HUGO – Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick.
Under the skilled direction of Martin Scorsese, this Caldecott-winning children’s book is a wonderful “love letter” to the power of film and film-making.

THE DESCENDANTS – Based on the book The Descendants, by Kaui Hart Hemmings.

Hemming’s book about the journey of a man and his two daughters after his wife is involved in an serious accident made for an Oscar-worthy film under the direction of Alexander Payne.

MONEYBALL – Based on the book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis.

Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane recreates his baseball team…on a budget.  The book, and film, give hope and inspiration to the all those out there trying to do battle with opponents with much deeper pockets. Directed by Bennett Miller and starring Brad Pitt and Johnah Hill.

EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE – Based on the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer.

Stephen Daldry directs Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Max Von Sydow and Thomas Horn in the film adaptation of Foer’s book about a 9 year-old boy trying to uncover clues about his father death in the World Trade Center on September 11.

WAR HORSE – Based on the book War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo.

When his horse is sold to the Army, a young man enlists in World War I in hopes of being reunited with his beloved animal.  Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is based on Morpurgo’s children’s book.

THE HELP – Based on the book The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. 

On the New York Times Bestseller list longer than any book since The Da Vinci Code, Stockett’s inspirational story about the unlikely friendships that are formed around a secret writing project in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960′s South.  Directed by Tate Taylor.  The ensemble cast includes:  Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howeard, Jessica Chastain and Sissy Spacek.

Woody Allen’s MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, Terrence Malick’s TREE OF LIFE and Michel Hazanavicius’ THE ARTIST round out the nine films nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.  Out of the nine films, who do you predict to win the Oscar?

(The 84th Annual Academy Awards air on ABC, February 26 at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST.)

So after taking respite in the past and in food, which are pretty much interchangeable and equally pleasurable amongst my people, I decided to see what the Young Adult universe had to offer in the new year.

What I found in The Future of Us was a pleasure on many more levels than I expected. The premise alone is addictive — teens in 1996 accidentally stumble upon posts from their fifteen-years-older selves on this crazy thing called facebook. But as any fan of speculative fiction will tell you, a fabulous premise does not a satisfying execution bring …

Happily, The Future of Us delivers. Emma and Josh, two teens whose otherwise idyllic friendship has been temporarily derailed by the mixed-messaged and confounding hormonal booby traps we like to believe get cleared up in older age, discover that the AOL CD-ROM Josh’s mom is more than happy to pass along to Emma somehow gives them a glimpse into their future lives.

Emma and Josh alternate chapters written by two acclaimed YA authors, Carolyn Mackler and Jay Asher. But what could have come across as an amusing writing exercise is given real weight and heft by these two. Mackler and Asher know that life can be plenty perilous without a televised fight to the death or state-sanctioned aesthetic upgrade. (Not that the novels that go there aren’t absolutely mind-boggling; still, it’s good to remember that the comparatively humdrum little things always mean a lot, as well.) Some may wonder why Emma and Josh don’t cash in on what is to us so obviously the wave of the future. Others may feel that the teens are infuriatingly short-sighted, but I think that’s part of the novel’s charm. Knowledge is only as good as our ability to process it. How many of us at 16 could have fixed the problems that our thirty-something-year old selves couldn’t for the life of us get our heads around?

Put this in the un-put-downable column and snuggle up!

Yeah, yeah…I know I’ve posted about this film before, but I just couldn’t resist another post. This is just one of those films for me, one where all the right elements are in place to make one hell of a movie. David Fincher directing, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross handling the music, and the cast! Oh my goodness, the cast! Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist, Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, Christopher Plummer as Henrik Vanger, Stellan Skarsgard as Martin Vanger, Robin Wright as Erika Vanger and Joely Richardson as Anita Vanger.

Larsson’s first book is a labyrinth of lies, murder, corruption, family secrets and inner demons that surround the 40 year-old mysterious disappearance of a young girl. Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a financial reporter who is left broken and shamed after being convicted in a court of law of libel. Hired by a wealthy industrialist, Henrik Vanger (Academy Award® nominee Christopher Plummer), to get to the bottom of the long-ago disappearance of his beloved niece, Harriet, Blomkvist heads to a remote island on the frozen Swedish coast, unaware of what awaits him.

At the same time, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), an unusual but ingenious investigator with Milton Security, is hired to do a background check on Blomkvist, a job that ultimately leads to her joining him in his investigation. Lisbeth is a young woman who has gone to great lengths to shield herself from a world that has repeatedly betrayed her, but her computer hacking skills and single-minded focus become an invaluable resource to Blomkvist. Salander and Blomkvist form a fragile strand of trust as they are pulled into the center of a brutal crime world.

In all three books, Larsson pulls from his background in investigative journalism to create a fictional, yet all too real world of social and political corruption and moral ambiguity. The original title of Larsson’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” was “Men Who Hate Women,” but was later scrapped for a more “publishing friendly” title. The book is not only an exploration of crimes committed against women and those that commit those crimes, but also of what it means to be victimized, versus living as a victim….and the seething need to be avenged.

While you probably will not have time to finish off the first book before the film opens in theaters next week, I highly recommend you set aside some time to read all three. So, while we wait for the film to hit theatres, I’m leaving you with a gallery of “eye candy.” Just a little something to tide you over until opening day, which by the way, is now one day earlier than anticipated! Instead of having to wait until December 21, you’ll be able to see the film in theatres on December 20! Keep in mind, this film is definitely “Rated R.”

Happy Holidays to all you Bookend Babes out there! My wish for you is that your holidays are filled with lots of fun, family, friends…and hopefully, time for you to enjoy a great book, or a movie on the big screen!

Do I have your attention? I thought so!

George Clooney is back on the big screen in THE DESCENDANTS, which is adapted from the book by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The film is a family dramedy, directed by Alexander Payne, the creator of the Oscar-winning film SIDEWAYS, and is set to open in select cities on November 16, and then will expand to other cities.

Set in Hawaii, THE DESCENDANTS is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney). Matt is an indifferent husband and uninvolved father of two girls, who is forced to take a hard look at his past and make decisions about his future after his wife is involved in a serious boating accident off the coast of Waikiki. The event leads to an effort at reconciliation with his daughters while struggles to decide whether to sell the family land that has been handed down for generations from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries.

The buzz right now on the film is terrific, with critics already talking about a best picture nomination, and a best actor nomination for Clooney. Check out the trailer below, and then mark your calendar to set a date to watch this film. Not sure when it will open in your city? Just keep checking for opening dates on on the film’s website HERE.

Think of DRIVE as a recipe of one part early Tarantino, mixed with 80′s style Michael Mann and William Friedkin, and then throw in some Steve McQueen style coolness. The final result? One of the best damn films of the year.

Ryan Gosling stars as a Los Angeles wheelman for hire, stunt driving for movie productions by day and steering getaway vehicles for armed heists by night. Though a loner by nature, Driver can’t help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), a vulnerable young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Isaac).

After a heist intended to pay off Standard’s protection money spins unpredictably out of control, Driver finds himself driving defense for the girl he loves, tailgated by a syndicate of deadly serious criminals (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman). But when he realizes that the gangsters are after more than the bag of cash in his trunk—that they’re coming straight for Irene and her son—Driver is forced to shift gears and go on offense.

The film is based on the book of the same name, written by avant garde and crime story literature writer James Sallis.  DRIVE is Rated R and opens in theaters everywhere this Friday, September 16.  I know I’ll be back at the theater again this weekend to take in a second viewing!

Leave me a comment and tell me about your favorite actions films, or your favorite Ryan Gosling film.  What’s in it for you?  Next Tuesday (September 20), I’ll pick one winner by random number generator and you win a DRIVE prize pack that includes the book, a pair of driving gloves, a DRIVE keychain and DRIVE car air freshners!

Now, make plans this weekend to go see DRIVE!  Here’s a little bonus clip for you of the opening “Getaway” scene from the film.  Happy viewing Book End Babes!

For more information about DRIVE, “Like” the film on Facebook or visit the film’s official website!