during the day. The Fighter is a better “night movie” to help you feel like you got your money’s worth

There are few movies I see that make me say “oh my god I have to see that the first weekend it comes out.” This was one of those movies. I am not a huge Darren Aronofsky fan (does he hate people to be happy?) but I love Natalie Portman and the idea of the “dark side” of the ballet? Bring it on!

Movie: Black Swan

Rating: R

Release date: December 3, 2010

Everyday Adventures’ grade: A-

Summary: Nina is a prima ballerina in New York but that girl has some serious psychological issues, which come to a head as she prepares for the remake of Swan Lake. So who is out to get her (if anyone), the director (Vincent Cassel) or ballerina rival (Mila Kunis?)

My thoughts: Two words really describe this movie – holy sh*t.

I can’t say I understood everything that happened at the end, but it was one of those movies you could not stop watching. The movie was filmed by Aronofsky on hand-held cameras so it’s a little jumpy (not as bad as Blair Witch) but you adjust quickly and honestly, the story is so compelling that you can’t worry about that because too much is going on.

Rodarte made the ballerina costumes, which were to die for. Just simply amazing and beautifully made. But moving away from fashion, let’s get to the performances! Natalie Portman should win something for her role. She was the perfect mix of vulnerable, repressed, sexually unsure of herself and passive. But when that b*tches claws come out, watch out. Her performance as a dancer and as Nina was just perfect and stunning. Mila Kunis, I cannot even believe she was ever on That 70s Show. She is really intriguing here too, as someone who might be trying to be Nina’s friend while unseating her at the same time.

The paranoia gets to be a little much at parts (seriously, you start to think you’re paranoid) but the twists and reveals keep coming and you cannot miss a moment. Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder make great appearances too, it was nice to see them both in strong roles.

But I won’t lie, there are some really disturbing and mind bending twists and at the end, I don’t think I understood everything. I don’t know if I’ll see it again, but I definitely am glad I saw it. It was INTENSE.

Verdict: Go see it but don’t be ashamed if you cover your eyes. Seriously, some stuff was tough to watch.

Woo hoo! Movie award season has officially started. It’s my favorite time of year. And with the Golden Globe announcements this week, it helped me to make my list of movies I have to start seeing ASAP so I can make the best predictions possible in my movie award pools.

First up on my list is a visit to hottie-land with Marh Wahlberg in The Fighter.

Movie: The Fighter

Rating: R

Release date: December 10, 2010

Everyday Adventures’ grade: A

Summary: Dicky Ward (Christian Bale) is the pride of Lowell, Mass., but he’s also a junkie and holding back his brother Micky (Mark Wahlberg) from being the champion Dicky wasn’t. And Micky is struggling with how to become a champion with his brother and mother/manager (Melissa Leo) and seven sisters holding him back. Damn, that’s a lot of estrogen.

My thoughts: I really, really liked this movie. For the first time in a while, a movie lived up to the hype! This is easily one of my top favorite movies of 2010. I wasn’t a huge fan of David O. Russell’s I Heart Huckabees (also staring Mark Walhberg) but I really enjoyed this. The direction, cinematography and acting is all really spot on.

On a scale of 1-10 in level of hotness, Mark Wahlberg gets an 11. He is the ghost chili of hotness in this movie. And much like his other characters, he’s a little dopey and bashful, but really fits the bill of Mickey here. Physically, he can fight and really looks like he can fight. The fighting scenes are really strong and amazing to watch. And seeing the real Dicky and Micky at the end of the movie, really brings home the strong work from both Wahlberg and Christian Bale.

That’s right, as good as Mark Wahlberg is in this, he’s easily overshadowed by two other people in this movie: Christian Bale and Melissa Leo. Both are SO STRONG in this, just amazing to watch them really steal every scene they are in. Bale plays the junkie, wannabe forever hero so well. He’s living in the past (his pre-junkie claim to fame is that he knocked out Sugar Ray Leonard) and hanging on his fame while ultimately holding his brother back.

Melissa Leo is absolutely awful as Micky and Dicky’s mother, but her performance is amazing as a woman wanting to help her boys but ultimately focusing on her favorite child: Dicky. She’s crazy and high strung and just really impressed me here.

Amy Adams also does good work as Micky’s girlfriend but her role is a little small in this and for the firecracker her character is, I wanted to see more. Still love her though!

Also, be on the watchout for Kathy O’Brien, aka Conan’s sister. She’s one of the Ward sisters and you cannot miss her. Just look for someone who is the female (shorter) version of Conan and you’ll find her.

Verdict: Go see it! But I would rethink it if you’re a little bashful on bad language