1914 - The Heat

I really wanted to see this film when it was in theatres as Bridesmaids was easily one of my favorite films of that year.  It was a no brainer for Paul Feig to reunite with McCarthy and vice versa following the success of their previous joint-outing - and this time they go after the buddy cop genre.  It feels at times very much like those kinds of films that I grew up on.  I like Bullock and McCarthy quite a bit here and the pairing is amazing casting.  That said.... I don't know... I kind of started to feel like the film laboured on a bit - there were some entire scenes that were there just for the funny and didn't move the story along at all, and felt like that.  The film, sadly, is hit or miss - but when it's hitting - it's hitting hard.  There's some belly laughs here with the chemistry of the two leads, but the story beats and everything else feels a bit on the safe and predictable side of things.  Although it could very well be that I just walked into this with unfair and unrealistic expectations.  Please don't let me persuade you from checking it out, as I said - I liked it, but I was just hopping I'd LOVE it.

1903 - Gravity

We've seen Cast Away, Open Water, Frozen, Gerry, lots of great Dude With a Problem films that throw someone against the elements and demand that they survive and often laugh in their face for even trying to do so.  But, correct me if I'm wrong here, never has it happened in space - and if it has - I can't imagine it's been done so epically and so beautifully.
I'm not a 3D nerd, but this is the first film in the last dirge of them that I've seen where I absolutely understand why the medium exists.  It truly did add a layer to the film (pun only marginally intended).  Sandra Bullock doesn't give the performance of a lifetime or anything, but she easily carries the bulk of the film on her shoulders along with some amazing technical wizards.  I heard some people had story issues but I was just along for the ride and happy to be there.  This will be sweeping the multiplexes soon enough and I give it my solid approval.  And it's absolutely a film that needs to be seen in as beautiful a theatre as you can muster.

1578 - Premonition

I remember the trailers for this film when it was about to come out and I know I was intrigued, but ultimately never bothered seeing it.  I've seen a lot of reviews that trash it, but I have to say that I enjoyed it for the most part.  I think that it's a bit heavy handed at times, like everything IS JUST SO INTENSE.  I think that the direction could have been a little more subtle and smooth. 
This is a film about a woman whose husband dies, and then when she wakes up the next morning he's alive again... essentially the film plays out over the course of one week, although we (through the point of view of Sandra Bullock's character) go through it in a scattered version.  Which is kind of awesome.  Apparently the Bluray of this has a feature where you can see how it would play out chronologically.  There are a few things that I think were mistakes... although with this type of film you could easily justify them.  It's a film that's a tad frustrating, especially considering that she knowingly does things that she's seen happen in other ways, but at the same time it kept you guessing and wondering out it would play out - and that's no small feat. 
So for those who like a little thriller/mystery action, this might just be up your alley.
Premonition (Widescreen Edition)  Premonition [Blu-ray]

1526 - The Blind Side

 Well now, that certainly wasn't what I was expecting...
I remember seeing this trailer for this film and rolling my eyes.  How many movies do we really need about white women coming in and changing the lives of black kids?  I know that they're all based on true stories, and that it's really nice to see people doing good things.  But honestly, if it wasn't for Emily really wanting to watch this then I never would have seen it.  And I would have been wrong.
Is it about what I mentioned above - sure.  And does it tug at your heart strings - of course.  But I was pretty impressed at some of the areas that they tackled, or at least brushed the surface of.  For the most part they kept it pretty light - probably a little too much in some areas.
What I thought was most impressive here was just the writing in general.  It's not a short film by any means.  I would actually argue that it's probably longer than it needs to be - but it doesn't drag.  In fact it moves pretty well, and the obstacles keep coming and realistically at that.  That being said things are all resolved pretty simply each time they come up.
Sandra Bullock is slowly starting to become one of my favorites.  I had a mad crush on her when I first saw her in Speed, but now I respect the hell out of her.  That being said I'm surprised she got an Oscar for this film.  I don't know why, but I am.  Doesn't really feel like an Oscar-type film.  Alas.  She's got one and it represents well her body of work.
So if you're a hard nosed skeptic like me, perhaps you'll give this film the chance that I wasn't going to.  It might just catch you off guard (yes - I avoided a bad pun by not saying that it might catch your blind si--  wait!  almost did it again...).
The Blind Side  The Blind Side [Blu-ray]

1490 - The Proposal

Surprisingly, it's a rare thing these days when romantic comedies are actually funny. Luckily, that's the case here. I've been a fan of Ryan Reynolds from the moment I first saw him in... I can't even remember what. And I remember when Speed came out that I had a pretty awesome crush on Sandra Bullock. So that, armed with a great concept was more than enough to get me to want to watch this.
The story is about a Canadian woman working in New York whose visa expires and she's about to be deported when she gets the bright idea to marry her assistant so that she can stay. Has the green card film been done before? Sure? But did they have the lovely irony of casting Canadian Reynolds as an American and vice versa for Bullock?
This film has a pretty damn fine supporting cast - bonus points given for how well (and often) they utilize Oscar Nunez's character Ramone. The laughs come often and are earned. There are a few moments that are a little cheesier than the rest (more or less revolving around the otherwise lovely Betty White). This is a film that's far better than expected. Reynolds and Bullock have chemistry. Despite the final scene feeling like a re-shoot (make-up/hair seemed way different in addition to other things) I think that they did well with how this all resolved.
It's by no means the best of the best in terms of romantic comedies, but it's certainly worth checking out should you be even remotely interested. Fun fact, both the writer and director have another film in the works with Reynolds and Bullock. Sign me up!