Vacation Movies!

Over break I had the chance to see Sweeney Todd, Charlie Wilson's War, and Juno.
They were all great.

Sweeney Todd was completely in the style one would expect of Tim Burton, but it also seems that the concept of Sweeney Todd could have been directly from the mind of the director. I loved the lighting and the way Burton really played off of the characters through makeup and design. I was really surprised that Todd (Johnny Depp) can sing. His voice suited the film. It wasn't very powerful, but it was strong in the way that evoked emotion. TOBY WAS AMAZING. I've never heard a little boy sing so well. I was also amused that Alan Rickman and the guy who plays Wormtail in the Harry Potter movies were together in it. I really hate blood and gore, especially of the throat-cutting kind, but this movie was so well done and as dark was it was, there was such humor in it, especially in the way Mrs. Lovett (Burton's wife, whatever her name is) had quick, snide remarks that were there to contrast Todd's irrationality.

Charlie Wilson's War was also great. I love Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and I thougth that it was great to see Amy Adams shy away from a role like the one she played in Enchanted. I really didn't know much about Charlie Wilson, and though it was probably dramatized to the max, it was really enjoyable to see the versatility of the actors.

Juno was by far my favorite of the three, though. Ellen Page, although considerably older than the sixteen-year-old character she plays, beautifully portrays Juno, a quick witted, sarcastic,almost angsty and very pregnant teenager. She explains her name in the film as Zeus' wife, beautiful but mean. She is realistic and true to herself and her pregnancy almost serves as a backdrop to the rest of her coming-of-age story. The soundtrack was also INCREDIBLE.