Goal not met

Well, I didn't meet my goal. I was supposed to be done today and I didn't get to it. I should have known it would be difficult to do with school and all. The times I had watching these movies and writing about them sure were fun and I got to only a few of his fantastic movies. I didn't even hit Harry Potter and I think I was most excited about that one. And The Reader. So my question to you guys, my readers, is this: Should I continue the blog, even though I didn't meet my goal? A part of me just wants to watch all his movies without writing about all of them. Then I can just brag to you when I see you about his great movies. I'm not sure. I need my readers' opinions. Send texts, emails or just tell me in person what I should do. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for reading even though I didn't meet my goal.

Red Dragon (2002) The Nineth One

When I watched this movie for the first time I was still in Durango. I saw an all star cast of Ralph Fiennes, Anthony Hopkins and Edward Norton and, even though it was a scary movie, I had to watch it. Watching it during the day helped a lot though. Everyone has a way they watch scary movies, mine is my hands covering my face with my fingers letting in a little bit of the movie. I just remember screaming in terror, my mouth quivering but I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. What's one thing to say about this movie? It's pretty insane.

So, Red Dragon is a prequel to The Silence of the Lambs, which I haven't seen before. Red Dragon is about a detective Will Graham, played by Edward Norton, trying to capture a sadistic murderer called The Tooth Fairy. The Tooth Fairy doesn't sound very threatening but they call him that because he sometimes bites his victims and his mark is very distinguished. He murders whole families and rapes the mothers then puts glass in all their eyes. Graham has trouble figuring out who this guy might be, so he asks a once trusted friend, Hannibal Lecter who is imprisoned for his murders and cannibalism. Lecter gives him many leads and is eventually lead to a sad, physically and emotionally scarred Francis Dolarhyde (played by Ralph Fiennes). Dolarhyde is the murderer and does the murders because he is led by a painting called "The Red Dragon." Graham is put in danger many times as well as his family. He puts other lives in danger and even a journalist is killed. But the risk is worth it because the psychotic killer is found.

I'm not giving too much away because it is such a good movie. I think we can all say this at the same time, "Ralph Fiennes plays a great maniac!" This movie is extremely true. A man who murders whole families, rapes the mothers and then kills them seems like a hard role to play but Fiennes plays it amazingly. It's frightening to watch him, very frightening, especially when he starts eating the face of one of his victims. I couldn't stop screaming that when I was in Durango, "He just ate his face!" I am just stunned, how does an actor bring out that frightening side? What inner part of them do they have to go to, to bring out that terrifying being? After seeing some similar roles of Fiennes so far, I am just still stunned at how great of an actor he is. He is so versatile in how he can play the serial killer one movie and the charming leading man in another. So weird if you ask me.
I thought I was going to speak more about this movie, but I really don't want to give so much away because scary movies are less fun when you know the ending.
See you next post!
No quote on this one. I think I'll just give quotes on my favorites. 

The End of the Affair (1999) The Eighth One

Ok, there are a few things one needs to make sure of before they invite a person to watch a movie with them. The #1 thing is to be prepared for any awkward sex scenes watching with someone else. I invited a friend to watch "Strange Days," and there was a female on female sex scene and I felt such discomfort, and I thought she was thinking of me as a weirdo for watching a movie like this. "Can you imagine if someone came in and saw what we were watching?" I asked to break the tension. The tension was broken and it was fine for the rest of the movie. What is the long point I'm trying to make here? Be prepared for sex scenes in movies, especially when watching this with other people, that's all.

And for a movie called The End of the Affair, I should have prepared myself for sex scenes, but I didn't (and boy was there a lot of sex and nudity from Ralph Fiennes himself). I was watching this with my friend and my mother and that was more than I could handle. That was a whole new side of acting I hadn't seen from Fiennes (haha!). So what is this movie about? It's about a man named Maurice Bendrix (Fiennes) who begins an affair with a friend's wife, Sarah Miles (played by Julianne Moore) in 1940s London. They have sex in her place, his place, everywhere and they don't seem to mind the numerous bombs going off around them. And that's where I fell asleep.

I'm not doing a great job with these blogs you guys, especially if I keep getting bored or falling asleep. But this allows me to bring up a point regarding The End of the Affair. Sex scenes can be very important with a movie. Sex scenes build the story, you sense the characters' vulnerabilities and true personalities and maybe even get a sense of why they wanted this intimacy in the first place. Were these characters unable to get intimacy from others in their life, and that's why they start affairs? Do they have other problems that they can only relieve through sex? See, sex scenes build the story and build the characters. But with The End of the Affair, I thought this was just a standard affair, no love with the husband so she goes after the husband's friend. I was just bored and I felt like the sex scenes didn't build the characters and it didn't build the story as much as I wanted it to. Do I recommend this movie? Not really but you be the judge and prove me wrong! I will definitely come back to this movie when I do The Reader (Talk about sex scenes!).

And guess what people? I have Spring Break next week which means I will get through most of the movies before his movie release on the 30th of March. Thanks everyone for following my blog, but hold on to your seats because it's not over yet!
No quote today, but I will start with the quotes next time, promise!

Onegin (1999) The Seventh One

I have been extremely neglecting my blog so I'm trying to get through a few posts this weekend. Right now I am watching Onegin in my room. The last movie extremely disappointed me, so I'm crossing my fingers that this one will be better, and maybe not so boring.

And alas, it turned out to be a good movie.

Ralph Fiennes plays bored as hell playboy Eugene Onegin living in St. Petersburg, Russia in the Empire Period (I don't know what that means either). Onegin inherited money, a mansion, a ton of land and a heck of a lot more from his uncle who passed away. Like any other rich bachelor playboy, he uses the house as a place to "crash" and is snobby to most of his country side neighbors. One of his neighbors is a beautiful Tatyana (played by a very stunning Liv Tyler) who, feeling such strong emotions for Onegin, writes a passionate letter to him. Onegin originally doesn't care, and throws the letter in the fire, but then takes it out of the fire before it burns completely to actually read it. Onegin reads it over and over and at Tatyana's birthday, he tells her that she's too young to feel that way about him, also that he is the absolute wrong person to get involved with. After many years and controversy stemming from Onegin and Tatyana's family (no spoiler here), Onegin realizes his mistake but it is too late because Tatyana got married and didn't love him the way she used to (I spoiled it, sorry).

I enjoyed this movie SO much more than Oscar and Lucinda, because there was an actual plot with this one. I really enjoyed it despite knowing what was going to happen with the two individuals. But what do I love most about this movie besides it being extremely predictable? The fact that it is one of Ralph Fiennes' many roles as being the tormented lover. He does an amazing job at playing the insane, sadistic psycho but even better at the passionate, anguished gentleman. I won't lie, so far in this journey my favorite tortured dearest role of his has to be Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. But there are so many more distressed admirer roles of his I have yet to get to. I am very happy to be back in this blog!

No quote today, sorry the movie was a week overdue at the library and I had to turn it in right after I finished!
See you next post!
And thanks for keeping up with it.

Oscar and Lucinda (1997) The Sixth One

So I apologize for not keeping up with the blog. I've been pretty busy with school but I'm sure you guys as readers can understand. And I will admit, coming off of English Patient I had some high expectations for his movie right after called Oscar and Lucinda. Want a piece of advice? Never Ever have high expectations on anything because there is a high chance you will be disappointed.

In Oscar and Lucinda, Ralph Fiennes plays a young man named Oscar Hopkins who is an Angelican Priest in the mid 1800s. He meets a girl Lucinda who is a glass maker, and what do the two have in common? They're both big gamblers. They become fast friends and eventually lovers. And that's about as far as I got...

Can I say this? I thought I was going to love every Ralph Fiennes movie, but I didn't like this one. Really didn't like it. Another piece of advice? Don't expect you're going to like every movie from your favorite actor. While Fiennes does a great job at playing a shy, and passionate person, he didn't impress me in this movie as much as his other ones have. The story line seemed scattered and it honestly didn't capture my attention right at the beginning. I was bored halfway through.

What I found unfortunate was that his acting didn't stand out very greatly. With English Patient I found a loving, charming man, in life and even on his death bed. In Strange Days I found a sleezeball drug addict and dealer who left me wide-eyed and blushing. In Quiz Show I found a ravishing, struggling individual bent on wanting to do the right thing. In Schindler's List, I found the most horrifying monster I have ever seen. In Wuthering Heights, I found the most struggling beautiful character that jumped from the pages of a classic love story. And what did I find in Oscar and Lucinda? No one as special, no one as beautiful, no one as frightening. Do I recommend this movie? It is my shame to admit, No I don't recommend this.

But that is just my opinion. Please, PLEASE prove me wrong readers! Tell my why Oscar and Lucinda should be considered as great as the other movies I have blogged on. Tell me why he should be as beautiful, frightening and lovely as his other characters. Please tell me!
Thank you readers who are still holding on and keeping up with my posts!

No quote today.

It's getting tough...

I knew that once school started, my movie watching would be limited. That's why I'm going to try to get two movies done this weekend. I think it's going to get easier once I have a legit schedule to follow. Thanks to those who are keeping up with the blog. Feel free to comment because I love LOVE seeing all the comments. I really hope I get to where I want to be by the time his new movie comes out. Thanks for reading and be prepared to check out some new posts this weekend.

The English Patient (The Fifth One)

When I first told my parents about doing this blog, my dad asked if I was going to do the English Patient and I said yes. He then gave a snoring sound indicating that it was boring. I was somewhat surprised but my dad didn't like the English Patient. At all! My views on it? It was a long movie, but wow was it good!

It takes place in Africa during WWII with Ralph Fiennes playing an injured man named Count Laszlo de Almasy, who was shot down while flying a plane, with severe burns surrounding most of his body. He cannot move on his own, and he can't breathe well either and will likely die soon. He was rescued by an army who tries to nurse him back to health. After a dangerous run in with a bomb on the road, a nurse named Hana (played by Juliette Binoche) takes him away to a different location because of the danger on the roads with bombs. While being taken care of by the nurse, Almasy goes back between when he is on bed rest with the burns on his body and when he was well. Before his accident, he was a map maker following archiologists. During his work, he fell madly in love with a fellow worker's wife named Katharine (Played by a very beautiful Kristen Scott Thomas). The love affair becomes very strong and passionate. And as the love affair unfolds, the reasons why he is on his deathbed surfaces.

If there is one thing I realized during this movie, it was how surprised I was with his transitions. According to a source, it took 8 hours for the makeup artists to put on the burn makeup for Fiennes. As well as acting with terrible burns and dying is pretty intense acting. He was also nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar for his work in The English Patient. Another reason why he did a very good job is that he was incredibly charming while commiting an affair. He was so passionate about this woman, so kind to her and he did everything to help her when she most desperately needed it most. I'm not saying AT ALL that cheating on your husband, or boyfriend is okay, but if there is anyone you should begin an affair with, it's Ralph Fiennes characher, Almasy in The English Patient.

So far we have seen him as the sympathetic jerk, extreme bastard, internally conflicted individual, sleeze ball drug dealer, and passionate and dying man. So far it's a good journey. Can't wait for more but be prepared. With school here now, it will take a while for me to get posts out. Thanks for understanding.

Favorite Quote: "I claim this shoulder blade, no wait, turn over, I want this place. I love this place, what's it called? This is mine. I'm going to ask the king permisison to call it the 'Almasy Bosporus.'"

Ralph Fiennes as Count Laszlo de Almasy in The English Patient (talking about the hollow base of a woman's neck called the suprasternal notch on Katharine)