A sweet little hidden gem of a movie.

Last night, I forced my husband to watch a movie called Penelope, starring Christina Ricci and James McAvoy (who played Tom Lefroy in Becoming Jane). To be honest, I wasn't even sure if the film was worth watching, but we were soon captivated by the comical little fairy tale.



Ricci plays Penelope Wilhern, who was born under a curse placed upon her wealthy family by a witch seeking revenge for the death of her daughter. Penelope lives out her young life hidden away by parents who are ashamed of her pig snout, until the time comes when her parents seek to break the curse by finding Penelope "one of her own kind" to love her for who she is.

I won't reveal any more of the plot in case you want to see the movie for yourself. And I think you ought to, because a little magic is always fun, and it never hurts to be reminded that it's okay to like yourself the way you are.

Movies That Almost Slipped Through the Cracks

In between all the stuff I didn't do this weekend, I managed to squeeze in one book and two movies.

The thing about being a Netflix subscriber is that you feel compelled to return movies as quickly as possible so you feel you're getting your money's worth, which means more movies coming back to you, which means you really have to stay on top of your queue and not let it get empty like I did once, leaving me drumming my fingers wondering what the hell was wrong with Netflix that they weren't getting my movies out to me. Until I pulled up their website and saw that, oops, my queue was empty.

However, when you're watching as many movies in a month as I am, while trying to choose what will please the men in the household, it can start to be a bit of a crap shoot. Sometimes I don't have the knack for picking good films, and sometimes I let good ones get away entirely.

I hit the jackpot this weekend, though. Two films I would give five out of five stars:



The Brave One, 2007

Jodie Foster brilliantly portrays a New York radio personality who loses her fiance when they are both beaten in a brutal attack. The film explores the astonishing (and almost gratifying) way her character deals with the feelings of fear and victimization that are left behind, culminating in revenge on the thugs responsible for the attack. It's vigilante justice at its finest. Last line: There is no going back, to that other person, that other place. This thing, this stranger, she is all you are now.



Eagle Eye, 2008

Shia LaBeouf (Transformers and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) is Jerry Shaw, the unmotivated and underachieving twin of an Air Force officer who dies suddenly in a car accident. Jerry's life shifts suddenly into high gear when, shortly after burying his brother, he discovers a checking account balance of $571,000, and subsequently goes to his apartment to discover an arsenal has been shipped to him box by box. A phone call from a mysterious woman unleashes a series of events that will keep YOU away from the bathroom and glued to the screen, because "you have been activated. Your compliance is vital."