Week 11

Comedy: Saved! (2004)
This film is about a young ultra-Christian girl who upon finding out her boyfriend is gay decides to try and “save him” by having sex with him but all that does is get her pregnant. This movie is a dark comedy with an all-star cast that delivers; it’s funny, sweet, and it has a good message in the end about acceptance and religion.
NOTE: It pokes fun at Christians, but my campus minister used it in one of his forums, so it’s all in good fun.

Romance: Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Baz Luhrman brings his acidic style to this romantic musical about a young writer and a dancer at the famous Parisian bordello at the turn of the century. This movie is great, it’s funny, sweet and sour, and it keeps you in a constant state of awe by the fantastic artwork.
NOTE: My favorite number is the tango Roxanne.

Kid Appropriate: The Sound of Music (1965)
Based on a real Austrian family, the film creates a musical about a young woman sent to be the governess for seven children and who in teaching them to sing and love, and finds love in their father. This movie still makes me smile when I watch; it’s funny, entertaining and the music and the scenery are beautiful.

Guy Appropriate: Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3
The adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow and his two friends, Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner, as they fight for their right to be free and to live their lives as they please. All three films are good pirate films with lots of comedy, action and adventure, and special effects (with even a little romance thrown in) but my favorite is probably still the first one because it is the simplest and most focused of the three.

Must See…BAZ LUHRMAN FILM: Strictly Ballroom (1992)
A story about finding love in the competitive world of ballroom dancing. This film was Baz Luhrman’s first and it is hilarious! Despite using every cliché in the book, you end up with a sweet and funny film that is even a little sarcastic about the people in Australia who live for the world ballroom dancing!
NOTE: Baz’s mother was a ballroom dance instructor, so he’s not making fun of it, he’s just finding the comedy in taking it too seriously.

Coming Soon: Leatherheads
Released: April 4, 2008*
A comedy about early days of football and two men trying to legitimize the game while fighting over the same woman. This looks really funny and I like both George Clooney and Renée Zellweger.
http://www.leatherheadsmovie.com/

Don’t Bother: You Got Served (2004)
Another of the countless dance competition films. First of all, the name of this film sucks! Second of all, it was so unimpressive I don’t even remember what the “story” was about. And finally, as I said in the plot explanation there are a million other films out there like this and I have seen some of them that are more worth your time: Step Up, Save the Last Dance, etc.
*Information from http://www.comingsoon.net/