My Vacation In Movies

I had a fantastic Christmas vacation. I spent a good part of it just making myself relax! And what better way to kick back than with a good movie?

Sheila here.
I saw some dear friends and I had tons of great family time while I was off for the holidays. Katie and I got facials and caught lunch at Jean-Robert's Table (get the Frites! They'll change your life!) We also met my buddy from San Francisco at Trio's, and munched on Margherita pizza and calamari. Mmmm.

Eric and I hit the Jump Zone and the indoor swimming pool, and Ric and I had two dates! We met up with friends for dinner at The Precinct (and a steak that'll change your life!), and we chowed down on hot dogs while watching The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

I have been waiting forever for that movie! I read all three books in the series by Stieg Larsson, and I loved them. Rooney Mara gave an Oscar worthy performance as the unlikley hacker and heroine, Lisbeth, and let's face it - Daniel Craig is easy on the eyes. It's a great murder mystery with lots of twists, and it's true to the book. A warning--there are disturbing elements in this novel, and since the movie sticks to the book, there are some pretty graphic scenes, including a rape scene which is very difficult to watch.

I also caught up on a whole bunch of movies on my DVD player, On Demand, and Showtime. Horrible Bosses - really raunchy, but funny. Crazy Stupid Love is so good - Ryan Gosling coaches Steve Carrell on how to pick up women after Julianne Moore tells him she wants a divorce.

It's got an unbelievable twist, and it's really cute. Nobody's Fool garnered Paul Newman an Oscar nod several years back, but somehow I missed it. I liked it a lot. I also checked out The Mechanic - about a hit man who ends up training the son of a man he kills. Very violent, but a good story which had me rooting for the hitman. The Holiday with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet was a cute chick flick for a slow afternoon with nothing better to do. And if you haven't seen The Help, order it On Demand or at your local Red Box. It's a must see with strong, funny women during the Civil Rights movement in the South. It was my favorite movie of 2011.

Hey, it's winter, it's cold and gray. Perfect movie weather, and the heavy clothes we're wearing can hide all of that popcorn (or hot dogs) we eat!