Last Week's Movie Roundup

So of course we went to see Angels & Demons on Friday. Now, I've not yet read the book so I can't really compare content. I'm with Mike, my other, in that the story structure really isn't that different from that of Da Vinci Code. I found the major baddie kind of predictable, but it was a fund summer flick with some interesting historical points. I still love Tom Hanks (man his son looks just like him! Can we get more of Colin on the big screen?). I was pretty blown away by some of the art and architecture in this film. I know that some of the film was shot on location in Rome and, without knowing what was real and what was cgi (and not caring), it just cements for me the fact that I would love to see Rome up close and in person. 

I also finally got around to watching Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal's Rendition last week. It was quite disturbing and more than a little confusing. I question the editing choices somewhat -- the delivery could have been a little more clear in my opinion as far as the daughter's story went. Meryl Streep is fabulous in this movie, I literally wanted to throw things every time she came on screen (as a side, saw a preview of Streep and Amy Adam's in Julie & Julia, the film based on Julie Powell's book, and it looks super fun!).

One that I really enjoyed this week was the Masterpiece version of Dracula starring Marc Warren as the Count, Sophia Myles as Lucy, and Dan Stevens as Lord Holmwood. I have never, ever, ever been able to finish this book. Never. So I know that some creative license was taken with the plot (did I miss Renfield?) but overall it was a really good film version of the tale, in spite of the differences. 

One I was a bit on the fence about this week, Passengers, starring Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson (two Patrick Wilson movies in as many weeks?!). It was ok. I enjoyed it, but I wasn't blown away by it. In the film, Hathaway plays a therapist who specializes in disasters and she is called in to council the remaining survivors of a terrible plane crash. But there's a twist that's not too hard to figure out. And that was my disappointment. Not sure if it was the twist itself or the predictable nature of it. It was ok. I think I really like Patrick Wilson, though, in spite of having seen him in Hard Candy.