Free Movie Friday

So, you know those weeks where you have all these great blog post ideas and get all excited to post, but then Monday is a holiday and you're tired, and on Tuesday your company sends a reminder about non-company-related Internet usage, and it's really busy at work and you end up only getting on Blogger during your lunch breaks and oh-my-Gawd, I have only read like 4 blog posts this week anyway (and if you only read one, you have to read Kelley because she can even turn a Get-to-know-you post into all types of hilarity) and deep breath: that's the kind of week I had.

But I won't leave you hanging on Free Movie Friday. I know you need to get your romantic Redbox date on after the kids are in bed. So, go rent "Up In The Air". It's quirky, it's romantic, it's a little bit of the fantasy life we all wish we could lead sometimes, and it has George Clooney in it. I'm pretty ambivalent about George Clooney in the looks department. I think it's one of those things where because everyoneelseisdoingit, I don't want to, so while I do find Clooney attractive, I don't swoon all over him like I would if a pro hockey player were to knock on my office door right now. Plus my mom and mother-in-law both think he's hot, and so that means he's kind of untouchable.

His acting, skills, however, are still grossly underrated. I can't figure out quite how he hasn't racked up Meryl-Streep style Oscar nominations yet, but I guess he's a late bloomer. His subtle comedy skills are fantastic, and just as effective as the gross stupid boy-comedy skillz of the likes of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly (although I LOVE me some Ricky Bobby, y'all!)

The supporting cast is just fantastic: Anna Kendrick reminds you of that girl in AP Chemistry who just got EVERYTHING right but gloated over it so much that no one could stand to be around her. And Vera Farmiga played that exotic, mysterious, intriguing leading lady that every woman wishes we could be. Also, Melanie Lynskey is so cute and I wish she were in more movies, and I've had a crush on Jason Bateman since the 80's (and apparently, they are remaking Arrested Development as a movie...I am so excited)!

The story is excellent, and the script itself is very tight, with no time to feel bored or let down, but also not the edge-of-your-seat tension that some movies have. Overall, it's the perfect movie: interesting, it holds your attention, but you don't have to try to hard to "get it".

And you can get it free if you use this code: BREAKROOM

Free Movie Friday!

So, I'm sure a lot of you know this already, but the certain free-standing movie box that you find outside of some grocery and drugstores publishes free codes occasionally. And I am purposefully not naming the retailer b/c I don't know at what point I step into some kind of crazy legal territory here. I am not any kind of paid advertiser or endorser. I just know some trade tricks.

I figure that as of right now, I have enough codes to get us through 3 weeks of movie reviews, and after that, we'll see. Here goes my first foray. It will be brief...I only have 9 minutes of a lunch break left...

By far, the single best movie I have seen in the last, I don't know, maybe 5 years? Maybe since Forrest Gump? Or Magnolia? That would be Crazy Heart. (Okay, actually that would be Rachel Getting Married, but since that is not yet available in the box of crimson that I speak of, I can't really include it in Free Movie Friday. But if you are a Netflixer, put it in your queue now!)

The Jeff Bridges hype is REAL. I was lucky enough to see 3 of the Best Actor nominated performances of last year, and this performance blew even the talents of George Clooney and Jeremy Renner away. He made every part of that role believable, right down to the idea that a late-20's-something gorgeous woman could fall for an old, on the edge of losing everything alcoholic. And his performance wasn't the only thing of note in this movie: the story, the music, the cinemetography, the performances by every actor in the movie; all of it was perfection, right down to the closing credits. It was like a gritty, less-polished, more real version of Walk The Line.

It doesn't matter if you are a fan of drama, comedy, country, rock, or Texas. This is a FANTASTIC movie. You will not be disappointed, although you will be moved. You may even cry. I bawled buckets, right in the theater and on the way to the car, but that's because the story touched a very personal nerve about my own family. In fact, I'm not sure how this film wasn't at least nominated for Best Film.

And if you'd like to see it for free this weekend: here is your code: DVDONME