Going the Distance

First of all, let me begin by saying I saw this movie with my grandma. Let me also state that I do not believe in long distance relationships ever for any reason.
Now, Going the Distance is a romantic comedy directed by Nanette Burstein, who also did the documentary "American Teen, and starring Justin Long and Drew Barrymore, who are dating in real life.
The plot is centered on a couple who try to keep their love alive as they shuttle back and forth between New York and San Francisco to see one another. But what makes a movie that much better? When it's based on real events- the movie's writer, Geoff LaTulippe, is a close friend of producer David Neustadter and based this movie on David's real-life long-distance relationship with a former girlfriend. (Notice "former", they are not still together. BECAUSE LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS DON'T WORK.)
BUT AS A FILM, as a film it was very cute, very funny, though sometimes crude (but my grandma still found it very funny!) had a great soundtrack, and the dialogue was not too cliche (which I always appreciate).

Cheats

Cheats was a very light-hearted, fun, mischievous film that cemented my "earn your grades" attitude. I was once caught for cheating and not only was it the most humiliating and embarrassing experience of my life, it was also the most shameful. I suppose it comes from my Catholic mother, but guilt is an intense and very motivational emotion.
While other kids "waste" countless hours of studying just so they can get a mark in some teacher's report book, Handsome Davis sees it as nothing more than a system of control over your mind. That's why Handsome and his three best friends Sammy, Victor and the cribsheet genius Applebee have banded together and found ways to cheat on their tests all through their school years. Everything had been going along smoothly until the gang entered their final year of high school and the stakes were upped by the school's principal, Mrs. Stark. If they get caught cheating again Stark will make a note in their permanent records- ruining their chances of getting into college. But Handsome convinces his pals to pull off one last, great cheat to outsmart Stark and the system, even if it means possibly destroying their friendships.
The best thing about this film is that it was actually based on a true story. Many of the events in the story really happened, including the scene in which Handsome starts bashing the lockers and ripping off his shirt when Harkin accuses him and his friends of cheating on the test. The real Applebee refused to take part in the documentary based on the actual Cheats, and as such his name had to be censored whenever used, which is actually discussed in the film.
This movie was not a huge success at the box office, but to the counter culture it reached, it earned high marks. It was just a well done movie, with a great story driving it, as always.

I am Love

I am Love was a sensory experience. Never has simply watching a film created so many different sensations in my mind body and soul. Truly an operatic presentation, the movie moves through many different settings, conflicts, and emotions, it is sometimes hard to understand which characters are the most important, the most tragic, the most villainous. A portrait of real life, the characters hurtle towards destruction with only selfish simply happiness in mind.
The story centers on Emma, a native Russian, brought to Italy be her wealthy sweetheart when she was very young. Over the years she has been groomed and polished for the family's very public business life and while she seems very content, Emma soon realized that she has been asleep for most of her life and refused to be caught on the sidelines. Unfortunately, these realizations come at a very inopportune time, as the family is going through other traumatic changes- the grandfather, the head of the family, has just died and left the family business to his son and his grandson, who has differing views on what is to become of the family's name sake. Also, the daughter is having her own identity crisis as she comes to term with the fact that she is a lesbian.
Personally, three things stood out most dramatically- the score, the costumes, and the editing. Without the genius, emotional score of John Adams this movie would have no soul. A key scene in which Emma, played by Tilda Swinton, falls in love with Antonio through his food. Without the tones and the colors of the orchestral music, we could very well be led to watch a silly taste bud orgasm. The costumes, mostly chic Italian designer dresses and suits demonstrate the stiff upper class attitudes of the Milan, while the rustic linen of the country personifies the freedom of the younger idealistic sensibilities of Gianluca, Elissabetta, and Antonia. Lastly, the editing. Blew. My. Mind. The scene in which Emma goes to visit her daughter and instead follows Antonio is so climactic and intense, you feel as if you are literally hurrying after them as well.

Easy A

Easy A is a sassy young adaptation of Nathanial Hawthorne's classic The Scarlet Letter. In this modern day retelling, Olive finds herself the victim of peer scrutiny after to agrees to help a friend escape similar tyranny for being homosexual. In this "agreement" Olive pretends to have sex with Brandon to cement his heterosexuality to get the harassment to cease. Soon Olive finds her good girl image rapidly degrading to an unanticipated lascivious state and her lies quickly spin out of control. As she helps more and more of her classmates, Olive must find a way to save her own reputation before the school's religious fanatic Marianne (played by Amanda Bynes) gets her expelled and she loses her shot at attaining her own happiness, a relationship with her long time crush, Todd.
I was personally very surprised and pleased with the witty, mature, but still relevant dialogue of the movie. Emma Stone delivers numerous one liners about not just tasteless pop culture, but important literary works, very uncommon in teen comedy's. In fact, much of the movie is comprised of homages to John Hughes, one of teen movies most influential movie directors of the eighties who focused on the hardships of simply surviving as a teen rather than mindless entertainment which frequents theatres. Such scenes include references to Say Anything, the Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Sixteen Candles. (All my favorites...)