Dear Charlotte,

Yesterday after school I went and saw The Artist with my mom, starring two actors I hadn’t heard of until then, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo. Both are obviously French by their names but that didn’t matter because this movie was a silent film, a 10-Oscar nominated silent film at that.

I had never seen a silent movie before (I know, I know, how uncultured I am!) and went into it thinking I was in for some easy entertainment-no talking, no real emotion, right? Wrong. How naïve I was, that old non-silent-movie-watching self!

This movie beat every possible emotion out of me-nostalgia for a time I didn’t even live in (from the roaring ‘20s to the depressed ‘30s), an aching sadness that I carried with me even after the movie ended, and humor at the many comic moments including a talented jack russel terrier.

Dujardin’s expressive face helps him transform from an arrogant actor who jovially plays with his dog to a helpless and angry man shamed by his own profession. Bejo plays her part as a rising star in the new “talkies” well and the fact that she looks like Christy Turlington doesn’t hurt either (lucky b****).

I still don’t understand how a movie without talking can convey such a range of feelings and situations. And I really don’t understand how I have probably never been more moved by a movie than by this one when there is barely a script at all. I’ve sobbed through Titanic, The Notebook, and Secret Life of Bees but never has one got to me like The Artist. It deserves every nomination.

I hope it’s playing in Botswana so you can go see it!

LURVE YEW

xx

Sarah

P.S. Ever since you pointed out the Prada flame shoes to me I have been seeing them EVERYWHERE. You are quite the trend spotter buddy ol’ pal!

50/50

Dear Charlotte,
As you know, I kind of have a thing for Joseph Gordan-Levitt. This doesn't really make me unique seeing as he has a fervent cult following, made up mostly of tumblr-frequenting, "hipster" girls (and sometimes boys) who wonder if they (we?) would look good in Zooey Deschanel bangs. Seeing as I love JGL so much, it only makes sense that I would go to see his latest movie, titled 50/50, which came out earlier this Fall. In it, Adam (Gordan-Levitt), is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He bears the many procedures that must be endured, with the help of a very concerned mother (Anjelica Huston), a self-absorbed yet still lovable best friend (Seth Rogan), and a pretty therapist (Anna Kendrick). I laughed and cried my way through and came out immensely satisfied with the movie as a whole. The soundtrack was a masterpiece unto itself and tied together with great acting (JGL strikes again!) and writing, it was bound to be a success. However, seeing as everyone has some connection to cancer, there was bound to be some criticism on the comedic moments in the movie. While I can't even begin to fathom what it would be like to have cancer, I think that the movie's sometime-hilarity makes it a more realistic and well-balanced story--without humor what would life be worth, anyway? On that philosophical note,
GOODBYE MADAME,
Sarah

A review of...Troll 2!

With an outstanding 2.3 out of 10 stars on IMDb and a ranking of 47th on the worst movies of all time, Troll 2 stands alone. For those of you who have yet to see this magnificent creation of a movie, the basic plot line(without giving it away, heaven forbid...) has to do with a family of four (including the illustrious Joshua Waits, the youngest child with a habit of encountering his deceased grandfather.) who decide to spend their summer in a quaint little town known as "Nilbog". Unfortunately, the Waits Family can't seem to escape the grasps of those nasty little vegetarian goblins that seem to inhabit the area! The movie, which came out in October of 1990 has received quite a large cult following, although many seem to love it predominately for it's awfulness. As one reviewer wrote: "If you're looking for the worst horror film ever, then it truly is right here."

Enjoy!

--Charlotte