rest in peace

In my humble opinion, Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the greatest actors of his generation. He was The Actor whose films I would see simply because his name was attached to them: The Big Lebowski, Magnolia, Along Came Polly, Mission Impossible III, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Almost Famous, 25th Hour, Owning Mahoney, Capote, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Doubt, The Savages, Moneyball, Charlie Wilson's War, The Ides of March - I don't think I've ever embraced an actor's body of work as much as Philip Seymour Hoffman's. There are several phenomenal actors in his class, like Sean Penn and Daniel Day Lewis, but for Philip, it was the range of characters he could portray. He could be riveting as a villain (Mission Impossible III), completely transformative (Capote), sympathetically oafish (the Savages) - I just know that when he was on screen, I was transfixed. Forty-six years old, he leaves behind his girlfriend Mimi, who he's been with for fifteen years and their three children. It's so sad that in the end, after 23 years of sobriety, his addiction re-surfaced and cut a brilliant life too short. Here's one of his greatest performances: 

Rest in Peace Philip. 

movies to catch...

In the past few weeks, we've caught some great flicks on DVD that I want to recommend:

If you enjoy your films on the edge of your seat, then you will love Captain Phillips:

If you like romantic comedies that don't insult your intelligence: Enough Said:

If you love Woody Allen films and want to see the most phenomenal performance from an actress in years - Cate Blanchett is mind blowing in Blue Jasmine: 

Gravity

Hello friends! How is your Christmas season going? Tonight we met up with some dear friends to see the movie Gravity. If you haven't seen Gravity yet, and it is something on your list to see, you definitely have to catch it while it is still on the big screen (in 3D). The cinematography is a shoe in for an oscar - Mother Earth has never looked so breathtaking. Sandra Bullock will surely get a nomination for her role as Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer on her first mission in space aboard the Explorer space shuttle. Her accomplished counterpart is veteran astronaut George Clooney, who is assisting her in repairs to the Hubble telescope. Satellite Debris, from a Russian missile strike, is heading their way and mission control wants them to abort their mission. When high speed debris strikes their operation, Dr. Stone is detached from the shuttle and is tossed into space.

This is a classic story of a character trying to reach within to find the strength to overcome horrendous circumstances, to call upon their greatest measure of resilience, even when their future looks bleak. I cried several times in this film, it is moving on so many levels: learning how to live after our loved ones are gone, staring down our own demise, digging deep to find our strongest survival skills.

I'm not surprised to find out the film was directed by Alfonso Cuaron and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezski, the masterminds behind Children of Men, one of the most visually stunning films I have seen. I love their style of shooting long, uninterrupted shots, so you can really feel the movement - I remember they used that technique in a spinning car sequence in Children of Men and their uninterrupted shots work especially well at capturing the audience's anxiety as we watch Dr. Stone struggle to survive. The film also reminds me that I'm glad my feet are firmly planted on this planet of ours. I'll leave space travel to the experts.

I'd give Gravity a 9/10. 

have a delicious weekend!

Hello friends! What do you have on your weekend line up? I'm really excited to get together with friends tomorrow night for appies and this game, which, if you haven't played and have a naughty sense of humour, it is hi-larious. I've also got a mom's night out lined up and the hubs and I are taking the munchkin to see her grandpa march in the Remembrance Day ceremony.

I thought I'd give you a few Netflix (Canada) recommendations if you're looking for a cozy afternoon under a blanket on this rainy weekend:

Here's a few good ones you may have missed (click on the name to see the trailer)

If you're a fan of Woody Allen, you'll love:
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Midnight in Paris

If you enjoy indie romantic comedies, check out:
Ruby Sparks
Newlyweds
Lola Versus

IF you're up for suspenseful drama, try:
A Winter's Bone
Gone Baby Gone
The Lookout
A Perfect Getaway

Have a fun filled weekend!! xoxo