Movie Monday 1/31

Well, I think my nightmare computer week is over, thank goodness.  That fourth trip to The Apple Store seems to have done the trick.  I didn't have time to catch up today, though, because Jamie and I had to make our trip to NJ to see our Lyme doctor.  Thank goodness he drives the whole way now - I was really worn out today.  The kids had an easy time convincing me to dump my dinner plans and get take-out burgers and fries tonight!

After days filled with stressful computer problems and snow days, we spent our evenings escaping reality with some movies this weekend:

• We watched Red this weekend with the kids.  Craig saw it in the theater with a friend a few months ago and was really excited to share it with the rest of us!  It's a funny and fast-paced thriller about a group of retired CIA agents, played an all-star cast of Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren (a very different role for her!).  They discover someone is trying to kill them and leave retirement behind to investigate.  Lots of fun.
• Craig went bowling with friends Saturday night, so Ken, Jamie and I watched Cloverfield, a unique and scary thriller.  It starts with a group of friends in NYC at a going-away party for one guy, when some freaky things start happening.  Soon, they are on the run from some horrifying creatures while the city is falling apart around them.  The hitch is that the whole movie is filmed from the perspective of a handheld video camera by one of the party-goers.  It made for a very frantic, you-are-there feel (though Ken said it made him sick!)
• Last night, Ken and I watched Crazy Heart, with Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal (one of my favorite actresses).  Bridges plays Bad Blake, a once-famous country singer who is now playing bowling alleys in small towns while his former back-up singer has made it big.  He's in bad shape - constantly drunk, chain-smoking, and sleeping with random fans in every town - when he meets Jean, played by Gyllenhaal, who interviews him and shows him there may be something better out there.  It was very good - I can see why it made lots of top 10 lists for 2009.
• In between, Ken and I finally finished the last season of Saving Grace on DVD.  What a spectacular show!  The finale was a real tear-jerker, though.  We also watched a few more episodes from season 2 of Mad Men - do any of those characters have an ounce of self-control??

Have you seen any good movies lately?

(If you are also interested in what books we've been reading this week, check out my Monday post on my book blog.)