Saturday, April 2, 2011

Hollywood Hits K-Town: Source Code

Went to see the Source Code with a good friend of mine last night. I went into it thinking it would be an action packed movie similar to Deja Vu with Denzel Washington, but it really wasn't. It was actually pretty good and the ending definitely made the movie. 

It was similar to Vantage Point in that it was repetitive for the entire first part of the movie. Transporting into the train, reliving the same 8 minutes, over and over and over again. However the ending brought it all together and actually made it worth it. 

 If you haven't seen anything about the movie or are on the fence about going here is a synopsis from IMDB to help you decide. I liked it and so did my friend, I would say go see it if you have the money and are looking for an action flick other wise go rent it later on.

Here is the synopsis from IMDB:

Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes with a jolt to find himself on a commuter train heading into Chicago. Although the other passengers all seem to know him, he has absolutely no idea where, or even who he is. The last thing Colter remembers is flying a helicopter mission in Iraq, but here he is, in someone else's life going through someone else's morning commute. Before he can do anything, an express train zooms by on the opposite track and a bomb explodes, seemingly killing Colter and all the other passengers.

Colter comes to in an isolation chamber, strapped to a seat, and wearing his military flight suit. He still has no idea what's happening, except that he's being spoken to by mission controller Carol Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), who calmly recites a series of memory questions to which Colter is shocked to realize he knows the answers.

He learns that he's part of an operation called Beleaguered Castle, but before he can progress any further, Goodwin starts up the machinery and suddenlyColter is back on the train, at exactly the same time he first appeared there, once again speeding through Chicago with the same group of commuters.

Colter figures he's in some kind of simulation exercise, with his task being to find the bomber onboard the train before it goes off again. Living the explosion over and over, Colter must uncover the identity of the bomber, while also figuring out what the alternative universe of Beleaguered Castle is.

Adding to the puzzle, Colter uses the second chance opportunities to make peace with his father, and to find romance with a fellow passenger on the train. 
 Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan both did a decent job playing their parts in the movie. Neither will be nominated for any awards or anything for their roles but they did not take away from the movie which is always important. Gyllenhaal's character acting shocked and confused in the first third of the movie seemed too forced and too fake to me at some points is the only complaint I have on him.
For me the star of the movie was Vera Farmiga. Ever since Up in the Air with George Clooney, I have really appreciated her acting ability more and more. Sure she isn't the Jessica's and Jen's of the Hollywood world but she is a solid actor and I am looking forward to the next movie she is in that I happen to stumble across.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Ayers Hall. The most iconic building at my university. The place I am getting my college education. That place 20 minutes down the road where I spend my days and most my evenings trying to figure out what it is that I want to do with my life. My university, the University of Tennessee. 

It gets a bad reputation for being too big, too urban by the local kids. I find it funny because UT is not an actual big school. Ohio St has 68000, South Florida 49000, etc. But anyway thats not the point. I have noticed lately just how nice the University is. We aren't Harvard...

no we don't have the historical significance or the brain power for that. We aren't Yale...

With its old school European look. 
We are however not a urban school with no green spaces and no nice looking buildings like some people like to claim. Take a look at this small sampling of my fair school...
Humanities plaza
Humanities Amphitheater 
The Hill sign and lawn
The Torchbearer and Circle Park
McClung Tower and Humanities 
Haslam Business Building
Melrose Hall

Yes my university has its own unique sense of style. Its not the greatest but it most definitely isn't ugly. Take a minute next time your on campus in the early fall or late spring, when the flowers are in bloom and the trees full. Take a look around and just notice it. 

To me however the most Beautiful scene on campus will always be...