The Beastly Ledge

Ok. The trailer for this new movie with Charlie Hunnam came out, and at first I didn't really care about the actual movie, CHARLIE HUNNAM WAS IN IT!!!!!!!! But after watching the trailer, I realized Patrick Wilson was in it, and it was INCREDIBLE. First off, Wilson's got such range that it scares me a little--he can be the swashbuckling hero in The Phantom of the Opera, be the annoying jerk of a special agent in The A-Team, be a creepy pedophile in Hard Candy. He's just really phenomenal. He blows me away and I really TRULY hope that one day, and one day really soon the academy recognizes his unmatched talent. But back to Charlie Hunnam. I am so excited to see him in anything outside Sons of Anarchy, although I truly do enjoy that show. I really do. It's sexy, smart, well-written and it's got some ridiculous plot twists that just jerk you around in the good way. Charlie plays Jax Teller, the town of Charming's Champion, protector and prince. A tough biker with soft spots around his heart for the people he cares for the most--his son, his old lady Tara (well portrayed by Maggie Siff), his club, and his mother (recent Golden Globe winner Katey Segal, who by the way received a standing O from her former Married co-star Ed O'Neill and I thought that was incredibly sweet). Oh, and Liv Tyler's in this film too, and I don't usually have an opinion about her. I haven't seen her in anything that really wowed me at all. Well, maybe That Thing You Do! and Reign Over Me, and of course The Lord of the Rings trilogies, but Reign was all Adam Sandler, and how he always seems to floor me when he does dramatic roles. But back to this film, I was just overly impressed screenwriter/director Matthew Chapman tackling on such a tricky subject. Hopefully it won't give any of the Christians a bad name, but from what I saw he makes a serious point in how someone who is ridiculously tempted to do something that isn't wholeheartedly a Christian thing to do. Christians try to live the holy life and it sometimes backfires because we are human. We fail. We commit sin. It's inevitable. Chapman explores the inevitability of being human. I am impressed. Very impressed. And very excited for this film to be released.



Now I just watched Beastly and it made me seriously want to go read the dictionary for me to retain the neurons I lost from watching such a load of bunk. It wasn't even sappy, it was just pathetic. The acting was horrible, except for Mary Kate Olsen who truly rocked her role of witchy Kendra and the always effervescent Neil Patrick Harris, who provided light comedy relief to an otherwise bland film. It wasn't anything even remotely close to the book. It was ridiculous and idiotic and I was truly upset with screenwriter/director Daniel Barnz, and am beginning to think he's a one-hit wonder after his surprise mini-hit film Phoebe in Wonderland. I'm going to try to give him the benefit of the doubt, and hope to God he redeems himself. Ech. Seriously. Ech. And if I ever have to watch another film with Vanessa Hudgens, I will seriously commit myself to a mental institution.