NEW MOON

What makes New Moon an excellent movie representation of the book is the careful screenwriting and editing. The action flows well with major points of the book covered.
Technical special effects of the vampire and werewolves are artistic and realistic. The photography of the lush scenery of the Northwest is breathtaking and plays a subtle second to the dialogue and action. In Twilight there were just a few too many aerial views leading one to scream I GET IT. THEY ARE IN THE WOODS!

All the actors fulfill their roles well. Taylor Lautner is a warm and charismatic Jacob and Kristin Stewart comes across as devastated Bella. Robert Pattinson continues to play Edward with cool broodiness. Stewart does a great job of playing the Jacob – Edward balancing act. The wolf pack steals the show with their abs, warmth, beautiful smiles and down to earth dialogue. There are a welcome number of humorous lines in New Moon. The scenes with Jessica, Mike, Eric and Angela are quite funny. In addition the personalities of the Cullen Family shine with good amounts of on screen time for both Alice and Carlisle.

I really wish the producers would work on better wigs, costumes, and make up for the vampires. Heavy handiness on the pale makeup for Edward and the rest of the vampires makes an unrealistic situation for these vampires who are supposed to blend in with the Forks community. Pale but not pale to the power of ten. In the novels, Meyer writes nonstop about their outstanding beauty.

New Moon is worth the money and wait.

IN BRUGES

After reading the blog (below) that identified CC's top 10 movies of the decade, I had to watch (for the third time!) "In Bruges".
This truly superb thriller is set in the beautifully filmed city of Bruges, Belgium. Set against the background of this "old world" European city known for its lush gardens and architecture, two Irish (Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell) hole up after having been banished from London by their mob "boss" following a "hit" that went tragically wrong. Ray (Farrell) killed a priest in Dublin, but also killed a little boy in the process. This mishap haunts him for the entire film. Ken (Gleeson) and Ray work for a man named Harry (Ralph Finnes) who, for the first two-thirds of the movie, is heard only through phone conversations with Ken. The older, gentler Ken delights in the city...... reading tour guides, visiting tourist attractions and enjoying the beauty of the city. Ray, hot-headed and short-tempered, on the other hand, cannot wait to leave. The dialog between the two is reminiscent of the feisty exchanges in the movie "Pulp Fiction". In fact all the dialog in this film is smart, funny and vicious. Although Ray finds the city unremarkable, he becomes entranced when he comes across a film being made on one of the streets. There he meets and develops a friendship with two very different and interesting characters; a beautiful blond (Chloe) and a dwarf (Jimmy). At this point, the film cleverly brings all these eccentric characters together at one place and at one time for a thrilling and sensational ending. The movie is engrossing with its plot twists and dark humor. I relished every scene. Colin Farrell is in his best role to date.

SUNSHINE CLEANING

From the same producers who brought you "Little Miss Sunshine", "Sunshine Cleaning" is a warm, quirky, sad and emotionally uplifting story about families and the relationships and events that define them.
The ensemble cast of actors play off of each other beautifully. Amy Adams, as Rose the optimist, an ex-high school cheerleader and now a single mother trying to do the best for her son while working as a maid, is endearing. Emily Blunt, as her pessimistic sister Norah who lives at home with her irascible father (Alan Arkin) who is always in search of the next get-rich-quick scheme, is equally engaging. Arkin brings a fresh look to a familiar role.

Rose's married boyfriend (Steve Zahn) and old high school sweetheart, is a homicide detective. He overhears a building supervisor complain about the cost of "cleaning up" following a suicide.
In need of quick cash, Rose and Norah are "advised" to go into the crime-scene clean-up business, a business they find more emotionally overwhelming then physically repulsive.
Additional characters, including a lonely blood bank worker and a one-armed cleaning supply salesman add another layer of punch to the movie.
Not as intense and funny as "Little Miss Sunshine", the plot feels a bit contrived, however, the performances by Adams, Blunt and Arkin are worth the watch. At the end of the film, I found myself wanting to live with the family a little bit longer.

CC's Top COMEDY/ROMANCE movies of the decade -- 2000-2009

Bridget Jones's Diary
Danny Deckchair
The Darjeeling Limited
Death at a Funeral
A Good Year
The Holiday
Kate and Leopold
Last Chance Harvey
No Reservations
Wimbledon

CC's Top ACTION/THRILLER movies of the decade -- 2000-2009

Before the Devil Knows Your Dead
The Bourne Identity
Casino Royale
Cassandra's Dream
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Departed
Hot Fuzz
In the Valley of Elah
No Country for Old Men
Ocean's 11

CC's Top FOREIGN movies of the decade -- 2000-2009

The Band's Visit
The Chorus
The Counterfeiters
Crimson Rivers
Downfall
Kitchen Stories
The Lives of Others
Priceless
Tell No One
Together

CC's Top movies of the decade -- 2000-2009

American Gangster
Chicago
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Happy Go Lucky
In Bruges
Incendiary
Man on Fire
Match Point
Nothing But The Truth
Possession


HONORABLE MENTIONS
Evelyn
Unfaithful
25th Hour
The Dish
Lars and the Real Girl
Punch-Drunk Love
Vera Drake
The Visitor