Reviews by nataliegoes

This is the story of two women who live on the same street and their families become friends. One woman is an all out bitch, and the other a door mat. The characters were well defined, and sometimes interesting, but the only reason to read about such unlikable people is for some sort of karma to bite them in the butt, and for their to be some sort of redemption. But that feeling never comes about. And maybe that makes for a more unusual book, but the book contains way too much bitching and moaning for that to work here. Unless you enjoy other people's whining I recommend you stay away from this book.

Don't dismiss this book because it was written for young adults. The story of a girl who was born in India during an usual natural disaster. She has unusual skills and there are some mystical things that happen when she is around. But basically she is consumed by the thought of dancing. The story follows her life through her childhood and dancing school years. The mood and setting are beautifully written and the story is interesting and unusual. I guess the best thing you can ever say about a book is that you were sorry when it was over, and that was true for me with this exotic, interesting book.

I've never seen the original "Hairspray", but as it was John Waters I didn't expect the remake to be a "Family Film", but that's what it is. The setting and costumes are great, and although it's a musical the star of the show is the choreography. The storyline is how a chubby short girl in the early 60s wants to be chosen as the next cast member of a local rock'n'roll show (like American Bandstand) and how she ends up actually integrating the show. It's a cute story, and full of interesting characters. Michelle Pfeiffer plays the bad guy and does the past beauty queen act with gusto. Amanda Bynes and Christopher Walken stick out with nice, cuddly performances. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy John Travolta - I think he could have played either a woman or an obese person, but was never convincing as both. Also the man can't sing, although he is still an excellent dancer. And Nikki Blonsky was just adorable and exceeding likable in the main roll. I liked this movie, it was a fun, silly romp, and as I don't like musicals that's quite a recommendation from me.

Based on the possible romance between Jane Austen and Thomas Lefroy, it is the story of two young people who have preconceived ideas of each other and their difficult positions in society. It was an interesting movie, and I appreciated the fact that it was a very intelligent movie. Some of the language and phrasing was unfamiliar to me...unlike the recent versions of her books made into movies where everything was brought up to todays language. And that there were many occasions where the usual movie would have gone one way (for dramatic effect or for a laugh) and this movie didn't go that way. I also thought the costuming and sets were nicely done and probably more accurate than most current period pieces. They frequently looked a little scruffy, and a little less washed than is todays standard. The exception being Ms. Hathaway who always looked much too startlingly beautiful and clean for those around her. I personally had problems with the accents, or the lack thereof. They had the lightest of English accents, to the point of no accent. And I had never seen McAvoy's character was supposed to be Irish, but had no accent, accept when his own true Scottish accent slipped out on occasion (and I'd never seen him before, so I didn't know he was Scottish). All in all I enjoyed it, but couldn't recommend it to the general public, only to people who seriously like period pieces.

Are you open minded? Read this book and find out for sure. In the future the first interplanetary mission is funded by the Jesuits. The team is made up of Jesuits and non-religious specialists. Only one priest survives to tell the tale. The philosophical quandaries that develop make the reader think and see things from many different angles. I particularly like the fact there are no "bad guys", just everybody doing what they think is right, and that which will benefit themselves. This is the second time I have read this book (and I almost never do that) and it was as good the second time around. If I have any problems with this book it is that everybody is too likable, but maybe that only serves to make the outcome more intriguing.

I don't like suspense or thriller movies, and rarely like action movies, so for me to have enjoyed this one must say something. I particularly like the smart storyline. A trained assassin is sent on a mission, during which he is so badly hurt that he forgets who he is. He doesn't understand whats going on, nor does his government understand why he seems to have gone rogue. I also really enjoyed how a civilian gets involved and her reactions to what goes on around them

If you enjoy watching the lives of people from other countries you'll enjoy this movie. It's the story of a new Indian bride as she moves in with her husband's family. And the relationship she has with her husband's brother's wife. I thought that the relationship they developed was a little forced. But the locations felt very authentic, and I thought the cinematography was very good. No special effects, and no "beautiful" locations, but a great capture of a culture and people. Be prepared to hate all the men, even if there are occasional glimpses of why they are the way they are.

This is the story of a young boy, who goes in search of his mother, and the old cantankerous neighbor man who is coerced into taking him. Ojiisan (Old Man) gambles away the money in the first 24 hours, so they must find alternative ways of getting to their destination. Their adventures are fun and scary, and it's a sweet movie. Unfortunately you get tired of it, and the movie keeps going. The last half hour (of the 2 hour movie) is really cute, so don't give up on it. But be prepared for a long movie, maybe take your own intermission.

Tried to watch this movie, but aborted less than 10 minutes into it. It seems to be shot on video tape, and therefore too hard for us to watch. Bad audio, lousy framing and the camera shakes. Couldn't spend an hour and a half like that.

This is an interesting story of two normal guys (one with a good job, the other interviewing for Med School) who smoke a little marijuana, as usual, on a Friday night. They get some serious munchies and get it into their heads that only White Castle will satisfy their cravings. And from there it is their adventures in finding the Holy Grail of munchidom. It's a nice amusing movie, that keeps it's silliness while still being kinda realistic. I feel like I could know either of these guys. And most of the movie they are not high, just trying to finish what they started. It's not an over-the-top silly movie and didn't have me laughing so hard milk was coming out my nose, but I did smile and giggle most of the time.