The Kids Are All Right (2010)

In LA, Nic and Jules are a couple with a daughter, Joni, on her way to college and a son, Laser, at 15 a good athlete but maybe hanging out with the wrong pal. Laser wants Joni, who's now 18, to find out who their biological father is - a sperm donor. Without initially telling their moms, they meet him. He's Paul, a cool guy with a motorcycle, a restaurant, and an organic garden. Although Nic doesn't like the idea, the five of them get together a few times and the kids spend time with Paul. He hires Jules, who's had many brief vocations, to landscape his back yard, and Nic, who's an OB/GYN, decides to be a good sport and get to know Paul better. Can a family add a new member?(imdb)

This movie almost completes my task to see the 2010 Oscar nominee movies. This one might be the most unique family movies I have ever seen, because it is included a two women as a parent. But to me it is just a different outer skin but same content inside.

It's refreshing to see Mia Wasikowska not doing her Alice In Wonderland, being just a normal teenager. Mark Ruffalo doing a great job being a long lost father a.k.a sperm donor. It is interesting to see the comparison from his thing to jump to right to his profession rather than take college with the family that think the opposite. But Annette Bening is pretty much being the best deep impression in this movie. I could feel her strong character as the head of the family and in the couple.

The King's Speech (2010)

Like any other movies that has been nominated in prestigious awards, this movie has been on my watch-list. Fortunately, I don't have the opportunity to read other reviews about The King's Speech. I've discovered that reading other review might give you high expectation but still it's you to decide what's good and what is not. But still, you can sense whether the movie have depth or not from the director, the cast, the movie title and the poster.

The story : Biopic about England's King George VI (father of present day Queen Elizabeth II) and his lifelong struggle to overcome his speech impediment. Suffering from a stammer from the age of 4 or 5, the young Prince Albert dreaded any public speaking engagement and history records that his speech at the closing of the 1925 Commonwealth exhibition in London was difficult for both him and everyone listening that day. He tried many different therapies over many years but it was only when he met Lionel Logue, a speech therapist, that he truly began to make progress. Logue did not have a medical degree but had worked as an elocution coach in the theater and had worked with shell-shocked soldiers after World War I. Through a variety of techniques - and much hard work - he learns to speak in such a way so as to make his impediment a minor problem and delivers a faultless speech heard around the world by radio when England declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939. The King and Logue remained lifelong friends.(imdb.com)

The Fighter (2010)

I for one, not a fan of boxing. If there's nothing on television and I'm on the state of boredom, I will watch it and maybe even liked it eventually. But it's not my favorite type of TV program or sport. One thing that made me drawn to The Fighter first of all, is the depth feeling of the poster, as I use in the left. And so I heard that the movie got nominated in 7 categories in Oscars. I was not going to let my subjectivity in boxing made me pass the movie, of course I have to see it.

The Fighter, is a drama about boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO'd by drugs and crime. (imdb.com)

The movie felt like a winner, because it portrays a definite contrast between the basis of older and younger brother treatment from their mother and how Mark Wahlberg, who plays Micky Ward, after feeling down by losing 7 times tries to get back in the game. Micky was managed by his mother and trained by his former great boxer brother, Dicky.

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

To tell you the truth these days wasn't the best of my Happy-Go-Lucky days. Sure I took a holiday and glad I took it. They keep you from being stressed out. But holiday wasn't a solution, it's just a getaway, a little escape. It doesn't end your problems. Just a few days pause from your regular life.

Certain events are in my agenda. And from the holidays to the unpleasant regular days, I took it hard. There were a lot of judgements, hidden and unresolved feelings and pressures. I thought, 'wow I sure have one hectic life!' And I miss the old happy me. But in the middle of my mind trip I realize I was missing the best part of everything, to feel gratitude for my life that I had. Not everyone is as lucky.

I remembered I had this movie on my movie watch list. I'm glad I watched it now. I owe it a lot to make me feel better. Read the plot here.

DRIVING MISS DAISY (1989)

Driving Miss Daisy is a 1989 American comedy-drama film adapted from the Alfred Uhry play of the same title for Warner Bros. The film was directed by Bruce Beresford with Morgan Freeman reprising Hoke's role and Jessica Tandy playing Miss Daisy. The story defines Daisy and her point of view through a network of relationships and emotions by focusing on her home life, synagogue, friends, family, fears, and concerns. Hoke is rarely seen out of Miss Daisy's presence, although the title implies that the story is told from his perspective.(wikipedia)

LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003)

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) are two Americans in Tokyo. Bob is a movie star in town to shoot a whiskey commercial, while Charlotte is a young recent graduate woman tagging along her workaholic photographer husband.