Notes from the Nerdette
Reviews and Thoughts Written by a Nerdy, Random, Book-Obsessed, Anglophilic, Country Music-Loving TeenArchive for Movie Reviews
Help Me Help You Contest
If you’ve read at least one or two of my reviews, you will realize that they are not exactly like other reviews; not only do they give a good idea as to whether a book, movie, or album is of high-quality or not, but they also help my readers–they give them information that would take them a few extra minutes if they had to wait for that product’s Amazon page to load. I think of my reviews as almost part of a database, like IMDb–it includes my thoughts and a summary, but it also has several other tidbits as well.
With this said, I think I better make this next part clear: I have no idea what to review next. That is, I’m going to write another movie review, but I’m sort of stuck on which one to do. Since my family is getting Netflix, you would think I would have plenty to write about. And I do. And that, my readers, is my problem. I’m a rather indecisive reviewer. Actually, I’m just indecisive overall.
Anyhow, I need you guys to basically help me help you all get another review. But it’s going to be like a contest. Basically, you give me entries for what movie you want reviewed, and, next week, I’ll do a random number generator and whoever has that number and picked a movie for that entry will win…a review!
Okay, I know this sounds dumb, but I can’t afford to get a prize and send it out. Anyway, I don’t think my mom would let me.
There’s just one rule: comment, leave your e-mail address (please write it in the safe way–e.g., my.name(at)website(dot)com), and state ONE MOVIE PER ENTRY from the list I have at the end of this post.
Most blog contests have a system in which they incorporate a number of entries, so I’m going to do the same:
- 1+ Comment on this post (again, with your E-MAIL) and state which movie you want
- 2+ Send me an e-mail or put in your comment a question for me to put in the forthcoming FAQ page. It doesn’t have to be formal; it can be a joke, a random question (e.g., “What is your favorite color?”), a question about my opinions, anything. But questions like, “Where do you live?” and “How old are you?” are prohibited, even though most people may know one or the other or both of those questions’ answers. NO PRIVATE QUESTIONS.
- 3+ Each time you link anywhere; it can be anywhere you please EXCEPT for MySpace, simply because I’m not allowed to go on there and can’t verify where you link myself. Leave a comment or e-mail me with a link to where you linked. You can link on your blog, Twitter, Facebook…anywhere! Just let me know where. Also, I’m going to make a tweet that you can RT for three more entries.
- 4+ For following my blog!
Questions I Am Sure You Will Have:
- Can I make my first entry for one movie, my second entry for another movie, my third for a different movie, and so on? Absolutely. Enter in one movie per entry as erratically as you wish.
- If I make three separate posts this week, and in each post I mention and link to this post/blog, does that count for three entries? YES! Absolutely.
- What if I tweet about the contest in several intervals? Go right ahead. If you tweet a number of times (including RTing), it counts as that times three. Same goes for Facebook.
- What must I write in a comment? It is absolutely, positively, VITAL to have your e-mail and the movie you chose for that entry.
- I don’t see any movies I want reviewed. Will you being doing this again soon? Yes! I’m planning on doing a music one for my album reviews, if this goes well.
- Anything else that you should tell me? Yeah. There’s a catch, sort of. The movie you pick won’t necessarily get a good review just because it was your favorite movie.
- Do I get recognition? You get mentioned in the beginning of the review, and you will have a post announcing you as the winner (if you are the winner). But if and when I post reviews on other sites (e.g., Amazon), that will not be put on there.
- Can I make an entry a movie I haven’t seen but am interested in? Definitely, as long as it’s on the list.
- What are your reviews like? I did a review on Ratatouille last summer. All movie reviews will be formatted just like it.
- When is the last day to submit entries and enter? Next Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 11:59:59 PST
- Who do I e-mail to who? What should the subject of the e-mail be? E-mail me, bookbutterfly, at lady(d0t)dashti(at)gmail(dot)com, or bookbutterflyangel(at)yahoo(dot)com. If it is regarding a linked entry, please state so in the subject; if you have a question or comment (which I would love to hear, even if a comment is negative), please state that in the subject. Please write either “Help Me Help You”, “Help Me Help You Contest”, or “HMHY” somewhere in the subject; it would help me sort out my regular mail from ones for this contest.
THE MOVIES*
- Up (2009)
- Lost in Austen (2008)
- The Mission (1986)
- Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)
- Little Dorrit (2008)
- Mamma Mia! (2008)
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996)
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
- Ballet Shoes (2007)
- North and South (2004)
*This list may grow throughout the week, though I can’t say for certain, so check back often!
***Ratatouille
How I Watched the Movie: I first saw it at the movie theater when it came out with a classmate and her mother (it was so sweet of them to invite me along with them!). I loved it so much and my mom bought it for us on DVD (to keep) from Costco.
Imagine that you are a talented chef, with the sharpest nose ever to pick out only the best ingredients for your entrees. You dishes are exquisite, and you have a gift for cooking that can’t be found anywhere. But wait! There are just a couple “little” problems: (1) most of your family members are against your dream career, and (2) you are a rat.
This is the story of a little grey rat name Remy (Patton Oswalt), who lives in the French countryside outside of Paris. He can sniff out the best ingredients to create wonderful, savory dishes, but this is a secret he must guard from the rest of his family–except for his older brother, Emile (Peter Sohn)–because of their disapproval of human activities such as, well, cooking. In fact, Remy isn’t acknowledged for much, besides having the talent of sniffing out rat poison in the trash that his kinsmen eat. But it’s when he and his family are chased out of their home by the old lady whose home they live above that Remy gets the chance he’s been waiting for. Through a sewer, the rat reaches Paris, and, with the help of his conscience, which is in the form of his late culinary role model, Chef Auguste Gusteau (Brad Garrett), he reaches the said chef’s restaurant. It just so happens that on that same day, a young man named Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano), whose mother was a friend of the late chef, comes to Gusteau’s for work. Since he has no culinary experience, Gusteau’s former sous-chef, Skinner (Ian Holm), hires him to be the garbage boy. As Remy watches the restaurant go about its business, he spots Linguini spilling some soup and trying to cover up his mistake by adding in random ingredients. Remy accidentally falls into the restaurant through the skylight, but before he escapes, he can’t resist but to fix the ruined soup. Linguini catches Remy in the act, and before Remy knows it, he’s created a delicious soup that a well-known food critic savors. Skinner decides to hire Linguini as a cook, but when the kitchen staff realizes a rat is in the kitchen, Linguini is put in charge of getting rid of Remy. Since Remy saved Linguini’s job, the former garbage boy keeps the rat and the two make a deal to work together and make it appear as if Linguini is cooking…although Remy is really the one doing the work. But when Linguini’s fame grows practically overnight, does that mean that his secret will be undercover forever? And will Remy get to make his culinary dreams come true in the end? Also stars Janeane Garofalo, Peter O’Toole, Brian Dennehy, Will Arnett, James Remar, John Ratzenberger, Teddy Newton, Brad Bird, and Thomas Keller.
One should never doubt the quality of a Pixar movie, especially if it’s one that was nominated five times at the Oscars. Ratatouille had every good thing a movie should have: comedy, action, a bit of romance, and a cast of fun characters. What more can you ask for? In addition, the screen writing was done wonderfully. Take a look at this quote Remy says in the movie to his father, Django:
Change is nature, Dad. The part that we can influence. And it starts when we decide.
Pros: First of all, the animation is breath-taking, as is the usual Pixar fashion. Although it is animated, you feel as if you are right there, or as if the characters are real–even the rats. Part of this is based on the animation itself, but another part of it is also the storyline. And what’s not to love about a cute little rat who can cook? I could go on forever and ever listing pros of this movie, but let’s put it this way: right beside (not next to) Finding Nemo, this movie is my favorite Pixar film.
Cons: There are cons? There are cons?! No, really, I simply can’t think of any. Set one forth to me, and I’ll probably shoot it down.
Red Flags: As stated by Common Sense Media, there’s some intense action (not in the least bit graphic, though), a bit of romance, some attempts to curse, and some wine-drinking since, after all, it is France.
Grading
Plot: 10/10
Acting: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
Tidbits
Original Release Date: June 28, 2007
Length: 111 mins
Directors: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava
Producer: Brad Lewis
Screenwriter: Brad Bird (story by Jane Pinkava, Jim Capoblanco, Brad Bird, Emily Cook, Kathy Greenberg)
Distribution Company: Walt Disney PIctures, Pixar Animation Studios
MPAA Rating: G
Also Recommended:
- Finding Nemo (2003)
- The Incredibles (2004)
- Spirited Away (2002)
Check It Out!
- Official (apparently, there are some games on here as well, which sound cute if you want to check them out to burn a few minutes or if you have kids running around that you want sitting down calmly and quietly for a bit
) - Wikipedia (includes some fun trivia)
- IMDb profile (includes trivia and goofs)
- Rotten Tomatoes profile
