Whip It

V: So, I kinda liked this movie about a high school girl who wants to join the roller-derby. It had a lot of actors that I like. The dad and the coach were always funny. The mom, just really good - Marcia Gay Hardin - she's just such a great actress. Kristin Wiig is great - one of our favorite SNL staples. Ellen Page is very natural. You kind of know how it's all going to turn out, but it wasn't one-sided. Ellen's character, Bliss, comes to see her parents' point of view, just as they come to see hers. So she grows up a bit. The movie's got that mellow indie feel. Directed by Drew Barrymore, who plays Smashley Simpson. I enjoyed it. 3 stars

M. Great cast, Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page, Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), Jimmy Fallon, and Kristin Wiig (whose Penelope Character is change-your-life-funny). Unfortunate, not a great movie. In fact, I give Whip It this years Worst Use of Talent Award. V and I really differ on this one. For the most part, I found it predictable, cliche, and annoying. It was a bizarre mixture of inspiring sports movie, slapstick comedy, and family drama. For me, it was really disappointing. 2 stars.

Inception

V: What an interesting, unique movie! M and I sat through the credits and then walked out of the theater in silence, just so much to think about. It was a cool concept involving dreams and dreams within dreams. I won't include any spoilers, here. There are times with wild action and violence, but it's inside dreams, so the people are "pretend", and it doesn't seem so bad. Leonardo DiCaprio and the rest of the cast are great. There are some super-cool effects, and amazing images. I was thoroughly captivated and interested. I loved it. 4 stars

M: Great show. Took a while to figure out what was going on. Then, at the end, V and I could agree on what it all meant. But, I think that it is a deep and well thought out movie that is absolutely worth seeing. I would love to go further, but I can't think of what to say that would not include spoilers. After you watch it, which you should, call me, we can discuss. 3 1/2 stars

Juno

V: Juno, Juno, Juno. Well, I think it was interesting. I had high hopes. In the end, I thought the story was pretty good. I liked the up-close attention to the main character-- they didn't speed through her conundrum slapstick style. Interesting how some characters changed in her perception (and ours), though it may have been too clean a switch. Ellen Page was very good. The boyfriend is great, we already loved that actor. Her Dad was a highlight, funny, rude, but always loving. It had a lot of crude elements/language, so that cast a shadow over it from the beginning. However, the script was natural and original. Music was fun. It was good, not super. 3 stars

M:I had very high expectations going into this movie, which perhaps put it at an unfair disadvantage. At first, I was a bit surprised at the content (you might say, "what did you expect from a movie about teenage pregnancy," but I didn't see it coming). As the movie rolled on, I grew to really like the characters. Juno is funny, her family is dysfunctional but fun. In the end, I really liked this movie. Of course, Ellen Page did great. I really like Michael Cere (played George Michael in Arrested Development). I wish they had found a way to do more with him. I also liked Juno's dad, cracked me up. I am not going to say that this is the greatest movie of all time, it isn't. But, it is good, the characters are likable, and the content, looking back, wasn't really all that bad. Tough call, tempted to give it a 3, but I will go with . . . 3 1/2 stars.