The Adjustment Bureau

The previews just do NOT do this movie justice. I can’t say that I felt any driving need to see this movie. It looked interesting and Matt Damon is always good. I had a morning to kill, so I walked myself in to see The Adjustment Bureau and saw one of my favorite movies of the year (yes I realize its only March).

This movie is character driven. If you couldn't invest in the characters, in their drive, in their hearts, in their connection, then this movie would fail miserabley. It doesn’t. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt draw you in at first sight. You will sit on the edge of your seat the entire movie to see what happens to them. They truly play their roles to perfection. They let you see their personalities and the way that they interact as a couple. They share a unique bond that will make you truly believe they are soulmates.

This movie really is all about a love story but it is not just for the girls. It will entertain the guy in your life as well. It is a movie of strategy, of how the smallest of alteration in your life can completely change your path. Bend down to tie your shoe and you may never meet that one person that you share a one of a kind connection with. It’s about taking your fate into your own hands and making your own path. My favorite quote of the movie by Matt Damon's character "Holy Shit" (you'll get it when you see the movie). Everyone should get a moment like that in life.

I can’t say enough about this movie. The best way to describe how much I love it is that I was ready to buy another ticket the minute it ended. Don’t miss this movie!!! 5 of 5 stars on the Taleen scale.

83rd Academy Awards

I did a lot of fast forwarding though these awards. James Franco as a host did not carry his weight. Thank goodness for Anna Hathaway who really carried the evening with her spunk and energy. There were some fun acceptance speeches, most notably the F bomb being dropped by Best Actress in a Supporting Role winner Melissa Leo. Her genuine surprise and excitement was refreshing.

My favorite moment of the night was the Best Original Song performance by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi. It was just so sweet!



Most of the winners were not a big surprise. It also dawned on me, while watching the awards, that there were no real blockbuster movies released this past year. I have a feeling next year will be a little more exciting.

Being Human

The End of the World as We Knew it & It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Wrong

This is a perfect example of why I stick it out with new shows for a while before I make a decision. Because every once in a while they turn out AWESOME. The last two episodes have been amazing. We have been given so much information and lucky for me Bishop has been all but absent. Where to begin?

We find out that Ray is actually Josh’s Were Daddy. I think when all was said and done Rays intentions were good. He created Josh and wanted to show him the ropes. Josh was not so forgiving but I think discovering why and how he became a Werewolf settled something for him. Now he is making an effort at a life. He has asked out a girl from work and their first date went pretty well, until his sister stumbles through the door having been beaten up. We knew we hadn’t heard the last from the vamps in the back alley.

Sally recovers some of her memory and discovers that Danny actually killed her. I don’t know about you but I totally did NOT see that one coming. Now she is pissed and is trying to decide on her revenge. She has a tornado fit in Danny’s apartment and leaves her ring at the center for him to find. Next, Danny chucks the ring in the river and it finds its way back to the house with Sally. Bridget starts to see the dark side of Danny when the ring shows back up at his apartment and he accuses her of messing with him. Bridget shows up to deliver the ring back to the house with bruises and Sally starts to glimpse the results of her actions.

Aidan discovers that Bishop is “recruiting” at his hospital by placing a vamp priest there. Aidan tries diplomacy in the beginning but when that fails he sends a message loud and clear back to Bishop by breaking out the vamp priest’s teeth. Bishop gets the message and is impressed. Hell, I was impressed! We finally get a glimpse that there is more to Aidan than meets the eye. Rebecca appears again, this girl is turning into a real ping pong ball. She confesses that Bishop is using her to bring Aidan to heal and claims she wants out. Aidan may have learned his lesson now and while he seems willing to help her he is not jumping in the deep end this time.

I’m really starting to love this show. Will Aidan find out what really happened with Josh and Ray that night in the alley? Will Josh be out for blood when he finds out who hurt his sister? I think Aidan and Josh are headed for a rough patch and I’m still waiting for info about how Josh and Aidan met. Will Sally be ready to leave well enough alone with Danny? I can’t see that happening. I think she will start a rescue mission to get Bridget clear of him. We have the appearance of Josh’s family coming up. Will he tell them he’s a werewolf? I don’t know what’s next but I can’t wait to find out.

53rd Grammy Awards

There was lots of fun to be had at this year’s Grammy awards show. There were only a few awards here and there to interrupt the great performances that we really watch the Grammys for. Here are my favorite highlight moments:

Miranda Lambert being introduced by her fiancé, Blake Shelton. How cute was that? I love “The House That Built Me” and I am excited to see Miranda live this summer.

Jaden Smith, raps with Justin Bieber. How proud were Will and Jada? It touched my heart to see the love and pride in their eyes.

How adorable was the wedding footage playing behind Katy Perry during her performance? Call me crazy but I’m pulling for Katy and Russell. They just may be crazy enough to make it work.

Is anyone else just totally OVER Lady Gaga? She gave a solid performance but what the heck was up with those shoulder prosthetic?????

Lady Antebellum gives a solid performance to back up there 5 wins

How WACKY AWESOME was the Cee Lo Green performance?!?! Add Gwyneth Paltrow and some Muppets and you have one fun and memorable performance. I completely LOVED IT!!! If you didn’t catch it, it is worth looking up.

My favorite performance of the night was the fusion of Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers, and Bob Dylan. Those boys came to play and they played HARD!! I can’t wait to get my hands on some new albums.

Love him or hate him, Eminem is always a crowd pleaser. You have to admire his energy and drive. He gave a great performance, with lots of great voices backing him up.

I have to admit, I have never heard of Arcade Fire before and I am NOT a fan, YICKES!!! That’s all I have to say about that!

If you watched the Grammys and have some lingering questions like:
What was the bling about that Eminem was wearing?
Who was the chick singing with Dr. Dre and Eminem?
Hasn't "Need You Now" been out forever? Why was it in this years Grammy Awards?
Here is a great article to answer all Your Burning Grammy Questions

Great show Grammy’s, can’t wait for next year

Fairly Legal – Bo Me Once

I am really enjoying this show. It’s fast, it’s entertaining and it’s full of heart. In this episode Kate takes on an abusive father and the daughter who just wants him out of her life. This episode was a little Lauren (evil step mother) heavy, are they are trying to make her a main character in this show? Up to this point she has served as a background character, someone to challenge and annoy Kate. I’m a little confused also by Kate’s relationship with her ex-husband Justin. Are they dating again? What was the reason for the divorce in the first place? They seem to have a pretty good relationship, which makes it all the more confusing. I am looking forward to finding out the answers as this show moves forward.

Vampire Diaries – Crying Wolf

The wolf pack makes their move this week, trying to get their hands on Elena. They kill Alaric (they think) and take Damon hostage and try torturing him to find the moon stone. Meanwhile, they send only 1 wolf to retrieve Elena from the lake house. Seriously? Only 1? Sure they sent Tyler with him but once again Tyler jumps sides and the werewolf pack is down another member. Elijah once again comes to Damon’s rescue, killing the entire wolf pack except Jules who runs for her life. Bonnie, with help from Caroline and Jeremy, uses a little magic on Luca and discovers some disturbing facts about the deal with Elijah. We learn that Luca and his dad are trying to rescue his sister, who is being held by the big grand-daddy of them all, Klaus. Uncle John causes more trouble this week; planting seeds in Jenna’s mind that maybe Alaric isn’t tell her everything.

A good episode, firming up guesses we were already making. Under Elijah’s deal, Elena’s friends and family will be protected but ultimately Elena will still die to break the curse. The only wolfs left after the dust settles are Jules and Tyler who leave town in a hurry. I’m sure this isn’t the last we have heard of them. As far as aunt Jenna goes, I’m surprised that they have kept her in the dark this long. Seriously, is the woman completely oblivious to what is going on around her???

Off The Map - On the Mean Streets of San Miguel

This show is still weak. While I enjoy the young Dr’s that have just arrived in the jungle, the story lines tend to cause me to roll my eyes. This week we have a Nazzi that has been hiding out in the jungle, teaching children, for the last 60 years. A trip into San Miguel where one of our young Dr has to bribe government officials to get the clinics medicine. At this point this show is becoming a filler to watch when I have nothing better on the DVR. Honestly, I have my doubt about jumping on the Grey’s Anatomy train if this is all these writers / creators are capable of. Tonight’s new episode promises to be “moving” I’m not holding my breath.