Introducing…..Movie Mommy!!!

So, about a month ago I got an e-mail from Jen (urbanmoms.ca founder) about possibly making my posts a little more regular.  Immediate reaction.  Sheer panic.  How could I possibly do that?  Let’s be honest, verbose doesn’t even begin to describe my posts!!  I had just finished the marathon fall TV show post & I couldn’t imagine doing that on a weekly basis.  After a rather comforting phone call from Jen I realized I just might be able to do this.  I am woman, hear me roar!  Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, I’ll start with a quiet meow.

I thought I should tell you a tiny bit about what brought me to this point in my life (I swear, I’ll sum up).  Well, I’ve been living in the States permanently for a little more than 10 years now.  Which is precisely the amount of time the hubby & I have been together.  We’ve moved around quite a bit, but along the way I’ve managed to finish a Master’s in Sports Medicine & compile a resume that seems to grow about every 2 years or so.  I am an Athletic Trainer/Therapist by trade (yup, that person who runs on the field/court/ice when an athlete is hurt…that’s me), but decided to leave that life behind, for now, to stay home with my son (& I’m lucky enough to be able to do so).  I actually became an American citizen 3 years ago, & I am whole-heartedly proud of the citizenship that I was born with & the one I earned.  It is a unique thing, being a Canadian living in the US.  I am constantly reminded of our differences.  But the most amazing thing is that it is my girlfriends, my fellow urbanmoms, who remind me how much we are truly alike. 

The movie reviews came about after a fairly innocent e-mail to my cousin Jen (yep, it’s a bit of a family affair) about whether or not she had ever thought about doing movie reviews on her website?  Her response?  "No, but I think it’s a great idea.  Would you like to do them?"  Yikes!!!  If you’ve read any of my previous posts in ask urbanmoms.ca, you know I’m not a professional reviewer nor do I have any particular "in" with the movie business that would help me.  I just LOVE movies.  So I will endeavor to bring you a new movie review every week, some new to theatres & some new to DVD.  I might even re-introduce you to some of the old favs that bear a re-watching.  I will still keep a look out for upcoming movies with "buzz" & continue to add to my Top Five lists.  So bear with me, I’m new to this whole blogging thing & I figure I’m going to need a nice, long learning curve!

It has been over a month since I last wrote on urbanmoms, & with the holiday season upon us I thought it would be appropriate to look forward to the new movies that are creating some buzz.  Some of you may want to retreat from the family/work commitments for an afternoon/evening & meet up with Johnny, Denzel, or Will (Smith, that is).  So that is what I’m here for.

Movies to Keep an Eye on

Juno – Dec. 5 – This movie was a hit at the Toronto film festival & has been winning big kudos from every direction (acting, directing, writing).  The cast is amazing (Jen Garner, Jason Bateman, Ellen Page) & I just love anything that Allison Janney does (plus she’s tall, so she’s my sister), so this one is at the top of my list.

Atonement – Dec. 7 – I haven’t read the book upon which this movie is based, but I am slowly amassing a huge list of books I need to read, & this is certainly one of them.  From the director of Pride & Prejudice (the Keira Knightly one), follows two lovers (Knightly & James McAvoy) who are torn apart by lies & war.  There is already talk of a whole slew of awards for this one, including costume design (circa WWI), which frankly I would see it solely based on that alone.

The Golden Compass – Dec. 7 – Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig (sign me up), & a young girl named Dakota Blue Richards who is supposed to steal the whole show.  Lots & lots of press (good & bad) about this one, I think I’ll have to write a whole post just on the controversy over this film.

I Am Legend – Dec. 14 – Not your traditional holiday release (monsters/vampires chasing Will Smith around deserted NYC), but i love the idea of Will Smith pulling a Tom Hanks in Castaway & just inhabiting the whole screen for a good chunk of the movie.  There are very few actors I would pay to see this much of.

Sweeney Todd – Dec. 21 – Let’s be honest, I’m thinking that you had better be a Tim Burton fan if you head off to see this one.  Also, a strong stomach wouldn’t hurt.  Fabulous cast: Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman (who plays a better bad guy than he does?), Helena Bonham Carter, & even Sacha Baron Cohen.  Would be interesting to see all these people singing though.

Well I had better stop there.  I could go on & on & on…you get the point.  So let me know what movies you’re looking forward to over the next few weeks & be sure to check back next week when I have a new movie review on the slate.  Thanks for tuning in & I’ll see you at the movies!!