Awakenings

Awakenings

This movie is based on a true story of a doctor who helped comatose patients come alive again.

Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams) comes to a hospital in hopes of getting a job as a neurological researcher. He soon finds out that the job he applied for is as an actual doctor, working with patients. Having spent the last five years working with earthworms, he is a very nervous when he is given the job. His anxiety subsides as he learns to love the patients, especially the hopeless comatose ones. After doing some research, he finds a drug that he believes will help these people "wake up." He tries it on Leonard Lowe (Robert De Niro), who has been comatose for 30 years, after he gets permission from Leonard's mother. Dr. Sayer gives Leonard a 1000 mg dose of this drug and waits. A miracle happens: Leonard does wake up. He learns how to do all the things he missed. He becomes alive. Because of this success, Dr. Sayer is given the money from patrons of the hospital to give this drug to all the patients. And they all wake up. It is a miracle.

Throughout this show, the overall theme is awakening. But not only for the patients. It is about realizing how wonderful life is and how much we miss when we take it for granted. It is a poignant film that will remain in my memory for a long time to come.

Grade: A

He's Just Not That Into You

He's Just Not That Into You

A cute, star-studded movie about love and being the exception to the rule.

"Girls are taught a lot of stuff growing up: if a boy punches you he likes you, never try to trim your own bangs, and someday you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending. Every movie we see, every story we're told implores us to wait for it: the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. But sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. How to tell the ones who want us from the ones who don't, the ones who will stay and the ones who will leave. And maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. Maybe the happy ending is just moving on or maybe the happy ending is this: knowing after all the unreturned phone calls and broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment... you never gave up hope."

At the beginning of the movie Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) starts liking Conor (Kevin Connolly), who is in love with Anna (Scarlett Johansson). Unfortunately, Anna does not return the feelings. She is actually falling in love with Ben (Bradley Cooper), who is married to Gigi's friend Janine (Jennifer Connelly). Gigi and Janine's other friend Beth (Jennifer Aniston) has been in a 7 year relationship with Neil (Ben Affleck), who is completely committed to her, but won't marry her because he says he doesn't believe in marriage. There is also Alex (Justin Long), who advises Gigi that Conor is not into her and also helps her with knowing how to see the "signs" that a guy is not into her. Drew Barrymore has a small part in it as Mary, Anna's friend, who is, unsurprisingly, also having guy troubles. She can't get a guy to ask her out in person; it's through texting, emailing, myspacing, etc.

Complicated? Surprisingly, no. The stories are very easy to follow. It isn't Oscar winning, but it is a sweet chick flick that I found very enjoyable. The ending is not super happy for everyone, but it isn't really sad for anyone. I would definitely watch it again.

Grade: B+

Taken

Taken
Intense. Nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat-gripping intense. But that's not all that can be said for this film.

Bryan is a retired spy for the US Government who has moved to be closer to his 17 year old daughter, whose life he hasn't really been a part of. When his daughter, Kim, asked to go to France with her friend, Amanda, Bryan is reluctant, but eventually gives his permission. While they are waiting for a taxi after getting out from the airport, Kim and Amanda meet an attractive young man who offers to split the taxi fare with them, thereby acquiring the address of where they are staying. Not long later, while Kim is talking to Bryan on the phone, men enter the apartment and take Amanda. Then they come for Kim. Bryan gives her instructions and tells her he will come for her. She is taken by the men. One man picks up the phone and Bryan says, "I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

Bryan keeps his promises. He stops at nothing, and I mean nothing, to get his daughter back and kill anyone involved. He has no regard for any life but that of his daughter. This was probably the most disturbing part about the movie. He killed dozens of men, injured many more, and showed very little remorse for the other girls involved in the sex trafficking. And all of this he did without showing any emotion. However, Liam Neeson does an excellent job of portraying Bryan. I believed his performance. I believed his history as a spy.

The other turn off of this movie is there is an extreme amount of violence and bloodshed. If you are thinking of watching it, be aware of this. There is also profanity and a lot of talk about sex trafficking and drugging teenage girls.

Aside from what I mentioned above, I quite enjoyed this movie. It is action-packed almost to the very end. If you are looking for a film that will change your life, this is not it. But if you are looking for an exciting night, this would be an excellent choice.

Grade: B-