Movie #223 - Get Smart

Get Smart
2008 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 50 min
Director: Peter Segal
Starring: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terrence Stamp, Terry Crews, David Koechner, James Caan, Bill Murray, Patrick Warburton, Masi Oka

Another tribute to a TV show back in the day... but this reboot is blessed with the awkward comedy of Steve Carell.  He actually does a good job here, not too wacky, and comes out on top in the end.  The weird pairing of younger Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) with his older Agent 86 is explained away as a cosmetic procedure done in the line of duty to make her look younger.  But I bet those kissing scenes were still awkward to shoot.

Meanwhile, I love Alan Arkin, who makes a great department head. And Dwayne Johnson's bad guy turn is done pretty well. All in all, a fun one to watch and a nice tribute to the original.

Movie #159 - The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada
2006 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 49 min
Director: David Frankel
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Adrian Grenier, Tracy Thoms

Yay, a chick flick!

I love this book. I love this movie.  The cast is fabulous, the clothes are amazing (and I'm not even into couture), and Meryl Streep deserved every inch of that Oscar.  The best part about this movie is how true it stays to the book.  The ending's a bit different, but I was happy to see some of my favorite bits make it in, like hunting down the unpublished Harry Potter book or picking up the dog from the groomer.  Emily Blunt is also a great page-to-screen success, capturing the character of Emily with every fiber of her being.  And yay for Gisele Bundchen, who apparently tried to have an acting career before popping out kids for Tom Brady.

Yes, it's a chicky movie.  It's a good one, though.  Who doesn't appreciate a good story about the struggle between good and evil, the little guy standing up to the goliath, the unsung hero standing up for herself? We can all relate to having a nightmare boss, and after watching this movie, I bet the one from your past doesn't hold a candle to Miranda Priestley.

Movie #64 - Becoming Jane

Becoming Jane
Miramax Films
2007 - Rated PG - 2 hr
Director: Julian Jarrold
Starring: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Maggie Smith

Okay, guys. Make fun of me all you want, but I love Jane Austen. As the mother of women's fiction, she stands alone as a pioneer of her day. She has captivated generations of readers with her heartwarming stories, all complete with a happy ending, and her works remain among the greatest classic works ever written.

But it seems that one can't write such compelling tales about love unless she herself has had her heart shattered at least once. In Becoming Jane, we spend some time getting to know and love the "real" Jane Austen. And even though you may know the ending, and the sad fact that she lived and died a spinster, you can't help cheering for her to end up with James McAvoy's character.

Anne Hathaway is brilliant and the script outstanding. These period pieces can sometimes drag and lull, until you want to doze off, but Becoming Jane is well paced and brings you a historical personage without any of the drabness you might expect. I love watching this movie again and again, and not because it's about Jane Austen.

But if you're not a fan of her work, don't worry. Her writing life is very much a background feature of this film, and you won't be bored with long excerpts read here and there. It's clear the writing is important to her, but it's never allowed to take the central focus away from her charming personality and sad love story.

She gets her own happy ending, in a way, but you come to care for her so much by the end of this movie, you can't help wishing she got all her heart desired.