A Little Night Music (1977)

Plot: Fredrik Egerman is very happy in his marriage to a seventeen-year-old virgin, Anne. Only she's been a virgin for the whole eleven months of the marriage, and being a bit restless, Fredrik goes to see an old flame, the famous actress Desiree Armfeldt. Desiree is getting tired of her life, and is thinkin of settling down, and sets her sights on Fredrik, despite his marriage, and her own married lover Count Carl-Magnus. She gets her mother to invite the Egermans to her country estate for the weekend. But when Carl-Magnus and his wife Charlotte appear, too, things begin to get farcical, and the night must smile for the third time before all the lovers are united.

One of my favorite Stephen Sondheim scores, set to a convoluted but fairly funny sex comedy plot. Although Elizabeth Taylor is not a very good singer, she embodies the character perfectly. The rest of the cast is fantastic, bringing out the surprising musicality of Sondheim's melodies and the brilliance of his lyrics. The script is less brilliant, but holds up well. Definitely an enjoyable watch, and probably one I would see again some day. 4 stars.

27 Dresses (2008)

Plot: After serving as a bridesmaid 27 times, a young woman wrestles with the idea of standing by her sister's side as her sibling marries the man she's secretly in love with.

A romantic comedy really only requires two things to make it work: a guy and a girl that you want to end up together. This has that. Katherine Heigl is a charming bridesmaid doormat who has never said no to anyone in her life, while James Marsden (who is rising in fame, hoorah, hoorah) is a charming cynic, and it's easy to root for the two of them to finally realize they're meant to be with each other. The movie tries to be a bit deeper than it's really able to, but plays well with concepts, hopes, and dreams that are easy to relate to and cheer on. Fairly well-done. 3.5 stars.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Plot: A remake of the classic Shakespare play "The Taming of the Shrew.", set in a modern day highschool.

As far as teen romantic comedies go, this one's pretty solid, with only a few minor bumps to keep it from being a good movie. (The moment that inspires the film's title being one of them.) The characters are overall pretty likeable, or at least relateable. Not a fantastic movie, but pretty decent for the genre. 3.5 stars.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)

Plot: Lovers' lives are complicated by city law, feuding faerie royalty, and... love.

I've always been a fan of Shakespeare, and A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of my favorites. This adaptation isn't perfect but is quite fun all the way through. I'm not sure why they decided to switch the time to the early 1900s... It didn't add much to the movie, but what it did add seemed perpetually out of place. However, the cast is good, and aside from that minor quibble, it's well done. Plus, MUSICAL THEATER PERSON SIGHTING! That's Gregory Jbara playing Snug! 3.5 stars.

Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)

This movie was beautiful. Visually, thematically, plotwise... everything was just gorgeous. It managed to perfectly manage that delicate balance between "Ooh, artsy, visually interesting stuff!" and actually being satisfying as far as a movie story goes. Definitely one of the most stunning movies I've seen in awhile. I highly recommend it. 4.5 stars.

Annie Hall (1977)

This movie was absolutely delightful. Two characters who felt very real even in the outrageousness of their neuroses. An ending that appealed to my cynical side with a middle that appealed to my sentimental side. Noteworthy lines and moments all the way through. I'm not sure how well it would stand up to a second or third viewing, but I really very much liked it the first time around. I'm really surprised it isn't rated higher than it is on here. 4.5 stars.

101 Dalmatians (1996)

Plot: A woman kidnaps puppies to kill them for their fur, but various animals then gang up against her and get their revenge in slapstick fashion.

Overall, very underwhelmed by this movie. I suppose it'll have its appeal for some people, but... those people are not me. This felt silly, over-the-top, and without any of the charm of the original. 1.5 stars.

Adam's Rib (1949)

Plot: Domestic and professional tensions mount when a husband and wife work as opposing lawyers in a case involving a woman who shot her husband.

I'm not sure I entirely understood this movie. Usually I thoroughly enjoy Tracy and Hepburn. I loved them in the goofy comedy Desk Set as well as in a serious drama like Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. But this movie didn't manage to be either one. It was too goofy to be a drama but far too serious to be a comedy. I spent the entire movie unsure whether I was supposed to be feeling sad or happy. So . . . I didn't enjoy it. I was too confused by the time the credits rolled. Yeah, it had a few moments I enjoyed, but the overall movie felt too oddly mixed. 2 stars.

50 First Dates (2004)

Plot: Henry Roth is a man afraid of commitment up until he meets the beautiful Lucy. They hit it off and Henry think he's finally found the girl of his dreams, until he discovers she has short-term memory loss and forgets him the very next day.

HATE FOR THIS MOVIE CONSUMES MY SOUL! 0.5 stars.

13 Going On 30 (2004)

Plot: A 13 year old girl plays a game on her 13th birthday and wakes up the next day as a 30 year old woman.

As far as silly chick flicks go, this one isn't bad. Yes, this theme has been done before. Yes, it's utterly predictable (but, hello, it's a chick flick, it HAS to be). But it was enjoyable to watch... the cast was all great... A lot of people really panned this movie but I thought it was a lot better than some of the other chick flicks that came out 2004... *Cough*Theprinceandme*coughcough*. Probably won't ever watch it again, but, hey, I've seen it once. That's all that's necessary. 3 stars.