Don Jon - Everyone deserves a happy ending...in more ways than one.

     Hello, everyone! I'm back, enjoying the fall weather, and seeing movies. This time, I went to one of the movies that I mentioned earlier as one of the fall's best and underrated movies.

     Don Jon is the writing and directorial debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises). Jon Martello (Gordon-Levitt) is a New Jersey guy who enjoys simple things in life: his apartment, family, church, and his closest friends. He also loves his porn, which develops unrealistic expectations for women. When he meets Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson), he thinks that he has found his perfect woman but when he develops a friendship with Esther (Julianne Moore), he learns larger lessons about life and love.

     This movie is very well acted. Joseph Gordon-Levitt did a great job in this role, despite dividing his time into three parts for the first time. Scarlett Johansson was stunning as every and convincing as the conceited and saucy Barbara who is addicted to romantic movies and the ideas that they generate for a woman of an ideal romantic relationship, a female version on our New Jersey Don. Their chemistry showed that they had a lot of fun in their scenes together. Julianna Moore portrayed the wise and seasoned Esther, who helped Jon see the wider picture of life beyond the porn he watches and the expectations he has. Her performance was just as strong as Joseph's, being a guiding light for his character. Tony Danza had a good supporting performance as Jon's father, portraying an older version of his son. 

     This is the rare romantic comedy that is targeted towards men more than women. On a center stage, Levitt directed a mirror into what our generation is now for the most part: men who think they have their life all together and go out night after night, looking for women to hook up with but never making time for a real relationship. It's not about what's right or wrong about it because that's the audience's opinion. This movie does have its flaws with the repetitive nature of Jon's life that can wear on the audience a little bit but that is only during the first half. If you can last until the turning point of the film, it is well worth it to the end of the movie.

     The smart, edgy, and touchy film helps establish Joseph Gordon-Levitt as one of Hollywood's most exciting new directors. It proves how multi-talented this actor can be and how far his career can go. While it feels like it takes too long to get to the heart of the film, getting there helped bring the film up and help it's true message shine through. 

Movie Preview - RoboCop

Even though 2014 is a few months away, it's never too early to prepare for the movies of the new year!

As a part of my new movie previews page, I bring to you...

The movie preview of 2014's...

ROBOCOP!

This is a different version from the 1987 classic (notice the suit being all black). From the preview, this remake is more centered on how our future could be with the advancements that we are making in technology and warfare. It seems to also follow the struggle of the control man has over machine and who is stronger. I feel like we'll see Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) as a deeper character than the original version. 

With names like Michael Keaton, Gary Oldman, and Samuel L. Jackson also supporting this remake, the potential for this movie is pretty high for me but we shall see!

Now Streaming: Rundowns, A wannabe Van Helsing, and a team of superheroes

I've been thinking of adding a new attachment to my blog and I think I have it. When I took my literature and film class, analyzing the work of directors Howard Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock, I began my free trial with Netflix. My plan was to use Netflix for the duration of the class and then stop my Netflix subscription.

As time went on and I delved deeper into the Netflix instant streaming library, I knew that I couldn't just quit. So, ever since seeing "Rio Bravo", Netflix and I have been inseparable. 

So, here we are. I introduce to everyone: 

Now Streaming On Netflix!

Everyone knows about the line-up of movies that Netflix presents its subscribers that has been recently added, popular, new releases, etc. I'm sure everyone has a Netflix account and knows these movies or shows are up but I'll give you the top five recommended movies on Netflix right now. 

The Rundown (2003) - One of Dwayne "The Rock"  Johnson's first movies, he plays a bounty hunter named Beck. While he is looking to retire, he is sent on one last assignment to Brazil to recover his employer's rebellious son (Seann William Scott). While in Brazil, Beck comes up against a greedy mining operator, Hatcher (Christopher Walken), and it makes a last easy assignment more difficult than it seems.A movie that help solidify Dwayne Johnson as a bankable movie star, this film is definitely worth a look when you have nothing else planned.  

Solomon Kane (2009) - This origin story film, based on the pulp magazine character, tells the redemption tale of Solomon Kane (James Purefoy), a former privateer who is traveling back to his home to try and save his soul. On his journey, he meets a Puritan family but are attacked by followers of an evil sorcerer. Solomon goes after the young daughter of the family to redeem himself. A film that had delayed theatrical release in the U.S., the film was uploaded to Netflix and has gained a positive following. Purefoy's performance along with the atmosphere of the film has helped its positive buzz and given it a strong following in the U.S. The only problem I had was that Kane looked a lot like Van Helsing but that's just me. 

The Road (2009) - This film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's stars Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings) and Kodi-Smit-McPhee as a father and son pair in a post apocalyptic wasteland. McCarthy's book is truly haunting and will keep you up if you have read it before. The visual look of the film along with the performances helped make the film strong but it's marketing worked against the movie. It definitely had the potential to be Oscar-worthy but you can watch this haunting film on Netflix anytime you want. 

Arbitrage (2012) - This independent movie has received a lot of praise, despite not being presented with the fanfare of a typical big-budget, box office film. Richard Gere plays Robert Miller, a sixty-year-old magnate who manages a fund with his daughter to sell for a huge profit. However, Miller is not what he seems and an accident involving himself and his mistress triggers Miller's drive for self-preservation as he teeters on the line between right and wrong in this tense thriller. Gere's performance has been hailed as one of his best so I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of Richard Gere and loves a good thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

The Avengers (2012) - The culmination of Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought us the highest grossing movie of last year. When Nick Fury (Samuel. L. Jackson) and S.H.I.E.L.D. come up against Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the unlimited energy of the Tesseract, he recruits Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Captain America (Chris Evans) to stop an alien invasion of Earth. Marvel fans waited years for this movie to come to fruition and went into a frenzy when it was released. As someone who saw the movie many times, if you are a fan of any of the Marvel films, you will be ecstatic at the first ensemble superhero film, led by the genius direction of Joss Whedon (Firefly).

I hope everyone looks into one, two, or all of the movies I listed. I'll be back again soon with another update! Enjoy the Netflix movies!