Friday Night Flicks: The Ides of March

Hey, you've got George Clooney AND Ryan Gosling in a movie?! Duh - total no brainer. I was in the DVD store, eyes glazing over in the new release stand because Wonderhubs and I watch waaaaaaay too many DVDs and I stalk the newest of the new releases like a mad woman... and then I spotted it - top shelf, not too many copies. Shame, because it's a great flick. Not the happiest of endings or anything - but cynical and sad and compelling. And it has George. And Ryan. Oohh and it has Philip Seymour Hoffman too :)

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Friday Night Flicks: Easy A

Wonderhubs and I are VERY regular customers at our local DVD store. So much so that I'm known for stalking the new release shelves and pestering the poor guys behind the counter over WHEN the next one I want to watch is going to arrive.

I watched Easy A a while back but thought I'd talk on it this week given it's all about that thing called reputation - which is a big theme in, you guessed it  - Dating & Other Dangers! ;)

It was a great movie - about Olive who builds her popularity by getting 'known' as the easiest girl in school... but it's not just about her becoming popular - it's about what most of her high school mates want - to fit in, to be liked and all that...

I really liked the social media framing used to structure/narrate the film. I liked the kazillion cultural references. I liked her character especially.

It was a fabulous look at reputation - the way people change in their treatment of you according to your rep. (And let's face it, reputations DO still seem to matter). Olive, discovers who the people who truly know and understand her are. There's lots of quirk, lots of fun, but also lots of very astute observations.

She was great heroine who was smart, maybe a little misguided, but who wanted to do the right thing. There were some cringing - 'oh no!' - moments and there was a really sweet-but-smart romance to it. I loved it!

I really like Emma Stone - can't wait until Crazy, Stupid Love hits the cinemas here (I may have to make that one a cinema trip - I might not be able to wait for the DVD to see Ryan Gosling looking so hot  plus I totally heart Steve Carell). I'm also looking forward to seeing her in The Help.

Have you seen Easy A? If so, what did you think. If not, check the trailer below - then go rent it!